Training Log Archive: Lizzie

STB stage 3 Arataki

Fast and furious. Pretty disappointed we didn't have more technical stuff in the schools. Our course seemed to hop over the detail a bit. Still, I lost the win (and lead) to Emma thanks to an abysmal route on the hill climb leg (9s lost), and heading into not one, but two dead ends exiting the 3rd to last control (last bit of navigation required - 12s lost).
Legs really suffering.

STB Stage 4, HAstings golf course

Not quite as fast and furious as this morning, thankfully. Started with Emma and led us through the first 3 controls in the forest. Both of us (and a lot of others) got really confused at #3, dunno if it was the scale, or just initially finding it hard to match the map to the golf course terrain.
Was just behind at the end of the first butterfly, but Emma got a bit of a gap on the green singlet sprint leg. I managed to keep about the same distance through the phi loop, before we caught up Zoe and Tara. From there, I was just clinging on to the three of them, letting them do the navigation, while I fine tuned cutting corners where I could ;)
Pretty happy to come in 2nd, 15s behind Emma. so 18s down after day 2

STB stage 1 Mass start at EIT. Absolute chaos to begin with. I took what looked like an OK route at first to #1, but there were actually more little walls and passages to zigzag through than i thought, so was a terrible route. Was back in the pack at #1 then, but about 6th in line once we split into the loops. Worked my way up to the front of our group by the time we got back to the pivot (helped by laura "doing a lizzie" and having to slow punch each control).

Led the pack through the second loop and the first few controls after everyone joined back up. Knew that I had Ella and Tara right on my tail thanks to the number of in-and-out controls. Then, heading to 13 (i think) along the edge of the buildings, Emma just cruised past as if I was standing still! I tucked in behind her, and coming into 19, was happy to just hang out in 2nd and not bust a gut for the win. But then Emma headed off left, I stuck with my route, and a moment later realised she'd made a mistake and wasn't going to reappear in front of me.
From there it was a matter of holding off the whipper snappers behind me. Tara pushed me right to the finish line, and in hindsight, the smarter option would have been to let her take the win, and save my legs a good deal of pain and lactate!

Good fun though, and nice to win a sprint finish.

STB stage 2 out at Te Aute college.

Rough start in the farmland, and caught Tara already at 3 after she had trouble with the earthbank. Kept it clean through the first set of building detail, before another foray into the long grass and steep slopes. Had a brain fart at 10-11 where i headed into the wrong building/courtyard system. Classic parallel mistake. Tara near enough caught me back up here.
Then had a serious leg fade after the map flip. Simply leaked time (20-25s over 4 controls!). Was saved by the down hill finish, and the fact EMma overshot the penultamite control, to take the stage win and go into day 2 with a 22s lead.

well, kinda rest. Long drive over to the bay afterwork

Noooope

Stopped to check out Lake Mangamahoe on the way home from work. Legs were absolutely stuffed, just about made it around the lake path, but it wasn't pretty. (I mean, it was, very much so. but the manner in which I ran was not)

Lonely mtn sprint relay, partnered with Shminty.
Went out about 6th, had the same first loop as Eve. We both lost 20s or so on the pivot behind the basketball court - going first to the one at the top of the steps, realising it was wrong, and looking around confused. Then found the feature and control, but not the control box. I retrieved it from it's upside down resting place near the control and replaced it before continuing.
Ended up with Laura and Eve on the second butterfly, but then as we ran across the basketball court a 2nd time, Laura pulled up, realising she'd got the wrong control first time round.
I had a bit of a gap on Eve and then Tara heading over to the second school. Managed to pull away from them here, and had Krystal in sight as I returned to the arena and map flip. Have to admit I'd forgotten about TIm and Emma, so though I was probably racing Krystal for first.

Gradually closed the gap on Krystal throughout the final butterflies, and was 2 steps behind at the penultimate control. Opted for the straight through route to the last, and jumped up the bank out of the control...only to be stabbed by a large stick, right in my side! Swore very loudly, not so much at the pain, but at realising both my singlet and shorts were now caught and twisted on the stick. Took a couple of seconds to extricate myself,, and busted a gut to the last control. But by that point Krystal had the gap she needed to hold me off.
So, 3rd.

Turns out atleast 10 others also stabbed themselves on the same stick, and atleast 3 singlets and 2 pairs of shorts fell victim to it too.

Lonely mtn sprint relay, partnered with Shminty.
Went out about 6th, had the same first loop as Eve. We both lost 20s or so on the pivot behind the basketball court - going first to the one at the top of the steps, realising it was wrong, and looking around confused. Then found the feature and control, but not the control box. I retrieved it from it's upside down resting place near the control and replaced it before continuing.
Ended up with Laura and Eve on the second butterfly, but then as we ran across the basketball court a 2nd time, Laura pulled up, realising she'd got the wrong control first time round.
I had a bit of a gap on Eve and then Tara heading over to the second school. Managed to pull away from them here, and had Krystal in sight as I returned to the arena and map flip. Have to admit I'd forgotten about TIm and Emma, so though I was probably racing Krystal for first.

Gradually closed the gap on Krystal throughout the final butterflies, and was 2 steps behind at the penultimate control. Opted for the straight through route to the last, and jumped up the bank out of the control...only to be stabbed by a large stick, right in my side! Swore very loudly, not so much at the pain, but at realising both my singlet and shorts were now caught and twisted on the stick. Took a couple of seconds to extricate myself,, and busted a gut to the last control. But by that point Krystal had the gap she needed to hold me off.
So, 3rd.

Turns out atleast 10 others also stabbed themselves on the same stick, and atleast 3 singlets and 2 pairs of shorts fell victim to it too.

Pukekura park #1 good fun course. Lots of routechoice. Highlight was running through a yoga class. Ahahaha. Zen

Pukekurs park #2. More short sharp stuff around gardens and a bit less routechoice. Another cool course. But more revenge for last night ;)