Training Log Archive: Doyley

These numbers are all guesses, but this is the easy run we did at the Grand Canyon. Lots of vista, lots of stairs

A great race by Henry and a large blunder by me saw me lose my 4-peat (on a M14 control no less). Really a great course on a great map. Fine through the first section and butterflies, but the straight option, despite my amazing strength, was not the right way to go, and I lost a minute on this one. Good through the second butterfly section, and really started to push it on the return journey, taking the lead, but a brain fade here on the last control that required any navigation, 22, and the panic that I was in after that saw me lose the best part of 2 minutes, and I was bitterly disappointed about it.
But, still claimed the Easter win for the first time that I can remember, in any age group, and with some really good races that I am actually quite happy with. It is such a relief to finally be able to put down some good, consistent races, where I can finally have navigation I am happy with for 4 days in a row. I've had good races and results before, but putting 4 (5 if you include the NOL Sprint relay too) of them together has eluded me in the past, and I can now be reasonably content with Easter this year, although I know there is definitely still room to improve

Day 3 3 Hard (2) - Splits

Easter Day 2 - Long
Through the rocky, steep section first, which was okay from my end without being spectacular. Lost some time on #1, finding a knee high termite mound in hashed green isn't always too easy. Found 2-5 easy enough, and had chosen the wide route to the right for 5-6, which as it turns out was a bit slower, leading to the maxim of "there is no such thing as route-choice, only weakness". Now, after this we ran into the land that time forgot, but I'm quite confident my time and route-choice to 7 was pretty good, leading a bit to the right and picking up the track along the spur and coming down the gullies into the control, if being a bit under it when I got there. Now punching this and having my SI flash very fast was a bit disconcerting, but a quick old fashioned punch and I was on my way. Went to the left around the green to 8, which upon looking at the green was a waste of time, but again the lack of a punch means this weakness will go unnoticed. 9 and 10 were fine, and straight was the only viable option I saw for 11. I had decided that slightly left and following the same track I had in the other direction for 7 was the way to go on 12, and I felt like this was a good option, although we never will know that for sure. The control finally started to make some noise at the point, and from here to the finish pretty much it was a task of letting the compass flow through you. I was planning on going straighter on 15, but drifted a little left and hit the larger track, which wasn't too bad as I saw the broken man (Dad) it provided a pretty definite attackpoint into the control. I was really tired from here, but it wasn't too difficult and I pushed hard into the finish, very happy with my run.

Day 2 Course 3 - Splits

Easter Day 1 - Middle
Probably one of my best ever bush races in technical terrain. I was a little messy on one of the early parts, losing time on 3, 4, and 5, but after that I felt very clean, and pushing the pace towards the end felt very manageable.

Course 3 day1 - Splits

Event: Easter 2014
 

Easter Prologue
Really quite a good race for me to get going.
Brodie and I had a super close race, with 7 seconds our largest margin at any control. Looks like I chose the right option in going straight on the long leg 10. It was pretty tricky after this, and I felt really tired going around the last few loops, but I still managed to chase down Brodie's ghost in the finish shoot for the tie.

Easy run with Jacqui.