Training Log Archive: Thraws

Tranmires, Hallow Rigg, Cowgate Rigg and Standingstones Rigg. Although there was no heather today, this area was probably even less runnable, a bit like Ringwood on a bad day. There was an excellent little pick among rides and veg boundaries at the start, which I made a bit of a mess of, then the familiar (by now) mix of furrows, tussocks, vague mapping and obscure control sites. It was difficult to get out of a walk/stagger, even in the white forest. It made Selhurst feel like Scandinavia. I missed 5 by a few yards and 10 by a bit more, only realising when I started to go downhill. Relocated off a boulder-control and then my own number 11. The worst, though, was the pointless out-and-back leg to 17 which was through every kind of grot imaginable: fallen trees, brambles, young trees, furrows. Navigation was out of the question. Then you had to fight through a load of christmas trees to get to the final control. Result was worse than yesterday's so I think I lost a place or two in the overall results. Like I cared!

Stony Marl Moor, Penny Howe and Pye Rigg. This started with a brief heather-slog, then a tricky little pick in a highly contoured area. Leg 5 was 2k long, and most of it was wading through thigh-deep heather. This put me in a bad mood, so when we got to the forest I rushed my attack and chose the wrong ditch through the light green. Lost 3 mins here and another 1 on 6 because my bearing was inaccurate. Got into a bit of a head-to-head for 9 to 13, which caused me to overshoot the AP for 9 as I was rushing. Relocated off 5 but lost 4 more mins. I had been warned, but I thought the area was pretty low-rent. Running was almost impossible and some control sites were very obscure. Features that stood out on the map were hard to make out on the ground. It rained during the 3k walk back from the finish.

Only did this because I didn't think I could get car out of assembly field to do anything else. I don't like night-o and the fearsome midges in the torchlight at the start were like a form of torture. The petzl headlight was OK on the paths but as good as useless in the trees. After blundering around for 9 minutes looking for a boulder I decided the only way I could score any points was to follow someone with a decent light (although the first few people I found seemed as lost as me). So I had help for three of the controls among the ditches, then headed out to the path in the south for three more there. As I had a few more minutes I went off to look for a 'south-west ride' but couldn't find it and was two minutes late back. Complete disaster. But sort of fun in the weirdest way. Came almost last.

Arrived in pouring rain, put tent up in pouring rain, ran in pouring rain, but this was a good start to the weekend. It combined a scrubby bit of forest, a marshy field, and some farm buildings, and there were dummy controls, one of which I went to. The routes between the controls in the wood, the only technical bit, had been pre-trampled through the undergrowth by the planners, so you just had to be careful you got the right elephant track. I thought my race was pretty competent, but my time turned out really slow. My excuse is it was really dark.

Test ran my 'brown' course at Selhurst. Have to say I quite enjoyed it. I got scratched and stung a fair bit but I think the course manages to make good use of the good bits (there are some left!) of Selhurst. Anyway, it was a bit epic for a Brown so I think I'll promote it to Black and plan another slightly shorter Brown course. Think the event's coming together quite well. And I've managed to keep the total number of controls to 38, which is not many more than a SOG. Right leg sore after.