Training Log Archive: rcro

Event: NGOC League 6
 

Very early start - in Newent before 7.

First starter to wake up the controls and check everything is fine. Started at 9.22 so meant I had to be back within 38 minutes to let the starts open on time.

Generally took what I consider to be the best route (but 2-3 suggest best is to double back via 1 - I had to make sure the no entry signs were clear on the unlocked gate [since locked by caretaker].

No trouble finding 4 :-) looks like typical NGOC control placing in the nice bit rather than the horribly nettly correct place - clearly forgot to update the map when I moved that control site in my head.

Long leg 12-13 took pretty much best route but do wonder if south of lake and then behind church might have been better still. The canopy cut-off made all the difference.

Missed the first turn I wanted into rugby pitch and had to double back, and took stupid route for 23 as thinking I'd be going to the other control there - so crossed fence when around was best.

Was a time to beat set, and two beat it. Not running so far as might have liked but had been really suffering after yesterday's races. Allowing for 2-3s per control wake up time confirms the value of knowing the map and course so well. Nice to get out to run a course beforehand - maybe this is the model that NGOC should be using for it's league race controlling?

Another great run by Scott.

Comments received were generally very positive.

https://www.strava.com/activities/344536776/overvi...

Collecting in the school

Event: Urban Event
 

Having a go at Newport to see how I compare against Lliswerry people.

Quite a nice course with stony tracks, bark, grass, and bare earth dodging trees. Not so "pan flat" as they say, and with odd rises and bends makes it slower than some. Felt about the same difficulty as Forest of Dean (on a very dry day) but it should be easier.

Pretty much 100% effort all the way - paced myself well at the start for 3:50ish ks but was miles back - around 50th, by the first corner onto the bark.

Pushing hard to overtake all the way from here - got around 30 and didn't lose any places - end result 22nd.

Very hot again this morning and was struggling. Would need cooler day, some rest in the week beforehand, and to do some intervals if I am to try and do it quicker.

https://www.strava.com/activities/343711856/overvi...

Score on Llangattock.

Route S-16-15-14-13-11-24-10-28-26-31-32-25-27-23-22-33-34-21-30-F.

Odd scoring system - 60 mins with max score 400, penalty 20 points per minute - so it massively discouraged going to the far away controls because each was worth, at most, only 1.5 minutes extra time. As a result will be a long way down the results...

Started with most people going for the lower scores on east side but opted out of 12 (only 10 points, and looked like it would add closer to 2 mins rather than 30s to drop down and crawl back up again) so on my own for a while.

Very slow on the uphills - as expected being just 2 hours after a hard run, but the plan was to do some orienteering rather than race.

Small miss on 31 but knew where to look. Went to fenced off pond beween 32 and 25, then went too far south so lost a little bit to Andy Stott who was ahead after cutting out more controls.

Went for the far away controls and mostly paid off except for 34 where lost 90s-2 mins - think it's the same control I messed up from same direction last year - missed by a few m, didn't see and nothing else to work from. Then lost another 30s on 30 by being a contour too low.

Quite nice to be orienteering in terrain, and weather was much fresher.

https://www.strava.com/activities/343711870

C • Long way down the reults 3

Event: Summer Street Challenge
 

Battling the trains again today - had to stand all the way to Cheltenham and then got a bit lost guessing the way to assembly.

5.7km on straight line.

No real mistakes, but was straight forward early on but quite tricky towards the end. Knew I had to turn right on way 11-12, noted the junction but had overshot by 20m when I remembered there was only 1 turning!

Didn't feel very fast but wasn't pushing until second half. Not caring about the result and can't expect to be running well on day 6 so didn't push to the limit. That said, I felt like I was going far better today than I was yesterday.

Course was ok, but maybe something more interesting needed to be done on long slog 10-11. Good job done with the courses given how little urban orienteering (and indeed almost any recently!) that Paul has done - plenty of planning ahead required to not go wrong.

Good run by Scott to beat me by 90s or so. On fresh legs suspect I would have been close to his time so must have been pretty much error free. By the sounds of it he's improving on control flow so we all better start watching out for him now...

https://www.strava.com/activities/342664447

Event: BOK Urban & Park Series
 

BOK "urban" around Chew Stoke.

Very pissed off with the garage for being hopeless so now without a car just in time for the train strikes - very strongly worded complaint been sent in ahead of me dialling every Heritage Automotive phone number I find (Bristol or otherwise) until somebody actually tells me whether they've actually serviced my car and got in the part it needs...

Wasn't in the mood for trying once got here (thanks to Mark for lift, and back to Temple Meads after) but it was quite a nice run and course was quite good. Map had a lot of funnies, but nothing on the scale of Penpole and didn't really matter to me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/341920336

MDC from far end of Pontypool. Got past Cwmbran the first time and realised I'd done a Saunders and left my shoes behind so a lot of right foot driving back home to pick them up...

Up along the canal, before taking the jungle route to the top. Recorded possibly the slowest km ever run in the history of the world - 19:30 as it really was tough.

Not feeling good for last mile or so - trapped wind or something - so pleased when we got to finish.

https://www.strava.com/activities/341257041

AGM went smoothly as most of committee weren't there.