Training Log Archive: nmulder

Sabie O-ringen Day 2
Sabie Klipkraal SE
Brown, 8.0km, 260m

Chasing starts, so I was off first with Nico +3 and Matthew +5. Didn't see anyone behind me at any part of the course though. Didn't make any major mistakes, much better than day 1 although the area is easier and higher speed than day 1.

I was slow out of the start but hit #1 perfect. Almost ran onto #2 before I was expecting it, and 3 and 4 were perfect. At #5 I decided last minute to attack from the right instead of the left past the green outcrop. This was a mistake and cost about 20s. No problems 6-7-8. To 9 I was tempted to go left on the roads as I knew the block had a lot of trimmings on the ground. In the end I went straight and it was probably the best decision.

No other problems until 17 where I could have shaved off 5s going more direct into the control inside the circle. Started dicing with Connor (on blue) from hereon, with a mix of parallel and same controls. I was a bit slow and high through the low vis trees to #19 but hit it spot-on after that, giving the control location away to Connor. Lost about 10s not staying in the main clearings.

Went left route to #20 whilst Connor went between the hills, allowing him to catch about 10s. Then he sprinted away but it forced me to find another gear, rather critical in the end as I just beat Matthew's time by 12s.

So overall a good run, loosing only about 35s in total. Body was a bit tired after day 1, but the spring in the step is coming back. I just don't have the speed of some of the juniors.

Brown - Splits

Down on the Mpumalanga escarpment for the Sabie O-ringen, so drove through to Nelspruit for the Klipspringer Lodge Parkrun.

Small turnout of only 21 people or so on a lovely small game farm in the hills SW of town. They tried to keep it flat as possible, but still hilly with a tough uphill in the last km. Really enjoyed this one and wouldn't mind coming back some time and putting in a bit more effort on the time.

151 / 121

Sabie Klipkraal NE
2-day O-ringen
Brown, 7.3km, 215m

First starter on the course. Good into #1, but the intense map reading meant I was unprepared for long leg to #2. Quick decision was made to go left so that I didn't need to climb up through the undergrowth to get onto the right route choice. The climb on the left came all at once and was short and not too bad, so it may have been a few seconds quicker or maybe the same. At #3, I left the path too late and had to circle back (20s).

Leg 5-6 I made a bad route choice and ended up on the rocky hill ridge the whole way. Either left of right would have been much faster. I also ended up 30m too far to the right when attacking #6 (60s). Hesitated going into #8 as I'd misread the description and though I was going for the cliff instead of the boulder (10s). I then had a good run to #9 and got through the undergrowth perfect, but then circled around the edge instead of cutting straight line to the control (30s).

Into #11 I was right on the perfect line, but then got confused on the detail inside the circle and changed route to come in on the NE side instead of the NW which was much more accessible (20s). Thereafter a good run of controls spot-on, getting slightly lucky with #16. At #17 I was about 40m too far east (20s) and then I messed around exiting to #18 instead of staying in the white forest to get onto the road. No other problems after that.

So overall quite scrappy and quite a few time losses (7 mins down on superman time). Would have preferred to be at least 3 mins faster but still 3 mins clear of Nico in 2nd place.

Accidentally pressed my start / stop button on the watch, so a bit of course is missing.

Brown - Splits

Trails around the estate.

Rode tracks from home out to Lanseria area.

Surprisingly not that cold. Gloves came off within 10 minutes.

Ran parts of the yellow route in reverse before heading round the back of the dam on green route and then a bit of uphill hairpin bends on the red.