Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Tadpole Bay, a map almost entirely yellow and green, with some limestone but not the features of yesterday, a patch of sand dunes, and some flat areas. Felt very ordinary at the start - back troublesome on the first hill - but thought there would be enough to be worth exploring a bit at least, and hope that things settled down, which they did on the downhill through 6 (though I still walked the climb to 9). Dropped maybe 30 seconds on 3 and a minute on 4, a vague control, but navigation decent thereafter. Don't think the route choice along the top of the coastal cliffs to 8 was optimal, but it was scenic. Went wide to 11 which seemed to work, got the dune controls well, and thought I'd nailed the potentially troublesome 14 as well - which I had (the place that it was supposed to be), but no flag in sight. Dropped about 3-4 minutes there in collective searching, before playing out the last part of a hare-and-tortoise game with Ethan (who'd caught me at 9 but lost time going straight to 11) and Remi, decided in unusual fashion when they both veered off going from the last control to the finish - not quite as good a finish chute scalp as Martin Dent in similar circumstances this time last year, but I'll take it :-).

Pretty disappointing performance today but enjoyed the experience, once I got moving. Think an easier day will be in order tomorrow, particularly as I attempt to adjust to an unusually humid dry-season Darwin.