Training Log Archive: TheInvisibleLog

Ran three of the Ironman courses to check sites. I had 23 controls to visit (leaving out the additional controls for the true novice and moderate courses- the successful promotional work means I have to cater for non-Ironman novices). Of the 23, only 6 remained unchanged. The map has changed substantially due to control burns. There is too much visibility for many control sights to offer any challenge. Further, the heavy rains of March mean quite a bit of the diggings area is now under water. Finally, beehives were sitting at a strategic place in the middle of the planned novice course. Significant map changes in ten places added ot the complexity. there were many breaks between the running periods.

INATTENTION AND BAD LUCK SCUTTLE RUN
Its been a while since we had a local event with map drawing prior to the run. In fact, I had wondered if we should throw out the map boards. This event was on the old Smiths Reef maps from Easter 1998.

The first 8 controls went without incident, if I forget the now standard painful state of mt hamstrings. I navigated well to 9 and couldn't see any control. Steve Bird came over the ridge and dropped down into the same gully. He commented that we had both navigated to the same spot from different directions so it should be here. I accepted this logic and kept looking a little on the assumption it was out of view behind a tree. The logic I had discounted was that I had misdrawn the location and Steve had no idea where he was. The latte4r logic was correct. I gave up and travelled to the next control Evan streamed past, so I yelled a question and he said the control was in the right place. So I ran back and searched again. All up I spent over 6 minutes on the control. It might have been an acceptable time otherwise.

Was impressed by Toph and Ev running 31 minutes within a few seconds of each other. Its not often you see sub 5 minute per kilometre times. Jymbo was a few minutes behind but that included a shit stop. Impressive in its own way as well.

I decided to log the mapping. The mission was to knock off a substantial portion of the remaining mapping of Stumpy Gully. This has been a multi-year project due to procrastination in its many forms. With it looking like we will be leaving Maiden Gully within the year, and with an event on the map coming up, I decided the only solution was to take a day of leave and spend it out in the bush. I had estimated there was 8 hours of mapping left, and it looks like I had it just about right. By the end of the mapping I was quite tired. This time it wasn't mental as when mapping at Korong or Virginia Hill, but physical. With few point features I covered a lot of ground. I probably should have used the Garmin.
Observations: lots of of Golden Orb Spiders and even a few Jewel Spiders. The Golden Orbs have lasted very late into the season and some are massive. Mr Creosote spiders. It seems once they get this big they die as quite a few monsters were hanging lifeless from the web. That wasn't good timing because those still shuffling this mortal coil are gorging on plague locusts.

Five more Neangar laps. No sprints or even failed attempts thereof. Sore muscles still.

Five laps of Neangar. Two slow and three trying for temp pace, but the best i could manage was a 4.57 lap.