Training Log Archive: TheInvisibleLog

Went back to Kooyoora with Julie to visit the clump of spider orchids and to design a better course three for next year. Both missions accomplished. But failed to re-find the single Sun Orchid I found yesterday.

From Orchids Kooyoora

From Orchids Kooyoora

The Bermuda Triangle, this time organised by Julie. She used only 10 controls on course 1, but had 15 controls in the course, ie quite a few repeat visits. This minimised her work setting it up, but didn't make it easier for the rest of us.. more to come.
I ran Course 1 early, starting at 11. Had a reasonable clean run, with three errors, none of which were major. In a sign of things to come, all of these were on return visits to pivot controls.
Second visit to control 3/7, I passed on the left and went about 20 metres too far.
Third visit to the main pivot control, I veered too far left and went about 100 metres past.
Second visit to control 4/11, I veered too far right and ended up climbing up the cliff face. Knew where I was at that point, but realised it wasn't the best approach.
Spiked all the first time visits, particularly the long leg to 8. All up I lost maybe 2 or 3 minutes. My time at the finish went up as 89 minutes. This looked slow, and I had navigated conservatively. But I had a wry smile or two when the comments started coming that implied I must have been lost out there. Don't they ever learn? Its the Bermuda Triangle. The wash up was 9 dnfs (compared with 7 at the last visit two years ago, including some very notable orienteers). This time there was less excuse as all the control sites had been used in 2010 or 2009. Not that that helped. It seemed that many people (self included) had trouble refinding sites visited 15 minutes earlier. Only three finished in under the hour with Blair having a win on 50 minutes. When Jymbo does 10 minute ks you know its tough out there.

This event is a great day in the local fixture, and I can now say this because I didn't organise the day. The turn-up for course 1 was a sign of a developing profile. I finished 14th, despite a reasonably clear run. I wouldn't ever expect to finish faster than any of the 13 above me... well, maybe I'll catch Clara every now and then. There aren't many local events with this depth of field on course 1.

From 2012-10-21

C • no Garmin? 5

Epsom Creek circuit

Loosen up on day two after the three hour. Had plans for a longer run, but, well, it just wasn't going to happen. Body had the final say.

Commute and thereabouts