Training Log Archive: nmulder

Event: Urban #2 StJohns 2023
 

Urban Series event at St Johns and Rodean
1:2'500 and 5m

Overcast weather and cool, but still humid with some damp places around the course from lots of rain. I chose the right shoes for the event, didn't struggle with grip on the slippery floors.

Made a mistake to #1 by trying to climb the grassy embankment rather than taking the stairs. Much steeper and more slippery than I was expecting and lost 10s or more. Then a good section to 5, where I caught sight of Paul (started 1 min ahead) for the first time. The map problems from last year were still there, with some uncrossable walls having too narrow a width, so they looked like a step on the map. I played it safe and went for the legal routes. Still had to change route to #5 as the one obvious gap was uncrossable (5s). First big route choice was 8-9 where I did a u-turn and went back along the road, which the splits suggest was definitely the best option. I still made a 5s overshoot right at the control, so could have had a better split. At 11 there was another map issue with the uncrossable wall, which was only 50cm high! I went around.

After the map flip we started the Rodean section. More technical with the reading. I made a route choice mistake 15-16, taking the first option around the fenced-off tree rather than the next pathway around the building (5s). Similarly 16-17, I went left instead of right around the building (5s) although the map doesn't suggest that the right is faster. On 20-21 I made the wrong route choice, coming down the stairs on the N side of the building instead of the ones to the S. I also didn't see the control until the last second, and so hesitated (10s). I had an excellent route 22-23, deciding to run around the hill to the S on the road rather than run over the hill and this gave me a fastest split. No other problems then until entrance into 27, where the uncrossable walls aren't shown, nor is the path through the dark green, so I lost about 10s on everyone else running around.

Finished 2nd to Michael, who was about 2 mins ahead, so happy with that. I was 10s ahead of Paul (3rd), having got as close to him as 25s entering Rodean, but then slowly loosing time again on him. Overall not a bad O' for me given I haven't orienteered since SA Champs in September. Sprint work needs improving and a bit better map contact and memory.

Men - Splits

Parkrun at Wits again in wet conditions. It was only a slight drizzle though, so quite nice running weather. I thought we were doing the 'wet' route, so went around the back of old physio building on lap 1, but turned out we were on the normal route, so I ended up doing 40m more than standard. After the first small loop, no-one to push the pace with me, so could have been faster.

180 / 133

Long run at Cradle Moon.

The causeway under the dam wall was flooding about knee deep, so crossed over the Crocodile River at the upper bridge and ran the main tracks around the Red loop area, then back across the upper bridge and around the outer parts of the yellow.

Made it back just in time before the light drizzle turned into another downpour.

A longer run out past Stanford Lake College and up the hill to the Long Tom monument.