Training Log Archive: Bruce

2019 Australian Championships - Long Distance
Split Rock, Cootamundra NSW
M45A



I started well with the first 7 controls in a tricky granite section. I had caught both the 4 and 6 minute runners ahead of me.
Then the style of the course changed into some very open running. I tried to accelerate but my chest infection was limiting me. I was still in the lead at 10, but I hadn't been able to build a big buffer before the downhill steep slope orienteering from 10 to 14.
My biggest mistake was wearing new o socks with nvii shoes. The steep slopes were killing my feet, and before long I had significant blisters on both balls and heels of both feet. I had worn the shoes in for several runs. My other o socks were all holey. The new ones were the same trimtex style, so I thought they would be ok, but the combination of slopes and newish shoes hit me hard.
I navigated carefully to 11, but just before I reached the circle I was distracted by a huge unmapped rock feature to my right. It may have been a small boulder on the map, but it looked more like what I was expecting in the circle. As there were no good attack points I had to check it out. It turns out that I was wrong. But within a minute I saw another mapped rockface and relocated quickly.
On the way to 13 I lost Matt Bixley up the hill as my feet were killing me. I should have stayed on his tail and followed him to the control. Instead I tried to take a more efficient route and contour in from the spur. This worked ok until I mistakenly confused another unmapped rock feature. This time I climbed above 2 rockfaces and ran to the boulder. In fact this was 30m short of the control and was actually just one rockface and a boulder cluster on the map. I lost around 90 seconds here and lost the lead to Carsten.
I pushed hard from 13 to the end and made up a little time, but was still 32 seconds short of outright victory.
At least I was still able to claim resident Australian Champion by around a minute from Craig.

It was a tough day and I tried hard, but some things didn't go my way today.

Course 5 - Splits

2019 Oceania Championships - Sprint Distance
Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga
M45A



My preparation was excellent until a couple of weeks ago. I had trained well, and stayed lean, but things fell apart in the lead up.

I had to overcome a number of obstacles just to get to the start line.
First my hip and hamstring were tight all week and just getting out of bed was painful earlier in the week.
Second, my chest infection was making breathing difficult, particularly when exercising. I noticed this by about control 4, and all uphill legs were particularly difficult. I felt short of breath, and tired more quickly than I should have with my training preparation.
I also had to manage and drive a bus full of the Vic Schools Team and make sure that they were all ok.

My race started well. I picked the best routes in the uni terrain before the spectator control and built up a lead.
Then the forest section was tricky. I decided to go up and over the hill as I didn't have top speed today to go around. It turned out ok, with the 2nd best split on the long leg out of 144 competitors on the course. I ran conservatively in the forest section. I was not the fastest in this section, but also didn't loose any significant time. I felt if I was able to be careful and avoid time loss, then no one would catch me in the urban terrain.
I lost 10 seconds on a bad route choice to 17, but otherwise there were no issues.

My hip/hamstring injury was good. I was just restricted with my breathing.
Given this, I was super pleased with 40 second win over Carsten, along with all of the M45, M16, W20E, and W21Es.
Winners of those other classes all got IOF diplomas and medals. I just got a paper road sign and a mug :-)

Course 4 - Splits