Training Log Archive: Bruce

NSW Championships, Long Distance
M40A 1st



I entered M40 today for 3 reasons.
1) M21 looked too long, considering I had an 8 hour drive home after the race.
2) M40 looked like the best competition in the masters age classes
3) It was also the same course as M20

The pressure was on with Martin Dent starting 2 minutes behind me. The first control was super tricky. I was relieved to find that well, and never saw Martin.

I got stuck in some green from 2-3 and lost 30 seconds. I took the wide left hand route from 4-5 through the pre-start. I said hello to Mason when he was in the start box - not to distract him, but hoping that he may consider looking wide on that route choice when he got to it.

I contoured from 5-6 and stuck in some unmapped green just after the fence. Right and down to the track was faster, but it was hard to tell that from the map.

I almost ran off the map from 8-9. I tried to avoid climbing, but it may have been faster approaching from the ridge top.

Finally I lost 10 seconds from the last control to the finish. I was distracted by the 65m to finish description, but it was closer to 250m.


With control descriptions being distributed before the event I had identified that my course from 2-F was the same as M21A from 6-F. The course setter was very efficient at re-using control sites and common legs.

I had hoped that this may help me. However I only saw Aston Key on my way to 1, and then Matt Doyle at the last control, so it turned out that they were no help at all.

The M20As were on the same course. Remarkably, Ewan, Jensen and David were all within 10 seconds and beat me by 5 mins today.

C • Solid workout 3

Event: "2020" NSW Middle Championships - Eugowra. / Long Championships -
 

2020 NSW Middle
Seldom Seen
M21A 4th



Certainly not one of my finest races. I made a 7 min mistake on control 7 when after not climbing enough over the spur and coming off an incorrect boulder/attack point. I then lost motivation to push hard after that with another long race coming up tomorrow.
Somehow I managed to finish 4th in M21A, ending up at the front of the "midfield battle", behind Aston, Matt and Alistair.
It felt like driving for Renault when you have Mercedes and Red Bull out in front battling for the lead.

I also nearly stabbed myself in the eye with a stiff tree branch near 5. I think that may have led to my loss of concentration at 7.

Training at Gumble (north) with Jock and the boys



Just a short run. This was much more runnable forest. The track in was very much a 4WD track, so I understand why the south end was used for Easter.

Midweek Event
Ophir South
1st Course 2



Caving adventures from control 8-9 at Ophir today. Thanks to Nick Wilmott and Goldseekers Orienteers for a creative course.

There was also a lovely track along the creek to follow from 13-14, even if you got your feet wet a few times. It was fun watching the novices try to step over the stones, and fall in on some occasions.

Midweek Sprint Event
Orange Botanic Gardens
3rd Course 1

Map 1


Map 2


There were some non standard symbols to content with. I interpreted the black line around the creek near #1 as uncrossable, so I went around when some others went straight across. No one could really work out what it was trying to represent.