Training Log Archive: GraceE

Travel day from Stanthorpe to Cairns, with stops in Warwick and Goodna(!).

Australian Middle Champs on "The Cascades".
Set off and read everything to the first control getting it fine. The second control had a really rocky knoll mid-leg which I thought I would run to the left of. But soon I found myself crossing the creek to the right of the knoll, and heading north! I thought, it's ok, you can save it and corrected without slowing down much. Read the bare rock right into the control circle and thought I would drop onto the boulder, but somehow missed it, looking behind other boulders in the light green further down. Eventually headed back up to the bare rock and there it was! Lost a bit over two minutes on the leg.

I was then pretty mad, and ran as hard as I could throwing caution to the wind. But we had a string of controls where the flag was on our side of the feature, and a fair few easy controls. Other than a little banana to c16 I didn't have any more problems. When I finished I was annoyed as I didn't think the course was that hard given the area, and I felt I hadn't run fast enough. Needless to say, I was very surprised when the final results were in and I had finished 2nd. Great effort by Bridget who held it together all the way from the start to take the win.

So, this 2nd was my 9th top-three placing in a Aus/UK Middle Champs from 10 starts over the past 11 years. That might be it now :)

Australian Long Champs on "Amiens".
I love this kind of terrain and was looking forward to today's course. I got control 1 without problems but didn't do c2 that well, bouncing off the road to the right and then heading back in too early thanks to an extra track. Lost about 1min. From there the legs got harder, particularly the long legs in the Cascades section, but I paid close attention to the map and made my way fairly smoothly around the course.

I had just punched c11 when Jo appeared, which was a little demoralising as I had been travelling well and she had started around 12 mins after me! She had two passengers and they were all properly pushing, and ended up 1,2,3. My concentration wained a bit after that and I dropped some seconds on two short legs near the end. I finished 4th, which, now that a little time has passed, I realise was still a decent effort.

It was a super fun, super challenging course and I'm glad I got to run it. I also realised when the three ladies ran through me that I hadn't actually been racing and would need to lift the pace in the Middle.

Long travel day from Canberra to Stanthorpe. Got out for a quick leg-loosener just on dark from our caravan park in Glen Aplin.

Picked Matt up from work and then ran home from Lennox Gardens via cyclepaths (around the lake for a bit and then straight up Woden Valley). Was to run for an hour averaging 4.45 pace, as Point to Pinnacle training (ok, it's very mildly relevant. It's on tarmac).

C • Haha 3

I did Matt's control pick on Cooleman Ridge. Aus champs training - tick. It was tricky with all the rock detail, especially now the vegetation has been burnt away revealing extra un-mapped rock. I think on the whole I did all right, although strava says I was only moving for 48mins - how rude!

Long run - up Mt Rob Roy first, then the extra loop to the south that I often do (including quite a bit more climb!), then I also visited another trig right before dropping back down to the car. I love this nature park and the views you get, it's my favourite in Canberra and I'm always surprised I have it to myself every time.

Event: Australian Orienteering Championships 2016
 

Tuggeranong Parkrun. Was a bit slower than I'd hoped.
4.03, 4.06, 4.04, 4.09, 3.58.