Training Log Archive: GM

NSW Long Distance Champs at Rydal Showground. A change of scale to 1:15,000 (nearly all my maps these days are 1:10,000) made me concious of having to run a bit further than I would normally expect. So I ran fairly straight and confidently to 1, and ignored all the little tracks. Pity I didn't employ the same strategy on 2. I angled up to the main track and ran along it well and over the small hill and kept going with the idea of getting to the little path to the right and then attacking the control. I just didn't see the path so by the time I decided I had gone too far I just turned in, and almost immediately crossed a small track which made me think I hadn't gone as far as I thought. So from that point on I was making a lovely parallel error. Found a termite mound that wasn't on the map where I thought I was so assumed I was even further south of the control, but by this stage I was about 200m north and kept going over the next spur. Ran down the other side to the termite mound with the control and saw '22' and just as I was punching saw the final digit was '0' not '2' .... bugger. So a more measured relocation process made me realise I was about 400m to the north, so turned around and navigated to the right place, but had lost nearly 5 minutes by this stage. I just ran straight to 3 and felt like I had regained my composure and a bit of momentum. Contoured out of 3 to hit the track then followed it down to the bottom of the big gully with a 4 wheel drive right behind me ... I didn't pull over until I left the track on the other side of the clear gully. A steady run up the hill to 4 but should have pushed a bit harder. I took the left hand route from 4 up onto the top of the flat spur expecting to intersect the little track, but never saw it - they were very vague and often non existent. But at least my direction was good so I just kept on reading the big contours. I dropped down into the main gully but found the going very slow - should have stayed up on the hill side longer. Up the hill on the little track then traversed to 5, but again didn't have a lot of oomph. I tried to go fairly straight on 6, 7, 8 and 9 and didn't have any real problems. Coming out of 9 I climbed a bit towards the show ground and was very surprised to find a lovely straight dirt road running north/south. I thought it was a north line on the map. A fun little slalom through the pines to 10 then a short slog straight back up the hill ruined the fun. I finished 2nd, but 6 minutes behind Michael Burton. A cleaner run would have made the result quite close, but I didn't and it wasn't. So really not happy with my run today, but there were some good patches, and my direction was good, even on the big broad and vague spurs.

Worst part was waiting nearly 2 hours to start as they had spread the start times out ridiculously, apparently concerned that the open nature of the forest would make it too easy to follow.

All warm up (well at lest trying to get to the start not frozen), but sadly no warm down.

C • Congratulations ... 9

Event: NSW Middle & Long Champs
 

NSW Middle Distance champs at Gardiners Gap East. Pagoda terrain with 'thick as' bush, and 20 controls in 4km meant it was going to be slow, and it was. I was pleased with my concentration and map reading, but made a couple of poor route choices which cost about 2 minutes. Started confidently and went through the first 3 controls ok. I couldn't see control 4 so stopped and double checked where I was then realised I had to push through a bit of head high scrub to find the high point. Good through 5 and 6 but took the route to the right on 7 which may have been a poor decision as the bush was very thick on the first half of the leg, so lost about a minute. Again ok through 8 and 9 and had to stop before 10 as I started turning up too early so lost about 30 seconds stopping and double checking. To head back to the pivot control I retraced my route back past 9 with the intention of following the bare rock straight back up to the control, but got a bit stuck in the scub trying to get to the bare rock so lost about a minute. Good on the last loop back to the pivot control. The leg to 15 was fun, but I stopped near the start of the bare rocks and cliff lines to double check that I wasn't going to run down the wrong line and end up in a dead end of cliff lines - should have been a bit more confident. From 15 to the finish was good and I was feeling fast and smooth (probably didn't look it though). Lost about 15 seconds on the last control as I ran left around the green but didn't compensate so stood in a shallow gully wondering where the control was, but recovered fairly quickly. Enjoyed the area and Nick Dent made great use of it - lots of variety, changes of direction, pivot controls. Managed to hang on for the win, but only 30 seconds in front of Michael Burton (new to 50's this year).

Felt very comfortable running, but got very cold after finishing. Took ages to warm up, but afternoon tea in front of the fire at the old Wallerawang railway station helped.

A good warm up, plus I tried to concentrate about my run rather than chat which helped get to the start feeling in the moment.

Ride to work via northern edge of Spence and Evatt, then Gininderra Creek and JKP. Felt a bit light headed while riding - maybe just needed some breakfast.

Ride home from work via JKP, Gininderra Creek and Melba. Took it fairly easy - trying to let my legs recover in time for NSW O champs this weekend.

Ride to work. Had fun leapfrogging an Action bus through McKellar

Intervals up on Gossan Hill at lunchtime. I ran Bobby Macs 'four and half loops' that start and finish at the saddle, with 1 minute recovery between efforts. I did the shortest one first to warm up, then the 'half loop' which is simply down the hill to the gate behind Radford and then straight back up.

My efforts were:

3:11 (0.7 km)
5:30 (1.1 km)
5:33 (1.2 km)
3:48 (0.9 km)
3:48 (0.8 km)

Time includes run there and back.

A round about ride home from work. The new lights on the Lake G bike path were on.

Ride to work.

Spin class at CISAC. Time includes my quick run there and back as my warm up/warm down.

A very chilly ride home from work.

Ride to work.

Lunchtime run with Ecmo. From the ABShouse over Gossan Hill and then across onto the bike path beside CIT then into Bruce Ridge for some sweet single track - where I just tried to hang on and managed to ok (luckily for me, but not Ecmo, he has been sick and claims he isn't fit). Finished off back past Calvary, then South Bruce and the Emu Ridge playing fields. Weather was threatening but the rain never came and it was perfect weather for running.

Ride home from work. No rain but the paths were full of puddles so got a bit wet.

Run to work. Overcast and quite warm - possibly up into double digits.

RPM class - solo again (if you discount the other 50 people in the class) as Heffer wasn't 100% and MaryMac forgot her gym pass and ear plugs. No Steve again either, but the other woman taking the class wasn't too bad. And they turned on the aircon about half way through.