Training Log Archive: GM

Parkrun at Ginninderra. Started very steady ie. slow, and kept thinking I have a race this afternoon. Passed Gary in his Australia Day gear at about 1.5km but still not pushing hard. It was only once off the bridge I ran hard - even managed to pass a couple of runners.

10 before and 10 after

Sprint Canberra day 3 at CSIRO. Fantastic course by Miss Jones. An easy leg to 1 and I was off to a good start, but then I ran up and around to the left of the buildings going to 2 instead of through the buildings so lost over 10 secs. Hesitated leaving 6 but chose the right way in the end. Remembered that the info for control 129 said it was on ground level but didn't actually use the info in making a route choice so ran left on 13 and had to come down the stairs. Another short hesitation on 18 but the rest was good. Felt better running today ... maybe the Parkrun in the morning was a good thing. Nick M was very close on most legs and he was only 2 seconds behind at 15, but I managed to gain 30 seconds through the last 5 short legs - sometimes it is hard to see the course in the dark grey of the buildings.

Short warm up and a chatty warm down with Acejase.

Day 3 CSIRO Open - Splits

Ride from home to ANU for a lunchtime coffee with MaryMac then a longer wet ride home in the rain via Black Mt Peninsula and the Cook saddle.

Sprint Canberra day 2 at Radford. Mass start with Open Men and Open Women. Took me about 5 seconds to find number 1 on the map ... the line went through control 7 so my eyes kept getting drawn to that. Luckily the first contol was on the far side of the school so I could just run roughly in that direction then work out the detail on the way. It had been raining so the brick inlay in the paths were slippery, but the concrete was ok. Stuffed around in near 3 by going in to early so I was caught by Mathew Stocks and Tate Needham, then I spent another 5 seconds trying to find 4 on the map in the butterfly loops in the building but I think everyone was doing the same. After the butterflies Mathew showed me what a younger whippet like person can run like, and I couldn't catch him. Making a poor route choice to 12 didn't help as I went up to the left and had to clamber down the slope near the control. A slight hesitation near 13 working out that it was a big canopy ie. the car space under the building. Everything else was good and I had a lot of fun. Great little course by Fat Rat but I am not a big fan of mass starts - too much following unless you are the poor bunny in front :)

Day 2 Radford Course 2A - Splits

Event: Sprint Canberra
 

Spint Canberra day 1 at AIS. Excellent course set by Ecmo - lots of variety. I had a good run navigationally - should have gone right around the building from 9 to 10, and also right around the pool from 17 to 18 rather than run the ramps (but the ramps are fun). Happy with the rest. Just felt tired and had no oomph or leg speed. This was my first orienteering since the Aust Champs and really enjoyed it.

Open - Splits

Big lap of Mulligans Flat starting from the car park in Forde. Saw three other people but otherwise I had the place to myself. Really pleasant for the first hour but then the sun came out and it got a bit warm.

Got up just as MaryMac was leaving and it looked cool and pleasant so made a snap decision to go for a ride. Out the door a few minutes later and caught up with MaryMac near UC, then together to ANU. I then rode up Red Hill then back home via Civic and North Canberra.

Spent a few hours in the garden swinging a mattock and shovelling dirt and felt stuffed at the end so it counts as training, but I will just put down an hour.

Long run from home. It took me a while to wake up and get organised this morning but I did make it out the door before 5am. I used my Ay-Ups for the first 40 minutes until it was light enough to put it away. I followed the same route as last Sunday, but without the tumble, as far as Northbourne then followed the pines and track under the trees along the northern edge of old Watson. My aim was to get to the Hackett car park around 7am to try and meet MaryMac who was turning up early to do her own long run.

We headed up Majura, via the Triple Tri track, and I took a short cut from the bridge up the rocky gully and went as far as the top of the last steep pinch before turning and heading down to make it back to the carpark by 8am. Passed MaryMac on her way up and she was going well. Made it to the carpark at 8am to find Lizzie, who asked how long I had been warming up - 2:56 was the answer.

We headed around the bottom of Ainslie, taking some nice single track just past the water tank on the higher route. I then took a slightly shorter route while Lizzie went the concrete path - I wasn't moving that quick. Good timing meant we met just above the saddle when I rejoined the main path. A quick stop at the top of Ainslie for some water then down the CCT and on to the HH saddle where Lizzie branched off to head for Majura. I continued on the lower route to the carpark and kept on going to Hackett shops to buy some choccy milk, then back to the car to finish (and drink the milk).

My right knee is still swollen and tight and I am not running very freely on it yet. It was a bit of a struggle at times when just by myself, but fun to run with MaryMac and then Lizzie, who did a lot of talking to pass the time :)

C • Wow 6