Training Log Archive: O-ing

Event: Western Australian Long Distance Orienteering Champs
 

Hill Park Dale. Long M50. 1st. Running slowly and got really tired after about 45 minutes. However that helped the nav.
1 good bare rock attack point, but had a bit of difficulty interpreting map from there. No time loss.
2 Got the two big boulders below and right of the control as my AP
3 Nice big boulders just before it
4 The spur/knoll to the east was my AP
5 Contoured from the end of the open/bare rock
6 -45 Went high and left hoping to use a long cliff. However that wasn't easily identifiable, so wasted time checking a few other cliffs before the control.
7 Was hoping to use the big boulder east and on the edge of the circle, but didn't identify it. Came to the other big boulder NE and in the circle and correctly identified it.
8 Easy
9 Over the top. Had to walk up the hill. In a return to Irish hill form, Cath beat me by 1 minute on this leg.
10 Contoured to the second fence, then round the N side of the knoll.
11 Contoured from end of open. Could see one of the boulders in the circle from 100m away.
12 Due South. Looked for the isolated boulder when I got to the rocky ridge and it wasn't far away.
13 -1 Getting tired now and walked some of the track. Too low and again the long cliff didn't look quite right. Had to persuade myself to go further west.
14 -20 Ended up too low, don't know how as I contoured
15 -30 Straightish (and hilly). Picked up track halway so went below the dams. Used the watercourse as my AP, but that was slow going.
16 Took longer than I expected to get to the big boulders, and then to the spur, but correctly identified it and searched for the gully (niche) on the other side.
17 Took the easy option along the fence, then all I had to do was ascend to the highest point from the fence corner. Much faster than straight line. A bit lucky too - the cliff marked on the fence wasn't there.
18 Went a bit AWOL on this one; didn't check my compass till I was well off line to the east. However I did check it and it ended up as being a very good way into the control.
19 Very careful on this one, got to the fence with Brian Austin who went right. Wanted to see the boulder on the fence so went left till I was sure.

So only really 2.35 in errors. Way better than the 2006 Nationals, when I ended up with the same mins per k, but made a real hash of it running faster.

Event: Western Australian Middle Distance Orienteering Champs
 

Hill Park Dale. M21 Open. Very happy with this run afterwards and when I saw the results (4th, 1.56 down on fletch). Just shows what 1 week of training in a bog can do. However, splits analysis shows lots of room for improvement. GPS distance 5.5km.
1 -15 Slow start, checked a few boulders before mine
2 -15 Actually used the wrong cliff as my attack point, 50m too far left
3 -20 Didn't aim off, so not sure which way to turn on the slope
4 -40 Got sucked into another gully too early. Cath and Rach did the same
5, 6, 7, 8 spiked
9 -20 Didn't read description, had to go round the wrong side of the boulder
10,11,12 Spiked, but slower than the others on the 2 long legs
13 -25 Thought it was contouring but it was actually down 2 contours, so nearly ran across the top of the gully without seeing it. However, stopped because I had run the right distance and could see the flag way below me.
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 spiked, but slower than the others as I was now tiring.

so lost 2.15 in small mistakes: not enough to threaten Tooms or Craig. Had I been running faster (e.g. had I been able to train since Easter) I would probably have made more mistakes.

With Cath. Legs tired from last weeks efforts.