Training Log Archive: Vaala

No time to think as I was supposed to start as I was still crossing the fence. Anyway, felt pretty tired to start with but sort of warmed up into it a bit after a while. Could see Nic in the distance to #1 so ran him down by #3 then could see Tessa so caught up to her eventually and we pretty much ran together with Allan who caught us at #8 I think. #9 was mysterious but the rest wasn't too bad although I did some silly things. Quite fun but the swim in the lake afterwards was the best bit.

Event: Katoa Po All Night Relay Weekend
 

SO hot! I was feeling pretty crap (turns out staying up late eating way too much popcorn and chocolate especially when you are sick is not a good idea...who knew?) and more than a little car sick so it was not a pleasant experience. Bumbled around at the first control then stuffed up #3 and #4 but the rest was okay although I shouldn't have taken the leg along the lake. Going round the road was way better in hindsight.

I really don't like the dark but at least this year I had an awesome headlight! Had to start in a mass start (of 2!) for leg 4 (how I sneaked in to run leg 4 I don't know but it was fine by me!) but it was pretty much me by myself the whole way which was actually quite cool although I really stuffed up the end of the long leg (#5) by not going far enough along the marsh but thinking I'd gone too far and then promptly messed up #6 as well for good measure. Then it was all good until #11 where I was bumbling around on the wrong side of the hill. The rest was fine and I was really quite happy.

C • Well done! 2

Out at the bike park. Wasn't feeling the flashest but not too bad and figured I really could do with the ride before next weekend. It was okay. I mean the forest was beautiful, the trails pretty much perfect, the weather awesome and I wasn't riding too terribly but when you don't feel 100% it feels a bit flat. I pushed up a couple of small hills simply because I didn't have the energy but for once I didn't go into telling myself that meant I sucked.

Was going to do the Girls On Top run tonight and was actually quite looking forward to it but really, I'm not feeling super and I have Taupo this weekend so finally decided against it. But I was feeling antsy and stressed and the evening was so beautiful so I went for a walk. The Pasifika concert was happening in Western Springs so I went down through Jaggers Bush and then along a track I'd never been on (Lemington Reserve) and out to Westmere Reserve. Had to sit down there for a little while... It's always interesting walking round quiet streets. I heard one young girl telling someone very firmly that it only rains once a day and another house was listening to Band of Horses which made my night. Getting home again felt exhausting...I should have eaten before I went out but a couple of my flatmates have taken over the kitchen 2 nights in a row trying to create this cactus thing that they can supposedly get high on...weird.

To and from the gym. When did it get so bloody cold in the mornings?! I wore a t-shirt most of last week...

C • lost 2

Ooo, I am definitely stronger than I used to be...climbing is doing good things :)

I should have done course 2 or 3 but I drove out all the way and am a sucker for punishment so dragged myself round course 1. Felt okay until just over halfway when I started to feel a bit shit, then more shit and ended with a lot of walking! Did a lot of silly nav things too 'cause my brain was a bit lightheaded. The best one was how I kind of had this idea there were only 18 controls instead of 19 so started off to the finish (or where I thought the finish was) from there...took a little bit to work out that, well, nothing fitted!!!

At Extreme Edge with Chris. Feeling rather under the weather (sandpaper throat and dizzy) but climbing quite awesomely for a change! Managed the physical blue overhang this time which had me buzzing and also got up the green overhang with the super big reaches but that wasn't all that hard really. Then we practiced going up and down several times on the yellow 16 overhang they will teach us to lead on in a couple of weeks. Going down is bloody scary especially as we got each other to have the rope slack for the climb. We also had to have 10 second pauses on each clipin bit going both ways. Finished with a few dead hangs just to really kill the fingers and arms. Quite dizzy afterwards though...