Training Log Archive: grilla

All the gains of yesterday went straight down the toilet. Really did not enjoy this. Not sure how long it’s been since I spent such a long time in a course. Not within living memory. Had decided to pull out when I hit more green just after 7. Headed back to the track and past the start before I decided I should approach 8 from there. Only did that as could not justify pulling out 2 weekends in a row. Still had a few more issues from there to the finish, including losing 2 min at last control which put me over 2 hours.

C • Humm 12

Almost got my act together. Declared before the event this was a great map, and scene of one of my almost best runs. 2004 Aus champs where my biggest time loss was 4 minutes just before the finish helping an injured competitor.

Got a bit distracted in the way to 3 and promptly lost 8 minutes. Caught Cathy McComb On the way to 4 and we were near each other for the rest of the course. Taking different routes between controls but generally meeting up again in the circle or on approach. She got away from me across the field and up hill to 11, but I was a bit more efficient on the next few to come in a few seconds ahead, but almost 8 minutes behind her!

Middle H3C - Splits

Today I joined the gym! Time to help out those puny arms I think.
Did a bit on exercise bike, stair stepper and cross trainer for cardio. Learnt how to do a few machines and body weight exercises. Will get a proper program next week.

Let’s hope it’s useful, and I’m not too sore tomorrow!

C • Gym 1

To the start. Made challenging as I did not bring the big map and had not been out here before. Got there eventually.

Checking map and control sites at Mt Clear. Tough terrain, but very beautiful. Sad to see so many weeds invading this area. Need to come back as did not make it to all. Physically draining and need to save some energy for next weekend.

Brain still not coping too well after last weekend.

Back to the car.

Feeling very incompetent after yesterday. I seem to be really struggling in reading and interpreting the detail on this map. So, taking it easy to start. 1 and 2 were really easy, 2 almost stupidly so. 3 was also easy but I missed it, overthinking things. 4 I came really unstuck and did not see my control was up a contour. Lost a lot of time very close to the right spot (livelox is a comedy). Got my act together for the next few. Just misread the location for 9 so did an unnecessary circuit of the big boulder. Then back across into the green. I thought I was doing this OK. I was being careful and checking myself the whole green section. But I met AlIisonI in the midst who said she was going to follow me as she'd been lost a long time. I did not object but it seems that I got a bit distracted and when I got to the circle and did not see the control, went very silly. This played out in further mega time-loss for 12 and 14. By 15 I'd had enough fighting the green so went around. Got 16 fine but it was a slow way to do it. Same for 17. Made it to the finish.

Not sure why some demographic got the 7,500 map and others 10,000. I might have seen the detail at 4 on the different scale :(.

So after the weekend, I have lost a huge amount of confidence - maybe the kick I needed. I have not been so lost or without a clue for many years. Maybe I was pushing a bit harder than I was capable of. Need to rebuild my techniques from scratch I think.

Day 3 Course 14 - Splits