Training Log Archive: fluceluce

Not the ideal start to the day, they hadn't given me or Pippa a WRE start time. This resulted in me being told at 9:20 that my start time was 9:39, 2.5km away.... At that time I was wearing flip flops and not biking kit. A quick dash back to the car and transition and at 9:29 I set off for the start! Made it with about 1.5mins to spare. Adrenaline pumping!

Set off ok, first couple of controls a bit slow due to legs a bit heavy, but then got going again! Kept it together for 9 controls today. I think this is where my compass started to break as it told me I was riding down a track 45 degrees to the one I wanted, so at the end I corrected for this (as there was a track on the map that fitted the bill)...as it happens no correction was needed and I lost 2-3mins riding a daft way to 10.

Next the curse of the first starter....the track to 11 was virtually invisible so played it safe and rode 2 sides of a triangle to reach it. About 1 min slower?

12 fine.

13, curse of the early starter again, one of the tracks was overhung and not obvious so miscounted at the star junction. 2 mins lost. No more mistakes but the adrenaline wore off and left me moving slowly 15-17. Perked up a bit for the last few controls. Just a bit slow overall today.

French 5 Days - Day 1:
Was going well to number 5, riding fast and navving ok. 5 was in a quarry and I found Charli here looking in the same place as me - there was something odd with the map/control circle, lost 3:30. Not happy with that control but set off to 6, only to find mapping and actual tracks on floor hit and miss. More tracks on floor than map. Ended up on something I knew wasn't right but hacked out to main track and back in to 6 - smoother than the others with me and arrived at 6 first of the small group I was with. Another 5 mins lost.

Think my head had lost it after that, not riding as fast through 7-14 as total write off already. Bad route out of 9 but otherwise nav good and got a few track standing punches in. Then disaster at 14, this time nothing to do with the map, everything to do with concentration. Another 2-3mins lost riding 2 sides of a triangle.
Thought I'd finish it off in style with the age old mistake of hammering it to make up time. Lost another 3-4mins on 15 being a tool.

Hammered it to the finish, stopping for a quick superman impression, but no more mistakes...

Disappointing start to nav but riding well.