Training Log Archive: Stijn

Easy walk out today so we took our time over breakfast, with coffee and swimming down at the pools. The brilliant weather we had for all 4 days continued and it was plain sailing back to the cars.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move78053644

Long day, with 1752m of descent! We started the day by summitting Mafadi (highest peak in SA @ 3451m) and then followed the long ridge down to the top of Leslie's Pass, with some spectacular views of the escarpment cliffs on the way. Leslie's was far steeper and rougher than I remembered it, but everybody got down ok for the final bushy slog along the riverbed to Marble Baths Cave. The much sought-after swim had to happen after sunset.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move78053701

Steep and technical slog up Corner Pass via the Northern ridge approach to get to the escarpment. Stobo and Tom stayed behind with Charne and Alex waiting for the promised lift and eventually set off after us, catching us all at the top of the pass. The going was slow, with 3 scrambles, some requiring us to haul packs up with a rope. The very narrow final gully also got pretty scary when a few backpack-sized boulders came crashing down just 50m away from us, probably dislodged by baboons from above. Then there was some more slogging up to the Mafadi Ridge to reach Injisuthi Summit Cave (3300m) for the night. Great cave, with an awesome view.

It turns out that the lift never arrived and Alex R helped Charne hobble all the way down to Injisuthi, arriving there just before dark.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move78053747

4-day Berg hike at Injisuthi with a large group of 15. First day was up the Injisuthi Valley and up Heartbreak Hill to Centenary Hut, which we all camped around as it's pretty ruined. Charne had a really unlucky stumble at the hut and tore a ligament in her ankle. Alex R was going down the next day anyway, and Alex P spent the evening trying to arrange a vehicle lift via the Injisuthi Management Track the next day...

Using Strava's moving time as my time estimates.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move78053832

Jog/walk around Emmies with Fran & Jo.

TE 2.2 http://www.movescount.com/moves/move77372843

Night race out at Rosemary Hill. The venue name is a misnomer as there are no hills in sight! Flat and fast but mostly on singletrack. Distance was a bit further than I had been training for so had to vasbyt through some high intensity after starting too fast. Pushed hard to catch Fernando with about 5km to go and he set a hard pace to the end. Finished just ahead of him after calling him back from a wrong turn and just behind Janneke and Craig somewhere in the top 20. Fun race!

Got my HR strap replaced under warranty so the above readings are accurate!

TE 5. http://www.movescount.com/moves/move77024520

Edit: 12th overall out of 155 runners on the long course. Winner did 1:27. http://www.racetime.co.za/_results/2015/RaceTime-W...

C • The old hamster heart 2

Parkhurst to Conrad and back on the Spruit with Charne.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move76637314

Started off terribly with a mistake at the first control. It was pretty well hidden and I was almost on top of it before second-guessing my location and climbing above the rock band thinking I had made a parallel error.

Went to 3 before 2, but corrected quickly and didn't lose too much time.

Should have gone around and up to 4 instead of up and over (control was lower down than I had thought initially).

5 was probably the worst of the day - struggled to figure out the contour detail and had to backtrack to it once I relocated off the path.

Good through 6 & 7 and then slightly low to 8 but saw the control early enough to correct quickly.

Route choice to 9 was too high and had to smash through some dense bush to get down to the right level. Paul (9 mins) caught me here.

10 was easy, but then had to smash through some horrendous green on my way to the path on the southerly route choice to 11. Got to 11 just after Paul but he went too low so I got away from him a bit.

Good to 12 and 13, but Paul's route choice around the right to 13 was probably better. I attacked the hill directly and approached from the top.

Good to 14 and then slightly low to 15, approaching the control from the wrong direction.

Took a slightly wrong angle to 16 but Paul led me into the control and then took the lower track route into 17. Paul beat me there by 30s using the more direct route via the firebreak.

Poor route choice to 18, taking the middle path and then trying to tiger-line through the green at the end... quite a fight. Going high early would have been better. Struggled to find the control when I was in the circle as it was on the other side of the hill to what I was expecting (should read map detail more clearly).

The rest was good except for a slight hesitation when approaching 20 on the wrong path.

So terrible first 5 controls and then ok, probably trying to go too straight on some route choices and fighting through too much green.

Fun, technical course!

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move76394141

Brown - 5.5 km - Splits

2 and a bit laps of Emmies.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move76252048

Spruit & Delta Park from Parkhurst with Neal. We were both working pretty hard, so the after-run coffee was well-earned!

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move76029696

With Fran and Charne.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move75803860

2 laps of the lagoon jeep track at sunset.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move75646793

At Churchhaven for the weekend. Ran out and back along the lagoon jeep track with Fran.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move75646804

C • Churchhaven 2