Training Log Archive: JanetTIn the 9 days ending Aug 4, 2019:
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Sunday Aug 4, 2019 #
3 PM
Walking 1:46:18 4.16 km (25:32 / km) +46m 24:11 / km
ahr:83 max:141
North from Victoria Park in Arbroath on the Arbroath Cliffs and Seaton Cliffs trails to De'il's Head and back, passing by gull nesting cliffs near Dickmont's Den (which reminded me of a small fjord). Lots of juveniles on the cliffs. Not sure what type of gull.
Also saw some slightly larger brown-gray gulls--some kind of skua(?) (arctic or great skua)-- and a reed bunting with a very green caterpillar in its beak. Lots of wildflowers in bloom (many thistles).
No dolphins or whales, but we did see a three-masted ship heading north along the shore.
Dipped our hands in the North Sea at a ramp down to the rocky beach which hadn't been underwater when we started. A yellow-legged gull with bands on its legs stood sentry at the top of the ramp, both before and after our hike.
Track is funky near the cliff at the beginning of the hike (we went down to the rocks to see if there was any interesting tide pool activity but only saw limpets).
Also saw some slightly larger brown-gray gulls--some kind of skua(?) (arctic or great skua)-- and a reed bunting with a very green caterpillar in its beak. Lots of wildflowers in bloom (many thistles).
No dolphins or whales, but we did see a three-masted ship heading north along the shore.
Dipped our hands in the North Sea at a ramp down to the rocky beach which hadn't been underwater when we started. A yellow-legged gull with bands on its legs stood sentry at the top of the ramp, both before and after our hike.
Track is funky near the cliff at the beginning of the hike (we went down to the rocks to see if there was any interesting tide pool activity but only saw limpets).
Saturday Aug 3, 2019 #
9 AM
Walking warm up/down 6:30 0.34 km (19:21 / km)
ahr:92 max:110 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
Car park to loos
Walking warm up/down 6:09 0.34 km (18:02 / km) +26m 13:08 / km
ahr:119 max:147 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
Loos to finish arena to drop bags at the tent with other Americans.
Walking warm up/down 26:19 1.84 km (14:19 / km) +104m 11:09 / km
ahr:111 max:134 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
From finish to start. Cooler morning than previous ones, though just a bit cooler. Still worked up a sweat climbing the hills.
10 AM
Orienteering race 46:35 *** 2.9 km (16:04 / km) +39m 15:02 / km
ahr:121 max:143 spiked:8/10c shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
Scottish 6-Days, day 6, Grandtully ("pronounced grantly"), 1:10000, 2.3 km, 30 m climb. I didn't start my watch until #1 so track is at least 315m too short (that's the straight line distance to #1). Track includes 39:51, but total time was 46:35, with first split of 6:42. I estimated and added in the additional distance.
Another poorly executed race. I am thinking that if I return to another Scottish 6-Day I might just do the short rather than the long, because a week of O plus hikes to start, after little summer training, is hard on the body. (I know, you'll say, "just train more.")
Good execution, though slow because of uneven ground, to the first three controls (1 and 2 on the track); the first of which was the aforesaid 315m leg to a <1m high boulder in meter-tall grasses. Leg to #2 was almost as long but into an area of distinct terrain features, and 3 was a shorter leg to a ditch near a vegetation chamge.
Then I blew a 200m downhill leg by not properly interpreting the vague vegetation features (plus getting pushed off my bearing and I don't pace-count well, apparently). Too hesitant, and came up a bit short before correcting. Was bailing out toward road when I found it. 3:00 lost
Went to road which took me halfway along the leg to #5 and had a good attackpoint.
Leg to #6 was my other blunder wherein I didn't follow my bearing well and didn't go far enough, and got drawn off by other bags. And again misread the vegetation type. Another 3:30 lost here.
Okay from there, confident to 7; saw another control on the way to 8 but knew I had to go farther, and the rest was easy.
So 29th on the day for another throw-away, and my previous not-so-good scores held up so I finished overall in 27th of 42. 20-21 was doable with good runs.
Results for W65L
Splits
Another poorly executed race. I am thinking that if I return to another Scottish 6-Day I might just do the short rather than the long, because a week of O plus hikes to start, after little summer training, is hard on the body. (I know, you'll say, "just train more.")
Good execution, though slow because of uneven ground, to the first three controls (1 and 2 on the track); the first of which was the aforesaid 315m leg to a <1m high boulder in meter-tall grasses. Leg to #2 was almost as long but into an area of distinct terrain features, and 3 was a shorter leg to a ditch near a vegetation chamge.
Then I blew a 200m downhill leg by not properly interpreting the vague vegetation features (plus getting pushed off my bearing and I don't pace-count well, apparently). Too hesitant, and came up a bit short before correcting. Was bailing out toward road when I found it. 3:00 lost
Went to road which took me halfway along the leg to #5 and had a good attackpoint.
Leg to #6 was my other blunder wherein I didn't follow my bearing well and didn't go far enough, and got drawn off by other bags. And again misread the vegetation type. Another 3:30 lost here.
Okay from there, confident to 7; saw another control on the way to 8 but knew I had to go farther, and the rest was easy.
So 29th on the day for another throw-away, and my previous not-so-good scores held up so I finished overall in 27th of 42. 20-21 was doable with good runs.
Results for W65L
Splits
12 PM
Walking warm up/down 13:05 0.69 km (18:56 / km)
ahr:105 max:121 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
Back to the car via the loos. Didn't include the down and back up trip to download then get something to eat, then return to finish to gather our things.
2 PM
Walking 1:59:14 4.31 km (27:39 / km) +10m 27:20 / km
ahr:78 max:134
Then we went to Scone Palace where all the Scottish kings since Robert the Bruce were crowned, which is presently the home of the Murrays (when they're in the area).
Walked from parking to and into the castle seeing such items as carved ivory and silk wallpaper and china sets and carved and inlaid furniture.
Then around some of the grounds including the maze shaped like the family crest/logo/symbol(?) star, which was fun (figured out how to reach the center from the tiny map of it on the map of the grounds they gave us when we purchased tickets).
Scone
Walked from parking to and into the castle seeing such items as carved ivory and silk wallpaper and china sets and carved and inlaid furniture.
Then around some of the grounds including the maze shaped like the family crest/logo/symbol(?) star, which was fun (figured out how to reach the center from the tiny map of it on the map of the grounds they gave us when we purchased tickets).
Scone
Friday Aug 2, 2019 #
12 PM
Walking warm up/down 25:58 1.78 km (14:36 / km) +120m 10:55 / km
ahr:110 max:149 shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
To start, via loos and arena to drop off bags. Cloudy to start, but I must have jinxed the day because the sun emerged (so I put on sunscreen). 22C when we left the meet site.
I went when Glen did (he had a start that was farther away and 16 minutes earlier; I arrived with 40 minutes to kill).
I went when Glen did (he had a start that was farther away and 16 minutes earlier; I arrived with 40 minutes to kill).
1 PM
Orienteering 1:26:04 *** 5.04 km (17:05 / km) +143m 14:58 / km
ahr:134 max:165 spiked:9/12c shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
Scottish 6-Day, day 5 on Craig a'Barns, another Long course. 1:10000; C20 was 3.8 km, 165m climb (notes said 170). Temp probably near 20C when I started, but more than half my controls were in the woods.
Good to 1-2-3, then a route that initially saved dropping farther down the steep hill but didn't save as much distance as I'd hoped. Ran trail to corner of logged area, the stayed high for most of it, but had to climb up through cliffs at the end of the leg. Lost a couple minutes there.
Then I just had to get to a fence crossing point...through a mucky marshy area. Just a couple meters from the fence one shoe came half off in the muck. I had to retrieve it and was able to keep it half-on climbing over the stile, but then sat doen on a convenient stump to put my shoe back on and tie it (ick...covered in mud!). Traversed the logged area along the marked route, then punched the control at the end, bit neglected to check the code, so after I climbed a half-contour up the hill I went back partway until I could see that yes, that was my control code.
Okay to 6, but bounced off two other controls before relocating in the correct direction to my 7. Short leg to 8.
To 9 I hit the trail a bit lower than I expected and started climbing, cutting off too early and hitting a stream and having to follow the uncrossable fence to the crossing point. Crossed and had two minds about the route and should have taken the first (uphill to the next crossing point and down the broad reentrant), but decided to do option two which climbed N of the hill that the cameraman was on and over the spur to the reentrant, where I proceeded to not look left but turn right because I didn't see the control right away as expected. Too much time up the reentrant before I turned around and started to run down the reentrant when wham!!! My left foot went into a hole and my upper leg impacted a rock next to it. Owwww. Picked myself up and continued to my control which I couldn't have been more than a meter or two away from after climbing over the spur....
10 added some more gratuitous climb but I could see it from a distance; just had to get to it, and then climb down in one piece. One more, a traverse across more muck, then a downhill finish. 33rd of 41. A throwaway for sure, but maybe I should have bailed after 8 like some others did.
Icing my thigh with a bag of peas...some of which will grace my salad accompanying dinner, I think.
Overall placing is currently 26th (because of a 27th earlier in the week) when it should be closer to 21st. We'll see if I can do better in tomorrow's middle.
Results for W65+
Splits
Route Gadget
Good to 1-2-3, then a route that initially saved dropping farther down the steep hill but didn't save as much distance as I'd hoped. Ran trail to corner of logged area, the stayed high for most of it, but had to climb up through cliffs at the end of the leg. Lost a couple minutes there.
Then I just had to get to a fence crossing point...through a mucky marshy area. Just a couple meters from the fence one shoe came half off in the muck. I had to retrieve it and was able to keep it half-on climbing over the stile, but then sat doen on a convenient stump to put my shoe back on and tie it (ick...covered in mud!). Traversed the logged area along the marked route, then punched the control at the end, bit neglected to check the code, so after I climbed a half-contour up the hill I went back partway until I could see that yes, that was my control code.
Okay to 6, but bounced off two other controls before relocating in the correct direction to my 7. Short leg to 8.
To 9 I hit the trail a bit lower than I expected and started climbing, cutting off too early and hitting a stream and having to follow the uncrossable fence to the crossing point. Crossed and had two minds about the route and should have taken the first (uphill to the next crossing point and down the broad reentrant), but decided to do option two which climbed N of the hill that the cameraman was on and over the spur to the reentrant, where I proceeded to not look left but turn right because I didn't see the control right away as expected. Too much time up the reentrant before I turned around and started to run down the reentrant when wham!!! My left foot went into a hole and my upper leg impacted a rock next to it. Owwww. Picked myself up and continued to my control which I couldn't have been more than a meter or two away from after climbing over the spur....
10 added some more gratuitous climb but I could see it from a distance; just had to get to it, and then climb down in one piece. One more, a traverse across more muck, then a downhill finish. 33rd of 41. A throwaway for sure, but maybe I should have bailed after 8 like some others did.
Icing my thigh with a bag of peas...some of which will grace my salad accompanying dinner, I think.
Overall placing is currently 26th (because of a 27th earlier in the week) when it should be closer to 21st. We'll see if I can do better in tomorrow's middle.
Results for W65+
Splits
Route Gadget
8 PM
Note
Note that the route gadget track doesn't start at the start triangle but at the stream (which was before the call-up line). Not sure why, but it throws off the rest of the track to #1. Everything else looks okay (not counting the stupidity).
Thursday Aug 1, 2019 #
11 AM
Walking warm up/down 40:05 2.64 km (15:10 / km) +152m 11:47 / km
ahr:114 max:145 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
This was intense, especially the last 17 minutes of it. They claimed 90 m of climb from the arena but my watch and AP say over 150m... I count at least 25 contours, 18 in the last 300m. Once the hill kicked up Glen went on ahead; he got there several minutes before me.
First part of my track was from parking to the finish arena to drop off bags (in case we needed to change clothes) and for me to pick up my GPS tracker from the Entries tent. I carried it secured in my waist-water-bottle's pouch. You could also add a half-vest (top half of a pullover shirt) to hold it up higher but it was warm enough I didn't want another layer.
First part of my track was from parking to the finish arena to drop off bags (in case we needed to change clothes) and for me to pick up my GPS tracker from the Entries tent. I carried it secured in my waist-water-bottle's pouch. You could also add a half-vest (top half of a pullover shirt) to hold it up higher but it was warm enough I didn't want another layer.
12 PM
Orienteering race 1:10:28 *** 5.16 km (13:39 / km) +157m 11:51 / km
ahr:138 max:169 spiked:9/11c shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
Scottish 6-Days, day 4 on Cultechar and Dron map, 1:10000, course 20 was 3.9 km, 150m climb.
Terrain was mostly open and runnable for a large part of the first 5 controls, though any uphill climbs and the steep sidehilling from 4-5 slowed me down.
I missed the proper route choice to #1, noting a gate mapped in the start reentrant close to the line, but a marked crossing point was a bit farther to my left. For some reason I wasn't sure I could use the gate (it didn't have "crossing point" markings, but I should have known better). I probably lost 4 minutes going the way I did as it involved a few extra contours and and extra 100m or so of distance. Plenty easy to find once I got to the top of the hill, but that damage was already done.
2 was pretty easy, and set up 3 which involved choosing a pathway through the gorse bushes. Thicket seemed lower than mapped to me as I exited the gorse, though, but I figured it out.
Contoured to a path on the way to 4, then took a bearing from the end of a trail. The reentrant near my cliff was easy to pick out.
4-5 involved sidehilling across a steep hillside, but I didn't have to climb or drop, just reach the mapped green blobs and figure which one I wanted. I bobbled in here a little for maybe 2-3 minutes lost.
5-6 was the route choice leg, and I chose to go around the hill to the right, and took a track most of the way. The last 100+ m was a 6-contour plunge down a hillside but you couldn't go fast due to logging remains (the smaller branches). EDIT: From looking at other tracks it seems the better route choice was to still go right of the big hill but then to take the right fork at a split and contour around the spur (I climbed up 2.5 contours more than needed).
7 was an easy, fun leg, and then 7-8 was also fine, except I was stung by something on my rear (so I didn't see what kind, though I suspect a yellow jacket type) on the way through the pine woods; all the runners must have stirred up something.
Then 8-9. Basically an 11-contour climb practically straight up to the top of the hill (the rest of the course from there was downhill), with no really good "around" route, though I did skirt the earth bank and light green. Ugh, again.
27th place of 40. Leader of W65 was 44:15.
GPS tracking from the organizers
Results for W65+
Splits
Added:
Route Gadget
Terrain was mostly open and runnable for a large part of the first 5 controls, though any uphill climbs and the steep sidehilling from 4-5 slowed me down.
I missed the proper route choice to #1, noting a gate mapped in the start reentrant close to the line, but a marked crossing point was a bit farther to my left. For some reason I wasn't sure I could use the gate (it didn't have "crossing point" markings, but I should have known better). I probably lost 4 minutes going the way I did as it involved a few extra contours and and extra 100m or so of distance. Plenty easy to find once I got to the top of the hill, but that damage was already done.
2 was pretty easy, and set up 3 which involved choosing a pathway through the gorse bushes. Thicket seemed lower than mapped to me as I exited the gorse, though, but I figured it out.
Contoured to a path on the way to 4, then took a bearing from the end of a trail. The reentrant near my cliff was easy to pick out.
4-5 involved sidehilling across a steep hillside, but I didn't have to climb or drop, just reach the mapped green blobs and figure which one I wanted. I bobbled in here a little for maybe 2-3 minutes lost.
5-6 was the route choice leg, and I chose to go around the hill to the right, and took a track most of the way. The last 100+ m was a 6-contour plunge down a hillside but you couldn't go fast due to logging remains (the smaller branches). EDIT: From looking at other tracks it seems the better route choice was to still go right of the big hill but then to take the right fork at a split and contour around the spur (I climbed up 2.5 contours more than needed).
7 was an easy, fun leg, and then 7-8 was also fine, except I was stung by something on my rear (so I didn't see what kind, though I suspect a yellow jacket type) on the way through the pine woods; all the runners must have stirred up something.
Then 8-9. Basically an 11-contour climb practically straight up to the top of the hill (the rest of the course from there was downhill), with no really good "around" route, though I did skirt the earth bank and light green. Ugh, again.
27th place of 40. Leader of W65 was 44:15.
GPS tracking from the organizers
Results for W65+
Splits
Added:
Route Gadget
2 PM
Walking warm up/down 10:14 0.65 km (15:39 / km)
ahr:105 max:121 shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
From the finish arena back to the results arena/car park.
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019 #
Note
For anyone watching at home, the organizers are tracking selected individuals from several age groups through the week, and tomorrow is M-and W65+, and they have selected me as one to wear a GPS tracker. Even if you don't watch when I'm actually running (7:35am EDT, 12:35pm local), you can replay my track by visiting here:
https://www.scottish6days.com/2019/d4-culteuchar-a...
https://www.scottish6days.com/2019/d4-culteuchar-a...
10 AM
Orienteering race (Sprint) 21:01 *** 2.76 km (7:37 / km) +42m 7:05 / km
ahr:142 max:164 spiked:15/16c shoes: 2019 VJ Falcon 6.5 scot
"Rest Day" sprint in MacRosty Park in Crieff. We had requested early starts so we could do stuff this afternoon. I was in 1st place of 5 when we left, but ended up 19th of 43 in the W65-74 group, after everyone else ran. ;-)
Fun park sprint, on a 1:3000 map(!), 2.2km (shared with W75+ and M75+), 16 controls, one of which was on the other side of an uncrossable fence (there was a marshall), 75-80m from the closest gate.
The 1st control took us across a small watercourse with bridges (we could only cross water at bridges), then my next control involved running either back across the same bridge and then up a pathway, or to a bridge that took you beyond the control 65-70m or so. I took the first bridge; I think that route was shorter. Wrong route choice to 4 took me to where I could see *two* trees, and I checked the wrong one first. Should have taken the lower trail, which would have been a bit less climb. Fine through the rest, including noting that the fence on top of a wall was uncrossable (map flip control) and required running around. We think (based on splits) a few SI-Air holders might have "cheated" a bit by going close to the control below it (ie, not running around the fence) and reaching up high enough to get their SI card close enough to register. All the other controls but that one were in the park below the fence.
Results for W65+
Splits
Route Gadget
.....
We visited Glenturret Distillery in Crieff afterwards, and took the "photos allowed" tour which takes you through the entire process and history of the distillery which started in the 1740s and finishes with two one-ounce samples. Designated drivers could save their samples (in small plastic cups like those used for ketchup at fast-food places) to consume later.
Then we stopped to see the Pictish stones in Fowliss Wester (the sign for which we kept passing on our way from Perth to Crieff). We also tried to get to Huntingtower Castle just outside Perth but a heavy rain had come through while we drove, causing puddling/standing water on the roadways, and the access roads to the castle were closed from both directions... oh well.
Fun park sprint, on a 1:3000 map(!), 2.2km (shared with W75+ and M75+), 16 controls, one of which was on the other side of an uncrossable fence (there was a marshall), 75-80m from the closest gate.
The 1st control took us across a small watercourse with bridges (we could only cross water at bridges), then my next control involved running either back across the same bridge and then up a pathway, or to a bridge that took you beyond the control 65-70m or so. I took the first bridge; I think that route was shorter. Wrong route choice to 4 took me to where I could see *two* trees, and I checked the wrong one first. Should have taken the lower trail, which would have been a bit less climb. Fine through the rest, including noting that the fence on top of a wall was uncrossable (map flip control) and required running around. We think (based on splits) a few SI-Air holders might have "cheated" a bit by going close to the control below it (ie, not running around the fence) and reaching up high enough to get their SI card close enough to register. All the other controls but that one were in the park below the fence.
Results for W65+
Splits
Route Gadget
.....
We visited Glenturret Distillery in Crieff afterwards, and took the "photos allowed" tour which takes you through the entire process and history of the distillery which started in the 1740s and finishes with two one-ounce samples. Designated drivers could save their samples (in small plastic cups like those used for ketchup at fast-food places) to consume later.
Then we stopped to see the Pictish stones in Fowliss Wester (the sign for which we kept passing on our way from Perth to Crieff). We also tried to get to Huntingtower Castle just outside Perth but a heavy rain had come through while we drove, causing puddling/standing water on the roadways, and the access roads to the castle were closed from both directions... oh well.
11 PM
Note
Looking at my track now, it did something really weird after about the 1km mark. I did go to a tree to the SW, but then turned and headed back uphill past the pavilion to another tree and then to the around-the-fence control. #10 was through the playground and then the track picks up near #11 (see route gadget, which I added by hand the best I could).
Tuesday Jul 30, 2019 #
Note
Apparently the organizers felt the river crossing leg on yesterday's course (where I went the long way around but not everyone did) was unfair because the meet notes were vague about crossing "where safe" and the bank was not streamered to indicate out of bounds.
So they threw out the times for leg 6-7. That moved some people up and me down to 24th place.
So they threw out the times for leg 6-7. That moved some people up and me down to 24th place.
10 AM
Walking warm up/down 14:00 0.79 km (17:39 / km) +18m 15:49 / km
ahr:100 max:116 shoes: 2017 Inov8 ArcticClaw 300
To the start, on a hillside overlooking the arena. Warm in the sun, but there was shade to be found. Actual start is a couple contours higher on the hill but I wanted to take advantage of the shade because I arrived early.
Temp was probably upper 60s to low 70s.
Temp was probably upper 60s to low 70s.
Orienteering race 37:40 **** 2.3 km (16:23 / km) +41m 15:02 / km
ahr:135 max:176 spiked:10/10c shoes: 2017 Inov8 ArcticClaw 300
Scottish 6 Day, day 3 (middle) on Dundurn map S of St Fillians, 1:7500, 5m. C20 was 1.9km, 75m climb. Day started our mostly sunny with thinner wispy clouds, the became cloudier as the day went on, but was still sunny when we left around 1:30 or so.
Aside from a bit of bobbling out of the start triangle which cost me a minute or more, I had a great run and a lot of fun--Middle is my favorite discipline, and this one delivered with a lot of short legs and changes of direction. I had to hook around obstacles here and there but kept track of where I was (the spur at 3 came up a bit quicker than I expected but I saw a bag on the end of a hill and checked the code...it was mine). Got my right foot this time stuck in a marsh between 4-5 and had to work it out; a kind gentleman stopped to give me an arm to pull myself out.
4th of 15 when I finished (with many more still to finish in W65), with Peggy D in 1st (for the moment) and Angelica Riley and Kristin Hall as well, so a happy American crew. Glen was also 1st for a time. Final placing is 13th, my best so far.
I must have started and immediately stopped my watch at the start because part of the track and time is missing; I adjusted the time and guessed on the added distance.
Results
Splits
Route Gadget (hand drawn)
Aside from a bit of bobbling out of the start triangle which cost me a minute or more, I had a great run and a lot of fun--Middle is my favorite discipline, and this one delivered with a lot of short legs and changes of direction. I had to hook around obstacles here and there but kept track of where I was (the spur at 3 came up a bit quicker than I expected but I saw a bag on the end of a hill and checked the code...it was mine). Got my right foot this time stuck in a marsh between 4-5 and had to work it out; a kind gentleman stopped to give me an arm to pull myself out.
4th of 15 when I finished (with many more still to finish in W65), with Peggy D in 1st (for the moment) and Angelica Riley and Kristin Hall as well, so a happy American crew. Glen was also 1st for a time. Final placing is 13th, my best so far.
I must have started and immediately stopped my watch at the start because part of the track and time is missing; I adjusted the time and guessed on the added distance.
Results
Splits
Route Gadget (hand drawn)
9 PM
Walking 4:14 0.35 km (12:14 / km)
ahr:100 max:105
Times 2.
Apartment to grocery store across the street, and back to get a couple of things we'd forgotten to pick up. Track is messed up as I did start my watch at the store entrance, not in the drive; for the trip back.
Apartment to grocery store across the street, and back to get a couple of things we'd forgotten to pick up. Track is messed up as I did start my watch at the store entrance, not in the drive; for the trip back.
Monday Jul 29, 2019 #
12 PM
Walking warm up/down 31:59 2.36 km (13:33 / km) +88m 11:25 / km
ahr:115 max:147 shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
To the start from parking via the portajohns.
1 PM
Orienteering race 57:06 *** 4.24 km (13:28 / km) +80m 12:18 / km
ahr:135 max:164 spiked:8/9c shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
Scottish 6-Day, Day 2 on Edinchip (pronounced Edenkip) map, 1:10000, 5m contours; 3.4 km, 90m climb. Weather similar to yesterday (so, circa 60+/-), maybe a few degrees cooler, slightly less breeze, only the threat of drizzle.
As I hiked up the hill to the start I saw dozens of people on their courses heading almost straight up the hill, and hoped my course wouldn't do the same...and it didn't. #1 was a 300m leg mostly contouring across the hill (slightly uphill) past another control (one of three boulders in a line where I attempted to figure out which of the three it was. Mapped "marshes" on this map weren't as wet as those yesterday, and could be traversed fairly easily. Then we got to drop down the hill and cross a fordable stream before heading slightly up the other side before exiting that valley for the lower areas closer to the A84 roadway, where there was a series of controls before climbing back up to finish not far from the start.
I bobbled #4 a bit (again! What is it with number 4 ... or sometimes it's #6?), partly because there was a camera crew (two men with cameras filming the action) not long before the point, and I misidentified which hilltop they were on, so I went too far and had to come back for it. The leg from #6-7 was a bot unfair, I thought; the beeline crossed a stream with solid black lines on its sides, dark green on the far side, and a thickish purple line along it on the side I approached. There were crossing points marked about 250m either way from #6. I decided the purple meant out of bounds/do not cross, and chose the left-hand crossing point and doubled back to #7 (passing another control, and checking the code, on the way) making it a 450m leg rather than a 200m leg.
I was happy with my placing, about halfway down the field when I finished (15/32 at that point; more finished later on). When I returned to where the Americans were gathering, I spoke to one who was also on course 20 and she admitted to having gone straight on that leg and crossed the purple line. She said it was poor course design (Glen agrees). There wasn't any note in the course notes that I remember seeing mentioning the purple line and what it meant.
Results (may be provisional)
Splits
Route Gadget
As I hiked up the hill to the start I saw dozens of people on their courses heading almost straight up the hill, and hoped my course wouldn't do the same...and it didn't. #1 was a 300m leg mostly contouring across the hill (slightly uphill) past another control (one of three boulders in a line where I attempted to figure out which of the three it was. Mapped "marshes" on this map weren't as wet as those yesterday, and could be traversed fairly easily. Then we got to drop down the hill and cross a fordable stream before heading slightly up the other side before exiting that valley for the lower areas closer to the A84 roadway, where there was a series of controls before climbing back up to finish not far from the start.
I bobbled #4 a bit (again! What is it with number 4 ... or sometimes it's #6?), partly because there was a camera crew (two men with cameras filming the action) not long before the point, and I misidentified which hilltop they were on, so I went too far and had to come back for it. The leg from #6-7 was a bot unfair, I thought; the beeline crossed a stream with solid black lines on its sides, dark green on the far side, and a thickish purple line along it on the side I approached. There were crossing points marked about 250m either way from #6. I decided the purple meant out of bounds/do not cross, and chose the left-hand crossing point and doubled back to #7 (passing another control, and checking the code, on the way) making it a 450m leg rather than a 200m leg.
I was happy with my placing, about halfway down the field when I finished (15/32 at that point; more finished later on). When I returned to where the Americans were gathering, I spoke to one who was also on course 20 and she admitted to having gone straight on that leg and crossed the purple line. She said it was poor course design (Glen agrees). There wasn't any note in the course notes that I remember seeing mentioning the purple line and what it meant.
Results (may be provisional)
Splits
Route Gadget
2 PM
Walk/Jog warm up/down 23:27 1.83 km (12:51 / km)
ahr:112 max:157 shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
From finish back to the arena (plus some time before I remembered to stop my watch).
Sunday Jul 28, 2019 #
Event: Scottish 6 Days 2019
10 AM
Walking warm up/down 49:44 3.57 km (13:55 / km) +91m 12:21 / km
ahr:108 max:134 shoes: 2017 Inov8 ArcticClaw 300
To the start via the arena (My start was 200 m away from Glen's; sometimes they will overlap and other times they won't.) Up and down hills, across stone walls and through sheep pastures (with one dead ram visible near the trail).
11 AM
Orienteering race 1:25:47 **** 4.07 km (21:06 / km) +71m 19:25 / km
ahr:117 max:158 spiked:11/14c slept:6.5 shoes: 2017 Inov8 ArcticClaw 300
Scottish 6-Day, Day 1 on Auchingarrich map, 1:7500, 5m contours. W65L, course 20, shared by W45S and M75L was 3.2km, 95m climb. The course stayed mostly in the flatter area between several hills, but containing tracts of mature pine plantation, some more runnable than others (light and medium greens, the darker color having open rides here and there), as well as numerous narrow watercourses/wet ditches, some with more water than others. Marshes seemed more like open grassy areas with wet footing, though a few were deeper with muck on the bottom to catch your shoes (guess how I found out?). The trick was reading the vegetation and moving through it.
I started off slowly, folding my map, and realized I had to head 3 contours down a hillside but had several good catching features beyond it so wasn't too worried about finding it, and found the cliff where I expected. With 3000+ runners at this event and probably ~100 runners or more per course (W65 had 40; I ended up 28th today; 66/105 on course 20), there were herd paths for later starters which helped enormously in some places.
3-4 was my biggest error, and 9-10 (which went back into the same area) was my next biggest, I also missed on 11; doing a fishhook loop around a spur to find my cliff.
The short legs from 4-9 were fun, then I lost track of where I was to 10, finding a control I'd seen before from 3-4 but not on my course. I was able to successfully correct from there and find 10. Happy not to be farther down the list.
The splits reveal that a Norwegian who finished today two places ahead of me was actually first overall until she spent way longer than I did on the leg from 9-10. (45 min to my 20+; best split in W65 was 8:42 by the second place finisher. CSU's Pia Webb ran the same course as W45S and smoked the field on Course 20.)
Results for W65L
Splits
Route Gadget
I started off slowly, folding my map, and realized I had to head 3 contours down a hillside but had several good catching features beyond it so wasn't too worried about finding it, and found the cliff where I expected. With 3000+ runners at this event and probably ~100 runners or more per course (W65 had 40; I ended up 28th today; 66/105 on course 20), there were herd paths for later starters which helped enormously in some places.
3-4 was my biggest error, and 9-10 (which went back into the same area) was my next biggest, I also missed on 11; doing a fishhook loop around a spur to find my cliff.
The short legs from 4-9 were fun, then I lost track of where I was to 10, finding a control I'd seen before from 3-4 but not on my course. I was able to successfully correct from there and find 10. Happy not to be farther down the list.
The splits reveal that a Norwegian who finished today two places ahead of me was actually first overall until she spent way longer than I did on the leg from 9-10. (45 min to my 20+; best split in W65 was 8:42 by the second place finisher. CSU's Pia Webb ran the same course as W45S and smoked the field on Course 20.)
Results for W65L
Splits
Route Gadget
2 PM
Walking warm up/down 36:00 [3] 2.61 km (13:48 / km)
shoes: 2017 Inov8 ArcticClaw 300
Walk back to car park from the arena.
Saturday Jul 27, 2019 #
Walking 47:30 [2] 2.1 km (22:37 / km)