orienteering (Rocky Paddock) 1:12:27 [3] 7.5 km (9:40 / km) +300m 8:03 / km
shoes: Inov8 Oroc spikes
Really wanted to do some proper orienteering this weekend but the Bendigo ToDay wasn't going ahead and nobody local seemed keen on getting out into the forest, so I dug out the club relays courses I'd set in 2012 and went for a run around Rocky Paddock - twice. The Arrows' standard use of a pivot control meant that the courses were in fact totally different apart from the control on the 'spectator' rockface. I decided to do the longer one with steeper finish, first.
3.9km, 160m climb, 37:30
3.6km, 140m climb, 34:57
Not often I can break 10 min/km, these days :(
Conveniently, it was possible to have a drink and a banana and a 5-minute break between the 2 courses.
Driving to/from, I passed/detoured through areas which were burned out on Dec 20th in the Cudlee Creek fire - it's sobering to see how quickly the fire moved, and somewhat random as to which houses survived and which didn't. Nothing short of a miracle that the towns of Lobethal and Woodside were themselves saved by the CFS - the burned area (already greening up since last month's rain) goes right to the outskirts of the towns, yet in the main streets you'd not know that such a disaster had occurred.
Certainly puts into perspective the disappointing decimation of our apple crop by possums...