Training Log Archive: jennycas

Weir-zoo footbridge loop with Toby, Ben, Simon, post-mortifying the weekend's races.

Event: Mannawarra - OY4 - Middle Distance
 

Tyson had put a lot of effort into setting this event for Wallaringa, with vetting assistance from AK, and it was a day when the sun finally came out, so very pleasant all round, even if my hamstring was a bit unhappy (I kept misjudging the distance to jump into and across creeks yesterday because of wearing glasses; the reason I previously gave up on doing so was that I couldn't judge where I was putting my feet). Partway through the course I could see Martin Steer in front of me, so I tried a bit harder, but didn't manage to run him down until right near the end.

Controls were all in and the event packed up by 1pm!

C • Misjudging? 2

Event: Mannawara - OY3 - Long Distance
 

Needed a bit more of a strategy for this one than just "see how long I can hold Blair off 'cos he's starting 12 min behind me" because I managed to lose even more than 12 min on the 3rd control. Kinda knew that I didn't have a clear idea precisely where I'd crossed from the vague open area into the network of creeks, but didn't slow down to focus on the map properly (1:15 000 was hard to read in the fog even with my glasses) and foolishly thought my bearing would save me...after doing laps of vague hillsides and following up creeks in the green, eventually decided to bail out north to the fence and stumbled across my control on the way!

After that I was very slow & cautious and went through far more of the scratchy prickly green rough open than I otherwise would have, because I dared not lose map contact again, and I made no more mistakes but it did feel as though at least half of the course was in the crap stuff and not the lovely open native pines I'd come all this way to run through. By the end I was running out of energy and a bit demoralised, so rather than doing any hiking, spent the afternoon on a lovely tour chauffered by Geoff through Bunyeroo, Aroona, Brachina and Moralana valley, valley, gorge and drive before going to dinner at the restaurant at Wilpena (which we had never done before).

Event: Rawnsley Park Southern Arrows Fundraiser
 

After spending a couple of hours on the start, because this was an Arrows' event which Simon had set. Fairly straightforward course (utilising the area over the back of the range and finishing at the bunkhouse), but it was lovely to be out in the Flinders in the late afternoon light although the rocks were slippery after rain and often I was too low for the control & had to climb a bit. On a danger downhill leg I managed to cross one spur too far over, but corrected okay :)

Was explaining to Sara at our campsite that the first time my family had camped at Rawnsley was in 1981 and she commented that this was before she was born...

With Zara/Callum on a wet rainy night. I've finally got my Belair courses set to be adequately challenging, if not as varied as I'd like, despite the fact that at this time of year about 50% of the park is OOB due to environmentally sensitive exclusion zones.

Incidentally, I'm a bit suspicious of the fact that the new SA Govt has changed the name of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources to Department for Environment and Water, and created a new Department for Energy and Mining...

C • Conglomeration 6