Training Log Archive: jennycas

"Middle" distance day of Easter, hahaha. Which is not to say that this wasn't quite good fun, but it took a while, because there were so many controls to find. I started out fairly cautiously, and got into understanding the style of mapping the rock lines and slabs ok, whereupon it was ironic that I lost a minute on looking for what turned out to be an earth not rock mound in a gully where it was camouflaged by being covered in grass; still my fault for bearing being a bit off though.

Got through the middle section fluently enough although did see Belinda on the cross-over which meant she was definitely gaining on me (in fact she was in first place at that time) and at the same time I was slowly gaining on Natalie, who I first saw leaving 9 as I approached it, and I finally caught her the full 2 min at 16, whereupon I blew 3 min on a danger downhill leg due to getting distracted and running faster than I was thinking rather than reading the map (which basically required stopping to do so, even at 1: 7 500, because I otherwise needed to be watching my feet). I still shouldn't have gone down below the big line of cliffs; don't know what I was thinking although, looking at the splits, I can see that I definitely wasn't the only one to make that mistake and in fact that control is where Belinda lost the race to Tracy.

Anyway, I ended up 4th and even a totally clean run wouldn't have got me near Tracy's time, plus I can see that any of the top 6-7 could have been 2nd or 3rd without mistakes, so I'm going to have to try really hard not to make any more errors over the next couple of days if I am to have any chance of approaching anywhere near the placings. I used to have much better navigational focus, but sometimes now I just get carried away with the thrill of orienteering!

Day 1 Course 12 - Splits

Event: 2021 Australian 3 Days
 

After the stress of having to leave work early and get to the airport for a 6pm flight yesterday, and then driving up over the mountains to Orange this morning - it took the best part of an hour to get from Katoomba to Blackheath (although traffic was far worse later in the day from what I hear) but I did spot SLEH's campervan alongside at one point so waved to them - I was more interested in hanging out with Eleanor and Heidi than going for a run, so had entered just the public race, and certainly my result was fairly embarrassing as I did a complete 180 out of my 3rd control and later on lost another half minute on not seeing a thin strip of olive green on the way to 19 even though I'd successfully avoided it earlier in the course. Think my brain was overheating in the sun and also I was super-clumsy today; shouldered a railing with my collarbone when trying to avoid other runners going up the stairs and also managed to sideswipe the top of a metal fence post which didn't have a protective cap on it and the result was blood dripping all down my arm impressively enough for Heidi to offer me a Band-Aid when I finished.

Public Prologue Course 2 - Splits

I know, I know, procrastination on packing...going away is so stressful these days :(

Legs probably didn't really need this but brain appreciated it.

Short jog, on tired legs. Nice sunset on a classic autumn evening - after Easter it will be dark at this time already.

Went out after helping on the start, and decided to do the longest course because Tyson had told me that the extra distance was all below the trainline and that the 6km course still had the same 4 controls all the way up the hill.

Trotted around ok, never particularly fast as evidenced by how Steve hooned past me on the way to the 3rd control. Had no trouble with the actual control locations, unsurprisingly because some of them were quite familiar to me. Saw Zara heading up the hill above the trainline as I was coming back down and so I made sure to keep running hard but in fact this course wasn't as physically (or navigationally) challenging as last Sunday.

By the time I'd gone back up the hill to collect those 4 controls (and another 2 MTBO ones) I was definitely ready for ice cream, so detoured via the kiosk at the Adventure Playground on my way home, feeling a bit lazy compared to those trail runners I'd just seen who were finishing off 58km.

Too nice an afternoon not to go for a ride - waited until I was pretty sure the last of the Five Peaks runners would have passed along the creek valley, and fitted this in before watching the Amazing Race finale.