Training Log Archive: bl

Day 3, Creag Mhic Chailein (to be sure it has an unintelligible name). Gray day, no rain til later, after probably everyone finished. Best run so far, started halfway down the list, was second when I left. Went to everyone once inside the circle. Some wandering along on 1 & 7 but relocated before it got expensive. Fiddled with QR, lost patience in matching route to map - not so easy! Ended up 11th/98, Wayne Aspin (NZ from '88 visit) was 52:33.

73rd Kjell Stenstadvold Tyrving NOR M65 81:34
yesterday's discussant, conparison of splits/in top 10 - humility always right around the corner for most everyone at these events

QR - done as an after dinner puzzle; right angles easy but attenuating sl curved traces isn't easy (yet?). Forgetting blk boundary doesn't help....

Today's map


Day 3 finish area

C • strange looking map 3

Hike up to Eagle's Eyrie with Beth after the race

Forest path

From Eagle's Eryie


View from B&B, Lagganbuie, looking out on Loch Feochan

H65L - Splits

Day 2, map of the name Ardnaskie. Gray, sl drizzle but didn't affect. Would have been a A - except for a C control, lost about 5:30 on 6. Difficult footing in many places. I was a late starter which helped alot with bracken trails. A lot of legs appeared easy enough but then one thing or another was left out of the equation. I think a fair # had difficulties. Was 17/maybe 100. Sat next to a Norwegian who turned out to be a M65 - he was 57:09 yesterday, I was 59:07. Came back & compared today's. I had a few more over him then he did me but he was 5'+ faster on #6. Walked a way with Andy Hall, visited with George & Betsy Hawes as well as Jim Eagleton & a BAOC friend of his.


QR easier today. Mistakes at 4, granddaddy at 6 (relocated on cp #112, a boulder on an open N-facing slope - then went to RF to NE first. Went to wrong green patch at 13.

The castle & the vine grew old together


Today's parking


A portion of the assembly area

Sweden is about forgotten*. Almost as soon as I left for whatever reason...personal, growing older, moving on...not sure. Have a car here which changes the perspective/routine. Came to Scotland with some sun but it went into hiding. Gray forms in cloud/mist are perhaps not so welcome but not unwelcome, either...mysterious & lovely. *Until I return to fly RT from Stockholm. Trying to change but AmEx is out to lunch, the mailbox stuffed according to the message.

Met Dave Coustick, day 1 course setter & friend of Ewan Clark's as well as fellow M65. Dave had about 50 courses, 143 controls on yesterday's map. He was able to get my day 4 start time changed w/o a 10 quid charge (as pointed out). Met Doug Henderson staying here at the B&B. He had met Charlie DeWeese in Austria earlier in July in the same fashion, ie, shared lodging. Stayed up talking a bit later than I cared for - but staying up late is too easy to do with all the daylight.

Have been irritable with the ACD (my term & in humor). Seems nearly every time I think I've figured something out, I haven't! Double upside down #'s on start bib was one yesterday. Earlier this eve, looked at bib to ascertain tomorrow's ST: noted 10:21 but it really was 12:01. So is accidentally brushing the finger pad on the computer...watching the screen change w/o necessarily knowing the why's.

C • Mists rolling in 4

H65L - Splits

Event: Scottish 6 Days Oban 2011
 

Day 1, 6 days: Dunollie & Dunstaffnage - maps w/ names again
Cool, breezy, gray, few sprinkles. 4.4k 230m climb made it physical/hard.
B+ deteriorated to C+ final, 10c, missed #8 for maybe 6' - ouch. Fell 3 times if not 4 due to difficult footing. Could have been better at reading open, bracken, gorse. Start was on a beach, 40m from wavelets! Actually stunning views of Mull, later lost in mist. Map just N of Oban on shore. More ACD (acute confusional disorder) at start - not like I thought it was going to be. Tired, irritable with footing. 17/70 last look, more finishers due. Waterproof map w/o case which is a good way to go, avoiding countless map cases. No water at start or finish. In spite of how cool it was, had a serious thirst. Plan ahead....

QR hasn't been very quick - hard to get it to match, in part due to dark bkgnd...? Spent too much time fiddling. Quite the crinkly surface.

Map

1. dumb in that went round marsh to L vs better right.
2. E thru saddle, bit along road, across march, by spur, down, RF not so impressive after Sweden but st to cp
3. mucked around, very slow, got under phone line which was fine, crossed small fence in wrong place...no advantage there, ACD. Read way into gorse patches ok
4. could see lg hill w/ bldg, then near crossing, then to second, up steep slope NE of cp & into reent
5. should have gone L of line - went up, saw clean enuf way down to path, field - after fld, went up much too abruptly - slow, slow - should have gone up hill at easier slant
6. thru saddle, runner just ahead, got there first
7. two of us more of less together, st
8. tad E of N to crossing, to fld, left NE corner, climbed, left dotted path at lower marsh!!! set compass as if I were at upper & proceeded on that wrong assumption, ran out of distance, saw a knoll...around to gorse. No! When I realized where I was...5 lines to climb thru bracken. BAD. 5-6' error
9. pretty much st, found the little path & round on it. Could see cp fm below
10. N to fence

On the walk to the start - looking toward Mull


Suggesting a knee-deep start...


First beach start I've seen


Off to the races


A CP at the boulder and RC in front of the cliff

C • Thanks for the write ups and photos 2

H65L - Splits

More blithering (courtesy free London airport wifi)

Finished 31st yesterday and 31st over the five days, it'll have to do. Over the 5 days, every control I went to was mine - so pretty sure in my arrivals but maybe too deliberate too much of the time. There were a few misses when inside the circle - will have to count when I get the maps together. MP wasn't in the cards...never again...? At such a large meet in another culture/language, interacting socially with one's competition is near impossible. Was thinking about all the out-of-breath interviews at the meet. Breathless females conjured up sappy love stories or similar. Then there were breathless athlete interviews of a different stripe at the track meet. Was in the presence of lots of little kids for a change...on a few occasions, awful screeching, whining, crying for my tender hearing. There were separate O-Ringen busses for families w/ young/very young. Same here at the airport - have forgotten about the decibel level of a screamer-screecher.

Watched a track meet last night in Stockholm on TV at the hotel. What an unexpected surprise! Sweden - Scandanavia...return again? Hard to say. So much efficiency, so many attractive women! in Sweden in particular. Such efficiency...bus, train, plane. Spent 5’ minutes trying to turn lights in the room last night til I realized it was the plastic room/key card that did it - clever as when one leaves, out go the lights. For O only - likely not. It would have to be more varied an experience, ie, into northern European nature but have done similar in Norway in 2000. Scotland offers more dimensions for Beth & I. Also like the sea being available.


Airports...Manchester, NH so small, easy come & go. Arlanda ilk, large if not huge, complexes teeming with people & purpose even at absurd hours! Quiet night at Hotel Contact, a handsomely contemporary place of glass and space. Drop off at terminal 5 for British air for London...enter a huge hall teeming with travellers, most waiting for SAS flights. Where is BA? as I fight off panic, seeing endless potential confusion in spite of the fact that airports go to great lengths to make signage idiot-proof. A nice employee suggests desk 30 or so in the adjacent mega-space. I head that way, threading my way thru the slow green (fight) “stick people” who aren’t moving. Getting up-tight as I only (?) have 85’ and it’s not a rehearsed act. #1 get boarding pass, get rid of suitcase at a self-serve kiosk. Good! but luggage calls for BA bag check. BA is on the edge of the fray so I’m off to first-security w/o a problem. A fast moving line, then hand luggage/personal security - remove belt, shoes on ok and computer where it is is ok, too. Getting closer, quieter. One more check and out of fast-moving current to peace and quiet of F67, a relative backwater. People who get window seats should look out of windows! Had an aisle, asked the she of the couple re E & F. She said she liked windows. I watched her read the paper, nap and read the paper some more with the shade drawn - as we flew over Norway, North Sea, UK.

Now to Scotland - communication possibilities endless, driving ass-backwards, Scotch readily available (but discreet cause of the meet!). Maybe I can figure out why iPhoto is on the lamb as in have Time to Kill. "The Girl who Played with Fire" is keeping me in Sweden with its incredibly clever plotting. Can follow the USOC this wkend from afar.

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go" - "shall fold their tents like the Arabs and as silently steal away"...
various comes to mind with before and after: house, bed, bedding all put away

Day 5, started 29th, 3 in the 47th minute. Didn’t think I’d have to concern myself much with chasing/being chased. Goal was to be accurate, get around the course w/o trouble. If a fellow competitor was of help, great - but couldn’t be sure who was who. It was fun to see the top few with their new #’s - creme de la creme. Misunderstood the call-up, heard my name 2’ before I expected but was right there, 8’ away on the ground, minimizing vertical posture.

QR

1. Fellow ahead of me started just 7” ahead. He was slower getting away fm start triangle so no one around. Went thru sl grn to RF, more grn, along next grn, saw 2 bldrs, woods opened, went to marsh.
2. St, reading everything - hard to see reent just W of RF.
3. Gravitated S to avoid climb/detail. Tried to get W, too. Crossed more E than I might have expected. Did not figure out big fm small PL symbols. Counted refresh stations but goal was to go to end of path/last station. Then up ride to corner of sandy lanes - saw bldr, too but not sure of the blk circle - may have been a trim O point.
4. easy, actually a few to follow in good vis
5. Just get to path I’d been on - count refresh stations but then just go to last one & up carefully. Was on spur inside N edge of circle - went SE to RF - thot I saw a runner punching - but no - so bk to spur, get SOD - pass thru twin RFs to S of it & then go to marsh - should have gone in front of RFs - 50”?
6. Long RC leg - a bit to R of line - mucked thru 20m of very wet marsh (8”) - then into rough open to corner & across to path & around to field, follow the flow & up hillside carefully - runners ahead but did not know where they might be going. Was getting green, stopped short, lost maybe 30” - was unsure re pushing on but did & cp was there. Another way: after marsh, maybe lv rough open to port, over hill in woods, over second hill just R of line in wht woods, along veg boundary to E end first fld...?
7. Yucky leg in the sense of what was underfoot - brashings, Scottish crap! Well, the crap of most any cut forest. Yucked along straight, finally the 2 bldrs by the RO & to control .
8, Compass line to cp.
9. Did not continue N (should have) - went behind houses, then onto rd. was letting others do the leading, could hear finish, probably lost some time by not assessing for myself. No one in my lane in chute.

Started 29, ended up 31 - day’s results not posted...only total 5 day. 48’ for 4.3 seems somewhat mediocre but I’d guess it was better than 30th. Very little mistake time - but fell 2-3x!

Learned a lot over the 5 days - survived w/o evident exacerbation of anything. Had a sore R gt MTP jt on way to start but it was ok on the run. Maybe sore again in the am. Ice is a rare find at these meets. It would take some campaigning to realize potential here or elsewhere in Europe for that matter. This visit is a mini-campaign: 2-1-3-1-3-1-3 --- in 14 days, 11 races, 3 rest days (the “1s”). Sad to leave (for a brief while) but time to move on, too. At train station, asked a young lady who got on bus at O-Ringen stop, which train track was correct. She pointed it out - maybe 60 people waiting for train - 5 or more cars, lots of seats. Coincidentally, she had the seat next to me - several hundred possibilities. She was a D18, generally pleased w/ her week but not today. Did not care for a 305...”increased stress”.... Ryan, the Kiwi H18, was 18th today, pleased with his runs. He did not make NZ JWOC team. He's going to France for the WOC public event.

C • Ice ice baby. 2

H65 - Splits

Day 4, tidy little map, easy to handle size-wise. Good run, nearly free of mistakes. Late starter but still a lot of activity at start as well as everywhere. Slowly increasing expectations since I have not exacerbated anything. I can feel a slight achiness in the hamstring but certainly not discouraging - now, 4 days under the belt. No ice to be found from that point of view. Had no goal other than to do my best, stay focussed etc. Ended up 16th.

QR

1. easy enough but.... Saw the bldr (w/ control) - then grn as well as rocks - things got a little funky - went over a RF which has to be the one on line 55% of way, now crossing broad white area - see 2 bldrs in terrain but not on map. Should have dismissed as 2 dot knolls but did not (had had some distraction/LOC loss of concentration - maybe 1' before - to do with the 305 - so sl baffled. Saw a lg RF straight ahead, reasoned (?) if it weren't mine, go beyond. It was where, direction-wise, I was supposed to be going. Got right up close, a cp, #112, mine - another good seat-of-pants start!

2. st W, dot knolls hard to read but could see RFs/black symbols, lv to port, get on top, spot bldr, take careful bearing, into reent to cp

3. Focussing better - could see lg cliffs, leave to left, depart at big bldr just N of eastmost part of cliff. NW by reent, yellow knoll onto open area on spur, careful bearing, runners ahead, ck for what I'm looking for - reent - down a bit, it's there.

4. Worst control - simple down the 3 RFs along the knoll into reent. Well, to much down, see 2 bldrs, spot them on map, take a bearing up & drop into reent w/o too much damage. 45"?

5. N to line, then little path to W off SVT til nearly on top of spur. Then up to height - could not figure out reent, got to top, looked wrong way...hmm..out of corner of eye to R, a ruuner leaving, a splash of the right color - 15"

6. st, hard to keep contact but spotted little yellow knoll 65% way to R of line. Down tiny reent, see bldr/cp.

7.Down thru bad footing, R on ride& across, looking for knoll (now see dep) - anyway, keep to compass. See height across slash grn, up, right by reent halfway, just E of grn spot. Careful bearing, to gp of 4 bldrs, and then more care to cp - could see bldr just beyond - got nr it, looked right to cp.

8.NE thru grn to path, to bldg, to blue ditch to lake shore.

Long, hot run in - some wasted distance, could have thrown in another cp. 14th when I looked.

Felt good about this except for 4. Nearly an A, A+ swim in lake immed. following. So few adults in the water...kides, kids, kids.

String O reward...


Itsy bitsy spur

Blither

One more day! Where did time go? Wonder that when I look at 3 to 93 y/o's chasing controls here as well. WMOCs start at 35, here it starts in the cradle I'm willing to guess, something about the nipple on the bottle etc to stimulate control seeking.

Have not used gaitors which are not missed: too hot and not so likely to get a karate kick to the shins here...such is reserved for US woods...? Have to wear full length O pants. Backpacks with built-in seats are mighty helpful. I don't have one and occasionally go to considerable lengths to find a suitable place to sit - likely requiring shade, too. Yesterday, I plopped down on a small bank of green grass - noted some sl burn L outside thigh - figured it was some green plant. Got up to investigate ankle taping, came back, sat in same place, more of same but this time req'd ID...lots of ants not pleased with my sitting on them. Happened once in Scotland as well. The little buggers can pack a bite. EO Wilson or similar ant expert posited that ant biomass is of such size that it's about non-believable.

Can't figure out if ITI (ilial-ischial inflammation) gets some beneficial massage fm a hard bike seat or gets irritated. Maybe depends on how long a session is. No changes either way noted.

With thousands of like-minded, decent people here, it's interesting to see how they move about playing by the rules of "engagement" - everywhere. AM & PM ablutions are interesting. Scandanavians, of the O breed anyway, brush their teeth most thoroughly. Watched a dad brush his 4-5 y/o daughter's teeth early this am. All these people, male/female, young/old meeting at the trough or in front of nearby loo for just-woke-up or time-for-bed activity w/o much eye contact, conversation etc. Where else can one see so many healthy, active people in one place, ie, total village?

Took some discreet string O photos of little kids & parents (recalling PGs Ireland experience). Thought of Halloween when both little kids & big kids come to the door for treats.

Was nice to have Kiwi neighbors. Owen ran in M55, his son, Ryan, M20. Ryan's twin brother was here at Mohed at the last O-Ringen 5 years ago. Owen left today to return a car to a friend 3 hrs west. He'll meet up with Ryan in Chamonix - both expecting/hoping to climb the Matterhorn. He has a Kiwi friend who guides there and has guided on Everest several times. Ryan's having a long summer in Europe between HS & university. I recall similar long summers stole in one fashion or another...when life was less complicated. Sailed across the Atlantic in '78, went to the Swiss 5 days and showed up at Chamonix hoping to climb the Matterhorn. Was too strung out re activites, needed a guide etc, spent the night at the Hornli hut & left. We had sailing, O & climbing to talk about.

Gave the right ankle two near-gives by stepping in the smallest of holes or some silly angle. Twice - but for something fortunate - it could have resulted in a puffy, need-to-rest-it ankle. Lucky. After the second time yesterday, went to the med tent but could see they were not the right place for prevention. They had fees posted as well - to see doctor, RN or physiotherapist. Made do with cellophane tape. Today I have the Swedish brace in place.

What of broken compasses? What if one falls, hand-outstretched, compass in palm, breaks on hard surface....having come thousands of miles for the satisfaction of finding all the (expensive) controls in best manner possible. Maybe I should not be leaving my spare compass in the tent. I broke a Silva ty 5 in Scotland 2 years ago - less than 3 hrs use (only 2 more cp's to find & open terrain), some 80lbs - brought it with me along w/ several other broken compasses hoping I'll find that kind of O business person who can fix or find someone who can.

H65 - Splits

QR if it isn't too dark.

1. Turned map over, no easy solution! After wondered about trail to right but how awfully boring it would have been - and can’t believe faster. Saw no simplification - came upon features but which? Just kept plodding, up & lots of stony ground, seemingly everywhere. Finally, in indisputable patch of same, looked at map & knew where I was - 350m out & guessing! Not good. Still did not get a grip but had big cliff (75m to L of rhumb 65% way along) in mind & believe I could see ahead. Had to be it, right? Terrain began matching map (as I saw it) - more SG, cluster of RF’s which I still could not single out - but, finally, saw spur/RF/bldr 90m fm control on line - then rocky knoll and no problem, mon. Except I got there by the seat of my pants.

2. St, right over L hand yellow knoll, then read other knolls ok but stopped short on wrong spur 50m to north. Couldn’t make the veg boundary work, circled, lost a minute or so, saw a similar-aged runner come near and go in reasonable direction - with authority - took a gander & was rewarded. Spur was tiny, hard for me to figure out on map. Not sure how the detail will show up on quasi-crinckled map.

3. was good, st, read everything - have a tendency to think I’ve gone far enough but haven’t. Here, green patch w/ boulder triangles was duly noted, then some green blocking visibility...just keep going, Bob - voila....

4. worst control; after yellow knoll to NW, couldn’t tune in - saw path but then rockiness w/o names. Reasoned the control was between 2 highest points so went direct to top of hill w/o paying much attention. Got there - on W knoll but didn’t say “Ahah, west knoll, head east old man” - instead played some other tune in my head until a runner “was over there” to my benefit. Not good!

5. Good leg, read all. Passed S of cluster of black 55-60% way there. Read way to curved path which I took to pt just SE of paired bldrs - then oh so carefully. Went right to it but wondered as vis closed in, what bad outcome might befall me.

6. ever so careful st S - after all, don’t blow it now....Noted tiny bldr triangle 50m to N - went in expecting it to be there - which it was.

7. easy

8. oops, followed trail thinking was going between 2 patches of OOB but seems passed between big bldg and smaller bldgs immed to WSW - that’s why I was on the blk road etc - not clear at time. L on hard top to T - NW thru fields, but bailed out to trail leaving W field where it ends at little stream. Then to jct due N & in, expecting it to be there.

9. To OOB house & along edge - big animal trail out back, followed to where the competitor tr divided in two, went R to control

10. went with the flow

Blithers

From finish right to lake swim, not 50 m away - that was A+.

Nice conversation in bus sitting next to an M18 that I started (was not too pleased with his 55’ for 7.5k). We had fun looking at his 1/15 map - even he commented on small symbol size & suggested a magnifier! In his circle 3, there were about 5 small, black thingies near the circle center.

Advantage to being early? Cooler, can concentrate?

Advantage to being late: animal tracks there for the using if one can keep out of trouble; when one finishes & looks at results, it's increasingly likely to be pretty much it

Day 5 finish taking shape


My old soldier bike in the grass at bus parking - after "Where have all the flowers gone"

C • Thanks for all the reports,... 5

H65 - Splits