Training Log Archive: tinytoes

Event: Newcastle OY #8 - Barnsley
 

As StK66 often says - there was a lot to like about the run today.

With less than 5 hours sleep I wasn't going to be very sparky today but trudger was insistent I turn up and run the Hard Medium - as it is the last NOY for the year! Can't be it's still August!!!
Got to event and was struck immediately about how dry and dusty it was in the forest comparing it with Congewoi 2 weeks ago and even yesterday.
Decided to be conservative but found strangely while i wasn't going very fast I wanted to trot rather than walk purposefully.
Started just after trudger, not deliberately and as it happened, just before PowA who streaked past on the way to #2 (apparently I was of some minor advantage at #1)
S-1 track E to Y junction, minor track see control. Distinctive tree - yeah right a group of black sticks - once was tree methinks
1-2 short leg - PowA surge
2-3 to minor track, follow to major track, cross, maybe pick up minor lead in track - that was the plan. In actuality minor track, major track at right angles to what I wanted (what is this plastic thing I carry around with me? what is that bright light in the northern sky? Mysteries for sure). Saw a group of people clustered around a control but knew it wasn't mine. Checked number and was astounded it was my #4 - so relocate, pick up small track, go through broken fence continue on minor track start to cross bridges ie w/c that'd be interesting wheretheheckarewe? Oh that'd be this w/c to the N and I should be going S. Definite wakeup call (literally as feeling a bit sleepy now) adjusted and then took good route to the real #3 .
3-4 backtrak
4-5 picked up little track and ran for ages through paperbark - S of creek. Absolutely beautiful running and felt yummy. Was expecting MTB to come through at anytime - which would have been dangerous as it was so very narrow but a lovely part of the course - thanks sal. Managed to keep focussed enough despite seeing other runner going in opposite direction, also found a good crossing point for creek and then back a little to control. That was one of the good decision making times for the day.
5-6 S on minor track, around green.
6-7 crossed more major track, picked up minor. Saw control
7-8short leg which I butchered, though wiser heads than me didn't feel this was quite right either. Must have drifted south before crossing w/c but couldn't find a tree root mound where it should have been. Kept drifting S - thought it was going to be one of those 50-50s where I picked the wrong way to go. But came to a more major track and worked out where I was. So back N along some minor track and saw a flag. The so-called tree root mound was a sawn trunk and a few bits.(yes there was a tree and there was a mound of tree-like bits)
8-9minor track to major track, picked correct AP track
9-10 more windy bike track, doing a ladder run crossing or jumping from track to track - fun! Across the hot and depressing powerline clearing and found the very deep erosion gully not conducive to cross so went all the way around only to find it was the best direction to attack #10
10-11 back again across the depressing powerline clearing, so hot and degraded - and picked a track to attack the hill climb for the day. The bit of green stripe near the top was messy but it was a simple control. Found out later that rockman had that control too - bit tough for him - I think.
11-12 downhill and very, very steep. This was where I felt the ground was really slippery - dry slippery. Was a tiny bit off line for this but easily rectified.
12-13 Along track and broken fence, around the OOB, and picked up small track again. Jumped down to a lower one closer to the w/c and picked exactly where control was.
13-14 started to climb up hill again when i fortuitously stopped and decided the other side of the w/c might indeed offer a better route to next control. A bit thick in places but worth it. Didn't shy away from the light green as PowA did - better route of course.
14-F didn't have much luck picking up small track so headed for road. Pleased to be able to run all the last bit after 6km already on minimal sleep.
Feet starting to complain after every run now in O shoes. Never had much cushion but really hard ground leaves its mark.
Didn't get to see many people - but did talk briefly with MessEng, who is managing to hurt himself in different ways each week!! (You listening?) Looked good despite his adventures.
Felt much better this week - no problems with back - different class on Friday made the diff.
Thanks sal. for a great course - you have done well! Really intricate and Middle distance feel - lots of concentration.
Really nice day all up. Sleep tonight. Marathon watching later on.
Go Scotty Westcott !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just run and enjoy. Nothing expected of you.

Hard Medium - Splits

Early start to the day - well usual time as it is Saturday so parkrun day but today I wasn't going to parkrun. Weird to listen to the usual Saturday am radio programs but travelling somewhere different.
I was helping out with Admin at Lake Macquarie Rogaine. Lots of people this year - which is strange as last year it was combined with NSW champs. 152 teams with about 380 participants had a lovely time in the Sugarloaf Ranges - West. The Hash House was a treat - a wedding reception venue so we were inside and had real toilets with lights. Admin went smoothly - as it always does with the great organisation of Bob Gilbert and Anita on computer with Renee saving us from possible disaster. The units were still set from the World Rogaine Champs times (ie 30 later than us) so initial suggestion was to change Start/Finish. This was because it was only after all the units were placed that this little surprise emerged - thank goodness it did!!!
LMR, for the uninitiated was celebrating its 25th anniversary with Bert vN having set 22 or them. Many of the usual crowd, some who virtually only do the LMR and some visitors. Lots of Novices so Sam took them aside and schooled them at length. I think it paid off. Also had some very well respected AR people. Also of note it is a 6hr and a 12 hr format. The grounds were fantastic for camping but the parking officials (not rogainers and certainly not camping people) put me on sloping ground - diagonally across the car. So I planned to move later when the 6 hour people had left.
Admin opened at 8:30 and hooter went at midday. See ya later folks.
Spent afternoon doing the requisite Admin duties, plus setting up for presentation and drinking coffee (2 and that's a lot in one go for me).
Talked to the owners - very nice place and people. Then our friends started to arrive in dribs and drabs. The usual date for the rogaine is 2 weeks earlier but that was felt to be too close to Worlds hence the later date. This resulted, in addition to it being a glorious day weatherwise, in it being light until almost 5:45 so pretty much a daylight rogaine.
First time rogainers and orienteers Rob B and Brooner took out the 6 hour and Open Mens. A few other orienteers also featured in various classes.
Rogaine does the curious and lovely thing of awarding places/medals in our case to people in several categories eg Veteran, Super Veteran and even Ultraveteran and oftentimes there is overlap. Well done to them if they can beat the younger ones.
Then a bit of a lull - dinner, more coffee and then the 12 hour people started to arrive. They had seen quite a bit of territory. Congratulations to Steveo and Mat B who took out the 12 hour Open and Mens. The AR people certainly got their money's worth - for one it was her first event and she was all goggled eyed - pretty tough but she is a very tough cookie herself.
So then presentation and some pack up and I went to car to move it to flatter ground. I'd already got mattress ready and all but I was feeling very wide awake so I decided to go home and surprise rockman. He was watching the triathlon and got a bit of a surprise to hear me come in.
As always a fabulous day with incredibly inspiring people, who didn't complain (much) about the mapping vagaries, the misplaced control or the water drop that ran out temporarily. They never do - maybe they are just so buggered they can't be bothered.
And I always get thanked by several people for volunteering - only once at orienteering. Just a comment!

C • Thanks for volunteering :) 4

Nominally this is Body Sculpt but when we have Count Lewis it's a bit of a lottery. I swear his watch will be mangled if he keeps going timing us every 30 secs. I went into the room and class had just started warmup and thought... will I stay or won't I? Got gear out, then started to put it away and was going to do cycle ints then Invisible Hills but changed my mind. I have to get used to instructors I don't like.
Too many 30 sec rounds to remember. But focussed on upper body - that would be right. I'm not doing parkrun tomorrow!!!

Olympics coverage blunder: in javelin which I have a great and long standing interest in. "She selects a javelin. They don't bring their own javelins. They are provided by the Olympic committee. It's only the pole vaulters that bring their own javelins".

Well you could have fooled me!!!

C • hahaha 2

Wandered around for about 90 min at Swansea HS enjoying the beautiful day and being backup for rockman. Had to keep stopping myself from selecting control sites.

OMG the pole vault!!!

Too much pain to remember anything except I was 2nd out on the run and came back 2nd. Smashed out the previous upper body segment but paid for it later and possibly tomorrow.