Training Log Archive: Lizzie

Event: Oceania Long & Middle Distance Champs
 

lip bleeding its contents out on the warm up (held my number in my mouth before pinning it on, and it kindly ripped open my lower lip on removal)

knee complaining like anything on warmdown. :s

Got myself nice and hydrated and into the right mindframe to start with, so better than last week already. Good start, taking the first few carefully. Lost a bit of time through 4 and 5. low on 4 and stuck in rock to 5 nothing major.
Executed long leg to 7 well until the end. Was always a risky entry with my route (up the gully and along the ridge), and the clearings were my downfall (as they were all day), stopping one too short and losing a minute wondering what i'd done.

8-9 was a dangerous leg, which i executed well, navigating straight to the control circle. However then it fell apart. I doubted myself, as there seemed to be far more clearings and bare rock on the ground than on the map. So 5-10m short of the control (on the other side of a rock from me), I decided I'd overshot the control. cue 5minutes trying to figure out the clearings etc. (no way i could make them fit but they were theonly thing to go off on such a vague hill side!). Eventually relocated off the top of the ridge and some knolls and came back to where i'd been. sigh.

Over compensated speed wise to 10 and didnt navigate as I should. Then setlled down and concentrated on going hard in the green light sections and slowing down close to the control. Worked well enough until 18 where i got my direction slightly off and started mixing up clearings again.

Relocated off the only rock around, as i'd lost faith in the clearings and eventually found the control 3-4mins later than i should have. Eased it into the finish, but not before aggravating something in the side of my knee, which felt like collapsing down the finish chute.

So what it comes down to again is direction and self confidence. Mainly the latter. 90% of my mistakes are unnecessary, i usually start off in the right place but doubt myself into making mistakes.
Pleased with how I started the course, and how I made up time after my first mistake (apart from 10, shouldnt have let my anger get the better of me).
Next weekend is all about self belief and confidence :)

C • Pretty sure 2

Course 3 - Splits

easy run on little blackie to get the legs going for the weekend. felt like lead, prob due to the early (well for me) hour, and lack of breakfast.
garr. qaud.

done

Possibly my last run in the dark for the year? here's hoping. up over little blackie and some single tracks on the far side. bumped into sanders on little blackie, had a quick little catch up :)

managed for the most part without my headlamp, but turned it on to find the single track up to the top of little black. Actually found it harder to see with the light on though, so turned it off again. weird.

Couple of interesting sights; firstly 2 black swans with 5 little swanlets between them on the creek. cute! (but not for long given it was on the creek through uni, they'll prob all have 2 heads or giant tumours by next week...)
secondly, a cyclist with what looked like a white baiting net attached to his helmet! To catch swooping magpies i assume...but that's just mean, and would surely knock him off his bike?? He was shouting as he rode along too, weirdo.

anyway, good run. quad still a pain and ankle isnt the happiest, but i managed to breathe the whole way :)

C • Swanlet? 2

exercises. meant to do stretches after shower and dinner, but got distracted. not sure by what. possibly bed.

i feel like mud. Unlike STB a couple of years ago, i don't feel ive recovered after sundays episode.
Oh and amongst all that I've forgotten to mention how my quad is STILL bung from 2.5weeks ago. garr!

Alright. huge complaint and moan over. 4 days to go. positive attitude from here on in :)

unless doing run throughs for Mick to film counts as training? It certainly hurt my ankle :s too many retakes of me jumping off a small cliff! another reason to take it easy this week...

then travel back to aus

made my 3rd hash of a 1st control for the weekend. Had my bearing right for the most part but got pulled of towards the end. ugh. missed 2 inside the circle, wrong direction to 3. good start.
6 and 7 ruined the course, stuck in heavily thinned forest. Spent aaaages climbing over trees and got put of my direction. hated it. had to relocate for both controls (even though i have one of the faster splits to 7 it seems)
stuck in loopin on the way to 10, still not sure of 12s placement. caught piret at 13 (and passed amber apparently but didnt see her cos she was stuck in felled trees). Piret lost me at 15 and then Amber slipped past when i missed 16.
Realised i havent raced in nz sand dunes in over a year which may explain some of my hopelessness...
17-22 ok. made sure i slowed down in the technical stuff round 19-21. Then recaught piret going across the field to 23.
And then it turned to pie.
I think my mistake was talking to piret as we raced along. Before i knew it my breathing was going to pot ala STB 2 years ago. All nav went out the window and i headed into the heavily felled stuff after P. Had to stop and calm down to get my breathing back before starting again, thought I could make it to the finish ok if i took it steady (even told tessa this when i saw her at 23)
But no. half way to the last control i lost it again, couldnt breathe, and as there was no oxygen in my legs they went from under me, then the lack of oxygen in my brain caused my vision to start blacking out from the sides. Being stupidly determined i managed to wobble and stumble to the finish, then collapse. not sure how. all i remember is telling someone who tried to catch me (turned out it was dad) to let me finish...and then hearing sarah say "yeah let her finish!" lol.

Got my breathing back to half proper after a couple of minutes, but legs and head felt useless for the rest of the day. When it happened at STB i was told by my dr it was due to my low iron...but im constantly low in iron and its only happened twice?!
Yvette has had a similar thing in her time orienteering though. apparently when her or her body is overly stressed, sometimes when she forgets to breathe. which sounds silly, but if you jump over a log and hold your breathe...or if you're talking to Piret whilst going full speed...
So then cos all the oxygen goes to regulating your heart, its not in your legs or head. seems to make sense.

Anyway. not pleasant, i'm rather fond of being able to breath and all! lots of rest and steak this week. I'll try get my body and head sorted for oceania's then a decent rest i think!

C • feck. I feel real bad now :... 3