Training Log Archive: rcro

IT'S OVER!!!!!

£££ expenses claim to go in ASAP :-)

C • thanks 1

White/Yellow controls in three sweeps.

Right out to sea to replace "knicked" SI box at 271. Then stay out at far start for first 15 mins of actual starts after 1030 to make sure all was ok.

Walking back through area with Alan, collecting a few Day 1 only controls on the way. Various walking around terrain to watch/get photos/check up on volunteers. Radio messages were good fun, but seems I had radio turned off for about 90 mins.

Seems caught the sun a bit - quite hot and intense at times. Good to see a photographer out in terrain - expecting some great pictures.

Courses pretty straightforward and easy - particularly with all the motorways through long grass later on - but suppose it was the antidote for day 1. Really needs dark or fog.

Kept on competition area for most of time so didn't get too many complaints. Pete Ward wasn't happy with yellow - agreed results implied an issue (maybe one for controller too?). And a lady who said she wasn't too upset by the stake for 186 (BOK never gave me stake, so used a "blank" stake of our that was no. 42 thoroughly covered with sticker such that was 99.9% opaque) - she wasn't upset so much that she came back to complain of same issue twice more and started threatening to put in formal protest - reviewing once collected in, none of us could see issue - and it's not as if we would be able to do anything about it... Never mind - it's not orienteering without at least one person keep on complaining to unpaid volunteers about organisational mistakes they didn't make.

Looking forward to the nopesport comments that it was all far too easy. My response - you try planning somewhere where it's a 3k walk from the nearest parking space to most control sites, working on a first draft map, then you might just pick "reliable" looking sites! :-)

Routegadget http://www.sboc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#12

Collecting in main part of map with Ben - to share carrying. 19 out to far track (dumped with Scott), 9 back.

Talent squad training on Kenfig had been brokered on agreement of them helping collect controls (as far as all email correspondence David and I had with them...) found out at 2pm that it wasn't actually the case.

Many thanks to Ifor, Scott, Marcus, Ben, and everyone else Mark (on my behalf) roped in who helped to collect - combined has easily saved me additional 20k of walking and meant controls come in today rather than tomorrow.

Back out to collect one that had been missed - luckily very close (easily missed as mostly overlapping on all controls map). Whilst Pat packaged up the kit so no time wasted.

All the planning kit now dropped back at Pat's house in Lydney - narrowly avoiding death on way when a little car full of teenagers came around a bend on wrong side of road at Stroat. Based on their gestures after my emergency stop and flashing them - it must have been my fault.

Lots of very kind comments from many people, both during and after their runs. Appreciated - but it may be quite a while before I consider agreeing to plan anything even remotely large again.

C • Don't worry 1

Event: CROESO 2016
 

Waking up all the controls in the shitty bits - and it was very shitty, and rainy. Didn't rate either map or terrain (at least at this time of year) - and the inconsistent mapping that pissed me off last time was much more of an issue now that mapped paths were head deep bracken swimming, and the unmapped paths were lovely.

Lots of time wasted - worst of all being 115 where spent 15 mins thrashing around in thigh deep tussocks and shoulder deep vegetation. Gave up and took a long time to find a passable route out - found control whilst on phone to planner. Gather quite a few people lost significant time in this block.

Bits of map I'd stuck to previously far far nicer so not expecting the full horror.

https://www.strava.com/activities/652416379

Putting out southern most controls whilst still parked at pub.

Very big loop of 36 controls - going right out to the sea and back. Carrying fully laden rucksack (with extra stakes strapped on) and bag of flags and arms laden with more stakes. Tough going early on. The secret stash was still in depression 220 so no extra walking back required. Saw a lot of Alice.

Just 10 after lunch - still with big rucksack but less full. Got a couple of rubbish photos in the rain as people ran past.

Finish area controls after Day 1 closed. 11 but should have been 12...

Last one of the day. Putting out control 186 as had been locked in Alan's van, removing some SI units from white/yellow controls staying out, removing unused control and taped routes from white/yellow and put in a new set of tapes. Left field at 7.20 - over 12 hours after getting in.

Still another 12 controls to put out, plus 4 SI boxes to put back - in the morning. Another early start...

Parkrun marshalling. Turns out that roughly 2/3 of runners thank as they pass - pretty good. Perfect conditions for FoD PB so results could be interesting.

Pleased to see FoD wasn't endorsing "apricot" day - a day to wear orange t-shirt that you have to BUY if you want one. Kind of goes against the parkrun "ethos" to encourage something that comes at a cost...

Next stop Pat's to pick up kit...

Pretty crap run - ascending felt awful, calves crying in pain so resulted in a lot more walking than a couple of weeks ago. Never really going quick on the top, and down was stop-start. Pushed finish hill as always - exactly same time as in all previous attempts.

Very hot and humid. About 25s up on previous best to Col, same pace on second climb, 20s slower down. Small improvement but best I could hope for given poor prep.

https://www.strava.com/activities/650901511/overvi...

Briefly caught up with Pat on his way home and to retrieve some more kit from his car that didn't get out to secret hiding place in depression 220 this morning.

Another hour sorting out kit ready to go straight out at 10am tomorrow - stakes rebatched, SI packed (turned on ,tested, turned off, all pre fell race) - just kites left to count out.

At controllers request, will take a few spare SI boxes with me when I run around to wake the southern most ones tomorrow morning - but hell will freeze over before I agree to carry an undefined number of spare stakes and kites as well.

Had quite a crap day today - exactly what I didn't need after last couple and with all the work to be done over next few days. Feeling quite down and shown by poor running, but would feel even worse if I didn't get out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/649756294/overvi...

Checking and counting maps for 3 hours

Fainted at work this morning - and not been feeling right since. Suspect due to being so hot overnight. Did well to get home but bo chance of getting to Lliswerry - windows wide open and sit/lie down and hope i feel better tomorrow

MDC run around Neuadd Skyline route. Roman Road, Cribyn, Pen y Fan and around - skipping Fan y Big and Corn Du.

Hot. Big test for hydration after tough train journey home - via long walk to Filton as the train I wanted, and the one in front of it, were both defeated by "summer". Sat in luggage rack, no air con = not fun. Poured water over myself, drank 1l squash, and then further 0.75l lucozade on way there - seems it was enough, but took another 0.5l with me and drank 2/3 on way round. No migraine (yet) [11.40pm]

Sluggish up Roman Road as hot, sunny and still - a struggle. Bit of cloud for Cribyn and managed it - but not trying too hard. A surprise segment PR. Really didn't try descent - another surprise PR.

A *bit* more of an effort up Pen y Fan - walking mostly on the slate, but peeling off to run parallel on grass/mud - and trying to "run" these bits. Deserved PR - 2 mins quicker than last year, when I also tried.

Refreshing breeze on top but a bit of sandblasting - good view of lots of wind turbines that didn't seem to be turning.

Slow going back as rocky and had tripped many times - luck held out as landed on feet each time. Didn't hang around as knew I'd be slowest, and went on past gully to find a scree-less descent.

OK day, but it feels really hot now - will be glad when it breaks.

https://www.strava.com/activities/646739869/overvi...