Training Log Archive: Edmund

Dad had to put out 8 checkpoints so I came on my new bike with gears. I put it in 2 for the uphill bit, and then 6 for the downhill bit but I got off and walked most of the downhills as they're a bit bumpy. Gears are really good and my bike goes over bumps easier now with its bigger wheels.

I rode around the oval lots too, because my bike has gears now. I put it in 2 when I'm on the grass.

I wanted to ride my bike and not do a course, Dad said it was because I'd been exercising since 7 this morning that I was a bit tired and sulky, but Mum said that I'm a bit like Dad and went and got me a muffin from the car. 5 mins later I found Dad and wrote my name on my punch card and we went to the pre-start then followed the tapes to the start. I found 1 and 2 by myself and Dad showed me how to put my thumb on the map where I am so after that I kept a Very close eye on where I was and found lots of cliffs that Juffy had mapped, and some rocks he hadn't. 3 and 4 were easy as they were back down to the tip. On the way to 5 I asked Dad if we could cut through the bush do we did, Dad had to squash down some of the dead wattle for me. We went through the last thick bushes and popped out right on the checkpoint. Dad says I can navigate better than someone called Bryce already?!?

There were some hills and so I didn't feel like running any more but I could see everyone at the finish soon and tried to stay in front of slow Dad to the end. I did splat him in a big muddy bit though!

Ruth and Dad and I went for a walk on the granite to find two checkpoints to bring back. It was a bit slippery in one place, but Dad was holding Ruth's hand so she didn't fall over.

Mum and I were dropped off at the windfarm and we met some friends and then walked all the way down the Bibbulmun Track back to where it hits Bay View Drive. I'm 5 now so I'm not as tired as I used to be on long walks!

Dad collected me from school to go and watch him teach some Aboriginal kids how to orienteer. Mum wasn't there some had bakery food! :-) But no-one turned up - Dad checked his phone then laughed and said that he'd made a mistake and now he and I could have a nice walk collecting the controls in instead.

He gave me the map and showed me how to Turn The Map The Right Way Around by looking where the road was and let me find most of the way to number 103. I went to the road, then Moved My Body Aroubd The Map and then ran off so Dad had to run after me in his boots!! I found a small track and some granite flat rock but couldn't find the checkpoint on a cliff so Dad had to help me. But I found 102 next on my own - I went along a curvy track to the green and the granite, then took the left little track and could see the checkpoint a long way ahead - so I ran again. Splash in the puddles!

Dad then showed me how to keep my thumb on the map where I am - and that made it easier. A bit later after a few more checkpoints we were walking along the big fence at the top and Dad said "Whoa, we've missed one. How did we do that?" I said "Silly Dad... We weren't looking at the map!!" I'm surprised Dad didn't think of that. We cut through done wattle instead of going all the way around the tracks and we found a small trail bike. I remember when a trail bike crashed into Dad's bullbar on his car. Next I got to play on some graniterocks while Dad went and found a checkpoint. I like graniterocks, they have nice green moss on them too. I was getting a bit tired now - I had swimming lessons with school too, everyday this week. Yawn.