Training Log Archive: blairtrewinIn the 1 days ending Aug 3, 2015:
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Monday Aug 3, 2015 #
12 PM
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:10:32 [4] *** 6.2 km (11:23 / km) +260m 9:24 / km
spiked:17/19c
On the way to the event, the radio promised us the "latest MFR news". Such a thing might have been expected to include things like "Clare Baker on the comeback trail after the birth of her son" and "Blair Trewin faces a late fitness test before the second day of the Scottish 6-Days". Instead it was all about the passing of Cilla Black (who, as far as I know, has never been a member of Melbourne Forest Racers) and deteriorating police response times in the Moray region. (In this context, it stands for Moray Firth Radio).
Traffic was a bit of a theme of the day, starting with the travel to the event. The numbers attending the 6-days were rather more than they're used to and there ended up being an hour-long delay getting into the parking field - I think for no more reason than that the entrance couldn't cope with the numbers, and the odd person got stuck in the mud and needed some pushing. (We tend to forget that, outside of parking fields, most Europeans have zero experience of dirt-road driving). We both made our start times (without a lot to spare); many didn't, though punching starts were on offer so it didn't cause too many issues on that front.
Traffic was also relevant once on the course. I'd heard that Strathfarrar had been rejected as a WOC candidate area by the SEA on the grounds that "orienteering is a running sport", so I was expecting something tough, reinforced by the returning Krystal saying that the light/medium green final section was the nicest part of the course. In reality, there was heavy bracken over much of the terrain and it would have been a horrible slog for the earliest starters, but by the time I was out the area was heavily tracked (although very muddy).
I'd been very doubtful as to whether I'd make any impression at all. I wasn't sure how my back would respond and was quite prepared to do only a few controls if it gave too much trouble. It wasn't 100% and I didn't try to run up too many hills on soft ground, but certainly vastly improved on Saturday. Still felt I was blobbing around (and I suspect my splits on the short downhill legs, 10 and 19, will not be a thing of beauty), but after an early 90-seconder or so on 2, I got into the map and terrain quite nicely and was happy on the technical front. The result turned out to be more respectable than I was expecting too; fastest times when I left were in the mid-50s, and I was a few minutes closer to the likes of Nick Barrable and Tuomas Tala than I had been in the equivalent races at the WMOC qualifiers.
Possibly somewhat demotivating was hearing the commentator describing me, as I went through the pre-warning control, as a "planner and controller". I suppose this is official confirmation of has-been status.
Traffic was a bit of a theme of the day, starting with the travel to the event. The numbers attending the 6-days were rather more than they're used to and there ended up being an hour-long delay getting into the parking field - I think for no more reason than that the entrance couldn't cope with the numbers, and the odd person got stuck in the mud and needed some pushing. (We tend to forget that, outside of parking fields, most Europeans have zero experience of dirt-road driving). We both made our start times (without a lot to spare); many didn't, though punching starts were on offer so it didn't cause too many issues on that front.
Traffic was also relevant once on the course. I'd heard that Strathfarrar had been rejected as a WOC candidate area by the SEA on the grounds that "orienteering is a running sport", so I was expecting something tough, reinforced by the returning Krystal saying that the light/medium green final section was the nicest part of the course. In reality, there was heavy bracken over much of the terrain and it would have been a horrible slog for the earliest starters, but by the time I was out the area was heavily tracked (although very muddy).
I'd been very doubtful as to whether I'd make any impression at all. I wasn't sure how my back would respond and was quite prepared to do only a few controls if it gave too much trouble. It wasn't 100% and I didn't try to run up too many hills on soft ground, but certainly vastly improved on Saturday. Still felt I was blobbing around (and I suspect my splits on the short downhill legs, 10 and 19, will not be a thing of beauty), but after an early 90-seconder or so on 2, I got into the map and terrain quite nicely and was happy on the technical front. The result turned out to be more respectable than I was expecting too; fastest times when I left were in the mid-50s, and I was a few minutes closer to the likes of Nick Barrable and Tuomas Tala than I had been in the equivalent races at the WMOC qualifiers.
Possibly somewhat demotivating was hearing the commentator describing me, as I went through the pre-warning control, as a "planner and controller". I suppose this is official confirmation of has-been status.