Training Log Archive: grilla

Feeling very incompetent after yesterday. I seem to be really struggling in reading and interpreting the detail on this map. So, taking it easy to start. 1 and 2 were really easy, 2 almost stupidly so. 3 was also easy but I missed it, overthinking things. 4 I came really unstuck and did not see my control was up a contour. Lost a lot of time very close to the right spot (livelox is a comedy). Got my act together for the next few. Just misread the location for 9 so did an unnecessary circuit of the big boulder. Then back across into the green. I thought I was doing this OK. I was being careful and checking myself the whole green section. But I met AlIisonI in the midst who said she was going to follow me as she'd been lost a long time. I did not object but it seems that I got a bit distracted and when I got to the circle and did not see the control, went very silly. This played out in further mega time-loss for 12 and 14. By 15 I'd had enough fighting the green so went around. Got 16 fine but it was a slow way to do it. Same for 17. Made it to the finish.

Not sure why some demographic got the 7,500 map and others 10,000. I might have seen the detail at 4 on the different scale :(.

So after the weekend, I have lost a huge amount of confidence - maybe the kick I needed. I have not been so lost or without a clue for many years. Maybe I was pushing a bit harder than I was capable of. Need to rebuild my techniques from scratch I think.

Day 3 Course 14 - Splits

So I looked at what I wrote after my previous visit to this map: “Oh man, that was embarrassing” was the sum total of comments on Gumble Pinnacles. The same applied today, but maybe I need to write more for future reference. Will do shortly. But in summary, I started well, loving the terrain, the pines and the rocks. But the wheels fell off at about an hour. I had fully supported the no water on courses decision, but in hindsight, the communication about course winning time expectations needed to be more clearly communicated. Well over an hour, closer to 90 min for the top W50 leaves the main part of the field out for a very long time. This is ok, but not normal and needed to be heralded, in my view. We were late starters and I was last of my course. But even worse M21E were still heading off. Not sure why they are so late with a mega course in front of them.
So I started out OK, Pushed a bit right by the trees, but knew what I was doing and just being careful. Got 1, 2 and 3 fine. Did not see the easy way around to 4, but all good apart from approaching the circle where I went a bit low. Got that fine though, but did twist my right ankle heading up to it. Didn't notice it at all during the race, but its been a bit sore since and was unstable out on the map on Wednesday. Took the right route to 5 (should have gone left in hindsight). Ian M came past me part way there so stuck on his tail going up the hill to take advantage of his spider clearing. This worked pretty well, but I worked a bit hard keeping up. From the top of the hill let him go as he wasn't going my way (I should have stuck to him). I had to make my way across to the saddle and ridge to lead into the control which was slow. I should have just gone compass from the hill... Pulled up a bit early but got there. 6 was good. 7 I went right, but did not keep high enough and climbed more than I needed. Cut down across the slope and read everything well on the way and got that one well too. 8 kept high and read everything leading to the circle, but really struggle interpreting in the circle. Got it without too much bother, but alarm bells should have started ringing. Up to 9 and that was good. From 7 I was starting to feel really tired and by now I was pretty cooked. I started off to 10, to the left and was all good (apart from needing to walk a lot). But when I started down the slope, I just could not positively read a thing. Lost my confidence and my marbles and started doing silly things. Ended up on the open cliff above the control, but did not believe it so lost a stack of time here. Saw Alexa here - first person from my course I'd seen all day! Then bad choice to 11, and executed very poorly. Was going to give up here, but someone else got it and encouraged me to go and punch so I did. Then 12 was not where I thought it should be. I was done and walked from there back to the finish. From GPS (and Alexa's confirmation) I was on the wrong side of a rock. But I felt I'd lost all ability to orienteer at that point. I could have finished, but did not see the point in finishing with that level of competence. Very hot and thirsty afterwards.

I was pretty demoralised after this, but reviewing my track, I was doing OK and the parts where I thought I was were correct, I think I was just having trouble concentrating and reading the map. I am really happy with my new glasses, but it seems I do get tired using them, and maybe am not seeing the terrain quite right either.

C • Winning times 3

Day 2 Course 14 - Splits

Easter Day 1 at Noahs Ark Ridge near Molong. A reasonable result after a scratchy run. Started OK, taking it fairly steady. Felt quite comfortable after the first 3 so took a more circuitous route to 4 to avoid climb. This was demoralising having to use the dams and buildings probably not on the map for navigation! Got 5, 6 and 7 well after that. But 8 was the tricky control above the start which if mucked up despite having the spectacle of everyone else demonstrating what not to do on the way to the start. Then all good for 9 and 10 but missed 11 (spectator control!). Was slow on 12 and 13 and then had trouble on 14. Which gets the charcoal burning ground prize - what on earth does a fallen down earth bank look like? Anyway, continued the circus for 15(went via 16) and 17 (too tired to read map properly). Surprised I did well compared to others as it did not feel like a good run,

Day 1 Course 14 - Splits

Event: 2021 Australian 3 Days
 

Family relays middle leg. Not feeling great and definitely very slow

C • Family team 4

Great morning run. Felt good then not so good. Probably turning back up the hills was the downer.