Training Log Archive: andyd

The Grunt at Hawn State Park (16.1 km, mass start with 2 skips allowed). This was great fun. A good long, varied course in superb terrain with all the intrigue of a head-to-head race thrown in.

The Minnesota folks really stretched it out at the start. I screwed up #3 by a minute or two so the pack of blue shirts were already well away across the slope to the next. I don't think #4 was a very good skip, but it seemed like a good chance to get out in front and just focus on orienteering, so I went for it, half expecting to see the pack approaching 5 when I got there. There was nobody and I only saw one other guy who'd also skipped 4 until the Runt runners started to appear.

It was strange not to know anything about how the race was going - I knew the others had a skip in hand, so expected them to appear at some point, especially when I was scrappy into 18, but there was noone except for a few glimpses of an MNOC top (not sure who). The orienteering was fun and involving all the way to the finish, which came surprisingly soon after taking the obvious skip on 23. It was very quiet in the finish area, but it seemed that noone else was back until Justin came in after a few minutes. The most fun I've had orienteering for a long time!

C • Minnesota Events 4

Grunt - Splits

Hawn State park, Missouri. Middle distance, blue (4.6 km), 31:46. Great terrain - spur/re-entrant and rocky stuff - and an interesting course. Got out before the day warmed up too much. A pretty good run, except for heading to the rocks above/beyond #3 which cost nearly a minute.

Hawn sprint, 2.15 km and a mostly downhill romp. Went around the road on 8 which seemed to be a good choice judging by the tales of woe from those who went straighter. A couple of 10 sec misses.

Hawn middle - blue - Splits

Hawn sprint - Splits

Event: A-meet and 2nd Annual Gateway Grunt & Runt - Hawn
 

Sprint around a sunny Forest Park in St Louis. 2.5 km. Not too tricky, but a bit route-choicy in places. Got a bit confused near 11 (10 sec?) and missed the corner of the trail on 14 (10 sec?).

Forest Park sprint - red/blue - Splits

Deschutes Riverbank Trail from Bend. I hadn't realised how far you have to go out of town before getting to the familiar bits, so never even got as far as Widgi Creek before having to turn around. There were some nice bits close in to town though. Ended up running further than planned as a 'short-cut' across town at the end was a dead end.

A great day, XC from Bachelor Nordic Centre to Todd Lake, Big Meadow on up the snowmobile road, cutting across the vague, flat area then out along the ditch for a mile or so to the point where the view opens towards BrokenTop. Very nice conditions - soft, friendly snow and tracks already broken. Great to see some favourite, familiar places. The roads were even smooth enough to skate on.