Training Log Archive: AndreM

Event: (MDC) Lover's Lane
 

Reasonably clean run in interesting area. Unexpectedly caught sight of Adrian running off 1 and passed him before 3. Will upload gps later. Mishap in the finish shoot where I rolled my right ankle on a rock. In rehab now.

HM1 - Splits

Paddle to statue and back, kept a good pace. Thought the coaching session Sat had made some improvements.

Recovery ride to CCG and back and then a smaller loop.

Made it to Tues running session, but felt really weak. Ran two slow loops of grass farm - about 12-13 mins each. Still recovering from the weekend, and the previous (Boomer), and the previous (XPD Albany). Hopefully that is all making me fitter not weaker. Felt a bit down not having any energy. Very glad I've pulled out of the Mainpeak Multi, looking forward to recovering throughout Oct.

Event: Boundless AR - KillaBrook
 

Another very cool race from the Killa crew. I had an Ok start, but the tricky bike section - 1:50k and lots of extra tracks - got me.

Two big mistakes - lost 15 mins trying to find 16. Misread the tracks in the control circle on the map, so was looking left when I went straight past the control on my right and did a big chicken dance trying to find it.

The other one, est 10 mins lost mid way from 19 to 20 due to losing track of where I was on the track, and not figuring out I was on the lower one and not the upper one.

Lost a bit of drive in the paddle section when the cramps started coming on.

Started with a foot o on an aerial map. Always fun to run the mass start. Fell behind after three controls or so, lost the crowd at the obstacle course. Worked carefully to cut corners and contours to catchup with the lead so that I left the TA on the bike with Ricky and just behind leader Tim.

Followed Ricky for about 300m up the Munda Biddi and then lost him on the first hill never to see him again. Came down the hill and saw the sign to the right, but kept going since I didn't see a track. Fig'd it out fairly soon, and returned. Unf told Paul about this track, I should learn not to since that cost me a place! At this point I'm really frustrated for blowing that corner. haha, what a joke given what'll happen later.

Had to stop to adjust my bike comp to show dist - missed that in the prep. First non-existent track, figured out ok, so continued on MB and turned high to 14 ok. Jake and Lucy just behind me and Paul now, and Leah a puzzled face at the corner. Going fast to 15 with Paul, overshoot to the road and find it back at the junction with Jake and Lucy, Paul arrived later.

On road with J and L to 16. Still not reading dist properly as I stop at the first road junction, but better safe than sorry. They catch up again, and I leave them again.

Arrive at the next, correct junction, but don't see the control on my right and continue to try figure out the tracks on the map and aimlessly do a big circle for 15mins. Find the control and then Leah who is trying to find the track out. We find it together and smooth to 17 with a little overshoot. I arrive back to 17 and Leah is asking if we're on the right track. I'm looking at the control just meters away, had to laugh.

To 18 with Leah and my super nav is stopping me at almost every junction of which there are many. Leah reckons it's further ahead and presses on and this time I see John's car ahead which is usually a good give away, and then the control opposite. Relief.

And inspiration again as John tells me that I'm just 3mins off the lead pack (gee, a few mistakes must have been made), and Tim has just gone the wrong way. So back onto the throttle again. Smooth to the main road - figured out I hit Dandenong formation and hit the corrrected track that was inked in. Bit rough beyond the road, and lots of stops to figure out stuff - so in highsight going around on the main road would have been much better. But found 19 fairly well considering. Also found Andrew Martin coming out of a bushy creek.

Riding with AM up the track to 20, but decided to gun it again and in so doing lost all ability to think straight. About the 2:30hr mark. Did not read my well prepared distances properly, so measured 1.5 and though I should be there, when there was still another 1.6k's to go. Also, missed a fork to the upper road, so found more junctions than marked and got confused. AM caught me a few times and passed on while I was trying to figure things out. Then Shane appeared and we scrambled around together a bit. Then he continued while I doubled back - just in case. Est lost 10mins here. Later saw Shane way ahead running to the paddle, and AM only a few mins behind him. Never caught either.

Run to the paddle was a nice change and I felt good. Saw AM going anti clockwise, it would have been good to follow him and try chase him down, but went clockwise since I had that planned from the start. Didn't paddle around enough for 28 and 27, so lost a bit of time, and then at 27 cramps as I jumped out of the boat, and again at 26 and 24 on the return to the boat.

Also, my ski drifted away from the bank at 24. Didn't dare swim after it due to the cramps, but luckily the campers nearby had a teenage son who was already wet and he got it for me. Well, that probably took 5 mins at least - which could have meant 3 places and a podium (all I needed was 6:25 - just goes to show never give up). Paddled back and then a steady jog home. I look forward to next year.