Training Log Archive: Oxoman

Event: Victorian State Series #2 & #3
 

State Series 2 - Glenluce North. Would have rated the map higher if we'd used the complex areas, but unfortunately an opportunity was missed and the courses were set as fairly ordinary spur-gully terrain - more appropriate for a rogaine. On course 4 we had one long leg of approx 1.7km. This was more a "classic" course than the middle distance format intended for the M21s - not a course created especially for M21 but a course we regular course 4 runners would do. Bit of a shock to be running in high visibility Victorian terrain with no ground cover after Dubbo and ACT.

Spent the morning running the SI Finish, then set out at 1pm to run course 4. First leg was mainly a choice of how to avoid the erosion obstacles whilst running straight as possible. Leg 2 I had hand drawn the straight line between controls as an arc which I more or less followed. Would have been better not to have been drawn astray by my drafting, and to have followed the main gully. Leg 3 was probably intended as the show piece leg, being approx 1.7km and with several route choices. I had intended to drop down a gully to the south east and follow tracks along the main gully south to its intersection with line between controls 4 & 5. Then follow the gullies past control 4 and on to control 3. This would have created the biggest dog leg I have seen on a course for many years. I can only assume the course setter didn't consider this route as an option. It was a large deviation from the straight line, but I felt quite reasonable since it included over a km of track running. Unfortunately the brain malfunctioned and I headed east down a gully to the main N-S gully. I couldn't see the expected track, realised what I had done and then took an alternative route to take a more or less straight line from there to the control 3. Would have been better to head south as originally planned.
The rest of the legs didn't have major route choice and were mainly about minimising unnecessary climbs without going too far off the straight. There were linear features leading into most controls.
Finish split. Amused to see that I had the fastest finish split for my class - 1m13s. Met KM on the road at the top of the run home. Said I would race her to the finish - she was driving my car. However I was considerably slower than Uncle Jim's 45s.

C • A continuing theme 14

Setting up at Glenluce for the next day's orienteering event.
Did a bit of walking around to start with. We arrived and were directed over the knoll to where they were setting up the start. Fine! That takes us into the best area of gold mining terrain on the map. Wandered around for a bit and found no-one nor any controls. Turned out the start was about 800m away. Too bad we weren't going to use the eroded mining terrain at the north of the map.

Altona Mound circuits.
One of my slower runs. Not surprising as we've got all the smoke blown in from the burning off in the Goulburn catchment. If I breathe deeply through the mouth I end up in a coughing fit. This is not helping my head cold at all. Country people should keep their smoke to themselves.
Lap 1. 1.00 km 6:00 western loop.
Lap 2. 1.01 km 6:15 northern loop.
Lap 3. 0.91 km 6:00 western loop.
Lap 4. 1.01 km 6:34 northern loop
Flat run. 2.08 km 12:54 run from Mound out to Green turn-off and back.

Red moon tonight.

Altona Mound circuits.
Much the same as last time on the hill loops but faster on the flat. And faster on the home run return. Not a negative split yet because it is 60m longer but it is something to target.
Lap 1. 1.00 km 6:02 western loop.
Lap 2. 1.01 km 6:02 northern loop.
Lap 3. 0.91 km 5:47 western loop.
Lap 4. 1.01 km 6:20 northern loop
Flat run. 2.08 km 12:39 run from Mound out to Green turn-off and back.

Night Street-O - Altona East.
Score event. Only got 17 controls tonight but didn't incur any time penalty. Ran quite well considering the sore throat / head cold and minimal sleep last night.

2 hr return trip to Ballan to collect the SI trailer.
Have a sore throat.

C • There has to be a better way 2

Werribee River Run.
Slow and steady after the excesses of last night's Presentation Ball.