Woodhill A Series

South Island Long Distance - Forest Creek

Oh man, it was so hot before I'd even got to the start and I spent the drive down from Nelson drinking and trying not to get car sick again.

I felt like I hadn't done a proper orienteering course in ages (sprint races are different) and I really wasn't sure how my foot was going to handle it. The first section was in the farmland which was mostly okay apart from the second control where I wasn't low enough and the control was behind some gorse. I ended up near the end of the ridge before dropping down lower and heading back. It was so hot though which made it hard to think straight.


Once I got into the forest my feet started to really hurt so it was mostly walking by that stage and even that felt hard. It was really steep and the ground was very rough under foot (I think I managed to fall over quite a few times!). There was one control where we had to go up something like 17 contours only to have to come right back down a couple of controls later which was just ridiculous and all the sidling was causing my feet to blister (they have seriously gone all soft since my stress fracture).

The final few controls were out on the farmland again. It was pretty cruel to have to go all the way up the hill in front of everyone chilling back at the event centre but such a relief to get out of the forest!


I was so glad to finish the course and see Michael standing at the finish with some water. It was brutally hot, steep and rugged and I'd managed to get some wicked blisters by the end. This was not turning out to be my weekend!

Australian MTBO Long Distance Champs

SA MTBO Long Distance Champs

After a training ride with our team in the morning which did a little to calm my nerves, it was time for the longest mountain bike orienteering course I'd ever done (rogaines not included here), and in another country no less! I think the distance (which is based on the shortest possible route I think but I'm not sure, unlike foot orienteering where it's based on the straight line) was 29 kilometres which seemed a long way for the first race!

Having no idea what to expect terrain-wise (everyone tried to give me helpful descriptions but there is nothing like actually being out there to understand) I was pretty anxious. I'm can navigate on the bike so that wasn't the problem. And I'm fit so that also didn't bother me. But it's my technical skills that are sorely lacking as well as confidence so signing on to this trip and getting to the start line was a big deal for me especially after my fall a couple of weeks before.


The course, for me anyway, was really easy navigation-wise (not that I didn't make a couple of really stupid mistakes especially coming out of #10 where I went in completely the wrong direction!). Also, being allowed to ride across the yellow (open terrain) was a bit weird to get your head around. Riding wise it wasn't too bad either and I was really happy with how I'd done. A good start to the trip.

OY7 - Waiuku Forest South

This was the second to last OY of the 2010 season and I was really quite determined to have a good run.

Unfortunately I didn't get off the greatest of starts. Somehow I ended up running too far to the left and everything looked so vague in the cutty grass which must have been about waist-chest height. I certainly couldn't see any knolls. There were a few people, Cath and Andrew included (they'd started ahead of me) floundering around up in the general area so I figured it wasn't going to up there and headed out to the right, eventually sort of stumbling upon it. The knoll was naturally more obvious once I'd actually found the control.


I don't think my route choice was optimal to #9. Cutting back through the native bush (marked as white but was more like light green) took too much time and it might have been quicker to cut around the road. But I dropped down onto the control pretty much perfectly. To #10 it was about avoiding the climb so I headed to the right and to the main road running down the centre of the map. Pretty easy really.

From #11 to #17 was a series of fairly short legs which were pretty cool. I picked up a bit of speed and felt really confident on my navigation...until #16 where I was looking at the hills on the wrong side. I clicked eventually and managed to punch the control and run off before a few others in the area realised. Always good!

On the whole, my navigation was pretty good but I was just too slow getting through the cutty grass. Long sleeves might have helped 'cause by the end my arms were throbbing and my wrist was bleeding. But I bet Michael back (not that it was really a competition since he was doing course 1 and I was on course 2) and I was well in the top half of the field.

One more OY to go...White Lightning.

OY6 - Whites Line

Oh dear, the OY series this year is not exactly going my way! I was definitely overtired after two really late nights and my knee was still not 100% (I had only run once this week...mostly cycling to keep up the strength as it doesn't seem to affect the knee much).

I started off okay, although a little shaky to the first control, but then I got completely thrown at #4 and I don't really know why or what happened. I thought I'd chosen a good route choice and everything seemed to be going right but I couldn't find it for the life of me so I ended up (after a bit of bashing around) heading out to the road and taking a bearing from the clearing back in again. I found it perfectly this way but it came up heaps quicker than I expected (I almost didn't check the code 'cause I didn't think it was my control!). Yeah, I really don't know what happened!


I don't know why it's dated 15 August since it was actually the following Sunday. Weird.
At #7 John Robbie appeared next to me and he seemed to be going the same way as I was to #8 although I knew he wouldn't be on my course but it distracted me way more than it should and I wasn't paying enough attention, ending up overrunning it and almost at #9 instead so I had to backtrack. Then all went okay again until about halfway to #12. I ran out into the cuttings and thought I knew where I was but the control never appeared where I thought it was going to so I headed up to the road to relocate, but worked it out on the way. Turns out I was way too far south. The terrain under food in the cuttings was absolutely awful and I pretty much had to walk. I think I cursed out loud when I saw I had another 2 controls to get in that area!

Once I got back into the decent forest I started going better again but was feeling pretty exhausted. It felt like quite a slog to finish. I don't think I stuffed up anywhere particularly there but to be honest I was so tired I'm not sure if I can remember it! But it turns out that most people doing my course had pretty long, exhausting races too so I guess everyone found it tough out there.

OY5 - Pot Luck

Another OY at Woodhill! I managed to convince a friend to come along and give it a go too which was pretty cool.

Anyway, on the way to the start triangle I misread the map, thinking that I had to cross 2 tracks to get to the first control instead of just the 1 (I think it was because the start triangle was on a track and I counted it as one I had to cross) so I overran it but luckily not by too much as I realised I was coming too close to the sand dunes for it to make sense. The second control was out in the dunes but not too hard but coming out of that control for some reason I started heading off to #4 instead! Again, luckily I caught that fairly early and bashed back over the dunes to #3 but it was really frustrating because it should have been an easy control.


Then coming out of #6, chasing Imogene and Kate, I got my left leg stuck in some tussock but I didn't realise and kept running but of course my leg didn't come with me and I ended up twisting it. It hurt like hell and for a few moments I actually thought I wasn't even going to be able to walk, let alone run. But eventually I got moving on it again but at no where near the speed I'd been going before. So frustrating!

Navigation-wise everything was pretty good after that until #10 where I got confused about where on earth I was but ended up not being too far from the control and there were heaps of catching features so it wasn't too bad. Then it went vaguely alright until #19 which somehow I managed to wing but really I had no idea where I was or how on earth I was going to find out. Not the best of tactics! Then I completely disoriented myself attempting to find the last control which was really rather embarrassing. I ended up somewhere near #8 instead and then popped out on the road. I don't know how that happened!

It was a really nice day out in the forest and a good, technical course and I ended up doing pretty well but it's always frustrating when you know you could have done a lot better.

OY4 - Stag's Roar

Yet another OY at Woodhill...although this time it was a steeper area of the forest. This is a prime example of thinking you had a good run and then coming in and seeing the results and realising that actually, it was a pretty shit run! But at least I love running in Woodhill.

Anyway, I was going really well at the beginning. Contours were all lining up and I was nailing each control...until #6. The problem was I thought I was higher than I was because I would have been about 10 metres away from it when I first stopped but I didn't see it. I then went round in circles trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong. I don't really understand why I had so much trouble. If I'd looked a bit closer at the map the height probably would have been more obvious but I have to say that I never noticed the clearing in the reentrant. Grrr!!


Control 8 I ran right past it and onto the next hill along but figured it out fairly quickly. It was still frustrating though and I think I was trying to go to fast to make up for the previous mistake which is never a good idea. Then at #16, after crossing the main road, I had heaps of trouble trying to adjust to the different terrain (you can't tell by looking at the map but on either side of that main road the terrain is very different). I should have slowed down a bit and been more careful instead of running round like a headless chicken! For #17 I didn't look far enough ahead as the track route didn't occur to me until I was much closer and it would have been heaps quicker and without the need to keep checking the map. Then at #21 I really have no idea what happened but I got really disoriented and frustrated.

I'm running okay but I have been feeling really tired although not nearly as exhausted as I was during the week. I just need to orienteer a hell of a lot better!

OY3 - Woodhill South

It was really cold and I'd gone for a long run over at Tawharanui with Michael the day before and my shoes had screwed up my heels so I didn't feel too energised which is never the best of starts for a race!! But surprisingly (if I ignored the pain on my heels) my legs felt really good and fresh. I started off fairly well and found everything coming together until I hit control 6. It was a small hill in a fairly vague area and I must have run past it a couple of times without realising it and there was just nothing I could find to reorient myself. It wasn't until I saw a couple of people a bit further north of where I was standing that I realised I'd come a bit far.


I was okay after that until #12 which I managed to completely stuff up...super embarrassing how bad I did! I thought I was on correct side of the track but I was actually on the north side and of course nothing fitted and I couldn't work it out. I thought I'd head out to the track and go back in from there but it never came (naturally, because I was already on the other side of it). Took me a little while to figure it out but once I had it was a mad dash back to where the control really was!

Then #14 also just didn't work out. There were 3 of us stuffing around in the general area and again nothing seemed to fit. Turns out I'd headed further west. The vegetation boundary wasn't distinct at all and it really threw me. But the rest of the course went fine apart from feeling frustrated about stupid mistakes.

My heels seemed to clear up after about half an hour but once I finished they were hurting again. I think they are having a reaction to my other inov-8 shoes I wear for training. And despite it being beautifully fine, it was freezing cold all day...even in the sun.

OY2 - South Woodhill

OY2 didn't come at a good time for me. I had a lot going on, hadn't really eaten or slept nearly enough and my head was all over the place so it was never going to be a good race but at least I got out in the forest which is one of the places I feel the most at home.


Anyway, I started off okay trying to concentrate on reading the map (I know, this sounds like a really obvious thing but you'd be surprised how many of us don't do it enough). I found the first 3 controls okay although I was a little shaky on #1 which is quite normal for me as I get into the flow of the map. But when I reached the maze (the open bit that we have named The Maze...if you saw it you'd understand) I knew it was not my race. I had heaps of trouble bashing around in there and managed to get a nasty big scar across my thigh after running into a dead branch and in hindsight there was a much better route that would have made finding the control more successful...I just didn't see it until I'd finally found it! #5 was okay but #6 didn't go well again...but then again even Marquita, who was out there with me, had trouble and if she has trouble then it's gotta be hard!

Once back in the forest again things improved a little bit but I was just so tired. Most of the controls weren't too bad apart from #17 where I thought I was in the right area but I hadn't gone nearly far enough. I can't believe it took me so long to work out! By then I was ready to finish but there wasn't any point cutting back early since I was about as far away as you could be and the rest of the course pretty much was the quickest way back! It was just a matter of dragging onwards to the end. Disappointing.

Queens Birthday Day 1 - Long Distance (Telephone Track)

It seems that all my long weekends are taken up with orienteering and Queens Birthday Weekend this year was no exception. No travel required this time since all the events were taking place in the Auckland region with the first 2 days on my local stomping ground, Woodhill.

I've been getting quite nervous before events since moving up to W21E. I'm guessing this will slowly pass as I get used to this grade which would be good because nerves make me panic and make stupid route choices. The first race was a long distance race at Woodhill on the Saturday morning. Long distance is probably the event I like the most. Anyway, it's your lucky day 'cause Dad was standing at the start taking photos of me...


Nervously waiting at the start box with about a minute to go.

And we're off...trying not to trip up whilst attempting to locate the first control on the map.
I actually found the first control fairly okay which is always a good way to start. Things were going mostly okay (abet a little slow and cautious) until #15. From #14 I bashed out of the sanddunes as quickly as possible because it's crappy terrain and difficult to work out exactly where you are. I thought I could relocate once I was back in the forest but it felt like a bit of a dead zone and nothing was fitting. I ended up nearly at the road before I worked out vaguely where I was.


I then promptly stuffed up #16 as well. I got up to the depression to the left of the control which I knew was wrong so I went right into the next depression but it didn't look how I imagined it would (it was much broader). I fluffed around for a bit too long before nearly stumbling on the control! Frustrating. The rest was okay and I came in with an alright time especially considering the field...I even beat one of the Aussie bushrangers! Yeah!

National Orienteering Long Distance Champs 2010 - Earnscleugh Station

Easter Sunday was the National Long Distance Champs, also known as the classic distance. So the first ever W21E long distance race I enter has to be the longest distance I've ever seen for a women's course in New Zealand (although I could be wrong). 10.8km. Distances of orienteering courses always throw your average runner. This is not a 10.8km run. This is 10.8km along the straight line of the course. You have to find the best way between each point and normally this is not the most direct route. Trust me, this is no easy feat. You will run a lot more than the distance given.

Anyway, it had snowed on the hills overnight and it was freezing which didn't bode too well since the terrain looked to be very open and very exposed. I had to keep jogging on the stop at the start to keep warm.

I got a little confused on my way to #1 'cause there was a fence marked on the map (fences are normally left off the harder courses)...what was that doing there especially 'cause I could definitely see fences that weren't on the map too. Weird. It seemed too easy but it was my control so hey, I'm not complaining. Went a bit too far and too low down to #3 which was frustrating and meant the girl behind me caught me up. #6 - oh dear. It was on a boulder in a fairly feature-less area and I went too far and found about 3 other controls which weren't mine. I started heading up to relocate but spotted it. Everything went pretty well after that for a while (apart from climbing a barbed wire outrigger fence and getting my tights and the elastic on my sport ident stuck to it).


I was so glad I'd stuck a clif bar in the back pocket of my tights 'cause I was hitting the wall by #12 which was thankfully a drinks stop too. Still orienteering okay until my stupid route choice to #16 where I decided to stay on the left side of the river. Not a good idea and getting across to the other side proved difficult because of the cliffs. Then I went too far and had to go back.


From the finish looking out over the terrain. It was flat near the end so this photo is deceptive but the course went out to the tops of those hills you can see on the horizon.
The rest of the course was okay but I was shattered. A long course after a long weekend after 2 really hard weekends previously. I had to walk most of the climb from #18 to #20 which was frustrating because they were easy controls. Nice to have people cheering me on to the finish at the end though and it felt like quite an achievement to finish.