91 teams started, 90 finished (due to injury suffered in the 2nd leg - single track)...my team was called "sleepmonsters" and I got to meet my teammates (Steve & Brian, pronounced Breean as he's Irish) less than 2hrs before the start of the race!
bikes were dropped off Majura Pines then we headed to the event hub at Grevillea Park...here we received 2 control cards, 2 maps - one covering from Mt Majura down to Lake Burley Griffin (I'll scan a copy of this when I get one) and another for our first leg (see below) and 1 list of control descriptions...we also found out that how the final legs were to be done would be based on how long it took us to get to transition area 4 - if you made it early enough you got to kayak then run/swim/run or if you were later, it was the reverse...
we were bussed back to Majura Pines for the start...first off was a rogaining leg where we needed to collect controls to a total of 130 points...there were 19 controls to choose from, worth between 5-20pts...about halfway through this leg I was handed navigating duties (!)...we also made a change "on the run" to our planned route to avoid a bit of unnecessary running (collected #6 instead of #2 & #4)...we collected the controls in this order - 3, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 12, 11, 10, 6, 5, 1...(can click on image for a larger view)
back to the start to check in (42:22 for that leg) and then we were off to do some single track mountain biking following pink tapes (no map) and picking up a further 4 controls along the way (20-23)...this leg was always going to be my hardest and sure enough I came a cropper when I lost momentum on an uphill bit and fell sideways onto a biggish rock...fortunately no major damage done and we could continue on...
the last control on this leg also had a map attached to show where we were in relation to the next transition area (back of Ainslie) so we could plot our route on our main map...despite my mishap we made it into TA 2 in 40:46...
the next leg was more rogaining with 9 controls of a possible 11 to be collected from the slopes of Mt Ainslie...a pretty good run saw us complete this leg in 42:05...we collected in order - 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 33, 29...(can click on image for a larger view)
back on the bikes to make our way to TA4 which was also the event hub...we had to punch 2 more controls (#35 & #36) on Mt Ainslie then collect 3 codes from underpasses under Fairburn Ave (controls #37-39)...from there it was identifying all 6 memorials on the eastern side of Anzac Parade (controls #40-#45), answering a question about parking near Blundell's Cottage (control #46) before collecting another code from under Kings Ave (control #47)...this leg took 43:42 with one navigational error on my part (oops!...to control #35, I had us on the wrong trail) which thankfully didn't prove too costly...this leg took 43:42...
as we were in the top half of the field we got to do the paddling leg next which was by far the best option (I think we made it by a handful of teams)...so from Grevillea Park we paddled up the Molonglo River towards the kayak drop off down towards Duntroon...meanwhile there were already swimmers in the water on their way to the finish!...an added obstacle was a 24hr kayaking event taking place on the same stretch of the Molonglo River...
I was in the middle seat and we managed to get a pretty good rhythm, catching a couple of teams coming into the drop...
at the drop, we had a choice of swimming across to the Jerrabomberra wetlands to collect the final 2 controls (#48 & #49) or run around to them...we chose the running option ...we then swam between the wetlands and the "hospice" point before the final run to the finish...this leg took 48:10...
all up we took 3:37:05, finishing 41st overall (out of 90) and 18th in the mixed category...
so I managed to achieve all my goals and have great fun too...
after sticking around for the presentations (they've normally started before I've finished!!) I headed to Aranda to watch Jodie & Suze's baseball team (Ainslie Bears) take on the Bandits...in a tight match the Bears triumphed 13-11...
we went out to dinner for Jodie's birthday to Ellacure in Bruce...great food but very nosiy as there were two tables of patrons celebrating a hen's night!
this morning Jodie & I headed to Innabaayna for the final monthly handicap...to my surprise Jodie was keen to give the long course a go!
she started in Group 10 and managed to cross the line first in a net time of 42:35...her goal was 45 so she was a very happy camper at the end...
I started in Group 31 and had a net time of 34:07, finishing 54th, passing two in my usual finishing sprint (no catchers required for me at the finish though!)...
the stats:
start temp/humidity: 15.4/58%
start time: 8:56am
total distance: 6.91
total time: 34:07
avg pace: 4:56
*Time spent in HR Zones:
00:03 [Z1: 93-111]
00:02 [Z2: 111-130]
00:06 [Z3: 130-148]
19:09 [Z4: 148-167]
08:32 [Z5: 167-185]
1k splits: 4:58, 4:59, 5:04, 4:58, 5:01, 4:40, (4:23)
today's MTB clinic session has been postponed due to the instructor being ill so our 3hr session for Mt Stromlo has been moved to 14 Dec and the last session, a 4.5hr trail ride, has been moved to 21 December...
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