Skip to main content

....And we are back

2 February 2020
WITS Campus


The season opener for the Urban Series Orienteering was held at Wits on Sunday 2 February.
This season seems to have started quite late this year and with no time to find our bearings (no pun intended), we went straight into the complexity that is buildings...

I only participated in one Bush event in 2019, so for me its been more than 6 months not being behind an orienteering map, so I was feeling a little rusty. Unfortunately the calf injury I had most of last year has come back, which meant I had to take this event a lot slower than what I would normally.

So, on to the event. I got a nice early start at 09:04 - I saw Sarah Wimberley's name down and wanted to be sure I had enough gap for her not to catch me.
Everyone seemed to set off in the same direction, down the stairs, which makes the start a little less nerve wrecking knowing where I'm going. I was very slow to find the start control on the map and control 1, and when I did find them I was a little hesitant thinking the first control can't be this easy.

The course flowed nicely I found, because I was running slower I had time to read ahead to the next control. I also found that there were no nasty tricky legs that required more concentration.
Only 2 controls where I might have lost time:
#2-#3: I wasn't sure if there was an open gate on the other side, so I continued on the path, running the long way. I didnt chat to anyone afterwards so not sure if people took another route.

#5-#6: The gate at the end of the tunnel was locked. I ran there incase the stairs were before the gate, but no luck. Had to run down to the next tunnel and back up the other side. I heard some competitors were told about this on route, which I personally find a bit of an unfair advantage...

Going in to the last few controls I think I slowed down a bit, not sure if I was starting to lose concentration or I was just waiting for a surprise or twist.





Overall I had a pretty clean run, I think I was expecting the control placings to be a bit more difficult but honestly first event of the year so no complaints. It would have been interesting to see if it would have been more difficult if I could run faster, but at this stage being pain free is more important.

I finished 4th overall, 5 minutes down from Sarah Wimberley. I am happy about this, considering last year at the first event where I was 7th and thought I had a terrible performance. Small improvements.
I will unfortunately be missing the first night event at Ruimsig this Saturday due to Randburg Harriers awards but I will be at the next event on 23 February.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grain free Date Bread

A few weeks ago one of my dad's clients baked what we think was a date bread. Although I am mostly low carb and didnt know the ingredients of this bread, there was so much of it and I didnt want it to go to waste. Toasted, it was amazing, almost like a caramel taste. In all honesty, I found my running for the few days I ate the bread actually improved - I felt more energetic and had more endurance. I searched for a low carb or gluten free version that I can make myself. Carb wise you looking at about 15g on average per date, making it basically your enemy if you are low carb. Rather opt for cranberries - 13g per cup. As an athlete though, dates are so good for you - in moderation of course as 90% of the carbs in a date is sugar. Medjool Dates are high in Potassium (higher than oranges, bananas and spinach), which is great for heart health and to build muscle and proteins in the body. They are also high in fibre, meaning you stay fuller for longer. You also get an energy ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Homemade Fat Bombs

Fat bombs are excellent if you are following a keto diet, and are struggling to meet your fat requirements or if you maybe need a fat burst before or during exercise.  I found a recipe on The Banting Chef , but it doesn't say how many blocks the recipe yields. As I was making dinner at the same time and do not have freezer space I sort of winged it with my own recipe: Ingredients:  2 x 4 blocks Mojome Sugar-Free Chocolate 80G — Cacao Nib + Rock Salt (86% Cacao) 1/2 tsp erythritol 1/4 tsp Peppermint Essence 12 tsp coconut oil melted Method: Melt 1x4 blocks chocolate with 1 tsp coconut oil and place in a small container Mix 10 tsp coconut, peppermint essence and erythritol separately and pour over chocolate Place container in freezer for about 15 minutes Melt 1x4 blocks chocolate with 1 tsp coconut oil and pour over frozen mixture in container Place container in freezer I cut this block into 4 small pieces - try to keep these pieces ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Product Review: Feetures Socks

Last week I decided to buy a new pair of socks, advertised for Plantar Fasciitis Relief, from Feetures . I suffer quite badly on occasion with foot cramps, usually as a result of a fatigued plantar fascia. This worsens when the weather is cold or wet, like it was last week here in Joburg. I have also been using stability shoes for longer runs, as it seems my arch has been collapsing (rolling in), resulting in achilles and calf injuries and tarsal tunnel syndrome. I came across this product by chance on Facebook, on a post of someone asking what to do for Plantar Fasciitis. For a sock, it is on the expensive side, but if it works, then it is worth it. After I ordered, I was contacted by Head Office advising that the sock was dirty, due to some work being done at the warehouse. I was offered to be compensated with another pair of socks and a shirt, which I accepted. When I got home, the socks and shirt had been delivered - super happy with the service from Feetures. I took these s...
Post a Comment
Read more