On Saturday we went to the SOC local event at Dibden. The longest course on offer was a Green which included several legs from the Mens Open at the British Relays. The course started with a few track legs which weren’t particularly interesting but were a good chance to warmup. When we reached the legs from the relays they weren’t the same gaffles I had but I was pleased to find number six without too much trouble as this was the area I wasted time in at the British. In proceeded to waste a minute or more on the next leg although in my defence I still couldn’t see the distinct vegetation boundary even when I was stood at the control site. Total time was just under 27 minutes for the 5k course so a good burn-up.
(more…)
Archive for the ‘Sport’ Category
Relays Revisited
Monday, March 15th, 2010ASDA calls
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Every so often we get bored of running around the streets of Southampton on a Tuesday night and we decide to head north to the delights of Chandler’s Ford. This does, unfortunately, mean a long slog up the Avenue and Bournemouth Road to ASDA but you then get to follow the cycle route to Flemming Park and then cut back through Lakeside Country Park and the University Playing Fields. This time we also took the footpath around the back of the Ford plant which follows Monks Brook which was a new diversion. Not long until the clocks change now…
(more…)
Snow, mud and brambles
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Last weekend we were over in the Forest of Dean for the Southern Championships weekend. The Saturday was a middle distance race on Mallards Pike. Somehow, I’d managed to remember our start block as being from 3:30, not 13:30 and it was only when we were sat having lunch at about half 12 that Christine’s Mum spotted my mistake (her Dad was meant to have already started). Although we weren’t actually all that late once we got there it had been a bit of a rush and I wasn’t really thinking straight when I started off on the Black course in to an area full of ditches. Thankfully (and this was actually part of my plan), I ended up at control three and just had to back-track the short distance to the first control.
Local orienteering
Saturday, February 13th, 2010Damp Sainsburys
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010First Tuesday of the month so it must be a run to Sainsburys. Obviously the runners prefer damp over cold as there was a bumper turnout despite today’s rain.
First orienteering of 2010
Sunday, January 31st, 2010We went to the BKO Concorde Chase event at Upper Start Posts today. It was our first event of 2010 (just squeezed in to January) and the first time we’d done split starts with two children. It didn’t look like a promising start with sub-zero temperatures as we left home but thankfully the parking/assembly area was in a sunny clearing. Emma walked all the way round the string course whilst Christine was out on her course and I had Duncan in the BabyBjörn.
On the road at Christmas
Friday, January 1st, 2010Run the Pubs 2009
Monday, December 21st, 2009Yesterday saw the continuation of a recent tradition: a run around all of the pubs that hosted us following our Tuesday night runs in the summer. This year that entailed taking in the Beaulieu Road Inn, Oak Inn (Bank), Sir Walter Tyrell (Rufus Stone), Royal Oak (Fritham) and Fighting Cocks (Godshill). Seven of us gathered at the first of these at 9 o’clock on a frosty but sunny morning. We set a leisurely pace and stuck to a well trodden path bar a minor detour where the Forestry Commission had closed a ride for ‘consolidation’. Refreshements on route were provided at Minstead courtesy of the Yeos (although sadly none could be persuaded to join the run). I handed over to Christine at Fritham where Peter Smith also retired. This left Sue Sleath, Stuart Boden, Neil Broderick, Roderick Johnstone and Peat Allan as the five to complete this year’s run in its entirety (just over 17 off-road miles in a smidge under 3 hours). Neil continued with his form of recent years by finishing with blood running down his leg from a fall within half a mile of the start (albeit an injury actually sustained a week early!).
RSS - Posts