Race Report 6 hours Metrogaine

Following the format of the Arizona Half, I'll offer an executive summary here for those that don't want to read through a blow by blow recount.

A score type event where the goal is to get as many points as possible in 6 hours. Each control point has a certain value. You choose which controls you want to visit and thus your own route. Each minute back late after 6 hours has 10 points deducted. For this event the controls were a series of questions about different landmarks/houses etc around the map.

A minimum 2 person team event and Horrie agreed to run with me as a 6ft distance experiment.

We finished up with 1980 points but were back 8 minutes late so ended up with 1900 points. This gave us 5th overall, 4th just ahead on 1910 and first had around 2160 from memory. Distance covered was around 51km with an average pace of 7:11 min/km, average HR was 151.

Still prepared to read my ramblings then lets go!

Start was at Como Primary school, on the southern shores of the Georges River. Some detailed analysis of the map and Horrie and I opted to head East, picking up all the controls on offer, cut North across Tom Ugly's Bridge, return West again picking up all controls, back across the river at Como and see if there was any time to pick up some extra controls on the west. The map wheel said that it would be around 50km back to Como Bridge.

Loaded up with camelbaks and power bars/gus etc, caught up with a few other people and then the siren sounded.

First target was 64 so across a walkway and along a trail which turned into a paved driveway access. Up and down a tight pinch and out to the point, looking for the first object "What are the initials on east side of forked eucalypt?". The tree was easy to spot and we jotted down DEE and were away. Thought we were by ourselves but then as we were returning up the hill there were a heap of teams headed down. From there around through Oyster Bay to 54 & 43. Cutting back to get 53, 41 and then a nice long downhill run to 42. Along the creek and then up two really steep sets of stairs for 76, around to 11 and then onto 77. At 77 we learnt our first lesson in making sure you read the clues carefully "On commemerative plaque, how many years anniversary?", when we got there another couple of teams were examining 2 signs near the entrance and so we joined them. Nothing definitive that seemed to match the question and then I noticed a plaque on a rock about 50m away which the clue refered to. Down from here towards teh main road but we were blocked by a fence, eventually found a way through it (read later on that it was impassable!) and up past Kareela golf course to the Princes Highway.

Number 44 was in a nature strip and then along the water to 65 (this was part of the Striders Airport Adventure STaR). Up to 34 which in hindsight was a long run for 30 points, picked up 25 and then down through Sylvania for 75 ( a tricky clue regarding some grafitti) and 24. Through Sylvania Waters for 82 and then 72 and 16 for the last controls at Tom Ugly's. At this point a few other teams that I knew were fast were coming the other way, obviously having gone North first. Around the back of Blakehurst for 12, 81, 92 and 35. It looked like we could get through to 57 via a reserve, as we were picking our way along the nature strip a resident grilled us about what/why we were doing and pointed out that we were headed through private property and could not get out at the bottom as there was a large locked gate. Not wanting to argue we retraced our steps, but then found a path that was not marked on the map which was just as good anyway.

Pretty smooth sailing with 57, up to 45, just after that saw Bandanna and then down to 47. We had a great deal of trouble here with "What must be erected?" and were just about to give up when I noticed a metal plate on top of what was some pumping station which said Barricades needed to be erected before any work could commence. Uphill again and another little shortcut (this one successful) to 56 then along a nice firetrail to 68, where there was a photographer. Across to 36 and then cut through another reserve and out the other side to get to 22. Now we were in Oatley and went under the railway line for 23 and up to 83. Here we had a quick break and refilled the camelbaks for the last section through Oatley Park and back to Como.

Down along another nice firetrail to 66 and then 67, opting to leave the climb to 15 (only 10 points) and so straight to 21 and 74. Back over the railway line (and also past the 42km mark in just over 5 hours) to 37 and 73. A good save by Horrie here as the clue was "What occupation at street number 15?" Well there was a big sign up for a builder who built decks which I wrote down, just as we leaving Horrie pointed out the 15 was actually an architect and the builders sign was #17! Along the point to 91 with a bit of bush bashing and then back up to 55. At this point we had 25 minutes to get back.

Crossed over Como bridge for 31, we still had 15 minutes and decided to go under the railway line for 62 and 10 and try and not get back too late. In the end the extra 70 points were offset by the 80 point late arrival penalty which also cost us equal 4th! However it did mean we ran over 50km which was also a goal.

Here is the course map and our route, scanned in 2 halves

http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Metrogaine1.jpg

http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Metrogaine2.jpg

Many thanks to Horrie for agreeing to run with me, at times I think I had him a little bewildered with the navigation choices but he was picking the map reading on the run up nicely and asking very good questions as to why/where we were going. We had a good routine worked out for navigating and preparing for each control and I reckon did very well. In fact if I was 2 years older we would have won the Veteran division! Certainly also very happy with really no navigational errors and pretty optimum route selection (we'll see what others did later on)

Things are looking good for 6ft, a little tired today but that will pass. In fact the sorest muscles I have are across the shoulder from running with the camelbak. Of and almost forgot, not a peep out of the sore calf muscle from late last week and the groin while not healed is also behaving.