1. Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 3 Very Purple – size 10
I needed a pair of shoes with traction but without metal studs, and these seemed to fit the bill. Little did I know that the Very Purple color would be considered to be SO **bright**, but I guess it is, since the color has been much talked about, both here and abroad. After getting past the color, the grip was admired as well.

I wore them a half dozen times in December, so I knew I could stand them for the trip, and, indeed, they turned out to be the perfect shoe for the varied New Zealand terrain. I had taken my Ice Bugs but never took them out of the bag.

I should note that the Speedcross does not serve me as well on the steeper, leaf covered hills behind my house, so I still need the Ice Bugs for most of the local orienteering maps.

2. PSB Ankle brace – size L
After dealing with ankle issues for the last year, including nine months of physical therapy and four weeks in a cast, I knew that I had to be diligent about wearing ankle support while orienteering.

I have had pair of the PSB ankle braces for a couple of years now, but they were a medium. I was always getting a blister, or was in pain, where the hard plastic piece curved around the side of my foot, but I figured that was just me being a princess. And, despite the discomfort, they were 100% better than anything else I had tried, and I have tried at least six different models.

The PSB pair I had was getting pretty beat up, so I ordered a new pair and decided on a size larger, since I was between sizes and hoped maybe that would solve the discomfort issue. Though I thought I allowed enough time to get them before I left, with the holiday season, and shipment from the UK (VIVOMED), it didn’t seem that I would get them in time. So, I was so excited when the package arrived the day before I departed.

And, the moment I put the larger size on, I knew they were perfect! So, I immediately packed the new pair and left the old pair at home. I wore them for almost every event, and they saw action on all types of terrain, including hillsides, rutted tracks, and a couple of muddy swamps as well. I taped my usual blister spots for the first couple of events, but then stopped after that, because there was no irritation anywhere from the braces or from my shoes, for a change. Yeah!

3. The Ankle
Well, actually both ankles were a concern, especially the right ankle, but there were no issues! Of course, wearing the braces was the key. I had a couple of times when I went partially over, so I was always relieved when I was upright again with no pain.

4. The Rest of the Body
When I decided to go to New Zealand, I said that I would either be whipped into shape during the trip, or it would kill me. OK, “kill me” was a bit dramatic, so perhaps something like “I would have to sink or swim” would have been a better phrase. And, swim I did! Along with the orienteering, helping with the event each day went a long way towards toning me up, especially the upper body. I felt pretty fit by the end of the trip – worn out, but fitter. I did have to slack off a couple of days when my back objected to all of the bending and lifting, but otherwise, things got easier to do as the days passed.

Another thing I noticed, that despite the rural nature of the events, I had little trouble with my asthma and allergies. I used the inhaler before I went out on a course, but I didn’t need it in between at all, and this was on the reduced dosage of Advair.

5. The Orienteering
Ok, my navigation wasn’t always good, and sometimes it was downright bad, but it was loads of fun. The varied terrain, the opportunity to run with the sheep , no ticks or other bugs to worry about, the excellent courses, the lack of complaints from the other competitors – just excellent events put on by all of the New Zealand clubs. Thank you Red Kiwi Orienteers, Wellington Orienteering Club, Hawkes Bay Orienteering Club, and Sprint the Bay! It was a blast!

6. Being part of the Live Results Team
Since I am not very good with idle time, I loved knowing that I had something to do each day that was usually helpful. I learned a ton of stuff along the way, about O-Lynx, about working with others, and about myself. Could they have done without me? Absolutely! Especially the few times I messed up, but I think I still managed to contribute something.

Surprisingly, I did not miss the OE side of things at all, though it helped that I got an event backup after each event, so I could pore over the splits as usual.

7. Losing weight
Losing seven pounds was a pleasant surprise, for sure. I felt like I was always eating or being fed a meal. I think there was only one day when I realized that I hadn’t eaten enough, but otherwise there was always food to be had, either brought along in the cooler or bought from a vendor or cooked at the motel or at the homestead.

The home cooked meals were healthy and tasty! Loads of fruit and veggies of some sort were always available. I appreciated those meals the most, since I know how hard it was to squeeze in home cooking when so much other stuff was getting done.

8. The Shed!!
Enough said.

This morning, I was greeted by Catherine’s cat, Nadia, looking to wrestle a bit. Fortunately, I was warned that she plays rough, though not enough warning that I didn’t get scratched.

Tim arrived around 10 AM, and the trailer was unloaded one last time.

Jane and I picked up fish and chips for lunch. As promised, they were far superior to the ones we had last week. You could tell that they would be good from this fish shop – one of those authentic fresh seafood places.

After lunch, I helped Callum and Devon setup their event for Sunday in OE and finished packing.

Then it was off to the airport. I am used to being dropped off, so I initially felt uncomfortable that Jane and Phillip were going to spend part of their busy day sitting with me at the airport. But, it helped that they did, making the time pass quicker.

I boarded the plane, and I was able to move over to the side facing the terminal. As we taxied off, we waved at each other, and it brought tears to my eyes. I can’t begin to express how much it meant to me to spend the last two+ weeks with the Herries family. It will be a memory that I always cherish.

A last look at New Zealand on the way into Auckland.

The plane to Los Angeles all decked out in Hobbitt.

The flights home went fairly smoothly, a blessedly anti-climatic end to the trip.

Had to set up in the rain and wind, and it didn’t look good for a festive finale to the Sprint the Bay, and for the trip to New Zealand on the whole. It cooled off quickly.

Some people will wear anything when they are cold.

The Senior Boys getting recognition at the awards ceremony. Callum is in the middle. Love the Junior Boys holding a separate session to the right.

Tim, Valerie, Phillip, and Jane.

The Sprint the Bay organizing team, i.e., the Morrisons.

Another effort that I was really happy with despite being down at the bottom of the standings for the day. It was super fun to run around with so many people on the course.

And, my last chance for winning, or at least getting a tie for the fastest Finish split?

The GO control,
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

and the Finish control just 40 meters apart.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

It was going to come down to punching technique. I was perhaps lucky also that no one was trying to beat me to either punch. I had clear sailing, and I nailed both controls for the 1st place tie in W55, as well as on Course 5.

Race stats: 2.1 km, 30m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.01 miles with 29 m climb
Place: 19/21
Time: 26:06
Time lost:
Time per km: 12:25
Finish split: Tied for 1st on the course with 9 seconds!

So, no competitors were allowed up in the viewing area until after they had run their course.

Callum in the distance, having broken away from the other competitors on his course during the butterfly loop.

Lots of competitors all over the place.

Callum coming into view of the finish,

and finishing – the WINNER!!

Showing off the mud, and a NAOC shirt. Sure wished he had mentioned where he had gotten muddy before I went out.

And, a happy front side.

Here I am getting ready to go out, but more importantly, it is a picture of the smaller monitor stand with the two monitors on each side.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

Ah, yesterday’s high was not to be repeated this morning. I didn’t make the mass start, mostly because I wasn’t really ready to get to the start when it was happening at 10 AM. So, instead I got there in order to start one minute after the elite women and 9 minutes before I elite men. I hoped this was enough to keep out of their way.

Poor route choice out of the start getting into the same little bog that Callum went through. Up to my knee high socks in muck, after trying to hang onto the fence and skirt the 10′ of really wet stuff. Agh! Muck up to my knees, on my socks. Great start. Roll the socks down and try to ignore the rest.

Overshoot 1 on the track. Finally find 2, so I head back to 1. I get to the control in the circle which is 101, and I am convinced I need 102, so I keep going on the same line and find 102 on the little cliff near the track. Head back to 2, thinking it should be closer then this, and pass my 1 again and then find 2. [I did not realize about this mispunch until later that evening.]

Manage to do 2-7, with just a little additional effort for 7. Then I head to 13, which I find easily enough. However, I CAN NOT FIND 14. Find 13 again, go for 14, and I STILL CAN NOT FIND 14. I was too low. At this point, there are all of these elite men running around, and I am feeling sillier and sillier because my misadventure is in full view of all of the people watching the elite race. I find a low spot in the shade, out of view and sit and consider what might be happening.

I gather myself and soldier on. Yes, I am as confused as I look.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

Eventually, and in desperation, I make my way to another control. This is my 16th control. Whew, I know where I am. However, for some reason getting this one makes me realize that I hadn’t done 8-11, the first part of the butterfly loop. (Courtesy of P. Herries.)

At that point, I haul my demoralized self to the finish, trying to ignore the cheers from above. I get my raunchy shoes, ankle braces, and socks off, and sit in the shade and blubber for a bit. Still raw for a while longer, but then I bounce back, because, hey, I am in New Zealand, doing more events in two weeks then I have been able to do in the last year. That has to be good!

Race stats: 1.7 km, 155m climb, 18 controls
Garmin distance: 1.94 miles with 127 m climb
Place: DNF
Time: 49:24
Time lost:
Time per km: n/a
Finish split: at trudge pace, it doesn’t really matter.

HBOC’s SI-guru, Pamela Morrison in the caravan.

Jane’s nephew, James and Phillip.

Callum and ?

I was absolutely thrilled when I finished this one! The placing wasn’t any better, but I was almost perfect, and I didn’t jump over any olive green like a bunch of others did. Today, it just felt like fitness holding me back instead of me just giving it away with bad orienteering. And, before I downplay my effort by saying the orienteering was trivial, the woman in 2nd place through 9 controls made huge errors from 9-10-11 and finished one place behind me. So, yeah for me! And, I didn’t mispunch.

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

Race stats: 2.3 km, 5m climb, 17 controls
Garmin distance: 1.83 miles with 1 m climb
Place: 20/23
Time: 21:02
Time lost:
Time per km: 9:08
Finish split: 4th – 16 seconds, with 1st at 15 seconds.

After the race, the Oceania sign was retreived from a nearby orchard.

Description: Another brand new sprint map for 2013. This is a very unique and tricky terrain type never seen before in Sprint the Bay (or in NZ to our knowledge). Set in the riverbed of the meandering TukiTuki river with unusual contour and vegetation detail, Kaiwaka will challenge STBers’ physical and technical abilities to the max after the beginning urban stages.

I made my start time, though it was touch and go, since I had to wait in a long, slow line for the loo. I felt like just at home, with everyone knowing my name by now, hearing “here she comes” as they were calling my start time.

In retrospect, I should have treated this one like a middle distance race, and given it more respect. I did take it slow to 1 and 2, and I was in 11th place after 2, but that was the end of any glory for the morning session. I may have had more fun if I had tried something like spelling HELP out while I wandered around. Eventually, I was all by myself, finishing near last or last once again. Not a glorious day of orienteering, but it was still a good day since I didn’t mispunch.

Race stats: 2.2 km, 45m climb, 17 controls
Garmin distance: 3.65 miles with 44 m climb
Place: 21/23
Time: 1:05:40
Time lost:
Time per km: 29:51
Finish split: 5th – 29 seconds, with 1st at 26 seconds.

In between the morning and evening races, Phillip and Tim added a small extension to the monitor stand in order to add another two monitors in the vertical position. These gave enough room to get some splits up for everyone.

Sadly, I have no pictures from this day, probably because this was a fast and furious setup since we couldn’t get into the park until after closing time. We also had to carry all of the equipment about 100 feet from the trailer to the event center. Even with lots of hands, things ran behind, and the starts were delayed 30 minutes.

Started later than even my delayed start, so I was the nearly the last starter with just a few elites behind me. From 3-4, I cut across the water, which was possibly illegal. I had interpreted the rules to be that you couldn’t cross the dark blue water inside the park. From the wet footprints, and the split times to this control, I wasn’t the only one who went this way.

So confused at times, especially from 10-12. Took full advantage of the romp through the water at 13.

This was a fun course, which may have more fun if I hadn’t been out there by myself in the setting sun, as the elites were cooling down and/or rerunning part of the course. But, I didn’t mispunch, so it was a good day.

Race stats: 2.1 km, 15m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.3 miles with 1 m climb
Place: 20/24
Time: 33:00
Time lost:
Time per km: 15:43
Finish split: 9th – 29 seconds, with 1st at 26 seconds.

From the STB website – Description: the first stage will be held on an updated Woodford map. This map is part of the Woodford Iona map first used for the NZ champs in 2011. It consists of very technical building detail, school grounds and farm type terrain. Parts of the map are very steep making it very physically demanding and also allowing for difficult route choice legs.

Setup was easier with the reduced number of monitors, and it was nice to have the start and finish within meters of each other. However, the reduction of the monitors to two proved to be somewhat inadequate for the number of results needing to be displayed.

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

A little sloppy to 1, then made back 10 spots in the buildings, and was in 14th place through 10. Then I was unsure about climbing the fence into 11, in terms of legality and safety. Probably still wouldn’t have climbed, even if I had seen the crossable part indicated on the map, so I ran around to the gate.

Then, I lost my mind going to 12, visiting 7 and 8 again before sorting myself out. Agh!! But, at least I didn’t mispunch.

Race stats: 2.0 km, 75m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.24 miles with 61 m climb
Place: 21/24
Time: 36:19
Time lost:
Time per km: 18:25
Finish split: 10th – 16 seconds, with 1st at 13 seconds.

Tim and Phillip reduced the monitor stand by 2/3, and the monitors (TVs) went from six to two.

Later on, Jane and I went into Haverlock North to pick up my race packet and Callum, who had been off doing course setting for the day.

In the early evening, I set up a string course with controls for Callum to do punching practice on.

While my leg speed was slow, I have good punching technique, and I was pretty much staying ahead of the 10 second head start that Callum was spotting me.

Then, we switched it up, and I harassed Callum from behind, laughing all the way. Catherine joined us for several rounds as well. She also altered my USA top to give it a more flattering shape.

Finishing the Prologue: Will Critchley (Canada),

Carol Ross (Canada),

and Matt Scott (USA, currently living in New Zealand).

When it was clear that it was going to be such a hot day (around 80), and with the absence of any natural shade in the arena, Jane put a call out for club members to bring extra tents (gazebos), and bring them they did.

Terrain description: Mainly pasture with fences and farmtracks. Open gully and spur with areas of complex topography. Some steep faces.
Numerous small lakes. Some areas of plantation forest with good runnability.

Mass start race. Tim and I were encouraged to make out mass start times, and so we concentrated on that, and Tim went out at 12:10, and I went out at 12:20. I was hurried, but I didn’t feel rushed. Thankfully, I was reminded to take water, and I was grateful for that.

Had said all week that I wouldn’t mind missing the mass start, since they make me nervous, and I was out of shape. However, I am so glad I joined the fun. Of course, finishing 9/26 in W55, and 43/86 on the course had a lot to do with it.

Pretty much ran my own race, staying in contact with the map the whole time. But, damn, it was hot! If the lake by #3 had been more inviting looking at the shore, I would have jumped it. I was so relieved to hit the woods for 6 and 7. That cooled me off some, but not enough, and not for long.

I really struggled from 8-9, especially on the road. When I got back onto the track, I considered sitting under a tree and phoning it in, but the quitter in me was missing, so I sucked it up and trudged on. I was clearer then lots of others to 10, and then found a good line to 11 where the fence was broken. After that I kicked it in to the Finish, even passing the guy who would finish one place behind me. Sometime earlier in the day, I declared that I would win a W55 Finish split either today, or during the six sprint events. Today I was 3rd with 36 seconds, 4 seconds behind the Finish split winner.

Was thrilled to find out that I had finished so well. I was sure that I was in my usual position of ~20th.

Race stats: 2.6 km, 145 m climb, 11 controls
Garmin distance: 2.27 miles with 119 m climb
Place: 9/26
Time: 49:25
Time lost: 1:56 minutes
Time per km: 19:14
Place on course: 43/86
Finish split: 3rd – 36 seconds, with 1st at 32 seconds.

The World Cup Chase started at 3 PM, and while it had clouded over for a bit, it was a scorcher.

Lots of people climbed to the hilltop across from the arena to watch the action.

A train of men.

Approaching the control from both sides of the fence.

Later on, I climbed back up the hill where the spectators were to retrieve two repeaters and to rescue J, a young man who had been winding up the tape used for marking the path up to the hilltop. The wind conditions were such that he had it wrapped all around him.

A couple of observations:
1) There was lots of poo (manure) at the event sites, since, well, this was either sheep and/or cattle country. I never quite got used to setting up next to cow pies.
2) I found it remarkable that there were no major course issues or injuries during the last 10 days. What an excellent way to end this portion of the trip!

After loading up, it was back to the Herries’ place, where I was able to finally talk to Roger around 10 PM, just after Jane, Phillip, and I had finished a late tea.