Running2:50 0.53 km (5:22 / km) ahr:131 max:143 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
To start
Orienteering6:31 1.05 km (6:13 / km) +67m4:43 / km ahr:156 max:170 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Some warm up controls with even more steps to climb! Snuck a dub over Emil with a smooth routechoice, it’s these moments you live for.
Running24:51 4.34 km (5:43 / km) +167m4:48 / km ahr:143 max:163 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
To the next area. Why oh why must all hills in France be so steep?
Orienteering15:51 2.91 km (5:27 / km) +94m4:41 / km ahr:162 max:172 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Useful pace sprint around St-Paul-de-Vence. Mostly good apart from a misreading of a very confusing multi-level and a very small section of crossable wall between longer sections of uncrossable wall. Cheeky. A few legs along the ramparts - a 2 feet wide lumpy path with an unprotected 5m drop to the side. I'll have a sprinkle of danger with those tekkers please.
Running21:19 4.36 km (4:54 / km) +59m4:35 / km ahr:138 max:149 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Back to the first sprint, chatting to Quentin
Orienteering10:36 1.99 km (5:19 / km) +72m4:30 / km ahr:167 max:174 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Mass start with Emil, Quentin and Aaro. I was slow to start sorting out my watch but consistently picked good routes and executed them well. I do need to run quicker down steps though - Quentin left me for dead on the very step-heavy leg to the last control. Fun - a nice end to the camp and good to see that I can be really dialled in and read the map well.
Running2:43 [2] 0.51 km (5:22 / km) +4m5:11 / km ahr:138 max:142 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Running30:35 4.55 km (6:43 / km) +103m6:02 / km ahr:130 max:150 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WU with Fred and Shmint
Orienteering8:41 1.89 km (4:36 / km) +64m3:55 / km ahr:168 max:181 shoes: Nike Streakfly
2x2 MSR leg 2 - disasterclass. Set off in the mass start and binned 30 secs with a parallel to #1. Two trees on different levels caught me out and I was definitely not the only one to do this, but unacceptable nonetheless. Out the race so pushed hard on my own and some welcome company from Fred. One hesitation when I hadn’t read the detail at #9 but all good otherwise. Silly.
Orienteering9:15 2.15 km (4:18 / km) +87m3:35 / km ahr:169 max:192 shoes: Nike Streakfly
Leg 4 - much better. TLDR - I scalped Kasper. Another mass start with much less forking meant for some pretty wild and physical running through the first few in the pack. Still, I kept the head and knew what we were doing throughout. Then for some insanely fast downhill running where I nearly got binned by a wild Johnson piling down seemingly from the sky. The whole course felt like one big 15-way sprint finish. Still, I did another good routechoice and made sure to do what I thought best, keeping the head right till the end and overtaking a good few guys in the process - nice. Shape is clearly decent as I thought for a second that I was going to get well and truly Bjorked. Good stuff - I can keep up with these guys in the pack - now to transition to being able to take a more commanding position and have even more confidence in my own ability. And yes, I beat Kasper on the leg 4 split by 1 second. Glorious.
Running20:52 3.1 km (6:44 / km) +81m5:57 / km ahr:130 max:144 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WD with Jonny and Touko, featuring a dip in a chilly river. Lovely.
3 PM
Running12:08 2.08 km (5:50 / km) +2m5:48 / km ahr:123 max:139
WU/yacht shopping
Orienteering19:38 4.32 km (4:33 / km) +27m4:25 / km ahr:166 max:174 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Useful pace around Antibes, focusing on picking the shortest routes, which mostly went pretty well. A couple of hesitations but nothing major. Really fun area and nice to be back on the flat. Saw Kasper running pretty hard - I imagine he was still burnt from the morning’s massive L.
Running10:34 2.09 km (5:04 / km) +14m4:54 / km ahr:135 max:144 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Running16:07 2.78 km (5:47 / km) +77m5:05 / km ahr:127 max:142 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WU with Nathan
Orienteering25:03 5.19 km (4:50 / km) +164m4:10 / km ahr:157 max:174 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Map exchanges tekkers with a lot of climb. This basically involved Emil following me and shouting at me for most of it, which was annoying but also very useful and forced me to have better discipline. Bits of good, bits of bad - need to be more smooth.
Running19:29 2.94 km (6:37 / km) +57m6:02 / km ahr:127 max:144 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WD with Emil
3 PM
Running10:22 1.4 km (7:24 / km) +53m6:14 / km ahr:118 max:135 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WU
Orienteering40:17 6.82 km (5:54 / km) +290m4:52 / km ahr:155 max:169 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Techy longer course around Hyères with a seemingly infinite number of climbs and descents. The aim was keeping moving and planning ahead at all times and I was mostly pretty good at that. Again, struggling to read the detail at points but ended up with some good routechoice comparison with Shminty and I was doing some decent things. Little bit more careful map reading needed, but good anticipation and looking up throughout. Finished it off with a cracking wee micro sprint around the gardens. I was actually very good and not rubbish at all. Only one hesitation. Great fun.
Running17:30 2.36 km (7:25 / km) +141m5:43 / km ahr:123 max:141 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Running24:06 4.3 km (5:36 / km) +72m5:11 / km ahr:128 max:151 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WU with toilet hunting
Orienteering11:25 2.68 km (4:16 / km) +10m4:11 / km ahr:168 max:183 shoes: Nike Streakfly
KO Quali - Saint Tropez Pretty pleased with this as a first session when everyone else is firmly in sprint mode. Cracking course on a brilliant wee area - no barriers needed. A few faffs and time to be made but doing the big things right. Good to bank a session at the start of the camp. Nearly fell into the sea just before the run in - exciting. Onwards to this afternoon. Need a little more juice in the corners and fiddly bits.
Running16:22 2.6 km (6:18 / km) +36m5:54 / km ahr:130 max:147 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Pre-swim WD with Fred and Nathan.
2 PM
Running20:13 3.38 km (5:59 / km) +40m5:39 / km ahr:136 max:159 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
WU
Orienteering5:59 [5] 1.21 km (4:56 / km) +58m3:59 / km ahr:135 max:147 shoes: Nike Streakfly
KO QF - 3rd An up and close masterclass from Kasper Fosser in how not to orienteer. Luckily this meant I stayed in contact. Stayed calm - good. Need to back myself more - worked hard and well through the terrain.
Running10:08 1.5 km (6:47 / km) +38m6:01 / km ahr:141 max:149 shoes: Nike Streakfly
Running5:27 0.75 km (7:15 / km) ahr:136 max:147 shoes: Nike Streakfly
Orienteering7:08 [5] 1.34 km (5:20 / km) +57m4:24 / km ahr:143 max:186 shoes: Nike Streakfly
KO SF - 5th Did precisely zero map reading from #1 - #2 and turns out it was a phi loop so that was stupid. Note to self - read map. Really struggled to find my place on the map after the exchange and then had hesitant slow run up the steps to the last control which saw me lose a place. More confidence and discipline needed.
Running11:29 1.6 km (7:10 / km) +38m6:25 / km ahr:137 max:154 shoes: Nike Streakfly
Orienteering5:39 1.17 km (4:50 / km) +51m3:58 / km ahr:171 max:192 shoes: Nike Streakfly
KO F - 5th Got absolutely diddled by the parked car at #1 so was off the back of the pack from then onwards. Fought hard to get back on and did, but didn’t have the beans or tekkers to make moves, particularly with carcas doing some incredible blocking tactics. Key moment was #7-8 - if I’d read the best route I would have leapfrogged - instead I gambled, wrongly. Still, picked the best route for the second part of the leg. A good day of knock out - more calm and mixing it well at points. Need to be more disciplined and pick the best routes. The best orienteers win KO blah blah blah. Great fun - awesome area.
Running10:30 1.5 km (6:59 / km) +34m6:17 / km ahr:137 max:148 shoes: Nike Streakfly
Running1:16:48 15.31 km (5:01 / km) +297m4:34 / km ahr:127 max:147 shoes: Nike Pegasus 39 #2
Marseille! A very smooth journey meant I had some time for a running explore around Vieux Port and the centre. I was here in 2019 to do a week’s work experience (mainly eating lunch) with a divorce lawyer, so it was pretty familiar at points. Glorious sun, and I particularly enjoyed heading up to and down from Notre Dame de la garde. Nice.