Training Log Archive: AdventureGirl!

WUOC Relay - Leg 1. 8th.

Went into this with the goal of being calm and smart, and push when I could. I had a great start, and was 3rd in the pack of girls who headed off more left through the green. That wasn't fun in there. It was just a conga line of getting smacked with pine trees.

I wasn't ready for the technical hilltop right after the green and hesitated at #1. Found it, and then made my way to 2 just fine but again, hesitated in the technical cliffs and rocks, visiting the other two CPs before mine. I had lost some of the top pack so I re-focused, looked up and started pushing.
I had the longer forking from 4-6, and somehow managed to still catch up the lead pack. Then everyone in that pack messed up at 7, and I got away quickly to get to the spectator control.
The last loop was really great, and I was visualizing really well! One last trek through the green crap, and got stung by something just before the go control, but still incredibly happy with this race! What a great wrap-up to WUOC, and to a great summer of racing in Europe!

C • woohoo 7

WUOC Long - 49th.
Finally wore my Garmin.

Goal was to start easy and controlled, then build. Got off my compass to #2 taking a rough bearing to the road, then got thrown off by a bend that looked bigger in real life. Almost 90 degrees off to another road because of this. I recovered quickly but still added some distance. On my way to 3 I took a pretty hard fall in a ditch where I literally folded in half along the opposite edge of the ditch. Then I was just a bit too far right in the circle because I stayed on the trail too long. Smooth sailing in the butterfly loop but the terrain was wearing me out real fast.
Finally had a gel and lots of water, then made a large mistake to 11. I stopped early because what was mapped as 3 boulders actually had a ton of boulders there, so I thought I was further along at the rock pile. I wasn't. Bailed out and then ended up too far right again... Still don't understand that area. Eventually found it.
Then it seemed like the course made a turn like "Oh shoot, we're already at 7k maybe we should get these guys back to the finish"... long linear legs all the way back.
Wasn't prepared for the longish leg to 14, after the long leg to 13. Going to 14 I just wasn't really in contact, and then made a parallel error in the yellow marsh that was so dry it just looked like a cut area. Eventually figured it out.
The ending was good, despite some serious sports bra chaffing. Not. Fun.

WUOC Sprint - 8th place

A little more technical than the sprint relay, but there still wasn't too much route choice in this race.
Only real mistake was missing the small gap going into #7 from the south - I ran an extra distance, probably lost about 10 seconds maybe?
Debatable route from 12-13, and maybe 13-14 but i'm happy with what I chose.
I was planning ahead well and pushing very hard through the whole course, but could have done a better job at reading my control descriptions.

Very pleased with this race! :)
Leg was very very sore though, before and after. Almost felt a little tendon compensation walking around afterwards ...

C • Nice! 11

With Amanda!

Joggy jog

Morning jog on the map of the accommodation area with Robbie and Adam.

C • Sprint Relay 5

WUOC sprint relay leg 1 - 5th place

After wandering around Google Earth for about 20mins before this race, I figured that it wasn't going to be anything special, and boy was I right. This was a runners course, to say the least. I kept thinking that I was missing some artificial fences or something...
I knew that I was going to have to push real hard to do anything special in this race.
Going to 1, I had the longer forking and lead the pack into that one. Then we caught up with the other forking at 2 and there were a lot of us together there. the group started to split up a bit around 4-5. I stopped one small building too early going to 4, but it was on the way so I probably only lost a second or two there.
Wasn't looking up going to #7 and almost ran through the hedge. Then it was a long trek back to the arena passage where I essentially had the rest of the course planned out. The last loop in the little islands was much more fun than the rest of the course, I wish there had been more in there.

I'm learning to hurt a lot more in sprints, especially after JWOC. But I honestly didn't think that my speed was anywhere near this good of a shape coming into this season. Must have done something right... probably all that pool running ;)

Social media. We all use it, and all probably lie on those online surveys that’s ask you how many hours you’re on your phone a day. It can be a great way to share experiences and keep in touch with others, but it’s not all marshmallows and rainbows out there.

Attackpoint is one of the last places that I would have thought to encounter an internet troll. The orienteering community is filled with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met, like people across the world who will offer up their couch to a broke student looking to do some races. So when I came across this unkind message directed at me about my podium performance from less than a day before, it was a punch in the gut to say the least. *cue emotional roller coaster*

Now, I’m not here to call out this particular person. I get it, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, absolutely. As well, I understand the way in which one can generate a comment in the moment without thinking it through. I’ve been there many times. However, stating opinions without knowing the information behind the situation is not cool.

But even after being completely crushed by this person’s statement, there was still a little part of me that was still happy underneath. A tiny flame powered by all of the tremendous support and kind words of my family and friends, and even some people I’ve never met. This, to me, was a hundred times bigger than a hurtful comment.

I can’t thank everyone enough for everything you said. I am so incredibly grateful to know that I have so many people who’ve got my back out there. I honestly wish I had the words to show how much your comments and donations to my fundraiser means to me. You are the people that keep me inspired, and I hope to make you all proud for quite some time. And finally, I thank this particular person for the apology.

C • Social Media 7

Travel day from Kecskemét to Helsinki