Training Log Archive: TomN

NAOC Long Green-Z. This was much better than yesterday. The weather was fine, as were the map and terrain. Not much of a warm-up, and nervous on the first control, overran to the trail bend and tracked back in. Settled down after that and navigated well to 2, 3, 4, 5. On the long leg to 6, I went way east, picked up the E-W stone wall, followed it to the N-S stone wall, then trail, stream, and wall again. Just before the road I waded knee-deep (slow), then up through the rough open to the thin ridge with the rock line on top. From there to the corner of the stone walls, attack point. Came straight to the reentrant but stopped short and, seeing no control, headed downhill to the swamp, then back up and saw the further reentrant. Too bad, a couple of minutes wasted there on what was otherwise a good leg.

No further problems, got the overall best time on the short steep climb from 10 to 11 (hey, climbing is what I do best!). On the long leg to 15, I came back around the hill and down around W side of the lake the way I had come in, got on the road and ran it hard over the little ridge and then back in to the control. Second best time on that leg.

Finished 4th overall, 2 seconds out of 3rd place. Bit of a disappointment there, of course, but a fine run nevertheless.

GreenZ Long - Splits

NAOC Middle Green-Z. Pretty much a disaster. Mispunched twice, one of which was way off course. A lot of my trouble was due to inability to read the map, which in turn was due to pouring rain, and when there wasn't rain, dark clouds and low light. For example, on the 1st control, I wasn't careful on the attack from the trail, and came to the wrong boulder. I searched the map for another boulder, but never saw it. Back in the hotel, even without my glasses I could see the boulder right at the edge of the circle, but not out in the forest where it mattered.

The other problem was bad compass work. I don't know why, but my bearings were off. Coming down the hill from No. 2, I got onto the wrong stone wall and followed it into the field until I saw a rootstock. Dark green prevented a correction, so it was back out to the trail and the right stone wall. Biggest problem of all came on No. 12, where I crossed the big stony ridge way north of where I should have been, searched some nearby rock features all hung with controls, found one I hadn't seen before and punched it. Careless, but my rough bearing was at least 20 deg. off and but for that it wouldn't have happened. Second mispunch came in the complex area off of the arena. I couldn't see the map detail at all, so took bearings, and they were off too.

Lousy performance in what should have been fun terrain.

Event: 2012 North American Orienteering Championships
 

Easy run on GSFC perimeter road. No run tomorrow.

Signed up for the Cardinal 5k on 11/10. Doesn't necessarily rule out the Stumble the next day, but it would be a busy weekend. Also thinking about the Bethesda Turkey Chase on T-day.

Easy run on GSFC perimeter road.

Shadowing a newish orienteer on the yellow course. This works out pretty well, and we should be doing it more. Also control pickup afterwards.

QOC Swanson Road Green. I tried to run this course pretty hard. I generally took good routes to controls, with good position knowledge. Lots of issues with precision navigation to controls. On 4, I botched the run-in down the ridge before the control, picking up more of the abandoned trail than was on the map, and getting to the river too far downstream. i was pretty sure what had happened, but it still took too long to get back upstream and find the ridge with the control. On 7, the route seemed good on paper, but it was a hard fight, and if it were not for the power line I wouldn't have known where I was. I don't know what to do about the control-picking problems. That seems to be where I have the most trouble these days.

Green - Splits