Training Log Archive: Tim C

Had originally planned a long run for my last day here, but woke up with the body feeling a bit tired, so decided to just keep it short and instead make use of my train pass to go take a visit to Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

From the youth hostel, up into the middle terrain and a loop in there before coming back through the fields.

WC Sprint relay with Mike and 2 Lithuanians.

Map was double sided and I managed to be a complete idiot and start on the 2nd map.. (Not helped by the fact that the 1st control on that was #7 and looked pretty similar to a #1).

So hit the first control perfectly, on my way to the "2nd", and then realised just before I got there that it was #8 and I'd stuffed up.. :/

Lost over a minute on that, so pretty bleak. Rest of the course fairly decent with only a couple of 5ish sec route choice/hesitation issues. (And 2 bails which cost me a bit..)

To the start and a bit around the warm up map.

World cup middle. Plan was to just try be relatively clean and not make any big mistakes. Worked out relatively well, just still too many 30ish sec mistakes.

#2 (struggling to read the detail and stopped far too early- 20secs)
#5 missed the little path at 1st and slowed down too early again (10secs)
#7 went too low and got stuck in the green stuff and took my time realising where I was. (40secs)
#8 struggling to understand what was/wasnt mapped and a bit of a bad bearing (15secs)
#9 stopped too early (10secs)
#10 too low (10secs)
#13 bit of a bad bearing and slowing too early (10secs)
#14 seems the straight option was a fair amount quicker (too much climb going around)- 15secs
#16 got stuck in some green (10secs)
#17 not keeping in contact with the map and not reading features very well. Slowing too early again (10secs)
#18. Stupidly went to the further south boulder 1st (15secs)
#20. Stuck in some green and fences+overshot it a bit (20secs)
#21. Dropped too much height and then climbed extra.. (30secs)

So majority of the time just lacking confidence into controls and being really hesitant, but think that was also half due to not wanting to make any big mistakes like yesterday. Also on my own for all of it, so never really in proper racing mode.

Still insane to comprehend how fast Kyburz runs in this terrain. I could probably have gone just under 40min with a perfect race, so still 6min behind what he ran :/

C • Well done 2

From quarantine to start. Some crazy cool views+awesome trail!!

WC Long.

Okay in sections, but stuffed up #11 royally (12min.. unmapped path which I assumed was the one I wanted and was dying too much on the climb to actually pay attention properly.. took ages to realise what I'd done..).

Then also big mistakes on #3 (3min), #9 (2min), #15 (3min), #20 (1min). The 2 long legs also weren't great. Chose the better general route for both (down), but the execution was pretty poor, especially for #15.

Scrappy on quite a few others as well and just overall not navigating very well. Can't say I enjoy the 1:15000 scale for this type of area..

On a positive note. Absolutely loved the descents :D sliding all over the place and generally just super fun!

Oh. Also managed to break my compass about half way through.. northern hemisphere compasses do not like me.. :/

C • Complex and tough 2

Event: Orienteering World Cup Round 4
 

On the model map again. Using the 1:15000 map this time (seriously difficult to read the detail while running..), and visiting controls in a bit of a different direction to yesterday.

Jog around on the model map.

Decided to use the 1:10000 map so I'd have some chance of actually reading all the features...

There's going to be a lot of walking/crawling if the slopes on Friday are as steep as some of these were!

Had planned for a very chilled day, so was just going to take a walk around the one forest to get an idea of what the terrain for the weekend will be like, but realised I was pretty near another glacier and ended up hiking up towards that instead. Big sign saying "path closed about 1/3 of the way up, but no people around and it looked fine to me, so went up anyway. A couple of sketchy ladders, but they all had ropes next to them, so was pretty chilled in the end.

Some more stunning views and some mini glaciers for me to walk on as well as the big glacier to admire from afar.

Jog (with slow ladder sections in between) down to the restaurant thing half way up, then along the contour towards pfingstegg gondola before heading down to town and back up to the youth hostel.