Training Log Archive: OllieIn the 1 days ending Jun 14, 2006:
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Wednesday Jun 14, 2006 #
Orienteering race (Local Event) 54:17 [3] **** 5.9 km (9:12 / km) +55m 8:47 / km
spiked:15/19c slept:7.5 weight:68.1kg shoes: Standard White O-Shoes
Local evening event at Epping Forest South West. I love running in Epping Forest - one of my all time favourite areas - and this event was a 25 minute train ride from work followed by a two minute walk to the registration - so it was unmissable, even though my arm was arching something horrid from a jab! The weather was lovely - sunny but not too hot, a welcome change.
I ran Blue (the hardest of the three courses available) and I got my first ever win! I was just 18 seconds ahead of No. 2, although there were just 10 runners and 9 finishers on my course - it was after all a very small event. Still, a win is a win :-)
Despite twisting my left ankle at one point, and getting clogged up in green and nettles several times, I really enjoyed my run. I started slowly, but was going really fast towards the end.
Epping is very technical, but flat, and it's easy to make big mistakes. I made a very silly one at No. 3 - thinking it would be the easiest ever leg - just run down a ditch - I promptly made a parallel mistake. I made slight mistakes at 4, 5 and 6 (I was trying to lose a couple of slower runners), then took a risk and went straight from 7-8, getting stuck in ferns and nettles. 8-9 was the same, again getting stuck and then aiming off in the wrong direction. Once again, I went straight for 10-11 and got stuck in thick green. From 11 to the end, I was fine, and going faster and faster - except for 14 which was my biggest mistake - to be fair, the map was vague here, and I slightly mis-marked the control site. 14 was near the collection of small ponds in the centre of the map. This is my third race on this map - every time there has been a control near the small ponds, and every time I have made a really big mistake. I thought I'd blown the race, but was very fast from then on.
Epping Forest is always beautiful and a challenge, and the weather was so nice today. This was one of those races that makes me remember why I like orienteering so much and why any other sport would never compare.
I ran Blue (the hardest of the three courses available) and I got my first ever win! I was just 18 seconds ahead of No. 2, although there were just 10 runners and 9 finishers on my course - it was after all a very small event. Still, a win is a win :-)
Despite twisting my left ankle at one point, and getting clogged up in green and nettles several times, I really enjoyed my run. I started slowly, but was going really fast towards the end.
Epping is very technical, but flat, and it's easy to make big mistakes. I made a very silly one at No. 3 - thinking it would be the easiest ever leg - just run down a ditch - I promptly made a parallel mistake. I made slight mistakes at 4, 5 and 6 (I was trying to lose a couple of slower runners), then took a risk and went straight from 7-8, getting stuck in ferns and nettles. 8-9 was the same, again getting stuck and then aiming off in the wrong direction. Once again, I went straight for 10-11 and got stuck in thick green. From 11 to the end, I was fine, and going faster and faster - except for 14 which was my biggest mistake - to be fair, the map was vague here, and I slightly mis-marked the control site. 14 was near the collection of small ponds in the centre of the map. This is my third race on this map - every time there has been a control near the small ponds, and every time I have made a really big mistake. I thought I'd blown the race, but was very fast from then on.
Epping Forest is always beautiful and a challenge, and the weather was so nice today. This was one of those races that makes me remember why I like orienteering so much and why any other sport would never compare.
Cycle Commuting warm up/down (To/From Event) 35:00 [1] 6.8 km (5:09 / km)
shoes: Black Work Shoes
From work to Liverpool Street Station (before my race, as a warm up.) Then later from Liverpool Street Station to home (warm down.)