Training Log Archive: nmulder

Event: 27th World Orienteering Championsship
 

WOC Sprint Qualification

I had a fair run, but am ruing the missed chances (2 big mistakes). After the warmup and very long progression from pre-start to start, I was quite focused and nailed #1, despite it being a short leg. We surprisingly went around the old farm museum area first and I managed to find good rhythm on all the controls and made no mistakes.

My first one was on the leg into the forest, where I didn't read the impassable fence bordering the museum and came to a dead standstill on the field. I hesitated as to which gap to take, and chose wrong. 20 seconds.

Thereafter settled down and ran nicely in the forest, playing safe and clean. One little wobble to #14 where I lost the main path. Split to #15 was also too slow running speed. Next big mistake was to #16, where I again didn't read the impassable fence well and didn't see the gaps in it. Stupid, another 20 seconds. Thereafter it went clean again.

So a total of 45s or so lost. What annoys me the most is that the impassable fence situation also cost me at last year's sprint Q. It's now an official trend. I finished 32nd (out of 34), +4:26 on Mattias Mueller. Without the mistakes it would have been 28th, equalling my best Sprint result (Sweden 2004).

No HRM data, as my watch is banned in IOF events (the altimeter). I reckon I probably only got to TE 3.7 or so.

No GPS either, as I accidentally turned it off at the start. Duh. Best I could do was draw my route on my map...

Splits Heat 1

From Orienteering Maps

Event: Gauteng Colour Coded Sabie 1
 

Ran the Model event for the Forest qualification areas. Decided to run on the 1:10' version however to get a proper feel for the terrain. It's a bit more stoney under the moss than I expected and a bit tougher going in general, but no big shocks. Nice complicated terrain without being hideously difficult.

Jeremy and I ran through 12 controls, meeting up and discussing after every 2 or 3. Body still a bit tired, as I've had a very slight cold / fever, but it seems to be over already. Looks all good for Sprint Q race tomorrow.

TE 2.6, Epoc 52, 378 kcal.

Need a rest day, body feels tired and sore.

Ran a 1:4' sprint map on the shoreline to the E of Trondheim. Didn't push it hard at all, so succeded in getting an error-free run. Used it instead as a decent warm up jog for the 2nd session in the forest.

TE 1.8, Epoc 20, 148 kcal.

Ran a 1:10' control picking exercise. Nice area, map not too old, but slightly overmapped on the green. Once again, steady pace meant I hit most controls okay, only making mistakes later on. Some big climbs.

TE 2.6, Epoc 56, 551 kcal.

Went to Kalvskinnet sprint map, west side of Town (1:4'). I didn't run, but just walked around with map in hand. Terrain is only really relevant for Sprint F. Will go for a proper run later today.

Ran a shortened 1:15' training on a map on the NE side of the Grakollen region to the west of town, from the same parking lot as my first training run. Some long legs to test route choices, particularly though the long marsh strips. Only 3 hiccups, always in areas where the map was vague or outdated. Jeremy ran the 1:10' course that I did on that first session.

I saw 2 other orienteers, one of whom I ended up running into in the middle of nowhere.

TE 2.2, Epoc 38, 607 kcal.

Drove out to near the Middle and Long Q areas to run on an adjoining map at 1:15'. The area was wetter than the previous one (by Trondheim standards). Took it at a slow comfortable pace, but still tough going amongst the blue berries.

Wasn't too tough adjusting to 1:15'. The maps quite readable in this type of terrain. Cut off my planned route a bit short because needed to pick up Jeremy from the airport.

Jeremy and I headed off to an easy Sprint training to the south of town, one that had as little marsh as possible as J's bags didn't arrive. Nice terrain, but only partly relevant for Sprint Q. I took it fairly easy once again, just getting a hang of the terrain. 1 compass angle error and 1 overshoot.

TE 2.6, Epoc 54, 259 kcal.

Have arrived in Trondheim. Checked into the Youth Hostel and got hold of the training maps before heading up to Grakallen to run on the Solemsasen map on its footslopes (1:10'000).

Once again, really beautiful terrain. No major problems apart from 1 poor route choice. Quite a few small misses inside the circle. Visibility quite low on these occassions, so will need to focus on this issue over the next few days.

TE 3.1, Epoc 88, 640 kcal.