Training Log Archive: TGIF

BBA 30:00 [1] 3.5 km (8:34 / km)
slept:10.0 shoes: Hoka Challenger

Running warm up/down 50:00 [1] 8.5 km (5:53 / km)
shoes: VJ Irock 2016

Orienteering (Nordic) race 34:45 [5] ** 8.17 km (4:15 / km)
28c shoes: VJ Irock 2016

First stage of POM 2016.

Nothing too extraordinary for this first middle distance, but still enjoyable. The terrain was pretty open with the biggest rocky features and single trees well visible from distance. It was mainly about keeping a high speed and avoiding the greens who could stuck you for a while.

Pleased with my technical performance, except for the 14th where I ended in a cliff which was probably too small to be on the map. Looking forward to test out another new terrain tomorrow.


Results


The boss always set the standard, and I am pleased to not have to meet the legend in M35…


If Kiril realized before the end of the POM that he is reading the back side of the map, he will be dangerous.


Aaro leaving the last pre-O control of the course (the right answer was C there).

Running warm up/down 25:00 [1] 4.5 km (5:33 / km)
slept:8.0 shoes: VJ Irock 2016

Orienteering (Continental) 34:59 [2] *** 6.8 km (5:09 / km)
25c shoes: VJ Irock 2016

The “warm-up race” of Portugal O´meeting 2016. Nice open terrain, as always everything was a lot easier when you were pro-active and looked as far as possible to spot on the biggest features. Probably a bit different terrain tomorrow though (flatter).

Nice barbecue afterward – the organizers seems to have set a new standard of POM…


Speed-up in the section 10-12 and 19-23 to try to get a competition feeling in this type of terrain. Need to not underestimate the tasks as it always seems quite simple.

BBA 20:00 [3] 3.0 km (6:40 / km)
slept:9.5 shoes: Hoka Challenger

Orienteering (Continental) 50:00 [1] *** 7.6 km (6:35 / km)
24c shoes: VJ Bold 2016

My favourite map in Portugal, Penhas Douradas. A lovely plateau above 1500 meters, in the vicinity of the highest peak of Mainland Portugal, Torre.

Awesome scenery and great map as well. Most of the times I have been there, it was either super cold or snowy (well, most of time, it was both; ). Today was a lot more enjoyable day up there, and I kept a giant smile the whole training.



The road between Penhas Douradas and Torre, via Manteigas is a must-see (or must-drive) as well.


A lot like Peguerinos, in Spain, but even more open.






Tons of awesome terrains up there…

Orienteering (Continental) 41:41 [1] ** 5.8 km (7:11 / km)
22c shoes: VJ Irock 2016

One of the three model events of Portugal O´meeting 2016. Testing the greens mainly, even if the competitions terrains seems a bit different, Well, green is green, like in most of Portuguese maps…

BBA 30:00 [1] 4.0 km (7:30 / km)
slept:9.0 shoes: Hoka Challenger

Orienteering (Continental) 1:07:09 [1] ** 8.94 km (7:31 / km)
shoes: VJ Bold 2016

A short course in Vila Nova de Tazem. Also a lot more green than it was couple of years ago, or could be that I had got a good feeling because 80+ runners had run before me...

Orienteering (Continental) 1:09:23 [1] *** 8.95 km (7:45 / km)
79c shoes: VJ Bold 2016

Control-picking in Arcozelo.

As you might have realized already I ran quite many control-picking. I said, in an earlier post here, why - mostly to work on my "in & out" control routine. I do believe that if you managed to split up all the parts of the process into very small sequences, it is a lot easier to have a higher sense of control.



But, in fact, a lot of middle distances nowadays are some kind of control-picking. I am not saying it is wrong or right*, but it is a matter of fact. The number of controls in the middle distances, here in Portugal, in the coming days are 28 (POM, stage 1), 30 (POM, stage 2), 22 (NAOM, stage 1), 23 (NAOM, stage 2). Better be prepared, as I don't think the number of controls will be reduced in a near future.

*I think you should always try to get the best of the terrain. Even if it means 10 or 30 controls for a middle distance. But a typical mistake is to believe that a high number of controls makes a technically demanding course.

Running warm up/down 44:00 [1] 8.5 km (5:11 / km)
slept:7.5 shoes: VJ Irock 2016

Orienteering (Continental) 36:38 [5] *** 6.8 km (5:23 / km)
29c shoes: VJ Irock 2016

Reran the awesome third stage of POM 2014 today, near Gouveia.

Really fun, especially the first part, even without controls and some small changes with the different vegetation. Ran it 1´52´´ slower than in 2014.




The first control, inbetween the two smallest stones in the middle of the picture.


The fourth control, still the same dense forest.


The eight control, thanks to a recent fire, the visibility and runnability have become a lot better in this area.

Night Orienteering 59:00 [1] *** 9.0 km (6:33 / km)
14c shoes: VJ Bold 2016

My headlamp was already discharged at the start, and I had to use my spare lamp for the whole course. It made the training a lot more interesting as my speed was low and anyway, for this type of open terrain, strong headlamp kills a big part of the fun.


Forgot to start the gps but realized it before the end.

Seems like the vegetation in this part of Europe is growing faster than anywhere else. The map is only 2 years old and some white forest has already turned into a green jungle...

BBA 40:00 [1]
slept:8.5 weight:75.1kg

Orienteering (Nordic) 1:02:46 [1] *** 10.02 km (6:16 / km)
28c shoes: VJ Sarva

A quick training in Lunsen, before traveling to Portugal tonight.

That was a course I prepared some month ago for OK Linné, right before Jukola. Never found the time to run it. I had changed the open rocky surfaces of the map with the typical grey bare rock symbol you find in Finnish map.



Liked it quite much, as in my opinion, it gives more information about the runnability that the classic “open land” symbol.



The course included a micro-sprint as well :



Still pretty icy in forest.

Running 45:00 [2] 9.0 km (5:00 / km)
shoes: Nike Pegasus 31

Running 1:20:00 [2] 12.5 km (6:24 / km)
slept:9.0 shoes: Hoka Challenger

Stationary bike 30:00 [1]