Training Log Archive: Becks

Line course at Sluie to warm up for the full day ahead. Went very well, only dropped off once and corrected very quickly. Physically feeling pretty awful - not ill awful but sluggish and an absolute lack of anything vaguely resembling spring.

Bah. Control Pick on Sluie with two sections of line course in the middle. I felt out of shape, which was irritating because it's a beautifully open forest so I could see where I wanted to go but not get there anywhere near fast enough! Then I was surrounded by M16s and Simong, and I kept waiting so they would get away but they kept screwing up by sprinting then standing scratching their heads for 2 minutes so I would catch them again. The entire concept of slowing down to train at a pace you can orienteer at was lost on them. I got very angry and made lots of mistakes, although totally nailed the first line section which I was pleased with. I then got angry, completely failed to focus for about 7 controls, and it was only when I really properly screwed up one on a hill top (where interestingly, I also screwed up the last time I was at Sluie) and lost everyone that my orienteering came back. By the end I was alone and back in the groove, but I can't say I enjoyed the session much. Obviously I need to work quite majorly on focus - though I think the main problem is being too slow that I have time to think about other stuff.

Contour only map on Dess. This was much better, as the worst M16 latched onto a compadre and was last seen walking at right angles to the line he should have been on. Orienteered much better, visualising well, a couple of small slips but nothing major. It's difficult to try and be absolutely precise when you're moving about as fast as a snail. A bit depressing really. Racing feels a very, very long way away.