Training Log Archive: JoshuaDudley

Euromeeting race, Estonia, middle distance.

Before race felt well rested, positive and confident in my technique, The physical was what it was. Legs felt good, a little sore with the right foot, but not enough to distract me. After good warmup, so some warmup controls were good, green foliage everywhere, was looking forward to a good race. A few plums before starting I was ready,.

1 set off which felt like a long run out up the side of the sandy quarry, catching one minute ladies who were plodding in the way. Took is easy, mentally gauged the length of the course but focussed on leg 1. Aim was to stay close to the line just picking up the green bush and side of hill. When hit the start kite, slight surprise it was a depression thinking it was. hill. Good bearing, hit the corner of the hill and down the spur, just pop up the other spur and left boom, first control good.
2 - slow, bearing, see spur and contour conrner, down the hill and rail along, looking for a small reentrant with pit, came off the spur and was a little right, 5m, then spotted it.
3 - adjust the direction, spotted the climb, aim to follow the edge of the hill then shoot up the spur, making sure to stay on the middle of it. Worked a treat.
4 - On the line just getting past all the green shit, then tried to read the leg, picked off the curvy line drop off the left and then down the spur, reached the pit at the bottom, stopped a few secs just to check and was confident was just through the gap. boom. Contour looked a bit odd like a spur, but its not
5 - spotted path, quick out to path, plan the entry. Then rough bearing and into the green. Aim to hit the north side of the first depression then sneak up to the top depression, came into the southern one and had to turn right, some seconds lost but know the situation
6 - straight out to the road then cut along the path, at the bend aim was to hit the depression follow edge of hill and drop nicely into the reentrant, drifted little right into the right depression, was a bit surprised when dropped into hole right of the control, then came left and though I had gone to far, started drifting down the hill south of control, knowing it felt wrong, spotted hill then decided to follow hill along, got the reentrant and out. Pretty annoyed, so as left control, deliberately slowed down, some deep breaths then continue.
7 - on the line, big depression ahead, started heading up the reentrant, and forced myself left onto the spur and followed it nicely up to control.
8 - breifly checked the leg. No clear way through, so stuck a bearing and aimed for the track. Came a little left, As neared the path spotted the little depression near the corner and out onto the corner, aim then down the reentrant and along the spur, spot on.
9 - tricky little control, stayed right of the green and took a good bearing, stayed strong through the green, head up and was spot on. Bit of a relief,
10 - straight up the hill out to path, spotted the big depression by the control, so tried to aim for that, it curved levely into the control, over the spur boom
11 - bearing, see the edge, contour round, perfect
12 - straight on the line, checked the compass, bit of swimming to get past the green bu spotted the big depressions ahead, got in the left one, was expecting a hill, so stayed high on the hill but realised and came down left right to control. a little time lost.
13 - on the bearing, some slow people in the way had to get round, there was a path all the way there. Aim was for the big reentrant and then left, came down in perfect.
14 - spotted the lovely marsh crossing, no alternative. Straight to path and across, got on line and aim into control was poor, just to come up the spur and hope a little that my line was good. It was.a little right and I spotted a control, in the reentrant just before, went over to it realised and continued up and over. Like 20s lost, but invested
15 - cheeky little path, after green stumble in, clocked first depression, then into control.
16 - nothing nice about this leg, so aim to just hack my way to the marsh and along the bank. Too eager got the bank and tried to cross on the line. Came a little right of the line and crossed over at the open marsh. It was shit and horrible. Lost some time on poor route choice here. Came to the hill know I was slight right at reentrant so then came up and left, hesitated at depression before but realised. Should have continued round marsh and up nearer control.
17 - use the hill point me in the line direction. Past the marsh and stay on the line. When climbing the hill read the detail and spotted that I was on the spur, so just a little right and I was in.
18 - got a little distracted leaving the control from others, but came right onto a lovely ridge then spotted the reentrant right used the nice hill up and over then down into the final depression, follow the edge along and boom. Super nice.
19 . Focus almost near the end. On the compass aiming for the veg boundary. It was not amazing but I got it. Past the big depression and now just past the hill and in, mind was two steps ahead, and mis read the hill thinking I had gone to far, hesitated stopped, realised and continued, 3 girls past me. Dammit. lost like 20-30s
20 - managed to get past one on the last control,
21 - past the other two on the runnin but they were so slow. Could only get through on the last line.

Overall After finishing I was quite satisfied with my race. No major mistakes and physically felt comfortable the whole way, but also didn’t ever feel like I could push max. Crossing the marsh was just shit tho. Some time lost, most on 6 and long leg 16 (about 3mins between these two), which is not good enough but there was also some great orienteering and it was super fun.

Reflecting how I compared to the other competitors, I was just over 10mins off the leader who was just over 33mins. Considering my mistakes, this seems quick. Most lines were done straight and the running pace is quick.

16/20

Aim was only working on the technique weaknesses, and getting used to the terrain today, So not allowed to push easy running. Running on the area used for GB and Swedish selection races 2017.

Reviewed point from day before:

First part of course was a bit shit due to recent felling but tried to just focus on the contours. Took a little bit just to get into the map, shapes were much bigger and smoother. Technique to try and pick out the big hills nice terrain lines, but some path options also possible (but generally not as good). Keep your head up as much as possible, even just to see which side of a tree to run. Picking up the lines and circles, and nice big curves, by stopping at the control and picking the nice line, don’t just rush off.

Aim for going from fast into green, have a clear off point but then when in the green slow and read the map to makes sure you know what your aiming for.

Careful sometimes when traversing hillls/ridges knowing when to cross them as can easily go too far, so make sure that the safety is there to come up early.

Remember looking for the feature not the control.

Summary:
- Careful with veg changes and speed
- Know safety when traversing
- Feature not control
- Stop see the nice line, if you have not planned it

Afternoon training, also easy pace not pushing. Was super wet. Got head in the zone and set off steady.

1 was my worst orienteering for the whole session. Set off on a bearing then took right of the green just finding a nice line through it. My bad point was after crossing the path nistook the marsh for the pond. Also my weakness was not keeping the compass right. Noticed that the hill was very vague and hit a veg boundary , stopped backtracked and worked out where I had come.
2,3,4 in some tricky very flat vague terrain in green forest. Best technique really keeping track of the bearing, double checking with two hands. Simple answer is picking clear targets as you go and trying to distinguish the contour shapes like reentrants, spurs, edges. Best to keep close to the line if possible unless confident of path option as coming back on line can be misleading and paths can be hard to find. Other thing is confidence!!!!
Went 4-9
If possible like number 10, stop take good bearing off path and aim for the big marsh edge and white hill top (clear feature) just stick the line, didn’t really pay attention the map as I went.
11 and 12 went well, kept it simple , bearings and simple shapes.

Summary
- Compass king
- Simple plan
- All the way to the end, keep the focus
- If not planned next control, stop invest look and go

First run in Estonia. Beautiful forest on a beautfil evening

Made it to Estonia! Feeling good, excited to see the terrain but a little tired from travelling.
Left foot was good. Right foot a little sore under the toe but good.

As arriving the forest looked great. Aims for the session were to get an introduction to the mapping and terrain. Picking up the different features and test different attack points. Just from looking at maps, it has similarities to moraine in Scotland, big contours and shapes, mix of visibility, few distinct points. Straight lines generally, curving around big pits/hills, but being confident on the direction usually key.

Perpendicular hills with no obvious catching point
2.5m contours
Shapes are diffuse, pits, knolls like squashed

1 - set off wanting to have a good first leg. Tricky control straight off the path into green. Simple answer was initially had no plan, vaguely looked at the contours but should have appreciated the paths more, taken the time and taken a good bearing. Got myself initially in a daze so came back and reran it. Came quite straight over the first spur, hit the path, ran along the path a bit unsure of my direction then refocussed left into the green reading the contour detail until dropped into the pit.
2- stop focus, bearing, see the big hill, use the north edge as a rail until control if start dropping too far. Worked well.
3 - set the bearing and go, over the marsh. Knew to aim for the hill, and nicely hit the ride terrain corner, so could take a nice bearing into the control. At the large renetrant headed up then just over the hill right in.
4 - bearing and go, crossing the path aming for the large reentrant edge past clearing
5 - good line, then go, over the hill spotted the big depression, to stay right and follow the spur down. Felt nice shapes.
6 - straight again, slight left, and keep the high hill edge at level to follow the spur down and then left. Was a little bit right but line was good.
7 - Saw the path option, in race would take this, but decided to test my longer leg line technique. Set my bearing down to marsh and up keeping a slight left to miss the green, then followed the ridge along, green was shit and got pushed a little left, just before the path hit the little hill by the white and continued round the contour then right up the hill. Near the top used the reentrant and spur until the flat and in. Worked well but was tricky.
8 - also tricky, took the time to clock the bearing well then aimed for the large hill before. Using the spur of the top side and shying left. Went to check the knoll out (it was tiny little bump).
9 - Nice path option right (path very vague) need to be careful. After the junction kept the eye out for the terrain edge and followed the nice line along to control, dropped to the flat and used hill edge to guide down to it.
10 - forced myself to stop, check the bearing and short leg, glad to see the edge that I could follow along to the green, corner down and in. Hesitated but was good.
11 - no distinct path, so took a good bearing and off, kit right of the green, using big hill on right as guide, dropping down to the triangle shape depression, but I drifted right a little bit on the wrong hill!! Instantly noticed the point of guessing, so stopped and corrected myself, came left riding up to the control .
12 - straight out to the marsh corner, speed up a little bit, on the line past the hill, big spur renentrant as safety to left worked a treat.
13 - out on rough bearing keeping right of the marsh, was a little too right of the depression over the path, headed up the hill safety was slightly left and use the hill north east side as rail, just don’t drop too low, bang into control.
14 - straight on the line, forest was clean, aimed for the big soft hill roughly keeping track of spurs, then straight over marsh, saw the reentrant up the far side but drifted a little left, hitting the depression just above the marsh, was fine, could then just contour into the control,
15 - this was tricky, but didn’t really notice until I was there, contoured up the right side of spur into reentrant, aimed for the square spur, followed along then into smooth reentrant and follow down into control, really checking the compass. Pretty sure I was spot on.
16 - straight on the line, kept checking it, contours not obvious to check so made sure at crossing the path checked the funny shaped depression, was happy on the line and stayed confident boom.
17 - stopped check the line, nice long spur to follow but super hard to see, spotted the depression after the path boom,
All the way to finish.


Summary:
Don’t use veg to navigate (only as a bonus)
Confidence
Careful leaving each control, take time. (Stop and look if had not planned before)
Have clear safety into control
Keep checking line (compass) with two hands
Green lines not always mean anything significant

Drills on the track with and without hurdels. Legs felt good. Some easy jumps over 1m hurdles

O Intervals

https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/DM-stafett-Stockhol...

O intervals on open course. Before race felt excited and looking forward to some high intensity orienteering. Main aim was to push physically in the forest and practice the strategy during this process. I was aware of my weakness into controls however because the session was to focus on speed in the forest iwasnt overly concerned. It gives some feed for thought in my technique trainings.

1 - Off i go. big hill spotted the path over the left, so kept a left drift not too wrried about my location. hit the path, and worked out a route into control, decided coming off at the hill high point and come down the spur, then noticed the cliff but was too late. Didnt really have a safety, spotted the hill control, shit not mine, was very close so edged over to the sput and along then was just below,
2 - set out straight on the bearing, then spotted the path option, out to path and pushed hard, Nice ridge run, counting the reentrants one, two then looking for the hill at the top of the spur.
-- Rest until hr 110 --
3 - Headed off on the bearing, and quicley spotted the cliff obstacle, decided to take the nice line left and up past the marsh not to get in a mess with the paths on the right option, Dropped down the cliffs and set a good bearing aiming for the cliff before the matsh. nice line along the marsh hit the path, then aimed to keep the line hopping the spur and up the hill to control. climbing up to control, plan was poor, misread a reentrant for a spur and didnt use the high hill top, but found after wasted time.
4 - Quick map check, compass away, line seemed obvious out over marsh aiming for gully. was a little left but could see the guilly so came round. Along path until green forest left and then aim straight over the hill top to control. dropped into the gully before control and followed spur along no control. I had drifted right from path junction and missed my line. came back left up the right hill into control.
-- Rest until hr 110 --
5
6
7
8
Better bearings control on final approach.