Training Log Archive: JoshuaDudley

lovely run around the coast. a bit wet but still super nice :D

lack of sleep and too busy so no benefit of training.

https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Stockholm2/11?class...

Some really quality orienteering training. Super tricky. Was the same area I had ran on in the DM some weeks ago. There were two trainings tonight, one out and one back. So my aim was to run the first easy pace and go throguh the process/strategy picking up the detail and nailing controls. Then to run the second leg a bit harder but moderate pace ensuring the technique was maintained.

It was verging on getting dark and there was a lot of detail on the map.
1- firstly a good bearing, made sure on the line, then head up looking to pass hill, then up a rentrnat, onto a small ridge. Keeping the line, I knew I would hit a slight open section, and the top hill, was looking for the little cliffs. Keeping high above the contour on the right. Should have perhaps been more careful into control after ridge but came on it perfect.
2 - aim was to stick the line using the hill edges as spotters to keep on track. Frist the hill i was on then pass a distinctive rentrant shape on right. then using the line, pass through some open and to drop down. coming into control, I should have slowed again and picked up smaller details to read into control but I drifted left after dropping and stopped spotted myself on the cluster of knolls and came to control.
3- good bearing and aiming to come off a large spur then following the long hill shape contouring round. when it dropped then looking for a knoll, in amongst the mess. It dropped, I stopped and had to really read the map, was 10m from control and spotted the corner shape in the terrain, boom. only way to emphasise, tricky
4 - an absolute stinker of a control., check out the map detail. first part was simple get to the path on the bearing. plan then I headed up the rentrant and tried to use the back cliff line into control. Came up this a treat had to stop to just read the map, then up rentrant and in left in between the cliffs. Where was control??? was convinved I was right, I came out and circled around some more to confirm my finding, came back. Realised it was in a tiny rentrant barely visible on the map , there it was hiding and grinning at me.
5 - I struggled to forma plan here as quite diffuse on every level. Aimed for the flat marsh area, but when I got there it all looked the same. Time to think I slowed adn in knew my bearing was good so I continued then realised if I get to the edge I can safety rail it rounf to the control, i dropped down a little low, spotted the cliff and came back up.
6 - simple on the line, down over the marsh up the hill, mistook the control being on top of the hill but it was futher on, so droped down other side along path then plan was to follow up the straem with the high ground on right, was looking for the distintive rentrant look but was hard to spot. I find these small marshes truicky to spot. climbed a little and realised i had gone too far, turned back and spotted the cliff. I had pretty much ran rhtough the control, but the tape was so small
7 - considered the round option but decided to hack trhought the cliffs on the line, good bearing and head up. after cliffs spotted the flat section then dropping, using final spur to round into control, worked well but super tricky to read on 10000.
finish - ou tto edge and along to hill top.

Summary:
consider testing nav with a magnifier to practice (felt hard to read sometimes, but maybe lighting also bad)
Small marshes are tricky, use something obvious nearby
Dont rely on vegetation its just for show - as Jon says, veg for route choice, contours for nav
Slow into control, and pick off things steadily into control

C • Veg 1

https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Stockholm/1?classId...

Second exercise wanted to push physically harder and bring all the mistakes from the first set together. Was feeling a little low on energy tho. Lighting by this point was getting poor.

1 - got the bearing and headed over marsh aiming for hill top passed the veg boundary. into control i had a poor plan, thinking that I would spot the contour change and edge round to control, i came a little right and hit the big marsh and came back left. I should have slowed and seen the nice gap left of line.
2 - set a good line, and aimed for the little hill. after aim was to hit the ridge and down onto control, but came left of crag into rentrant. Why? becuase I was rushing and not reading the map, plus it was fricken tricky to read. i stood in the rentrant trying to read it not 10m from control but it was tricky.
3 - look at leg, bearing down to flat, right side of cliff, keep the line and aim for right side down of big cliff. when there stop and look where is control! it worked! came across 2nd reentrant boom
4 - quick out on bearing looking for big cliff. hit and controured round. Made sure my out bearing was good!!! easy to slip up here. used the flaat and corner edge to keep me right, on line up over past little valley and land on control.
5 - motorway marsh right of line, made sure to take the right exit pointing right at 5. quick chech, i was sure. drop boom. heaven!
6 - line out along control, on bearing, over flat. then shite no plan. overshot and hit the crags just right. Stopped relocated and came back. Could have slowed and read the nice contour line, with rentrant left before control, this would have been sweet.
7- bearing, edge on right, looking for big rentrant, hit it and stayed high. boom.
8 - stop, check. stepping stones in a line, bearing and follow the edge. onto the second hill. boom. tape was so camoflage i didnt see it at first.
9 - another marsh motorway. along keeping the high ground right and sticking to the compass. Was pretty dark now. came a little right crossed patha dn up the hill. aim was to understand where i hit the top of the next hill and take a good bearing in. was very good on line, but came just left of control at left crag. stopped to check and quick fix.
10 - oh shit. no torch or much to go on. keep it simple. good bearing. crossing marsh and then up, at path want to keep bit of hill on right. easy eh! was a little hesitant but worked a treat. just left of control but knew i was close.

Summary
If technical! break it down simple. Dont screw it with chancing! everyone will find it tricky. (6)
If hard to read, slow and read the map properly
dont over look a leg, keep it simple.

Head was too knakered from work so decided to get some terrain practice instead of orienteering. Wanted to get the heart rate up so combined a steady fertlek night reflex with some pushing intensity sections, great fun see my gps route here: its a bit of a mess, got myself .a little lost. Apparently the markings had been damaged in a storm so some had dissapeared.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4096011...

Gorgeous morning in stockholm on the companies launch day so a big week ahead. Started out nice but it was bloody cold bit of frost. Sun was out and running along the waterfront was stunning past all the busy commuters. My cold has almost gone, just a fluffy nose to clear now. Felt strong and comfortable. The new shoe insoles were great until it felt like a stone was in my shoe, just turns out a blister on the side. It healed pretty quick.

Felt quite tired in the legs and was over the weekly training limit, so had an easy cycle and went to a museum :D