Training Log Archive: JoshuaDudley

Legs felt slow to get going but after the first couple km they were starting to realize it’s race day woop woop.

Was feeling good. But quite nervous and bit odd in the tummy. Today had been very relaxed some reading sleeping bussing and eating. After some easy joggin drills felt great legs responding quickley. Getting my head in the orienteering zone was also big part of my warmup. Thinking through the strategy.

Rain was horrible and drizzly. Had a different torch to normal, felt fine but battery cable a little short, probably no effect

https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Smalandskavlen/Herr...

On first leg (night) for 2nd team.
1 - Set out and the pace was fast. Had a quick glance, long path section for first half of leg. Tried planning into the control but also just to not loose the pack. Knew it was on the big hill, and wanted to try and avoid the green but aimed to just come off the corner. came a little bit more right than i wanted but to avoid the yellow felled area. climbed the hill spotted a control on the marsh, came up again and was a little distracted by others on a different line. I stopped checkd and flet the control was up left, but everyone was running straight. So a went for my control boom. bit hesitant
2 - got the line on compass and was already alone, the lights seemed off my line, aiming for the path, hit the junction spot on. then a small group infront headed out straight again instinct told me right but the group pulled me left a bit, i stopped checked in the marsh and decided was right. Then Josh Beech appeared shouting my code 122, back that way. At the time I didnt actually realise who he was, I just shouted back a blurry tack.
3 - head getting back in the game. Dont get distracted by others!! Set a good line, over hill in the middle then over the marsh looking for the crag. Spot on. A small group was way left.
4 - Line to open. Could see the leading pack just mid way through the open so my first two controls had let me down. I put it behind and focussed on my race. Dont go try chasing! Over took a couple folk who slowed on the felled trees and intro the forest. Was confident on the line, so over hill, marsh then along a small ridge, then the green appeared I cut through it, and stayed strong and hit spot on.
5 - spot the hill line and go, traversing the hill. also with compass at hand. As i crossed the path and climbed a slight amount, i missread the extra contour and stayed on the plateau and was just right, looking on the wrong corner. after 30s of faff, I realised and turned back aiming for the hill top, bloody annoying now as a bunch of folk appeared.
6 - not thinking much about the leg just set a bearing and aimed for the path. Then when crossing checked the hills, and aim to just follow along the tops, was a bit green and shitty but got spot on.
7 - turned and away again, set a really good bearing and checked leg for big open cliffs, climbed and then zoomed in for hill top, hit the far side of hill and follow the line marsh down. lovely. it felt so much better not having anyone in front of me when I could just do the orienteering my self.
8 - out along the marsh and follow along again until the small hill, took left side then straight on line across to control. spotted from mile away.
9 - decided to go straight, so far marshes had been good and felt confident on my lines. hit the south big ass boulder, and came round, was like clockword, crept up and just as spur turned set my bearing to the hill came out a slight left but spotted it ok.
10 - had vaguely planned a path route on right but headed straight to big path left to allow easier planning and moving. sorted my plan, nice line into control, then off at the path bend following the contour edge all the way to the path. ON the path I was pushing but not over exerting myself. at the top of the hill on the line headed straight to control, over small hill, at the corner readjsuted and then came right to it. had myself a little gap now from the group behind.
11 - slowed, set a bearing and then continued. aim was simple through the hills and slight right to hit the hill past marsh and bear left. bearing was initially poor, came right futher than expected, over hill then bananed left as i realised what had happened
12 - a little flustured, tried to calm myself then study the map, slightly more interesting leg, bit of options, hit the first marsh then left, and then decided my route to be straight, didnt fancy the long marsh out and my strengths lie off the path usually. along the path spotted a nice tree line to follow, but the entry was quite straight forward with a hill to push me right and path to catch me. at the opening, set the compass and went, passing some uncertain orienteers and lead into the green, i payed quite close attention to my map detail, bearing and the forest to ensure no surpirses. popped out on the path just at the veg boundary, it felt great. then straight into control, careful to come just right, spot on.
13 - stop check, out to path and along. bearing just plane sailing across the marsh, quite simple but to keep the line, I was 5m right, hill appeared boom.
14 - set the compass and quickley spot the big hill, not much to think about, forest was scrappy so just tried to keep a line. nearing the climb started working out my plan inot control, misjudged my position as I climbed over the top being more right than i thought, popped down the hill expecting to nail the control, shit no control. Took me 30s to realise what had happened then i came left and to the control, sloppy really sloppy. I lost a nice little lead from the train, looking back hard to pin point what went wrong here, i suppose poor planning and therefore led to misjudgement,
15 - pulled away a little flustered again trying to calm down, on the line, picking the small features, onto the hill and boom
16 - nice plan, past the big crag, cross the green then up the spur, plan worked well but felt harder to execute, forest aws quite thick and really trusted myself nearing the control,
17 - no simple solution, out to road, then cut with a nice bearing, had a safety margin to hit the hills right of the line, which worked a treat. down the second hill drifted a little right into the crag, which saved me to then come left right at the control.
18 - simple control, open, contour valley control. worked well.
19 - almost thought about going straight, then saw the big ass path, aimed for the start of it, started curving a bit too left before the oath and almost lost myself when i reached the veg boundary then realised. i need to stop doing that! lost some time. Out to path and cut off on the small up just before the bend, came above the crag and down towards the control, staying high above the marsh.
20 - simple to finish, path right, line into control.
21 - bearing hit path and run.

Overall mixed feelings about this race. I felt strong and competent in the dark, and was able to get away and push from the train. Although still some small things playing bugs in the system that need ironing out, and easy to see where time was lost. What I am noticing is the size of mistakes is reducing significantly which is positive, but now I need to really focus on getting rid of them. Physically felt decent, pushed when I could, but didnt over do it which feels strange when I think about it, maybe a sign of getting fitter?

For next time:
two handed bearings more reliable than one hand
dont get distracted by others duh!
poor planning needs to stop, more systematic!!!
non intentional drifting!! not good, need more purpose when change direction
treat each control like with the same mindset to not make mistakes and follow the strategy

C • report 2

Busy at work little sleep and could do with a rest. Some stretching and rolling was all for today and rest the brain a bit. Trying to get better at managing my influence of technology (phones and computers) towards the end of eg day as it can have quite negative impact on sleep and your eyes. Going old skool trying to get more books in front of me instead, and help improve my map reading

Some threshold pace with Oskar: quite. Warm manky evening but was good fun. Only ran first 3 to get the speed up. Felt harder than I wanted, and last hill was cheeky one. Felt good tho

Reading some Gotland maps trying to plan mentally each leg and timing it when I passed under a lamp every 50m. Quite good practice to:
- helps force you to have a purpose when you look at the map as easy to glances and not taking anything from it, each time you look should be of value to either confirm a thought or make a decision.
- 15000 was bloody hard to read tho

Fast mile on the track was feeling pretty good and steady. Didn’t push full out. Good form and no injuries. Breathing felt a bit lacking

https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Paradiset-Longpass/...

A gorgeous longpass, but wet. Some notes to come.