Training Log Archive: lost jokes

Short warm-up, still cold!

6th HOC'93 competition race - Havelte Oost, distance 6,2km.

Map+route
Splits

Lots of controls on this middle distance, but I was handling it quite well mostly. Feeling good physically beforehand.

1) Easy route, no problems. Pretty aggressive in the last part, happy with that.
2) Followed the open track, but wasn't reading the map that well so a bit hesitating in the last part. If I'd paid a bit more attention I would've seen the control was on a very easy point. +5".
3) On my way to 3 I suddenly got stopped, looked down and saw a big branch through my shoelace. No idea how I managed to do that! Took me some time to get it out. +20". Also a little bit of hesitation in the final part of the leg. Spotted the depression in the north western part of the circle and then it was fine. +5".
4) A bit too aggressive, so had to remind myself to find my exact location around halfway through the leg. Spotted that quickly, no problems anymore then.
5) Safe choice around.
6) Wasn't reading the map properly and hoping to get lucky. If I had checked the map well I would've seen that just left of the line was an easy route. Now I took the harder route and I missed. +20".
7) Didn't want to go all round on the trail south of the line, so cut it. Drifted off a bit anyway, so it didn't give me much advantage. Should've stayed more north, on the line, just south of the green part. +10".
8) Fine, although slow in the last part.
9) Didn't prepare this route choice well. Should've gone east in the beginning and then do the same as the 2nd half of my choice now, or gone more straight through the rough open. +15".
10) Good. No compass bearing from 9, because I spotted the contours.
11) Not disciplined enough reading the contours in the last part of the leg. I wanted to 'save' time but should've slowed more. Not punished that bad though. 5".
12) Safe route choice around. During the race I thought straight was faster but didn't dare. Now I think the difference is minimal. Small hesitation in the end, again not reading the detail disciplined enough. 7".
13) Good.
14) Good, deliberately tried to go as straight as possible. Small gullies west of 14 helped a lot.
15) Down to the trail on purpose. Got lucky because I didn't read the detail disciplined enough, but spotted the control. More tough terrain than the map suggests.
16) Caught up Edo here, and got a bit distracted. Thought the trail just north of the open area was running up the hill, first mistake there. Then was too rushed and didn't read the detail properly. 15" + 10".
17) Again too rushed, running fast but not orienteering fast. Perfectly on the line in the beginning, but that wasn't my plan: I wanted to attack the control from the white area/contour ridge just north of the line. Thought I was there already but apparently I wasn't. Eventually spotted the trail north of 17 and relocated from there. Edo ran past me again. +40".
18) Not the straightest route, but followed the plan.
19) Parallel error here... Crossed the last trail before 19 and judging on the bend in the trail I thought I was exactly on the line. Turns out I wasn't. Searching the control with 4 people. Should've checked my compass better when exiting the patch of sand, then I wouldn't have made this mistake. I think getting back into racing will also improve my distance judgement again, I would've noticed the distance between the patch of sand and the trail was too big. +1'30".
20) Ran away from Edo here, we punched at the same time after he also messed up 19. Last part was very vague, I slowed down and he managed to catch up again. Still made a small mistake, I saw the depression but couldn't make out the control location. +15". Punched together with Edo again.
21) Perfect. Executed it like planned, running fast and secure the whole way.
22) Easy leg.
23) Easy, went around on purpose to check the last legs.
24) Wanted to aim off a bit, but was running exactly on the line... Should've known when I crossed the wet ditch just south east of the circle. A bit confused when hitting the trail, and made a parallel error again, misreading the ridge. Came out at 25 and had to backtrace. +1'50".
25) No problem of course, though a bit sloppy.
26) Wanted to go all the way around through the rough open, but spotted an open patch before that and decided to go for it. Wasn't faster I think, especially because i wasn't reading the map properly in the last part and lost some time there. +10" and +5".
27) Maybe a bit tired from the focused map reading, so just ran in the general direction. Not good, could've been straighter and faster. +12".

Total 6'34" in mistakes. A bit too much, but I'll accept it for now ;)

So, the first part was fantastic, but then I started making huge mistakes. Managed to get focused again but messed up the last few controls again. I think the northern area suited me more, fast orienteering with small risks. Didn't properly slow down in the southern area, causing big mistakes. I guess more discipline reading the detail is needed, and more precise compass work preventing mistakes like 24. Had lots of fun anyway, the forest smelled fantastic and the running was awesome :)

Easy cooling down in the sun with the map, nice :)

Out for a nice hitchhiking trip with Natalia :) The whole day was pretty nice, changing between hiking and hitching all the time. Had a great time :)

From Steenwijk to Wapserveen.

Through Frederiksoord.

Around the Boschberg and through Appelscha.

Around the Fochteloërveen. Very quiet and pretty :) Lovely spring weather, 9 degrees.

From Appelscha to the junction towards Wateren.

Wateren - Doldersummerveld.

Oostermeenthe to home.

Hamstrings very tight. Good to feel how tired muscles should feel after orienteering :)

Took the bus to Diever for some training/scouting on Dieverzand. The map's pretty much completed, so time to plan the courses. Short warm up, ditched my bag with spare clothes in the bushes around half way. Heartrate meter not working properly in the beginning.

Distance 5,9km. Awesome run, fantastic and interesting terrain with lots of variety. It won't be hard to plan a good course here ;) In a race I think my time would've been around 10min faster (I stopped to check the correctness of the map now and then, or made deliberate detours), but wasn't running full out. Good winner time will be under 6'00"/km, but not much I think.

Navigation was a bit rusty and undisciplined sometimes (not having a precise enough compass bearing, generally being lazy so had to stop unnecessary), and a messed up a few times too.

Have a feeling my hip is coping better during orienteering, maybe because of the soft underground? It was feeling so good today that I was wondering if I had been making up these problems I had previously...

And back to the busstop. Hip and ankle feeling good, even though hip felt a bit tired it wasn't sensitive, painful or stiff. Very happy with that.

I want to improve my running form a bit, so time to integrate some drills into my training. Ran to Havelte West and practiced some drills on a quiet field where no one would be able to see me. Pretty ok for a first time, but need to be disciplined with this.
Also going to watch my foot placement better, because I tend to run very 'narrow', placing both foot almost directly in front of each other. Really watched that during this training. Running in the sun was lovely. Hip doing just fine, wonder how it will hold up tomorrow. Left hamstring a bit tight from cycling.

Some standard drills. Wanted to finish off with some accelerations but forgot. Maybe better to leave those out for now anyway.

2x12 + 2x12.

Finally back on the bike, pretty 'warm' today with 8 degrees. Nice route through the quiet roads of the Eese. Feeling quite strong.

Bike a bit annoying, chain was jumping to a different gear at the back now and then. Got home and checked to see there was a huge lump of grease stuck to one of the small wheels at the back. Should be fine now.

First morning run in ages. Lovely sunny morning, bit cold though with 1°C. Hip a little stiff near the end, but feeling better at home after the shower.

Kept the pace really low deliberately.