Training Log Archive: maprunner

Spent the whole day around the house, organizing stuff, laundry, etc. Can't remember the last time I spent 24 hours in the house.

Mike and I rode to dinner and back. Garmin was not charged, so time and intensity are estimates.

I felt stronger on the hills! Although the high KS (tail)winds helped me to get up Kasold tonight.

I planned to row tonight. Instead I had couple of glasses of wine and watched Big Band (edit: That should be Big Bang) Theory. I don't regret it.

C • Big Band Theory 3

Here's some things I learned (about my orienteering) this weekend:
1. I'm pretty sloppy. In terms of visualizing/describing to myself what I expect to see next, and setting/following a general compass bearing.
2. I cannot let go and just read the big features in complex terrain. Maybe some day I will have this skill, but I'm not even close right now.
3. I'm also sloppy in deciding where to leave a trail. "This bend looks right" doesn't cut it. I need to also check off other features, such as contours, to really confirm the location.
4. I can recover my concentration after totally blowing one control, so I shouldn't give up.
5. I should stop and reconsider when I find myself saying things like "this wasn't what I expected" or " "this is weird but I'll just keep going".
6. I do have some moments where I can orienteer, and I am absolutely confident of where I am and where I want to go. Just need to string together more of those moments.

I haven't yet watched the video from my disastrous outing on Sunday. Maybe I'll learn more, if I can ever bring myself to watch it :)

C • Regarding #5 3

Lisa and I went to the day 2 map (Cat's Agenda) while Linear Ice drove home. We drew a yellowish course, and talternated with memory O legs. For instance, I would memorize the route to one leg, then lead while Lisa followed with the map. This was hard and I certainly struggled at times. But very educational. I obviously need to concentrate more when I decide to just "head in that direction" on my compass. Plus I need to be sure what direction that is! To be fair, I was also quite tired from the long weekend, probably dehydrated and the warm sun made it hot and sticky in the woods. Not the best conditions for maximum O concentration.

Overall, it was a great weekend. Learned a lot, had fun orienteering with others, as well as trading stories, telling jokes and just relaxing. Thanks, disorienteer and Linear Ice!

Maps from Sunday's training have been added to my log entries.

The plan was to re-run day 1 from the 2009 US Champs. On that day, I was thrilled to see a 1k leg to the first control, but I totally screwed it up. I wanted to come back and execute this leg perfectly this time. Plan was to simplify features: run the trail to start, then hit the two really big kettles, then climb the ridge and attack the control.

I was not in the right frame of mind at the start. I was not prepared to treat this as a race, nor was I prepared to treat it as a training exercise. Plus I was wearing the head cam, and trying to narrate my navigation. I was thinking too much about that, and went horribly wrong right at the start. I didn't know it at the time, of course. Obviously could not follow a compass bearing (probably since I'm female). Kept thinking I had relocated properly on the way to 1. Only when I was heading north, in the out-of-bounds field, for way too long, did I finally figure out where I was.

I was so discouraged at that point, that I thought of just heading back to the car. But I decided to do 8-9-10-11-12. At this point, I was taking it slow and reading off each feature, which seemed to work best for me. Totally depressed and mad at myself at the finish.
route

After lunch, I decided I could not leave without conquering #1. So I went out again, but left the head cam behind. I took a slightly different route, and checked off features as I went. And this time I made it cleanly ! Finally! Guess three is my lucky number (thank goodness I didn't need 23 to be my lucky number on this control). Then I continued through 6, again, checking off features as I went. Sometimes I took a deliberately safe route (on the ridge, for example). Worked pretty well. Until I got to 6, when I was tired. Stopped there and headed back to the car to meet disorienteer and Linear Ice.

Had some drinks at dinner to celebrate my lion-like prowess over control 1 :)

Maps and splits will have to wait until I'm sober again. Thanks, Lisa, for being the designated driver.
route

C • Hey now! 2