Training Log Archive: Hammer

With AdventureGirl! and Etoile in the AM.

With AdventureGirl! before watching the relays.

Great run by MrPither today.

With AdventureGirl! before the floating disco!

Not how I expected to be spending today a few months ago - had planned to be out racing around Gjern Bakker. Would have been fun to have raced with Etoile and AdventureGirl watching but it was also enjoyable watching the race together with them and the Canadian team. Especially given Holger's great win.

Back to the core strength and DWR training routine... yawn.

A few laps with Adventure Girl! at DanParc.

WOC Sprint. Not a great way to finish my international orienteering (result wise) but it sure was fun. A 66% spike success race at WOC ain't gonna cut it. The knee only bothered me for a short bit on some stairs early in the course so that (I think) didn't hold me back. But I certainly felt once again that I wasn't at the top speed I had back in May at the WC in Estonia where I missed the final by 30 seconds in a much tougher qualifying system.

I have been looking forward to this race since WOC in 2004 when I had to sit out the sprint due to an ankle injury. I really enjoy sprint as I feel I can make quick decisions and orienteer fast and smoothly .... in the forest. BUT today was not the expected forest sprint I had been preparing for. My goal today was to take chances by hammering on the compass straight through the woods because that approach worked really well in the Stockholm City Cup where I ran quite well. But right off the start to #1 I got "trapped" by an uncrossable fence. I swear I saw an opening when running to it but there wasn't. Then to #4 I got trapped again by an out-of-bounds area. Off to #5 I thought we were going to go through the woods and cut into the woods only to look ahead and notice another uncrossable fence - bailed back to the road and that would be the end of the forest orienteering as we entered an amusement park which was mega detailed with many controls very close together (they broke the IOF rules there) and lots of cross over. I never got into the map in the amusement park having trouble distinguishing buildings from shelters (like bumper cars, etc.). Twice I ran towards the wrong control because of the complexity of the cross overs. It will be interesting to see how much time I lost in there. Then I got trapped again leaving the amusement park and promptly swore out loudly followed by a bit of a laugh. The course planner got me again I thought Then a long trail run into the detailed gardens at the end of the race where I made another 45 seconds of mistakes. it will be interesting to look at the splits.

My approach to orienteering is to go straight. I am not a fast runner but I feel I am (at least normally) a strong runner. I noticed in a couple of the sprint races in Sweden this year that I have trouble looking to the side for other routes and for traps. Well that happened over and over again today (especially when my pre-race strategy failed).

So again not the results I was expecting a few months ago. I know I was capable of something much better but 9 weeks now of suboptimal training and a sore knee is impossible to compete at this level with. BUT I am happy I gave it a shot as even just 2.5 weeks ago I was considering skipping WOC completely as I am sick of training and racing with pain. I feel especially bad for Sandy HJ that has been also nursing an injury as she failed to qualify in her heats as well. I know she was also capable of something much much better. But that is part of the sport and I only have myself to blame for not getting my knee looked at back in the winter when it hurt just a bit.

Like the new NHL, the new WOC favours the fast and young and I'm slow and well according to Boris 'really old'. I think that if I am healthy I can still compete with these young guys but I am happy that I have picked up some ideas about how to coach and prepare North Americans better for international sprint orienteering. How? I'll post those ideas on my blog in a few days.

Now to sit back and enjoy the rest of WOC and our time in Europe with Adventure Girl! and Etoile and to take a few months off and get healthy again and then go into coaching like the Wayner.

Good luck to the AP'ers in the sprint.

C • Coach... 5

In preparation for the WOC Sprint races I'll relax today by working on touching up two research papers and relaxing later in the day as I've been up a little later than planned the last two nights now - editing those same papers. Not the amount of sleep I like to get before a big race but it has been nice to 'get away' from the pre-race stress. The sprints could be my final races for quite a few months as I'm sick of having to run with pain and as RT says I'm only making it worse by trying to race and train on it. I'll need either a big rest period or surgery and I'll find out what is the best option in 10 days when back in the Hammer.

Sprint training south on Mindeparken with falcon and Sandy HJ in the AM. Knee was very sore (worse than SOW) so lots of ice today. Nav went well but was tired.

PM: Jogged, walked and raced portions of the Swiss Sprint Test at Skade Bakker with Falcon and MrPither. Knee 'locked up' again tonight. This hasn't happened since this badly since I was in DK in June. Will rest tomorrow and hope for the best Tuesday AM.

WOC Middle Qual: Well this wasn't what I expected back in March/April when my fitness and speed was at an all time high - but certainly better than I thought was possible 4 weeks ago at the UK test races when I couldn't run in the woods at all. But I am still searching for that perfect race at WOC. Oh well.....so what happened? I started out well but even with zero mistakes, no hesitation and good routes on the first few controls I knew I wasn't running anywhere near the speed that I was doing in early May. I think I stressed a little about that and then I had to ditch the glasses (fogged up due to humidity) and twisted the knee going into 7. BUT I expected the knee to be a problem so put that behind me but then still lost focus and proceeded to mess up #8 and #9. #9 was probably my worst leg ever at a WOC. Really dumb mistake. Even though I knew the final was out of reach after that I was pleased I was able to push to the end and recover from the stupid mistakes. It was also great that several legs I had today were legs I had visualized before using the old map in my armchair orienteering. Like Tero says - it feels like you were there before. Time to refocus for the sprint which will be flat and easier on the knee. I still believe a trip to the final is possible but the relay may be just too tough for me - dunno.

Event: WOC 2006
 

WOC Middle Model in the pouring rain. Nice comfortable run but with knee pain once again on the hills. Looking forward to the qual. tomorrow and the team is fit and ready to go. I'm predicting a record number of Canadians make the "A" finals this year. Go Canada Go.

C • Who's racing in which races ag... 2

Short O course at closer to race speed with Pamtastic, the Shadow and J-Bird! So nice to go to a WOC and feel 'at home' and comfortable with the terrain and not have to fight jet lag. theShadow drove the 'cool car' which gave me a break on the knee.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark forests. I mean there is a really big stink in some of the woods here.

C • Shadow's car 5

Warm-up and cool down strides shadowing theShadow.