Training Log Archive: kido

EOC Forest Relay - Leg 3

Vanessa had quite a good run around the first part of Leg 1, I think she maybe lost a little time at the end. Jas also held on well to the pack at the start, but by the time she came in we were in second last and a couple of minutes behind the person in front.

So I had a lonely run. I was back to feeling rubbish, no energy and very little motivation. Lost time on 2, just came up the spur too early, then tried to correct but missed the top of the watercourse and had to relocate off the one behind it. Lost more time on 5 investigating the wrong root mound, and at 8 I got distracted by a Bulgarian who was actually a loop ahead of me.

The rest of the course was OK, a few messy bits and a definite lack of precision. My mistakes were all made even more stupid by the fact that the forest was wonderfully runnable and extremely good visibility, but I suspect fatigue had more than a small hand to play. Bit gutted, was really looking forward to the relay.

Little jog around the model area for the long. Lovely place! Really open and runnable, quite pretty. Some good views from the higher controls (I wussed out of the top one). Lots of contours.

Plus drills, strides.

Sprint Relay - Leg 1.

Lots of fun as expected! Quite technical for a sprint relay, but not heaps of gaffling - the first 2 controls were gaffled, and there was one in the town, but that was all. HEAPS of climb, and all in one go really, just up to the top of the hill in 2 legs and then straight back down again.

Went well at the beginning, but followed the wrong gaffling group in the town at 9 and lost 15-20s. Luckily I realised quite early that I was in danger of running too far, so it could have been a lot worse. I lost the main pack and then ended up with a Lithuanian girl.

We both got tripped up by the false fence on the long leg back towards the arena, lost maybe another 30s because I had to backtrack up to the steps. Really annoying! A Bulgarian girl caught up to the Lithuanian and I, and we went around the rest together.

A little annoyed at my mistakes, especially with such a good start, but one positive was that at least I felt a bit better. HR still very high. Poor Jas had to run our second men's leg, and Ness was pretty much alone on the 4th!

Easy trot around the public race at the Middle Final. Our race went into the shittest part, just lots of unnecessary climb on not very hard legs. Considered pulling out but glad I didn't, the last half was in the same area as the Final and it was quite cool.

Warm up (on a warm up map).

EOC Middle Distance Qualification, Carona. Heat C.

Big mistake on 1, lost 3 minutes. Went way too low and missed it completely. Small mistake, (30s) on 2, went too high and hesitated. Another fairly big mistake on 4 (90s - 2min), tough one diagonally on a slope without much to use as an attack feature. Rest of the course was OK, maybe lost 30s on 6 (came from below and had to climb) and 8 (checked another control I didn't need to).

Again, physically awful. HR so high even though a lot of the course was downhill and I spent a lot of time moving slowly making mistakes.

Honestly just didn't feel up to a warm down.

Middle / Relay Model Map, jog / walk. Nice area, really runnable, a really pretty area of contours on top of the hill. Even the green was pretty visible.

EOC Sprint Qualification race in Bellinzona.

Navigationally, this wasn't too bad. Went the long way to 3, and quite a long route to 14. Had probably 3 or 4 controls where I went maybe 10 or 15 steps past my turn and had to go back (maybe a bit further on 14).

Physically, this was so awful. I felt like absolute death. My back and neck are really stiff and sore, and my legs are completely empty of energy. I felt like I was really struggling to move.