Training Log Archive: ba-ba

So I've had a chance to look back at the weekend. 90% of the time I was orienteering well, just 3 stupid mistakes which, once the wheels were in motion and panic set in, I couldn't get my act back together. Maybe the fact that I was on 1:15000 had some bearing on it - on Monday I was much more confident at 1:10000 and able to run closer to Fell Race speed as the map was easier to read. I was also less hesitant on 1:10 - but hesitancy is something I expect and that willl take time to improve.
I'm running well at the moment and, despite a heavy workload will hopefully have a good fell season with some good summer evening O prac and weekend races. The more on 1:10000 the better ;)

4th Team ShUOC Naked Surprise: Dan, Me, JT.
Was on my own for pretty much the whole course until the end where I came across some people on the M120+
This was much more like it - I think middles distances are more my think Orienteering-wise. Was running well and flowing much better than the previous 3 days.
#5 - a biut hesitant, 10s
#6 - Too far left, ending up in the scraggy valley to the north of the control - should have noticed from the veg but didn't until I hit the open and track - caught it quickly though, minimising time loss to 1-1.5mins.
12 - There was 4/5 of us on the same leg and we all drifted north - 20s.

To the start with dan. In very wet shoes.

Intended to run at a descent pace but endeavor to maintain map contact throughout as, especially on the 1:15000map, I knew it's be difficult to relocate. Found it very tough in and around the circle - a fact not helped by the circles being offset from the feature and a disinclination to use the control descriptions. Lost time throughout the race due to getting caught up in thorny shit and going over dunes when I didn't need to.
#6 - lost about 1min rooting around to the west of the depression
#8 - lost 40s, nothing really seemed to fit.
#14 - 2mins lost. Should have stayed high. However, with the sun and openness I decided to head down to get some water (water stops on course 5 were at ridiculous positions - 2 in the first 12mins then nothing). Although this gave me a good ap, I had to climb again. Then when in the circle it took me a minute to find the control. I was in 2nd before this.
#17 - 7/8mins lost. Spiked 16 (fastest split), left it in the right direction, but then made the most perverse of parallel errors thinking I was in the eastern most flat bit when actually I was in the middle of 3. Ended up coming back in along my route to 15. Then once I got on top of the dune I don't know what happened apart from the fact that I was all over the shop. Eventually relocated from a distinct bush in the distance.
After this I sort of last heart.
#19 - lost 1min, looking north of the path, control south of path,. Could see it but it didn't click.
#20 - 1min lost - rooting around in the circle, made no sense
#24 - 30s lost playing in the wrong re entrant.

JT did 94 with a less than clean run, so everyone seemed to have some problems. Once again a good first 50, but after the #17 debacle I just lost heart. Still managed to post some half descent splits. Without errors I should have been within 4mins of JT. 13th again, 11th over the 2 days.

To the start through the mud, mud and mud with Dannanan

With the shocking weather and running well recently (The Trunce was actually good preparation for today!) I was hoping the Nav would hold up for a good result... and apart from 2 big errors and ~3 smaller ones I was on for one.
Consistent through the first few, and was in the lead at #7(by 1sec). So I celebrated by loosing contact to 8, ending up far too west and loosing 1.30/2mins - just left the control to miss the green north/stream east of it and never corrected myself.
Lost ~45 on 12, first because there was a load of DG when the map said it was white and I couldn't get through easily, secondly because I spent 30s looking on the wrong stream. Then lost 30s on 13 being overly cautious - thought I'd gone too far when in reality I hadn't. Lost a bit more on 16, had to crawl under a bush at one point, and dodgy in the circle. Then went fine until:
#25. Don't know what I was thinking! Didn't want to drop low too early and didn't. Rounded the fence and just carried on South-West when I wanted to be west. Spent a good 3-4 minutes dicking about in rough open playing the usual trick of convincing myself the white on the map must have been cleared... Eventually relocated 150m away from the control and kicked myself. I then proceeded to repeat the mistake on:
#28 - 6mins on a 200m leg. Left 27 in the right direction, but once I hit the ride I headed too far west, not south. Found a big feature early on (earth bank with a river going through it) but I just didn't manage to think or run in the right direction. Visited the same point 3 times before I realised I should follow a cocking obvious handrail of a stream and marsh to find the control easily. Found the control having lost 4-4.5mins and turned the air blue.
Then proceeded to have the fastest split on the next control. Grr!
Bit of a miss on 31 - 20secs.

So in 13th place, 13mins down on the leader/10 on JT. Gutted, as I lost a good 9.5mins, (even without my unnecessary (3!) water stops!). I was running really well, felt strong and naving well for most of the course, just 8, 25 and 28 dicked me over. Even with catching them early I'd have been in the hunt for a top 5 overall.

Event: JK 2010
 

All in all pretty pleased. Started off in drizzle, but thankfully it didn't get bad until after I'd finished. Flowed well through the easier parkland at the beginning, bit hesitant on 5 and 6. Got the wrong path on 7, so lost ~20secs here. After 8 I had no flow and was loosing a couple of seconds per leg just looking at the map. Went North to 9 when south was best, and very hesitant all the way from 10-11. The only other problem was at 19 where I was mistook #56 for #66, so lost about 10secs here, even though I knew I was in the right place. In total maybe 45s lost, not counting hesitations in the latter part of the course.
37th on M21E (80-odd last year), just behind Alex, TT and Keever (and Treb). Only beaten by 3 18s and 9 20s, and ahead of some I normally wouldn't be. Running well and Nav OK, happy.

good long taper before the JK. (about 2 months!)

out to walkley (into a biting headwind), Bole Hill and Stables (both slippy), Crosspool, Lydgate, Crookesmoor.