Training Log Archive: Spongey

Some tio tuoristing with heli and Peter.
Tonight will be good

C • Tonight will be good 7

Tio long night
Team started well with steady runs from Peter, heli and warti meaning we were in the mix when I went out. It was still congested at the top at this point as not many teams had missed big but everyone missed little keeping the top 40ish close together.
Got very lucky with my start position 25s behind Kratov (which felt a long way). So the start was very fast. I didn't open my map until about 5mins in as I just ran as hard as I could after a strung out line of people who all were also desperately trying to catch the back of the train and was last person to get on, phew!
Then I work hard for thr next few controls to get up the line, then sad in position 1 or 2 of the kratov train for the next hour. This was a genuine pleasure. Just watched kratov orienteer. He is very smooth, and very agile and surprisingly powerful through the terrain. Repeatedly he chose the straight route when I thought there wasn't even a straight route on, and everytime I though "ooh this feels like we are off line into this control" the control would appear and I would have to remind myself to just follow him and not question it.
Other than a few stomach cramps the physical side was fine the pace didn't feel that high and nice and comfy, which was not what I was expecting.
Then our train caught the lead pack and we had 5mins of reshuffle and elbows out to settle into a new train order, where I was now around 5-6. Everything stayed as was o wise until we hit the run through. At this point a lidingo and stora tuna made a break. Had a quick think and since I still had the legs to go with them so decided to take a risk and chase them leaving kratov behind. We lasted three controls of suspect o before he caught us again. Then I lost Joe a free compass (and gave it to nixon) by not sprinting well enough.
Hnded the map over to steiner in 3rd and he looked nic eand worried - job done.
From there team did better than expected and we held a top 50. So a good team performance all round. And a good long night memory. 4th place and fastest leg, a nice o cv entry

Day I is much easier in this stuff
Cruising along fine, compass, compass, compass

Night o training.
Technically not spectacular. Learnt some stuff

Post jk rest day

Backlog of attackpoint activities since my watch went dead is off by one day.... Oh well can't be bothered to correct.

Have been a bit knocked by the jk experience because I thought I was fitter and more prepared than how I preformed and still trying to figure out if I suffered from the cold and moving in stress the week before, or if it was the lack of o, or if I just lost my head on the day, or a combo of alllthe above. But not impressed with myself or o right now. But hoping to change that from now. Bring on a more enjoyable tio experience!

C • JK 1

Tio night o practice
This was fun and tricky, got to re-learn some o in the next few days

Easy jog before plane to tio

Not finding it easy to motivate myself post jk but got out the door tonight

Jk relay
Tried hard but struggled. Team did alright. And got to sprint finish with oli which was my highlight of the weekend

C • sprint finish 'with' Oli 1

Jk long
Again not on it today at all. Mentally couldn't find the energy or enthusiasm to concentrate on the o or get my body to push when I asked it too. Worst bit was a really did not enjoy the experience, knew I was running badly and just had to be out there for a whole long race feeling like I wasn't enjoying it. Didn't quit though, that was my positive because I wanted to from about the 6th control

Jk middle
Started at what felt like an easy pace but was not feeling comfy in the terrain. Got a little tired after 10mins in then o started to really struggle and time started to slip. Then by 20mins my legs felt gone in the terrain and I just had one gear to get home.
Felt like none of the o routines were very well practiced and generally a bit flat