Training Log Archive: bexharding

Absolutely pouring down with rain this morning thought it better stretch than jog this morning. Didn't really want to leave car but did want to do the long race and tackle the big complex plateau at the top of the hill. So warmed up with many layers in wind and rain and stripped off.Mostly just jogging.

Long race started well and was going well until about halfway through when lost will for a few legs and just didn't attack the course then once back down hill and less cold managed to refocus and enjoy last few legs. Tried something new with visualisation I talked through day as I wanted to do it perfectly so I am running across and seeing the rocky hill ahead of me, then I am running along the north south track and visualising the circle. My aim today was to visualise the circle to give me more confidence in circle and cut out hesitations. The visualisation helped put this naturally in the processes in my brain and I started doing this really well and visualied 80% of the circles. Made my planning a little more decisive as was more confident with what I was doing and more comfortable with the terrain.

C • Map Day 3 OO Cup 2

Short warm down as after 5 minutes I couldn't feel my fingers still wet and windy.

Easy morning Jog along the stream/river and through houses in Nova Gorica good to wake up, shake off clammy feeling and clear head a little.

Warm up jog and a few strides. Feeling better than I did yesterday on warm up.

Day 2 OO cup middle race
Much better start today didn't try anything different for one just had my plan and kept thmbing map to check I was on my line and into one with only a slight hesitation. Much better day in general today felt so tired up the biiig hill but orienteering wise better than yesterday. Aims today to forget it is a race, pick out remarkable features, plan at each control and thumb map. I was picking out the features but too slowly need to be more decisive, same when planning at the control need to be more decisive and thumbing the map was better than yesterday becoming less of a concious thought. Buddy today was Sminty he wanted to have a better race than yesterday but didn't really have anything positive to say after however much I tried to get something positive from him! However it was really good to see some one elses prep and get to know someone i don't know so well.

C • Map Day 2 OO cup 2

Warm down jog

Warm up to start and loop round the warm up map, not quite the same as training more contours less rock. Then tried start routine where I looked at descriptions memoried first couple, checked north and couple deep breathes out and reminded myself of aims.

Warm down jog with Miaread and Julia felt less frustrated afterwards.

First race at OO cup.
Tried doing what was essentialy a line course to number one but didn't work actually made me more worried about where I was going and was right next to control didnt see it lost 4.5 minutes. Didn't really pick pace up in the middle of the race and wasn't until it got a bit more complex again that I found my orienteering groove then got a bit ahead and missed 15 by trying to just run on my compass and not listening to alarm bells. My aim today was to plan for 5 seconds at each control and thumb the map. Was taking a little too long to plan but necessary in some parts of the terrain getting better at thmubing and it's hellping me look at the map more frequnetly but reading the map properly and trying not to let it interupt my running.
Buddy for the day was spongey he was aiming to be confident at the start and then just let the race flow and he was calm at the start and had problems due to not being disciplined enough with compass. Good to have somone not on my course to discuss race with and see someone elses point of view on the area.

Rest day of the tour. Ankles feeling pretty knackered and thought a rest would do me good so went out for a very easy jog in the sunshine with my camera and spectated the sprint race.
Went mapping after under Marcuses tuition and for a swim in the afternoon.

Warm up jog and drills.

Aims: thumbing and planning.
Remarkable features and aiming off. Started well but couldn't focus after saw charlotte get srung alot.

Warm up jog

Windows exercise
Dont normally orienteer like this i like contact etc but actually my bearings were good and the course was good too. Good to be forced to do this.

Warm up jog

Map memory with Lucy.
works when visulise the leg before you start and can move better through terrain.
Then a relocation exercise.

Warm up jog and drills

The modified middle race.
Aim to coninue to thumb map and use 4 seconds at control to plan.
Some big mistakes but also some good bits.

Had my start routine plan to try out: Check north, visualising how it would feel to run well in this terrain and breathing out to calm myself. I liked breathing out and checking north. But visualising that on the start line was too much I think I need more time than that to visulise properly. My aim was to read map more frequently but for less time.
I did a line course and a corridor exercise then a control pick.
The line course went well I picked up all contact points and only lost it twice for a very short short time.
The corridor went really well for half I was actually managing to pick out things ahead and almost simplify a little bit. Then completely lost it and could not relocate so ran back.
Then did a bit of the control pick and it went well but after 7 controls I couldn't focus too much in the terrain maybe?

Warm up jog to clock chase start

Clock chase
Got more confidence and aggressive in terrain, just need to not make mistakes.

Race loop with short start intervals.
Had a lot of adrenaline as just stung twice went hard and kept with lead group.