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Attackpoint - performance and training tools for orienteering athletes

Training Log Archive: vmeyer

In the 7 days ending Jan 21, 2013:

activity # timemileskm+m
  Orienteering6 3:52:59 13.97(16:41) 22.48(10:22) 263
  Biking1 1:15:00 12.6(5:57) 20.28(3:42)
  Total7 5:07:59 26.57(11:35) 42.76(7:12) 263

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Monday Jan 21, 2013 #

Note

Today, I have finally started working on my log entries going back to January 1. Progress is slow, but I have managed to stay awake all day, after sleeping until 9:45 this morning.

Roger made homemade blueberry pancakes for brunch, and he is currently working on the evening meal - chicken pot pies. Yum!

Note

I am up to January 6. Hoped to be more caught up by the end of today, but it is bedtime for me, and back to real life (work) tomorrow. Sad.

Sunday Jan 20, 2013 #

Biking 1:15:00 [1] 12.6 mi (5:57 / mi)
shoes: Shimano Bike

Woke up around 8:30 to hear a little voice from below - Lailah and Matt were back to pick up Sarah. I am surprised they weren't here sooner, especially after hearing that Lailah had been up since 5:30 AM crying for her mother for an hour or so.

They stayed another hour or so, and I was just heading back to bed when Roger returned from his errands. So, we went out for lunch instead.

After a two hour nap, I got up and went for a bike ride into work and back. My desk looks to be in excellent shape, and there weren't any boxes delivered while I was gone. Yeah!!

The trip into work was painless, but the return trip was brutal with 20 mph winds from the front and the side.

I had to walk the steeper third of the hill to the house, but then managed to get back on and ride the rest of the way to the house. I was pretty wasted after that, and another nap was in order.

Posted the QOC results and RouteGadget in the evening.

Saturday Jan 19, 2013 #

Note

Went to bed around midnight last night, and I slept pretty well until about 9 AM, then another hour or so. Roger and I ran some errands, including dropping my ipad and iphone off for repair (both have cracked screens). Then it was home for a two hour nap.

A bit later, Sarah called and let us know they were headed this way, since Sarah is a doula to a woman in the area, and the woman thinks she was in labor. So, we had dinner at the Mexican place with Sarah, Matt, and Lailah. Lots of laughs with Lailah demanding cheese!! It is a Grammy thing. She sees me, she wants cheese.

Matt and Lailah stayed until about 8:30 and then headed back to Annapolis. Sarah and I chatted a bit over tea - the drink (I just might get used to it), not the meal - and, then she headed out, since the contractions were getting stronger.

I went to bed, but woke up when the front door opened around 3:30 AM. Sarah was back from the hospital. The baby had been born, none of this laboring for 48 hours stuff. They barely made it to the hospital.

I fell back to sleep easily after that.

Earlier in the day/evening, I worked on QOC data for the event for tomorrow.

Friday Jan 18, 2013 #

Note

Wide awake this morning with no place to go, well, at least not for a couple of hours. :)

This morning that I was greeted by Catherine's cat, Nadia, looking to wrestle a bit. Fortunately, I was warned that she plays rough, though not enough warning that I didn't get scratched.


Tim arrived around 10 AM, and the trailer was unloaded one last time.

Jane and I retrieved fish and chips for lunch. As promised, they were far superior to the ones we had last week. You could tell they would be from the fish shop - one of those authentic fresh seafood places.

After lunch, I helped Callum and Devon setup their event for Sunday in OE and finished packing.

Then it was off to the airport. I am used to being dropped off, so I initially felt uncomfortable that Jane and Phillip were going to spend part of their busy day sitting with me at the airport. But, it helped that they did, making the time pass quicker.

I boarded the plane, and I was able to move over to the side facing the terminal. As we taxied off, we waved at each other, and it brought tears to my eyes. I can't begin to express how much it meant to me to spend the last two+ weeks with the Herries family. It will be a memory that I always cherish.

A last look at New Zealand on the way into Auckland.


The plane to Los Angeles all decked out in Hobbitt.


The flights home went fairly smoothly, a blessedly anti-climatic end to the trip.

Thursday Jan 17, 2013 #

10 AM

Orienteering race 50:48 [3] *** 1.94 mi (26:11 / mi) +127m 21:46 / mi
shoes: Another pair of new shoes!!

Description: This brand new sprint area will be the ultimate spectator event for 2013. The terrain is quite similar to The Slump (used for the final World Cup Stage) and was formed by a huge natural land slide near the Tuki Tuki river. You will find very strange/intricate but very fast open-farmland contour detail sprinkled with rocks and other point features. The entire race [mass start by classes] will be visible to spectators from the clifftops above, so get a good spot to watch the elite grades battle it out head to head!



So, no competitors were allowed up in the viewing area until after they had run their course.


Callum in the distance, having broken away from the other competitors on his course during the butterfly loop.


Lots of competitors all over the place.


Callum coming into view of the finish,


and finishing - the WINNER!!


Showing off the mud, and a NAOC shirt. Sure wished he had mentioned where he had gotten muddy before I went out.


And, a happy front side.


Here I am getting ready to go out, but more importantly, it is a picture of the smaller monitor stand with the two monitors on each side.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)



Ah, yesterday's high was not to be repeated this morning. I didn't make the mass start, mostly because I wasn't really ready to get to the start when it was happening at 10 AM. So, instead I got there in order to start one minute after the elite women and 9 minutes before I elite men. I hoped this was enough to keep out of their way.



Poor route choice out of the start getting into the same little bog that Callum went through. Up to my knee high socks in muck, after trying to hang onto the fence and skirt the 10' of really wet stuff. Agh! Muck up to my knees, on my socks. Great start. Roll the socks down and try to ignore the rest.

Overshoot 1 on the track. Finally find 2, so I head back to 1. I get to the control in the circle which is 101, and I am convinced I need 102, so I keep going on the same line and find 102 on the little cliff near the track. Head back to 2, thinking it should be closer then this, and pass my 1 again and then find 2. [I did not realize about this mispunch until later that evening.]

Manage to do 2-7, with just a little additional effort for 7. Then I head to 13, which I find easily enough. However, I CAN NOT FIND 14. Find 13 again, go for 14, and I STILL CAN NOT FIND 14. I was too low. At this point, there are all of these elite men running around, and I am feeling sillier and sillier because my misadventure is in full view of all of the people watching the elite race. I find a low spot in the shade, out of view and sit and consider what might be happening.

I gather myself and soldier on. Yes, I am as confused as I look.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

Eventually, and in desperation, I make my way to another control. This is my 16th control. Whew, I know where I am. However, for some reason getting this one makes me realize that I hadn't done 8-11, the first part of the butterfly loop. (Courtesy of P. Herries.)

At that point, I haul my demoralized self to the finish, trying to ignore the cheers from above. I get my raunchy shoes, ankle braces, and socks off, and sit in the shade and blubber for a bit. Still raw for a while longer, but then I bounce back, because, hey, I am in New Zealand, doing more events in two weeks then I have been able to do in the last year. That has to be good!

Race stats: 1.7 km, 155m climb, 18 controls
Garmin distance: 1.94 miles with 127 m climb
Place: DNF
Time: 49:24
Time lost:
Time per km: n/a
Finish split: at trudge pace, it doesn't really matter.
6 PM

Orienteering race 26:06 [3] *** 2.01 mi (12:59 / mi) +29m 12:26 / mi
shoes: Black Brooks

Description: One of the original STB maps (2010), remapped to issom standard for 2013 with some new and very interesting additions. Havelock North Village is a very fast area made up of urban, industrial, school, and park terrain. Very appropriate for the 6th stage as you'll definitely need that 6th gear to make up time on your rivals on this map!

Had to set up in the rain and wind, and it didn't look good for a festive finale to the Sprint the Bay, and for the trip to New Zealand on the whole. It cooled off quickly.

Some people will wear anything when they are cold.


The Senior Boys getting recognition at the awards ceremony. Callum is in the middle. Love the Junior Boys holding a separate session to the right.


Tim, Valerie, Phillip, and Jane.


The Sprint the Bay organizing team, i.e., the Morrisons.




Another effort that I was really happy with despite being down at the bottom of the standings for the day. It was super fun to run around with so many people on the course.



And, my last chance for winning, or at least getting a tie for the fastest Finish split?

The GO control,
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

and the Finish control just 40 meters apart.
(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

It was going to come down to punching technique. I was perhaps lucky also that no one was trying to beat me to either punch. I had clear sailing, and I nailed both controls for the 1st place tie in W55, as well as on Course 5.

Race stats: 2.1 km, 30m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.01 miles with 29 m climb
Place: 19/21
Time: 26:06
Time lost:
Time per km: 12:25
Finish split: Tied for 1st on the course with 9 seconds!

Wednesday Jan 16, 2013 #

10 AM

Orienteering race 1:05:41 [3] *** 3.65 mi (18:00 / mi) +44m 17:21 / mi
shoes: Another pair of new shoes!!

Again, no pictures! Will have to see what I can borrow from elsewhere...

Description: Another brand new sprint map for 2013. This is a very unique and tricky terrain type never seen before in Sprint the Bay (or in NZ to our knowledge). Set in the riverbed of the meandering TukiTuki river with unusual contour and vegetation detail, Kaiwaka will challenge STBers' physical and technical abilities to the max after the beginning urban stages.



I made my start time, though it was touch and go, since I had to wait in a long, slow line for the loo. I felt like just at home, with everyone knowing my name by now, hearing "here she comes" as they were calling my start time.

In retrospect, I should have treated this one like a middle distance race, and given it more respect. I did take it slow to 1 and 2, and I was in 11th place after 2, but that was the end of any glory for the morning session. I may have had more fun if I had tried something like spelling HELP out while I wandered around. Eventually, I was all by myself, finishing near last or last once again. Not a glorious day of orienteering, but it was still a good day since I didn't mispunch.



Race stats: 2.2 km, 45m climb, 17 controls
Garmin distance: 3.65 miles with 44 m climb
Place: 21/23
Time: 1:05:40
Time lost:
Time per km: 29:51
Finish split: 5th – 29 seconds, with 1st at 26 seconds.
5 PM

Orienteering race 21:03 [3] *** 1.83 mi (11:30 / mi) +1m 11:29 / mi
shoes: Black Brooks

Description: A new map introduced to STB in 2012, and an instant favourite amongst the urban sprinters. The map covers a vast majority of the 'Art Deco Capital of the World' that is Napier city. You'll need that 6th (or even 7th gear) for this stage, the terrain is super fast urban style with some areas of park and intricate building detail.







HBOC's SI-guru, Pamela Morrison in the caravan.


Jane's nephew, James and Phillip.




Callum and ?




I was absolutely thrilled when I finished this one! The placing wasn't any better, but I was almost perfect, and I didn't jump over any olive green like a bunch of others did. Today, it just felt like fitness holding me back instead of me just giving it away with bad orienteering. And, before I downplay my effort by saying the orienteering was trivial, the woman in 2nd place through 9 controls made huge errors from 9-10-11 and finished one place behind me. So, yeah for me! And, I didn't mispunch.

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)




Race stats: 2.3 km, 5m climb, 17 controls
Garmin distance: 1.83 miles with 1 m climb
Place: 20/23
Time: 21:02
Time lost:
Time per km: 9:08
Finish split: 4th – 16 seconds, with 1st at 15 seconds.

After the race, the Oceania sign was retreived from a nearby orchard.


Tuesday Jan 15, 2013 #

11 AM

Orienteering race 36:20 [3] *** 2.24 mi (16:13 / mi) +61m 14:57 / mi
shoes: Another pair of new shoes!!

Sprint the Bay - six events in three days.

From the STB website - Description: the first stage will be held on an updated Woodford map. This map is part of the Woodford Iona map first used for the NZ champs in 2011. It consists of very technical building detail, school grounds and farm type terrain. Parts of the map are very steep making it very physically demanding and also allowing for difficult route choice legs.

Setup was easier with the reduced number of monitors, and it was nice to have the start and finish within meters of each other. However, the reduction of the monitors to two proved to be somewhat inadequate for the number of results needing to be display.



(Courtesy of P. Herries.)

(Courtesy of P. Herries.)



A little sloppy to 1, then made back 10 spots in the buildings, and was in 14th place through 10. Then I was unsure about climbing the fence into 11, in terms of legality and safety. Probably still wouldn't have climbed, even if I had seen the crossable part indicated on the map, so I ran around to the gate.

Then, I lost my mind going to 12, visiting 7 and 8 again before sorting myself out. Agh!! But, at least I didn't mispunch.



Race stats: 2.0 km, 75m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.24 miles with 61 m climb
Place: 21/24
Time: 36:19
Time lost:
Time per km: 18:25
Finish split: 10th – 16 seconds, with 1st at 13 seconds.
7 PM

Orienteering race 33:01 [3] *** 2.3 mi (14:21 / mi) +1m 14:20 / mi
shoes: Black Brooks

In between the morning and evening races, Phillip and Tim added a small extension to the monitor stand in order to add another two monitors in the vertical position. These gave enough room to get some splits up for everyone.

Sadly, I have no pictures from this day, probably because this was a fast and furious setup since we couldn't get into the park until after closing time. We also had to carry all of the equipment about 100 feet from the trailer to the event center. Even with lots of hands, things ran behind, and the starts were delayed 30 minutes.

Description: A brand new map in New Zealand's biggest water park. This will be a highlight of STB 2013 for both competitors and spectators. Terrain consists of intricate park detail, and building areas, you will face very fast but technical courses and expect to get wet!



Started later than even my delayed start, so I was the nearly the last starter with just a few elites behind me. From 3-4, I cut across the water, which was possibly illegal. I had interpreted the rules to be that you couldn't cross the dark blue water inside the park. From the wet footprints, and the split times to this control, I wasn't the only one who went this way.

So confused at times, especially from 10-12. Took full advantage of the romp through the water at 13

This was a fun course, which may have more fun if I hadn't been out there by myself in the setting sun, as the elites were cooling down and/or rerunning part of the course. But, I didn't mispunch, so it was a good day.



Race stats: 2.1 km, 15m climb, 16 controls
Garmin distance: 2.3 miles with 1 m climb
Place: 20/24
Time: 33:00
Time lost:
Time per km: 15:43
Finish split: 9th – 29 seconds, with 1st at 26 seconds.

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