Training Log Archive: immy

Warming up on Inland Rd. Not too nervous today - I love woodhill :)

Nationals Middle at Middle Earth, a new map in Woodhill. Map was awesome! You could compare it to the WOC terrain in France last year, but without the rocks and green patches. I had a mostly decent run, except I felt like my speed was letting me down. There were a number of times where I knew exactly where I wanted to go, but just couldn't get there fast enough! Of course I did make a few mistakes, but they weren't huge - direction a bit wrong for 5, rather hesitant to 14 and then very slow to 15, 17 was nearly a problem... I was especially slow in the last loop when I just didn't have the stamina I wanted through the terrain.

The results turned out to be pretty tight - I was close, but not quite as fast as I could have been.

Overall I'm happy with this weekend as I've been consistent, and while there are still lots of things to work on, I've definitely made progress on my orienteering and my confidence :) hopefully onwards and upwards!

Map 1
Map 2

Did a decent warm down, but only because I couldn't bear to be near the event centre and hearing all the speculation about incoming runners and their times etc... I was one of the earlier starters, so really had no idea how well I had done until later.

C2 - Splits

Running around on the warm up map and around near the start. Didn't do much of a warm up in the end - didn't get around to it for ages as I was talking to everyone.

Nationals Long at Waioneke. 7.2km with 480m climb.

Really fun course and an awesome place to run! Great mapping too. The main problem today was that I was really nervous (as it was a selection race for WOC/WUOC)... It was sort of ok through to about control 11, then I realised I was doing quite well which started to mess with my head... I wasn't too fast on the first controls to be honest, was a bit hesitant but was really trying to be accurate. So happy with the long legs today though, to 8 and 10 - planned my routes, executed them and ran well! yay :)

But yeah, I messed up 12 by being too high; my route was good but then spent a while on the spur just not seeing the control. Then after the spectator I was slow and messy, it wasn't great at all :( I was just stressing that I was going to mess everything up, when I really just needed to focus! Also was quite tired by that stage, and had forgotten to take my gel... by then I thought it was probably too late so just didn't bother.

So overall, there are lots of things to improve on, and I get very frustrated looking at winsplits and thinking about everything I did wrong... But on a positive note, despite everything my time was pretty good, and though I made mistakes, they weren't massive.

Carsten and Tom gave me some useful tips about nerves after the spectator control - Carsten said to pretend you are starting again, and the spectator control is like the start triangle. Forget everything and refocus. And Tom said that he just repeats his control numbers/descriptions in his head to block out those unwelcome thoughts. Might try some of these tips next time :)

Another point to remember is that the gel probably would have been useful, and I should have taken it maybe after 30mins or so.

And it is pretty amazing to think that I've only just recovered from a stress fracture and have done practially no proper running training. I am really very grateful to be running so well after that!

Map

2 - W21E M20A M21A M35A - Splits

Event: New Zealand Orienteering Championships 2012
 

Nationals sprint!! I have been looking forward to nationals for aages, so was a little nervous and over-excited before the race... had to resort to cleaning my room this morning to calm down. We were in the quarantine area for over an hour before starting which was kind of boring, and basically everyone just picked faults in the warm up map ;)

Anyway, about the race itself... I actually don't think it went that well! Was on the wrong side of the green patch for 1 and dithered around there for a bit, and then was very slow and confused for 18-19 (as most people were). But I guess the main thing was that I didn't feel on top of things - I kept hesitating before practically every control, or stopping and having to look around corners trying to find controls. And I was terrible at planning ahead, really couldn't do much of it at all. It was a very technical map and so difficult to read while running. Route choices were the other thing - I didn't feel like I had any time to choose the best one, so I just chose anything that seemed reasonable! Don't think that's the best way to do it...

I could really tell that it has been a while since I've run this hard... suffered a bit after the long road legs. Despite everything, I'm happy with the result though :)

Woah, just had a look at winsplits and the mistake at number 1 was a lot bigger than I thought - about 30s! Shocking. Lucky I didn't think too much about it and just got on with the course.

Map

Warming up on the warm up map and then some jogging in the finish quarantine area - boring!

Womens Elite - Splits

Had to do some training today for peace of mind, despite having very little time. I was at that stage where you have so much nervous energy that you have to burn some of it off before you can concentrate on your work anyway. So I did aqua jogging. Warmed up for about 10, did intervals then warmed down for 10 minutes.

2 x (6 x 2:30) with 30s recoveries and 2 minutes between sets. I felt good warming up, and then good during the intervals, but I wasn't as fast as I have been... I haven't done so much aqua jogging lately so maybe I'm going backwards?! A bit faster and stronger towards the end though.

I think I need to keep doing this at least 2-3x a week if I want to maintain a good level of aqua jogging fitness... though whether this is important for anything or not, I have no idea.

Sick of getting up early - come on long weekend!

No flat tyres at least though, but really must get that back one replaced soon.

30 minutes on the incline cross trainer and 40 on the regular one. I felt so much stronger today on the incline cross trainer! Especially compared to last Wednesday... Finally it's having an effect I think :) This doesn't mean it was easy though. Kept my heart rate around 170 - if it goes too much over then the urge to quit becomes a bit too overwhelming.

I have calluses/blisters on my palms now from the incline cross trainer :/ Don't know whether to be happy or depressed about this.

C • It's hardcore. Gotta be pro... 3

What a day. Had plenty of lab work to do myself as it was, then we received a brain and so I was helping with that... it's totally amazing that we are given these brains but also sad because it means someone must have just died... well anyway, then I was really behind in all my work and was also slow today because I had 2 new protocols for some of my experiments, so wasn't as confident with these. I had hoped to work on my essay some time today as well... no such luck. Eventually escaped some time after 6 having done what really needed to be done and left the rest.

Argh and then had to ride home in the wind, which was extremely slow. I feel like if I can survive the next few days I will enjoy nationals, but I may not survive in fact...

Nice cycle with dad this morning.
Highlights - not too much wind, feeling good :)
Lowlights - nearly being pushed off the road by a bus...

Proprioception and core with Mike and Gene, and a brief warm up on the bike beforehand. Quite a decent core session actually; enjoyed it :)

Managed to restrain myself and not go aqua jogging as well.

Cycling happily along Mission Bay, the next thing I notice is bump bump bump... uh oh, flat tyre again :( The culprit was a massive piece of glass blatantly still stuck in the tyre. Changed the tube and continued on, but I am always a bit cautious after this...

That's it, I'm getting a new back tyre for real this time!