Training Log Archive: pi

Warmup.

WCOC Middle WRE. My goal was to have a fairly clean race and not repeat the 2004 COC blowup on one control in this same super technical area. Started really well on the first control, followed by a tiny hook to 2, but then lost it completely to 3... came up on the flats above the control by mistake, didn't know exactly where I was and attacked too soon. So hard to relocate on this map once you are lost. Burned 4 minutes here and Colin who started 2 min behind passed me (though I never saw him). Got into a nice rhythm after this though and had the fastest splits to 5, 6 and 7, where I caught back up to Colin and I joined a train with Adam as well. Colin was running and navigating extremely well in the control picking from 8 to 13 and I was dropping off the back of the train. Then there was a longer route choice leg to 14 and I decided my only chance was to do my own thing and hope Colin got lost on his route. So when Colin went left I turned back on a right route which I executed well and when I hit 14 there was no Colin/Adam around. Attacking 14 I picked up Kato who started 2 min ahead of me and he was on my back for the last few controls which were a bit easier and I hit all those clean. Colin did indeed miss 14 and came back 2 and a half minute after I finished so I got him by 30 sec.

Amazing orienteering!

WCOC Long. Couldn't find the start triangle on the map again, but took the trail around to 1 to get some easy nav. Straight to 2 and won that split, then decided on the diagonal cutline to 3 and won that split too (most cut over to the road instead to 3). Had decided to take the same diagonal cutline back towards 5, but changed my mind to bushwhack a bit to attack the control from the meadows instead. Nailed the control, but I think my original plan would have been a bit faster as Jakub won the split going that way. Missed 7 by about 1 minute going too low on the slope, as many others did. Fine until 12 where I hesitated approaching the control and lost another minute. Missed the best route to 13 along the fence and lost another 30 sec or so. Hook into 14 and lost 30 sec again. 17 was a brutal control, small depression in large dark green area, but managed with only a small hook. Missed the best route to 19 and lost about 30 sec there too. Overall quite happy with this race! Perhaps possible to be about 4 min faster with a perfect race. Finished 3rd, 2 min back of Colin A.

Many didn't like this terrain, which was all light green forest, but I thought it was a great long distance area, at least for the elite courses. The cutlines, trails and meadows offered fast running and there were a number of great route choice legs. Yeah, the forest wasn't very pleasant, but 80% of the course was blasting along route choices. 17 was too bingo though.

WCOC Training map in the cold pouring rain. Same area as the WCOC Middle back in 2011. Practiced compass and flow.

WCOC Sprint. Had a really hard time to find the start triangle on the map and felt a bit stressed after that, but the first two controls were really easy. On the long leg to 3 I had decided on a route choice but turned a road too soon and got a bit distracted from that, but don't think I lost too much time. Really fun controls from 3 to 8. On the long leg to 9 was planning ahead for a route choice between 11 and 12, but then when I got to 10 my mind thought I was at 11, so I left 10 in the wrong direction, got confused and then went straight to 12. Last few controls were easy, but then of course was made aware of my skip at the download.

Nice course design and good use of the area. Rainy evening and a bit cold.

Another late evening run to Princess Park. Stomach seems to be almost good now.

Late evening easy run as it was starting to get dark. Stomach still unsettled and gassy.