Training Log Archive: expresso

Sunday dawned cool and cloudy and looked like absolutely perfect o-weather. No such luck, it cleared and warmed but certainly could have been a lot worse. We packed up the campsite and headed over to the Horseshoe ski resort for the Sunday long race. Yes, SKI (as in downhill) and was a harbinger of a day of brutal climbs on a long and gruelling course. I was not disappointed.

Although I knew that the open division was the Canadian team trials, I entered it to get the most orienteering out of this weekend as possible. The prior three races were fulfilling and my o-quota ALMOST overflowed on this race (a wonderful feeling). As in the middle race yesterday, I was calm at the start and throughout the race. I guess I had nothing to prove to anyone except myself and I knew that I would do fine if I just executed the race of which I was capable. It would not be perfect but generally smart and smooth. I started this plan right away by flipping over the map and immediately picking a route different from the elites whom I'd seen take off a few minutes ago. I went right up a black diamond run on the ski hill and as I studied my map on the climb up my confidence grew that this was the right route. But then I got knocked back to earth by control 2 (literally by heading down the mountain) and figuratively by overrunning it and then becoming distracted by an elite runner hunting in a different area. I resolved then and there not to become distracted by others. I was pleased with my next few routes up, down & around the back side of the ski hill as well as my long route to 8. I popped an eCap, Gu & three cups of water at this control and sloshed my way to the next one. My stomach processed this just fine and I was energized for the long route to 10 and a fast split to 11. The butterfly controls 12, 13 & leaving to 18 gave me a little difficulty because I had trouble resolving up from down in the tight contours. I managed fine and took off fast across the flats to 19 - 21. 22 sent us way up again and (after being out for 100 minutes already) my body did not have the giddy-up for the hills. But I made it up and used that time to plan good, safe routes to the next few controls. I executed these (as well as the last few) in a conservative fashion to reduce the risk of a late-race boom from my cloudy brain. I ended fine and was again pleased because I achieved my goals (and had a good result to boot).

Long drive back tried our patience in traffic again. It was easy overcome by drifting back to a full weekend of pleasant memories at a great event. I had that dull, full-body ache that comes after a long race or weekend. It's not an injury but just fully taxed soft tissue that gave you everything it had and wants to rest for a few days (and maybe get a massage =).