Training Log: CharlieRennie

Ran out of time to do anything today. Probably not a bad thing to give the knee a rest though.

BOC Relay 1st Leg - 11th on leg , 11th team

Really not very happy with this. In the end not a bad result because it seems everyone and anyone was making mistakes out there today but just disappointed with how I was orienteering and how little I learnt from yesterday's mistakes.

Fairly frantic start as everyone piled into the forest and immediately the pack split off in different directions. I knew Jim had the same first gaffle as me so was just behind him going to 1 and although I wasn't particularly confident did end up hitting it fine. Then to 2 again was just off Jim as the pack seemed to come back together and hit the control fine again having spotted it on the way to 1 yesterday.

Then to 3 everyone split off again and it became pretty clear that Dave and Jackland had the same gaffle as me. Initial line was okay just on the same path I was on to 2 yesterday but stupidly got dragged off my line down the hill by Dave. Control requires height gain so not sure what the hell I was doing dropping down and coming off the path that would've delivered me right above the control. We faffed around a group of bushes below the control which I thought were the ones in the circle before eventually finding the other gaffle in a depression below my control and running up to it with Jackland just ahead. A disappointingly similar mistake to control 3 yesterday with little to no plan, poor compass discipline and dropping much more height than I should've.

Made sure I had a proper plan to 4 and it was much better. Caught up to Jackland and ticked off the open area then came around the green, compass into the control from there and spiked it. Poor exit to 5 going through the green to the right when I should've gone straight, managed to correct my line but for some reason hesitated before I even hit the path looking for the control in the first set of ditches. Didn't lose too much time but just another instance of sloppy technique. Hit 6 fine still with Jackland then spiked my 7 before he continued on to a different gaffle and I was now solo.

Cut through the green going straight out of 7 and caught and passed the SYO team then coming into 8 caught glimpses of Joe up ahead. Poor exit out of 8 going slightly right when I should've tried to hit the path earlier but no major time loss and Joe was pretty close on the track to 9. We then split as he went right and I went left into the rough open to hit my gaffle. Hit 9 fine but direction out of the control was poor going straight when I should've either gone left of the dark green or right of it to the track. Ended up having to veer off line to the left and fighting through the green onto the next section of rough open. Hit 10 fine again but felt very slow going through the terrain and thought I must be miles off the pack as could see absolutely no one.

Bit of a wiggly line out of 10 trying to find the best runnability and really struggled to get going in the heather but did manage to spot Joe again coming into 11 which I was a bit hesitant into but hit fine in the end. Probably should've gone a bit straighter to 12 and knew this at the time but for some reason just didn't alter my line. Then was very hesitant once I hit the open patch as the veg boundary just wasn't distinct but did manage to figure it out and caught up to Joe just to the south of the control by the two bushes. Again hesitant in and veered left way too late when I should've done that as soon as I hit the two thickets.

At this point it seemed to all come back together as Dave and Ewan Bennett hit the control just after us and now was in a pack of 4. Was just off the back into 13 after getting stuck in grot exiting 12 and then we piled into the green on the exit of 13 which apparently is the same place I went through to 8 but seemed much more runnable back then and I wasn't very efficient getting through it this time and just lost the back of Ewan and Dave. Managed to run straight past the path next to the wall and had to banana back up to it which was when Jackland and Joe appeared again just in front with the rest of the pack. Was about 10s off them on the way to 14 and just didn't have the fight to catch back up so ended up doing the run through solo and finishing about 20s off them.

Ended up 3 and a half minutes off the front in the end which isn't too bad all things considered but largely down to everyone else making mistakes. Just really poor orienteering all round with lots of poor plans and preventable mistakes. Never quite got my head switched on like I did at the JK relay. Obviously different being 1st leg vs last leg and less pressure last time but I had awful legs that day and still managed a much better run. There was a good result for the taking today with everyone else making significant mistakes and I felt like mine were very preventable. Just need to apply the same techniques and calm head that I have on middle races rather than trying to race the pack too much early on and also keep up the speed throughout even if I'm solo.

C • Write up 5