Training Log Archive: BigWillyStyle

In Euro qualifying, Iceland! Wales! Northern Ireland! Hungary! The Faroes! It's madness!!!

C • Footy 4

Morning training at Franklin Park. Erin divided us into groups of four for a series of O-tervals, starting ~10s apart and switching up the start order. My group, consisting of Addison, Emma, Izzy, and myself, dubbed ourselves the Dream Team and agreed that we were most awesomest of all the groups.

Mass start farsta. I was lazy right off the bat and was led by a couple of the juniors into overrunning the third control on our loop. Also realized at the end of my third loop that I went to an incorrect boulder in a field of boulders on my second loop but didn't realize it because there were no controls, only streamers. Disqualified!

A "starts" exercise with seven baby maps of two controls each, where the objective is to practice flipping the map, finding the start, orienting quickly, etc.

Evening race @ Franklin Park. This park is so fantastic! My favorite venue/race of the camp. Open variable woods with tons of rock features, elevation detail, and even some tricky ruins. There was some greenbriar, but greenbriar doesn't hurt nearly as much as blackberry bushes.

I made one nav error, leaving 9 off by 90 degrees. I had it in my head that I should turn 180 back around from where I came into it, but didn't account for my entry direction changing on final approach, and was confused when I found myself almost in someone's backyard. Maybe 25s loss.

Then from 12-13 there was an obvious tunnel route choice that I didn't take and lost some 15s, which was especially dumb because we had been there during O-tervals. I don't think I've ever once made the correct decision when a tunnel is involved.

Really well-set course by Schirminator, whom I got by 4s (I think). Ethan was ~25s back.

Sprint Franklin Park - Splits

Evening race @ Danehy Park. Pretty simple navigationally, but still some binary route choices. One of those races where you have no excuse not to push it hard. I chose poorly once and lost 7s, which allowed the Schirminator to nip me by 2s (though he was the course setter). 10-20s ahead of the young'uns.

I was introduced to one of the juniors today, I'm like hey I'm Will. He says, "Oh, you're Will Critchley!"

C • "Will Critchley" 13

C • Two things 5

Sprint Danehy - Splits

Event: 2015 Boston Park Series: Edmands Park
 

Event: 2015 Boston Sprint Camp
 

Morning training exercises conglomerate. Things are green here and it's 75-80. I feel like I went across the country but somehow ended up still in Seattle.

Afternoon training stuff. I is too lazy to enter them individually.

Evening race @ Edmands Park. I had a clean race and managed to eke out the win by 15s or so ahead of Ethan. Really fun park with open hilly woods. So East Coasty, I love it!

The control pickups.

Sprint Edmands Park - Splits

I haven't felt "good" in some weeks, which is not awesome going into my summer racing season, humble as it may be. Hard to say what the problem is but hopefully it will pass. Or maybe not and I'm on the slow descent to the end.

Here are some of the questions people ask me about orienteering:

Often: "What do you win?" Well, nothing really. My canned half-tongue-in-cheek response: "The respect of very few people."

Often: "How long is a race?" They are expecting a simple answer, which I am unable to give.

Often: "Doesn't everyone just follow each other?" Yes, yes they do.

Often: "How fast do you go?" Slower than whatever you're thinking.

Once: "Do you shave your legs before a race?" I don't even shave my face before a race.

C • Amusing 9