Training Log Archive: Torino

A very bad race; I'm full of anticipation but grew more disillusioned after each control. Orienteer quite well to #1 but don't see the flag; start relocating, find my attackpoint (top of reentrant) and go back to controllocation, still don't see it. Hmm, start circling, relocating, ending up in the same area until at one point I finally can make out the bag! Ok, I need to concentrate even more and be VERY careful: good orienteering to next control, I know where I am, make out the different shades of thickets, get to the control circle and the same story: don't see the bag. Rats! Same "game", circle, relocate, get back to the same area until I finally see it. Make a mistake to the next one and correct it. Look at the course now, and realise that the next 2 controls should be easy with 100% attackpoints. Head in from a meadow and, again, don't find the bag. Relocate from the cabin and nothing. This is crazy! What's with my eyes?? By now, I feel like sitting down and crying. This never happens in Swiss meets that I can't see the bag when I am so close. I keep circling and see it a little further up than I expect it, when I was looking in the light green thicket as it shows on the map.
The next control I look for on a compass bearing from a water tower. By now, I'm not surprised that I miss it. I am very careful, try to make out the different shades of green, realise that it is on a shallow "back" or saddle, realise where it slightly dips on both sides but can't see the flag. What am I looking for? a rock pile, I am starting to look for rocky ground, but nothing. By now, I am ready to quit, but I just don't want to go through the thick green out to the road. So I wander around, I am getting cold now, then somehow I see the bag, and notice a 40cm high rockpile. (a needle in a haystack?). The rest is an unmotivated walk through the woods, somehow I'm still glad that I got all the controls. But I'm not proud of it.
How does Sharon do that? She has half the time and found the bags with no problem?? It's a puzzle to me. One has to be used to this kind of orienteering.
I found the course to be interesting, good course-setting, challenging legs but the control placements totally off. I would have tried to locate control locations that are more defined and then hang the bags a little more visible (I don't mean visible for hundreds of meters, but reasonable within 5to10 meters). It also seemed to me that that problem was not on all the courses. Some courses had reasonable times, but others were totally questionable when looking at the overtimes and great differences between the different places.

Day 1 Brown Y - Splits

Event: US Champs
 

New O-race, same old, same old: battling with Sharon! ;-)). My brain was still very fuzzy at the beginning, I could not shake it during my warm-up. I was warned that it was not the typical Sprint-O I am used to here in Switzerland (or my favorite street-O in Venice for that matter). Small mistake to #1 as I was not aware that I was on "my" trail as it seemed too indistinct, but corrected it fast. My splits are slower than Sharon's up to the 6th control, then I got a clear head and could start to speed up. Unfortunately, I'm punching a wrong control as I did not pay attention for a moment, but realise the wrong number. Stop for a moment and lose my concentration and momentum. Then, I force myself to get going and soon go to the correct one and finish ok.
Still lose 40 secs on Sharon, amazing to me the shape she is in and how she keeps on running and running.
Nice Sprint-O in the woods at the beginning with fast decisions and changes of direction.

Sprint Brown - Splits

Flying to Washington D.C. :-)), start some of my shopping while waiting for Christoph, then driving to Triangle and crash about 3 am Swiss time!

C • After my flight was cancell... 1

Teaching 2 yoga classes (instead of Thu) and feels good to stretch and strengthen.

Tomorrow I'll fly to US for Champs and seeing Christoph :-)))!!!

Do Lombach Loop, easy as I managed to give myself sore muscles again form Sunday (?) or the classes yesterday ;-). Cold rain and windy, nasty conditions.
17.39 frist bridge, 13.38 all way down, 31.18 total and 28.53 back.

Nordic Walking in rain to the ruins Unspunnen; ghostly walk :-).
Have very sore muscles all over but especially in my legs. Am I getting sick or is it just yesterday's training and strengthclasses?

Also teaching 2 classes today, little effort but felt muscles a bit.

C • getting sick 1

2 weeks ago I wrote that I knew some day, I will run this loop under 40 Min. Well, i gathered it would be next year, but no! I did it today!! I felt good and strong and quickly got a run in over lunch because I can't go in the evening anymore because we changed back to wintertime :-(.
25.31 first farm house, 14.24 back.

Teaching two core classe (2x45 min), but my effort maybe 60 min.

Hiking with Sandra onto the Wiriehorn! Almost sunny, but cold and beautiful fall day. We needed to escape the fog and greyness in the lower elevation that stretches over the whole middleland. With this kind of weather pattern, the mountains usually are warmer with blue skies!