Training Log Archive: Akhilleus

Loop of AC, legs a little tired but felt quite strong running. Grace tried to run me over.

IW/HFW

Set off with Beasant after Mark lost a little time and just ran a really controlled race. Trouble is I just don't think I pushed hard enough. Beasant had a different gaffle so I didn't really see him after the start (think he made some errors in the first few). I took a bad route to 4 and Neil came past, I kept running my own race but regret this a little now. Maybe I should have tried to stay with him, need to get the balance right in relays, in our position I think I had to stay with him. I didn't make any mistakes so that's a positive but in the end we were 4 mins off the podium, unfortunately Craney lost a little time too. Really hope we can pull it together for the British, I'm craving a podium spot.

WU/WD

Started well, running round the butterfly loop until I got to 11 which did look tricky running round the side of a hill to hit a tiny reentrant. Took it reasonably easy so as not to miss it, planned to run alongside the big reentrant and marsh, see the end of the marsh and crag and drop in. Only I didn't see either, was aware I'd gone too far so tried to relocate off the lower marsh but just couldn't figure it, there was so much unmapped rock around I couldn't really use it. Spent 6.5 mins (!!!) running up and down that little bit of hill failing to relocate till I eventually found it. A fair few had problems with this but like yesterday I lost more than anyone else. There is clearly something wrong with my relocation technique that really needs fixing. Took me a while to convince myself to carry on in the process dropping another min at the next control.

Got on with it, Chris Smithard (my 9 min man!) caught me at 16 (while I stood next to the feature instead of running to it) really annoyed me so I powered on and stayed ahead of him to 19 before he got past. Race was uneventful after that but I think I saved too much thinking it would be a proper length classic. Race was over at 11, shame, another terrible result due to mainly one really bad error.

WU/WD

Nearly so good. Just wanted to sit down and cry in the end. Started easy running a very controlled race, visualised the dunes really well and every looked as I expected it to. Caught my 2 min man (Daniel Zwiker) at 2 who ran behind me for most of the course, I managed to block him out and keep running my own race which was going really well. Dropped 20s at 11 not quite spotting the control, stopped a little short of the control at 13 (again not spotting it despite running almost to the feature, need to trust myself). At 16 ran up the reentrant just to the right (20s). 17, 18, 19 ok.

So at 19 (80% of the course) despite a little time loss I'm in 18th just in front of Nick Barrable who finished 17th.

Then it all went wrong, after crossing the road into the distinctly smaller dunes I found it extremely difficult to visualise what they would look like especially with 5m contours. I started to lose it a bit and couldn't figure anything out, I tried to use the thickets which was a big mistake as these seemed random. I dropped over a minute at 20, Zwiker clearly found it without me seeing him and got away. Ben Stevens then caught me 2 mins, I ran ahead of him to 21 but ran way too far left and got stuck in a thicket. Got to 22 ok then somehow missed 23 and dropped another 30s, getting frustrated now (I'd dropped 10 places in 4 controls right at the end).

Hammered it off to 24 to what looked like a piss easy control only to completely miss it and spend the next 5 mins(!!!) trying to relocate, I just couldn't figure it out. F-ing terrible feeling, I could see the finish about 200m away! Dropped 22 places in the last little bit of the course, would have been a really decent result, no-one else lost time at the end they all lost time in the difficult bit...most of that course was probably the best I've ever orienteered on really technical terrain.

C • I... 3

WU/very minimal WD - too pissed off.

Event: JK 2011
 

Awful from start to finish. Couldn't read the map properly on the run, kept stopping never running above a jog. Can't expect to be any good as never practice it. Even got beaten by Keith! One of my worst ever results.

WU/WD