Training Log Archive: bbrooke

Overall, I felt like today was easier than yesterday -- I was navigating better, and the woods were more open. On the downside, I felt like my lack of fitness hurt me today, when I couldn't charge up hills the way I wanted to.

I had a brief moment of total confusion when I hit the road on my way to #2, but I figured it out after running a few steps the wrong way and then turning around. I followed the trail southeast, then turned off at the bend and followed the rock wall. I swung wide of the direct route in order to avoid crossing the marsh. Followed cliffs southeast to the control.

#3-4-5-6-7-8-9 -- no problems, other than a small bobble at #5.

I took the long way to #10 -- should have cut north in between the first and second hills.

The rest of the course went fine.

Overall, I was happy to not make as many mistakes as yesterday, but I wished I could have moved faster.

GreenY Long - Splits

This was tough for me right from the start. Lack of fitness wasn't a real issue, because I was never confident enough about my location that I wanted to move faster!

I didn't see anything to use as a waypoint or attackpoint for #1, so I relied 100% on my compass bearing. I drifted right a bit, hit the clearings, wandered a bit, and then finally found it.

#2 was easy. I thought #3 would also be relatively easy (look for cliffs and small reentrant just north of the road), but I drifted WAY off my bearing again.

No problem with #4. Found #8 on my way to #5, which was kinda helpful. #6-7-8 no problem. Drifted off-route on the way to #9. #10 & #11 went according to plan (although maybe my plan wasn't the greatest; I intended to swing wide to get to #11, to avoid the green and the steeper climb.)

#12-13-14-15 -- sloppy.

What I *should* have done to avoid all these screw-ups always seems so obvious in retrospect!!!

Middle - GreenY - Splits

Event: 2012 North American Orienteering Championships
 

Travel day.

I cut it way too close getting to the airport: I had an unplanned pit-stop between home and the airport due to stomach issues (nervousness about flying); I encountered the second-longest security line I've ever seen at DIA; and then I had to wait for an explosives screening and THREE x-ray scans of my carry-on bag (I forgot about the pocket knife in my race kit; DOH!).

They had already given my seat away by the time I got to the gate, and there was exactly one seat left (the non-reclining middle seat in the very last row). A guy who walked up about 15 seconds after me didn't get on. CLOSE CALL!!!

Event: RMOC Orienteering Meet - Chatfield State Park
 

We had great weather and a fun course set by kissy, but I made a tremendously dumb route choice going from #8 to #9: I went south around the bottom of the lake instead of north; I lost the indistinct trail, drifted too low, and then got caught in some ridiculously thick vegetation, encountered a slope so steep I had an uncontrolled slide down it on my butt, and then had to walk through a really nasty, stagnant swamp.

Time-loss #2 was the pit at #14. It should have been ridiculously easy (out in the open, next to a trail junction) and I walked right by it several times, but the top of the flag was below the lip of the pit, so I never saw it.

Red - Splits