Training Log Archive: wilsmith

Verifying and checking the map for the COC Sprint - covered the whole area in detail.

It will be a nice mix of verrrrry fast running, some quick decisions, and then changing gears a little bit to avoid huge blowups. Nice area, the winner will need to be both quick and strong to handle the mix of fast open areas and a few hills that reward power.

C • Sounds awesome! 2

Test run of first iteration of COC Sprint. Nice and fun course, but there are a few improvements to make to the map and the course to make it even better.

Team Trials - Long

Not a terrible race, but certainly not a great one either. With a good result in the middle distance already I wasn't too stressed about this race. Again Jon T was starting right behind me and I wanted to avoid being caught if possible. The other runners were starting 6+ minutes ahead and barring any disastrous runs on their part I thought it unlikely to catch any of them.

Began with a 30sec mistake on the first control, though since my split is only a couple seconds off the lead I guess others had issues too. Then stayed fairly clean up to the water control (#8) - maybe only a further minute in total of loss by that point.

Leaving 8, I couldn't remember if I had punched the control or not (I had). This distracted me for the next few legs, as I debated whether or not I would be DSQ, or whether I really cared enough about the race to bother to go back and make sure, or what. Ended up missing #9 for 30-45 sec, not being sure about my trail route choice to 10, and then totally blew #11 (a bogus control location, tiny point feature on a bland hillside without distinguishing features, and the map is a bit soft there - ANYWAY, 3:30 evaporated there and suddenly I'm not sure if I'm still ahead of Jon T any more).

Trudged on through the rest of the course, found enough energy to finish OK. Ended up 2nd, but about 5 min behind Mike. Not too bad considering the distractions and errors. And especially not bad as I was totally alone through the entire race - there were the predictable packs forming out there in other parts of the start list otherwise. Jon T never did catch me, and somewhere along the line I got by Brent (-6 min) without seeing him.

Felt a bit tired after this one, but not too bad.

For the above.

Event: National Capital Orienteering Festival
 

Team Trials - Middle.

A "safe" race. This is the distance I prefer, and I wanted to be in the top 2 to be fairly sure of being able to run the middle at WOC. Very nice course on a very good map. Quite technical on paper, so I was very careful. Most of the time lost was on hesitations and stopping to double-check things. Often, it turned out that the control was on a large, obvious feature so my hesitation was unnecessary. But in a test race, you want to be sure to avoid those big blunders that force your name way, way down the results list.

I was within 1 second of the lead at #9, but ended up losing time with a few uncertainties over the next few controls, so was almost a minute back by #13. I managed to claw my way back to within 24 seconds of the lead by the finish, which was good. Body felt "OK", felt a little bit sluggish at times.

Basically, a decent result, achieved my main objective for the day (and for the weekend, really). Avoided the disasters that seemed to plague some of the other guys - ouch.

For the above.

Team Trials - Sprint

Not a good race. At all. Started off first, which is definitely not my preference. Jon Torrance hot on my tail - one objective was to finish before he caught me, as he has been kicking my butt all over the place in sprints this spring.

Confusion at the start, losing 10 seconds right off the bat (many others apparently were confused here as well). Then settled, but feeling tired on the heavy climbs. Little bobbles on a few, about 5 seconds here and there. Then, after punching #11 I started off running to #13 and did't realize until it was quite late. So another 25 seconds down the drain. Missed #13 anyway on the second attempt too, for another 10 seconds.

In total, about a minute of loss, but 1:53 behind the winner. This tells me I should not be running the WOC sprint.... I could quite easily have been second place in this race, but was way too far out of first to be happy about that. I guess Mr.P had a bit of energy and frustration left after the middle and had a point to make. He made it. Probably didn't hurt to start a minute behind Mike Smith and have his back through most of the race (until he passed him towards the end).

For the above.

A very welcome training jog on the Kingsmere map, organized by Gord Hunter who gamely tolerated blackflies for 2-3 hours as those of us who were able to make it out there came and went.

Felt pretty decent physically, just the "wannabe" cough/cold symptoms that have plagued me for a few weeks. Getting used to them now.

Map was showing its age. There are leaves out everywhere, and visibility is starting to fall. Woe to s/he who requires relocation in a bland area out there. If the poor visibility doesn't get you, the blackflies sure will!

Hope OOC will be able to remap all of the Gatineau Park areas eventually - lovely resource to have so close to a major city.

An abbreviated H&H session (3x4min), in honor of the trip this weekend. Should be interesting. Felt a bit tired (still not fully recovered from the 3000m test maybe), and body still can't seem to decide if I'll actually get sick or not.

For the moment, being on the edge of illness will have to do. You just get out there and do whatever you can on the day.

For the above.

There actually was a surgical emergency today - beeper went off just as I was pulling my shorts on to go for a run. Luckily it did not involve any missed sleep - today was my "day off" to prepare for the trip to Ottawa. We were delayed leaving Cochrane by over an hour, but other than that, no big problems.

So, in an effort to try and figure out what was wrong, I went out to blast the 3000m course. At least that would answer the question of whether or not I was just not trained as well as last year (despite doing a fair bit of H&H interval work aimed at increasing my VO2max). Am I really just slower than the other guys? Or was it mainly fatigue and stupid mistakes that did me in?

The answer is that I ran a big PR on this loop. I have run this course in the past two years. It's not flat (there is a 20m climb), but it is a net downhill. The first 1000m is downhill (-20m, and often downwind), the next 1000m is uphill (+20m), and the final 1000m is downhill (-20m, then +5m).

In 2006, I managed 9:42. In 2007, I managed 9:33. Today, I managed 9:15!

I hadn't realized just how pissed-off I was at myself until I passed 1000m in 2:55. Yes, it was downhill and with a tailwind, but for me that is a bit overpaced. I just tried to stay with it as well as I could through the next km (uphill but tailwind - 3:18), then when I saw the watch at the 2000m mark I decided to keep on pushing to the end. The last 1000m went by in 3:02, for a 9:15. Happy with that.

It's not a certified course, and today I had a tailwind for the first 2000m. Still, I think the length is accurate within about 1%. And it's only about 50% on paved surfaces (the rest on gravel or dirt). So I think that's solid.

Now, the question is how to force myself to orienteer hard enough to take advantage of that reasonable speed. I am beginning to understand that perhaps I have not been pushing hard enough during the sprint courses. In addition, my most recent middle distance efforts have been fraught with uncharacteristic mistakes - maybe pushing harder will make that worse? Hard to say.

At any rate, I will cut my work week back to 3 days this week, with no 24-hour stretches in the ER. Barring any unforeseen surgical emergencies, I should be able to conserve enough energy to feel somewhat rested for the upcoming weekend in Ottawa. Then, we'll have to see just which way the cards fall.

C • The power of rest? 2

For the above.