Training Log Archive: Anvil

So it looks like I'm gonna be in Canada a little longer than originally planned...

Some of you may remember seeing this a few months ago.
As it was very similar to what I was doing in Tassie before I left, I thought it was such a good opportunity not to go for.
Applied, interviewed, got it (Thanks Hammer!), but I think it's only really sunk in now what I'll be doing and I'm pretty pumped about it and looking forward to it - much moreso than any other recent jobs that I've had.

Will defo miss the some of the o people and races back on Oz (but not you Smythie) and I'm a little nervous about the winter (my last was the quite mild 07/08 one I did in London and I still complained heaps about that), but from what I've done so far over here - there'll be a lot more fun stuff to make up for for the tiny negatives.
Off to (hopefully) stinking hot Kamloops tomorrow for more races

C • New job 13

C • Stinking hot races 4

North American Sprint Champs - College of the Rockies
Gave myself a good talking to last night and decided it was HTFU time. Even if I still felt crap, I was gonna go balls to the wall, screw how I felt during or how I might feel after.
Felt that familiar, hand of god holding you back, lethargic feeling during the warm up but pushed it into a box underneath the basement and forgot it was there. Slammed a Hammer Time and Mother Shot and headed to the start.
Paul P. (who won!) had warned of the terrain, a bland light green hillside dotted with clearings and a control basically on every worthy feature. So I was going to be very careful with the codes.
Bang, off, up the hill, first control on some pebbles in a clearing. Spike. Done.
Rinse and repeat 17 more times.
I was on fire. The course wasn't by any means difficult, but I was doing everything right - reading ahead, sometimes even 2 controls and even venturing into the 4th column of the control descriptions at times. Exiting correctly ('cept 15, but quickly corrected). Felt really good and strong for the most of it, actually had to remind myself to go faster a couple of times. Did feel a bit wheezy and heavy chested on the climbs though.
Spy Wyatt (1 min) coming through the spectator control, try to chase him down through the 2nd part, but he was always just that bit too far ahead.
Thomas makes me go in the basement in the finish chute. Unfortunately there was a fat guy sitting on the trap door to my basement. I struggle to push him off and get down there and make the last bit count.
The first words I hear from the announcer are 'not fast enough, but 4th for now', but that's music to my ears compared to yesterdays 'Patrick Saile from New Zealand'.
It was as perfect a run as I've gotten orienteering, only a 5 sec loss too far to the left on #6. I'm trying not to speculate how I could have done had I not been sick the previous week or if I totally hadn't abandoned structured speed work in the past 2 months and just being happy with a good race.

Still a great end to the weekend of races. Really liked the arena and spectator set up today - the 'red group' seeding worked really well. I think I'm coming round to the idea of finishing a carnival on a sprint.

C • a box underneath the basement and forgot it was there 5

Sprint - Course 8 - Splits

North American Long Champs - Double Duck Flats
Unfortunately was still not better, though not as bad as the day before - around 80%.
Very, very average run. Had to be accurate to have any sort of decent time as I was basically jogging the whole way, but made around 15 minutes of mistakes - haven't done the full tally.
Real shame to be under the weather for these 2 races, the forest was generally super open and nice to run fast in, the rock detail was tricky, the randomness of the land shapes gave continual macro/micro route choices. A really top notch area.

C • 8 seconds 2

Long - Course 10 - Splits

Event: North American Orienteering Championships
 

North American Middle Distance Champs - Double Duck Flats
Awesome area, but relatively easy course.
Got sick last week after the US Champs and still feeling a bit under the weather and wasn't able to push hard. 2 small mistakes, but nothing over 30 secs.
First half of the course was in lots of detail, but the 2nd half was surprisingly bland. We had a massive leg that took us to almost the top of this hill that had heaps of rock, then we just ran around the edge of the detail to another control and then had lots of easy legs taking us to the finish. Shame. Hopefully I'll feel better for the long tomorrow.

Middle - Course 10 - Splits

THOMASS event - pre-NA Champs warm up.
I was in no state to do this, but I wanted to try and purge whatever had taken hold out of my body.
Only wanted to do half an hour, so just self handicapped myself.
Picked up 7/16 controls in the box (was meant to get them all), took myself on a scenic jaunt over and around the hill.
Jogged the final sprint section, was a bit worries about getting back first, but there were heaps of kids surging through the changeover so didn't have to worry about that.
Really fun format, the mass start with everyone aged from 8-88, I could see it fitting in well as one of the mid week races post Schools Champs during the Aus Champs carnival.