Training Log Archive: Anvil

Swiss O Week - Day 6

I think this says it better than I ever could


Tough week.

C • too good 4

SOW Day 5
That's more like it. Felt awful before the start and didn't hold much hope for a decent run.
Went conservatively at the beginning and as the controls ticked by I started to feel better and more like a runner again. Only 2 major mistakes, 2 mins on #4 when I overshot it down the hill and 30 secs on #18 when I ran on a perfect line to the pit, but didn't see the flag so ran across to check the nearby depression and ran back to find the same pit, this time with a stream of people running in and out of it (that I'd led into it).
A lot more fun terrain today, all open yellow and bare rock but lots of glacial complex detaily stuff. Still having trouble interpreting the Swiss style of mapping.

Quickroute

SOW Day 4.
Meh. Liked the start and the finish, but could have done without the middle section involving a long (~25mins) side hill/gradual climb slog followed by trying to find point features on an otherwise featureless, super steep hillside.
One huge error at #2, where I managed to descend 18 contours on a leg that required you to descend zero.
A few hesitations after that on the downhill legs as I didn't want to do that again. Had nothing in the tank on the final trivial legs back to the finish.
However, it was still Switzerland and all sorts of pretty. The first legs above the tree line in the heather and rocks were especially epic.

SOW Day 3 - Vorab
The super high day, ~2500m and next to a glacier.
Super complex stuff, course was like 2.5 middles in a row. I did the first 1.5 really well, with only a few hesitations around #5 and #6 where there were a million flags and had to continually assure myself they weren't mine.
Second half fell apart spectacularly, losing extensive time on 4 controls - including a disgraceful, run to the flag, check code, not mine, run to another flags, rinse, repeat towards the end. Had a lot of trouble interpreting the mapping in places - especially the rock features and the transitions between the different shades of grey/orange/yellow screening.
However, I had a ball - defo my fave day so far. Taking the final gondola (of 4) up to the start took you over the race area, so you could see everyone doing the whole race. Sweet as weather as well, fourth day in a row!

C • Wow 1

SOW Day 2 - Crap Sogn Gion
The epic day.
After a lovely gondola ride to the assembly area, we dropped 200m on the walk to the start and the first leg involved dropping another 80m or so. Awesome.
This race was always going to be about survival, with the plan being go slow early and being cautious to minimise mistakes to prevent staying out forever.
Did the former well, but not the latter. Was planning and executing routes well, but being majorly sloppy in the circle - I guess this is what I get from letting o specific training slip in recent months. None of the controls were particularly difficult today and the nav should have been a cake walk for me.
However, after the final brutal slog up to #18 I was super stoked that I'd got though the course (unlike other Pissweak Aussies) and was still feeling strong on the final couple of legs to run hard(ish).
Then I discover I'd mispunched on #7. Absolutely gutted - I've mpd before and it's not bothered me, but this one really hurt.

C • Comment 3

SOW Day 1 - La Mutta
OK race. Clean in the early 1:5000 blow up and clean for the first half except for a minute or 2 at #9 due to a parallel error. Bonked at #15 with about 20% to go, slowed a lot and made about 5 mins of errors on #19 and #20 - should have taken a gel.
Some epic climbs, awesome views and sexy terrain - lots of fun. Placing a little depressing, but timewise I'm closer than i thought I'd be.