Training Log Archive: Georgia

I am sick. blugh

Run with the usual wednesday crew, up worsleys around the top and down dyers pass road. A little too much road running on this route for my liking. Feeling ok on the way up but legs started really hurting on the way down.

What better way to spend a lab free afternoon than this? Such a nice winters day so mark, alex and I rode up rapaki then around single tracks a bit and down dyers. Just did some some much needed maintenance on the bike, felt sooo much better. Lots of mtb this semester I think.

Went for a jog with dad on the port hills. Lovely evening.

I am now home, and have been dominated by jetlag, so I am writing my attackpoint at 6am.

Reflections on JWOC:
Will start with the positives.
I was physically prepared for the races, I never felt like my fitness level slowed me down and when I caught or was caught be other runners I was easily able to stay with them and out do most on the hills.
When I ran well (ie the middle qual and parts of the long and sprint) I was running how I normally do in NZ. Orinteering is not hard if you just read the map and are able to keep up the concentration.
In all the races I never felt like getting a top result was impossible, last year I felt I would never be good enough to do well, this year it could of happened. I think I was good enough I just didnt bust it out on the day.

Why I didnt do as well as I think I could have:
Lack of big race experiance/pressure - NOTHING freaks me out like jwoc does, i know it shouldnt but it did. I got nervous and by the time I started racing most days I was already mentally fatigued and felt I had run the course over and over. I dont know how to improve on this, maybe I somehow need to make nz races more stressful/important in my mind.
If I go to europe to race again there is no way I would only race jwoc. Not because of money, time etc, but because I think it puts even more pressure on me to race well at jwoc. Other european races before or after jwoc would give me a chance to get rid of a few pre race jitters and also leave me feeling a bit more positive about the whole trip I think.

And now I have to decide what I want to do with orienteering. During JWOC week I completely understood why lots of people stop orienteering after jwoc. It hurts when you cant race the way you want to. An amazing trip though overall, great jwoc, atmosphere, team and surroundings!

Anyway all of this is just half asleep ramblings and should not be read too much into.

C • nervousness 1

JWOC relay.

Ran second for our first team. Average run. Physically felt the best I had all week (??) but wasn't clean.

JWOC middle final.

Was a bit of a nervous mess today even though I know that I orienteer best when Im just out there to enjoy it, it was impossible not to feel a little intimidated at the start!

Really cool terrain today, but I was not running cleanly, I think my nerves did affect me in the end. Messed up 2 pretty badly even though I was not far off from the control. Needed to have more confidence in myself when I relocated. Rolled my ankle through the spectator so probably lost another minute around the last loop due to that. Again a bit gutted. This sport is cruel.

On later reflection decided not to be too hard on myself, if I had run like this in NZ I probably would have won, been happy and not thought twice about the mistakes I made.

C • like in NZ 1

JWOC middle qual.

Good race today. Very happy with the way I orienteered. Was in control most of the time. A few small mistakes but corrected them quickly. Strangest thing about this course was the enormous track run to the start triangle along a road. I had half my course planned before I got to the start. I think this really contributed to how easy I found the navigation today.

12th qualifier in my heat for the A final!

JWOC long.

Very dissapointed with how I ran today. I know better and should have run better. Lost it all on one control when I listened to the Hungarian I was running with who directed me the wrong way. Stupid thing to do! Ran the last part of the course well. Frustrated mainly because today I could see the winners time, if I ran the way I do at home I would have had a result to be proud of but as it was I finished today feeling like all the effort I put in all year was wasted.

Bit of pep talk from Greta after the race helped me to feel a little better, refocus and be ready for the middle.

Didnt warm down because it was pissing down!

JWOC sprint.

A long morning waiting for this race to happen. I knew I shouldnt be too nervous but was.

Just wasnt running well in this sprint. Felt slow and messy but no major errors through the hard part of the course. Was some awesome small legs through the old town. Had a classic jwoc brain explosion at the start of the spectator section though. I waas reading one leg ahead on the map and could not figure out wtf was going on. So lost maybe 20sec running around like a dork.

Overall a little dissapointing. But was great to see Angela run so well!

Event: JWOC 2009
 

Walking around the long model map up at Passo Rolle. Nice terrain. Was a rather scary minivan ride up to and down from the map (1300m climb) with the italian driver talking on his cellphone around the switchbacks. Almost all the teams made an appearance today and we moved into our jwoc accomodation, a few steps up from last year!

C • Good luck 1

Relay training with the Brittish team on the relay map. Steep rocky terrain but was navigating really well, just got to go smooth and run like i know how to do.

Sprint training around primerio. These old town buildings are tricky. its going to be the smoothest orienteer that wins the sprint here i think.

Took the day off and just sat in the amazing mountain scenery reading my book while the others went training.