Training Log Archive: iansmith

After breakfast, packing, and dressing, I deposited my belongings at the PEEC and set off on a quick jaunt around the 1:15 model map. It was helpful to adjust to the scale, and I visited a handful of controls. I wonder if in hindsight, given my current fitness, it would have been wiser to eschew map calibration in favor of conserving my stamina. Clearly, the correct decision was to visit the model map either on Thursday or Friday.

C • Model 4

NAOC Long distance race. Despite a fantastic course and magnificent albeit steep terrain, my performance was very disappointing. The splits tell a coherent story: I was about 30% back throughout the course and on most legs. My orienteering, while not terrible, was unremarkable - I lost perhaps two minutes on the two long legs relative to what I was capable, but even they weren't far outliers from my trend. Physically, I was unable to race and to run fast relative to the field, and the climb was devastating. Controls like 19, which were navigationally easy but included long climbs, depleted any lingering energy reserves.

I began the course with two costly mistakes at 1 and 3. On the first, I tried to navigate using the marshes, but drifted on my compass through the vegetation and skirted the rock wall to the right. I ended up overshooting and doubling back. I refocused and had a good run to 2, but missed control three to the right. On the way to three, I slid down a spur and gashed my right hand on a sharp cliff, but the cut didn't seem serious. As I ran up the reentrant into 3, Brendan came in from my left and punched just ahead of me. I noticed him drifting right on 4, but I stuck to my plan to attack from the saddle and reached the control first. I had a decent string of controls apart from a 30s error drifting left at control 9 before the long leg at 10.

After some consideration of the leftward trail route, I decided to go nearly straight to 10. The route wasn't bad, but I think the trail would have saved me about a minute. I was pleased with my execution at 11, though it was sluggish. I just managed to spot it below me as I marched down the spur; visibility wasn't great. On the long leg to 13: again, after considering the left trail route, I elected to go straight. My execution was acceptable - I stayed in contact and labored my way over the hills and spurs; I saw Ali traveling perpendicular to my route. Unfortunately, I decided to attack 13 from the right along the edge of the marsh, which was very slow. As I was drinking, Brendan came into the control from the left. I was spurred on, and was very focused for the next four controls. I hesitated briefly deciding which was to go around the cliff to 16 and had to fight through a wall of green to get to 17, which was visible from 30-40m on a hill. Control 18 to the end were a death march; I made many little mistakes, like going over small hills when it was unnecessary. My big error was going left at 21 rather than taking the trail to the right. Brendan passed me on this leg, and at the control, I saw Greg, who started three minutes before me.

I spent the rest of the course chasing Greg down. We were both tired, so it was a pitiful sight.

Warmup before the race.

Blue Long - Splits