Training Log Archive: Ricka

Long course as 3rd event, 4th run, in 3 days - Maintain focus and some pace was major goal. Legs felt better than expected - minimal climb really helped. Only bad error was 5-6 - wandered into dark green (ouch!) and took 5-6 minutes to get out of it to field well north - 2 more minutes to get back on line. Lost time on 7, 8, 9, but stayed in contact with map and relocated well. Curiously, I used #9 to attack 1 and later used #1 to attack 9. Smoother finish. Ran second half of course of and on with Paul Clattebuck and CAOC junior. This usually causes me to 'run away' and make errors - not today.

Excellent course - lots of route choice and most of green could be avoided. Very well-mapped.

2nd on M55; 6th on course both days. Tough courses for lots of us.

Just enough to get heart pumping - knew that course would warm me up very quickly.

Long (Green) - Splits

Event: Big Blues Ramble 2007
 

Middle course. Very flat terrain was very intimidating. Big error at 4 - thought I had a good attack point, but veered well right, down to bay - confused. Onto correct peninsula, still confused. Found it. Rest of course was cautious,with truly good luck at 5, 7, and 9. Twice was relying solely on light trail; missed it - should have been reading other features as well. Read dry blue areas rather well. Okay result (3 sec off 1st in M55) - tough for most.

My best sprint ever - on same terrain as AM mediocrity. Point and run worked well; but did make several minor effective route choices. Ran Yellow 2-3 and 4-5 - where looking ahead to rest of course really helped build confidence and flow later. Admittedly, lots of people on single course did help pace and confidence.

Warm-up before middle.

Sprint - Splits

Model event at Blues Ramble. Probably pushed a bit harder and longer than ideal before event, but I felt I needed 'at pace' training. Ragged orienteering early, better later. Definitely helped. With map 10 years old, vegetation was thus very changed.

Reran JB Green course. 5 minutes faster than medicore run Saturday due to two large errors today. Also, I often based route choice not so much on 'optimal' but based on what I did Sat.

First, from 1 to 2, I found the unmapped trail that Mel, Herschel, Betha and others found Saturday. Got to field very confused - hard to relocate. Also, found extra gullies and rock piles along 'new' trail.

Second, from 11, I went to 14 - no idea why except 'it was close. 14 to 12 was a 'nice' leg.

C • It sounds from what you wro... 2

Then I ran old Intercollegiate Green middle course in 34 minutes. Felt clean and confident overall. I ran 6 -> 12 -> 1 -> 6. I set and vetted this course, but as I was running realized that I'd never run it.

Good training and confidence builder for Chicgo this weekend. Both Saturday and today, I had more pace and energy than expected. I love the cooler weather!