Training Log Archive: KathrynB

Travelled to Oslo this morning after a total of about 0 hours sleep last night, so the hour on the plane is all I was going off...
Anyway easy from Kasper's up to explore Holmenkollen Ski Jump and around some trails. So crazy steep everywhere

C • Sleep 2

---> Stockholm. 11h boat journey

Fin5 - Day 5 - Long(2)
Chasing start, and thanks to Day 3 being voided, I was back in, and started 3 mins beiphind Laura.
Found out in the start boxes the course was 6.7km with only 7 controls, and the last two controls were in 200m of the finish, so essentially 6.5km with 5 controls... so was expecting to pick up the map and be greeted wi some monster legs. I wasn't disappointed...!
Seemed to take a pretty good routechoice to 1, met some other girls who ended up getting a bit away (I made a small mistake in the middle of the leg), but then caught them again by the control. Also surprised to see Laura here. I had already planned my routechoice to 2, so started heading off on that direction despite all the others going different. Mainly because I really really didn't want to be running in a train this early on in the race. But also because I backed myself ;) anyway, probably not the best routechoice (didn't see the one to the left), but fine anyway. Couple of shorter controls where I kept seeing loads of other girls but avoided them and kept doing my own thing and succeeding. Bit the bullet with 2 long legs to go and decided to man up and form a train as I was very much dying and needed a bit of motivation. Drove it for a while into 5, but then doubted myself just outside the control circle and lost about a minute (with everyone else). Caught Laura again too. Anyway now quite a big train of about 7 girls, and on the long track section coming into 6 I picked up the pace and ran off the front with 1 other girl. Pleased, and had the energy to race by the end. A lot better technique than the last few days :)

Fin5 Day 4 - Middle(2)
Pretty happy with this race. Been dissapointed with my technique in the last few forest races - making mistakes I really shouldn't be making, and just generally being slow and sloppy. Focused on really having a plan, with features to pick off as I was going, instead of just running in generally the right direction and hoping to find things (works in lots of places like Scotland, but really really not here). Anyway, really good for the first few, knew exactly where I was going. Then lost some concentration coming in to a tiny notch in a contour (apparently a re-enterant, but I wouldn't tell anyone...), so lost quite a lot of time messing around on a hillside. Then a really bad routechoice to the next control. After that I was angry with myself so actually orienteered really well - fast and smooth and always with a plan. Once again felt pretty strong.
Definitely the nicest forest of the week!! So so good

Adrenaline training with Lucas Basset in a theme park...

Fin5 Day 3 - Sprint
Basically this day ended up being voided for us because they started D18E at the same time as D16E who was running the same course. Bad mistake by them, but good for me as I mispunched.
Was in really good control the whole way around this. Always planned ahead and knew exactly where to expect the control. 2 timelosses - didn't see I had to cut off he end of the path on no.6, so ended up hitting the road a tiny bit too far along. Then a bad routechoice to no.10 (didn't notice an uncrossable fence). Felt strong too and able to race, which was a bit surprising as this was in the evening after a day supporting JWOC athletes.
Mispunched the second last control in the park, just got the wrong tree next to the wrong path - actually quite easy to do. Especially at the end when I just wanted to be finished. Really good fun sprint anyway

Fin5 - Long(1)
Easy 1 and 2 gave me nice confidence and allowed me to get into the map, and my rhythm. Really hesitant on 3 because of more bad vegetation, but hit the OOB field which gave me a really nice AP. Big time loss on 9 as I was just really poor and didn't pay attention from my AP to the control. 14 was just pushing through thick, young trees which pushed me offline and I ended up too low on the slope (2mins).
Other than this, I was just pretty hesitant throughout as I desperately didn't want to lose contact as I was struggling to relocate. Also got pretty hungry so was struggling.
I recon the skill in the next few races will just be knowing when I can run and when I really need to slow down and stay focused. Also need to make a good plan with features I can pick off while running instead of constantly map reading. Good fun though, and good to support the guys in JWOC afterwards

Fin5 - Middle(1)
Pretty grotty terrain, yet still quite runnable. Felt pretty strong, but unfortunately for once in my life I think I can say my running was too fast for my navigation...
Pretty difficult navigation right from the start meant I kept having to micro-relocate just to stay in touch. Nothing much to go off on no.2 (vegetation was really dodgy), so lost a lot of time (9mins - did 64.48min/km......). Just had no idea what was happening as everything looked the same, and couldn't relocate. Another time loss on no.4 (2mins) as I got distracted by another control and once again everything looked so similar.
Basically just struggled to find the balance between map contact and running speed.
Everything else pretty good, just a couple of big mistakes meant I was far behind. Credit to these Fins who can manage this terrain so well

Event: Fin5 and JWOC
 

Met Laura. Travelled to Tampere. Good to be back in Scandi