Training Log Archive: boyle

Three days of driving, racing and driving signficantly weakened my immune system.

I'm breaking in new shoes.

NAOC
Long classic distance
Klondike State Forest NY

Oh what could have been!

Of the 35 runners in my age group, I was the only one who missed a punch. The first few controls were fast compass runs through fast woods. On leg 4, I prepared for precision compass bearing but approaching target circle I was distracted by control from another course. Of course, in hindsight I should have reversed from #3 and ran the trails as I would eventually be doing. By legs 6 and 7 I was back up to speed.

From #7, I hit the trails, studied the many man-made features (trails and boundary signs) which I could use to significantly improve the rest of my race. Passing #10 and #9 en route to #8, I realised I was catching peers and I began to fantasize about a podium finish. In five legs, I moved up seven positions. Legs 9 and 10 were 8th and 4th fastest in the age group, respectively. I didn't know that at the time but I felt it.

So I decided to risk it all, plan the trail runs and run hard. From #11, the plan was SE to trail and boundary signs straight to #12 and then bounce off the trail system for the rest of the race. Approaching #11, I left trail early on the huge reentrant through very fast woods. However (in hindsight - again with the hindsight), I should have stayed on the trail to gain confidence of the exact placing of the signed park boundary and then backward to #11.

Because I didn't ever see the actual boundary beyond #11, I drifted far S and found myself lost in a maze of old logging roads, some mapped and some not mapped. We had been warned of such confusion in the course notes. My dream race seemed to have ended.

After an hour of relocating, I began visiting control 225 when I was actually seeking 217. With the clock running out, I eventually convinced myself that my description sheet was wrong. I punched 217 and went on with legs 13, 14 and 15 (slowly, as I was pretty tired) and those controls were exactly as expected.

Finding any kind of motivation, I convinced myself that I was right and control sheet was wrong and the officials would wipe out leg 12 and I better get my butt moving on the final controls in case it acually matters.

By now, the forest was emptying and volunteers were cleaning up water stations etc. My last six legs were probably as fast as the top twenty runners. However, my missed punch was a missed punch.

If I had run trails in leg 4 and if the boundary in leg 12 had been as visible as the boundary in leg 9, I would have been competitive.

I made the right decision. The risk was great. The reward was great.

This was a POOR performance. But I did complete the course. The map was so overwhelmed with contour lines that I spent the end of most legs desperately circling for a contour-based control. I won't blame the non-stop rain, the long drive, the lack of sleep or the lack of warming up. I simply orienteered badly.

NAOC
Middle distance
Salmon River Fish Hatchery NY
course 8
37.9%
54/57
31/33

I'm now wondering if there are occassions when a DNF or MP would be better than published results.

In hindsight, I should have used precision compass work to overcome all the contours. Each time I considered taking a precision bearing, I'd think things were getting better. They weren't.

According to WinSplits, I blew only six of the seventeen legs. At no time was I running better than 29th position in the age group. It will be an interesting exercise when I put my route choices on RouteGadget and put my comments to my splits.

Red Y Middle Distance - Splits

Event: North American Championships
 

After missing out the past two years, I finally got to the sprint series finals. It was awesome fun and entertaining. It seemed to rain contiuously except while I was actually racing.

I wasn't happy with my ranking but I was very happy with my speed in the preliminary sprint. Remember that the orienteering speed is not normal distance but the distance a bird would directly fly while I'm running around and through field and forest.

I finished (age group) tenth in the preliminary. I don't understand how I also finished tenth in the three-map final in which I made many, many mistakes (yet to be documented). Perhaps there were only ten runners in my age group...haha.

Preliminary sprint
Green Lakes state park, Fayetteville NY
65.8%
63/90
10/21

According to the WinSplits Online results, I had no bad legs. Two legs were third fastest in age group.

Sprint finals
Green Lakes state park, Fayetteville NY
59.4%
69/87
12/20

According to WinSplits I had four or five bad legs.

Sprint Red/Blue Preliminary - Splits

Sprint Red/Blue Final - Splits

With a rank of 729th out of 868 men in the North American sprint series, I won't be starting too early in the series semi-final on Friday. The first ranked run first.

C • good luck! 2

I'm not surprised that the tape is already missing from high traffic spots, #3 (203) and #16 (210). However, these are such obvious features (that even I wouldn't miss them) and I will not reinstall flagging tape.

Now it's time to heal before the champs.

Lost Lucy signs have come down so I can only hope that she was found well.

Long intermediate (training course) - Splits