Training Log Archive: maprunner

Long travel day home. Uneventful until I had to drive home through the first snowfall of the year. Not in LA any more :(

2022 Nationals, Long, Red Rock Canyon Park, LAOC

I didn't sleep well and I was tired after two days of O. Surprisingly, my foot felt OK. But overall, I was not really motivated to do this course today and even considered cutting it short. But then I went out on the model and saw that it would be not so physical, so my attitude changed. And I enjoyed the course, even though it was easy to see features from far away and I just had to get to them. At my walking pace, however, I had time to enjoy the views. And grip my map so it wouldn't fly away in the strong wind!

I chose to stay high to 1, to better read the map and get the lay of the land. It was a good choice even though it probably cost me some time.

Slightly off line to 4, I think I wasn't really on the trail. AP says I lost time on 6, but that's because I stopped at 5 to eat and drink.

Leaving 6, nothing made sense and I was really confused. But I looked up ahead to larger features and kept on moving. Just before crossing the trail, I was looking at the map and suddenly took a fall. Don't know what happened. Lots of various body parts bruised, wrist and arm took it the worst. My first thought was to check if I had broken my compass!

I rushed out of 8 and din't study the route choices, so I ended up going the long way down the stream before I could cross the hill and head south. I hit the big trail and thought I had turned onto the small trail. But very soon things didn't make sense and I realized I was on another ridge. Back to the trail, and followed it to the end. I was able to run downhill here. Then slow climb down and up. Missed the control slightly, I was too low. AP says I lost more than 2 min on this leg, which surprised me. I guess all the minor errors added up.



Here is what I expected this weekend:
-slow but steady races
-challenging terrain
-great weather
-tons of fun with friends

What actually happened:
-slow and mostly steady races. Sprint was good, middle not great, long was OK.
-Loved all three areas, such variety in one weekend!
-Weather was perfect for racing and hanging around
-Tons of fun! Loved traveling with Goril, Kris and Brooke. Catching up with everyone else (Charlie, Mikell, Peter, Joe, Sidney, Susan, Sharon, Charlie, Cristina, Boris, Jan, Tom and others who I can't remember at this moment). And meeting Tian for the first time.

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Brown X - Long - Splits

2022 Nationals, Middle, Vasquez Rocks, LAOC

I ran the relay here in 2001 but have no memory of the course. I remembered the views and that's why I came out for this event.

Kris, Goril and I walked the model just before the event and that made me very cautious and nervous. Thankfully the organizers gave us a few easy controls to start, which allowed me to get into the map.

The hardest part of the course for me was sliding down the hill into 3, that was difficult for me. I had a hard time leaving 3. I just couldn't seem to follow my compass, and the terrain was not making sense. I forced myself to follow the compass and eventually felt confident again as I went along the NE edge of the large bare rock area. I did not read the contours around 4, and like many people, got pulled down to marker 55 first, then had to climb all the way up to ours (#56). I chose to go down to 5 across the bare rock and that was good footing and a wise choice.

Messed up 6. Again, couldn't quite follow the contours and was surprised when I reached the top of a hill. Should have stopped and looked around, but instead I went down to the long cliff west of the control, and then had to come back up.

Goril and Peter had punched 6 just ahead of me, so I tried to keep them in sight on the way to 7, and I ran down the hill a little bit. That was the only time I ran today.

I got tired and started getting sloppy in the control circle. Missed 9-10-11-finish slightly.

Overall, I was not pleased with my navigation today. And my foot did not like the contouring and rough ground, it was hurting. But I loved the scenery and the venue for hanging out and catching up with friends. Great conversations.

Brown - Middle - Splits

Event: LAOC: Orienteering USA Nationals
 

2022 Nationals, Sprint, Pierce College, LAOC

I wasn't sure how much fun it would be to walk a sprint, but I had fun today. I even tried jogging three times, about 100m each time. Foot felt fine!

I had no problem with 2. I saw that it would either be the top or bottom of stairs, so I just looked for a staircase.
I did not read the control description for 8, so I got caught up top
I could not tell if I could get through the fences from 10 to 11 because the course printing obscured the detail, but I decided to risk it and it paid off.

AP says the only time I lost was in the finish chute, LOL

Brown - Sprint - Splits

On my way to Nationals this weekend. What I expect:
-slow but steady races
-challenging terrain
-great weather
-tons of fun with friends

Ride with Mike on a warm and windy day. Some topics of conversation: election results, Possum Trot, signs that we're getting old.

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