Training Log Archive: iansmith

Fishbones Stage 3. The organizers changed the race format to a mass start. I started really aggressively and faded as the race went on - I just didn't have enough stamina to keep up the pace. I was stung thrice on the legs by wasps after we apparently agitated nests at two different controls. Despite the lackluster effort, it was a fun event on a neat little map. I went swimming with the Eh Team and socialized with various folks before departing on my drive home.

A little warmup and cool down.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid

Distance traveled is an estimate; course distance was 12.9. As it was a WRE, I could not wear my trusty IOF-approved Garmin 405 with its broken screen. In two words: glacial and confused. My race was an unmitigated disaster; I was lethargic and count 23 minutes of errors. Ebone would have run under two hours easily. The only silver lining is that everyone else also struggled; Damien won in 2:15, and Ethan was insultingly close to my time at 2:34. I finished in fourth overall and beat a few people I didn't expect to. There were moment of good execution, planning, and even a little hustle. Nevertheless, it was a tough day. Orienteering is more fun when you're fast and good.

C • Insultingly Close 6

Long C10 - Splits

Fishbones Farsta in Prince Edward Island. The race was a one-man relay with three forked loops. I felt strong through the first loop, but was unresponsive to my efforts to push hard during the second. It was fun, and I enjoyed the atmosphere, but my effort was lackluster. I made good decisions during the start of the first loop - an area in which I have needed improvement during other mass start races. I didn't really do a proper cool down; I will amend this in the future.

Jogging and some drills to warm up.

Warmup on the track in the quarantine.

Canadian Orienteering Championships M21 sprint at the University of Prince Edward Island. I was not happy with my physical performance; I was lethargic and lacking power. Much more tragically, I skipped control 7 - I ran right by it. I was reading ahead to 9, which looked a little tricky, and my execution to 7 made 8 almost collinear. A disastrous mental mistake; I don't usually make these sorts of errors. A frustrating MP. The sprint was very much a runner's course; while the campus was replete with detail, the course could generally be simplified to negotiating buildings and occasional uncrossable features. I made a dumb 15s mistake on 17 when I missed a stair and ran around on a ramp. I also had about 15s of hesitation to 22 when I misread it as being inside a fence bend rather than outside. I'll upload the map when I return to Bostonburg.

I donated blood last week, and I wonder how much that has affected my aerobic capacity.

It was great to see all my Canuck friends.

C • Blood 8

For a cool down, I ran back the start and jogged the course through control 10, trying to recreate what was in my thought process and how I can avoid errors like the one I made today. I recalled that some fundamental sprint techniques - like folding my map for the next leg before reaching the control, and smooth entrances and exits - were lacking. There is much to be improved.

After some fish and chips at Brit's Fish and Chips, I went to the beach with a merry band of Canucks and the British lad Ben. We spent most of our time tossing a frisbee around in the surf, and had many glorious dives in pursuit of unreachable tosses.

Sprint C5 - Splits