Training Log Archive: MJChilds

Middle Distance at Double Duck Flats. Pretty good race for a change. Had trouble on #5, crossing an unmapped trail early on, finding another control in a reentrant before mine, finding a ruin and not being able to get to my control from it (hummm), and then getting a little lucky and spotting the water jugs with the control. Lost about 2 min. Slow to #6, making sure where I was, then veered off a bit to #7, correcting thanks to seeing PG running to my left on a direct line. Almost skipped #10, seeing trail line from 9-11 as direction line at first. Hesitated on #11, expecting to see another control before the finish chute. Brain dead. Had fastest split to finish though! Just out of the money on the course, though. finally, no blunders!!!

Middle - Course 5 - Splits

Great race, but screwed up again! Another stupid, stupid mistake. This is the year of blunders for me. My handicap for the Thomass Event was 8, meaning I could skip 8 of the16 controls. I knew I had to do half of them, but somehow, at the start, I got it in my head that I had to go to 6 controls. Turned over map, quickly assessed which 6 I'd go to. Went to them on a moderately hard run. Got to map exchange early, it seemed, but thought it was because I was doing so well and had a big handicap. Picked up the pace for the sprint since it was a white course (the "short" course). Had good route choices, and was exhausted when I finished. Thought I might have been in the top 10 to finish--only little kids ahead of me and one guy.

Only when Natalia D. asked me about me control selections did I realize that I had gone to 6 and not 8.. Horror! Exasperation! What the hell, oh well. . .

My brain just doesn't work well anymore. :( At least it didn't count for anything.

Found some new glasses and a cloth strap to keep them from bouncing. At least that problem is fixed. Still have my blisters from the sand dunes running the first few days.

British Columbia is gorgeous.

Took two juniors around on the Model Map at the Sass Peepre Training Camp in Cranbrook, BC. Map: Cranbrook Town Forest. Worked with Jen and Kendra from Yukon O Club. Really nice girls, good orienteers. Great area with thin forest, grasslands, modest climb, moderate amount of rock features. Fun to orienteer in. Map made by Alar Ruutopold.

Uphill! May as well log it!

Sprint Championships at Camp S-------. Long walk uphill to start, raced all downhill. White course, essentially. But still fun. thought I was going to take first this time, but Patty came in about 20 seconds faster. Fun place. Loving Washington orienteering.

Long Distance Championships at Fishtrap Lake. Very cool place. Loved terrain--rolling prairie broken up with rocky plateaus, steep reentrants, shallow reentrants, lots of volcanic rock underfoot, a few patches of white woods, and amazing patches of wildflowers: lupine, vetch, blanket flower, pearly everlasting relative, yellow mustard?, silene?, small phlox, alliums!, and many others. Took lots of photos on the way to the start.

Orienteering: screwed up #1. Couldn't get my mental compass to orient to north. Walk to start felt like south (was east), every compass reading felt off. Tried to correct with compass but couldn't get into it. Wierd. Even the long leg, though I knew I was running west, felt like north. Lucky I didn't screw up any more than I did. Otherwise, my orienteering was reasonable good. Had a few really good legs. Looking forward to seeing winsplits.

Orange/Brown Sprint - Splits

Brown Long - Splits

U.S. Champs, Middle Distance, Moses Lake Sand Dunes. Had a discombulating start and ended up starting before I was ready, forgetting my clue sheet. Realilzed it at #1. Considered going back. Very irritated about it. Found #5 on the way to #2, finding it a hassle to open map and check code, each time. No sort term memory, so had to check codes repeatedly, unfolding map,refolding map,relocating on map. Was pretty upset on my way to #3 and totally screwed it up. Spent 20 min on a 300m leg. Felt like quitting. Temps in mid-80s! Why would they start brown runners so late? Will look forward to win-splits to see if I had the fastest time on any of the subsequent legs to soothe my wounded pride. Must avoid similar situation in the future. Enjoyed the area though. Very challenging. Hard running on the powdery volcanic ash. Interesting terrain. Would like to O here again.

Oh yeah, the blisters from the sand in my shoes is a real bummer.

Brown Middle - Splits