Training Log Archive: Canadian

We went back to the Ansonia map from Saturday to give Emily a chance to run the middle race. I ran the first and end sections of a race Boris had maps for really focusing on compass bearing and then completely figuring out the control circle. It went well but super slow.

Eric, Emily, Carol, and I went up to Paugussett (sp?) to run some 1km, 5 control loops, that Boris gave us. The terrain was the most technical I've run in and it was tricky without flags.

I started with loop C and it went decently but quite slow - to be expected given the terrain though I guess

Loop A: This loop was a little bit faster but I ended up running this loop with Carol and Eric so that helped the speed and made some of the orienteering within the control circle a little smoother. Still slow of course.

Loop B:
This last loop was really nice and there were some sections where one could actually open up and put on some decent speed. It became very important to really really slow down in the control circle and precision orienteer.

Really good really fun training. Thanks Boris!

C • Welcome 1

This was really quite fast down the hill where we could let ourselves go.

stretching after the excercise

Short warm-up consisting mostly of dynamic stretching

Finally a decent race.

I'm sitting in a library right now between trainings so will add details later. I seriously plan on doing a detailed analysis of this race.

Here's a start:

I didn't do a huge warm up because I knew it was going to be a long race and that I didn't want to go out to fast. (I find I go out faster after a better warm up) I got confused as to which trail I was on at the start so cut off north east on a compass bearing, ended up fairly far off track, and took a non-optimal route choice to the first control. I think I lost a little over 2 minutes on that route choice but I executed it quite well and had absolutely no problems finding the control.

I went out on a compass bearing checking off features (mostly rock walls) on my way to the second control. I got dragged off course somewhere though and relocated at the top of the hill by the corner of a rock wall. Blasted straight to 3 then was able to take the first half of the leg to 4 nice and fast, slowing down and orienteering carefully (and well :)) on the last bit of the leg. 5 and 6 were good controls, orienteered well and maintained decent speed.

Then I got it into my head that there was a big hill after a swamp that I should go somewhat south of and take the trails that wind 'around' the hill. I don't know what I was thinking because the trails end up going pretty much completely over the hill as well and I were super confusing to follow. anyway, I orienteered super slowly on this leg once I got to the trails so as not to get completely lost and lost several minutes on that leg.
8 was a fairly easy matter of following a ridge to a large marsh and then finding the right cliff. 9 should have been very straight forward. There was an obvious stream that lead right past the control but I didn't see it. All I noticed when I looked at that leg at 8 was a huge cliff about 60 m before the control which I used as an attackpoint. The problem was that the cliff was actually 2 cliffs and I went between them thinking I was going around. I lost 3 1/2 minutes or so there when I couldn't reorient very well.

Controls 10 and a 11 were fairly straight forward as long as you were really careful in the green around the control.

Leg 12 was long and I think I had quite a good route choice on that. I'm very pleased with how I ran it.

Blue2 Day 2: Long - Splits

M-21+ Day 2: Long: Blue combined - Splits

Event: WCOC / US Team A-Meet/WRE
 

brutal race, like last weekend I just couldn't get my head in the game. I'm annoyed at myself because I know I can run these kinds of course quite well if only I could get myself to concetrate the way I need to. I should be making these kinds of mistakes...
Anyway, enough ranting... I'll try and remember to post a proper race analysis in a couple of days.

C • focus 1

the time here is an estimate... I waited around with Boris and Ross and some others to help pick up controls and then we all went over to Boris and Kat's place for a bbq and fun and games. Good times all around

Blue Day 1: Middle - Splits

14:46 - 3000 - warm up
- stretching and break
2:56 - 800
3:31 - jog back to start of interval through the woods
2:57 - 800
3:46 - half walked / half jogged back to the start
2:58 - 800
3:41 - back to start
2:57 - 800
3:28 - back to start
2:51 - 800 really pushed it on the last 200m
1:12 - rest
11:43 - 2400 - cool down

bits of stretching with warm up and cool down

the various bits of running back to the start of the 800 m interval

Course 1 at the welcome meet as a bit of a warm up

Course 2

Course 6 racing against backwards against Robbie - he beat me by about a minute