Training Log Archive: Duncan

Round Severn Gorge Coalport Jackfield Silkin Way then exploring Madeley Woodside and Madeley.

Fun, hard hard work. Couldn't stick with it (Spongy) to 5 and after there just tried to keep pace with Elky without ever realing him in. Tired to 11 but thankfully had a shorter gaffle at 12/13/14. Dead round the last few controls getting overtaken by those very fast Scottish juniors and Tom Horton.

Planned to run hard all the first part and see what happened at the end. Didn't do the model map. Alright to 1, 2. Didn't 'get on with it' to 3 but did for most of the rest of the course. Was unsure to 5. Passed my 2 minute guy on the way to 9, 13 and 26... Messed up 9, of course, being stupid. Ate jelly babies. Too much of a push over to 14. Too low to 15, grr. Lost momentum to 17. Lost to Jonny C by a second on the main leg of the course but we were still a few seconds ahead of third. Heard I was 2 1/2 minutes down at the run through and Rachel said I was doing well. Carefull to 21. Went very high to 23 as I thought going round had too much screw-up potential. But I lost contact, (almost knowingly) mixed up the crossing points, and dropped in early before the big obvious spur, and then was slow to look around at my map and admit it and rectify. I should have followed that nice wall. Just spotted a couple of people leaving it ahead as I finally approached it so pushed on in the next leg to catch them up, also found Spongy to my left and followed him in and onto the back of Simonin and the other guy. Just followed from there really. Prob should have dropped down to 26. Bit scrappy there and 27. Tired on 28. More following to 29. Mid way through Spongy let out a decent fart and some seconds later, a bit before 21, he slowed, put his hands on his trousers, and looked behind him. I didn't stay for for the squat. Simonin nailed the control. I should have nailed 30 across the marsh to get ahead but didn't put things together fast enough at the end. Hard work going slowly up the hill to finish. A good and not so good race.

Didn't have too many aims other than to not run very far at all (mainly in the woods) without knowing where you are or where you're going. Found 1 and 2 very weird with distance and vegetation but just got there on bearings - not sure how to get into the map quicker - maybe look around the start box more with the start box map. 3 almost got stuck on the wrong side of the wall, 4 poor bearing towards the wall corner, and wiggled out of it - all without a full plan for the leg decided before embarking on it... Trust bearings maybe more to run at 5 confidently. Caught Lewis in the open. Very slow and careful to, 9, 10, 11, and like some later controls didn't have a great visualisation of the control circle... Alright to 13. Without those clear pictures I aimed off a lot and expected to see the control at somepoint if I checked which side of the feature it was supposed to be on - but should read the full control description to understand a bit more. Bit slow to 17. 19 biggest mistake at the end of the leg, wasn't sure when I or how far past the longest spur I was so just kept going and turned around and down when I saw the wall/start... Also was v. unconfident in my route choice (down and up) early in the leg and so kept stopping... But good physical effort climbing up to it. Wasn't really sure what was happening on 20 or 21. Hadn't checked the finish really so was a little confused by the tapes before the bridge.

Another decent result with hesitations that paid off and was punished when I didn't hesitate. With a mistake free run using that technique can't cut much time off here and just need to improve as an orienteer. Those elite guys are good. My best orienteering in tricky terrain since JWOC. Would have liked to have been a minute quicker near Kris and Spongy.

Event: Jan Kjellstrom International Festival of Orienteering 2015
 

First good result of the weekend. Doing lots of urban training has clearly secretly paid off. The two starters in front of me went different ways so I clearly just had to do my own thing - and should do most of the time. Was definitely cured of indecision, apart from a little on 6 when I thought it was a good idea to follow the guy I had caught in front, it wasn't - if you've caught them, why would it be a good ideas to follow them!? So even though I was making choices fast often they weren't the best ones (6, 16?, 23), I guess the best guys chose the best route while not hesitating. Need to improve on that - I was often choosing 'straighter' routes which were close to the line but much more wiggly - need to be confident that removing turns and navigation is quicker - cos I still think the best guys take the shortest route?

Choice if shoe (f-lite) was okay. My geeking hadn't revealed that you could jump the end of the fence on the twisty ramp to #18 costing me a few seconds which would have put me ahead of Jamie and Baptiste! Grr. Didn't thumb our keep my map orientated very well through the spectator and so had to stop for a few long seconds to sort it - don't get distracted by the loudspeaker telling you you are 10s down. Running speed was generally good apart from maybe 12 and 16, not sure how I lost 5s on 22. Beforehand didn't know if the green was OOB or not so went round leaving 4 and my uncertainty led to unfocusedness so wiggled between buildings to 5. And went to the path conservatively early at 13 - make sure you know beforehand.

C • That shade of green is alwa... 3

Walk round the Ercall with Abi.

Most of Course 1 from Saturday. Need to decide faster, and run faster.