Training Log Archive: Clara

Got up ridiculously early to go sightseeing. Went to the Blue Mosque and was planning to go the the Bazaar in daylight but it was closed. Went to Asia again. I think we may have looked like tourists. Lunch = fresh fish roll from the Golden Horn.

First time orienteering has been held on Heybeliada (one of the Prince's Islands). Also my first orienteering event in Asia. It was the event of exceptional views: the massive Turkish flag in the saddle on the way to 3, the random horses wandering in the forest, the beautiful harbour, the peninsular bit with a control and a local just sitting there watching the world go by, the phaetons dinging away as they go past (phaeton = horse and carriage, there are no cars on the island, exlicitly forbidden for orienteers to use them while on the course). The o involved a lot of track running, went ok except for running straight past the control at the end of the long leg, thinking I had to go down a set of stairs.

Recovery swim in the Sea of Mamara afterwards.

BOAT PARTY!!! Hehe, had birthday cake with 350 orienteers on a boat cruising up the Bosphorus. Not bad. Party was awesome, only problem was that it ended too early. Went for a multicultural night out afterwards with the Irish, Norwegian, a few random Finns, Swiss, Israeli and a few Turks to round it off. The -2 minute man from the orienteering was playing guitar in the band. VERY fun :)

Probably going to be a while before I come 5th in a WRE again. Didn't really have a clean run, not sure how I manage to beat people. Did a Simon Uppill and almost ran off without my map. Overran 1 (which was practically touching the start triangle). Lots of short legs for the whole course. Left the track too late for 7 trying to avoid green, but ended up getting stuck in the green anyway. Too far right on 18 and followed some old men into a different control. Nice long track run in to the finish, pretty buggered but trying to salvage WRE points! Got sung happy birthday by the commentator at the finish.

C • awww 2

C • Happy Birthday 2

Bus back to town broke down. Not quite as exciting as the Irish people's ride. One got back late so they had the last bus to themselves. Clearly the bus driver had somewhere else he had to be, so spent half the trip yelling at taxis trying to negotiate a fare to get rid of his passengers. Finally found a suitable one, who apparently drove just like in a car chase in the movies.

Went and saw Topkapi Palace. Left when it closed, would have fallen asleep anyway otherwise. Bit worried that my start time for tonight is 11.11, when I was in bed by 11 last night... Birthday dinner = Durum kebab roll while speaking German with a Norwegian in Turkey. Quite standard really.

Re. the discussion about event centre atmosphere. Hold the event in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar at night, with disco music pumping, flags everywhere, spectator control and you can be sure of a good mood. Tried to get into the Bazaar by the wrong entrance and got escorted to the right one by 2 little Turkish boys whose English extended to 'I love you, I love you'.

The course itself: lost ridiculous amounts of time on almost all the green controls (green = upstairs). Went up the wrong set of stairs to one and found some man sitting in a little room having a smoke. Then thought the stairs started in a different place for the next green one. Went up a flight of stairs too many for the next one. Got stuck in a courtyard later on because I didn't realise how the levels were mapped. But all the downstairs controls were good.

Amazing event, so many runners out there, tiny passageways that you couldn't pass people on, lots and lots of piles of rubbish packaging in the middle of the passageways to dodge. Very very very high speed orienteering, could have run fast if a) hadn't already run 3 races and b) didn't have to navigate. Didn't stop to buy a carpet. Fantastic event. Looked at my watch a few minutes after I finished and had 11hrs 58mins until the next race.

Day 2. Glad it was shorter, wasn't quite as steep either, same area of forest. First starter, was a bit worried about dogs but they all seem to be friendly here. DIdn't actually see any on the course. Had to wake up the first few controls. Didn't pick the best route to 5 and lost a bit of time, then lost heaps of time on 6. Went waaay too far up the gully. The Finn (?) followed me, and someone else did the same thing too. Lost a little bit of time in the loop at the end.

Did the Aya Sofya in the arvo. Iskender kebab for dinner.

Event: Istanbul 5 Days
 

Looong and hilly. Turkish botany lesson: if it's growing here, chances are it has thorns/prickles/spikes. The worst ones were the prickly vines that don't break. Navigation wasn't too bad at the start, map was basically spur gully, lots of tracks. Probably went the wrong way around a lake to 4, meant I had to concentrate more. Took the 'slide down slope on bum' option, rather than the 'hurty prickly bushes' option. Lost a lot of time on 12 towards the end, wasn't concentrating. Can't remember making too many other mistakes, just must have been slow.

Adopted myself out to Team Ireland + Norway this trip.

Today was Turkey's 85th birthday. Saw the celebrations from Taksim Square at night with a pretty speccy fireworks display. Soooo many Turkish flags on all of the building. Saw heaps of picnic tables in the forest on the way to the event, couldn't understand how they needed so many, but on the way back they were all full of families having public holiday picnics. Shish kebab for dinner.

Made it to Istanbul! Had a stroke of luck with a taxi driver...didn't fear for my life at any stage after hearing stories about Turkish driving. Although indicators and speed limits are clearly not obligatory. He did however have to stop for directions.

I think I came 13th last night. Lucky :)