Training Log Archive: nmulder

Santo Andre & Santa Cruz
1:15'000 5m
M40

Day 2 of POM, long distance on 1:15 map. Easy fast area, with a long leg where there was an obvious track on the left to #8. I took that but still got 3rd fastest split, so everyone else must have tried to run more straight. Otherwise managed to win the split to #5, the only really technical low vis control of the day. 30s mistake going to #4 as well when I lost compass direction and had to come back 50m to a stream crossing. Got tired towards the end, with mistakes to 11,12,13 and 16.

Thought I'd be lucky for a top 10 or so given the fast terrain and good visibility, so very surprised to finish 5th again. Looks like a lot of the competition burnt out with the long distance. Winner was Jani Lakinen a long way ahead, 1:03:41, winning all but 2 splits.

Day 1 of POM 2020 in Portugal, an urban middle distance race instead of the normal forest races.

Santiago do Cacem
1:4'000 5m
M40

Had a late start batch, which was a bit of a waste given the area was urban. Good fast start. Bit of a hill up to the castle at #8 but I kept the tempo going up it. First mistake to #9 where I pulled up short and lost about 25s. Still flustered at #10 and made a 15s mistake on exit, not reading the gap leaving the castle. Then better through the old town. Started getting tired on the last couple of kms and the speed dropped, but my splits were still decent positions at least, looking strongest on the hills. Biggest mistake was at #22 where I ran straight past the control without thinking, looking for it only 40m later, so 30s lost.

Finished 5th place in M40 in a field of 35 runners, winner was 34:13.

First sprint race of POM, the Night Sprint.

Vila Nova de Santo Andre
1:4'000 2.5m
M40

Night sprint race in a modern urban town, another late start at the back of the field. Ran with my Petzl Ultra. Some very intense areas, especially at speed. Had a good start with no mistakes throughout the course. Ran with another guy from 12 to 18 which really helped with the speed.

Total time loss is <10s, and finished 4th, only 30s behind Jani Lakinen. Winner (Aleksandr Simanov, RUS) was 18:02. Possibly one of my best ever sprint results.

Model event for Portual O-Meeting (POM) 2020 near Santiago de Cacem in the Alentejo region, south-central Portugal.

Relvas Verdes
1:10'000 5m

Nice training in the undulating oak forests of the Alentejo region. Left it late in the day, so the last 1/2 of the controls had already been collected, but I could still see the tracking going into and out of the sites. Intended to only do 1 hour, but ended up running longer to get all but 1 of the controls. Felt very comfortable running.

Flew into Lisbon from Zurich for the Portugal O-Meeting.

Flew to Switzerland.

Transiton, including loading the bikes onto the car and walking down to the put-in.

Started at 06h25, so 25 mins after river opened. Paddled with Darren behind me. We were quite a bit faster than the other boat so not too hard a day.

River was going at under 150 cumecs on a guess, so very easy, with maybe only 3 rapids in total. Stupidly we hit the biggest one (the rock gate at 12k) straight in the middle and got caught in the 2 whirlpools, so taking a swim (5-6 mins lost). Managed to read the sandbanks quite well in the lower section of the river, so never got caught out there.

CP	2020	2019	2016	2015	2012	2011	2007	2006	2005
Partner	Darren	Tracey	Alex	Mac	-	-	-	-	-
Cumecs	146	448	206	182	74	1316	25*	437	139
Hot Springs	2h10	1h55	2h08	2h05	2h31	1h44	3h04	???	???
Aliwal North	5h00	3h59	4h59	4h47	5h44	3h47	n/a	4h05	4h56

Edit: Went and found correct data at http://www.dwa.gov.za/Hydrology/Verified/HyDataSet...
* No data, so guestimate

C • Great consistency! 2