Training Log Archive: Becks

Event: WCOC - Sessions Woods
 

Yey! The orienteering thing! George planned a really fun course at Sessions Woods, making the most of the fun and interesting bit by interspersing path runs with short technical pick sections. Lungs felt better than they have done previously, legs a bit tired uphill but it was really fun. Analysis later as I had to hand in my map, as loads of people turned up. Yey!

DOMA is down for now, so here's the map:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/faintgirl/6114771114/...

Set off dead confident to 1, but then I hit the col and the control wasn't where I expected. Head scratched for a bit and then found it, but a good few seconds lost there.

2, 3 and 4 were all spiky goodness. 5 I stopped way too short, in fact, I had to stop myself from doing this again at multiple times in the course. Confidence? Just running too slow?!

6-16 navigating really well, good flow, but tired on the uphill bits of the tracks.


17 was my biggest error. I took the water I could see as the marsh, and it wasn't, the whole area was just soggy. Ended up drifting too far to the left, thought I might have gone over the bobbly hill but wasn't sure, just kind of carried on, then I saw no trees ahead, and realised that was the small pond. Corrected and found the control pretty quickly after that. My compass is not good in the thicker stuff, need to work on that.

20 was further to the right than I expected it to be - came off the hill pointing straight at it and it wasn't there. A bit of confused looking around and I spotted the control way further than I expected.

23 bobble not an error as such, but that looked to be the path of least resistance through the green.


All in all not bad, planning ahead well and attacking in the right places. But it would be nice to feel springy instead of whatever my legs were today!

Red - Splits

A highly inaccurate timing for taping the controls at Tarrywile, kept forgetting to restart my watch and didn't stop it every time I stopped. I felt crappy out there. My legs feel strong and springy by my lungs are not right. I don't know whether it's allergies or illness, but at least going home next week will enable me to determine which of the two it is. Slightly refined my courses, got a bit stuck in some brash trying to cut from full TD courses across to where the kiddies ones went, and saw a ton of seriously cute deer. Really enjoyed the control picky legs on top of hills, physically felt better on those and was navigating well. I should have taken water.

Also, there was a car in the middle of the forest, miles from a road, and up a very rocky path. It was a very old car, so maybe the trail used to be bigger. Whoever drove it up there had some guts!

C • so 4

Jog to Science Hill and then an adaptation of Graeme's sprint course, just missing out going inside the Divinity School, as I've done that a bajillion times. Mentally okay, but need to be planning further ahead, physically, I feel about 60. It feels like lungs rather than legs, which is not a problem I've had before. Surprisingly tricky course with lots of stairs. Wobbled a bit physically on 6 and took the wrong route choice for 9, having to climb some extra stairs.

QR on my DOMA (Cristina rocks!)

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Obviously didn't screw up like that at 10, the track bears no relevance to the ground there at all - too low down.

C • nice course 5

Event: World Police and Firefighter Games Orienteering Event
 

I have no idea why, but today I am thoroughly pooped. Lots of time on my feet at work I guess.

Incredibly convoluted plans for going home part two complete! Visa pick up booked, trains booked. Now I just have to make sure I get up at 5am the day after a wedding to be on a train to Aberdeen for Deeside training fun with FVO! :s

It'll be great to see people, but it'll also be great to get to Duirinish and not have to do anything for a week afterwards :)

C • Can I come? 3

Last day at 27 minutes. Was back to humid again and it didn't feel particularly good. Legs are tight. The first two weeks are always the worst though.

Bleurgh, felt like rubbish this morning! Only had one cocktail at girlie drinks yesterday, but that seems to be enough these days. Tired legs and tired me. Probably ten hours on my feet didn't help yesterday.

So where is everyone going? New Hampshire or Ottawa?

C • NH vs. Ottawa 33

Up to a whole 27 minutes now. Feeling good to be consistent, even on a small scale though. It is gorgeous outside today, warm with a nice cool breeze, no humidity. Awesome. Investigated the flat bit of East Rock - my little side path is blocked completely by downed trees next to the river, but aside from that there's just small branches. Here's hoping Tarrywile has suffered similarly minor damage. Got bitten or stung on my side by something out there and it really hurt, still stinging now. No idea what it was, never saw it.