Training Log Archive: GraceE

Watching the EOC relay, very exciting! Would have liked to be running though :(

EOC Middle Final, 37th.
Tried to go carefully to the first control, but didn't do it well and lost 1.5mins. I could hear the runner 2mins behind me approaching, so I ran hard and got c2 ok but missed c3 (same mistake... cut across the marsh early but didn't run along the knolls far enough). c4 and c5 were done badly too!! Four of us running around and I wasn't concentrating/reading my map well. Now I look at it and it looks clear and simple.

I ran hard from c5 to the spectator control and dropped a couple of runners, but also got caught at this point by some fast girls. The last loop was ok but I did have a fast FIN in front of me in the distance. I suppose a good thing from this race was that I was running quite strongly in the final loop, despite it being the end of a long week.

Only a warm-up today, forgot to cool down....

EOC - Middle Qual.
Yay, through to the final in 11th place! More technical terrain, but this time at a better scale for me. Not highly confident in this terrain, so changed my orienteering style from reading the map two or three times a leg (as can be done in Aus sometimes) to reading everything and constantly looking at the map. This meant I wasn't running hard but didn't make any big mistakes (just a few wobbles, c11 in particular).
However, I would need to run harder in the final to have a good result. I will try and run a bit harder, but keep map contact....

C • Champ 4

EOC Long Final.
Another tricky area with varying terrain, and much more physical than the previous day. I got the first control well but then lost 2mins on c2. I got c3 well and picked up a Swede on the way and led her in, she had started 2mins ahead of me. c5 was the start of the butterfly loop, and the Swede and I went different ways. Getting c6 involved crossing a massive swamp/lake and when I got to its edge I couldn't really believe that I was expected to cross it. I looked for the compulsory crossing that I surely must have missed, but alas there was none, and I had to wade/swim through the eel infested waters (well I thought there might be eels anyway). Spent 1min getting c6 and c7 and then it was back through the swamp again!!! (150m across??).
Lost a bit of time at c9, but my biggest time loss (3mins) was finding the butterfly central control for the third time... grr... it was so tricky in there! I didn't make any other notable mistakes, however I found the swamps and marshes very hard going, and there were many more on the course. I was very low in energy for the final loop, and luckily the nav was easy there, or maybe I wouldn't have made it around (I was very very tired and felt faint).
I'm not disappointed with 36th for this long final, it was tough and a good experience!

EOC - Long Qual.
Tricky course in detailed sand dune/forest type terrain - especially difficult at 1:15000! I took it carefully because I was not used to the terrain at all, and I thought it best to be safe. I was never running that hard, and stopped completely each time I was nearing a control circle so I could read the detail. This cautious attitude paid off, as I had a clean run which doesn't happen every day for me, and I was rewarded with 6th place :)

EOC - Sprint Qual, Ventspils.
The Sprint was through the town. I was feeling pretty good and didn't lose any time, which was just as well becuase the heats were all so close! Happy to qualify in 10th place.

C • go little aussie! 3

Sprint Final.
Not a bad race, started ok but maybe lost some seconds in the middle of the course, especially on the way to c9 (zig-zagged a bit). I think I could have only done 30secs better. Will need to learn to run a bit faster in finals too.... might help for next time :) 37th place.