Note
2018 new goals, but first a 2017 review:
Achieved my biggest overarching goal, finally: to score OUSA score of at least 70 (Bronze) on a Blue course. I did it! And almost more than once! In my 1st full year of competition since the surgery, I exceeded my expectations. 3rd USA orienteer at a blue race in spring, consistently placing on Red w/ a bronze year-end ranking, and a 65 OUSA score on Blue and #30 OUSA Blue ranking (excludes foreigners on the list). And I also tried ARDF-O at USA champs nabbing silvers and fell in love w/ that format of the sport. Was selected to the 2017 Armed Forces USA team (but sadly orders didn't pan out for me to actually go!). I set 2 courses for RMOC and visited or visualized 1,500 controls. Really didn't think a lot of this was possible. There were some frustrating points along the way, but by and large this year was by far my best ever and exceeded expectations!!
Given that my hip did start producing minor symptoms during & after the CTOC nationals in ID, and my hip history, I'm focusing on middle-distance races and when its a long course I run Red instead of Blue. This seems to work well.
So now what? Well, despite all this success I didn't reach a lot of my technical & fitness goals for the year. For example I wanted to visit or visualize 2,000 controls but I only reached 1,500. I didn't reach a competitive running pace in the terrain. And I didn't reach most of my other fitness goals. So much of what I need to do in 2018 to improve is to re-set some of the same fitness goals. And the only way I could have significantly improved a couple of my nat'l races would have been pure fitness and speed. That all said, I figured out a training approach in 2017 that seems to work very well for me so I will adopt that going forward and that was probably more valuable than the other goals were.
So here we go w/ 2018 goals:
General goals:
- Begin consistently getting OUSA scores in 70s (Bronze) on Blue nat'ls
- Begin consistently getting OUSA scores in 80s (Slver) on Red nat'ls
- Repeat Armed Forces Team USA selection
- World Masters Orienteering Championships (I'm turning 40, can't believe it & don't feel like it, but yes, I've done the math & its true!)
- USA ARDF-O Champ's &/or ARDF-O Team USA Selection to World Champ's (if schedule permits, still TBD)
- Increase end-of-year Blue ranking from #30 to at least #25 (excluding foreigners on list)
Technical goals:
- Increase my event-focused training period from 1.5 weeks to 3 weeks
- Increase 5 mile pace speed at least 10%
- Terrain/orienteering 5 mile pace at 70 score w/ intervals
- 2,000 controls (real or visualized/armchair-O)
- 100% exit plan at races
- Set a course x2
- Visualization (armchair-O) every day that I fail to actually exercise
Fitness-wise:
- Instead of long periods of no physical activity, establish baseline running fitness regiment during rest periods
- Incorporate more terrain & hill intervals into workouts
- Plyometric exercises
- Core strength
- The usual hip training to prevent repeat of the grand 2014-2015 hip disaster
- Middle intervals training follow-through
Hoping to go to March Middle Madness in CA, Flying Pig, Laramie Daze, World Masters, and the ARDF natl's.
*Also, if I happen to get an assignment at Air Force Academy I hope to help w/ the getting a cadet team going again.
In general I think my navigating improved by leaps and bounds in 2017 and the biggest thing I can do to improve now is to work on the fitness/speed/endurance more than anything. So here goes 2018 and good luck to everyone else w/ your own goals!