Training Log Archive: GM

Up early for a run from our pension in Zasip which is a couple of km north of Bled. I ran through the farm land to Bled just as the sun was cresting the mountains and then ran around the lake and back to Zasip. It was one of those beautiful mornings that are just perfect for running. The fact that there was an azure blue lake with a white church on an island, and a castle perched up on top of a cliff, and a hot air balloon taking off, and the Julian Alps in the background just made it even better. MaryMac was back having a snooze but when I got back we got changed and headed back into Bled for an hours walk beside the lake before the crowds came.

Breakfast of cheeze on toast and mug of flat white (or the Slovenian version) was good and we sat outside next to a beautiful park with a view up to the castle - which helped Mary to be distracted from having to watch the young couple at the next table groping each other.

OOCup Day 5

A nice flat run of 1.5km to the start then some jogging around on the warm up map

OOCup Day 4

A 2km and 110m climb jog to the start plus a bit extra on the warm up map. Caught up with Pavel from the Czech Republic and we exchanged tales of woe from yesterday's race.

OOCup Day 3. As a combination of technical navigation, the physical difficulty, and the weather, today was probably the hardest orienteering I have ever done in my life!

I actually sat down and looked at each leg in turn for this one.

S-1 I thought the last slope was going up but it was going down so I ran up a small hill near the control; at 1:7,500 scale it is a lot steeper than you think (-1 minute)
1-2 this was OK and I quickly got my head together after stuffing up #1
2-3 I actually saw my control as I came down the slope but I was trying to read the green around the control circle and thought mine was further down; it wasn't; so doubled back (-30 sec)
3-4 this was the long leg of the course which I decided to turn into a track run all the way after the experience of the last two days which was a good decision; my navigation was good but I should have run a bit harder (-1 min)
4-5 I followed the narrow rocky ridge between the deep depression too far but had a quick relocation and went straight to the control (-1 min)
5-6 Shocker!! I missed the control by < 10m the first time and then misread the track as cliff lines (they look very similar especially after #5 which was on a long cliff) so after bumbling around for several minutes I went back to near #5 to relocate and start again; but I was still unsure but found it (-6 min)
6-7 OK but I took too long to choose a route (-30 sec)
7-8 my navigation into the circle was OK but I took too long in the circle wanting to check too much (-1 min)
8-9 OK but again stopped before the control to check (-30 sec)
9-10 the first 2/3 of the leg was fine but I then hesitated until I had a plan but not 100% sure at the end of the leg, but then it clicked and made sense (-1 min)
10-11 I looked at the wrong cliffs as being the ones between which the control was which was easy to do but I got stuck up too high between a couple of gaping chasm like sink holes (no safety raiings around here!) I saw the control flag but took a long time to climb around and down to it (-2 min)
11-12 I should have gone left rather than right so I had a steeper/slower descent and then hesitated a bit at the bottom in the flatter area (-2 min)
12-13 I ran too far along the track and in hind sight should have cut down a lot earlier so had another hard rock descent - but maybe all the descents are hard and rocky (-3 min)
13-14 navigation was good but didn't push myself hard enought physically, even contouring, as I was a bit nervous of slipping in the wet (-2 min)
14-15 best leg of the day!
15-16 second worst leg of the day! I stopped reading the map so just drifted down the hill so when I relocated I had to change my route which meant running too far, but I did run out through the car park (-3 min)
16-17 OK
17-18 OK as I retraced my route through the car park and back in but it was probably just as quick through the forest but I didn't loose any time either
18-19 OK
19-20 a dead flat area looking for a pit should have made me more cautious but it didn't and in the end I missed he pit by about 10m then misread the clearing as the previous one so went to the small depression, but no control so I doubled back and took a punt and there it was; flat = take care (-3 min)
20-21 OK
21-F OK

All up I wasted about 27:30 :( which would have given me a time around 80 min. The winning time was around 70 min (Tim Tett and Lars Lonkvist). But what a fantastic orienteering experience.

C • Spiked 6 from 21 2

Too wet and cold to spend much more than this warming up.

OOCup Day 2

Only 700m to the start so did a bit more warming up on the tiny warm up map than yesterday.

After another day of not a lot of actual running in the forest, plus watching Cadel take the tour in the time trial I went out for another run. This time I headed out on the flatter back roads to Tolmin and then Zabce and back. It was undulating and scenic and good to stretch the legs.

Event: OO.cup/2011
 

OOCup Day 1

1.4 km and 100m climb to the start plus some jogging around on the warm up map.

After watching Le Tour and the stage up Alpe d'Huez I was pumped so decided to go out for a run and turn it into my own version. Also I hadn't done a lot of actual running out in the terrain this morning. I ran from the farm in Prapetno up the back roads which just kept climbing steadily though a couple of tiny little villages. I then got onto a switchback road that just climbed up the side of the mountain with a series of hairpin bends. No screaming people lining the road, just a few cows. In the end I ran up hill for 38 minutes which is about the record time for climbing Alpe d'Huez but they climb a lot more than I did. Turned around and ran downhill for 29 back to the farm. Only met a couple of cars which was lucky because the bends are blind and the roads are narrow.