Training Log Archive: Spike

At Rockcrusher to test some route choice options.

Fun except for the 2 meters where I tripped on a ruined barbed wire fence, grabbed a thorny vine on the way down, and then landed in a bunch of sticktights.

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Some running at Rockcrusher, with the map in hand but not really using it except for an occassional glance.

Just the work commute. I thought about running, but I'm a little tired and with a 3 day weekend starting I'll have plenty of chances to run.

1

I was reading the thread about mappers at:

http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

I used to wonder why more people didn't try to combine mapping with "elite" training. In fact, I used to argue with people about that - making the case that I thought it could work.

My personal experience is that I was able to combine a reasonable level of training with a reasonable level of mapping. I moved to Sweden with a fieldchecking job lined up. I had a visa that allowed me to do the mapping, but only be paid room, board and a small amount of money. It worked out really well. I mapped around 3-5 hours a day, put in a good run, and then got lots of sleep. I was able to compete a lot (since this was in Sweden). And, mapping is good training for orienteering. You get a lot of technique training and even the physical effort is good without really wearing out your body.

It isn't ideal. It isn't like having a sponsor pay you a salary for doing nothing but orienteering professionally. But, that version of ideal just isn't going to happen to almost anyone.

I think what I did was a really good way to make the most of the opportunities I had.

One of the most interesting things about getting the work and the visa was that it took a lot of time to find a club that would host me (thanks Lunds OK!). But, once I got over there, I had lots of offers to do more mapping. In the end, I did work on a couple of maps for Lunds OK and then a map in Linkoping (I can't remember if it was IFK Linkoping of Linkopings OK).

I only did that for about half a year and then started in school (which was also another story about visa issues).

Some people look for opportunities, some people look for reasons not to do something.

And a huge thanks to Peo Bengtsson who helped me get all of this set up. I tracked him down at an A-meet in the US when he was leading one of his tours. If I remember right, it was at an event in Ohio. I sought him out and asked for help, and he helped.

Work commute.

I went to be early last night and slept very soundly. I felt good when I woke up. Whatever was wrong with me yesterday was very short term.

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C • Happy Birthday! 1

Running at Clinton (parked at the beach) with a map in my hand and about half of the time with my headlamp on.

I didn't feel good and kept the pace slow (and getting slower). Just one of those off days, I guess.

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C • Level sets 3

Walk to work day.

I got a bit cold on the walk to work. The north wind was cold.

Work commute. Windy out there today. Also, snow on the way to work. Light snow.

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Long easy run on trails at Rockcrusher with a good bit of unstructured map reading. I felt tired for the first 40 minutes and last 25. But, I felt good in the middle.

I listened to the Radio Oringen interview with Johan Runnesson and that was interesting.

At the end I looked at my watch and saw 298 meters of climb. If I'd looked at it sooner, I'd have added a line of climb to get it up over 300 meters.

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