Training Log Archive: iansmith

CSU training session with Alexei. The objective was to practice moving point technique - to think of yourself as a point on the map moving with time, and to be as precise as possible with noting exactly where you were on the map. With this notion, we should anticipate upcoming features and receive feedback on our position, as well as catch errors more quickly and efficiently. With this technique also comes the requirement to read the map on the fly while running, rather than stopping to navigate and then resuming travel. While I generally used a technique similar to moving point while orienteering, I'm not very good at reading the map while running (and at planning for the next control while navigating to the current one), so this was a very instructional exercise.

The course just consisted of a trail loop at the Pine Hill park (I took the T to Davis, then ran to Pine Hill in about twenty minutes). I made one major navigational mistake where I confused two right angle turns while refolding the map. I caught my mistake within about three minutes and adjusted my route accordingly. I increasingly fell back with my planning; that is, my rate of planning was slower than my rate of travel. The lesson is clear: I need to be able to mentally orienteer at the same rate I physically orienteer. Between each control, I need to pack one control's worth of route choice, moving point computation, control code acknowledgment, actual running (avoiding objects, etc), compass work, and map reading. And, the planning component of the mental work should be for the NEXT control while running the current control. This is hard. In particular, my map reading skills are slow, and my symbol recognition is weak.

Alexei spoke of six areas of orienteering skill: technique (reading the map, recognizing the topography and features and a functional correlation from the terrain to the map, and using the compass), tactics (route choice), strategy (factors affecting route choice, like whether it rained, how dense the green stuff is), physical fitness (running), psychology (not allowing other runners to affect me), and organization (training, stretching, being on time, making sure I have everything, etc).

My assessment in each of the areas:
Technique: competent while stationary, weak/slow while moving. My errors tend to be minor; at least, I'm seldom convinced I'm at one location when I'm not actually at that location, but I sometimes have to take time to get a better fix on my position. Must practice moving point on the fly.

Tactics: I find passable routes, but they are not the best route. My technique is inadequate for the best route.

Strategy: I don't really have one. I should learn more about this.

Fitness: Of the six areas, this is the one I'm most proficient at, and I'm not a remarkable runner. However, since orienteering is more demanding mentally, it is unsurprising. While I need to train physically, especially for distance running (i.e. endurance and consistency), I need to require my training pace be set by my mental limitations rather than my physical speed. I should compromise my running speed for greater navigational proficiency.

Psychology: I'm miserable at this. I once was in periodic contact with Sam and Hilly Saeger while they were doing a practice brown, and I totally lost my focus. My concentration was overwhelmed by the knowledge of how good they were, pressure to not mess up, and a desire to ignore them and navigate on my own. When I encounter other orienteers, I tend to compensate in my training by stopping and allowing them to leave my vicinity. This is unacceptable for competition. I need to be able to run near world class orienteers (of which there are several in NEOC and CSU) and be at my peak.

Organization: Probably the easiest to improve, I just need to keep track of stuff. I should allocate more organization to my training regimen.