Training Log Archive: W

Long training on 1:15000 at Forte Cherle. This started off relatively okay. On the way to one there were plenty of times where I really had no idea where I was but I had faith in being able to see important things along the way (such as number 3). Number 2 was less good and I think it started off with having a bad bearing. The real debacle started at 9 when I again went too short. I mis-took a feature that I thought I was above, when I actually hadn't passed it yet. It was a deep hole with a clearing on it, but I've found myself being skeptical of clearings (in general, not here, they're useful here), and I vastly overestimated the size of the hole, which was actually just a small but wide depression.

I really think it comes down to distance judgement, which I haven't gotten down yet. Perhaps more time will help.

(Spoilers: Unlikely.)

Went to Asiago to run the middle in the three days of trenches. I expected number 1 to be difficult so I expertly botched it high. There was a time when I felt that when I side-hilled, I tend to run down too much, so I think I now compensate by running uphill too much, and that was evident given how high I was above number 1.

However, the debacle arose in earnest at number 9. I ran along the hillside in an attempt to spot this nice plateau above the control and then into the control. But I mis-took a gentle gentle slope for a pleatau and stopped way, way too early. Wandered around for a bit. Went back to the control, tried again, same thing. For some reason I was once again having a lot of difficulty seeing big features, on both the map and the terrain and making them co-operate. Eventually I came to a spot way below it and determined where I was. I felt quite bad about this one, and then felt significantly moreso when I cam up way short again on 12 because I seem to have now developed feature paranoia where every little dip is some huge re-entrant that I need to confirm where I am. I definitely need to chill the hell out a little.

(Spoilers: I didn't.)

After a bit of a break we did a short sprint around Asiago, two 2.3-ish k sprints. I couldn't run too hard because of some bruising on the bottom of my foot from this morning's epic failure, but ran mildly briskly and tried to have good plans well ahead of time. The corners and turns come up very very quickly in these towns, and I did find a use for a magnifier at some points too. Being able to keep track of turns will probably be super important in Venice, the magnifier less so.

Well, got started on orienteering in Italy, and.... it ain't pretty. Dont' get me wrong, the scenery is very pretty, my orienteering, however, is not. There were these claims that this map was hard to read and whatnot, but it was a race map from a previous WRE so obviously people didn't have a problem then, so I can't use it as an excuse now. I did most definitely have difficulty spotting the big features and navigating with them, so things were really not going very well. There were no flags out so there was basically nothing to spot either, but that's not a real excuse. One can only hope it'll get better after day one.

(Spoilers: it hasn't.)

For the sake of logging, I've decided to only log moving time, so time spent standing still like a dumbass doesn't count as training.

Well, this actually went just slightly better. This terrain felt more familiar, but one could argue that several of the controls were on unreasonably large features for World Champs. Like, the cave at the bottom of a giant hole. You could see it from a mile away. But, there was this super rocky area that I could get through okay, and I side-hilled okay. Will I be able to manage all the sidehilling that will inevitably come this week?

(Spoilers: No.)

Well, after some lengthy travel including an admittedly not terrible Air Canada Rouge flight and driving in Italy, we got to Chiesa, our home for the next week or so before we have to repeatedly get up and move places. This is the most annoying part of this WOC, is that we keep having to up and move. That really cramps my style.

I don't really have any style, per se, if I did, I'm sure this would be cramped.

Since we arrived at about 5PM, I tried to get out and go for a jog to keep myself awake until a reasonable hour for some real sleep. Did a little touristic run around the Lago de Lavarone. Up in the hills, through some trails, around time, very nice. This is a lovely place.

One last run in Edmonton with Nevin. Its been a busy day of trying to catch up on everything before heading off to Italy. Strangely, at this point, I wasn't really looking forward to Italy. Its been a good year for running, but a fairly bad year for orienteering. Can I become legit in a week and a half? I doubt it.

The business is really ramping up now, so this is all I had time for with one last run with my sister. Too bad to see her go, but my legs were also getting quite sore from running this slow. Its not that slow, but I guess I've now got "me speed". I suspect part of it is that I would even personally find it too difficult to run at if I was trying to run at my pace and chit-chat. All that gabbing about takes up precious oxygen.