Training Log Archive: Dooby

Plan was to run the O-Festivalen relay today, 3rd leg, but once I got up I knew that it wasn't going to happen. Chest did not feel good, reckon it's a chest infection. So Seamus ran as me, and ran well too. Took a lot of inhalers today, and also needed them driving to Trondheim after the race. Chest was caught laughing.

NORT Stage 3, Raufoss
Flypassen

Had a good bit of waiting around to do for this race but had the car to sit in. Before running I had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't 100% and was proved right afterwards but felt well enough to run. It was a chasing start today and had Todd Oates from New Zealand starting 8 seconds after me, so that was going to be fun, Dave, Ger and Seamus were all after him.

First 2 controls I was happy with but lost time at 3, ended up to the left and not sure where I was but relocated off some boulders. Then when I got to 4 Dave was there!!! He was running well, and I clearly wasn't so tried to increase the pace. 5 went fine and it was either 6 or 7 that caused me serious trouble. I approached the control knowing where I was but then things started to not make sense, or I thought they did but there was no control. After a few minutes searching I discovered I was short of the control, smart. After that it was into the loops and the two map exchanges. Did these controls ok but had a bit of a mishap getting to the map exchange for the second time, direction issues.

Nicest running on the course was from 20-21, really nice. At the start triangle after the arena the route to 22 was uphill but had get through green to get into the open felled area. Body did not feel good at this stage, think sickness was kicking in. More uphill to 23 and then down to 24. 26 was in green too and ended up to the right of it but only by a small bit, think I was lucky here, and then 2 short legs before the finish.

Lost 1 place to Dave but managed to stay ahead of everyone else chasing me. I hadn't seen myself catching anyone. Was not feeling too good afterwards. Also running I drank a lot of water on the course, it was warm but not that long a race.

NORT Tour over but may be getting sick. Not time to tick "Sick" yet, depends on how I feel in the morning.

Event: O-festivalen, WRE, 2010, Raufoss, Norway
 

NORT Tour, Model Event

Went here early since plan was to do the sprint event this evening. Generally this course went ok, found the controls and had a good knowledge of where I was most of the time. There were a couple of minutes lost here and there though but felt I orienteered better than yesterday. Did take the road route to 6, going passed 9, added a lot of distance but got the control ok. Had trouble finding the last control but convinced I was at the right knoll but no sign of a control.

Garmin distance was 4.1km.

O-Festivalen Sprint
Fabrikken

After getting my start time changed since I needed to get to Team Leaders meeting I was one of the early starters. Had to get finished and back to Gjovik for 7.

Went low to first control then across through the open area, hit it fine. Descended through the forest for the first part of the leg to 2, not easy due to the steepness and the fact that I was wearing runners. Looking back at the leg now there was a nicer route after the forest to the left. Next few controls were easy, no thinking, just running. At 8 I spotted the lad who started 1min ahead of me heading down some steps, I followed realising that control was down low, not high, hadn't really focused on my descriptions. I took a different route to this NTNUI lad to 11 and I thinked I caught a few seconds up. Didn't read description at 13 and lost time as a result, I was above the control so lost a few seconds. Then through the arena before the last loop. There was a control on a drain before 16 and I saw the NTNUI lad punch this and not 16 which was on a tree by the river, so at this stage I thought he'd misspunched, checked afterwards and he had. Went through the graveyard to 18 but lost time as gate was closed so had to open it, easy enough, but since it was shut when I got there I closed it after me. I think it was open for later runners, not fair! Last few controls were straight-forward again.

Before I started this race I was unsure what sort of pace I was going to run. Was thinking of tomorrow's race and whether I should be taking it easy. I reckon I ran at around 80% and enjoyed the race, it was fun. There were some easy enough controls and legs, but overall it was an enjoyable course.

Garmin said I ran 4.45km.

Vesteras

Training course near Gjovik. Did not do well at all on this course, the controls I actually got ok were few and far between. Not sure what was going wrong but things just didn't work out, not good for confidence pre race on Saturday. Most of the area was tough running which I didn't particularly like. There were 24 controls on the course but I only did 16, doing the rest would have meant a lot more time in the forest that I didn't want to spend. Will need to sort my orienteering out or Norway won't go well.

Original plan was to train today but turned out being a rest day. Arrived in Norway after an early start in Stockholm. Myself and Niamh were at the airport in plenty of time but no sign of the rest of the team. They finally showed just in time for departure. Got the car after a short wait then drove to Gjovik. Went to event office in the afternoon to get some maps. Other than that it was a relaxed afternoon.

NORT Stage 2, Stockholm
Universitet

After Model Event yesterday I decided that I would run in my runnig shoes, achilles felt a bit sore in Inov8's, and it was the right decision as most of the running was on roads.

Lost a bit of time to 1, followed the fence and then realised that I was left of the control, not a good start, but not a huge amount of time lost. Long leg to 2 and I went left of the lake and through tunnel. Next few controls were short legs and all easy. They didn't allow me to plan properly the long leg from 7-8. Decided to go over the hill on the path after realising that the fence at the top of the steps at 7 was crossable. Went up the hill which was forested and a bit tough, thought I found the path I was looking for but ended up in a clearing, not good, relocated easily and then tried to go to the path I wanted but got caught under some crags, again more time lost. Eventually got onto the path that lead to the control but not happy with time lost here. Route was fine, execution was appalling.

Rest of the controls to the end were straight-forward with a long road leg to 15. Was unsure if the gap I wanted to the right of the approach into the control was there but when lad in front of me took it I just went after him. Long run in at the end though, needed for QF's later!

Overall I was happy with my running speed but time lost on 8 was costly, easily 1-2mins probably thrown away and energy wasted. My opinion of sprints is slowly changing, i've always liked them, but body is now in a better shape to tackle them.

Havn't had much of a chance to get on AP while in Finland. I'm currently in Stockholm and have model event for tomorrow's sprint qualifying this afternoon.

NORT Tour, Stage 2, Model Event
GIH och KTH

Short sprint course. Didn't push too hard. Interesting legs were 3-4 and 6-7. Tried to see if the forest was worth cutting through for the first of those legs and thought it looked overgrown so stuck to the paths, in a race situation I might think differently. After leaving 5 things felt a bit funny, open areas, rock and some boulders I felt were missing from the map.

After I finished I went back out for a short walk to check the contours, bare rock and knolls.

Garmin said I ran 2.8km.