Training Log Archive: roar

Travelling all day basically. Though breakfast was super late, until 11 in the hotel. Then drive to Riga to fly to Stockholm. Small bit rough in the morning after the banquet but not too bad. The "drive through" McDonald's at 04:30 really helped I think.

Started my warm up just before Niall came through the spectator and headed through for GPS. Happened to be nearby when some official told us there was a mass start at 13:45. Yikes, luckily I was 5 mins into the warm up and had 15 mins before the start so it worked out ok but I got lucky. The usual running and then some drills and strides. Felt heavy though but put it down to the horribly sandy ground.

WOC Relay Leg 3

Started at what I thought was a steady pace but seemed to drop everyone else straight away. From my middle analysis I was going straight and that worked pretty well at first, getting 1 excellent. Didn't know I was leading the train for 2 but knew I was ahead going to 3 & 4 in the open. Miscounted slightly on the way to 5 but held direction ok and was able to use the big features to get me back on line and into the control, though maybe not with top efficiency. Miss on 6 then when I followed tracks and couldn't see the control behind the bush.
Heard someone behind heading to 8 who turned out to be Turkey and he destroyed me up the hill. Japan and Portugal caught me then through the arena passage as my legs were failing to respond after the hill. Took a sip of water and threw some over my head before taking my emergency gel as my body seemed to be not great.
Portugal made a mess of the next one and I caught back with Turkey while Japan also missed. Tried to stay with Turkey's speed but he got away through some green and Japan went around it. I was solo then and got a little nervous but kept a good line and got 12 well. Japan had a gaffle and hit 13 just behind me. We were together heading to 14 and I could see he was faster but orienteering less well than me. Swapping places to 15 and then the speed went up. I kept close to the line but lost the elephant track through the green he went around and I came out on the road well behind. Opted for straight, reckoned it was my opportunity if he messed it. I gained time but not enough to get within visual range and I never saw him again, though I didn't know if I was in front or not until the end.
Tried to keep the finish tight and was moving ok actually after 15. Slight bit of extra distance on 19 but it was ok and then the run in.

Pleased enough with this run. I think I had a really good technical performance in what was a super tricky (and fun!) area. Physically I felt I lacked power which is probably not surprising after the long.

Suuuuper relaxed day. Making sure the batteries have maximum charge before tomorrow. Did some stretching at some point and really ready for last leg tomorrow.

Easy around the middle model.
Started off feeling rough. Hard to move the legs at all but after about 5 mins I was feeling better. Took a second to remember 1:10000. After 15 I was flowing beautifully and by the end I felt great. Stopped at the perfect time. Much whiter forest and it was really enjoyable.

Pre WOC Long warm up. Little lap on the warm up map before drills and strides. Felt like I got this right. Power seemed good in the jumps and I got quite warm as the sun came out.

WOC Long 59th

2drerun. The link text is absolutely horrific.

I was in a great place mentally and really ready for this race. After IOC and selection races I wasn't sure that I would be up for it physically but after working with coach Jonny I felt I had made good progress and was in a position where I could race most of this.

Started ok, knew there would be a long leg to 2 from the descriptions and tried to look at it going to the start kite once I saw 1 was easy enough. Think I picked a good route, very similar to Olav but it wasn't the safest and I was a bit wobbly into the control, losing some time (maybe 1 min?) going via 3. I caught my 2 and 4 min men at 2 though and took my first gel so that was a nice confidence boost. Had been to 3 so had no problems but I was caught 4 mins by an Australian at 3 too. My 2 min man hung with him and I stayed for a bit but by the road they were gone. Chinese guy sprinted past me up a hill on this track.
Wasn't that sure what to do for the last bit and picked straight. Top guys did this again which is nice to know. Straight to 5 then and took my second gel at whichever of these controls had drinks. The short controls were grand, just straight compass while I picked left and around to 8. When I did get to this road my legs didn't really want to pick up the pace. I tried and moved ok for bits but as I got into the forest I started to feel a bit weird in my stomach. Put it aside while I focused on getting 8, which I did quite well. Decided another gel was not a good idea but went for a sip of water. As soon as I swallowed I got a fierce stomach cramp and bent over in agony. It went away after about 10s but signs were bad. Little but unfocused to 9 but got it ok. Missed the safer path around to 10 as a result though and lost my line in some green, dropping 45s looking for it. My speed was dropping now and while I got 11 fine, had two guys come past me to 12, one of them started 2 mins behind me so he seemed like he could be close to my ability. I stayed with them a bit on the down but in the marsh I stood on a tree that broke, tore my trousers, destroyed my shoe and left me draped over another log with my head and feet submerged in marsh.
Then the next phase began; survive. The hill to 12 was brutal but upon receiving my new map I got a burst of energy seeing there wasn't actually that much left and went straight for 13 which was a good choice. Straight for 14 and I was going ok until the big climb to 14. My shoe was being annoying with the sole flapping but I ignored it, thinking the first aid at 14 would have tape. They didn't so I just tore it off. Caught the South African Michael Crone, then in the forking. I was not confident this time round, with some wobbles and hesitation and probably lost another minute. Having company brought me some energy though and moved ok to 18 and 19. Was still ahead until the big hill to 20 where he ran away. Could still see him in the fields then. Little bit left on 20 but fine. 21 was scary with the green but I made it easy and caught the Crone again. We had a great conversation at 21 which just consisted of the f word said with varying degrees of intonation and stress. It lasted shorter this time as he ran away once we had made the choice to go left.
Having already been in survival this run through was the end. Ruth offered a gel and I took it as I felt I needed something. Was nearly stopped going up the hill and had no idea what was happening really. Reached a downhill flight of stairs in the forest once out of sight and just couldn't do them. Had to stop for a second. After I got going and was nearly to 23 I started cramping with my left hamstring not playing ball. This loop was just horrible. I made it though and got up the hill a second time to collapse over the line.

Orienteering was good. I have to be pleased with that I think. My routes were a lot of the time the best ones or close to it for the top guys. Maybe for me going around would be better but I'm not sure. I was silly with the gels. I assumed that the drinks would be every 25 mins for the leaders, thus about 30 mins for me. At 5 I was after having two gels in 50 mins which was too much for me and I kinda paid for it later on. The shoe was annoying but there wasn't anything I could do about that. The fall would have wrecked a brand new pair I think. The aftermath was rough, very rough. Stopping twice on the drive home, 1st to get sick and second for an emergency toilet stop. Eventually I managed to eat dinner and start preparing for the relay.

There is work to do, but I can take a lot of positives. I had confidence in me and was not hugely nervous before the start. Another winter of training in Sweden, this time being a bit more sensible with a coach and I should be in a very strong position. Now the relay!

Men Long - Splits

Long model. After days of being not great the question was how would my body deal. For the orienteering I was good, legs a bit heavy on some hills but that's not new. Solid technically except for 2 where the marsh was about 5 times bigger than on the map. The yellow fields were long grass but some parts were cut and those were fast if you happened to use them. At the end I did 4 strides to check the top end. They weren't as comfy as I like and I had to work a bit but felt I was good to go for the long. Excited!

Hr back to close to normal. Feel much perkier altogether. Moving my eyes too quickly still feels a bit sore at times so now just need to decide whether to run today or not.

Wooo! Back Running again and it felt really good. Little sluggish at the start but warmed up into it extremely nicely.
Took a sprint map and ran around that as a tourist activity.

At least, I spent 10 hours in bed. Not all sleeping. A bit better today, no temperature but it hurts to move my head around too quickly. Think I should be ok to do the model on Monday.

Event: WOC 2017
 

Not the best sleep. I appear to be ill which is not ideal. Headache and feverish. Will not be running like planned.

On our drive from Riga, Conor and I revisted Kutiorg where the long selection race was. I wanted to run some of the legs I went around on more straight as that's what some of the top guys had done. Wasn't feeling 100% in the morning, bit of a headache but was a lot better by when we got to the area. It had grown up quite a bit I feel since the races and straight was tough. Good practice holding lines but I will have to do more analysis to work out the best routes.

Afterwards in the car I started to get the headache back again and get a bit shivery too. Not a huge availability of food until we got to Tartu which wasn't ideal. Not feeling great really and and early bed tonight.