Training Log Archive: Joshosh

Nice big apres Jukola sleep! Then headed in to Helsinki with Riina and Jens. Some wandering around down by the coast and then Fafas for lunch before heading to the airport.

Ankle swelling has gone down a bit, still a small bit puffy and tender to walk on, after rolling it pretty badly yesterday.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get a lift to the BBQ tomorrow night..........I mean Score event.........will probably just trot around gently enough.

Jog with zacosh down to see the spectator control and back. Then in around the change over area trying to keep warm waiting for dadosh to come to the changeover on leg 1.

Jukola 2.os - E-CHiP!

Jukolan Viesti #5 for me and my 3rd time running the 2nd leg. Really cool to have an Irish team on the start line and all made up of Cork lads (mix of BOC and CorkO) of which 3 were experiencing their first Jukola.

Running order was Dadosh, me-osh, zacosh, DermotO'S, Cathal L, Dan McD and Jens was the anchor. First leg didnt go to plan for dad having some issues in the night and in quite technical terrain so I went off all alone in 1812th place so knew I would have a lonely time out there.

Long leg to start with and did well on 98% of it but had a miss near the control ending up too low and having to climb back up. Tracks to #2 and then was a bit to the left going to #3 but corrected ok. Again I ran the trails to #4 and passed 1 person here. Straight to #5,6,7,8. Back across the track to 9, avoided the stoney ground as best I could and then up onto the spur, I was a small bit low but knew to turn left. Big error to #10 missing by a bit to the east and then couldnt relocate in the dark, knew I had gone to far but wasnt certain where I was. Because of this I think I panicked a bit on the route to #12 and ran the round route which was much slower although made the control entry very easy. Passed a small group on the way to #13 but was alone again going to #14. Solid without being spectacular through #15 (maybe a straighter route wouldve been better, but being alone I played a bit safe), #16 and then to #17 I caught a small group of maybe 3-5 others but realised when passing the crag that they were all on a different forking here to what I had. I then took the route to the north out of #17 to hit the trails to the spectator control. To #19 I didnt readjust quckly enough to all the extra features on the map and just simply ran to the wrong boulder, silly mistake but fixed it. Leading a small group to #20 and then popped out of the forest and started to head towards the wrong last control infront of everyone! Pushed hard to the changeover to send zacosh out on leg 3.

Maybe I shouldve run straighter in some sections of the course, which wouldve been easier in a bunch, but also Timo Sild appears to have used tracks a lot on his leg. Enjoyable night in the forest and quite demanding terrain I think, although maybe not as tough as Santaveraja(?) or was I just more aware of how to nav in this stuff.

Leg 2 comparisons:
Kuopio 2014 - 489th (-388), +35.07
Joensuu 2017 - 321st (-446), +34.10
Hollola 2018 - 553rd (-184), +37.25

So looking at the time behind the leading time I think its safe to say I am roughly equally average no matter the terrain. Some poor splits looking at the breakdown but also 9/22 inside the top 200 on the leg and the 3rd fastest run in on the leg (out of 1824), so when there is no map reading I aint half bad!


E-CHiP! results
Splits
Reittihärveli

Trying to jog next to dadosh as he walked back to the tent. Fairly whacked now. Time to wake Dermot up so he can prep for leg 4 when Zac gets back. Our last 3 runners then are Cathal, Dan and Jens as anchor

Got in 1-1.5hrs of sleep after leg 2 and before getting up for some food and water to be set for leg 3. Not enough recovery time but gonna just chug around

Bit of tottering around the changeover area. Not feeling too fresh and my stomach wasn’t feeling settled. Had some small bit of food for breakfast and took on some fluids (going to visit water stations where possible to drink more)

Jukola 7.os - Rastiaasit

So after my nap, I think sleep is too strong a word, it was back to the start line for the mini mass start on leg7 in my Rastiaasit colours. Didnt really fight during the run out as my legs and body were a bit wrecked. Got bumped on the leg to #1 and rolled my ankle so hobbled around a bit and tried to walk. Found Jens here asking to be shown where he was. Fine through #2, #3, #4, #5 and then around the track to #6. 7 and 8 were handy and then along the track to #9 and straight to #10. Turns out I had this in the night from the other side. Heading to 11 I was the first in my small group to find it. Towards the end of this leg a wild Jens appeared again asking me about codes, we had the same 11 and 12. He got away going to #13 and I kind of lost my head, saw the big built control punches and decided I must be gone too far since that was the water station........brain fart! Jens was ahead by 45sec at this control. 14,15 and the spectator at 16 were handy enough again, just tired. Just under 30sec behind Jens here. #17, 18, 19 were clean. Mistake to #20 in the green just wandering and losing my head. GPS went crazy here so I cant check what stupidity I did. #21 was good and back on it but burning out. Jens was ahead now by over 3:30. Decided to take the easy trail route to #22 which I know was the worse route but I didnt want to risk losing focus. Clean to #23 not doing like Kinneberg. Saw the luminous jersey of Jens heading to #24 and punched exactly 30seconds behind. At this stage I decided sure why not have an ol sprint finish. Got him by ~30seconds in the end.

Good fun but very tired after it. Took on as much fluid as I could out there in the heat and dust. Didnt take in enough fuel last night after my race and suffered a bit.

Leg 7 comparisons:
Lappee 2016 - 541st (-156), +55:59
Hollola 2018 - 658th (-107), +58:16

Rastiaasit results
Splits
Reittihärveli

Shuffle back to the tent to help pack it up. A stop at the taps to try and clear some of this dust off of me!! I’d hate to see the state of my lungs! >34km of orienteering done since in 10hrs isn’t bad!

Event: Rogaine Ireland 2017, Wicklow Mountains
 

Event: 70th Jukola Relay
 

Showing Jens some of the sights before we head to Lahti for some O later. In through Laakso, Olympic stadium, Töölönlahti, statues, Laakso, allotments and back to Ilmala

E-CHiP group training in Tapanila with Jens and Dermot. Hiidenkiertäjät were there with YLE but the didn’t want to film us too! We did the training in a group taking it in turns to lead and trying to learn some things about the terrain. Mostly quite good although Tapanila isn’t overly relevant to the Jukola terrain as it doesn’t have many of those big depressions. Good fun though and Jens got some nice video footage.

Course

Pre-Jukola training- Santaveräjä by Kärkölän Kisa-Veikot

Back to Riina’s parents between trainings for some grub, chill time and looking at the bees. Then to the Torstairastit (on a Friday!).

Good Jukola relevant terrain and a mixed bag from me. Some good sections, some wandering after losing where I was and one case of not trusting I had managed to put myself where I wanted to be! Nice area, great terrain and a good shock to the system before tomorrow night! Hopefully that’s all my big mistakes out of the way but it is me after all so unlikely....

Tulokset
Väliajat
Reittihärveli

Headed down through Laakso, over the bridge and past the Olympic Stadium (1952 games). Did 5*1km repeats around Töölönlahti which is a nice circuit, half gritty/gravelly trail and half tarmac with a pretty decent climb on the east side of the lake. Lots of walkers, joggers, buggy pushers and runners about. Plan was to run at a solid Sprint O pace. 3:36 for the first was a bit slow, then 3:26, 3:26, 3:23, 3:23 so pretty consistent for the last 4 all with 1min jog recovery in between. Warm out there, solid 20degrees and even the breeze off the lake was hot! Legs a bit tired, maybe from the time stuck traveling yesterday and the short cool down on Tuesday night probably didn’t help either.

On the way home I came the other side of the Stadium and checked out the Lasse Viren and Paavo Nurmi statues, the Olympic Rings, the Sonera soccer stadium and back through the trails in Laakso.

Day of travel to Helsinki until Monday to include 2 legs at Jukola 2018.......Sprint specialist trying to be cool and do the whole forest thing too.....

Should get in a bit of a workout tomorrow either on the trails or on the track near the Olympic stadium. Then Friday morning will be a compass training in Tapanila and an Iltarastit later

Event: CNOC Summer Evening Series (Urban), Newbridge
 

Lunch time shakeout run with 5 strides thrown in too.

Didn’t want to miss the start window :D I started after 1930 but I was waiting in the queue when the time ticked over, phew!

Sitting in Stockholm Arlanda seems as good a time as any to write this race up!

First control was handy, then went left to #2, didn’t see the tiny gap to give a good right hand routechoice. Looks like we all got schooled by Stephen Gamble early doors. Only one really option to 3. To 4 I ran back on myself and in past #2 and across the pitches to the small gate. #5 was a gimmie control, took the south option to #6. Fastest split so I guess a good choice, I think c.hill went the north option and lost some time. To #7 I went high and I think Colm went low, I lost 3sec on this route, had hoped to cut a bit sooner from the main road but an unmapped ~8ft hedge stopped that. South to #8 and fastest split here. 9 was easy and should’ve hopped the wall en route to 10 (an error that cost me more time later again). In to 11 and to the map flip, lead of 27sec at this stage. Bumped into someone on the way to 12 and got confused and leaked some seconds then nearly knocked over some kid on the way to 13 who decided he should run straight towards me, had to slow and avoid. Confused with all the lines at this stage and struggled to see where’s #14 was. Went above the line to #15 again not seeing that tiny gap. #16 was handy, to #17 I didn’t cross the wall and should’ve, instead ran the western route and lost 13sec to Shea on this leg taking the lead from 24sec to 11sec, maybe I was subconsciously aware of my inability to cross walls well recently.....but a stupid mistake. Northern route to #18 but maybe east was as good an option. Finish.

Mixed bag I think for the evening, good for the first map and good leg speed but some poor decisions towards the back end nearly cost me. Only afterwards I realized the scale was 1:4500........now that’s a new one to me! I mean we’ve used some odd scales in cork but why not use 1:4000 or 1:5000? (I guess since it fits an A4 page well). HR data didn’t really pick up right at the start.

Quick one so not to hold Paul S up who was giving me a lift. Not sure how to feel about the performance tonight, a bit mixed.

Paula explained his feelings on the league scoring system we use and it’s flaws, he made some good points in fairness.

Home to pack before heading to Helsinki tomorrow!

Long - Splits