Training Log Archive: nh

Cruisy O-gang run on Kaukau, bloody cold after Europe though. Felt pretty good but my ankle is a bit weak still.

Stage 5 of the Swiss 5 Days. Really tired after the huge mission we did the day before up Dent De Morcles. Quads were smashed, had to jog around the course almost, so I didn't get such a good placing. Came 13th in H18 about 8 min off the leader. (1) Lost a small amount of time in the circle, didn't see the gap between the two thickets and so overshot and ended up at the track (10 sec). (3) Extra green on the map and got drawn a bit right partway through the leg and missed a track section. Also I overshot the erosion gully with white forest as it wasn’t obvious at all (30 sec). (4) Stopped a bit early (5 sec). (7) Bad exit from 6, could have run the track for longer (10 sec). (11) The large clearing was really thick and slow, would have been faster to run through the forest, closer to the line (20 sec). (12) Overshot the clearing running down the track, it wasn’t very distinct (10 sec). (13) Around the track to the right was probably faster. (15) Running straight was slightly faster I think. (16) Ran slowly and hit the stream too low. (18) Ran down the clearing by mistake, thinking it was the track (30 sec). Most of my time loss was from not being able to race though.

The most intense mission ever. Mariane, Liam, Tim and I climbed from 400m to 2653m almost to the top of Dent De Morcles. So much fun except our legs were smashed for the race the next day

Really tough race for Stage 4 of the Swiss 5 Days. No shortage of hills, but thankfully I started later and there was the most ridiculous tracking I have ever seen to the controls. Came 2nd which is pretty good. I had a few errors but most were from unfamiliarity with the terrain. (1) Ran it straight banking on the fact there would be some tracking the way I wanted to go, and there was more than enough. You could have driven a car on some of the tracks through the forest it was crazy. Almost no navigation needed. (2) Cut off a little bit of the height of the hill but had a bad exit from the ridge. Also I was fairly hesitant going into the control because there was hardly any tracking (+0:30). (3) Lost map contact just running tracking but relocated pretty quickly (+0:10). (4) Had some other guys right with me so I picked up the pace to try to get away before the low visibility of the trees ended. (5) Lots of other knolls in the area so I climbed too high in the circle (+0:20). (9) Thought I took the most logical route to 9 but there was no tracking up the linear marsh which was odd. (11) Dropped too far low to the right about 200m before the control (+0:20). (12) Stopped short above the steep bank and then had a hesitant entry into the control (+0:10). (13) Ran a bit high and had to drop (+0:10). (14) It looked really green running straight so I thought going right would be faster, but the forest was green there too (+0:10). (15) Really bad compass and almost overshot the control (+0:20). (19) Dropped too low pacing off someone too much (+0:10). (20) Hit the knoll perfectly but things went horrible from there and in the end I was just hunting. Should have checked my compass again (+0:30). (21) Did not see the track to the right but if I had run that I would have saved myself a lot of climb (+0:40). Total +3:30.

Won Stage 3 of the Swiss 5 Day on a mean map. Quite physical but really nice forest. Had quite a clean race too, I didn't find the navigation very difficult. (4) A bit to the right, but I didn’t lose much time because I knew where I had to go straight away (10 sec). (6) Swung a bit low after going around the green, in hindsight I should have just run it straight, there was plenty of green along the line (20 sec). (7) Took it really slowly into the control but I hit it clean (10 sec). (10) Didn’t mean to run so far right in the open but I wouldn’t have lost much (5 sec). Overall about 45 seconds of mistakes/time loss.

Took it fairly easy in the second stage of Swiss 5 Day. It was the first forest map I'd been on in Switzerland and I knew it would be easy to make mistakes being unfamiliar with the terrain. Came 2nd about 1 min off the pace. (1) Ran the tracks as I didn’t know what the forest would be like, but it was fairly nice. Made a silly mistake at the track junction though (+0:20). (2) Slightly high, had to drop down (+0:10). (3) Ran along the stone wall but on the wrong side and drifted off into the green too much (+0:20). (4) Stopped a little short as I was unsure of myself (+0:10). (6) Slowed down a lot unnecessarily here (+0:10). (9) Confused the ridge before the control with the hill and was hunting around too far north (+0:20). (16) Coming in to the control I saw a smaller cliff that wasn’t mapped, thought I was too high, so I ran down the slope, but really I was too early (+0:30). (19) Nailed this control, read all the vegetation perfectly running and was 100% sure of myself the whole time. If only there were another couple of km’s on the course… I also lost a lot of time when my number fell of, and I had to go back and find it otherwise I would lose free transport. Then I wasted some more time trying to put it in my pocket (+0:40). In total about +2:40 loss

Won Stage 1 of the Swiss 5 Day, a sprint around Lausanne – Dorigny, which was completely unexpected. Liam and I had just got off the trains from Slovakia, and were really tired, so just ran it casually, even high-fiving during the course when we ran past! It was a pretty boring sprint as well, mostly just control picking on grassed areas with no navigation. Where were all the fast runners that day? Really clean though, only lost time on 16 where control was marked between the stairs but in actual fact it was on top of them above the normal running level (+0:10). But there would be a problem if I made mistakes on that course.

Had a good run on 2nd leg in the JWOC Relay. Started out in 8th position from Tim’s run and brought us up to 3rd for the spectator. Finished in 4th after dropping a little bit of time on 16, so pretty pleased. Unfortunately Matt didn’t have a good run but we still finished 7th which is the best result for a NZ team ever. (4) Not sure if running around was slower but looking at the map now straight loots quicker to me. (7) With a pack and they all overshot the gully, but /I noticed and that is how I got ahead basically. With the next few controls leading up to the spectator I had Jarvis Westergard Hakon ahead and a Dane just behind. (16) Lost some time in the green so got passed by another team but after that stayed fairly solid as there was almost no navigation. Now we need to train up someone else to run in the Relay with me and Tim so hopefully we can podium next year.

Came 21st in the 2012 JWOC Middle Distance A Final. Had a fairly clean run but just not as fast as some of the top guys yet. (2) Rolled my ankle again so this slowed my pace a bit. (3) Stopped short as the control was hidden behind a tree (10 sec). (8) Hit a track bend and made a parallel error with the one level with the control, so I stayed too low for a while (30 sec). (9) Compass a bit far right so dropped a bit low (10 sec). (12) Climbed to the top of the hill which was a little bit unnecessary (10sec). (16) Almost ran past on the left (5 sec). Pretty stoked as I still have two more years at JWOC. Bring on 2013 Czech Republic!

Clean race in the Middle Qualification. Didn't have the best preparation, not enough warm up so I felt slow in the terrain. Didn't race at 100% either, just focussed on navigation. (13) Read the code for 11, so I thought I was in the wrong place (5 sec). (14) Ran too low on the slope and took a bit of time to correct (15 sec). Feeling confident for the A Final tomorrow.

Came 20th in the JWOC Long Distance which I'm pretty stoked with. It was quite cold and rainy which helped a lot, I don't run too well in the heat. Was held up a lot by my ankle though, its was really weak in the rougher sections which slowed me a lot. I kept rolling it even though it was taped and lost a lot of time because of that. I just wasn't able to open up and run at full speed when I had the fitness to do so. (2) Expected the hill to be much larger than it was and that I would have to walk, so I cruised unnecessarily (15 sec). (4) I lost map contact twice on the leg when I hit depressions. Each time I went left and lost a bit of time by adding extra length to the leg, and slowing because I was unsure (2 min). (6) Drifted to the left at the edge of the green in the scattered and then had to push through more green in the open. I was clean in the open except for (14) where I cut in a couple of metres too early (5sec). (18) Had a bad exit from the control so went round an extra depression, and then I was pushed off line and trapped a lot in the green. Should have run north over the open hill which would have been a lot faster and safer ( 4min). (20) Stopped too early at the re-entrant on the left, thinking I was at the depression but not much time loss (20 sec). Running pretty fats towards the end, my ankle was feeling good.

C • 20th!!!!!!!!!!!AWESOME!!!!!... 1

Didn't have a very good run in the Sprint. Clean, but my preparation wasn't perfect and I was dehydrated. This, combined with the heat, meant my running was slow and so I came 54th. Ankle was good, I'm glad I strapped it though, because otherwise I would have rolled it. (1) Left would have been slightly faster, as it was about 20m shorter. (5 sec). (13-14) I wasn't sure if the garden areas were out of bounds so I ran around them on the slippery gravel (5 sec). Overall no mistakes, just not fats enough to compete.

Event: JWOC 2012 Kosice SLOVAKIA
 

Cruised around the model event for the JWOC Sprint. Included 6 x 30 sec efforts with 30 sec recovery. Felt good and was navigating well until the last control when I rolled my ankle again, so I had to walk back rather than jog for a warm down.

http://www.numberoneaucklanddoma.com/maps/show_map...

Walked around the model event for the middle. After having a really bad race yesterday technically I wanted to make sure I can navigate well in the terrain. Nailed everything and am feeling really confident now. Ankle was still a bit sore though

http://www.numberoneaucklanddoma.com/maps/show_map...

Relay training with the US team. Mass start with fust running forest. Ran much too fast for my navigation so I made lots of mistakes. Wasn't reading the map, just running on bearings, most of which were really bad. (2) Should have climbed to the top of the hill instead of following evryone else traversing along the stony slope. (4) Didn't have a plan and attackpoint so I lost a lot of time when I reached the detail, trying ot relocate. (6) The wrost bearing in the history of orienteering. Saw the track to the west of the control, but thought it it was the one to the east so I ran back further from the control. (10) Took it easier into the control and read the detail more, so I knew where I was. (12) Had a bad bearing and misread the clearings, so I overshot it. (14) Should have read the map more, and tracked it to the clearing rather than running strait through the green. Overall if I had slowed down I could have actually navigated and run clean through the course, and pushed it on the running stages.

http://www.numberoneaucklanddoma.com/maps/show_map...

Jogged aorund a long training and incluided 6 x 60 sec efforts. Tried the first two through controls to improve flow but i just made colossal mistakes so instead I ran them as a regular intervals session with 60 sec recoveries through the terrain. (1-3) I picked really good routes and nailed the navigation. (4) I should have run around the track for the last section, and through the clearing, rather than over the hill. It was really hard to pick where the re-entrnt went down and as a result I picked the wrong one. Becuase I was doing an effort here too I didin't check off the direction on my compass so I got lost. Took a while to relocate. (5) Got caught in a lot of green/spiky bushes which slowed me down a lot. Should have been more aggressive and smashed straight throught the fight rather than trying to link up rough open clearings. (6) I drifted a little to the right from my exit but corrected. (7) Had a good bearing to begin but didin't change direction after the depressions and drited off to the right. (9) Right would have been faster than straight becuase there were a lot of nettles in the undergrowth and clearings. I have learnt that dot screen green is fine to run through, but undergrowth and rough open clearings are really slow. (10) Drifted a bit right part way through but not much time loss. (11) Should have run the open clearing rather than the rough open. (12) I drifted off so far right, and corrected, without realising. I thought I was running the red line but actually I was about 200m south. No wonder I though the area was vague. (13) I was really dehydrated and took it realy easy up the hill. Would have gone all the way to the top in a race if I was hydrated but I felt really bad so I minimised climb. (14) I could have run straighter. Overall not a very good run technically and physically.

http://www.numberoneaucklanddoma.com/maps/show_map...

Really cruised through a middle distance course. Overall had a clean run and would have been cleaner if there had been controls. Ankle wasn't very sore either. (2) I ran too far right towards the marshes because I thought the first hill stretched all the way to there. (12) Stopped short at the first steep bank but it was too early. (16) As I was exiting the control I thought features were in the wrong place and that I hadnt actually gone to to the control site. So I went back and had another go and it turned out I was in the right place.

http://www.numberoneaucklanddoma.com/maps/show_map...