I'm not all that good at campus sprints, especially route-choicey ones.
Do you know why that is the case? And how do you prepare for these types of sprints?
Campus sprints are some of my favorite orienteering courses... I wish I could do more of them!
As Eric knows, these are some of my favorites, too.
Do you know why that is the case?
I think it's because I make decisions slowly. This works out okay when there is a default choice (i.e. going straight for several seconds), but not so well when there is a high decision point density, so that my map reading and decision making capacities are exhausted. In such situations, I have two choices:
1. slow down a bit to give myself more time and/or greater ease reading the map (less map bouncing at lower speed), or
2. make arbitrary decisions or become frozen with indecision.
And how do you prepare for these types of sprints?
I don't think the way I prepare is a good model of how to do it, but I usually take some time to think about what the race will be like, and I develop an expectation of making lots of quick decisions. I find that developing realistic expectations goes a long way toward optimizing my performance. Ultimately, improving my running and navigating capacities is the way toward better results, however it's also a good idea to get the most out of the abilities I currently have.
By the way, I very much enjoy campus sprints, despite not being very good at them. It's a thrill to feel the pressure of pushing the limits of my navigation skills.