Training Log Archive: Old Daniel

Ran Kainuu O week 4 and watched WM relay at Kolurinne, Vuokatti

Kainuu O Week 4
Vuokatti Vuokatinrinteet
Race around the ski slope - quite rocky.
Bad start - went in too soon off ski slope - half deliberate (keep it simple!)
Very slow - had to come out to other run and back in. Then just missed 2 in green. Small miss at 6 on boulder but much slower than Mark in the wood. Quick on the running leg back up the hill to 8 and then clean to finish.

No running today went to natural history and Winter War museum in Kumo and then watched middle final at Kolurinne Vuokatti

Middle qualifier at Vuokatti, Koljola - and then on to Kolurinne, Vuokatti to access middle Qualifier terrain for Kainuu O Week 3

Kainuu O week 3.
Vuokatti Porttivaara.
Back to more hilly typical Scandinavian terrain. Long run S to complex hill used in middle qualifier. Should have taken N route and used some path -(or S) but went pretty straight. So slow in wood! Lots a little (2mins) at control but over 30 mins to no1. Survived complex area by using top of hills. Not fast but ok , then lost 15 mins at no 9 a control in the green (they had to use green to avoid using middle final area. Bashed out through branches to road and back in. (Mark took a round route here!).
Bit of a disaster - almost last!

Ran Kainuu O week race 2 at Kumpula, Sotkamo -Long final area

Kainuu O week 2
Tipasoja Pandanpohjat
Wow - even better wood than day 1
Going out of the start land pushed you W of S when needed to be E had to banana to first control. Should have come back out and round the green but blundered through - came out at very odd angle - path did not do what I was expecting and suddenly no idea where I was and could not relocate. Ran on compass until land fitted. Cut corner on long leg 4 extra climb and needed to attack control in green twice - keep it simple. Small miss at no 6 wrong re-entrant and very complex 9 (followed train of runners to wrong flag)
Disappointed when race finished would have liked another 6km.
A British orienteer could/ should make no mistakes here. The mapping is so good

Trained in morning at Sotkamo and then watched long final at Sotkamo, Kumpula

Training.
Tipasoja Riekinkangas, Sotkama. Area from original Kainuu O week, delightful if time permitted would have done more

Watched WM sprint qualifier at Vuokatti; Kainkulta, then ran men's race heat 1 and then travelled to Sotkamo for mens final. Possibly best day ever for British team

WM Men ran as spectator race Q1. In Finland it can be difficult to know if you are in a wood a town or both. An area of individual houses that you could dodge between, lots of changes of direction, occasional obstacles and use of the compass. Enjoyed this in preference to UK hunt the thimble. Contrast to more traditional final. Some would say not enough route choice. error at no 6 went to wrong control and had to come back - probably lost best part of 1 min - not too bad

Travelled to Sotkamo - watched WM long qualifier and then ran Kainuu O week Day 1 at Kumpula, Sotkamo

Kainuu O week 1
Tipasoja Raatakangas
Part of the sandy, tar forest complex. This is the terrain you would dream of if you were to dream of orienteering. Runnable, undulating, complex, varied. Maps are superb. Race quite late in the day and hot.
A little to the S at 1 lost 30secs. Could not see the flag at charcoal platform at 5 lost 30secs. Uncharacteristically much of this area is fast open / not so fast young trees. No. 6 in young low visibility trees (white with odd bits of green) veg boundaries intermittent. The Finns concept of mapping vegetation is alien to us (but not wrong) -suddenly v difficult found 6 by coming back of the hill and 7 with compass. (Was time lost of gained here -Speaky - I could put my shirt on him getting it correct) missed qualification!) . Boiled in the open 11-12 and stupidly missed the easy 13.
A great days orienteering