Training Log Archive: DaiWilson

Welsh Champs - Merthyr Mawr
Last time I was here was a score about 12 years ago, showing me age a bit now and I actually really enjoyed it, as it was my first taste of orienteering on sand dunes. This time was different it was a lot more grueling and not how I remembered it to be.
After the mamoth journey starting at 0545 and finishing at about 1200 finally arrived got changed and warmed up by running up and down a 50m sand dune, some dynamic and static stretching. I made my way to the start watched a couple of the competitors hdg off in 2 directions one up a open sand path the second slight contour on grassy terrain, mantra for the day, stay off the sand and on the grass as much as poss.
Control 1 easy speed and off attack point into area, red pace read the ground, feature, control and away. Good flow!! and that was as good as it was going to get!!
Control 2 found it difficult to read the minute contour detail and stopped too short of the feature 20 - 30 secs lost
Control 3 built up momentum back on track, aiming for Open grassland trouble was because the area has been opened to cattle the whole area now has large grassed areas making it difficult to distinguish between the surrounding brash. Back to contours, again stopped too soon and too left.
Control 4 good short leg
Control 5 Now I will say at this point it seems like alot of excuses having read back over this but this is what affected me during the race and its how you deal with them rather than throwing down the map and walking away from it. I overshot the control and my plan was to use the fence as a catching feature, what I wanted to do was relocate off the area of fight but because it was difficult to distinguish between the areas of fight and undergrowth and trees i lost alot of time and was lost for about 4 - 5 mins.
Control 6-8 Good flow back to using just contours and areas of fight only!
Control 9 problem with grassland again peeled to far right ended up in parallel re-entrant 100m away. Corrected by hdg to catching feature path and fence hd North.
Control 10 steady
Control 11 stopped 20 m too short
Control 12 simplified the terrain, bearings to adjacent an area of fight Attack Point flat area between hills bearing in to control
Control 13 Hand rail Fight
Control 14 My Nav mistake of the century!!! This cost me between 6-7 mins I thought If i run a simple line to the stream and estuary and hd along the beach and up shallow re-entrant I could plan ahead. The problem was it was so technical and sapping due to the constant up and down to get to the beach that I lost alot of energy and time. In addition when I got to the beach it was a bog, with ALOT of crap washed up from the storms which meant I had to nav around the head land instead, adding to the distance. In hind sight stuck to paths and taken a similar line to 25 and come in from the North. Leg starting to notice the ache in groin, 6 km mark.
Control 15 good judgement in distance
Control 16 Lost 3-4 mins, Nav north to pick up a path that would bring me in from the north did mean I was 400m North of the line at my furthest point. Maybe if I was more confident with my decisions and faster.
Control 17 wrong route choice went down and around think most went straight and used path to come off.
Control 18 - 20 good lines getting tired. (Control 20 energy sachet)
Control 21 long time in circle wrong side of hill.
Control 22 - 24 Thought I was running well but guess tired running
Control 25 good route choice and map memory read the wrong hill tops climbed a ridge to N ended up 10m up looking down on it.
Control 26 too short
Control 27 ran past control and overshot by 100m relocated of a large sand area, finish control in distance
Control 28 doglegged off large sand area.
Finish Trudge
Todays race I found difficult because of many things and I am annoyed that looking back I could have saved about 25 - 30 mins, now that is a massive amount of time when your orienteering. I did come away with the M35 Trophy but that was more for completing the course rather than winning the title. On top of this I've picked up an injury that has been niggling for a couple of weeks whilst training but I need to get sorted if I want to progress. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!!!

Event: Welsh Orienteering Championships
 

Rest Day - walk around giants causeway

Gentle run with the dog scaling down for the weekend.

Rest Day

Warm up/down runs

Strength and Conditioning training - legs cramping up

Training run with the dog, couldn't do anymore due to lack of time! Felt ok after the weekend! ;)