Training Log Archive: 007

Nordic Tour Stage 2 Middle
Very cool tough Norwegian terrain. My run was reasonable but there were little route choices and a few small mistakes which lost me precious time. Running against such tough competition and comparing the GPS is really interesting- in some parts I compared well but have to be consistent throughout every part of the race.
In the beginning I felt very inefficient in the terrain and seemed to cross every cliff possible and lost time on number 2 by having an uncertain route instead of running confidently through the forest or straight out the track. On the long leg to 10 I run in a very slow marsh thinking it was the track, and then overshot the control which didn't just pop up as expected. To 13 I decided quite quickly to go straightish and didn't see the track option with less climb, though I don't think it was much better. A proper mistake on 16 where I ignored my compass and on the long leg back to the arena I took the slower route and executed it badly.
I think I masted the steady start but need to get better at the second half?
38th/54 9:45behind Simone
GPS http://www.tulospalvelu.fi/gps/20130602WCmidW/

C • GPS tracking 2

Nordic Tour stage 1 Sprint
Felt a bit nervous before starting and warming up I felt weak and hungry (2pm is an awkward time to race), but I got off to a reasonable start and in the rest of the race I was pretty well focussed, hardly even noticed there was a spectator run through.
Overall I didn't have any big time losses and was confident finding every control, but in a sprint every little bit counts. I had a couple of slower routes and parts where I didn't run fast enough. Partly I need to get faster, partly I need to learn to push harder and I need to build this speed increase into the race by knowing when I can confidently go hard and when I need to take time for good decisions.
At the 3 I caught the girl 1 min ahead and I saw her a lot though we often took different routes- she was slower out of controls but often caught up or popped up after a different route. She got ahead when I took the slower route around the hill to the second last.
48th/55 3:28 behind Simone

The new sprint o shoes feel amazing, especially when its wet!

running drills in terrain as warm up

Orienteering on NORT middle warm up map. The forest was beautiful with fresh leaves on the blueberry bushes, and interesting rock and contour detail. Got a bit put off by the many small tracks. Physically very tough terrain with every contour and cliff seeming huge. I felt totally pathetic and didn't put much effort in. I think it was just the humid heat getting to me, and my hot tights.

Sprint model, right after coming out of the forest training. Felt physically good after changing into tights and splashing some water about. Didn't run super hard but tried to keep it technically intense by doing some map memory/visualisation and not looking at the legs ahead.

Felt good after an easy few days for the legs. Have to be patient with recovery after the more intense Training last week, even though it feels like so little!
Ran in the new pair of shoes which should fix my tight calves problem. I think the low heel drop of the new Saucony Cortanas was putting extra strain on my calves, gotta get used to them gradually.

Sprint orienteering Lachen. Map Memory on longer legs. Course setter Tobias again, with some really mean legs because of the uncrossable river and freeway! He didn't quite get the idea of setting more controls in the detailed area, so I can go back there for a second training.

Drills and sprints

C • Tobias 4