Training Log Archive: KingTim

Lindvallen.

Last day, time to make it a good one. Still boiling hot. Not in the chasing start so a fairly late start again but made sure I sat in the shade while waiting. Wore my Buff and kept it wet which worked a treat at keeping me cool, especially as the map was mostly blue hatching.

Had a bit of a wobble to #1, but after that, I had the best run of my life in proper technial terrain. Felt awesome. Really felt like I've finally cracked this orienteering. Was in touch with the map the whole way, was running fast but not too fast, and was quick in and out of the controls. Had a 50m miss on #5 and a 100m miss on #11 but other than that, can't complain about anything (oh, except for not having the usual speed left in my legs for the run-in!). Very happy with myself after this.

79th out of 266; 17.14 down on the winner. 9th fastest run-in.

But best of all.... I had the fastest split to #6!

C • O-Ringen 6

Hundfjallet.

Not back to 100% heath yet; suffered heartburn all night, but feeling fine during the day. Another very hot day, in the high twenties if not more. A late start (13.22) so spent a long time boiling up in the sun with no shade. Ski-lift up to the start (very exciting after 15 years!).

Was the perfect terrain for me; a runners' area of fast rough open with a net height loss of 250m. Had an awesome 1-4 with near-perfect straight line navigation. Missed #5 running to 6 first by accident. 7-8 very clean again. Then the heat hit me. I suddenly came over all dizzy, started shivering, burping up acid, and generally feeling like I was going to collapse. I lost 9 for a while, 10 was good, but my legs had no strength and I was forced to walk for a while. Slow but clean to 11 and 12, then ran again downhill to 13, but brain had boiled-over and lost it.

Still, as I always say - in the event of a navigational failure, reseve energy for a fast run-in.

181st out of 287; 18.43 down on the winner. 4th fastest run-in.

Narfjallet.

Feeling better in the guts department today, but not back up to full energy levels.

A hot day, like at least 25C. Fantastic terrain. Mix of open moor, very technical forest, wet marshes, and pistes. Brain was able to concentrate properly today and I ran very well. Spiked 1-3, over-shot 4 losing 4 minutes(because I couldn't distinguish the small patch of light green amongst the rough-open on the map), and spiked 5-10 through the most technical terrain I've ever been on (the best series of spiking I've ever had). Then fell into the planner's trap after crossing the road. Having had a very fast and easy 9 and 10, I failed to slow down for the more difficult 11 and lost 3 minutes.

117th out of 280; 16.18 behind the winner. 18th fastest run-in.

Effing 8ollocks. Last night, three of us in our chalet (me, Laura and Owen) were all sick, taking in turns throughout the night to empty our guts in the toilet. With an 08.00 start (after a 30 minute walk into Lindvallen, a 20 minute bus trip, then a 3.3km walk to the start) we were due to be getting up at 05.15. This didn't happen. Day cancelled. A real shame. It was a nice middle-distance race on a 1:10k map which looked great.

Event: Oringen 2008
 

Berga by, norra.

My first ever experience of Swedish orienteering. Having been told many many times that I need to slow right down and be careful out here, that's what I did. I set off at a steady trot, trying to keep in touch with the map. The large amount of blue label Smirnoff we all drank last night really wasn't helping me concentrate though. A very tough and vague #1 scared me so I kept to my slow pace. My map contact wasn't good for the whole course, and despite fairly cleanly finding 1-7, controls 8, 9, and 10 were tricky buggers and I lost a lot of time.

Disappointed with this day; mostly with myself for drinking so much last night and not concentrating today. I have to give it to the Swedes though, this is the most technical area I've ever seen.

214th out of 288. 46.18 behind the winner. 33rd fastest run-in.