Running26:29 6.26 km (4:14 / km) +54m4:03 / km ahr:134 max:166 shoes: White Hawk
Orienteering13:02 3.48 km (3:45 / km) +18m3:39 / km ahr:176 max:183 shoes: Blue Jawz
Amateur hour before the start. Thought I had lots of time but ended up late to the start, then faffed getting control descriptions and then going back to clear (thanks to those who reminded me to do this!). Made it to the start line with about 30 seconds to go.. Not good!
Actually settled quite well into the orienteering which was a little fiddly at times but didn't really have many route choices. I ran quite hard but felt quite good, probably the adrenaline of the pre start antics.
Running17:29 3.29 km (5:19 / km) +34m5:04 / km ahr:121 max:135 shoes: White Hawk
2 PM
Running29:05 4.02 km (7:14 / km) +38m6:55 / km ahr:119 max:152 shoes: Blue Jawz
Orienteering12:36 3.45 km (3:39 / km) +49m3:25 / km ahr:176 max:185 shoes: Blue Jawz
Made sure I was at the start with loads of time! Another quite straightforward race as long as you kept on top of the blocks. Only had a couple of hesitations and caught sight of Chris quite early which was good motivation. Probably quite an advantage to have lived here for a year, I felt very comfortable on the whole.
A few thoughts during yesterdays long run and looking at the map after the race: The plan is to see how good at orienteering I can get with three weeks of focus after almost a year off. This way I can better understand how to do this in March, when I will shift focus back to orienteering after the winter. I've got a lot of respect for the other guys and I was excited/nervous in the run up to the event and it was pleasing to get a good result. However, I think it only tells me a little bit about where I am at.
The course was relatively straight-forward and was on an area I am familiar with - I couldn't have asked for an easier reintroduction to racing. There are a couple of places I think I could maybe have shaved a couple seconds off with slightly better routes (2, 3, 8, 9, 17, 20), and one small mistake (11 - I was actually navigating to 12 for most of the way and was lucky that it was also a viable route for 11). That is being picky - speed/fitness and maintaining concentration were the important factors today. The basics are OK.
I still don't know how things will hold up under more pressure, or on a course where there is significant and meaningful route choice - two big factors in international racing.
Running18:17 3.51 km (5:13 / km) +11m5:08 / km ahr:126 max:142 shoes: White Hawk
Running31:52 6.94 km (4:36 / km) +37m4:29 / km ahr:125 max:145 shoes: Grey Cumulus
5 PM
Running10:33 2.01 km (5:16 / km) +66m4:31 / km ahr:117 max:129 shoes: Grey Cumulus
Orienteering18:15 4.14 km (4:25 / km) +108m3:54 / km ahr:151 max:165 shoes: Grey Cumulus
Over to Stirling for some panic British Champs training. Started with an old course that Shminty sent me, running at a bit of a tempo but not flat out. One mare on no. 5 where I made one mistake and then compounded it, but ok on the rest.
Running4:54 1.05 km (4:39 / km) +14m4:21 / km ahr:129 max:139 shoes: Grey Cumulus
Running4:22 0.93 km (4:42 / km) +14m4:22 / km ahr:109 max:124 shoes: Grey Cumulus
Orienteering12:44 3.4 km (3:45 / km) +65m3:25 / km ahr:130 max:141
10 minute drive plus a bit of faffing before FVO sprint series. Relatively straightforward but orienteering pretty well, only a couple of hesitations on some control descriptions.
Running11:58 2.39 km (5:00 / km) +17m4:50 / km ahr:112 max:132
Running21:50 4.5 km (4:51 / km) +75m4:29 / km ahr:125 max:161 shoes: White Hawk
Warm up including 4 x 15 s uphill strides
Orienteering20:17 4.48 km (4:32 / km) +72m4:12 / km ahr:155 max:171 shoes: White Hawk
Back on the Sprint-O horse proper - panic training for British Sprints. Technique ok on the whole but there were a couple of moments where I was riding my luck and got away with it because I knew the area. Biggest mistake was when I fell into a dead end trap on the second last control - frustrated with that. Need a new pair of sprint-o shoes, trainers no good in the wet and my Inov-8's are trashed now. Also, I struggled a bit to read the map - probably just out of practise but maybe a bit to do with the light as well.
Running24:10 4.7 km (5:09 / km) +68m4:48 / km ahr:120 max:138 shoes: White Hawk