Training Log Archive: iansmith

English Tiomila broadcast:
https://livestream.com/10mila/events/7147388/video...

Easy warmup, just enough to loosen up the legs.

Team Trials long course! With 14 km in some tricky glacial and negative terrain, I expected some punishment. I enjoyed a fun but slow race through about control 11-12, then completely crashed for a death crawl over the last few controls.

I started ok, with a clean straight route to control 1. I had a route and an execution mistake to 4 and 5 respectively, losing about 1.5-2 mins in total. ebone (+6 minutes) caught me at 7, and I saw him most of the way to 8. I made no effort to keep up, as I knew my legs didn't have any juice and survival pace was my only option. I had a 30-45s hesitation at 9 that was unnecessary, as I was clean on the line. Controls 10 and 12 were interesting long legs, and I elected to go straight to 10. My initial exit was a bit dodgy in a wrong direction, and I ended up on the south side of the marsh I had planned to skirt north. I corrected, and apart from general sluggishness, I executed well. I took my second Gu en route to 12 despite no water because I was crashing. I walked a bit before resuming my survival pace. My brain seems to have been suffering, as I made a 2 minute mistake within 100m of the control when I swung wide left and was too high. Laraia passed me to 12.

My rage (and maybe the Gu) mustered a little more energy, and I pepped up a bit to 13. Unfortunately, I flatlined completely to 14, and it was all I could do to finish. I probably lost 15 minutes even relative to my survival pace over the last 3 controls from fitness.

This was the worst race I've had in the past few years, and while the outcome was incredibly discouraging, I intend to use this to motivate myself to get back into shape. Trying to race a team trials weekend on garbage fitness was too much to ask. I am setting my sights on NAOC 2018, and surely I can build up to fitness in 16 months time. Congratulations to everyone going to Finland and Estonia, and it was wonderful seeing everyone in the community.

Blue - Splits

"This is carnage." - Mark Nixon on long night mistake by second group at the first control.

Warmup scoot with my phone reading the model map.

Middle distance course at Interstate Park in WI. Given my garbage fitness, I figured this was the race I had the best chance to perform well in. The first couple controls were tricky and technical, and I lost 30s missing low on control 2. Again, I noticed how my legs couldn't muster the speed my brain wanted. On easy fitness legs - the hill climb on 4, the climb to 7, the marsh transit to 10, 13, 14, and 17 - I simply couldn't get up to even the speed I'm used to having.

I chose a line that was a little too low to 10, and ended up further into the marsh than planned. Morten (+6 minutes) caught me and glided past. He bobbled 11 and 12, and I had him in sight leaving 13. I made a mistake to 15, missing my attackpoint and drifting right for 20-30s. I chose a good route to 17 - taking the bridge and transiting a bit left of the hill - but was again really slow.

I really enjoyed the orienteering, even if it was so frustrating to be glacial.

Afterward, thanks to travel agents Giacomo and Tori, our posse was staying at the same Super 8. Kenny tuned into Tiomila and HDMI'd onto the big television, so a group of 10 of us watched for 6-8 hours with visits by JJ and ebone. Boris and Nixon were fantastic; it was so much easier listening to their broadcast than peppering Boris in person with questions and having him translate. Tiomila parties are amazing - you get to eat food, play games, socialize, and watch spectacular world class orienteering. The 5th leg of the women's relay (yay go Tove!!), the 8th leg of the men's relay, and the exciting finish by Albin in the fight for second were highlights.

Cool down jog with ebone.

Blue - Splits

Event: USA & Canada - WOC/JWOC Team Trials OUSA National 3 day meet
 

Warmup; I ran down to scope out the start before I started recording.

Team Trials sprint. The past year has been tumultuous for me - leaving my job at the Broad Institute to start graduate school at University of Toronto, moving from Boston to Toronto, and running for the Board of Directors. My training lately has been terrible - with only the occasional easy run and virtually no quality, and my fitness has suffered. I knew this coming in, and had no expectations for the weekend. I only hoped to put a good effort.

The sprint made good use of Como Park in St. Paul, but some technical networks of trails and small hills over the first eight controls quickly gave way to wide open running. It was very much a runner's course, and my legs simply didn't have the speed I needed today on wide open fields.

I made a route choice mistake running left around the building to 16; there was a truck in the way, and I had to hop down a wall - probably losing 10s to running right along the lake. On the easy long leg back (25), I simply couldn't muster the speed, and was caught by ebone who chirped some encouragement.

An unsurprising result, but nevertheless disappointing. This calls for some quality speedwork in the next 16 months.

Cool down job with WEnger, ebone, and Giacomo.

Long - Splits

I don't know much about the matter, though it seems like Canadian dairy farmers have a lot of influence. I see ads for Canadian milk on the TTC Subway, e.g.

C • NA Trade 7