Training Log Archive: ba-ba

Had a day off. Felt pretty good but thought it was prudent. i.e. I got lazy.

Fairly pleased with parts of my O at the weekend, and a bit stronger in terrain than anticipated. Still plenty to work on but am going to target BOC a bit more than originally intended - well as much as I can with eyes on PPP a week later.
BOF rankings (no-one cares but a good indicator). Current average ranking is 1306:
1325 in Sprint. Only 1 sprint race a year (max 3) but always good for points.
1287 in Long. Minus 11-13min mistakes puts me around 1335.
1281 in Middle. Minus 3min obvious mistakes puts me around 1315. Less a further 1:30 from un-noticed errors takes me up towards 1330 again.

1st leg for ShUOC 2. Moving OK just couldn't get going much faster. Lost 30s on the over the hill leg to 5, missing the selection - though doubt I would have stayed the pace there. Bimbled around near Malley, Sludo, Maliphant and StevieB until 10/11 before leaving them and ending up with a Belgian and Will Hensman for the latter part of the course, just pipping the latter in a sprint.
One mistake on #7. Went in too early with Malley before hacking through some green and accessing the control (CD: Crag Foot, 5m) from the top of the crag.
Great fun!
Potter a bit injured so lost time on last leg, but Jose and I on the first 2 beat the splitters Ciaren and Olly back, small victories.

C • Splitters 2

C • #7 2

token efforts

80th (69th overall). WInner: Thierry Gueorgiou 1:26:29 (+37:52; 144%)

So close to a good run. Some bits were good and I felt strong. However, lost a bit early on, worked my way back into it catching 2 (Jack Wood), 4 (A. Fin) and 6 (Mark Bown) minute men before messing up in the clag over the top of the hill. Back in a good train as we hit the slope after spectator, but thought I spotted a sneaky line around the hill to 22. Left the train and proceeded to lose 6 minutes, finally being caught 2min by Sludo. Back on it until 29 and 30 where myself and Jack were playing all kinds of silly buggers.
I finished at the back of a pack again. I should have easily been 10 minutes quicker - beforehand 2:05 for a JK classic on tough terrain seemed like a good result, after I'm bitterly disappointed not to go low 1:50. However, a great day on a challenging course against the world's best.

Charges:
1 - over the hill, then lost it mid-leg, overshooting badly. 1:30
2 - too far left then couldn't really relocate - happily was very close to the control and got lucky. 30s. How Andy didn't catch me already I don't know.
5 - went up reentrant not ridge, though would be better running. 20s
9 - Dodgy direction out of 8 going R of hill. Planned to aim-off to spur but hit bearing too direct and ended up in vague stuff. Thankfully just NE of control and found it after a little bit of hunting. 1min, fared better than some.
- Caught Jack mid-leg to 10. -
12 - took Jack's line not my own, very unsure approaching control, searching way E down the hill. 50s.
15 - inversted contours so ended up going high. Then banana central to 2nd wall crossing. Fine after that. 1min.
- 4th fastest downhill split. Solid. -
22 - left the train as they went over the hill to follow the walls around to the right. Exited 21 way too right and low. Very confused and slow across the slope before relocating off 69 - I laughed at the number for quite a bit before realising it was out #28 and could use it to relocate. Still too low once on the correct slope. 6 mins.
- Used Andy and an Irish guy well for 23-26, where Jack was re-caught -
27 - very shaky, which reentrant? 20s
29 - Confident early in leg then kept drifting low. Went in via 21 (approached this from too low), before heading way don the slope, relocating (very slowly) off the knolls down the slope. Kite position confirmed by Sludo leaving it. 2:30.
30 - Found big green bit then went wandering off into knoll and kite heaven. Relocated close to road. Talking to Jack a lot, the word 'schoolboy' was used. 1:45.

Some promising bits but 13mins lost is way too much.

94th. Winner: Matthias Kyburz 34:02 (142%)

This was a bit scrappy with a couple of medium-sized mistakes, but some good bits. I was pushed about a bit by the terrain, but not as much as expected now I think back. Some positive things here, especially in terrain I would normally not enjoy. Ended up irritatingly at the back of a decent sized pack - 12 places in ~2:10 with a 1:20 gap back to Jack 1 place behind.
I left #5 at the same time as Hollie Orr, and by the time we hit the open fell <100m away she had about 30m on me - thankfully I got back on terms quickly but highlights my faffiness and poor exit discipline.

Crime sheet:
1 - no real plan/idea here, heading in blind. Overshot and low, below wall. 30s.
2 - hesitated right before feature.
5 - big banana down the hill then climbed a bit too high. 20s
7 - hesitancy before control.
9 - Think I may have just missed it, should have followed the Swiss lass who fell over! relocated off stream beyond. 2:10
16 - Too low then some faff I can't quite remember. 20s
18 - climbed too high. 50s
19 - Actually almost nailed this accidentally, but misplaced myself as we rounded the hillside, hitting the wall. 1min.

So 3min lost on the ones I knew about (9, 19), but quite a bit (1:30) elsewhere. Also dropping between 10-20s a leg on Sludo elsewhere through getting caught by stuff/hesitancy/suboptimal choices

Event: Jan Kjellstrom International Festival of Orienteering 2015
 

Warm up before ditching the GPS

To the start and mincing around. Without GPS

52nd/63rd. Winner: Scotia/Mattias Kyburz 15:57 (+2:35; 116%)

Guessed correctly where #1 was from CDs and start lane map, whilst 4-8 were exposed to me at -1 at the bottom of the map box. Solid.

Generally clean and quick through the 1st section, maybe with an incorrect RC (N) to 3, catching myself before making a biggy to 4 and an unnecessary hesitancy before 10. I then couldn't get my legs moving quick enough around the rest of the course, missed a few route choices and seem to have slowed down a bit towards the end. One big hesitancy mid-route to 21 where I temporarily misplaced myself. I'd caught James Hargreaves 1min into 8 but took longer than I'd like to shake him.
However, close to/ahead of some people I'm not normally around.

Charge Sheet:
3 - N not S RC.
4 - Start heading S to parking. Caught early. +5
9 - Straight through RC, L quickest?
18 - Went N and steps. Almost ran past control. 10s
From here on splitsbrowser graph slopes down compared to Josh O'S-H (2s ahead and similar runner to me in past)
20 - Back via steps wrong RC. 10s
21 - V hesitant mid leg. 5s

Morning spin with Keavney and Private Eye

Had some blood taken for Anthony Nolan. Managed to pass out. Twice. Feeling very manly. I'm fine with needles, just evidently can't really cope with them inside a vein. If they need my Stem Cells it could be interesting.
Was being stuck by the wife of the DPFR chairman, I found out. There has apparently been a debriefing after Edale, what with MRT/helicopter required. I really hope that over-reactions because of some not being fully prepared/sensible in tasty weather isn't in the offing.
That said, had I had any issues in the later part of the race and was unable to carry on, I'd have been buggered, heat would have been lost quickly as my jacket had already wetted out (far too easily). I normally carry a survival bag but take it out for races, may be worth revising tis in bad conditions.

Went to the pub after work and stayed longer than intended. Oops.
Went around the park a bit then did 6x strides.
Legs felt relaxed. I'll blame the beer.

Edge Sprintervals with Jonny. Bit muddy and slippery, plenty of stationary going round corners

quads feeling good tired.
Bit of knee niggle, will do some exercises tonight. R lower leg felt a bit disconnected on way home.