Training Log Archive: Bashman

Could have gone out but decided to just have a rest instead. No pain coming from muscles but quite a few cuts and bruises from a dodgy water park yesterday.

The usual
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JEC RELAY - Men's Leg 3 - 6.6km - 28th - Very, very far down

Unsurprisingly, I felt tired this morning and was not looking forward to racing M20s for 6.6km at full pace whilst trying to make sense of a map. I'll keep things short since I would not mind it if I forgot this race ever happened.

Fast mass start, smashed number 1 right at the front but it was a long gaffle so was quickly far down. Paced it through the first few with an excellent solo route choice to 4 that was the 2nd best highlight of my race (wait for it...). I continued to struggle to cope with a pace which would normally be completely natural and my feet were killing me. So it's hardly surprising that by number 9, I was looking ridiculous running between two controls, neither of them mine, that just about everybody seemed to have. I checked and double checked descriptions, began to panic, everybody left, I relocated, and I was screwed. Tried my best to catch up but losing circa 3:30 was a deadly blow to my race, there was no recovering allowed. I tempo'd on and made a few more mistakes allowing Andrew to catch me. We both shared our woes of having a bad time but perked up a bit when we caught Riccardo. We raced him through spec and the last loop, catching a Czech and Arnaud P too. I began to feel a bit better when I led the train (after Arnaud completely blew the penultimate). Me and Andrew lead into the finish, I drop kicked my map at the map exchange and it flew several metres high and landed perfectly in the collectors hands (the highlight, even Toon was impressed and tried to announce it), sprint finished for no particular reason and raged through download.

Seeing Riccardo and Arnaud, both medalists from the last two days, doing very badly cheered me up a bit. A learning experience, and not too bothered by it. Only slightly annoyed to have let Adam and Mark down with a shitty first leg. Work to be done there.

WU - Perfect - everything in it, not too much but enough.
WD - Lovely one, barefoot on concrete with Dane, cheesing!
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JEC 2014 Long - Weijervlakte, Belgium - 12.06km - Silver by 1:08 to Joey Hardon

Yesterday's WD was a good shout, and after having a good 10 hour sleep I was feeling completely fresh, even with a hard and somewhat disappointing sprint race behind me. Daniel and I spent the morning getting pumped up in various ways whether it being punching stuff, commenting on how fresh we feel, our perfect start times (Daniel was 6th last and I was 3rd last), and of course doing the important stuff like having breakfast and packing. Managed to sneak to the shops after the sprint to buy some porridge which I really appreciated for breakfast the following day. Stole some milk from breakfast and had a perfect pre-race meal.

Topped this off as we arrived into quarantine when I had a banana; a crucial banana. Who knows how I might have crashed or ended up without this banana. Also had a few bites of jelly just before warming up. The quarantine was awesome, an army base - completely flat with plenty of space for drills. Ran a perfect warm up including a few jogging laps with Dan, although we both felt awesome and ramped this up, lots of drills and a nice number of strides. Into the start box with Meg, managed to not let a fellow GB team mate put me off. Sprinted to the -3 box as a last stride and I was in a perfect state of mind. Stared at my German 2 minute target but couldn't see any sneaky routes, I guess I had to wait.

Part 1: Vague contours with big open areas in this section. Comfortably off with a vague bearing to 1 knowing I would be caught by the open. A bit twisty routewise but thankful to hit the control bang on, knowing that this was key to a good race today (especially number 1). Massive leg to 2 but I knew the general approach to every singly control today - straight is great, round is frowned. Saw my German as I popped into the open, he was definitely losing ground to me but I think I focused too much on him as I completely face planted in what was one out of many times for this course (lots of hidden holes). Hit two bang on again due to a trail of distinctive trees and was out towards 3 on the scent of a tiring bratwurst. It was a dodgy approach and I knew I had to nail my entry into the forest. Did so and flowed through very nicely. Noticed I may have started too quick though as I began to feel it towards 4, eased off a little bit knowing there was a lot to come. Hit the control bang on although 20s down on Dobnik (who seemed to crash completely by 10). Remembered the approximate location of 5 when I was going to 2 and this paid off. Not only did I hit the control perfectly but I had caught my german too. He was a key motivator for the next section of the course. Apparently also passed Daniel here, but didn't see him. Would have been fun having him push me - although we had different butterfly loop gaffles.

6 looked tricky and it was. A vast semi-open area with some very vague contours and not much else (although this pretty much summed up the whole north area). Made sure I entered where I knew and took a good bearing. Slowed right down just before the control and it took me a second to see it. Would have owned this split if I had seen it sooner. Good to 7, german was still hot on my tail and I was getting slightly annoyed/distracted by it. As long as I dropped him eventually I would be happy. Straight to 8 but it took a while, so possibly a slight banana. Tiring a bit to 9, probably due to the german really pushing me on. A good split but Joey took 24s out of almost everyone! I guess I was looking at 10 and possibly slowing a bit but not that much.

Transition leg - 10. A break from reading the map. Onto the road as straight as possible and then switch off time. Made good use of this as I dropped my follower, took a quick drink and splash from a station and planned the next few just as I switched on again.

Part 2 of the area. Slightly more detailed and tricky. I took the approach to 10 cautiously and was rewarded since as I punched, my French 4 minute man appeared behind. Probably worth noting that there were 6 of us in the overall lead here, within half a minute of each other, 30mins into the course. Shook the French guy off instantly and took a mental note of were 11 was for later. Here is where the gaffle and monstrous butterfly began. Slightly unfocused into 12, mind was trying to decide how well I was doing. Thankfully caught myself and spiked it, somehow. Really good splits to 11 and 12 ( 4 people drew first to 11 including me, :O, unheard of orienteering..). A bit of a break going to 13 and 14 both easy open legs. Slightly dodgy to 15 as it wasn't clear where the semi-open ended. Found a russian M20 going to 16 which was a nice motivator. We also raced to 17 but he sort of blew it and I whistled him into the control as a sort of thanks for pushing me on, plus I knew him (sue me!). 18 was slightly dodgy as I couldn't remember what the control (butterfly) control looked like so hesitated but found it soon enough.

Pushed to 19 feeling good and positive that I was doing well by now. 20 was crap as I ran to the top of a hill rather than the bottom, short leg though so only -15s. Good to 21 just making sure I hit it bang on, best split here by 4s on a short leg. Up to 22 which was the second butterfly. Remembered it's location and nailed it. UPDATE - leading by 4s to french guy and 1:20 to overall winner. Interesting..... Gaffle was now over and it was onto the spectator. Feeling a little bit tired now and almost wanting to just collapse, needed a drink, fast. Took things steadily towards 23 and spectator. Saw the assembly which gave me a big boost but it was tough running on the loose sand. Took a quick drink, pushed on by Jackie. She told me I was up there and just as I was leaving the field, the commentator announced me to be leading. Apparently he also said by 5s but I didn't hear this, I was numb with fear/excitement.

Part 3: This final section was greener and simpler than part 2. It's hardly surprising that I messed up 25 by 30s, my head wasn't screwed on and I was almost panicking. Ran straight past the control which was behind some bushes.... Quickly relocated and I decided to take the safe route - after finding 25 - to 26. This was a good choice and a good split. 27 looked fine but I was worried about 28. Control on a knoll in some green, very dodgy indeed. Took it very slowly and hit it, but 13s down. At this point I was in 3rd. Lost a further 15s to 30 as I took it very safe round a path, just knowing I was still in with a shout but could still blow it. Tanked it to an easy 31st control and overtook 2nd overall by 1s. Continued on a first split streak to the last control, opening up a 6s gap to 3rd (first was a minute ahead). Then was ready to have a relaxing run in, sure that I was probably safe but a german opponent and a wild crowd told me to speed up. Glad I had, as the 3rd French man caught 3s up on me on the run in and could have easily caught 3 more! Ridiculously close for a 63 minute course!

Well it's fair to say I was delighted at the finish. Took the commentator a while to announce my result and I knew it would stick since I didn't recognise the two names behind me, super chuffed. Andrew informed me that Daniel might still beat me and it took me a minute to realise that he had started 6 minutes before me and Andrew had got it wrong... Shocked to hear he had just passed spectator as I finished, thought he would have smashed it as we were both feeling similar in the morning... I guess I'm a bit annoyed since I was leading at spectator but I think I need to live with it and know that I am perfectly capable of delivering when it matters now. It was nice holding a union jack on the podium for once, even if my face didn't really express sheer joy. Me and Joey were on different gaffles so can only compare for the beginning and the end. Makes you think though - is it actually completely fair? Definitely not. The "break" in the open came sooner on my course and I think I would have liked it later. Perhaps a good nopesport feed. Anyway, things finally clicked, a near perfect race, and a good way to end the year. Lots more analysis will be done.

http://helga-o.com/webres/index.php?lauf=964 - Looking at the strangth of the field, Oringen H18E overall positions 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 24 were all in the JEC field. Plus a few fast JWOC faces.

http://helga-o.com/webres/splits/splitsbrowser.php... - Courses (Gaffles) 21 and 22, 21 for me.

C • tank 11

C • * 1

Event: JEC 2014 + spectatorraces
 

JEC SPRINT - M18 - 8th
4th at spec and then hit the wall due to chest on fire from recent cold. Don't really care, 8s off podium, tomorrow is my focus.

*time actually 1:30 quicker on results but think it's wrong*

Morning canter
Down to the bottom of the seat feeling amazing and running well. Then hit the crags and died a bit but that was because of yesterday's squats... Fine though as Belgium is flat. Then back along pleasance feeling goood again

5 minute WU
5 minute drills
1km in 3:13
90s
500m in 1:35
Then stride pyramid of 5, 10, 15, 15, 10, 5s
Then WD

Just sharpening up really and not bombing it. Nice in the meadows sunset.

Circuits
That is all for the day. First time sub 70kg for a while.

Easy cycle to sister's and back, heavy traffic on the way there.