Training Log Archive: roar

WC long in france. I was going well quite happy but had to pull out cause we needed to catch out flight :(

ori-show quali B

WC model

ori-show quali A

ori-show quali B

International night sprint.


Warmed up with Colm. Had a nice chat about how we felt and race preparation. Over to the start and they called my time. The French woman attempted to pronounce my name but failed epically!. I see Gustav Bergman warming and I shouted at him since he was supposed to start one minute before me!
Clear, check, move to next box. I was psyched for this race. I was going through my plan to stay focused and try to keep up my running speed the whole way.
Start line... ready to go. I wanted to take the map bag off since my headtorch would reflect really badly from it. My attempts to ask if the map was waterproof simply failed so I just took it off. The clock counted down and I started.
Nice long leg to number one, bit of route choice planning I was grateful for the run to the start kite. Picked a way I could plan some more of the course. As I powered up the steps nearing the circle I noticed that it was actually on the far side of the wall from me and I needed to go up and around. I then got confused when I ran up the first road thinking it was the second but sorted it out quickly.
I made a quick decision to go right down the hill and then back up to two, it was probably wrong but I only realised that after. I thought the control was at the bottom of the fence but it was at the top so I lost another few seconds.
Flew down the hill to three and through some cool underpasses and onto the island with the control, flowed smoothly through it and on towards 4. I crossed the river and started looking for my turn... "This makes no sense!". The roads were just not matching up. I saw then I had to go across two rivers. I turned the corner after the second and passed through a lot of tourists walking and shouting to get out of my way. This was being quite fun!
5 was simple, and I used the time to plan for 6. I chose right and went! This meant I had no plan for 7 however and I just made it up as I went. Took a weaving route close to the line. Got to the circle, looked up for the control... nothing! Looked back at the map and up again, it was on the other side of the river! Ran around through the front terrace of a restaurant and punched with the crowd watching me!
At first glance I thought I'd go right for 8 but then I saw the huge hill... Decided left was a lot better... Easy enough leg so I tried to just keep running hard and plan a bit to 9 and 10. Started to really suffer up the hill into the control. Here it was really dark and I was really glad of the big headtorch.
9 hurt a lot, I struggled up the hill and up the stairs. Wanted to left and in but I couldn't see the stairs, slowed a little and then saw it was a spiral staircase. They hurt a lot... At the top I saw the control and I composed myself
for 10... "one contour of climb and it's all downhill from there" was all that kept me going. I came down the narrow alleyway and was feeling myself get some breath into my lungs, looked up and all I could see was a huge fence with a no-entry sign. PANIC! Air gone again... Kept running, looked at the map again. I knew I had to be right. "I couldn't be wrong... could I?" At the last second there was a tiny, tiny entrance and I felt exuberant joy! Ran down the hill, saw the control and knew I had only one chance to get the SI card in the box, otherwise I would just keep going on down the hill... Beep! I kept going having got it beautifully...
No thinking to 11, straight down the hill hearing my footsteps echo loudly I wasn't worried about crashing into people around the corner. Across the bridge and right around the church. Swung around the banisters and jumped down the stairs to spike the control.
For 12 we got to go under a cool tunnel. Then out and around a building into the park where there were no more street lights. As I came around the corner there was a couple right there kissing. I came within inches of running into them and couldn't stifle a laugh when I heard a yelp behind me! Almost missed 12 because of it.
The park was super easy, could see all the controls from the previous one. As I crossed the bridge I knew I was nearly when I heard people start to cheer for me. Decided to go right for 16 but I missed the first gap in the uncrossable fence... It then never ended like it says it does on the map. many expletives went through my head at that point. After double checking the map on this fallacy I jumped clean over it. Then it was just head down and run as hard as I could to the finish!
I had a good run. I was happy with my speed and how I took the controls.

french training

aaaaaaaaagh. france maps are technical!!!!!!!!