Training Log Archive: Thraws

Thought the map was iffy in places and the controls themselves were hidden. Consequently made loads of small mistakes, usually in the circle, which amounted to a whole load of time lost, about fifteen mins I reckon. Got confused by unmapped paths near 1 but simply couldn't see 2. Spiked 3 by a complete fluke but map near 4 was weird. Not sure about mapping of point features at 5, 7 and 13 either, and gullies and thickets near 8 were plain confusing. Spiked 10 because someone was there already and spiked 19 to 23 because I'd been there before or was led in nicely thanks. 11 and 12 were probably the only controls I got cleanly (apart from the road crossing!). Thankfully the rain never came to make a poor day out even worse.

For a haircut.

Nice not having to inhale other people's fag smoke for a change (at urban races). In fact, everything that's good about orienteering. Twenty minutes away, £3 to enter (for two), really well thought out course, sunshine (if cold) and no daft mistakes. Caught Lu at 3 after she lost her dibber, but trying to overtake overshot 4 (30 secs lost) then 5 (by quite a long way and had to relocate, two mins lost). Felt smooth through 6 to 10, 8 and 9 coming up very quickly as they weren't in right places, but got confused by open areas on long leg to 11. Really loved the more technical contouring legs 14 and 15, where the forest was so runnable, and kept technique together through tricky brambly last two legs. Felt real frumpy at the start through lack of activity, but once I got going felt fine. Got bike out in the pm and enjoyed that too. Now, some goals?

Love Oxford, and like the idea of racing through its familiar medieval streets, so entered longest course. Still not quite right though, and desparately unfit after several weeks of almost no exercise. Not expecting much. After a mad little park bit, out into the university buildings, where an elevated section (with unfamiliar mapping) causes me to lose 1.5 mins. The first long leg includes a suicidal dash across four lanes of traffic in St Giles, and I'm unable to decode the mapping of stairs so need to go and have a look first which wastes best part of another minute. Mostly OK through castle bit, helped by quicker youngsters overtaking me, and go fairly well through High Street section even if I do cause a few drivers to have to brake a bit sharply. Held up by tourists in places as well but decision-making is positive. After a wriggle through Trinity Coll I enter another tricky bit and lose about a min at 31 because I am following rather than thumbing. Miss some handy stairs near 33, go wrong way to 34, and leave 35 in opposite direction, and am obviously getting tired almost an hour in. But worst mistake is failure to find way into St Anne's. It's on the map but I miss the gate on the ground and run right round college to attack control from the west instead. Probably over 2 mins lost here. Between 42 and 43 there is an open gate but I can't see if it's mapped as such because a green tree blob on the uncrossable black line is really confusing. Play safe and follow paths round building. Took the wrong longer route to 45, but Kris Jones did too, as he overtakes me and then wins. Mistakes must add up to about 7 minutes, but I've enjoyed it and am really stiff afterwards but OK the next day. Wish I was fitter though.

Nice day for it, and good to be back on an area that always catches me out somewhere. Left 2 the wrong way to avoid dog-legging, and got all the paths confused on the way to 6, despite having a route all worked out, so when I saw a flag I thought was probably 7 had to go and check anyway and it was 7! AP caught me up two mins here and we raced together most of the rest. I was leading to 11 and had checked it out already but got paths confused again and had to relocate. Was still leading at 13 though and ran into wrong block and he got away a bit, so wasted another 30 secs on 19 deliberately taking a different route to see if I could overtake. About five mins of mistakes in total and some aches and pains after from total lack of physical activity. Good area, map and course. Car parking tight.

Ran the black because I knew I'd enjoy the course and area, and I did. Just felt comfortable the whole time and confident I could deal with whatever the terrain threw at me. Helps, of course, that I know the area thoroughly. Was out for ages but wasn't that fatigued until the effort of dodging giant puddles in the quarry (and deciphering the map) finally caught up with me. Had very small misses at 4, 5 and 13 (distracted, route, and contours respectively), but flags mostly just came up as expected tlll I got to the quarry. There was simply too much terrain to map so the map had left most of it off. Short legs were OK but there was nothing to provide 'contact' on the longer ones and I got veg boundaries, embankment and paths all muddled up and lost about 3 mins on 24, which is annoying when you've been going well for 90 minutes. Was almost last on the course, but there were only about ten people with quicker mins/km than me on all the shorter ones so quite pleased with performance. Cold not completely gone, but much less trouble.