Training Log Archive: Thraws

Had a bit of a cold so wasn't sure whether I'd be alright for this, but SW is such a gem of an area it would have been a shame to miss it. And it lived up to expectation again, with a number of well-planned long legs that gave several route options and kept you thinking the whole time. I missed the best path to 1 and couldn't find the fence near 2, then got the wrong ditch at 6 and was a bit right at 7, but got a visual on Lu at 11 and we had a good head-to-head through 12 and 13. She got away at the map exchange, and I just couldn't go that fast in the open, but we both went a bit high on the approach to 17 and I realised first. Let another runner help me find the rootstock, which I'd promised myself I wouldn't do, then overtook him at 19 and was getting away at 20. But I missed the sharp left turn for 21, took the safer option to 22 and got stuck in the unmapped holly at 23. Doesn't seem to matter how many times we come here, it's always a proper orienteering challenge.

Gentle stroll over Harting Down with Phil and Shelagh. Then drove to ...

Wasn't going to do the half-term event, but just felt so frumpy when I woke up I was glad of the opportunity to get out. Timings were tight and a 1k walk to registration and then 2k walk to start didn't help. This was a late decision and I had nothing whatever to prove so decided I would try and find a speed at which I was entirely comfortable with maintaining map contact, planning ahead, not falling over and so on. The forest was dead flat, which helped, and fairly runnable. I got into a bit of a bubble, just moving along and ticking off controls, trying to ignore the bumblers all around. For some reason I started to pick it up leaving 11 and veered right off the bearing as I thought about running faster. Checked compass and realised mistake but lost about a minute. I think I was overtaken by someone who was moving at the same speed in front and tried to close gap, realising just how conservative my steady pace was. But couldn't see him or find clearing at 17 and decided to run 100 metres to forest edge to relocate. Then, with sinking heart, followed compass right back to where I'd been, only this time saw flag on the edge of some long grass. Three mins lost here. Slightly overshot 21 (kids on bikes) and got caught by a large group of v. good vets. It was impossible not to try and stay with them for long leg to 23 and I probably picked speed up quite a lot but had lots of help now finding flags. The last four controls were a real blast, and I finally got in front on the lengthy final leg, but AB was just ahead of me again at finish. Found the whole experience deeply satisfying.