Training Log Archive: Thraws

Wasn't sure what to expect today. In the event it was a mix of campus-sprint, urban-houses, and easy woodland. There were no nasty surprises and the map was a great picture of the ground, so I got my best result of the week in spite of never pushing that hard. Picked the right paths through the trees, and when I wanted to throw my cds stub for 1 to 4 away there was a handy bin. Took good routes through the houses and slowed down after the bridge when we entered the university grounds. Walked some of the hills, but things came up just as I envisaged them so, unusually for me and my poor eyes, I was actually looking for the shortest and not just the easiest routes. Faffed a bit after the spectator control (for 22 and 23) and took ages choosing a way out of 25, but didn't really make what you'd call a mistake. The week underlined for me the priority of navigation over running in this sport. On the whole I think it's often harder than I would like, because orienteering is for me mostly an excuse to go for a run, and the fiddly sections so beloved of the ripped nylon brigade are just a recipe for frustration. On the other hand, I learnt that if you do walk round you don't do well.

Mapless saunter up Plynlimon from nearest point on the A44. Luckily there was a couple at the trig point who were able to tell me I'd come up the right hill, even if I'd missed the car park and right of way about a mile from where I'd left the car. Some rain.

Pretty sure the advertised climb for this day is way too high. Was straight into 1 when I saw Ed running back towards it, then he got away over hill to 2 by running where I mostly walked. Went round marsh to 3 then over hill to 4, Ed growing smaller and smaller in the distance. Had company to 5 and was pleased to totally spike a small depression in the middle of nothing. Round hill to 5 then Lucy's leg across the lake of yesterday. We did much the same thing and had pretty much the same time. 9 could have been a problem but I kept contact as best I could and followed the right tracks to the right reentrant and, finally, the right boulder. (Overtook Ed on this leg, who went wrong.) Was totally accurate through 10 to 13, and finally had a decent day. Just a minute or so of mistakes near the start. Wasn't worried about walking when appropriate, then running where possible. Had been underestimating the difficulty of navigation when features in terrain are ambiguous and quick relocation is almost impossible. Lots of lessons learnt.

Enjoyed watching lost and clueless people all over the hillsides on the way to the start and was determined not to become one myself. Almost managed it but not quite. Was racing Lu out of start and a bit right to 1. Could see her throughout most of long leg to 2 and must have passed right by the control she couldn't find. Thought I'd identified the crags near my control from some way away and was pleased when I turned out to be right. Stayed clean through 3 and 4, but ignored compass en route to 5 and tried to pick out features again, only this time I was wrong and ended up on rocky hill near the road which was about 350 metres west of where I should have been (and on a bearing south WEST and not south EAST from number 4). Navigated OK to 6, but never took time to plan the long 2 kilometre leg and went the wrong way right round the lake because the running looked quicker from where I was standing. It was, and I bombed over and down the hill to the stream crossing and relocated exactly on a marker post in the bracken about 300 metres west of the purple line. I started up the hill opposite but the running, again, looked quicker to the right and I eventually relocated on the fence in the marsh. But I completely failed to appreciate how far from the control I still was and, when the map stopped fitting, just blundered on. Got lost and was just hoping after that. Was OK through 8 to 15 but out of all contention again. So, two major mistakes, but no problems with the map or the terrain here and we were coming back the next day.

Easy walk from campsite. Parson's Bridge, Ystumtuen, Rheidol Falls, Cefn Rheidol, Devils Bridge, river Mynach. Another hot day so best spent in shady and ancient sessile oak woodlands.

Then time for a delightful dander round Aberystwyth doing the photo-O puzzle (along with a hundred other orienteers).

Middle race. Really hot day so glad of the trees and the early start. Got into the map right from the start and spiked 1, then 2 to 6 came up just right as well. Was too dark to read map near 7 so looked for a patch of light and it was right next to the flag! Lost a minute near 8 because the route through the grot felt all wrong, but spiked 10 and 11 beautifully. Going well, stay focussed. Cross the bridge, then 14 was easy, but I misread control description and checked three crags before realising control was on a FENCE at the path-road junction. Map was too cluttered near 16 to be read at all, but same for everyone, and penultimate control was on a lower crag and not the veg boundary I'd visualised so another big loss there. Did a lot of things very well today though, so things were looking up.

Had felt proper fed up after yesterday, but was right back in the mood today and tried to get head right on huge walk to start. Tried to hit 1 using just the compass but was looking for a boulder instead of the crag and had to relocate on a rocky knoll, 90 secs lost already. Much better through 2 to 4, then spiked 5 with the help of the cairn on the hill-top, probably the first feature I made out all week. The running was much better today as well. Got distracted by others on the way to 7, then opted to go round the big hill to 9, though still walked a lot of the leg. Hared off for 10 on the compass but failed, as I so often do, to take account of the deviations already taken to avoid marshes, hills, etc. and was too far right. Then thought I was at 11 and headed south instead of west, and lost another minute leaving 12 by going too far downhill. Overall about five or six mins of unnecessary errors, but enjoyed this quite a lot.