Training Log Archive: Thraws

My favourite first leg in a very strong team. Unfortunately I felt tired from yesterday's hills and found the going underfoot really really rough. Right from the mass start I was battling the heather - and the crowds - and was relieved to spike 1. Straight again, through the vegetation, for 2. Good. Had a plan for 3 but lost time by going to the wrong control and struggled to visualise at 4. As ever in relays, the key is to get your flag first time and clean. Those who didn't were groaning and dropping off the pace. But the brashings and undergrowth made getting away from them hard. Had to relocate for 5 and wasn't urgent enough for 6. Walked straight up the hill and along the top to 7, which was tricky. Then lost the will to fight on the straight line routes to 8 and 9 as the going was so very very rough and I simply couldn't run. Final loop was OK but I wasn't rushing. So my time and position were disappointing, but I hadn't had a disaster and we finished in the top ten.

Event: British Orienteering Championships 2013
 

Somehow or other I'd ended up the very first starter. I was early as usual, but at 10.40 there was little sign of an actual start. Just a few bits of tape and a load of abandoned rucksacks. I went away for a warm-up jog, but when I got back there was little progress. Then the maps arrived, and this bloke 'in charge' asked for volunteers among the early starters to carry them from the car! 11 o'clock came and went and the start still wasn't ready, and by now crowds were arriving and asking with some anxiety what was going on. It was an unforgivable shambles and absolutely inexcusable at what should be the showpiece event of the orienteering season. It wouldn't have mattered all that much had it been a punching start. But it wasn't. It was timed! I was very careful about noting when I got away and about starting my stopwatch. No one had put out a start kite, but I had a run down a path to a track so it didn't matter. So I began the day in a foul mood. But at least I didn't have anyone around to distract me. We had been warned about the map near 234, and that was my no. 1, so I was careful. But it came up OK, and 2 and 3 went well. I decided to play safe for 4 and stay on paths. There was no one around and I was concentrating, and there seemed no possible reason ever to go wrong. But 7 was tricky and I ran to the wrong thicket for 8. The inevitable long leg was 12, but I spotted an OK track route pretty quickly and, in spite of toying with quicker alternatives, stuck to it and tried to keep pushing hard. The last five controls were straightforward and I was finished. No errors at all really. I was '1 of 1' and 133 rather than 130 per cent of winner's time. Mostly enjoyed it, and did myself justice, but boy are the winners quick!