Training Log Archive: Thraws

Winterfold. First daylight leg in an awesome SO handicap team that was seeking to retain trophy won two years in a row. Didn't camp this year, so alarm went off at 2.45 and I was in the bizarre world of night-relay orienteering. Had surreal three-quarters hour drive through darkest Surrey and finally found the event centre with about 50 mins till my estimated call-up. Text from Alan said we were less then 10 mins down on schedule. Gulp! Neil came in bang on time and I was off, with just a cup of tea and a banana to fuel me. It wasn't easy to see the map, but it would improve as sun got higher. 1 was ok, and I played safe for 2. But I was running too fast, overshot, found ditches, but couldn't make them out on the map, bumbled around for three mins then decided control must in fact be 'over there'. Thank goodness it was. 3 and 5 were road crossings (easy) and I overshot 4 a little bit. Had company for the path run to 6, and he spiked it so I was spared the problems many had here. We were then racing together through 7 to 16, swapping lead, but we both binned another 2 mins at 9 where we overshot. After he disappeared I slowed a bit for the 'mountain section' to 19, but was spiking controls and pretty clean to 22 by 69 minutes, which I thought was '10 minute warning'. Saw SYO rival here and tried to outrun him, taking v hilly straight line option for 24 and 25. Mistake! White forest was awful! Neil went round on paths and had splits 20 secs and 1 min quicker. Was relieved to enter last easy block of woodland, but disappointed to be outside target time already. Didn't mispunch though, thank heavens. Handed over to Peter having lost a place to Tim Tett (no shame) and finished 3 mins down on handicap trophy rivals. Too much pressure to be enjoyable, but pleased with ok performance at testing event.

Event: Harvester Trophy
 

Harvester's tonight, so should have saved legs, but couldn't resist a run on SO's best area. And Jan had to collect the SI equipment for next week. And the weather was absolutely perfect too. Started comfortably and well and was OK through 1 to 4, then missed 5 by absolutely miles because I took my bearing from a point on the purple line rather than from where I actually was, i.e. attackpoint. Way left with a load of others, relocated first, so led them all in. Mostly path routes to 9, company for 10 but we found thickets OK, then found myself racing a much stronger Carlos through 11 to 14. As soon as he got in front he went wrong. Took a good route to 15 (longest leg) and got to head of race, where I stayed till the end. Which was nice. Good technical course on an outstanding orienteering area. But I'm probably biased.