Training Log Archive: Thraws

Wish I'd done the Chi 10k now. At least I had some 'time on my feet' instead. Wasn't running though. Got completely lost looking for tricky 5, failed to relocate, and just gave up after that. Orienteering does this to you sometimes, saps the will to fight the terrain, the map, the planner, your competitors. I ran on the paths and tracks but got fed up with battling vegetation in the terrain and walked. Tbh, a large part of the eastern map had 'recent forestry work' overprinted in purple and this was highlighted in the start lanes, and what it meant in practice was that the map was pretty unhelpful for the very technical long leg 8, and around control 7, and I reckon some replanning should have been undertaken here. Anyway, I've taken the decision to 'retire' from orienteering until the LM is out the way and I can get my head right again. It's not enjoyable when it's like this. I slightly overshot 2 and 3, then missed the easy path route to 6, and could see 7 was difficult, but I must have passed within 50 metres following the wrong veg boundary. Got frustrated in the 'forestry work' trying to find a track to relocate on, and when I did I couldn't work out where I was (I was about 300 metres out with my guess). Anyway, binned 18 minutes (!!) here, along with all hope. Lost contact in the grot on the way to 8 as well, and just sort of switched off. More mistakes at 9 and 11, and poor route selection and attack at 17. 25 looked easy but I couldn't make the map fit at all. I reckon 36 minutes of errors all told, so 1 hr 30 would have been a decent time. Now for three months off.

Not quite as muddy as last week, but there was a stiff southerly breeze. Was in a lead group of eight but running my own race. Settled in the end for a comfortable fifth, about 10 secs quicker than last week and just ahead of last week's winner. Felt fine again. Now to carry over fatigue to tomorrow's Brown course.

Slow puncture in the a.m. Just made it, then replaced tube with patched one from Friday.