Training Log Archive: Jay-T

Event: Northern Champs Weekend Urban (UKOL)
 

My best result of the weekend in the urban... a new orienteering low!

#4 Hesitant as the overprint seemed to indicate a gap in the wall to the west where there was none. [15]
#12 Marked gap adjacent to the building was in actuality a closed gate. [10]
#25 Wrong exit from the previous control and slower route up the passage past #8. [20]
#26 Wyber had caught me at the previous control. Small error in turning down the dead end briefly, but this was negated by speeding up to try to re-catch him.
With Wyber; rather erratic on the next few.
#31 Faster running meant we both overshot the first cut through. Thought this wasn't a major problem as we came down the second, but then the control was below us. Not immediately clear from the map or description. Fortunately there were steps down with only a small detour to the north. [30]

Time loss: 75s
9 of 37, Leon Foster 47.20 (+3.53), 108%

C • https://www.flickr.com/phot... 1

Leisurely few games; head not in this either though...

Event: Northern Championships (UKOL)
 

Nightmare Part II.

Tried my best to be positive today, but after a couple of errors I fell into a similar (possibly worse?) malaise as yesterday. Still, one way to look at it is that I had more time to enjoy this truly excellent area; certainly a new favourite in spite of my performance.

By no means perfect through the first section in the low visibility, but in comparison to my general performance this weekend it was rock solid. 6th place / 2mins down at #8.
Drifted a long way off line far too easily to both #9 [2min 30] and #10 [2min]. Some stomach issues here which may explain why I became distracted.
Struggled on and got to within 10m of #16, but lost confidence and wandered to the north for a while before eventually returning [3min 30]
#17 No plan, cursory map reading, far too low. Much wandering around ensued. Feeling a bit better though. [9min]
#23 Poor direction out of control, realised almost immediately, but resisted the compass for far too long. [2min]
#25 No plan, wandered around in a similar re-entrant for a while to pass some more time. [2min 15]
Duncan caught me up here; unashamedly followed him to #26 (even having the cheek to sneak in ahead of him to the flag as he dropped slightly low). Bit of a battle (well, on his tail) until the penultimate control when he accelerated away through the rough stuff.

Minimum time loss: 19min 15s
15 of 27, Duncan 76.00 (+28.16), 137%

Event: Northern Champs Weekend Middle Race (UKOL)
 

Nightmare.

Last April I attended the Lakeland Double and my performance left something to be desired. Unfortunately I do not appear to have learnt from that experience. Orienteering in this sort of terrain requires more refined technique than my usual diet of local leagues and I did not adjust.

Theoretically last start, but Andy Preston (split start) rocked up and started 1min behind me. Was that a distraction for the first few?

Some of the highlights:
#6 Miscounted the spurs, looking too early [1min 15]
#7 Trying to catch Andy Preston who was already on the way to #8... [1min 15]
#8 The flag was certainly tucked away and the mapping of the paths confusing, but still [4min 50]
#11 Attacked from the ride to the north – perhaps the crag extended further than shown as I was far too low. Had I taken the northern ride there was a nice track all the way to the control... [7m 20]
Lost interest after that a bit. Shame.

Minimum time loss: 14min 40s
48 of 69, Duncan 42.52 (+19.46), 147%

Ended with singles vs Luke 1-6, 0-6, 6-2, 8-10 (CTB)

Managed to get myself out for a run, shunning badminton... Did this just get serious?

This struck me as the sort of session that might be useful in some sort of way, perhaps? Probably lacking in gradient, length, repetitions and effort in reality. Very slippery and muddy track so more effort was being expended than immediately apparent.
4 ascents (620m, 30m climb), 4 descents (400m).
3.02, 1.54, 3.02, 1.49, 3.02, 1.46, 3.03, 1.50
Excellent consistency if nothing else.

After a nice little 8 hour drive south my back was protesting rather.

On site.