Occassional thoughts about orienteering
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| okansas.blogspot.com Occassional thoughts about orienteering |
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Thursday, May 29, 2003 Best performance in almost two yearsI'm pretty sure the relay on Monday was the best performance I've had in almost two years (go to the May 26 post for a link to the map with my routes). I haven't had a really good run since August 2001. The relay and the Possum Trot are probably the two best races I've had in two years.Since it was a good race, I've spent a bit of time thinking about why it was a good race. A few thoughts: I was mad at myself after having a lousy day Saturday (both physically and navigationally). I don't know why, but I often run well when I'm mad. Maybe being mad helped me run better on Sunday and Monday. The conditions -- weather, map, terrain, course, etc. -- were good. "Good" might not be the best way to describe the weather. It was about 53 and raining steadily. But, that's the kind of weather I like to run in. I went out within a second of Nadim and had a good head-to-head race. Racing someone helps me concentrate. Nadim is stronger than me. But, my navigation is a bit sharper. So, we saw each other a lot. I could get a lead leaving a control, but then Nadim would get by me (especially if there was some climb). I could usually get by again near the control when Nadim slowed to read the map a bit carefully. Running a race like that made it feel like someone was watching...and I usually do pretty well when that's happening. The combination of being mad, the conditions and racing head-to-head kept me from worrying about my leg. I've struggled with running in the forest for the last two years. I've gradually improved, but I still run scared (worrying about my leg). I only remember thinking about my leg once during the entire race on Monday. Not worrying has got to be a good thing. Getting through a race without worrying (and in terrain with some rocks and deadfall) will help my confidence for future races. While Monday was probably my best performance in almost two years, I'm far from where I was two years ago. I'm slow (and a bit fat). My navigation went well Monday...but I did some really lousy orienteering Saturday. Now what I need to do is get in some good technique training in Texas next week, gain some confidence and strength. And, stay confident for the U.S. relay champs in Idaho in a few weeks. posted by Michael | 9:23 PM 
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