World Cup Sprint Relay

Fredriksten

     The World Cup Sprint Relay was one of the most intense races that I've ever run, mostly due to the atmosphere around me, rather than the technical difficulty of the race. Surrounded by the strongest runners of most European and Scandinavian countries was quite nerve wracking, as I tried to warm up and keep the thought that 99% of these people were better then me.

     The day before I had spent 2 hours scouring the ramparts of the fortress Fredriksten looking for potential traps and openings to certain sectors of the castle. If the course were to pass through here then this would be vital information that would help me immensely. The area to which we were designated to warm up in was just east of the main fortress, with the arena lying to the south. When it was time for the 3rd leg runners to assemble and move to the arena where their teammates would be tagging off to them, then we were aligned into four columns according to our team`s number and marched to the hand off area. There we continued warming up with occasional glances at the runners passing the spectator control up on the hill, to see if our teammates were close to finishing.

     Eventually the lead pack came in, tagging off to their 3rd leg runners with occasional runners coming in behind them whom were separated or in their own groups. Shortly afterwards Robbie Anderson came in and tagged off to me leaving me to run off in the general direction that many of the runners before me had gone. After I opened my map (with a slight struggle) I decided in a split second what my route choice to the first control would be. If I recall correctly then at the time going south seemed shorter therefore I booked it in that direction. After the race I learned that on this leg I had taken the optimal route choice.

My relatively straight route choice to 1

     My decision to number two was extremely rash, as the first option that I saw was straight, for it was very easy navigationally. I had been expecting something much more technical. Therefore I didn`t look to the sides for either of the route choices around the hill which would have been faster. I was not the only one who made that mistake, apparently Judith Wyder also took that route choice, although the result of taking it cost her the lead.

     As I finished the leg I unfortunately realized that it had not been the fastest one by the fact that runners who had punched around the same time as me were closing in on the control from the road to my left, while I was still descending the cliffs and uneven hillside on the final half of the leg. I would say that I managed to do a good job in putting that thought out of my head and not letting it distract me for the next route choice. Sadly there is not much to brag about for nailing the 3 control, as it was painfully easy.

A very easy control. Should have put it in those knolls, that would have been crazy!

     Going to number 4 I tried taking an accurate bearing which ended up disintegrating in to following the contour which I was on, therefore when I neared the control I had to cut back to the left.

  
     Going to number five I first tried avoiding as much climb from the beginning that I could before going straight to cut distance afterwards. It worked relatively well and I believe I covered a portion of the leg on a path.

   
     The next control was obvious but what I was trying to do was plan ahead so that I knew which direction to head out when I flipped my map at the map exchange. Unfortunately, like the last time I had a map exchange, I managed to mess this one up too. I orientated my map with the north lines, but alas not with the arrows that are on those lines; or the numbers on the controls. So as I had my map 180 degrees in the wrong direction the only think that made sense was the two lakes by the finish, and so I started running to the start triangle that was apparently on the other side. As I got pretty close to the spectators I registered the thought that the course setters probably wouldn't send us through that area and so I stopped and tried figuring out what the problem was, after a while I found out; that my map was upside-down and so to my dismay I began running in the correct direction.  Otherwise the next control was quite easy.

The mistake is quite sad...

     The route to number 9 wasn't very innovative other than you had the option to go right around the wall, which I did because it felt closer to the line, or continuing straight. I think I made some time on that leg other than a small hook at the end. To nine I went straight on a bearing and just looked up.

8 and 9 routes

    Number 10 was interesting, as I thought about whether I should go right or left. I instinctively chose left, and fortunately it was faster, that can be seen from the fact that I got to my control before the German would have, who was right behind me at number 9, although he was going to a different control.

        Running to 11 I tried to avoid the hill by using the path to the right for a portion and then cutting in a straight line to the control. This may not have been optimal because the German caught up to me, and passed me. He went more straight but he was also running faster then I was.

     For control 12 and the final loop I pretty much just tried catching up to the German, and I was not able to. There wasn't much route choice and I tired tanking it in order to catch up to him but I was spent at that point in the course.

Second spectator run-through

    

Final legs. Nothing special.

     Overall the course was decent, though it was very disappointing that the course planner had not been able to use the fortress. I am not sure if it was because of liability or if they hadn't been able to get permission, but ultimately the course didn't go there and there was no concrete reason provided as to why that was.

     I had a fun time, and gained lots of experience by racing the best runners in the world.