JWOC 2015 Sprint Distance

     The JWOC Sprint Distance race was a very well designed course, with many route choices that were difficult to anticipate and to choose quickly, the race was challenging even for the best. The first leg was a trap indirectly, which I fell for badly. Starting off with a very easy control, immediately followed by a long leg, I defaulted to trying to figure out my route for the long leg. Once I had a rough idea of what that was, then I looked up to see where I was on my route to number one. Here it took me a couple of seconds to stop, relocate and run back 10 meters to the gap in the fence where I entered my control from.

     I continued to number 2 by quickly exiting back the way that I had entered and began running in the direction of my control. Here I took a right turn up towards a road that would have been more direct if it had not been for the artificial fences that had been put up to block it off. I had to then use an ally to the left to get around this. I then crossed through the field using the two gates, and came to the control to the south. Apparently 90% of the runners used a variant of this route to get the control. The fastest route though, turned out to be cutting straight up through some green to a road that was higher up. I had dissipated that option due to the large number of contours that you had to ascend through green in order to get to the road. 

 

     That summarizes the compilation of my first two mistakes. From there control three was for setting up the next route choice and in that time I tried planning that route choice out.  I was quite set with taking the upper route and almost did, but I ended up analyzing the lower one and picking it in the last couple seconds before I hit the control.  I did a slightly slower variant of the optimal route, but it worked. Along the next few control I was caught up to by an Irish guy who was running a bit faster than me. The only way that I was able to stay ahead of him all of the way into the arena was due to the fact that he kept on making mistakes as I took very sharp turns into alleys or paths that he wasn’t expecting. He lost 3-6 seconds multiple times due to this. 

     After I passed through the arena then I made a number of mistakes all in a row, first I ran to 11 from the right instead of the left, due to the out of bounds hash which I wanted to stay away from.  Next I thought that the entrance to 12 was blocked off from the right (there was a contour connecting the fence) and so I attacked it from the left side which was slower. The next control was more complicated from the right/straight and so I bailed left and came in from the left side losing 3 seconds. Finally I went straight/right to 14 missing the faster route choice from the left. From there I took the correct route to 15 (right) and continued on to finish the course.

Overall I had a fairly bad run with 6 mistakes pushing it over the edge. Moral of the story is; that I am going to have to do more sprint training practices. Fortunately I’m making some new maps in Calgary; unfortunately I am the one who is making them.

A Week in Rauland

     Previous to the arrival in Rauland, we first had to brave an entire 3 and a half hours of driving  (or in my case, passing time on my ipod) a navigate the vast roads of Norway, with a GPS that told us where to go. Eventually we arrived at the location and settled in for what would apparently be the majority of the relevant training that we were about to do in relation to JWOC which was coming around the corner in roughly 2 and a half weeks. We tackled many maps, including ones such as Juvstal, Sauraai, and Krossen, which we were able to deduce as the most relevant maps in comparison to the older versions of the JWOC terrains that we had.

Sauraai (upside down, but right-side up from the direction that were were coming at it from)

       Sauraai, the map with the most technical section just to the west side also contained one of the most relevant sections to the JWOC Middle and Long on the SE side. Here I first ran the preset JWOC training with flags, and had a slightly rough time on some of the controls. Nearly all of them I nailed yet I still had some glitches in my runs where I would lose contact due to an insufficiently detailed plan or because I took a route choice that was slower then the optimal one. One of the observational fact that I established during the time on this map, was that the marshes, especially the yellow marshes were very obvious and very fast. Someone said that "They were like highways on the map" (can't remember if that was me). Anyways they were a super obvious feature that you should usually use if it is in acceptable range of a route choice to a control that you are running to. They were very helpful for simplification of legs.

     In the complicated section I learned that I cannot even jog through something that is so complicated and it is worth to do what I had done at the World Cup on the long (which was to stop, align features with the map, jog to one, then repeat)  or just walk at a pace at which you can navigate accurately. I know that for JWOC, if I see something that complicated to slow down in that section significantly.

Juvstal

      Juvstal was a great map to see what the marshes are like on a slight slope, and how vague can they actually get? The answer is that they can get tremendously vague if you start daydreaming, don't look at your compass for 7 seconds while running at a 5min/km pace down hill, or even second guess yourself at some point on the leg. Though the marshes can be very obvious, they can also get very tricky, therefore when navigating through them you need to be fully focused on what you are doing.

Killingnuten

      This map was, I don't know, pretty boring I'd say? There were a couple route choice legs which usually involved going around certain features for long distances in order to avoid climb, but overall the navigational level that it comes down to was pretty basic. You had a nice view of the scenery around I guess. Otherwise it was not very relevant and it was also not very challenging for me.

Raulandsgrend

     This course served two purposes: 1. To simulate running downhill and spiking boulders at high speed without making big mistakes. 2. To get some very nice pictures of the mountains and lake.

The mountains to one side.

Beautiful view of the mountains and lake

The country side of Rauland and the hills where JWOC will be taking place

Training in Oslo (Again)

After the World Cup we were in Oslo for a week to recover in order to be able train hard again in Rauland in preparation for JWOC. Below are a couple of the trainings that I did during that time.

A relatively complicated course through some cliffs

A decent course on a slightly less green part of the map

 

 

A contours only map, and then a line-o

World Cup Middle Distance

     The middle distance race was probably my favorite out of all the races this weekend. The organizers fulfilled my silent hope of having the course really technical, and I ran it quite well. To number one I took a simple route choice from the left and it turned out to pay off as I caught up to Ross right at the control. I tried not to be distracted by him and focused on my own route choices. To number 2 I went straight on a bearing and checked off the features on the way, noting mostly of the hill with the clearing on it.

     From that point Ross passed me and helped me indirectly by pinpointing the exact control locations when he was leaving them, while also helping me adjust my direction going into each control. Leaving 5 I stopped to plan my route and that was where I relatively lost him up until I exited the foresty hills into the marsh, which is where I saw him again crossing a bit left of the line. I crossed the hill, then tried to go around the impassable part of the marsh by the cliff, and finally up towards the next marsh. From there I used it as a handrail to hit the path, from which I then sidehilled and precision orienteered into the control. On that leg I lost 2 minutes due to the zigzaggy route, also the marsh was not as bad as I had thought it would be, this would be the first mistake I made on the course. There I saw a Latvian guy, (who probably caught up to me) and ran to 7 which was just a bearing control. There I stopped again to make a plan, and executed it. From that point I did not see the Latvian guy or anyone else on the course.

     To number 9 I fell into some elephant trails, while later veering off to the first little hill just before the one with the control. I stopped there for a second before I realized where I was, and then continued to the control. At that point I noticed the path route choice and decided that I wanted a brain break, so I booked it to the path on a bearing and then ran the path down to the spur, with the knoll, and the stone wall going through it. From there I hit the control. On this route choice I lost about 40 sec and it is my second mistake.

     Next I kind of bailed to the path and then left it at the clearing on a bearing, while checking off hills on the way to the control. From 11 I exited quickly down an elephant path as the terrain was getting simple and found myself stranded over a 4-5m cliff. Sadly the elephant trail went right over it so I had to follow in pursuit, though perhaps I was not as fast as some of those before me who had made it (I expect that people pretty much jumped it). I lost about 15 seconds hesitating, making up my mind, lowering myself over the cliff by holding onto moss (which I was praying would not rip out of the ground) with one hand, and a bad sloper with the other, in order to get my dangling feet on a ledge partway up the cliff from which I could then jump down. Map was in my mouth.

     From there I booked it to the road, up which I ran to the clearing and entered the forest from there I climbed up one contour and then sort of contoured into the valley with the two cut-lines, up which I then sidehilled up diagonally towards the control. To 13 the first thing that hit me was to use the roads to get to the hill with white forest and attack the control from there, but after another second of contemplation I decided that at a World Cup, most people would use the very convenient power-line to the control. Sure enough there was a very nice trail stomped out by the 100 runners before me. Unfortunately I chickened out at the second road because I did not want to climb the hill leading me to go around, then regret my decision, try to cut back across the next hill, regret that, continue back to the road, and cut up to the control from there.  Leaving the control I began fighting my way through the green at about 11min/km, while trying to make a plan on how to get to the road before I stopped myself, took a bearing and booked it through in that general direction.

    Next I ran through the arena. To 15 I went left up the road, then up the trail, and then straight. From 15 I continued straight around the left side of the hill before I crossed back over to the right side of the smaller hill with the little clearing on top, from where I continued on to the left side of the big hill looking for the most optimal place to cut over it but to avoid the most climb. At one point I just cut in and started to climb and found myself on the spur with the clearing. From there it was easy to get to the control. I ran on a bearing to 17 trying to foresee the marsh, which was very indistinct, but found myself readjusting off of the little yellow hill and yet even from there drifting off a bit to the right before I saw the control a bit to my left. 18 was a bearing leg straight. Going to 19 I cut up to the path which I nailed and then ran a bit past the spur on the trail, from where I cut down to where I thought the control would be and ended up sidehilling about 260 degrees of the spur before I saw the control and ran up to it. 20 I just booked it down to the road looking for buildings, and then maneuvering around the right side of them, inside of an elephant trail to the go-control. Then I ran the finish sprint. :D

World Cup Sprint

     The world cup sprint was a relatively easy race because I did not make too many mistakes during a majority of the controls. At the beginning of the course I was sort of flustered, but by luck turned down the correct alley to number 1. From there I continued straight because I hadn't planned the next control. For number 2 I missed the alley which I was supposed to turned down and went down the next one, losing tons of time at that point. From there The course got better as I went left to 4 and right to five. The SI air didn't work for me three times on the course and I had to run back each time. The control after the spectator control was a tough one, I took the straighter route, but unfortunately the stairs were slower then running around the left side on the roads. Most of the route choices were not too difficult. Here is a map with my route choice:

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.

World Cup Long Distance Part 2

     I ran through the spectator control and received a not very crucial energy gel which I ate, then continued out of the arena. During my time there I heard something that distracted me and mentally offset me for the next control which I then messed up. It was one of the only controls that I messed up and actually unintentionally lost contact with on this course. To top it off I ran right to the correct rock at first, but then turned around and tried to relocate because I thought that I had lost contact, and eventually came back to the exact same rock to find out that the control was apparently right behind the spur which the rock was on.

     

     After the fiasco with the rock at control 18 I was caught by a Latvian guy, and as I was in a foul mood after making a mistake, I bee-lined straight to the next control as the Latvian ran sharply left. I found out why the Latvian ran left in about five seconds as I approached a cliff, and as I was still in a foul mood, I didn't let it stop me and breached it quickly. From there I continued straight up the spur to the control. The Latvian reached the control just moments before I did, therefore I don't think that I lost a lot of time with my route choice. We ran to number 20 on a bearing and he just missed the control a bit to the left giving me the opportunity to catch up and pass him.

    To number 21 we ran down straight to the second trail that leads around the left side of the cliffy hills and cut off from it where there was the knoll with the cliff. From there we ran on a bearing and were able to catch up to Giacomo Barbone from the American team, and a New-Zealander who helped us finish the attack to the control. At this point I tried going solo at the next control as I took a different micro route choice through the terrain that gave me a little bit of extra distance, which unfortunately dissipated after a slight hesitation before 22, leaving the New Zealander to get to the control first. After that my instinct was to run down through the saddle and right of the lake until I could cut up to the control, but alas I was sucked up to the hilltops by the other people I was running with. Through this area I lost contact a little bit and was trying to relocate on the run as the New Zealander and possibly the others navigated. I had a rough vision of where we were as the Latvian and Kiwi ran through the re-entrant filled with green, leaving me to avoid it a bit by swerving to the right. A bit further up the Latvian began breaking away from the same direction and navigating by himself, while I believe that I relocated on the hills right after the trail.

      I cannot remember who hit the control first, whether it was me, Giacomo, or the New Zealander but it doesn't really matter because what I do remember is that I had already made a plan beforehand, so when I punched the control, I hightailed out of there on a bearing as fast as I could. This was the point where I knew that it would be crucial to pass these guys, otherwise it would be too late afterwards. I recall that Giacomo was relatively close behind me and that the New Zealander cut down to the right while I headed straight for the side-hill, from where I ran to the power line. There I unfortunately made a mistake where I lost a couple of seconds and had to turn back to the hill that I had overshot slightly. This allowed the New Zealander to get back into the lead as he did not lose any time, and therefore did not wait around long at the control before he ripped it to the finish. I believe I hit the control first but Giacomo passed me on the way to the go control. From there the New Zealander had about 3-4 seconds on us, and because I didn't feel that I had earned the dignity of beating all of them in the finish sprint I just settled on passing Giacomo, which I did successfully, and came in right behind the New Zealander. The Latvian runner was behind all of us. Unfortunatly they all beat me bcause they passed me elsewhere on the course, but the good news was that I they had passed through the spectator control 5 min before me, which meant that I made up 5 mins on them in the last loop.

    Thus ends my epic of the long distance World Cup race in Halden, but if you did not fall asleep throughout that race analysis, and would like to read more of such tales then come back tomorrow (unless you are reading this after June 10) for another exciting article about the sprint relay where the Canadian team was leading at one point in the race, ahead of the top runners of many much more sophisticated countries orienteering wise.