Croeso

Croeso in other words Welsh 6 days orienteering week was a perfect way to spend holiday, enjoy wonderful scenes, get sunburn (yes quite unbelievable but true), dip into refreshing seawater, and get some quality training and hill work for free in stunning landscape just by taking part.

Four of the six days were on open moorlands on scenic hillsides and the maps were more or less just yellow interspersed by small lakes here and there. It basically tells you all about it. Some of the hillsides were rough and included numerous rock and contour details, offering thus great technical challenge despite the visibility. Had it been foggier, it would certainly have been even more challenging but unfortunately we were totally spoiled with great clear weather every single day.

First day in Gwanas was terrific and maybe the most difficult one. Especially when still full of energy and with light legs it was so easy to run too fast to keep yourself on the map. I just enjoyed rushing forward so much that I forgot to read the map and got totally lost on a few longer legs. So I got a few kilometres extra running but I didn't mind. Perfect training anyway! Second day in Foel Goch reminded the first one but it was more runnable. I had learned my lesson and didn't waste any time on mistakes.

Third day in Hafod forest was the first and only day in forest. Courses went on steep hillsides on both sides of the river Ystwyth. It was totally different from the preceding two days. It reminded of old good short distance races in a way that there were only very short legs with lots of turns. 23 controls on 3,7km course was a lot of fun and you really had to focus 100% all the way through.

Fourth and fifth days were both in Llynnoedd Teifi but it was such a great area that there was enough to see for two days. I thought I had adapted well to the mountain orienteering by then and as I had no problems picking the controls I just concentrated on enjoying running in the picturesque scene. The course of the day 4 looked quite straight forward to me and only afterwards I noticed that I could have avoided some 100m extra climb. Well, better training for the Jungfrau, I thought. On the fifth day I went more around along contours and had overall better flow but took again bad route choice on the long leg, losing a few minutes there. 

Last stage was an urban event in Aberystwyth. After five days of climbing in rough marshy terrains it was nice variation to get to run on hard surface. I wasn't so amused by the first part of it in brambly forest but the urban part of the course was great indeed and a lot of fun. Overall an awesome O-week! 

Running along a historic canal line

The old good BCN Main Line (Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line) from Wolverhampton to Birmingham originates from 18th century and the time of industrial revolution when a water route from Birmingham to coalfields of Black Country was needed and constructed. Some hundreds of years later local runners came up with a brilliant idea to utilize this beautiful water route for another purpose: an off road half marathon from Black Country to Birmingham.

The race started from the British Waterways Boat Yard in Wolverhampton and followed the canal side all the way to Brindley Place in Birmingham city centre. After some typical English summer weeks of heavy rain and flood alerts the route was thoroughly soaked and muddy, adding some extra challenge to it.

I started in a small group of elite women and after a while three of us had a clear gap to the others. We started quite hard and my hamstrings felt tight from the strength training the day before. I wished I hadn't done that. Moist bricks were worst and I kept on slipping on them. Fortunately most of it went on small grassy footpaths that were a hundred times better than slimy bricks. After 6k there was a 360 yards long dark tunnel that provided some extra excitement to the race. It was described as an entertaining feature enjoyed by some, hated by others but remembered by all. And that's what it was: a truly memorable moment. Because of its curved shape and slippy, uneven surface I was afraid of hitting my head to the ceiling and forced to drop my pace. I was lucky and didn't hit my head or fall into canal but I was anyway extremely delighted to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Run continued and brought some more rain, some loose dogs, locks and a number of bridges. I got tired, dropped behind my contenders, cheered up again and passed one of the girls in front, got caught by some male runners who'd started in a wave behind us, passed some elite men who'd started before us, got close to the leading girl but was totally finished a few kilometers too early and lost sight to her again. I struggled the last kilometers to reach the finish line but got there finally tired, soaked, muddy and sticky (covered with sports drink). Tough run but I was happy to have it done and to finish as 2nd woman. Just a thought of another 13-miler with 1500m climb after the finish line felt frightening. Having second thoughts? No, not really (=yes, every day), just happy to have a few more months to get the work done.

Results