Winter/Spring Training

     After a great indoor track season with the University of Calgary Dino's which wrapped up at the end February I have shifted my training and started to focus on building my volume while maintaining my speed for the upcoming orienteering season. This summer’s orienteering schedule looks the best ever. My two major competitions this summer will be WOC (hopefully) and WUOC which I am really excited for. I will attend the WOC team trials in June in Italy with high hopes of more than just making the team. I was also named to the 2014 WUOC team that will represent Canada in the Czech Republic this August. I am really looking forward to this competition after spending last summer in the Czech Republic preparing for it. I have my sights set on achieving something "big".

     After running all winter for the first time ever I am in the best shape of my life and am ready to hit the forest with some speed and some great navigation. I cannot wait to start racing even if they are just local meets around Calgary. Sage Stomp in Kamloops this May long weekend looks like it will be very good on some maps I have never run on before. Also the Prairie opener in Rumsey, AB never disappoints as the terrain is very fast and somewhat tricky.

     This coming weekend I will do a 3km race with the Dino's track team which will be a great test to see what kind of shape I am in. I hope to break 9 minutes but will be happy with anything around 9 minutes. The following day will be my first forest race of the season in Morningside, AB.

Here is a look at the some end of winter training and some early spring night orienteering/orienteering.

The top of Lady Macdonald

On the way up

Best training partner ever with me at the tea house

Some night O at Mt. Laurie

Early sprint training at Rafter Six Ranch

Rafter Six Ranch with Michael

Rafter Six Ranch with Michael

Bow Valley, didn't run this exact course

Rafter Six Ranch

Stay tuned for race updates every weekend throughout May.

Train on,

Damian