Wednesday 2 July 2014

WOC Bound 2014 or Am I?

     After being left off last year’s WOC team I have finally qualify for the sprint and the first ever sprint relay in Italy. The team was selected based on the results of the Alpe Adria Cup.  I am happy with just being selected for the sprints since I have been fighting to be on the sprint team for four years now. I put together a good sprint race in Conegliano but I did not have a great long race to say the least and my middle was not much better.  
Alpe Adria Sprint Finish
     The sprint was fun running through the historical streets of Conegliano. It was very flat which made the course fast and the streets were also closed to traffic which upped the intensity since you didn't have to worry about traffic. The M/W elite categories also got to test out the SportIdent Contact Less System + Air punching system that will be used for the WOC sprint relay. It is a touch-less punching system where you just have to run by the controls and your SportIdent stick will flash and beep indication you got the control. This also increased the intensity of the race as you didn't even have to break your stride if done properly. I really enjoyed using the new system for the first time but it did take me a few controls to get use to it.
Alpe Adria Sprint
Alpe Adria Sprint

     My time in the long did not show what I was really capable of. I made many bad mistakes that I should not of made. The pouring rain and very slippery conditions on the already dangerously rocky terrain did not help me to focus on the orienteering.
Alpe Adria Long
    The middle race started out bad for me as I ran by number one without seeing it but I managed to have a good run for the last three quarters but that was overshadowed when I re-injured my right big toe after it had just healed from injuring it earlier in the spring. The terrain was very technical with many rock features and tricky control locations that you had be a few meters away from to see the flag. My foot seems to be a little worse this time maybe just because it wasn't fully healed to begin with. It is very swollen and I cannot walk on it or bend it much. It has improved since injuring it on Sunday slightly but it seems it will take a while before I can run on it. I am hoping the swelling will go down by Saturday so I can race the sprint qualification that will be held on the island of Burano, just a short boat ride from Venice. I am continually icing it, putting my foot up and putting anti-inflammatory cream on it but it is still swollen and sore. All I can do is continue What i am already doing and rest it and hope for the best by Saturday. I will see Friday if I will attempt to run on Saturday after resting it for 5 days. It really sucks this happened but I will have to deal with it.

Just a little swollen
Alpe Adria Middle
All I have been doing for the past three days is lounging around planning courses on the Burano map that Okansas made of the island where the WOC sprint qualifier will be. If I am not fully ready physically, which I should be, I will definitely be very ready mentally.

Train on,
Damian

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