Croeso 2016

Having enjoyed my week sunning and running in the Dordogne with the family, it was time to turn my attention to this years Welsh 5 days down near Swansea. I've always really enjoyed the Welsh, it's always on top quality areas but the orienteering feels more relaxed and laid back than say the Lakes or Scottish, with more of a holiday atmosphere than the pressure other weeks of racing brings. Physically I felt really good, having got a good couple of months back training under my belt, alongside a better awareness of my technical ability following O-France this year. So I approached Croeso with a relaxed attitude looking forward to enjoying the courses and time spent with friends.

Nice evening spent with OJ, PT and PJ

Day 1 began with a drive down from Leicestershire with Mikey to arrive at a bleary, bleak Kenfig, ready to begin the week with the first of 3 long distances. Late start due to the drives gave me a rough idea of times to aim for, but I was barely thinking about that on the start line, just focusing on having a nice clean technical race to begin the week. It began well, flowing through the first 3 shorter legs with little issue, other than some access on no.1. Slight hesitation on 4 but was still moving well through the long path leg on 5, catching a sight of Rich heading across the open back towards 6. This made me twig that my run was going well and so I began turning the screws on the nice longer flowing legs through to 10, by which time I'd managed to gain a lead of about 5 seconds, which I manged to extend to almost a minute 3 controls before the end. Unfortunately my concentration slipped on 16, not taking the sensible route to the path which would have leveled my time but trying to shave a few off going straight and royally cocking up. Binned 3 minutes and the win having flogged myself for the rest in anger. Annoyed at the end, 6th wasn't a bad result in the field but it should have been a win. I know others made mistakes but it was there fore the taking and I let the opportunity slip.

Area for day 1/2

Day 2 came about and one that I was really looking forward to, a nice fast-flowing middle around the nice part of yesterdays area, promising fast times and good competition. Again, the day began well, admittedly hesitant in the dunes on 1 and two, including a pin punch on 2 (sign of things to come), but then put my foot down in the open and was loving it. There's not a huge amount more to say on this race other than 22. I was navigating well, taking nice lines and was generally very clean. However I lost a hell of a lot of time due to one thing, my SI card. For some reason on over half of the controls the thing refused to punch so I lost about 5secs on each one I had to just faffing about. Other than that I was loving the area and the course (very well planned) but threw it away again on 22 (a very similar leg to yesterday). Decided to go straight and hit the white and nailed it but stopped a depression too early, which had a control in it. I lost my head. If I checked my map I would have been fine but instead I panicked and shot around like a headless chicken binning 5 mins and another good position. Think I would have been in in maybe 5th so a consistent placing but just lost the time. Also, without pin punching I could have claimed 3rd but it wasn't meant to be. Start again tomorrow.

Back in the forest on day 3, hitting Margam North for the next of the long distances. From the details I knew this'd be hilly and god it was. 1 threw us straight down the hill, which I ballsed up straight away, doing the exact same on two, not a good start. Began to find a rhythm through 3 and 4 then hit the Goliath of a leg that was 5. Straight up the hill with no route choice just a dirty grind, which hurt but I was actually moving ok at this point. Over the road crossing, picked up PAddy at 7 and ran the

rest with him. Good through the little south easterly loop then suffering on the longer path/hill legs, legs just weren't having it today but kept trying to plug away. Found the shorter legs much easier to concentrate and execute but unfortunately it wasn't a day for that. Few other big mistakes, but some circle slips, just knackered and crawled the rest, dying on the hills. Attempted a maverick route to the last control which didn't pay off and Skids nipped ahead but overall it was a technically ok performance and a physically bad one, not what I was looking for, ideal time for a rest day.

Having spent an enjoyable rest night camping out on the beach with the guys, we went in search of food and found a gem. Alongside my companion Mikey, we attempted to tackle to 'Mega Beast' from the Uplands Diner. A colossal 10 bacon pieces, 8 sausages, 5 eggs, a plate of chips, 2 hash browns, bubble and squeak, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, 2 black puddings, 4 toast, 4 bread, 4 fried bread and burger. We got close, so close. Just 2 slices of soggy fried bread and the mushrooms left before our bodies failed us (Mikeys almost completely) so we conceded at the final hurdle. Following that, a round of footgolf and an ice cream were in order before topping off the day with a jog to the beach for some drills with Olly. Refueled it was ready for the next 2 days.

There are worse views to wake up to...

The Mega Beast

Day 4 took us Mynydd Llangynidr, the location of the JK long in 2014. Annoyingly cags were compulsory, not complaining about the safety, just that I forgot mine and had to buy a new one from ultrasport. Needed a new one anyway but was an unexpected purchase.  Early start in the rain, cloud and wind made for tough going, starting out on the long leg and just not being able to see meant being dragged on a very round about route to the right, losing time but crucially not my location! Flowed ok through 2/3/4 but it was slow going with the lack of tracks and visibility, I reckon the late starters had a huge advantage. Going reasonably well through to 5 then just crapped out on 6, going too far south and being confused by the quarry, losing about 12mins. Began anger running to 7 but duffed my ankle again. One of the army guys came over and despite my grumbling, told me not to do anything stupid so that was my day over as I hobbled back to the arena. Wasn't having a good run anyway and didn't want it to be seen as an excuse but in hindsight it was a sensible decision. Annoying but a sensible choice.

when the sun came out

A Wild OJ

So the ast day came around on Margam Park and as the week hadn't gone as planned due to unforeseen circumstances and my own stupidity at times I was ready to just settle in (on an early start again) and enjoy it. Loved the first bit on the steep slope but was extremely careful with my ridiculously strapped ankle which made for slow going. Not only that but my calves felt like they were being squeezed to bits which made the hills pretty painful. Got out of that bit and began cruising over to the nicer, more open section. Some really fun orienteering up and down the hills, couple of slips but not much other than not being able to get in to 15 and just having no way down to 16 due to the lack of paths. Bit more gas through the last section made it pretty quick but early slowness and some slips meant my position went down through the day. Shot off pretty quick afterwards with John on our slow traffic filled journey back up to the midlands.

day 5 area
Overall coming in 9th on 21L is nothing to be ashamed of on a multiday but I felt I could have given more. The first 2 days, a control each let me down, not to mention the pin punching, whilst my ankle did me on the last 2 days. Day 3 I was tired but tried to grind it out but again mistakes made this tough. So a lot of positives being in the mix with some good runners this week, but I'm a bit disappointed not the be higher. Week at home now recovering, with a 5 miler on wednesday evening. Looking forward to this, first proper running race since the Burbage Skyline so it'll be interesting to see what sort of purely physical shape I'm in before flying off to Finland on saturday morning with the BOF squad for the pre JWOC camp in Tampere. Also massive congratulations to the WUOC team who are smashing it in Hungary, especially Kris, inspirational performances from team GB! Lots more to come this summer, can't wait to get cracking.