Clearly the climate was going to be different, and by expecting the worst, I felt more prepared. The initial travel+pollen+dry heat shock hit me hard and for the first few days I felt pretty rough. However a good nights sleep surprisingly cleared everything up and I soon I was feeling the most prepared I've ever been for an international competition. This, coupled with a really strong technical training on the middle model map, was giving me some good motivation, whilst at the same time I managed to get myself mentally relaxed about all the races which is where my best results usually sprout from. It seems that there was very little going wrong and no reason for me to not achieve some solid results. That is, until I began warming up for the long.
After some good Middle training
Monday - Long Distance
Late start time, GPS, tough/hilly terrain, perfect preparation, everything was on my side. I made it to pre-start without incident and apart from a classic pair of nervous, pre-race lethargic legs, everything seemed fine. At -5 I finished my drills and did my final stride up to -3, and suddenly, I was feeling crap. I thought nothing of it and ran of the start line with continued confidence but soon I was tripping up over my own feet, ridiculously tired, and feeling like I had already raced a long distance that morning. So I took my foot off the gas and expected to soon feel better but things just got worse. I was technically average and since the first part was due to be the trickiest, I thought nothing of it, but by 5mins in I was dying of thirst and was already considering a dropout at the run through, 25mins in. I took a safe routechoice on the first long leg to number 7 but panicked in the circle and stumbled through spectator after wasting a minute, and on what felt like my final joules of energy.
I felt better with a kick of energy drink and cheering crowds but soon I was descending down the harsh hill on a crappy RC to number 10 and was eventually reduced to a walk, going down a hill. I walked/stumbled the next few controls and could barely move my legs by the next drinks control, where I spent a good 30s drinking and nearly knocking the table over from leaning against it. I have never felt so unfit. The only reason I wasn't dropping out was the fact that no one, especially Audun or Emil starting 4 and 2mins behind, was overtaking me and I had the weird instinct that everybody else was struggling too.
In the final third, things picked up again and although I was letting my laziness take over on routechoices, I was actually running and pushing again. I cruised into the finish expecting to be outwith the top 100 but I was sat in 42nd. That adds to my consistent JWOC Long results of 45th and 45th, and concludes yet again a poor long distance race. I guess the only positive to get from it is that although my placing is consistent, I feel like I lost more and more time year on year (if that makes sense).
Running, a rare moment in the Long race
I blamed preparations, my coaches blamed the altitude; whatever it was, it was time to forget about it. After a horrific drive home where I was inches from being sick, I chilled out and set my eyes in the Middle - a much lower alpine and shorter race which was more about being clean, something that I have managed fairly well in recent weeks.
Wednesday - Middle Qualifier
Things changed for the better by the time I got to the start line on the Middle day. On Tuesday I got out early doors to a misty Scuol for some drills and strides. I felt strong and dropped a 13s 100m as my final stride; feeling very bouncy indeed. I opted for the middle start block, which although nearly came back to smack me in the face in the sense that I was first start of the middle block, in the end acted as the contrary by filling me with confidence that I was comfortable and in control.
This carried on to the warm up with Harrison and Meg. The terrain was good, the weather was Scottish (misty wet and cold) and I knew exactly what I was doing by the time I got to the start line. I was last to the start kite out of my start group, and I found myself cruising the first section, which in turn eventually put me in 2nd position on my heat. However I then became overconfident and pushed on, which, paired with a slightly different terrain for the middle section, caused me to make 2x 60s losses. I panicked, but knew I would still be fine, and cruised the last section before entering the arena with a warm welcome from Per Forsberg confirming my qualification. Finished, and felt like I could have run the race twice more. By far my favourite event of the year; if only I had felt so good for the long...
Thursday - Middle Final
I knew what I had to change from my last two years of poor JWOC Middle Final experiences: instead of just saying I had to race the final like the qualifier, this time I actually had to do it. So I did.
I was noticeably more tired warming up than I was for the qualifier, but perhaps this was just nerves as by the time I started I felt great. I headed out with an incorrect picture for number 1 but this was easily adjusted. I quickly picked up on the planner's aim of control number 2, to throw unsuspecting fast starters off. I slowed down and picked off every feature I could find, only to find my 4 minute man messing about and my theory on the planner's logic confirmed. I carried on cleanly up the first beastly climb and soon decided a safe option to the crucial number 5 leg. I lost time but who knows what could have happened had I been more aggressive at this stage.
The second big climb arrived and I felt poor. I assumed I had lost a tonne of time up to number 8 but was in fact one of the top few splits on this leg, even after hammering it straight with some extra climb thrown in. I got to the circle to see my strong 2min man exiting and knew it was time to push on. I raced with Fiona to number 10, only just managing to overtake her, and was soon jumping down a 3m crag to make sure she didn't overtake me back. I checked out the rest of the course at this stage and was surprised to see such a small last loop, perhaps I was taking things too easy. Another safe route to 13 cost me up to 30s but my frenchman was in site and I was ready to push the last section.
Entering the run through, I ignored the commentator who was focussing on the last few finishers of the women's race and focussed on the frenchman ahead. I got to the second last control cleanly and decided that this was the end of the navigation for the race. So I put my map away and hit the last bit hard..... only to miss the last control by 10s and lose perhaps 1 or 2 places... Ah well, a 16th spot in the end, and finished so comfortably that within an hour of finishing my race I felt like I hadn't race at all. Moral of the story - slow and steady comes 16th in the race, next year try pushing it a bit more - like a certain welsh legend who smashed the GB women's forest best to come 4th, well done Meg!
Wondering where the last control is
Friday - Relay
Confidence was filling the team on Friday, and with a handful of good anchor legs so far this year it's fair to say I was feeling fairly confident too. The area was as British as Switzerland could get in my opinion, the weather remained Scottish and by the first radio control we were in the lead. But then Brutus fumbled, and although this would normally be taken as a negative I took it as a positive; I would rather be chasing people down than being chased, especially with the strong turnout for last leg. Dane eventually handed over to me in a pack a few minutes down on podium and I headed out with a relaxed mindset, knowing that positions would sort themselves out and all I could really do to help was a clean race, something that would certainly be achievable in this simplified terrain.
So I set off in a strong pack of Latvia, Norway and Hungary, but was soon pushed back with a long gaffle to 1. I sat at the back of a rather spread out train on the grind up to 3 but then began to catch on the tricky slope controls. I had energy to think whilst Hungary didn't so I said my goodbyes and fixed my eyes on the Latvian who was flying ahead. However I simply didn't have the strength today and he began pulling away quite early on, and by spectator I was simply trying to keep ahead of Sweden 2 and (unknowingly) the strong, catching, Austrian anchor.
I continued onto the last loop fairly relaxed, but Austria was on my tail and had he not followed me through a dodgy route post-spectator I may have lost out on another place. I also may have gained a place had I taken the better route as NZ was dying badly ahead. But what difference would it have made? We came 9th country in the end, consistent with recent years. Had I been more of a superman like Norway I could have scraped the podium but simply didn't have that in me today, especially after the harsh number 1. There's work to be done before next year, not just for me but the whole mens team's approach. Big things ahead, even more so for the GB women (5th today!).
And so ends a very average JWOC experience. I feel like the 6 months of nearly untainted preparation hasn't yet been justified but at least I came out the other side with a result to be proud of in the notoriously physiologically, as well as technically, difficult Middle Final. And even though theren't aren't other results to be particularly proud of, my strong preparation in itself is something to take as a good result. Hopefully bigger and better things to come, especially if this optimum training regime continues on.
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