JWOC take four, 2017

This report has been quite a tough one to write for me. Along with my degrading writing skillset after being off uni for so long, I'm finding it hard to choose areas that will be interesting to read about and useful to remember for the future. However, after a week of procrastinating I feel like I'm ready to at least give it a shot.

I'll separate the report into a section for each race, as well as a pre-JWOC intro, and try to convey the key points that went well and maybe areas that I need to work on.
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Pre-JWOC

To simplify I will split this into physical, technical and mental preparations.

Physically, I was ready. There wasn't much argument against that. I was significantly faster this year than I have ever been with consistently high mileage and quality sessions. My training changed to perhaps a more old fashioned system in doing either long, threshold-paced runs or fartleks with dozens of reps totalling at least 30mins as my session in the week. Between the end of January and the end of June I had run at least 5km every day with 10km on all but a handful of days. My final test on the 31st of May running a relaxed 33min 10km secured the knowledge that I was at least fit, but maybe not terrain fit.

This is where the technical side of things came in. Over the winter I did minimal orienteering. This risky strategy worked well with a set of easy (technically) selection races and a long stint in Finland over June before Jukola doing nothing but terrain miles with a map. Hence, by the time Jukola rolled over I was accustomed to the spongey stuff and the legs could deal with any surface. My orienteering was still sketchy but I knew I had to live with it, and there was a low chance of getting round any course mistake free at JWOC. I planned to leverage my physical ability to 'afford to make mistakes', and that's also why my focus was on the long distance where this was more of a possibility. In the final few days before JWOC I got out into the terrain. Instead of testing the racing legs as I usually succumb to doing, I checked out the map; the green, the contours, the boulders, the anthills, and became familiar with the style. I didn't like the mapper's vegetation so I knew to use it with care.

That leaves my mental preparation, and this year I saw this as giving any race that I had, especially in Finnish/technical terrain, my full focus. This worked well especially at the Helsinki O-Games and I knew I could pull off a relaxed, good performance. Furthermore, with this being my fourth JWOC, plus fourth Middle A-Final (assuming I qualified), I knew the tricks of the trade and what works for me; to chill in quarantine, to chill in pre-start, and to chill during the race. One of my greatest weaknesses in the past has been the ability to psyche myself out pre-race. Perhaps this is why I opted for some interesting hairstyles, somehow it helped knowing people were staring at my head, they themselves were getting psyched out now.

Anyway, after an interesting opening ceremony, the championships begun with the Middle Qualifier. I really enjoyed the schedule this year, and I liked that the organisers gave everyone a chance to ease in with a qualification race before the main finals were raced.

N.B. every race's GPS is linked in the title.

Middle Qualifier, Mens Q3

To repeat what I said above, this was my fourth Middle Qualification race at JWOC. I knew how to run and I knew how easy qualifying should be. However, what I nor no one knew was what the margin to the final qualifying runner, and this made me nervous about going too easy. I opted for an early start, which might have confused [and annoyed] some people given my first choice at which block I wanted. I thought about this a lot pre-JWOC and decided that I would be guilty in taking three late starting blocks. Furthermore, I wanted to be able to qualify comfortably from any start time even if it was first start. And as luck would have it, first start on my heat it was.

Fiina in the background on the left.

The race was over before I knew it. I had caught the first starters from the other two heats (interesting new starting procedure this year for Middle Q, one runner every minute) and after 26 uncomfortable minutes I was the first finisher at JWOC, quite cool. The commentator called me over and I explained my race. My legs had nothing to give, and I lost almost a minute on a control thanks to some unfamiliar mapping of vegetation, classic. 

But I was worried, it was the first race and I could barely get up a hill let alone get up it quickly. The orienteering was safe and smooth as a qualifier required but being 2+ minutes down in my heat where I felt I couldn't have given much more gave me the feeling that I was going to struggle at this JWOC. I spent the rest of the day with my number 1 supporter Fiina and managed to forget about the race rather crucially, before restarting the next day as no. 45 out of 60 starters.

Middle Final

The interesting phenomena about the Middle Final at JWOC is that it can go two ways. Either a clean, steady run can give you a medal, or it can give you 25th place. At this year's JWOC,  especially after an exceptionally simple qualification race, everybody was expecting a savage fight for medals with seconds splitting the top 10 finishers. And I think that's why it became the opposite, 2:30 down was 5th and 5min down was 20th!!!

The planner was clever, the first half of the race was an awesome, but severely technical 9 control pinball around a hill before the orienteering race was swapped with a running race at control 9, and then a few more technical controls again at the end. Everyone but the top two runners had some significant problems in this control pick including me. For me it started when my headband came off at number 3. I searched for it, gave up 3s later, and then had to start relocating. A small 20s miss was followed by a savage 1 minute lost on a 1 min leg to one of the easiest controls of the pick. I fought hard to get back though, and put in some throttle on the long legs either side of the arena passage. I was clean through the final loop but lost a bit of time on the 'path' to the finish. 1s too much it seems, as I lay in 7th, 1s off 6th, 2s off 5th and 30s off third. 

This really, really surprised me at the finish, as comparing it to last year the race felt like a 30th place performance. I was frustrated, but also excited. My legs had woken up and some big names were struggling in this terrain that I was finding relatively simple, yet still not orienteering very cleanly in at all. I was putting out splits that were ranking high and I only lost 15s to Olli in the final 15min of the course

One of my best skillsets is having the 'least shit' run and ending up on top at British events. Finally, it seemed, here was a JWOC where the same could be achieved. To quote my interview with the Koovee mic legend, at the qualifier my brain was working but my legs weren't. At the final my legs were working and my brain struggled. Maybe if I could get both up to an decent level on the final few races, something really good could happen.

My biggest fear now was 7th turning out to be my highest result of the week, equal top GBR Men's Middle result with Mr. Street. Reflecting back, this was quite a cool feeling to have.

Sprint

Before I talk about the Sprint I want to get some facts out of the way. This was my 4th sprint race of the year, and disregarding the model map training we had done on the Friday before: I hadn't trained on an urban map since April. Virtually none of my longer winning time-focussed, forest-based training had been orientated around this and although my flat speed was good, there was nothing in my legs suggesting to me that I could lug myself up/down steps, round corners and to/from control points while reading the most complex maps in the orienteering world with utmost efficiency. The same maps that I had spent no time looking at or geeking with relative to most people that I had talked to. I was ready for this race to be a write-off.

And yet I opted for a late start block, and ended up with a very late start. And once I entered the pre-start area, I became quite motivated in giving the race all I had. My legs were bursting with energy and I felt like I would really be able to focus once out there, because I knew I could with the good performances off no specific training earlier in the season. Aside from a pre-race stomach ache (which vanished) and a tired set of legs warming up (which were left at the start) I couldn't have been more ready to race, and as my call up arrived, I jumped off the swing Nixon was pushing me on in pre-start and into the first box. In the final area before -3min I chatted with Olli and then we wished each other good luck. Nothing about the race preparation could have felt more relaxed, it was awesome. 

Of course this was all out of the door once the final beep went and I was off along a bumpy path to the start kite. The race felt rushed, and yet I felt I couldn't get moving as fast as I would have liked too. Luckily, it was technical enough to have to slow down frequently, and so my perhaps unpolished, rather staggered running style with constant map checking was maybe the most efficient. I took time when I didn't know where to go next at a few points in the course, almost always had a good 'buffer zone' ahead of me, and really gave it some gas when I could. Struggled with the sand and hill up to the run in but finished happy with the race, and even happier to learn I had won a podium position of 5th. 

I was shocked how close the results were once again, I really expected some bigger gaps at the front, especially with a trickier race as it was. It was tough knowing that bronze would have been secured with a normal route to 8 and without falling over on the same leg, and even worse knowing gold was within reach (17 tiny seconds). But I had already surpassed my expectations and I forced myself to enjoy the moment, and I did. The post-race high was a good one, the podium was quite an experience, but my the best prize was enjoying the afternoon in summery Tampere with Fiina, with some music, lunch, and a sizeable watermelon. 

I couldn't and still can't understand how Sprint came to become my top result this year, but I'm not complaining either. There have not been many podiums to host the GB flag and I'm honoured to join the list.

Rest Day

While just a rest day, something was brewing in my right leg. The wound I had acquired on the sprint race was causing quite a lot of grief, even thought it had been cleaned and covered fairly well post-race. I think the impact was the problem and it was noticeable on every step. I got round the Long and Relay Model slowly and took in everything I had to, but I was worried about being able to cross the finish line the next day. Things only became more worrying when the pain was worse the next morning.

Long

In the end I was dealt some Paracetamol from Nathan which saved my race. I took them an hour before the start and all pain disappeared. Everything was back on. The exciting difference today was that my legs were feeling really good warming up. The terrain was nice and I don't think I could have been any more ready to race.

I headed out with a steady pace, not feeling rushed, and I was critically feeling focussed - a rarity for high-stake situation like JWOC. I was running well for the first section but nothing special was coming of it, perhaps being too hesitant at times thinking about big losses rather than small ones. I entered the phi loop and was surprised by the control sequence. I got through it but began to fade physically, and made my main mistakes; a 45s and a 30s, towards the end of the loop. In both cases I knew what I was doing but failed to correct it early enough. My legs were avoiding climb and crumbling fast.

Thankfully a drinks point had appeared just in time and I began to focus on the long leg. After a few times changing my mind, I remembered the general Finnish tactic of 'straight unless something horrible is in the way'. I saw the green mid leg but knew that with the local mapping, and especially with my late start time, it would be very much passable. So I hammered it straight, and fell over almost instantly on some of the slippery open rock the terrain is known to have. I hit my knee, the same one that was causing me grief already, and it hurt, but then an awesome surge of adrenaline kicked in. I nailed it straight and got through the green no problem. I considered going straight again on the next section but stuck to the path this time to chill for a bit and take a gel.

Tracks guided me round the last few controls but I was fading towards the end. I looked at my watch and saw I was on for the predicted winning time, so I became excited. I gave the run in everything I had and was satisfied with 2nd behind Olli, though three minutes behind, for the time being. But I knew as soon as I crossed the line it would be a seventh place at best, based on the strong runners coming up behind me. And in the end it was, by seven tiny seconds.

Side note- an advantage of having a new haircut for every race is easily identifying which race it was taken in.

I really can't complain though. Another average race with a dodgy knee had granted me a top ten at JWOC, absolutely awesome. I was alone for virtually the whole thing so I can confidently say that it was a solo effort, something that many other runners can't claim.

The highlight of my junior career was not another top ten place though, it was the long leg. I ran a very average route without dedication and hesitantly, and yet ended up on top. For a crucial quarter of the race, I was the best, and yet still no where near perfect. This fills me with so much pride and will be in my memories for the rest of my life.

Relay

The Long race had ruined me, and any attempt to cool down jog post-race failed miserably. I chilled out for the rest of the day and slept well going into the relay. The next morning Ali and I attempted a morning jog, only to end up very slowly limp-jogging for both of us. With a now bald head, we arrived at the arena under a very strong sun. I had my cap on but I think the intense sunshine was at least partly to blame for my lack of energy warming up and racing.

Alex came in after first leg in a very strong position of 6th, in a very nice chasing pack. I headed out with NOR 2 but was almost instantly dropped in the tough terrain going uphill. We hit a track and split up, and I chose a slower route but was crucially able to wake the legs up on a long track section and get myself focussed on my own without distraction. I arrived to the first common control just as a very nice pack of SUI, FIN, NOR 2, and FRA were approaching and slotted right in. The pace was tough but manageable, and I kept Pascal in my sights at the front.

A slight hesitation on one of the only tricky controls of the course (it most mostly ridiculously easy) meant I was forced to the back of the pack and chasing through the assembly. I felt comfortable though and had high hopes going into the trickiest control number 8. The pack went in without a clue where they were and I swooped in to my gaffle. Even better, the two who followed me didn't have my control. I exited with NOR 2, now on the tail of RUS and FIN 2. My legs were going though and I made some risky decisions - sticking to the path on the way to 9 and going left to 11. But these payed off and I had NOR 2 behind me by the time we entered the arena. I handed over to Nathan in 4th and began to pray.

Unfortunately he couldn't hold it together on the day, not sure anyone really could have, and we ended up behind the second team. No matter though, a GBR Men's Relay nightmare is to be expected every year now and I'm sure the team can crack this awful tradition eventually. Nevertheless I had a very high quality race experience at the front end of the JWOC relay and have gained huge amounts of confidence with my shape and orienteering technique under high pressure today and in the whole week.

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I had so many doubts going into this year's JWOC races, especially after the unsatisfactory Middle Qualifier, so it's really overwhelming to come out the other end with three top ten results including a podium. Even a week before the championships began, I was questioning my presence at the races; fully expecting another year of mediocre performances.

I think the key difference this year was that I have worked hard to bring my 'average race' up to a competitive level. This can be seen in my selection races that were riddled with mistakes but still very competitive against not only fellow GB runners but the occasional guest like Kaspar at the JK. At JWOC, I ran five very average races, still riddled with mistakes. There was so much room for improvement, but my performances were already competitive against the best in the world. This is a really nice feeling, and the victory in the Long Race's long leg is the cherry on the cake.

So I guess I should keep working hard at bringing up that average, and maybe some day I will learn to orienteer cleanly as well - although this will require a lot more terrain/map time than I've put in this year (less than 1 forest session/week before June).

To quote a Facebook post I made during JWOC: Although the results are individual on paper (save for the relay), orienteering is a team sport - forget the general description. So therefore I clearly have many people to thanks for the results. World class coaching from my brother Oleg and Mark Nixon, huge support from my parents and family, as well as both EUOC and GB squads, countless positive messages from everyone pre, mid and post-championships, everyone who came out to support at the races, and a special shout out to Fiina Närhi for probably being the best supporter, and undeniably one of the most important reasons for my good results.

Now three weeks later it all feels like a dream, but I often look back at pictures from the week and at my diploma, and remind myself of some cool memories, and remember that I have left my mark on the world of junior orienteering. It's a positive one; one to be proud of; and I can't ask for anything more than that.