World Orienteering Championships 2012, Lausanne

Following WUOC, I travelled to Switzerland to compete in my first-ever World Orienteering Championships, in Lausanne.  After four years of competing at JWOC it was interesting to see the height of the difference and the races get even tighter.  I raced the sprint distance qualification race at the Lausanne University.  Navigationally I think I made the best route choices and I ran my hardest.  Finding that I was first started added to the nerves the night before but once I got warmed up it didn’t faze me, I just confidently ran my own race.  That is the luck of the draw in sport. With three starting at once in the heats there were still stages on the roads were there were others to chase down if any extra motivation was needed.  Unfortunately the course was not as technical as we had expected so most runners found it navigationally problem-free. Despite a perfect run by the time everyone had finished my time had slipped down to 21^st with the top 15 qualifying.  Lizzie, Greta. Ross and Tim did make it in to the final for NZ.

The sprint final was tricky with several route choices where it paid to stop and plan a route- Simone did. The crowds were huge. I ran this course on Thursday and enjoyed it in an easy 20mins with extra traffic to dodge. It would have been super to race if in top condition.  Lizzie achieved a PB of 9^th.  The rest of the Championships and the Swiss 5 day event for public runners was organised on the forests.  Generally the forests here were lush green, with dense undergrowth on broad hill sides with tricky track networks.  The terrain is deceptively simple.  It is important to maintain focus and take the right track intersections and cut the corners where suitable.  The road to the World Orienteering Championships this year has been challenging with injury so I was glad to be able to compete.  The experiences this year and at WOC have taught me so much that will be very helpful in future races.

World University Orienteering Championships 2012, Spain

Representing New Zealand at the World University Orienteering Championships, Alicante, Spain.  2 - 7 July 2012.   

Angela Simpson

The World University Orienteering Championships are held every two years for current students under 28 years of age.  This year the Championships were held in Alicante with athletes representing 30 countries.  I was in the team of 12 from New Zealand.  WUOC provides a perfect stepping stone event for many athletes from JWOC to WOC with previous WUOC winners including legends Minna Kaupi and Simone Niggli-Ludder.

Spain provided an outstanding event with challenges, atmosphere and learning opportunities which I will never forget. 

The sprint distance race was held in the older part of the city of Alicante.  Before the starts we were quarantined (a usual practise at elite events) inside the Santa Barbara castle, from the 9^th century which looks out over the Mediterranean Sea.  This was a very special place to warm up and jog around.  I felt confident and prepared for my race.  The actual start was 200m outside the castle buildings and headed straight into the complex network of alleyways between the old apartments of the town.  I made careful route choices for the short legs at the start of the course trying to avoid extra stairs and too many corners which would be slower.  This course was well set with a loop through the larger building blocks where distance judgement was critical before heading back up the slope via tiring stairs with intricate corners.  It was sometimes hard to see the best route clearly and slowing down to check your decision definitely was worthwhile.  The 2.2 km course finished with a final loop through the flatter part of town and a final control in a water fountain in the main square.  The finish chute was a tough short sprint down the famous palm tree lined esplanade.  This is certainly one of the toughest sprint races I have ever done.  It was an experience of running at full speed and trying to read the way between narrow alleys while being challenged by endless sets of stairs.  I finished this race in 20.41 earning 18^th position less than three minutes behind the winner Iveta Duchova from Chzech Republic.  I was happy to remain fully focused on my own race, but I also know there were a few places I could have improved by saving some distance.  

The middle distance and relay events were both held near Santa Pola, about 40min south of Alicante city.  The terrain consisted of short pine trees on vague flat hills and steep gullies with detailed rocky cliffs.  We were fortunate to train on a map adjacent to this area prior to the event which made me feel much more comfortable with the unusual terrain.  Strong compass bearings and fast running dodging the spiky trees, followed by careful navigation near the control was the best tactic we found.  I learnt that patience is an art that must be mastered in orienteering which enables you to use your speed where it is most beneficial.  I made a mistake in this course by running to fast and onto a hill feature parallel to the one I wanted.  Errors like this are not uncommon in orienteering as it occurred, just after a really good section of my race where I had the 2^nd fastest split leg.  I became too confident and wanted too much to get away from the fellow runners I had caught.  This is another mental lesson in racing orienteering; to get the balance between caution and confidence.  In New Zealand races, with fewer competitors such levels of pressure are not as common and so this is often a challenge when we compete in the big races in Europe.  This year we Kiwi’s have made a pact to pressure each other more in local events in order to practise these skills further.  I placed 53^rd in the middle distance race, which was won by Lilian Forsgren from Sweden. 

The relay race was very exciting.  Kate Morrison came in just behind the lead group on the first leg and I ran second leg.  I had a clean run and was confident on my compass bearings without letting any distractions from other runners put me off.  I finished in 45 minutes and handed over to Greta Knarston who finished off our race for a respectable 9^th nation.  Sweden won the relay and Spain was excited to claim third position.

Aside from the competitions, this trip provided an excellent opportunity to share ideas with similarly motivated athletes from other nations.  We all stayed together and there was great happiness between everyone which was brought together on the final banquet evening.  It is relaxing and motivating to keep in contact with others who are going through similar efforts as you to balance study life with training for orienteering.  In keeping with my study area of plant biology, it was amazing to see a giant 100 year old cactus near the finish of the relay event and massive fig trees growing in the city parks of Alicante.  The summer weather in Spain was delight for a few days as we rejoiced from the New Zealand winter but the heat was tough to run in.  It was lucky we had allowed time before the events to adjust a little.  We were also able to learn about the relaxed, friendly culture in Spain.  Being there while everyone was so excited for Spain to be winning the EuroCup in football was unique.

Thank you very much to U Leisure for assisting with my competition in this year’s World University Orienteering Championships.  I loved the experience.

Model event near the sea

Monday 2 July
The official model event was organised for today at Caravasi.  I decided that this wasn't going to be so relevant and very hot in midday.  It was coastal dunes (similar area to JWOC 2002) with some steep slopes and terraces.  I went for a run around the university campus in the cool morning air at 7.30am and it was still super hot and sweaty.  The university campus is large with a quiet road around the outside and a few gravel tracks at the far end.  I ran for 30min, including 7 x2min intervals.  It was great to push myself running again, as technical training can be slow due to vegetation.  I know feel confident I have time to recover going into the castle on Tuesday.
The model event was fun for everyone though, I ran 24min around most of the course (missing 4-7).  The terraces in the final section were most interesting and fast forest.  Everyone cooled off in the ocean before returning for lunch- paella and pasta with lettuce salad and bread.  Then siesta was relaxing with most of us sleeping a hour- what else can you do in this heat (-;

In the evening we walked to town 15min for the opening ceremony.  The usual gathering of teams and photographs was followed by a parade onto the stage in a small round stadium.  First time NZ representative, Imogene, was our gracious flag bearer.  The speeches of official were followed by a dramatic dance performance of demons vs beauty, and included destroyed teddy bears, fire throwing/art, a girl dancing in a ring held up above the concrete stage by a crane, a fabric rope dancer held by a crane, a stilt walking monster and a huge monster/transformer on wheels.  It was unusual but skillful.

Model race

Sunday 1 July
After some effort, (thanks managers) we were able to run the regional champs race at Santa Pola map today.  I had seen this advertised and thought it would be perfect training as it is the lower half of the area we suspect the relay will be run on.  So it was perfect, the Swiss team helped and we got a few buses together to take most teams to the event.  Starting at 10.30am was roasting but we toughed it up faced the mental challenge and made the most of the training chance.  I found it very beneficial to be in a racing setting with true controls (very bright orange against the dry dirt) and other people to ignore.  The gullies were steep and rocky but not impassible as long as you keep going.  My fear of them is overcome.  The broad hills have scattered trees but we found it better not to try and read the green patches as they were ok to run around just set a strong bearing and go- check it often to make sure the trees dont push you off and use aiming off techniques.  The gullies can be rocky to run in so some found it better to run on the spurs then sidle in early for the control. Once we got going the organisers at this event were good, with camera start and finish, and plenty of 1.5l water bottles for finishers.  This 6.2km course was 54min for me at steady pace and I was happy, able to maintain focus and forget about the heat.

Spent the afternoon resting in the hostel and went to the local mall for some shopping.

Training in Alicante

30 June
Collected another car today and the whole team came out to El Molar, the other side of the road from our training on Thursday.  Similar middle distance terrain, I am feeling very used to it now, not just suprised and overwhelmed by the Mars-like terrain.  Simon set a control picking and route choice exercise through the patchy green vegetation.  Today was good compass bearing practise.  There were many new tracks so it made for confidence practise in trusting yourself and using contours.

To this map we drive past Santa Pola and the middle and relay areas as well as through the middle of a huge estuary which is now used for making salt.  It was a suprise to see flamingos feeding in the ponds (-:

Moved to the official accomodation after lunch.  We are in a big blue hostel building out of the university campus.  Half the teams are here including Swiss,and other half are at Villa Universitariet, where the organisers are about 15min walk in the sweaty sun away. 

Food is provided here so we are sorted, but dreaded the 10min walk in hot sun the first few times, trying to step between shade of the palms
(-:

Alicante

Wednesday 27th June

Immy and I got up early to meet Alberto for a final training in El Escorial.  Thankfully he offered to drive with us halfway up the mountainside to the map as it was enough climb to run halfway and running all the way to the startpoint would have been enough training by itself.  So I got to drive thorugh San Lorenzo for the first time and see the massive monastery that is famous there.  Solid rock bricks about 5 stories high with round stones along the streets.  A pretty watered garden out the back with pruned hedges and flowers looked refreshing.

The forest tracks were amazing for running with one going around the hill face perfect for interval trainings (just what they need on Pirongia).  Compass and simplification were important on the El Escorial Norte map for keeping the right height, and choosing the right rock pile while not falling over on the rough ground.  The green stripe was fine to run through, thankfully not prickly today, but some head high sticky shrubs developed on the lower part of the map reducing visibility and making for good confidence training.  On the second downhill course here I had to cross through a paddock and over a rock wall passing past a big cow with horns and a bell.  Scary, it was a matter of "if I dont look at her, she wont notice me", right (-: The course was largely successful, cliffs here are huge similar to Australia.  I got put off a bit on leg 1-2 where tracks were vague.   

Final training in El Escorial

El Escorial map

 After training we tidied up and Silvia delivered us to the train station, where we took a 3hr train ride to Alicante.  Scattered stunted pines on broad spurs and steeper dry gullies filled with broadleaves were the scenery from El Escorial to Madrid.  It looks perfect for running, despite the heat.  We were glad to be in the clean and airconditioned train for the afternoon.  We changed trains at Madrid Atocha station amid masses of people and a long queue for tickets.  We had hoped to meet other team mates here before leaving but they just missed it and got the train 2hrs later.  From Madrid the train quickly left the towering apartments of the city and headed straight (literally no bends on this track) for the Mediterranean coastline.  The citys seems reasonably compact with apartment lifestyle the norm.  On the other side of Madrid were plenty more crop fields growing wheat, grapes and some other leafy stout tree on red dusty dirt and patches of white soil (unsure what that was- salt or fertiliser?could also see it flying in on the plane).  In the countryside houses were scarce despite the cropfields and those that there were looked very typically Spanish with orange/white walls.  It was cool that there were also patches of forest remaining, mostly open and runnable.  It must take forever for the trees to grow in this climate. Xylem water tension limitation to height growth- Mike? (-:  Even with all this vast crop land it was suprising to us to come through towns built with apartment housing.  They dont seem to spread out as much as NZer's.  Each small town also has a cool castle on its nearest hilltop.


As more hills developed in the distance, we sensed Alicante nearing and palm and banana trees popped up.  We must be in the tropics (-:  But it was still dry and hot, next to no rain last winter has made it extra tough.

Alicante is a bustling city, I was amazed by the giant fig trees outside the train station.  Our hostel was in the old part of town, a huge apartment room for five of us.  Out for dinner in the streets. Local tapas-tried 8 between us so lots of variety- special spicy sausage, crushed dried capsicum, garlic mix, sardines with potatoes- potato crisps, beef stew-the best deal, vege mix. Then off to find churros!  Wow so full after that, crunchy doughnut sticks and a cup of melted choc to go with it! 

It was also the night of the Semifianl of Euro cup, Spain vs Portugal so the city came alive.  The streets were packed with fans of all ages, and every bar had a screen on the street.  We wandered between a few then choose to move to the one without such a screen delay.  A close game with no scoring so it went to penalty shooting, both teams scored two then Spain scored an extra and won.  Happy Spaniards (-:

So to celebrate, everyone went down to the beach to watch fireworks, The festival of Fire in Alicante is holding fireworks on the beach for five nights in a row.  Cricky it was crazy, for 20mins plus, boom boom bang, colourful fireworks over the ocean.  Then at the end there were some scary strings of crackers very closeby along the streets!  Spain knows how to party.

Gene and the Aussie team are also in this hostel so it was cool to catch up.

Thursday 28 June

Got up early to go and find some training.  Nothing much is organised so we found our way to the Uni, decipered Spanish to get maps and drove to El Molar which is past Santa Pola near El Marina town.  It was cool to drive back through the actual middle and relay area too.  So we had lunch under "shade" of tree/ aircon of car trying too cool down in midday 30plus degrees as we put off going training. Going on these maps we had been studying for so long made the running was so fun.  It feels real now, and we are able to handle it.  We know what it is like, small scattered trees, ignore the green blotch mapping too hard too read and unnecessary detail to me.  Cliffs are much smaller than in Madrid only 0.5m here.  Well mapped area and fast running despite looking green.     

El Molar training

Stopped at the beach for a swim on the way home, super salty and flat sea, and still warm from the sun but refreshing.  (-:  Paella for dinner this evening, tasty Spanish meal.

Friday 29 June

    

Leaving accom at 6am to get out to training map for long distance terrain (San Pascual Ibi) before heat of the day and to get beck in time for hostel breakfast.  Aircon in room  now which is much appreciated and makes for better sleep but traded for lesser space, but its only one night or so.  Lack of good directions from the event so we tried to find it on google then headed off, but there was confusion in the control circle and we drove round the villages for 45min plus including to the end of a road which we decided was wrong when it turned into gravel.  Looking for a road with a curve here, three hills a plateau and orchards on the flats is not enough description obviously (-:  A call to the camp organiser saved our day and breakfast, we rolled up to the map perfectly.  50mins training was all we had time for and I actually think this was good as we were not tempted to run for longer which would just tire us- quality is more important than quantity.  We got a good feeling for the terrain in this session.  Banks are climbable 50cm and useful to run along the tops as they are smoother than the rocky ground elsewhere.  Green is fine to go through just low vis, and watch your head, my hat was good at blocking trees.  Black circles are huge 5m diam rock water tanks.  Pits are not very big and caves are spooky.

Thanks to some skilled driving we made it back in time to eat all the breakfast food the hostel had on offer.  Then rest the rest of the day while the others in the team arrived. We all moved down the road to a larger hostel then reunited and had lunch together.  Plenty of seafood paella to go around.  After siesta in the aircon rooms we jogged to Monte Tossal Castle for sprint training.  This was the most technical area ever, with tight corners and walls to run around.  the steps were accompanied by childrens play slides only once could I utilise these (-:  In the slope to the north the green was patches of caccti!! Watch out for that! 

Monte Tossal training

Cooling off in the Mediterranean after training

Hot and dry in beautiful El Escorial

Hola!

It has been a great trip so far. Super hot here in La Escorial at midday.  Caught bus from Madrid yesterday to El Escorial, amazing unusual place to me.  Dry rolling hills with scattered pines and gullies with denser trees.  Arrived to meet the other girls near the bus stop.  Walked five mins to Albertos apartment, amazing to see people I recognize again.  Swimming pool out the front is amazing even at 8pm it was where everyone hangs out to cool off (=  Then we had dinner together at 9.30 Alberto made a Spanish omlette and shared the prize of his last orienteering race, a salted leg of ham-yum!  Imogene, Georgia and I are staying in a beautiful new apartment 5min walk down the road.  The town is at the foot of a steep mountain.

 Went for run at 9am this morning in forest, orienteering.  Open scattered pines with big rock clusters.  One technical map then a faster broad hills course on open forest with small erosion ditches.  Slippery ground and crackly because it is all so dry.  Seems like a desert here.  Lavender is growing wild on the ground!  Cows wander freely with big horns but they are friendly we hear.  Navigation went well.  I took it slowly to start with, and got the first controls bang on.  Feeling confident now.  Orienteering is orienteering as long as you are adaptable.  Grey rock was not flat and easy running like in Finland or Australia, but rather rough and broken so it was better just to go direct.  Rock pillars were huge 10m tall and cliffs best to avoid.  Black squares were ruined square rock walls.  The rock wall fences seem so solid they would have been difficult to build.  Legs feeling normal again which is great.  No pain in shins orienteering today but used the ice pro just incase and because I didn´t want to waste the water which is so precious in Spain.

In Dubai, Greta and I were able to use the gym between flights which was very nice.  The cycle bike and cross trainer were something we recognized well despite being in foreign lands.  Also the shower was refreshing.  A worthwhile break in the flight which seems to get longer every time we come over.  No delays.  Flying into Mallorca was an eye-opener, the landscape was very dry and looked similar to the middle distance map we will run on at UWOC- broad hills with scattered trees and then steep cliffed erosion gullies more than 15m deep.

The night in Zurich worked well.  Didnt see much of the city though.  Public transport worked amazing, trains trams and buses all flow together.  Legs still felt funny.

Staying indoors for the afternoon as it is still hot.  Catching train to Alicante tomorow.  Glad we got here early to adapt to the heat as much as we can.
Adios, Angela