Some had good days at work (TG, RD), some not in holidays. I started very badly my World Champs in Hungary making a huge mistake of 4min in first control (middle qualification). Of course then it was not easy mentally to stay focus (1min lost again) and was out of the final for more than 2min.

Worst thing is that I injured badly my skin under my left foot and thought it was not realistic to start in long qualification. Finally I decided to try after a talk with Radek (CZE team coach) in the pre-start area. I did a quite good beginning in the race and then I decided to run some controls in reverse side (11 – 13 – 12 – 14 – 13 -14) losing 3 minutes at 2/3 of the race. Why make it easy when you can make it difficult? Last five controls I was boosted by Tero Gueorgiou who caught me up by 6 minutes and finally I make it to my 6th Long WOC Final (in 6 participations).

Middle Qualification map

Long Qualification map

Now my left foot is destroyed (bigger hole in my skin) and I’m not able to run anymore. I have few days to recover before Relay on Friday. I won’t run the sprint (no enough times to be healthy).

Last two weeks I found myself running too fast for my orienteering technique. Well, it’s probably a wrong way of thinking and analysis. It’s more like a wrong mental approach and attitude before and during the race. Improve my routine technique in high speed will be my goal next weeks.

I had a first notice 10 days ago when I ran 2’30” faster (35’10”) in an 10.8 km cross country race compare to last year time (in similar weather and ground condition -> very wet with marshes, muddy, rocky in slopes and quite hilly with +225m uphill). A race where I finally finished second being beaten in the sprint final by a training mate (little videos here).

I had a confirmation of that problem last Sunday in Belgian Middle distance champs where once again I couldn’t reduce the speed near the controls making a lot of hesitations and losing time in a really fast terrain. I usually set my goals before the race but my main problem is to apply it during the race.

I will try to work on it next 18 days where I’ll run 4 Sprints, 3 Middle, 1 Long and 1 Relay competitions. I’ll travel first in Alsace - France (WOC / WCup selections races with Sprint, Middle and Long test run) then in South France (Club relay champs with Sprint and Middle in prologue) and finally in East Belgium (regional Sprint and Middle champs).

Map and results – Belgian Middle Champs

Last week, I participated in a very professional and great Training Camp in Slovakia / Hungary with Martin Johansson within the CZE team. Thanks to them and particularly to Radek (CZE team coach).

A great moment over there in a sunny weather !!!

I was pleased to note that my physical shape was really better than Spring Cup (where I was sick and also have scratched my both eyes) and particularly in up hill running.

All maps here

All trainings here

Analysis here (CZE team website)

The season finally started last weekend and as usual the premiere was set up in Flemish part (North part of Belgium – sand dunes terrain). I trained all the winter time in Karst (rocky with big depressions) or Ardennes terrain (hilly with typical vegetation features) at home and was happy to find something new last weekend.

I took these competitions (night and long races) more like a good way to train in order to be ready for the real and international opening competitions. I evaluate also myself on a treadmill doing a laboratory test which was not very my best one (from 12km/h, increasing 1km/h every 2 min). Maybe I was a bit tired two days after Interland and fixed my maximum speed to a not so good 20km/h (finished the 2min level at 20km/h and didn’t really want to start the next step – 21km/h). It concluded my test to a VO2max around 80 ml/min/kg.

Friday night was held on a pleasant map “De Sahara” but results (disqualified) and performance was maybe the worst ever (something to forget or maybe to learn – missing also my starting time for the first time in my life). The long distance on Sunday went really better (Waterschei) with some really good legs (like 26-27), an optimal tactic in the green areas and being able to change speed if needed.

Maps and results

Interland is an annual event and quite fun competition. This year it was organized in UK in typical and beautiful English countryside. I really appreciate to come to England and feel the British atmosphere you can get sometimes at home by reading novels (difficult to describe those nice feelings).

On Friday evening it didn’t start very well as I twisted my ankle on a quite good technical training at home. Finally after few hours of thinking I decided to travel anyway to England and ran safely (taping and strapping) the O-training organized on Saturday.

The competition was held on a nice area (fast, quite flat but sometimes tricky in the green areas) and had a very good start of the race. Then I caught some runners (Nick Barrable and Thomas Van Der Klei) and began to do a lot of little mistakes. I was competing to be the first at the control and not to be the first one reading the map. I finally ran alone the second part of the long butterfly but still managed to lost times in the end of it (probably losing the race over there). The final part went ok even if it was painful for my ankle. I felt pretty tired in the end too and Graham won with a one minute margin. Old EsSu team mate Craney finished third. As GG ran (very well) the British cross country champs the day before he was probably very tired and both of us could maybe ran 2-3 minutes faster in normal conditions.

Finally England won as usual the Interland. It was a really fun and nice competition to start the season.

Results
Splits times
Map

Ultimate Orienteering - Report

Since October I began a new life by working full time (previously 80%) and by changing home from Namur to a little village in middle of nowhere (my original and parent’s area) which is called Nismes.

I’m still working in GIS (spatial database for environmental and landscape planning) but now for the municipality of Nismes. Thus I’m working at 300m of my home in beautiful surroundings and in a quite specific area for Belgium (karst area). My home club did several orienteering maps last two years there. My two athletic clubs are also based quite near from Nismes (1.5km West for ACCo and 35min North drive to ESM) so everything is perfect for training.

Last year I didn’t have any winter training (injury) and no real background for the real season. This time I’m lucky enough to train normally (training’s log) and did some good improvements. Since November I prioritized my hill-running abilities combined with some quality / speed sessions. I didn’t train so much in term of quantity (full time job) and also because I’m an adept of this kind of theory “hard speed training, shortcut to success” - see also comments about it from Helen Palmer.

I ran also 5 cross country races and I performed really better each time. Next and last one in 10 days in Dour (Lottocrosscup) with all the best Belgian runners (few were in top 20 in Euro champs) and some really good foreigners too. It will be a nice test event.

Unfortunately I didn’t train so much in orienteering for several reasons (not the best effort). Organizing events for my home club HOC took me a lot of time (25th Karrim’HOC, School O events, French School Champs, HOCup 2009 including all together more than 1500 runners) but February will be my real start in orienteering by running some national and international events and then travelling for good Training Camp. I’m very impatient for next months (calendar)… so what else...

French Sprint and Night champs were held on Champagne-Ardennes area, only 1h30 driving from my home. It was the last competitions in this season and last time to run in 2008 for my French club OTB (Besançon).

On Saturday afternoon Sprint qualification was organized in an university campus and courses were very fast and “easy”. I made two stupid mistakes (wrong control descr1ption in control 15) but was still 12 seconds behind J-B. Bourrin in heat 4 (finishing second).

Results and map

In the evening French Night champs was in JWOC’98 middle qualification area. Nice souvenirs and during warm-up I remembered that time... so long time ago… a bit nostalgic. I’m old now… I made a very good race (only one big mistake in control 23 along a … path and some small hesitations as usual for me in night orienteering) and won my first night champs ever. I used during the race the new Mila head lamp and it was very efficient (thanks to Airxtrem). The course was quite challenging and physically it was not easy neither (a lot of depressions and mud).

Results and map

On Sunday, the Sprint Final was set in a nice village (Hautvillers – famous in Champagne area) and inside the vineyard. A mistake during my start procedure confused me a bit. I miss my starting time and had a bad beginning (wrong route choices). I was not focus at all and I always need my one minute cool down / break before the start (mental procedure). I was not ready for that situation. Half of the race I made again some mistakes and felt “jogging” in the hills in the vineyard. I finished in a very easy speed but tired anyway. Strange feelings and not a good end of season (7th)! My team mate Vincent Coupat won his first individual French title and therefore it was a double win for our club OTB during the weekend.

Results and map

Finally we ran a middle distance as training before price giving ceremony (plenty of Champagne bottles…)

Middle (map)

Lucky enough to have a replay of the Belgian Sprint champs (first edition was in May during EOC and a control was stolen in H-Open class) I didn’t miss the opportunity to win my third Belgian title of the year (won middle and relay). It was probably not my best day physically (felt a bit sick) but at least I managed not to do any big mistake and ran fluently in this green area.

Map
Results

Probably nobody would have believed it in my entourage after a so big injury last winter. First it was not expected to compete before next season (2009) therefore I’m very happy about my perseverance during rehabilitation and alternative training. It’s a so good home ending season.

This week I will try to focus again to sprint events as I’m qualified for French sprint and night champs. It will be held on 1998 JWOC terrain (was 18th there in long distance 6min behind the leaders … after 5min mistake in the start of the race!?!). Nice area for the night champs and nice urban sprint in perspective.

Last friday training before BK Sprint:

Training in AttackPoint

Last two months were very busy. I get married (yes), travelled to one the greatest country of the world (Canada) where I stayed ONLY two weeks, changed work and home address and finally found some times to train a bit.

Anyway I ran some pretty good races excepted long Belgian champs where I did some big mistakes (jet lag?) and won both middle and relay Belgian champs (with my French team mates Johann Tinchant and Vincent Coupat). Last weekend I was surprised (with such un-trained shape) to finish 19th and 30th respectively in middle and sprint world cup event in Switzerland

Now I have still some packs to open in our new home address but I’m feeling more relax. I’m enjoying everyday to work, stay, live and train in a precious natural reserve in Belgium (karst area). My home place is located on an Orest Kotylo maps which were used for first HOCup.

I started also to use famous "Attackpoint website" to write my training’s log (French / English). Great perspectives as I hope to compare more often my training diary (Fabi) [from my website : Folders -> Training] to some big star and friend as Marc Lauenstein (Swisscheese) ;-) .

Today I missed the middle distance final by forgetting the 9th control in my qualification heat. I realised it and came back after some hundred meters in wrong direction. Then I panicked and get confused in the marsh area losing again a lot of time (total : 5min).

Nothing else to say (except that heat B was a bit slower with more controls in green).

I feel bad because I never did that kind of mistake in competition (or I don't remember). What a beginning I did it in World Champs !!!