An update post because I thought it has been too long since the last one. Yet, there is not much to report. In short, training is feeling a bit better and there are signs that racing is feeling normal again as well. However, my shape is far from a robust and competitive base-level I would like to see it.
Time is taking it’s toll and I noticed over the winter that my mental batteries are emptied. Handling the usual things life is throwing at you got sometimes harder because the past +12 months of unclear health and shape have drained my reserves. Focusing on tasks is at times tougher because of the higher stress from other tasks and the missing balance and satisfaction I usually took from training-sessions and races.
I am happy that spring is coming quickly here in Germany because it helps the general mood and makes cycling outdoors way more comfortable.
But then there are also events like the passing of Thomas Meier aka ‘Chrafti’ who in his role as the national team coach played a major role in my orienteering career since my junior years. His dedication to the german national team and our individual goals has been a selfless act I will be forever thankful for.
Since the training camp in Finland in autumn last year, I focused on running. I regularly ran some intervals in a medium intensity and at first felt like I was making progress but then it started to feel like stagnation again in the beginning of December.
Over Christmas in Latvia I was looking forward to running in a different setting compared to the everyday at home. Unfortunately, I got sick in the beginning of January with Covid which resulted in a roughly two week long break of training and a careful start back into it as well. After that, I actually managed to get the ball rolling again in terms of training. Weekly, I ran hill-sprints to work on my running economy which had a really positive impact and over time I felt like I regained control over the intensity as well.
A planned trip via my university for 10 days to the USA (NYC & PA) meant a reduced training during that time. Although, I tried much to avoid getting sick, I still managed to catch a light cold which dragged on for a bit more than a week. Somehow, I managed to quickly get healthy enough to few days after the USA trip go back to Latvia for a short training camp with Angelniemen Ankkuri in the forests around Riga (see Livelox links here). It was actually the first training camp since last October which felt crazy enough.
To my own surprise, especially given the recent sickness, I was able to train fully. My ankle held up without issues and I could even run the intense sessions without issues. During a middle distance test race I felt for the first time limited only by my shape and nothing else, like overly noticing my heart or lungs.
This was certainly a big optimism boost, however, does it not change the decision I made in January this year of not trying out for the World Cup races in Idre or WOC in Kuopio. 10Mila and Jukola are the only races I will focus on for the first half of this season. If things go well, I might try for the spring EOC in Belgium in late Summer. Beyond that, I could not be more uncertain right now. Other things in life got more relevant over the past months and while I still love training and orienteering, I am not sure if I will continue pursing this passion as part of the nationalteam next year as well.
My goals have gotten further away than closer over the past two years. My shape is getting better right now but is still far from previous base levels, and even at those base levels I was still far away from where I always wanted to be.
So, next year I might “only” run for Ankkuri in the big relays but not run any races with the national team. I could potentially still make the team and run races but I don’t think I will want to prepare and compete in races only on a 90% commitment level – for me it is either 100% or just for fun. And lately it has been way too much <90% commitment.
Still here and I will never stop loving orienteering but maybe I will start focusing my attention more on other projects by the end of the year.
To be clear, I haven’t decided on quitting anything but I am just trying to share my current outlook.
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