By guest writer and US Team member Jordan Laughlin:
Photo by Greg BalterThis past weekend, while the United States Ski-O team was competing in
Sweden, Western Connecticut Orienteering Club hosted a foot-O training
camp to shake off the rust of the long hard winter in the Northeast
and kick off the orienteering season on a great note. Becky Carlyle
and Boris Granovskiy designed the great courses. This week was the
first that I have been injury free in the last month as I suffered
from an injury in my foot from too much road running in January. It
was nice to get into the woods and run.
Saturday’s events at Osbornedale State Park had a ‘back to the basics
focus.’ The weather was sunny, a little windy, and cool. Most
trainees were wearing many layers during their events and even more
between them. The events, distance estimation and compass, line-O,
and control-picking courses each did a great job on breaking the rust
off our skills. The week prior to this training camp was the first
week I began to do any real orienteering training in the woods this
year due to the immense amount of snow in the woods prior so some of
my rust had already began to come off but the training event expedited
the process. I began with the compass course, which was my weakest
skill this week. I messed up the first few controls and redid them
for extra practice, both backward and forward. By the end of the
event, my compass skill was more proficient but still in a little need
for some assistance. Next up was the line-O, this started in a nice
green patch but moved to open woods characteristic of most of
Osbornedale. This was great practice reading contour features and
certain point features, no problems for me on this one. My last
morning course was the control-pick. I started immediately after I
returned from the line-o in fear of losing my body heat. I arrived at
the start just prior to Ian Smith starting. I approached this as a
good thing so that I could practice my focus while running around
other runners. Running the control-pick was entirely fun even with a
period of time where I was failing to run in the woods and just
tripping over everything and hitting trees left and right. After
finishing the control-pick, I began to rest, relax, and refuel for our
evening training event, sprint training on Yale’s campus on a very
good map-in-progress. Socializing with the different groups in the
cold prior to collecting controls for the morning was enjoyable as
always, especially since I have not seen anyone since early November.
Prior to beginning the sprint course at Yale we met up piece-meal at
Becky’s Apartment, a whole 200 meters away from the start and finish.
We received our map, clue sheet, and control description (A small bit
of pink tape) and instructions to the start. While waiting to cross
the street to the start, a passing couple initiated conversation
asking me what I was doing. Immediately after they asked the
question, they recognized the map and informed me that they
participated in orienteering events but only in the woods. Sweet,
orienteers. I finished the conversation and shuffled off to the
start. This race was immensely fun due to the extreme urban nature
and irregular building shape and size characteristic of European
sprints. Initially, I had some problems finding the pink tape but it
became much easier with time. One control was improperly clued and a
few map errors were found but nothing that degraded from the
extraordinary training value. Immediately following the sprint, my
clan of West Pointers that decided to come quickly departed, as we
greatly desired to get back to allow homework to be started and sleep
to be had. Unfortunately, we missed the dinner hosted by Marie
Arnesson, surely a great bonding event.
Sunday’s courses culminated the weekend in a mass start event with 42
unique courses. Peter Gagarin’s comments immediately prior to the
start did absolutely nothing to quell the competition in the air,
“This is the event we have been striving for the entire time, a race
that everyone can win.” The race began quickly as with all relay
races. I started bumbling around to a few different controls but
finding each in relatively quick fashion but it was rather unnerving
since I was completely alone. Yep, I still have some rust to break
off. After my first long leg, I caught up to Ross Smith and we ran
near each other going in and out until about 2/3 of the way into our
courses where I promptly made a terrible parallel error which resulted
in a 10+ min error, again all alone. I finished the remaining portion
of the course decently. Ross chalked up a win in our friendly
rivalry. I guess it was good that I did not agree to the bet for a
box of cheerios. Thanks again to Becky, Boris, WCOC, and the rest of
the people who assisted and showed up for a great training event to
kick off the season.
Jordan's QuickRoute from Sunday is
here.
Only 9 weeks until team trials and 20 weeks until WOC!
Nikolay a bit boxed in at the start.
Nikolay again.
Greg in the mass start.
Adrian at the start of the Long distance.
Scott on the bridge.
Chaos at the back of the pack - taking the time to just chill out and read the map.
Greg after the long.
Start of the long distance - women.
Ali after finishing - she held off that Russian girl.
Alex coming in to the finish of the Long.
Alex done.
Robbie in the relay
Adrian
Ali in the relay.
Headcam guy.
Alex punching a control in the relay.
Adrian, during a spell of good weather.
Greg.
Scott.
Ali finishing.
Greg somewhere on the course.
Ali getting interviewed after the best US finish at Ski WOC ever!
The snow drifts were over the path to breakfast this morning. The groomer went leaping through it, squealing. I was very amused.
Nikolay with Greg's extra pole...
Mass start.
Greg after the turn, in the start.
The Russian fans were decked out - and their team won, which was quite the upset, as Finland had had a lead over Norway, and Russia was 20 seconds back going into the last leg.
The top four come into the tag zone.
Spain, New Zealand, and USA coming into the first tag. Ali proceeded to totally drop those girls, and we didn't see those teams again. Woo!
Every race morning starts with Ali dancing around the room in her long underwear to our Ski WOC playlist. 
Start tent for the sprint. 
In the stadium waiting for the rest of the guys to come in.
Snow whipping off the mountaintop - preview of what was to come the next day.
It's for real! The girl from Tucson CAN ski! (or at least, she can pretend...)
Cristina post race.
Adrian after the middle race. It was snowing a little bit.
This is in the waxing building - it has two floors, and it seems all the english-speaking countries are on the top floor (mmm, fluoro fumes!), and the big teams are below. I think we're looking down at Finland's area, there. 
The Americans, on the other hand, are either having way more fun or having way more technical issues with their waxing setup. 
Various countries testing skis and wax, on the one tiny area of the model event that is suitable for that sort of thing. 
They had the model nicely set up, with a full pre-start and download station, so you could see how it would go. 
We're using touch-free EMIT, so really all you have to do is ski under the bags and sort of wave your arm. The sensor on your arm keeps flashing for five seconds or so, so you can double check to make sure you punched. 
Studious. In our cozy suite.
This is the bridge that we get to ski over. Cristina was having some doubts as to whether she could make it up the steep side, but I think tomorrow we get to ski down it. 
The screen at the opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, the IOF logo was all it ever displayed, unless you also count the blue screen of windows death, as they tried to get it to play a welcoming video. Whoops.
