So far my experience this year at the World Orienteering Champs has been limited to spectating, but I finally hit the start line tomorrow in my 4th WOC relay. This event in previous years has brought me both my best and my worst performances representing New Zealand. This race is a complete pressure cooker and last year many of us cracked. I feel extra nervous this year, maybe because the memory of last year is still lingering and I haven’t been able to get in much time at race pace in the forest because I was sick.
Regardless, I will find myself back in the pressure cooker tomorrow. Tim Robertson, with a solid middle distance yesterday, will start off the NZ team. Matt Ogden, who didn’t have a great day in the middle after his compass broke, has the ability to foot it with the best in the world and could put me into a good position to finish with the 3rd leg. I’m feeling like the weakest link here, a little slower than Tim and Matt, but most pressingly, under-prepared when it comes attacking this terrain at speed. I’m still searching for the right head space, something like calmly aggressive, I hope I can find it.
Whatever happens it will be entertaining!
Links to live services are on the left on https://woc2018.lv/