Thea Lillehov

It's been a while since I have written something here, but the last weeks have been heavy overloaded with work and must-do things and the blog just wasn't on the priority list. But, now most things have been completed and it is a long weekend off work, so now it is time to do an up-date.

Last Sunday we had the first of our WOC selections races, embedded in the Austrian middle distance championship. Having weeks of real stress on my back, I drove down to Carinthia Friday evening, after a long hours team meeting. It was after midnight when I arrived, but this way I could sleep some good 8 hours, have breakfast served (luxury!!) and even do some relaxed shopping before I went to Saturdays competition - the region relay. Carinthia hasn't got the highest number off runners, but we still had some very strong teams and in the end we ended up 5th, which for us at the moment is ok, I think. The competition was one of the real nice ones, very nice forest, nice scenery around, bright sunshine and lots of fun. Only minus was my shape out in the forest, which proved to be absolutely rotten. Well, concerning the selection race the next day it was a bit late to worry about the that, so I opted for a good meal in the evening, lots of water, some reading, 9 hours of sleep and a relaxed breakfast Sunday morning..

Sunday again proved to show Carinthia from its best side - warm, sunny and a very-well organized competition. The course-setting differed a bit from the previous day and that in a very positive way. The women's elite course was an absolutely fun-o, short controls alternating with longer one where you could make more speed. Ok, some of the controls were way too easy, but in the end, the course was a tasty meal! My race was technical very good, the shape a lot better than the day before, but the last bit of speed was still missing. This last bit of aggressive running that you need to be on top. So in the end I was fifth (3. in the selection race), which was in one way disappointing, in another way satisfying since things finally start to go the right way again.

The day after the selection race I headed out for a long, easy run and it felt really good. Running up my WOC-hill was a piece of cake and I was almost a minute faster than my pb - with slow running. Thats a cool positive confirmation that things start to work out again!
But the happiness didn't last for long. Tuesday I woke up with a real headache and a sore throat. Definitely not something to make me happy. It didn't get much better throughout the day so I made an appointment with my homoeopath for Wednesday evening. With still 3 selection races to come and world cup races within some small weeks, a cold was not was I exactly what I longed for. Well, the visit was a good idea, the ill-feeling and the sore throat was gone on Thursday and good so, since we headed for Slovenia and the next selection race. The model event yesterday was ok, I didn't feel very fast but also not ill, so I was happy with that. Waking up today my voice sounded like I've been drinking solely whisky for the last days, but apart from that I felt fine. And that my voice get unclear is something I am used to, it has been like that since a laryngitis some years ago.

The coaching team of the national team had done perfect preparations for the race, so the only thing I worried about before the start was if my body would work. I decided not to run on the limit, since there are too many important things to come. Feeling ok doesn't mean the body is completely recovered and I did not want to push t to far. The race started good, first control was precisely where I wanted it to be (ok, I had taken the path route so from there it wasn't very difficult). The first terrain change came all ready to the second control. Where the first control was placed in a steep hillside, the second was to be found in a labyrinth of dolines. And here we go.. I had control till the doline where the control was supposed to be but couldn't see the flag. I went back to the nearest path, then out to the next road and back again. Landing in the same doline but this time seeing the flag to I let out some less mentionable words.. Reaching out to punch the SI-station I managed to fall over and hit my knee on a stone. The stone was stronger than me, so it hurted like h.. Again I let out some words not worthy of mentioning, then running (or better: limping) on. Out on the path to the next control I decided to reset my running, since in areas like this, everybody makes mistake. Good that I at that point did not know that my mistake was worth some good 6 minutes, I wouldn't have been so easy with that knowledge..

The rest of the race was ok, I was running on a easy speed, partly because I had decided to do so, partly because in between I wasn't able to run faster. Some minor mistakes and maybe not always the best route choice, but for the greater part things went okay. Catching up Eva early on the course, then Anita (starting 8 min ahead of me) gave me the confidence, that today, a low speed would be ok. In the end I won the race about 2 min ahead of Karin. It was not a race to shout out load about, but winning a selection race is always a nice confirmation. Even better was that I proved my self that I am able to reset after a mistake, something which I always have had big problems with. Another positive thing was that I had fun orienteering in the dolines, real fun! Probably for the first time of my life I understood how to control them! That's kind of cool!

Tomorrow we'll do two trainings up in a alpine area and then head back home. Sunday is reserved for learning biomechanics and resting. And of course I'll go for a nice cup of ice-cream;). I think my knee and my body in general will be happy about that!