Thea Lillehov

This morning I was nervous all ready when waking up. Usually this is a good sign, but today it wasn't. I was getting more nervous every minute so I just longed for the start. It started really good, a long leg to the first controll and everything worked fine. The control sat where I wanted it to be, a good start. Longer leg also to nr.2 and then the misery started. First I overlooked the possibility to run on the path, which would have made everything very easy. Then I came too far to the right in the white/green area, and then I cruised around in there for a pretty long time, just don't knowing which direction to go. My compass wasn't very helpful either. Finally I caught myself up on a path very far right. Well, then a lot of time had gone, but I still managed to control my nerves. Control 3-8 went more or less okay, only minor moments of insecurity, but I think everybody had that today. Then, to control 9 I chose to run on the right side of the hill chain, not seeing the path upon it. Well, it wasn't that bad, but when I climbed up the hill, I has some kind of black out and thought I was much more to the right than I was. First around the little path to the left I could read myself in on the map again. Now I was getting really stressed, knewing I was loosing way to much time. I found the control then and tried to run really focused and controlled to number 10. On the fire line before the control I knew exactly where I was, I ran to the re-entrance where the control should be and could not find it. Running out to the path on the right side, back again - no control. Out to the path north of the control and back again, no control. Up on the hills and back to the fireline and finally I found it, in the same re-entrance where I had been at least 3 times. The control was there all the time, I just did not see it. Really sad, because long distance is one of my favourites and I just did not do my job.
Tomorrow I will run the b-final, but just for technical and mental reasons. I want to have a good, longer run to get the sadness and disappointing out of the system. The time until Friday and middle distance qulification I will also use for some mental work and then it should be okay again. At least I feel better now than just after finishing today..