Wednesday, July 3, 2013

On the road to WOC 2013!

This summers adventure started at least a year ago when I decided I was going to train to make the USA senior orienteering team to compete at the world championships. Hours of training, motivation and juggling course work was this year. Training more with the Scottish elite and daily runs with my friend Regina got me pretty prepared. I had some good runs back in October at the North American championships. And great runs at Easter in the big uk race the JK. Then the waiting started! I had put in a petition but had to wait until mid may for the USA team trials to take place. I was glued to the computer waiting for results that weekend. 
I honestly cannot fully describe the emotions I had when I read off my name when the team was announced! Relief all the hard work paid off, pride that I got to represent my county again, but probably most of all excitement! Excitement to make the jump to the senior level of the sport that I love! 
Then I'll be honest a bit off worry set in where I doubted my ability to compete at the high level I wanted to and exceptions I and others had for me. That's when a SEDs (Scottish elite development) training weekend came in. I got talk to to many previous woc runners including Linnea Gustofson who had won gold for the sprint! Her advice is what I'm holding on to strongly (with bits an pieces from others added on ;) ). Linnea told me that I shouldn't worry about others. That I had done my part, I made the team and it is now my competition to enjoy and learn from and just do the best I can and worry about my goals and no one else's expectations of me. That the best runs come from when you are focused and calm yourself and the rest comes. 

I'm excited to be racing the sprint at the 2013 world orienteering championships in Finland! 

So I'm on my way! Literally I'm sitting in the Helsinki airport! But the story of my actual trip here deserves another post. 

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