11.3.2007
LAST DAYS IN NZ - MORE ORIENTEERING

Last days my left calf has recovered from the injury and I've been able to train properly. Increase of orienteering and running has made my legs sore and tired, so after tomorrow's test run for NZ's championships course I have to take it easy for couple of days before good orienteering sessions in Tasmania. No pain no gain, but no recovery no development :)

Moving from a place to an other is tough when trying to train hard, but that's the name of the game here, because we want to see different places. Last days we've spent in Rotorua and Taupo. Rotorua is well known for its geysirs and smell ;) and Taupo is a beautiful town on a coast of NZ's biggest lake, Lake Taupo. Just 50kms from Taupo are the mountains where Mordor was pictured in the movie Lord of the Rings. The biggest mountain to be seen in Taupo is over 2500m a.s.l. Today, we also stopped by in the village of Matamata, near which the hobbiton place in L.o.t.R. was pictured.

Otherwise, we've enjoyed the touch of NZ's orienteering, one running race and mountain bike tracks (the best in NZ). Three orienteering sessions: First one near Rotorua was like in Japan. Steep hills and contour orienteering (3,5km 33min and 230m climbing). Second one was a surprise near Taupo. Looked really nice and demanding on the map, but it was just demanding, because nice parts were hidden under firns and under vegetation, but somehow it felt exotic, even great. Third one was the best so far in this trip, Whakaipo Bay. There was lots of hay on the ground, but otherwise it was awesome with small gullies and slope features. Speed was almost ok with 4,5km and 30min ;)

In the running race in Rotorua on Thursday Tero beat me in 5,4km course by two seconds. Local record on the smelly- steam-hot-water-course was 17.54, but Tero's time 17.21 is now new record. I think Tero is in good shape, though I'm not in my very best after the injury. Like in Australia mountain bike tracks are really nice here in NZ. I've had difficulties to get a bike in the afternoons, but yesterday I enjoyed some tracks close to Taupo. Some of the tracks are on the very steep edges and it's better not to fall off.








-jani-