Change the Latvian winter to the Spanish winter
After a 4-hour flight from Riga, we arrived at Alicante airport. Right there we pick up our cars and went to our rental villa. Nice summer outside, +19, brightly flowering gardens, punctual citrus fruit plantations with not yet harvested vines. What more you want, all you have to do is train.
On the way, we shop for food (the amount shown in the picture in the trunk of the car is enough for about a day for 10 people) and soon settle in our “fortified” Spanish villa. We cook lunch quickly so that we can go to the first workout in a nearby natural park. The heat and mountains are so inviting, yet challenging, due to the significant ups and downs and rocky trails. Comparatively, the Sigulda Mountains seem like nothing!
In the evening we go to bed in time to participate in the competitions of the local Murcia region in the morning.
In the morning we are forced to wake up quite early - the reason - the roosters next to the property. Their loud singing (wandering), conjuring up with other more distant roosters, tested our ability to disconnect from the “songs” well. But after a couple of days we were already used to it. workouts did their thing.
Around 450 participants took part in the regional competition, including foreigners who, like us, came to train in summer conditions. Today is already +24! The main task - to “crawl” into the map, get used to the 5m terrain and the specific, very sinuous, rocky running base.
Evening workout - a forced climb along the trails of the Jumilla fortress and also the fortress itself, later in the active search for ice cream in the beautiful small town next door. We stand for a long time, up and down, until we finally find one open cafe, the rest - siesta!
In the evening, in theory, we analyze the gps paths of the race. Although we only lose to Swedish orienteers, there is something to work on.
Third day workout about an hour away from our abode. Also in a beautiful natural park. This time, the organizers had made a mistake with the coordinates of the training site. In this regard, we tested the ability of our rental cars to move along very narrow, winding, in places very steep, rocky and rain-washed roads. We got to the indicated place on time with a couple more early censors. We concluded that something was wrong, no one was waiting for us. There is no mobile communication in this place, we crawl up the mountain for communication. It succeeds and soon we get to the place we need.
The terrain is very interesting - ravines, cliffs, 5m terrain (in places the terrain is quite detailed). The main task - again the exact direction, “crawling” on the map and the choice of road in such terrain. Marking with SportIdent. 2kp was incorrectly inserted, so the gps path does not reach it anyway!
We have lunch on the spot after the distance and move on to the second workout. This time, a visit to the rocky canyon of about 3 hours is planned.
But first the test was for our machines trying to get on the straightest road to the canyon for about 20km. It was truly an extreme ride! In some places we had to disembark to scout the roads before daring to go further. Maybe in terms of distance we won, but in terms of emotions it was unbeatable!
Continuation of emotions - a 3-hour forced hike along the narrow paths of the canyon. A good workout for physical, positionfor balance and emotion management training.
In the evening gps path analysis.
Fourth day - traditionally we start with a forest workout on the map. Tasks of the previous ones - keeping the exact direction, understanding the choice of the path and getting along with the map. Well, it's already going “smoother”.
For an afternoon workout, we visit the local campus of Caravaca del la Cruz. Walk in a very mountainous environment, then visit the park Las Fuentes del Marques and the waterfall Salto del Usero.
In the evening gps path analysis.
The fifth day. Morning training in the area that seems most similar to our Pierīga - a pine forest with young trees, a court 5m terrain - flowing, round, rows of juvenile plantings interfere with holding the direction, and also “cover” a wider gaze. Of course, we did not succeed without directional errors.
Afternoon workout - excursion to the seventh largest city in Spain (about the size of Riga) and the regional center - Murcia. Visiting the casino museum, beautiful churches and other places tired no less than training. Outdoors +27!
In the evening gps path analysis.
On the sixth day we return to the area of the third day. We continue to improve the direction training, the choice of the path and we are physically able to overcome the ups and downs. Some cannot stand the shoes - the soles separate from the top and the workout is not carried out to the end. Sun weather +24. The mood is great!
Lunch after forest training and we go on a 4-hour forced hike. Enjoy the nature of Spain! At the same time, we check our physical fitness.
In the evening gps path analysis.
The seventh day is devoted to excursions. Of course, there are no obstructed places, i.e. two - in one, culture with training. We start with the most important places in the city of Cartagena, later we go to the Bastion of Bateria de Castillitos on the seashore, and at the end — a visit to the beaches, i.e. the beach, to have lunch and a little by the sea.
On the eighth and ninth day of the Spanish ranking competition — 37 Trofeo Costa Calida — long distance, sprint and middle distance with drifting. Simultaneous World Ranking Competition (WRE). The number of participants is about 1650 from 30 countries.
The terrain is hilly, but very different from those that were run in training: “smooth” slopes with relatively small, unexpressed folds of terrain, very “variegated”, in the height of a small pine forest, where running was made much more difficult by large, often waist-high - pits, as well as small pebbles. A good test to keep the direction! The Spaniards gave our club very early start minutes. Karl starts first at 8.48, the rest from nine to dozens.
In the morning long distance but in the afternoon we already run a sprint in Jumilla. Very good results for girls: Melania 1st place in W14 group, Darth 3rd place, Amantai 4th place in W16 group. It is raining and you need to run carefully, because the foundation has become slippery.
The start of the second day at medium distance next to the same terrain where the start of the first day took place. Starting from the MW 16 group start. For groups 12 and 14, the start after the draw. The terrain is the same as the day before, but with a medium-distance accent: a lot of precise directions to unspoken, minor landmarks on relatively sloping slopes. Each mistake costs “dearly”. Understand which slope you are on, but determining the exact location is difficult. A good test for clairvoyance! Some succeeded, some not so smoothly.
Overall, our team had a successful start: 1st place for Madlena Freimane in W14 group and Felicita Priedite in W12 group, while Darth Rozukalna 2nd place in W14 group. We also win two “wooden” medals, i.e. 4th place and one 5th place.
For the rest, places in the second and third ten. Competition very good. About 400 foreign athletes took part in this competition.
Judging by what we have done, it can be said that we have successfully “escaped” the gray winter of Latvia, viruses, thoroughly trained and absorbed solar energy for further “feats”!