From top to top

After 2 months closed at home it has been time to travel around the world, meet friends...mostly to have fun and enjoy life:)

I have to say that it's so great and I'm so happy to be back on my life again...! About my training it's going well but it wasn't so easy on the beggining. After stopping for 2 months I had to learn all again and built something to start training. After 4weeks my body is (finally) getting its normal state, but there's still a lot of hard work to do. It's only the first steps!

First (S)top was Sodertalje- Sweden. Next season I'll have the luck to run for SNO and for a few days I had the pleasure to know how such a great team works, meet new friends, run some trainings over -10ºc with snow up to my knees, have some fun...It was really nice time and I feel so lucky and at same time so motivated to belong for such nice group :)

And from the cold weather of the north of Europe the next (S)top was Tenerife :) Humm...so warm and beautiful place for training and for spend some nice days! We (tried to) climb «El Teide»(almost 4000m high), ran nice orienteering trainings, ran around there and visit the most precious parts of the island. I loved it :)

And now I'm back home, ready for the next (S)top -it's Cristhmas!! Merry Cristhmas to all of you! :)

Season-analysis in a nutshell

I would call to the last season «terribly demanding». Not because of competitions neither because of load of training at all, but mainly because of the huge amount of work at university and between this, training and some competitions. Here are some numbers (47weeks of training):

• I ran about 239h of running, which 41h of these are of orienteering;
• Only 18% of my training was orienteering training;
• I had one foot small surgery between - costed me 1month out of training;
• I only ran 18 competitions during all the season;
• I spent 5h/day average studying from january till august, then 10h from august till middle of september and reached the top with 15h/day during october and november...

Well, these are only numbers...I had my goals setted in the beggining on the season: some were reached, other not and actually I achieved one not expected. I believe that the lack of orienteering training and competition can explain something about the not-achieved.

I know I had a terrible amount of things to manage with and it seems tough, but when you have the best family, boyfriend and coach in the world, things become easier. Thank you so much :)

I'm happy and glad when comparing these numbers with the final result of such a demanding season :):)

Welcome back to your life Maria :)

Finally I have my life back. I can feel the wind on my face, ear the birds in the morning outside, watch the sunset on the sea, taste a delicious hot chocolate in the evening and smell the wet ground after a rain shower.

After one year of study and preparation to the final exam of the Medical school, finally I'm free :) During the last two months I was totally focused on my study and so I spent around 12-15h a day on my desk studying, rarely going outside home,whithout proper sleeping, big doses of coffee and huge stress load. Just outside of my room to have meals. That's insane to study for such exam.

Happily this study marathon is over and I have my life back. I'm glad I could manage to achive my goals. Now I have a month of holidays till januray when I'll start working as a doctor :)

Mostely the feelings are of relief, happiness and motivation for the upcoming new goals!

Still looking for the answer

After PWT race a journalist ask me «What was your best ever international result before coming to Peth?»...ups...funny question... I said «I don't have any :)». He smiled to me and ask again «so what made the difference today?»
That's the answer that I'm still looking for. There are some reasons that can predict a good result but there are so much more that easily can destroy all your training homework...I've been seriously thinking about this question and after reading my coach's blog (here)I became aware of the good training job we did together for this race.Is this the answer?...Maybe that fact of only being focused on sprint... or maybe the fact of still being a better road runner than a forest runner...



Above there is the map with my route choices (red) and better routes than mine (blue) in 4 controls. I ran this course on 17'37'', 2km race, but according to the tracking I ran about 4,2km !!!
After deep analyse of my course I realize about 52 seconds mistake (that's a lot!).I ran quite slowly to the first control and to the second one I took some seconds to understand what was in the map and what I should do. Then mistake to number 8,9 and 11(stupid route choices). On the way to 13 I was running quite slowly trying to understand if 14control was on the upper or lower part of the stairs...Mistake to number 20: I was on the «only running mode» and missed the entrance to the control...and then to number 22 I thought «run to the street you already know» but this route was a bit longer and costed me some seconds more. And well, 52 seconds and some extra meters...

Next weekend I'll run the Iberian Champ (in Leiria-Portugal)on sand dunes terrain.I'm not that well prepared to run on this type of terrain and the long distance scares me a little bit:) we'll see...!;)

PWT - Park Wonderfull Tour ;)

This story begins in July when I received the invitation to run Park World Tour in Perth. This time, I wasn't really sure about what to do. In one hand I had a lot to study and to be focused on, but on the other hand running Park World Tour seemed to be such a good challange for me and for my training during these months between July and September. Besides, it was an honor for me to be invited to such a international top level competition that I couldn't say no!! So the goal was setted and I started my preparation for this race on 11th September.

But September arrived so fast and it was time to pack my bags to Scotland! I packed it with a bunch of good running trainings (PB on 200m-32'- and 400 10x intervals- 1'14'') and also a few good orienteering park trainings...but we never know if 2+2 will be 4!!!

Last saturday Park World Tour started with the qualification race at Scone Palace. Map seemed to be simple but in fact, orienteering there was very tricky. I must say that I couldnt find a flow on my orienteering and neither a moment of full concentration - I missed controls and had to run back, I run on the incorrect order, uf!...well so many mistakes that after a while I decided just to jog to the finish line- it was worthless to waste energy there.

But my preparation was to the Perth city center race (Final) and I had a hope that I could succeed well there. I was focused, motivated and aware of the mistakes that I could easily do. During the race I just tried to do my best on each control, running the fastest as I could on the long legs and the most focused I could on the trickest ones. But to be honest I never felt that I was running fast because I was too afraid to do mistakes and was so very carefull on my orienteering, reading all the details. When finishing my race I was happy and pretty satisfied, but i wasnt aware how good it was, till the first sweedish girl came and I still staied on the leading chair :):):)

I finished 6th best girl in this PWT race!!!:):) It feels so good to be rewarded for this big effort and finally feeling that such a good job that I've been doing with my coach wasn't worthless. Earing the worlds of Per Forsberg during this price giving ceremony, calling my name between such good sweedish runners was great. It had a really important meaning for me this achievment.

I took home a lot of good feelings, lessons and experiences from this race: I learnt some scotish dances :):):) ; I went to the airport on a Mini 30 years old car (!!!) ; 2x5x52x10 (maybe one day); and I hope this result push me to further challanges!!!

pictures and words

After four days of resting and recharging (just a little bit part of) my batteries, I'm back home there's one week and I haven't been doing anything different than,

It's been really demanding to keep studying 8,9 sometimes 10,11 or even 12 hours a day and manage to find time and a rested body to run and train adequately.

The scheduled life is going on and my motivation to keep it is really high as I have my personal goals very well setted. But I have to confess..sometimes I feel...

vacaciones

The bag is packed and I'm ready for 4 days of peace and love...

and orienteering too ;) [of course!!!]

inspiration

These two women on portuguse suits are presently the best 5000 and 10 000m female runners in Europe. I admire them a lot and I confess that I suffered so that much watching their races, fighting for medals during this european champs last week...They brought home two bronze medals (one on 5000 other on 10 000m) and a big bag of motivation for further achivements!! Its great to see portuguse female runners on the top of the european runners and for sure it's inspiring for training :)

Lately my training is going on the right direction towards the main competitions in september. After the end of classes I have more time, specially for rest, so I can get more from training than before. Apart of this I keep my daily studying - about 8h per day- preparing as best as I can for my exam in November...!!! So my «summer life» is almost the same as winter or spring life, as I keep sleeping, eating, training and studying acording the timetables - like a machine.

As I appreciate a balance on my life, I decided to take two periods of rest during this hard study time - last week I spent 4 days in the south of Portugal with my family, enjoying the sun and the beach- and in two weeks and a half I'll spend some days around Barcelona (where? it seems to be a secret till the date I'll arrive there :):)

So till 17th august the «machine» will be here studying between these four walls and time to time watching and vibrating with woc races ;)

I dream about moments like this :)

The end

Today I finished six years of hard study on Medicine. I'm a doctor now... :) I'm quite speechlesss and with a mix of good feelings...but overall I'm really happy and glad. Thanks a lot to all of you who have been walking along with me during this time. Now it'll starts a new chapter on my life!

3 days OFF

3 days off, 5 min floating on the mediteranean sea, eat some tapas and drink a beer in the evening, run some nice orienteering races, walk throught Barcelona without any rush, sleep siesta and just enjoy being resting were magic to recharge (a part of) my batteries.

Sprint map

About my orienteering it was quite funny on the beggining of the race, because on the way to the first control my map flow away from my hands and I had to run to catch it and then be back on my race.I did some stupid mistakes and my speed wasnt the best for a sprint race at all. But for a vacation competition I'm satisfied :)

Now unfortunately I'm back to the hospital, to the library, to the book... and keep holding this flow till november...

M&M - maps and mistakes

After so many weeks saying I was going to post the last competitions maps, I'm finally doing it ;)! Here are maps from absolut national championship (1), long distance national championship (2) and relay national championship (3).
I succeed very well as I won all these races, but after deep analysis (you can check it on my route choices and mistakes) I'm sure my biggest problem in not concerning with my running skills...for sure 70% it's because of my (so very)weak orienteering technique. During these 3 races, overall I lost about 20'22'' (!!!) and I managed to win all....so, for sure my legs were the one which worked well (not my brains :( There's a lot to analyse and think about (BIG???) changes when planning 2011 season.

sweet candies in the mountains ;)

Give Good

I spent last week between the mountains of the north of Portugal, doing my internship in comunity health. I think the image above explain one of the most important things I've been learning here... It's been great to be working here as my tutor allows me to do consultations by my own. People here are kind and the village is surrounded my great mountains, forests and small rivers. It smells nature:)
There's still one week left here in the mountains and then it will be time to take 3 days off :) I'll try to post the maps of last competitions and tell you more about the time spent here ;) see u.....

celebrating ;)

little gift to my super heroes ;)

[sooner I'll post maps]

Time to celebrate :)

Definitely I have a bunch of good thinks to be happy. During tha last two weeks many things happened...competitions, work, studying, end of my master teses, training... and between all, mixed with a big dosage of stress, I could manage it quite well.

First of all we had absolut national championship in Sesimbra. This is one of the most (maybe the most) competitive race we have in Portugal! After bad feelings during qualification, I could manage to refocus and performed good enough to be first :) In fact portuguese junior girls have their batteries on their top and they ran so great on this race! Also, it was held the universitary championship at the same time, which I get the gold medal too :)

Of course that after one weekend out of the library, it means twice of work during the week. These next two weeks passed on a rush and when I realize it was 4th june (last friday) and I was defending my master teses, on the Aula Magna of my faculty. I'm happy with my performance here too as I get 18 on 20 maximum possible. It was awesome feeling!

And to finish as best as possible, yesterday I managed to get the gold medal on long distance national championship, on such a technicaly and physicaly demanding terrain - whinch in fact I love. I must say I was a bit afraid of this race...I was tired but mainly it was so hard to change my concentration from my master teses to orienteering. It was kind a shock to my brain :)

But definitely the gold on today's relay was what tasted better :) We weren't the favourite team to win but my team mates run so very well that my job (as the third to start) was the easiest - I just ran a normal race till the end and celebrate it this talanted girls :):). I want to thank them so very much for this victory - it was my first ever victory on a relay during portuguese champs. Susana, still junior, and very young in orienteering -her calm, passion and total focus were incredible when she passed the spectators control as the first senior. And then Isabel, already veteran, managed the first place with such a confidence and great experience that my job was nothing compared to their. They were great! Thank you girls ;)

sooooooo......after this 2 weeks I think is time to celebrate :)

Crossing the finish line

If you would come to Porto during this week you would see students wearing very strange clothes everywhere and so many festivities at every corner. We are having «Queima das Fitas»!!!

It celebrates the end of graduation courses, symbolized by the ritual burning of the ribbons representing each faculty of the University of Porto (UP). It lasts for 8 days, one for each UP's Faculty: Letters, Law, Medicine, Sciences & Technology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology & Education Sciences and Sports Sciences & Physical Education. During this period, a series of concerts and performances are held, turning Porto in a lively and vibrant city. It also includes a parade of the university students, sport activities, gala ball, and many other public events and traditions, such as the historical nighttime student fado serenade (Serenata Monumental).
The Ribbon Burning festivities are the big yearly celebration for the students and townspeople as well. The festivities run for a full week with the traditional nighttime fado serenade in the square in front of the Tower of Clérigos. The square is packed with students in their black capes (looking like Harry Poters :) and according to the ritual, studies are forgotten for a week of joy and all-night revelry.

The high point of the festivities is the Cortejo, a parade with dozens of elaborately decorated floats, each in the color of their respective faculties, carrying placards with ironic criticisms alluding to certain teachers, the educational system, national events and leaders. The parade is made up of thousands of "newly liberated" students set apart by their top hats and walking sticks.

In the end we're tired, but happy ;)

So... finish line is over here... But a career and much more than a job are coming!
Thanks to those who have been walking with me along this 6 years!:)

Plan B

Between the daily rush, I found myself between the two main things I work in my life to: medicine and orienteering. Last monday I finished my master teses (public presentation will be in June), I finished my internship on internal medicine with excelent mark (19/20), I'm reading for the second time the «Harrison» internal medicine - this big book I'll have to study hard till november - and of course the preparatives of the end of my study are coming up!!!

About orienteering, my words are seldom...I don't have been doing map training ( nobody in my region prepares some training to can take part). My work is only towards my runability and building my shape again. Unfortunately, I'll can't take part on european neither world champs this season because of my study and final examination...so...let be SMART! I'm planing and thinking a lot about my next goals for when the good times will come, and so, this time now is precious to improve things that I can't improve when there's a lot of competitions and stuff like that.
Last weekend I took part on the first national competition of mountain races organised by the athletics national federation and I was 9th overall and 4th senior. Running on mountain really seems to me like running orienteering without a map. It's half (or less) of the fun, but at least, I can prepare myself 100% as map training is not required here. It's seems to be a good plan B for my motivation ;)

Go to the witch!!!

Should I really go to the witch?

-3 weeks without training because of the wart;
-1 week without trainning because of flu;
-I lost the 1st place on sprint for 8seconds;
-Major opponent runner started 2minutes behind me today on yellow and easy map;
-I lost the 2nd place on middle for 3seconds;

fly, flew...flu

After many weeks without running because of my foot finger, I got sick with some kind of virus for almost a week. Just in the moment when everything seemed to be back to the normality... My start of season really looks like a rollercoaster... when is this going to stop?

Because of this

This is myself on the last 3 weeks...looks cute doesn't it?;)
Yeah, in fact it wasn't funny at all. Since beggining of this season I had a wart growing and growing on the top of my right foot finger. It was very painfull and even I started having pain on my left hip because during running I was trying to don't put so much weight on this side. So, after many treatments and without any change...I had a small surgery and 3 weeks without run.
We are so used to get some thigs from our daily life that sometimes forgot how really important they are...Running is one of them for me and I realize it on the worst way. It was so strange to be on the library till the time of closure and come back home without running. Going to the hospital, then to the library and coming back home, day after day, became my daily life and I also realize how's the life style of so many people that sorounds me on this hospital. It's crazy!

You can check my little wound on the picture :):)
All went fine during surgery and after it too. Now I'm back on business, but sinceraly first trainings after stop are so though(phisicically and mainly psicologically...) Step by step I'll get my shape and the most important now is that I can feel the wind on my face again!

The king and the little little

Last days have been very different than usual. Instead of going from classes to the library, and from the library to training and instead of learning from doctors during classes, and from my coach after training, these last days I performed on very different stage with a very different teacher. I spent 4 days from map to map, from training to training, on Mira area, training and learning with Thierry Georgiou.

I must say it was a mix of sensations training side to side with «the king of middle distance».It was fantastic opportunity to train, to analise, to learn ...and to realize how much and how hard the best orienteers in the world train, how often they run with map... and how far away I am from this reality...I'm little little little....

Do it with style ;)

Portuguese orienteering team got a fresh new style on the last world champs. Many orienteers realize about our new Trimtex O-suits and how beautifull it looks like on our national team.
Besides looking beautifull and stylish, it’s very important to run with high technology clothes on so very different kind of weather through all the season. As you know, sometimes lighter clothes or warmer clothes can help you a lot during your orienteering races ‘cause to take extra grams with you is absolutely useless. Luckily, this season I’ve got a sponsorship from this fantastic brand, Trimtex, which allows me to run with high quality clothes in the forest.

If you are a quality adicted too and if you would like to have your club suits on the best orienteering fabrics, with your own club colours and own club design, you have a great opportunity now! Trimtex will be represented in Portugal O’Meeting 2010 (POM) with special offers for the Portuguese market. Please feel free to talk with Isak Bergman – responsible for the portuguese market or with myself, and for sure you’ll find the best solution for your club!

And I'm doin'it

Life is still going on acording the timetables, the list of things to do today, training to run tomorrow and the chapters to read till the end of the week. It seems to be like a great formula to scheduale everything on such few 24h per day, but it's also kind of boring.
But something has been changing as I'm making a bigger effort to spend time with map :) Reading, runing and analysing maps.
Last weekend it was great to have 4 orienteering trainings with the national team in the south of Portugal- Coruche and Arraiolos.It was good time to pratice many things that I've been thinking about to improve.

Today it was time to say NO to the book and run towards the closest sand dunes map and enjoy the sun and the ocean.I ran quite nice o-training but mostly it was very nice because of breaking the rules of studying and get motivation for next week trainings.It was fantastic to run on such scenario!

Most interesting maps of last weekend trainings:

First steps...to analyse

Since the beginning of november I've been very focused on building a good basis of training and the main goal is to perform a good role on...traning. Not competing. However, it's been a very busy time for me (as all year seems to be like). I have been studying a lot for my end examination in november, working on my master teses, having classes, training...and eating and sleeping :) Basically, I've been like a machine rulled by timetables to all activities. So I think it's quite obvious that time for ORIENTEERING training is few: in december I only ran 16km of orienteering, which comparing to the 340km of running, is nothing.

1 +1 is 2...the same as orienteering races without orienteering training is...mistakes!

Two weeks ago I ran the International Meeting of Arraiolos and I proved myself that training without map for long periods make this happens:

long distance (2nd place):

sprint distance at night (1st place):

middle distance WRE (1st place):

After deep analysis of the disaster of such races, it's possible to find out some reasons: (1) lack of map training, (2) some related difficulty with concentration on my own orienteering and (3) different kind of cartography used on this maps.

This time the maps were drawn by finish cartographers that used very different criteria than those used before on this type of terrain. In my oppinion, it's very good kind of cartography and very helpfull for the orienteers as only the main features are on the map. Althought, I think it is very usefull on very detailed stony areas but not absolutly necessary on other areas with not so much stones... Personally I preferd the middle distance map, drawn my Tiago Aires and Raquel Costa, portuguese cartographers and elite runners too, besides using the same style of long distance map. I confess I love the way they draw maps and it was a pitty that they dind't draw the map of the long distance.

Now it's time to find a hole on the scheaduled life for some orienteering training and beginning to work on mental training too ;)