It has been a while since I last time stood on the podium as a World Cup race winner (2002; Belgium, Norway or Sweden), so this win feels rather nice indeed. I haven't updated any news after WOC, so short description what has happened since: I've been training quite well, but some minor sicknesses and injuries have been bothering every now and then. The results in Finnish Championships were not really good, and only in FC-relay I was pushing hard enough. After a good team performance, we got the gold with big margin.
RESULTS AND SPLITS FROM THE LIBEREC WORLD CUP MIDDLE
Yesterday's victory was really an unexpected one. Running feeling was all the time easy, but nothing spectacular and orienteering mainly perfect. (check the GPS-tracking by clicking the map above). But still I missed 1½ min totally and it was hard to believe when the organizers told me I would win. I can only guess the reasons behind good physical performing yesterday. One reason could be the big amount of continental orienteering this year, despite the French terrains which were not so continental in every place.... In Finland I haven't felt so good physically this year. On the other hand, when you are in shape, the terrain type should not make so big difference. Maybe this has something to do with mental aspects of o-competition performing, and it has only been hard to find the right attitude in Finnish Championships after getting the silver medal in WOC.
BUT BUT, some Job's post as well. I'm not running today's chasing start race, because I got sick yesterday some hours after competition. It's the basic Eastern European stomach-ache which struck me, and maybe I got it from some people or the food yesterday. After sleeping 12h I'm already feeling a bit better, but totally powerless. I guess I would have lasted for 2km of competitive orienteering speed today, so there was no sense to start for a 16.7km course...I'm of course very pissed off, as I would have had chances to get among the three best in the World Cup totals. But, in the end, I am also very happy to get the 1st place yesterday. I have still some chances on middle distance as well ;-).