Okay so this weekend started with the earliest morning :/ Meet at the DSU at
7pm…COMPLETE JOKE, I had still not caught up from my Birthday on Wednesday
night so wasn’t feeling fresh at all! Luckily I managed to sleep on the minibus
there (as did most of the other athletes in Durham University Orienteering Club
- UDOC) so when we arrived, helped by the FREEZING WEATHER we were all a bit
more awake! Not having seen a lot of people at the event meant there was A LOT
of catching up, not something I have a problem with and soon it was time to get
ready to run, wearing my Durham Vest with pride! Haa I had a pretty decent
start time, being the second to last so I was quite comfortable, with Linnea Gustafsson 1 minute in front of me and Bex Harding a minute after.
I started well and was enjoying the course, with the open
moor appealing to my orienteering style and so I was relaxed and happy. A few
little fine-O mistakes didn’t trouble me too much and I was quickly at the
finish, knowing I hadn’t done too badly by catching up a few other athletes
starting in front of me J
Near the finish, I’d run past Abi (a friend who I’d grown up with in the South
West squad) who had injured her ankle and was hobbling back so I grabbed a coat
and ran back out to her helping her through the last bit of the course. She was
gutted not to have finished and worried about her ankle which I could
understand, having had frequent injuries to both ankles. Luckily there was
enough snow to mimic an ice pack and we’d got her to her car! Once everyone was
back results clarified that me and peter and both come 2nd
(WOOOOHOOOO!!), earning Durham University lots of BUCS points for the
championships and maybe, just maybe, a little respect after being constantly
slated by the Orienteering University ‘top dogs’ – Edinburgh and Sheffield
(Sheffield especially, who are way too cocky to realise in a couple of years
Durham will be annihilating them :P).
The evening, as predicated was hilarious with dinner and
then drinks being consumed happily until we made it into PopTarts (a Sheffield
nightclub). Here the party continued with the theme (Rubix Cube) getting into
full flow! Although the night was decent, it made Sunday morning a struggle for
the most of us having to face an early morning and then the relay :S Nonetheless,
we all again braced the cold and soon found the relays underway. These were
hilarious…I appeared to be after the first km in the lead with Charlotte Watson
and Sophie Kirk (which I remember having a conversation on our course about how
rough we were feeling and our safest bet would be to just follow Charlotte :P)
A prime example of our GREAT NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS :P Anyway it worked out well
with Charlotte and myself pulling a lead, a sprint finish at the end where I
handed over to Aine in first (WOOP WOOP – only just though ;)).
The relays seemed to last forever while standing around in
the cold but once the majority of teams had finished, prize giving was underway
and over both days, DURHAM HAD FINISHED THIRD!!! SUCH A GOOD RESULT that UDOC
was so happy with!! Everyone in the team pulled their weight and helped secure
the place J
The best way to celebrate…was of course with food so on the way home we stopped
off at some services and I brought a Chicken Burger and crisps :D LOVING LIFE!