Stage I

I admit, I love the sprint stages but this time it seems that I have not settled well with the map scale. In the first control I tended to go on and I lost a few seconds as I reached the NE ditch first. The next two I’ve reached to them easily, but item 4, that’s another story … I went down too much to the second steep, were was the same configuration (inflection, and steep path). I hardly realized the mistake, and only after five minutes I realized the error. It was enough to eliminate any hope for an acceptable place though still to the end I went smoothly. But those five minutes …
Anyway it was a beautiful route in a non-urban framework (because I it was already common that all sprint stages to take place in cities / parks) and can only be mad a bit on me for the childish mistakes made. : (

Stage II

Not really many words to say. Hard, very hard, and with water only at the end though it was very warm … Unfortunately, if the beginning was excellent, the end was a pleasure, going through controls 08 to 15 and only thinking at one cup of water.
Stage III

In general, the average distance routes are my favorites, especially because is the route distance that I can travel without problems. After two days I played like a fool in the forest, this was the perfect stage. Route motto: no extra meter! was obeyed with sanctity. So finally I was extremely happy for the result, but I remained in my mind with one dilemma: It was route 12-13 the best? If I surrounded I would managed a better time on this section? Hmmm, comparing times with the other competitors I can say yes, but unfortunately I will never know the right answer to this question.

Stage IV

Stage was the most sympathetic of the four days of competition. If until now I never went very late into the woods, to relay this year I went on the road after coming second shift in the woods somewhere after 13 o’clock. There was no one, and it was funny seeing the forest referees already walking to pick up the controls. I went perfectly from a control to another, but without that atmosphere of competition that was supposed to accompany me and make me increase speed. In the forest silence … and my only thought was to go and hope that though we will not be relay on the last ranking.
When I arrived, it was price giving ceremony. Juniors happy on the podium (I was among the last from the entire contest) … Still, we weren’t the last relay:)

Many years have passed since I have not raced at the Summer National Championship for various reasons, mostly lack of holidays. Thus, I tasted with more pleasure this competition and I’m glad I managed to take part in it. As I expected, Cluj offered good maps this time, and technical trails and also a good organization.
I can not notice the presence of athletes from other countries, some of them legitimate clubs in our country. I enjoyed this, as is a way to motivate athletes to prepare better and also gives us the opportunity to compare with runners from other countries. I think this is an important step in Romanian orienteering and I hope that next year their number will grow in our competitions.
Last but not least, congratulations to all participants for their results, and as the peak of summer season has been reached, we start to take a look on the calendar for the next year …