World Masters MTBO 2016 – Lithuania

This month 5 years ago I ended my burst of late 30s fitness jumping off a garage roof in Russia at the World Cup MTBO final in the sprint. I kept going that week but the long race from which I retired with sore race was my last proper international race.(see here!)  This weekend completes my return to recreational racing with the World Masters Champs, running alongside the World Cup final in Kaunas, Lithuania. The last 6 weeks hasn’t been the ideal prep, I trashed my ankle at the World foot O champs spectator races and then got a dose of manflu which to be honest is still lurking under the surface.

Anyway I picked Lithuania as its flat (hills were never my strong point) and there is a large team of British Masters going out so the ‘Holiday’ side should be run.

Friday is a mass start long race – I am just going to chill out at the back of the race and see how it goes, enjoy the orienteering and riding as it will be all too easy to have the red mist come up and blow up after 90 minutes and start making mistakes or worse still hurt my back.

I am really looking forward to the middle and sprint races on Saturday and Sunday but not the silly o’clock return flight home on Monday morning.

The event website is http://www.mtbo.lt/ for more details

Entry lists are on Eventor https://eventor.orienteering.org/Events/Show/544