![Map from Auckland Pre-Oceania Sprint](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uNyIvMSgDDwUheSqzXggEYi3A1pEHQjgTNzu_2_lxlQ1MHEX_buEw-KjgKSoFUfAKUlf1yKZmhCboSlHwQ5I1CP-TvtH_o7fGnCLeBSGbcEpxQkx-pdQ=s0-d)
The last four days of 2012 I spent running the
Auckland Pre-Oceania as preparation to the
World Cup races held the coming week.
The first race was a sprint held in on Roskill Campus in Auckland. I did an OK performance, except a 15 seconds time loss to the 8th control, because I didn't see the control flag behind a wall. My result was a 4th place, 29 seconds behind William Lind.
![Map from Auckland Pre-Oceania Middle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_urcEZuVfu_HUuw-oDzg0JbfT_ZVJ5iv0iKVm3_0jLiv0UpNY8mHw32aoNIri7WrCXDX9AIVjD7zOoCU-mzjtROG5YJrINYNcMU064R6bwUNLd53PWoPA=s0-d)
The three last races were held in Woodhill Forest, North West of Auckland. In the first two of them I was running in easy speed as training, but in the last one I was pushing harder. I did an OK race, but had some smaller mistakes. My result was an 8th place, almost 4 minutes behind Olav Lundanes.
I have uploaded
maps from all the pre races in my DOMA and
pictures from my first week in New Zealand.
![Pictures from New Zealand](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DEviK70mhgQ/USJK2Kjk13I/AAAAAAAANDk/rasZc_3uxLg/s220/2012-12-31%2019-36-44%20-%20DSC01737.JPG)
New Years Eve was celebrated with runners from New Zealand, Denmark and a few other countries playing cricket and barbecuing in Greg and Claire Flynn’s place North of Auckland.
The last days have unfortunately been far from how I had planed. At the first pre race in forest I got a thorn in my right thigh. That’s quite normal for an orienteering runner, and after the race I thought I was able to squeeze it out with my nails, and it felt fine the following day.
![Pictures from New Zealand](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9NXcE1P9m50/USJKjOWPS-I/AAAAAAAANBE/bcyLjY0ST70/s220/2012-12-29%2017-51-06%20-%20DSC01714.JPG)
On the 1st January I felt some pain when I was running, and during the day I became more and more swallowed and red in the area around where I had got the thorn. With a needle I was able to take out another thorn, and in the evening I also started with penicillin after talking to the doctor of the Norwegian team.
The next morning it was even more swallowed, and I had problems to walk, so I went to a local doctor. She said I had got a serious infection, and opened the area where I had got the thorn, and was able to take out some more small thorn pieces. The last 3 days I have got drips with penicillin (intravenous) in addition to stronger tablets, and it will hopefully kill the infection.
![Pictures from New Zealand](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4QKb7mOsrj8/USJLKUrg1dI/AAAAAAAANGg/eGZteoAd-qg/s220/2013-01-01%2012-12-46%20-%20DSC01777.JPG)
The infection is now less aggressive in the area where I got the thorn, but have spread to a bigger part of my thigh. Today I took ultrasound, and it looks like it’s not any more pieces of thorn left, so that’s good to know. I am still not able to walk, and will probably have to skip the first World Cup race on Sunday. So at the moment I am mainly lying in my bed waiting to get rid of the infection, so I can start running again.
Bad luck, hope you make a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteEmily