Training Log Archive: TomN

CVOC FUMA Red. Addie and I took the long drive down to this event, located somewhere between Richmond and Charlottesville. Initially panicked because we couldn't leave until 10, the drive was near 3 hours, and the starts closed at 1. But we got there at about 12:40 and were welcomed, changed clothes and got going in double-quick time.

The drive down was lovely. We took Va. 3 west from Fredericksburg, then 20 south to U.S. 15. I had never taken that route before. The area around the battlefields at Chancellorsville and Wilderness was inviting -- big rolling fields and open woods (at least they looked open from our vantage point). Lots of fine-looking orienteering terrain off both sides of the road. The towns were, for the most part, depressing, but Gordonsville looks like a nice place to visit. Gordonsville was totally hopping on the way back, with the Porkapalooza going in full swing.

In the town of Fork Union, the academy is the main thing going on, but there are some big old southern Colonial houses in town. The registration was in the science building, and the start was right outside the door. The map started from the campus, with some sprint-type controls, and headed into the surrounding woods.

I wish I could report that the terrain lived up to the views on the way there, but it was, unfortunately, what I've come to know as Richmond-area woods: dense and brambly. I'd hate to think what it would be like in summer. The brambles seemed to be about arm-level. At least, that was the region where the blood was flowing most freely -- down the hands and onto the map, the compass, and the punch card. Not that I really noticed. The map was good, with a lot of detail, maybe more suitable for a sprint. But there was some good white woods with subtle features a little ways from the campus, and the Green and Red courses went in there, which I thought was the best part of those courses.

There had been sunshine on the drive down, but during our runs there were scattered rain and snow showers, so we had full conditions to go with our late starts. Towards the end, squeezing the pin punches was difficult due to wooden hands. Addie led the Green course and I finished 3rd on Red, 5 min behind Vido, who was the only other QOC-er I recognized on the list.

But, the refreshments were fantastic. Four or 5 different soups and chilis, cornbread, hot drinks, and fresh fruit, all served indoors in the science classroom. We talked to a few other late finishers and warmed up. Thanks go to Carl Muench, who designed the courses and organized the event and the apres-O scene.

GSFC perimeter road. Really slippery conditions in the morning, but by noon it was sunny and 50. Stupid Garmin couldn't locate satellites until 15 minutes in to the run, and even then it wasn't measuring distance very well, so its pace was wrong. I know what 9:20 miles feel like, and that wasn't it.

GSFC perimeter road. I couldn't run in the morning and had given up on the day, but when noon came and went and it still wasn't raining, I went out, and it was fine. Rain started much later. Driving home around 7 it changed from rain to snow. That's always fun to see -- the raindrops start making a different kind of splatter on the windshield, pretty subtle at first. Then all of a sudden it's snow.

GSFC perimeter road.

Drumm loop. Gray, but no rain, and reasonably warm.

Event: QOC Occoquan
 

QOC Occoquan Red. The map was great, much improved over the debut event. The course was a classic distance but a middle density, and the terrain supported the tight format surprisingly well. I made significant mistakes on 12 and 19. On 12, I went up the creek to the place where it turned north, then attempted to run up the next reentrant to the flat area above, but it turned out I went up too far south. I hit the big reentrant by the road a long way south of the control and spent some time figuring it out. On 19, I can't exactly say, but I was off on my bearing and pace count, went way too far, hit the shooting stand (looked for it on the map but still assumed I was south of the control) and then the reentrant with 13 in it. OK, I recognized that, and then backtracked no problem, but damage done. Good fun, nice course. In retrospect, I was clearly not thinking as well towards the end of the event. Whether due to physical tiredness or mental fatigue I can't say.

After the event I met a guy who advertised a guitar for sale on Craigslist, this side of Manassas, not far from Occoquan. Unbelievable guitar at a bargain price, a Gibson Explorer '76 reissue from a few years back. I paid what he asked and took the thing home. Basically unused in mint condition.

C • Performance? 2

Red - Splits