Training Log Archive: TomN

Intervals at Einstein HS track. 4x1000 with 3:00 slow jog between. Target was 4:18. Times were 4:16, 4:22, 4:16, 4:15. The first one felt terrible, and I was worried about even finishing the workout, which helps explain the second one. Then I started to feel better. As it turned out, an improvement over last time, and one extra rep in the workout.

GSFC perimeter road. Cloudy and humid, bit of a breeze, mid-70s. I felt o.k., but my legs were heavy. It's really rare to have a spring-in-the-legs feeling these days. But I've had a long string of consecutive running days, maybe a rest day is in order. And tomorrow's supposed to be pouring rain all day.

At GSFC, north on the power line cut, then back through the antenna test area to the rec center. A little wet where the seeps run across the cut, but not enough for wet feet. It was about 70 with 100% humidity, and you could feel the water condensing out of the air.

GSFC perimeter road. Mid-80s. Several Pearl Crescents flying today.

Road run at GSFC. Thought I'd be too worn out after the weekend's exertions, but it was o.k. Nearly 80 degrees, though.

Probable E. Pine Elfin today. Scared it up from the verge across the road from a stand of scrubby trees, and it flew straight into the woods. Would be nice to confirm this, because I didn't see any last year. Also, on the way back, in the same place, an orangey butterfly, I'm thinking it was a Comma. But it wouldn't alight.

Event: QOC Patapsco McKeldin
 

Setting out water at McKeldin. Dan Q. had called me late last night and said he needed help with water. He hadn't planned the water stops, so we discussed that when I got there this morning. He admitted that a lot of the controls he had put out had the wrong numbers on them. Then it turned out that one of the locations where we agreed I'd put water didn't have a control at all. At that point I was thinking the event was going to be a disaster, but crazy luck -- that was the only missing control, he went out and placed it, and it turned out the rest were o.k. Except for the numbers, about which he was right, and Valerie was irate.

First ever Spring Tumble. What's next, the Fall Grumble? Mass start, six windows, with 0, 1, 2, or 3 skips, self-seeded. Aside from the control numbering, which we'd been warned about, a pretty fair course. Lots of climb, but that's the nature of the park.

I skipped the 4th window (M-N-O-P, out on the northern peninsula). The first window would have been a better choice, but I fell for the trap (no controls before the first window!) and didn't figure that out in time.

I don't do well in mass start events. I fell way behind early on, not doing enough thinking for myself. Near the end of the second window, I passed half a dozen people, ended up alone, and started to run much better. Small mistakes in the Q-R-S-T area let Greg catch me, and we ran together until the very end, when I took the trail to the last control and got there way ahead. But he had skipped 2 windows, and I was first by 6 minutes among the 1-skippers. A smarter start could have saved substantial time.

Spring Tumble - Splits