Training Log Archive: TomN

Mid-Atlantics at Brandywine Creek, Green course. I had a terrible start, not planning well at all. Came to a trail, tried to locate myself on it, finally realizing it was a different trail that I hadn't seen on the map at first. Started towards the next trail, but it seemed way too long, and it seemed like I could see the bottom of the valley ahead, so I was worried that I passed it. Didn't want to descend any more for fear of having to climb back up. What to do, what to do! Stuck with the original plan, got to the trail, diagonaled to the control just as Jody Landers got there, and he had started 2 min after me.

Tentative all the way to 7, and then started to pick up the pace as we transitioned to the boulder-covered hillside. I really enjoyed those controls. Finally felt good running, and the navigation was good too. Salvaged a decent run, but then mispunched at 13. It turned out our boulder was a little further on. I had a funny feeling about it as I was going up the hill away from it, but I thought the control number was right. But it was one off, 51 instead of 52.

I guess I would have finished just out of the placing points anyway, so no big loss for the club.

Mid-Atlantics Relay, 3rd leg (advanced). Couldn't decide between the road and the woods to #2, ended up on the road but bounced off fairly quickly. Overtaken at that point by Chase Thatcher, and managed to stick with him the rest of the way. Certainly faster running than I would have done without a pacer, but I was navigating, and made my own decisions. The team ran well, Paul Hession, Lydia Andrews, and me. Third place among the 6-point teams.

Green - Splits

Setting out controls for next weekend. Nice day, walking with backpack. I struggled a bit with the field assembly of the flag, number, pin punch, e-punch, and control stand but eventually got a system. Next time maybe a little more efficient. I drove down Evans Ford Road to check out the possibilities, and I think I can park in a turn-out down south of the open field, where there isn't such an unrelenting barrier of Private No Trespassing signs.