Training Log Archive: Oslug

Finally took my 2-months-old bike out for a spin. Scavenged the seat and egg-beater pedals from my folding bike. Enjoyed the coast down the hill -- big wheels definitely coast better than the Bike Friday's. Got to know the low gears and the index shifters, which require a very mobile thumb. Never had front shocks before; very nice. I've never clipped my feet in for off-road biking, so was cautious to bail out early on the uphills so I wouldn't tip over. and didn't try any technical trails. I enjoyed the sense of exploration that came with the new bike, biking in the non-ski direction, the several new trails, and the changes in the forest since I'd last spent much time here.

Another gorgeous day. Bought some shrubberies on the way home -- red currants and a forsythia! I've been wanting to grow currants and raspberries for about 25 years. Now well on my way. Then, hiked up Near Point. Today will be a good baseline for my summer fitness improvements. 1:45 to the top. Time doesn't include time on top. Some nice flowers that I don't usually see because I don't usually get out so early in the summer. Bought a ticket to Boise last night and hope that will help motivate me. Dan and I talked about O stuff on the way down (the EMIT systems we're borrowing for the summer, remapping the north part of Bi- Park, the concept of hosting an A meet/O fest 'after retirement').

Lame little trot, during which I decided to check airfares again for Boise. I kept thinking I shouldn't take days off work, but I came to my senses while out in the sun.

Event: ARCT: Far North Bicentennial Park-O
 

Walked a white course with a very pleasant recent immigrant to Anchorage, who had lots of fun. I really enjoy teaching beginners about orienteering. We are getting tons of new people this year -- I think due to some new types of publicity.

C • What types of publicity? 2

Felt OK. Third time trotting in about 4 weeks, and the other two were the two days at West Point. Beautiful warm dry sunny evening. Trails are powder dry. No hip pain, so perhaps my hip stabilizers are starting to work.

First trot since getting the crud. Turned off my watch for about 10 minutes, so faked the time back in.

Event: ARCT: Earthquake Park-O
 

Helped Jen with the Intro to Orienteering, then hung around to get people started and to greet them as they returned. Great turnout of about 30 people for the training. And other new faces showed up afterwards, too. Maybe there's been latent demand all these years for this intro to occur at meets.
I still haven't taken the time to stand around and try to understand this map. I was getting the hang of it. But then completely lost touch with the map between 17 and 18 and was lost for about 1/2 hour. There seem to have been more trails than were on the map. I should have bailed to a main trail but just kept trying to figure it out. Fun time except for that.

Full set of shoulders with 2# weights. Lucy's challenging routine for the guts. Rutgers' hip stabilizers. Feels good to get my upper back activated by the shoulder exercises.

Full set of shoulders with 2# weights, lazily. Shoulders have been hurting when horizontal for lack of strength training. Full set of easy Rutgers hip stabilizers. Good to start getting the blood flowing again.
Looked thru 2 1998-9 O club photo albums that someone brought to a board mtg a few months ago. Amazing how few people I know. And LOTS of kids. i don't think a single one of those kids now participates in O in Anchorage now as an adult. 2/3 of the adults in the photos no longer participate in ANC. But we have different new blood.

Supercrud all week. Traveled from CT to ANC last Saturday. Felt good Sunday and set our O course for the Wed meet. At work Monday, dragged most of the day and accomplished nothing. By evening, knew I was sick. Home from work sick the rest of the week. Seems like 1/2 the time I fly home, I return to work for a day then am out sick for a few... Doesn't seem to happen on my outbound leg. (Might have to do with going back to work.) More handwashing, hand sanitizer, drink more water, maybe tons of Vit C even tho science says it doesn't work, snort saltwater when I get home, maybe schedule a day of down time upon return?

Event: ARCT: Mirror Lake-O
 

Hosted Mirror Lake O meet. Had 69 participants, probably about 1/3 kids under 10. Lots of people from the local area. It's the most people I've seen at a meet recently, and the most new people I've seen in a long time. Lots of season passes purchased by people I don't know. (All good signs.) I had the supercrud so didn't enjoy it much. And it turned from warm sun to cool howling wind so I was pretty cold by the end. Possibly one misplaced control, and some complaints about new trails near a control and some features not on the map in that area. But everyone cheerful and appreciative. Probably made orange a little too hard or long; glad Dan talked me out of one hard control.

Beautiful day. Some looking for good control sites, some looking for sites Dan had already flagged.

the cold descended after my first day back at work.

Headed east from the triangle, instead of west. But figured it out within about 20 feet. Then down the hill and up the other side toward #1. I hadn't really figured out where I was before leaving the road, so I ended up having to relocate back to the road. I'm still learning about interpreting cliffs and boulders. 2 and 3 were fine. I stumbled around a bit looking for 4 - again, interpretation of boulders, bare rock, etc were a little challenge. 5 was fine. I little trouble on 6, partly because I was looking for a pit instead of a rootstock. 7 was good. 8 I was a little too far up the hillside, and I don't really see how that pit was on a mild spur -- couldn't have been flatter and wetter. I was quite happy with navigation to 8. Then, 9. There were a bunch of guys going my general direction, and I guess i allowed myself to be distracted. I got onto the trail west of the purple line, and I think lost focus about exactly where I was. I think I actually got onto the trail about 100 m north of where I thought I had, so took it to about 100 m beyond my attack point. I wandered for quite a while trying to relocate, then decided to try relocating on the cliffs to the south. No luck. I was following the wrong set of cliffs back to a trail. But since I was wrong, never found the trail. Ended up taking the safety bearing SE to near the road. Relocated there and decided to bail. But the easiest way back, in my brain-addled mind, was back toward 10. So, I headed back toward 10. Confirmed my location with a couple military school guys, found 10 easily. I must have passed very close to it 45 minutes earlier. Decided it wouldn't take much longer to go back via 11, 12, and 13, each of which screwed up by about one reentrant and 4 minutes. Tired and thirsty. But it was still fun. Next time... Hmm. Don't leave the trail until I KNOW where I am. I didn't finish last despite my 1-hour walkabout.

Green Y day 2 - Splits

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

Green Y Day 1 - Splits