Training Log Archive: ernst

S trail to Griffith, then Betty Thompson loop to Surrey, then switchback loops to W Foss Farm loop to Spruce Wood and home. I felt strong, and concentrated on engaging hip flexors and hip action. Nice cool day (65 F).

Run to work with a slight detour through CW.

Running home. I was quite hungry, but felt good to push and go a tad faster than usual.

Bike to work. Waterworks construction site was closed off, so I had to take the trail through CW, which had multiple blowdowns where I had to get off and walk.

Running home from work.

On and off trail cruising around Spruce Hole. I am testing out some of the logging cuts E of the access road hoping I will be able to use them for skiing in the winter. Also 3 hill climbs. Not very energized - still a bit jet lagged from the trip yesterday.

JUKOLA! Leg 7. The UNO old guys team on their 2018 bucket list tour!
A huge O fair/festival with about 20k people mulling around - oversize screens ; sounds everywhere, long lines for most everything. Dust in the air like at a rodeo. I'd call it the "Woodstock of Orienteering".

Our team completely converged over 3 days with J.J. arriving just hours before the start.

I was glad not to run in the dark. I started with the morning anchor leg mass start. Alar and I were able to watch on the screen the top teams finishing which included GPS traces on the map. This helped to prepare me mentally for the task, and it was nice to have a bit of a preview of the last few controls.

The start itself was not nearly as dramatic as the beginning mass start of the event. Almost all runners seem to use the chute to the start triangle as a warm up. I also used it to plan my route to 1 and 2. There were some "waiting in line" stops as we entered the foot paths. After that it was the endless game of moving, passing slower runners, being passed by faster runners (more rarely). A new experience for me but I seemed to adjust ok. I did forget to check the code at 1, but the location was unquestionable. From then on, I religiously checked all codes to the end, including the last control.

I could have had cleaner approaches. I bobbled around in several of the forked controls, most seriously at 3 and 15, a bit at 4, A monumental mistake at 6: I followed the crowd instead of executing my planned route of staying on trail to water stop, then attacking backwards to gauge off the oncoming runners (up to 10 min mistake, grrrr), but I did manage to solidly relocate in very complex terrain. I missed 23 which was in a vague area in the same way I saw some of the top runners doing in the broadcast. But I relatively quickly recovered.

I felt strong physically and passed many runners until around 15, when I felt the onset of cramping in the inner thigh muscles. So I slowed and went with the flow. I ate a bar on route, drank a lot at the water stops and tried to engage calf muscles more than the uppers. Luckily there were long runs mostly in the flats from 16 to 22 and I was able to avert any serious cramping incidence.
The rock salt that was offered at the water control after 16 may have helped as well.

It was a great experience! Totally new to me. The training in similar terrain 3 days before was extremely helpful. In the end it was not nearly as torturous (both physically and mentally) as I had expected. The weather was on the hotter side, but very dry, not dreadful.

I am so happy I was able to participate in this. Thanks fellow UNO team members for the initiating of the effort, the incredibly uplifting positive spirit and camaraderie throughout and a solid finish in the end!

C • Woodstock... 5