Training Log Archive: BigWillyStyleIn the 28 days ending Feb 28, 2017:
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Tuesday Feb 28, 2017 #
Note
Knee = :( I think my fall on Sunday was due to my knee unsuccessfully trying to absorb the Top-Gun-level G-forces at the bottom of the steep sandy slope between 12 and 13 and not liking it much.
Good news = I got a physical today for the first time in at least five years and doc says I'm probably not going to drop dead anytime soon.
Good news = I got a physical today for the first time in at least five years and doc says I'm probably not going to drop dead anytime soon.
Sunday Feb 26, 2017 #
10 AM
Orienteering race 1:24:28 [4] *** 12.57 km (6:43 / km) +303m 6:00 / km
22c
7:41/km
Willvision
Highlights:
Found Graembo @ 41:00; chatted off and on for a bit
Nice fall @ 43:45
Well now, I've done a fair bit of orienteering in my day but this was a unique experience. Conditions were pretty miserable - colder and wetter than Saturday, with a heavy overcast, a light snow falling all day, and thick fog along the clifftops which cut visibility down considerably.
Despite a bobble on 2 I was smashing until about halfway to 9, whereupon I gradually and inexplicably veered wayyyy off my bearing to the south. I think I was having too much fun running fast down the gradual grade and stopped orienteering :/ AP thinks I only lost 91s but that's cuz almost everyone lost time; it was definitely at least four minutes. Had small time losses at 10 and 13, did some bonus climbing at 15 for ~90s loss, and about 30s hesitation on 18. Total time lost probably ~8:00.
It was nice to drop down out of the fog to 11, only to discover that I'm now RUNNING IN SAND. Like, deep sand, on-a-beach sand. The only escape from the sand was to slog through 15 and climb all the way back up, then I felt like 17 onward was some of the more difficult orienteering I've done, given the uneven footing, snow/mud slowing everything down, intricacy of the rock detail, cold, and dense fog. There were definitely times when I was groping along with little to no map contact, just trying to survive till the end. Super fun!
Willvision
Highlights:
Found Graembo @ 41:00; chatted off and on for a bit
Nice fall @ 43:45
Well now, I've done a fair bit of orienteering in my day but this was a unique experience. Conditions were pretty miserable - colder and wetter than Saturday, with a heavy overcast, a light snow falling all day, and thick fog along the clifftops which cut visibility down considerably.
Despite a bobble on 2 I was smashing until about halfway to 9, whereupon I gradually and inexplicably veered wayyyy off my bearing to the south. I think I was having too much fun running fast down the gradual grade and stopped orienteering :/ AP thinks I only lost 91s but that's cuz almost everyone lost time; it was definitely at least four minutes. Had small time losses at 10 and 13, did some bonus climbing at 15 for ~90s loss, and about 30s hesitation on 18. Total time lost probably ~8:00.
It was nice to drop down out of the fog to 11, only to discover that I'm now RUNNING IN SAND. Like, deep sand, on-a-beach sand. The only escape from the sand was to slog through 15 and climb all the way back up, then I felt like 17 onward was some of the more difficult orienteering I've done, given the uneven footing, snow/mud slowing everything down, intricacy of the rock detail, cold, and dense fog. There were definitely times when I was groping along with little to no map contact, just trying to survive till the end. Super fun!
Running warm up/down 6:06 [2] 0.52 mi (11:44 / mi)
Saturday Feb 25, 2017 #
1 PM
Orienteering race 35:35 [4] *** 6.03 km (5:54 / km) +45m 5:41 / km
19c
6:51/km
Winsplits, RG
Ultimate-O #1 - Middle @ Frenchman Coulee. Graembo and I had remarkably similar speed and were within a few seconds on most splits. He got me by 1:38 overall due to me losing ~1:00 on 9 (hit the wrong rock outcropping) and ~30s on 19 (flag was a bit hidden from my angle). Also hooked 13 for ~15s loss.
Super fun course! Pretty unique conditions, with footing varying from a non-uniform scattering of crusty snow on the ground ranging from none to a few inches, to places where the snow had melted, leaving quicksand-like mud which sucked the energy from every step, to various manifestations of rock. Microroutes important!
Winsplits, RG
Ultimate-O #1 - Middle @ Frenchman Coulee. Graembo and I had remarkably similar speed and were within a few seconds on most splits. He got me by 1:38 overall due to me losing ~1:00 on 9 (hit the wrong rock outcropping) and ~30s on 19 (flag was a bit hidden from my angle). Also hooked 13 for ~15s loss.
Super fun course! Pretty unique conditions, with footing varying from a non-uniform scattering of crusty snow on the ground ranging from none to a few inches, to places where the snow had melted, leaving quicksand-like mud which sucked the energy from every step, to various manifestations of rock. Microroutes important!
Running warm up/down 5:12 [2] 0.53 mi (9:49 / mi)
Friday Feb 24, 2017 #
5 PM
Running 24:37 [2] 3.26 mi (7:33 / mi)
Sunday Feb 19, 2017 #
Note
Our relay went well today! Himalayan Blackberries had a late team member switch, which changed the game up and allowed them to pull out an exciting victory over Team NDN by eight (!) seconds, with SGLRG Krakens coming in third.
More importantly, people seemed to enjoy the event. I even got some pretty effusive praise from a Finnish couple who moved into the area last year, which was surprising as my understanding is that Finns are generally quite reserved. My theory is that Woodland Park is the first place in Seattle they've orienteered which remotely reminds them of orienteering in their homeland.
More importantly, people seemed to enjoy the event. I even got some pretty effusive praise from a Finnish couple who moved into the area last year, which was surprising as my understanding is that Finns are generally quite reserved. My theory is that Woodland Park is the first place in Seattle they've orienteered which remotely reminds them of orienteering in their homeland.
Saturday Feb 18, 2017 #
11 AM
Orienteering race 47:46 [4] *** 7.96 km (6:00 / km) +27m 5:54 / km
24c
7:35/km
Winter Series Champs @ LTF. Really enjoyed Nikolay's course - fun and challenging with a sweet mix of short compassy legs and longer route-choicey ones. I know LTF pretty well since I course-set there for the Navy's NOCI event last year, but there were only one or two times where I already knew where I was going and how best to get there. In fact, I enjoyed the course so much that I will do a rare leg-by-leg breakdown!
S-1: Observed which way people were heading out of the start, so headed that way. Popped through the white woods to the main trail, then turned left along the bottom of the open hillside.
1-2: Elected not to mess with the straight route, so took the trail due north to the large junction near 3, then took a bearing all the way into the control.
2-3: Basically did this whole leg on a rough bearing, but nearly ran right by before recognizing the small hilltop just to my left.
3-4: Nice leg. I chose to go left (past 12), but the trail route right was probably faster. I got held up a bit by some blackberries on my way out to the trail, which now that I look at it must be the small patch of dark green under the line.
4-5: Another nice, tricky leg. I took the right trail out of 4 but couldn't find a good AP so jumped into the woods on a distance guesstimation from the trail junction to the SW. Sure enough, missed it the first time in and had to circle back around. Lost maybe 45s but not as bad as it could've been. Had to be quite close to see the control inside the depression - lots of people lost a little or a lot of time here.
5-6: Was planning to take the trails around, but took a wrong left turn at the first junction and sighted the clearcut ahead, so backtracked a bit and made a rash decision to go cross-country into 6, figuring I'd probably hit either 6 or 7. Lucked out and hit 6 right on. Bad process, good result.
6-7: Short leg; could almost see 7 from 6. According to splits I apparently didn't find the best microroute.
7-8: Took the right trail, jumping off at the large bend and hitting the edge of the clearcut into the control.
8-9: Oof, major time loss. Passed Nina early in the leg, came through the short trail offshoot from the power lines, headed on a bearing straight at it. Sighted a knoll-looking thing which I was sure was it, but no flag. Flailed around for a bit, then eventually bailed to the trail to the E. Saw Nina and also Rebecca coming out of somewhere as if having punched, so investigated that area and found it well N of where I expected. ~4min lost.
9-10: Did a super inefficient giant zigzag on this leg because I was a bit discombobulated from 9, and also because 10 looked like a dangerous spot so I was overcautious. First bailed out to the trail, then swung back way left crossing the powerlines and cut to the end of the trail near 10, before swinging back right to the control. Passed Nina again but she actually made up some time on the last part of the leg and punched just behind me.
10-11: Nailed a gentle right hook around the wooded areas. This was one spot where previous knowledge helped me, as I set a control very close to this one last year.
11-12: Straightforward running leg along the powerline trails.
12-13: Contemplated cutting straight, but ended up wimping out and taking the trails around. Probably a good choice.
13-14: Back up the spur and skirted the edge of the clearcut just right of the line.
14-15: Back to the clearcut, on a bearing through the woods, across the powerlines, and in from the trail junction.
15-16-17: Short legs on rough bearings in the clearcut, mostly ignoring the slash piles in favor of the compass.
17-18: Actually lost 10-15s here, as I was distracted reading ahead to 19 and slightly overran it.
18-19: Another nice route choice leg. Took the trail past 4 cut across from the junction on the line, but ended up more north than I expected and went up and around through the cleacut strip W of 12. A better route would have been to cut due W from the junction near 4 and go right past 12.
19-20: Down across the powerlines. Caught up to Jon Olson at 20 and sighted James Roach just ahead of him.
20-21: Due E to the junction, trails from there. Punched 21 just behind James.
21-22: Took the right trail route to the junction @ 24. Interestingly, James took the left trail route and arrived a few seconds ahead of me, but then hesitated while I forged ahead.
22-23-24-F: Nice slightly tricky short leg at the end.
Figured my troubles with 9 would have taken me out of the running, but ended up getting Eric and Peteris by 2-3min, while the J had a throwaway race. Had good speed today (60% of top splits) and actually was just behind E and P at 10 but gradually passed and gapped them on strength of speed (Bonesaw appears not to have been on top form today). A famous victory!
This was only the fourth time I've ever beaten J, E, and P in the same race; it was also my 30th consecutive top-three Winter Series finish (meaning J, E, and P have never all beaten me in the same race), spanning the past four complete seasons. In that time I have 10 firsts, 12 seconds, and 8 thirds.
Winter Series Champs @ LTF. Really enjoyed Nikolay's course - fun and challenging with a sweet mix of short compassy legs and longer route-choicey ones. I know LTF pretty well since I course-set there for the Navy's NOCI event last year, but there were only one or two times where I already knew where I was going and how best to get there. In fact, I enjoyed the course so much that I will do a rare leg-by-leg breakdown!
S-1: Observed which way people were heading out of the start, so headed that way. Popped through the white woods to the main trail, then turned left along the bottom of the open hillside.
1-2: Elected not to mess with the straight route, so took the trail due north to the large junction near 3, then took a bearing all the way into the control.
2-3: Basically did this whole leg on a rough bearing, but nearly ran right by before recognizing the small hilltop just to my left.
3-4: Nice leg. I chose to go left (past 12), but the trail route right was probably faster. I got held up a bit by some blackberries on my way out to the trail, which now that I look at it must be the small patch of dark green under the line.
4-5: Another nice, tricky leg. I took the right trail out of 4 but couldn't find a good AP so jumped into the woods on a distance guesstimation from the trail junction to the SW. Sure enough, missed it the first time in and had to circle back around. Lost maybe 45s but not as bad as it could've been. Had to be quite close to see the control inside the depression - lots of people lost a little or a lot of time here.
5-6: Was planning to take the trails around, but took a wrong left turn at the first junction and sighted the clearcut ahead, so backtracked a bit and made a rash decision to go cross-country into 6, figuring I'd probably hit either 6 or 7. Lucked out and hit 6 right on. Bad process, good result.
6-7: Short leg; could almost see 7 from 6. According to splits I apparently didn't find the best microroute.
7-8: Took the right trail, jumping off at the large bend and hitting the edge of the clearcut into the control.
8-9: Oof, major time loss. Passed Nina early in the leg, came through the short trail offshoot from the power lines, headed on a bearing straight at it. Sighted a knoll-looking thing which I was sure was it, but no flag. Flailed around for a bit, then eventually bailed to the trail to the E. Saw Nina and also Rebecca coming out of somewhere as if having punched, so investigated that area and found it well N of where I expected. ~4min lost.
9-10: Did a super inefficient giant zigzag on this leg because I was a bit discombobulated from 9, and also because 10 looked like a dangerous spot so I was overcautious. First bailed out to the trail, then swung back way left crossing the powerlines and cut to the end of the trail near 10, before swinging back right to the control. Passed Nina again but she actually made up some time on the last part of the leg and punched just behind me.
10-11: Nailed a gentle right hook around the wooded areas. This was one spot where previous knowledge helped me, as I set a control very close to this one last year.
11-12: Straightforward running leg along the powerline trails.
12-13: Contemplated cutting straight, but ended up wimping out and taking the trails around. Probably a good choice.
13-14: Back up the spur and skirted the edge of the clearcut just right of the line.
14-15: Back to the clearcut, on a bearing through the woods, across the powerlines, and in from the trail junction.
15-16-17: Short legs on rough bearings in the clearcut, mostly ignoring the slash piles in favor of the compass.
17-18: Actually lost 10-15s here, as I was distracted reading ahead to 19 and slightly overran it.
18-19: Another nice route choice leg. Took the trail past 4 cut across from the junction on the line, but ended up more north than I expected and went up and around through the cleacut strip W of 12. A better route would have been to cut due W from the junction near 4 and go right past 12.
19-20: Down across the powerlines. Caught up to Jon Olson at 20 and sighted James Roach just ahead of him.
20-21: Due E to the junction, trails from there. Punched 21 just behind James.
21-22: Took the right trail route to the junction @ 24. Interestingly, James took the left trail route and arrived a few seconds ahead of me, but then hesitated while I forged ahead.
22-23-24-F: Nice slightly tricky short leg at the end.
Figured my troubles with 9 would have taken me out of the running, but ended up getting Eric and Peteris by 2-3min, while the J had a throwaway race. Had good speed today (60% of top splits) and actually was just behind E and P at 10 but gradually passed and gapped them on strength of speed (Bonesaw appears not to have been on top form today). A famous victory!
This was only the fourth time I've ever beaten J, E, and P in the same race; it was also my 30th consecutive top-three Winter Series finish (meaning J, E, and P have never all beaten me in the same race), spanning the past four complete seasons. In that time I have 10 firsts, 12 seconds, and 8 thirds.
Friday Feb 17, 2017 #
6 PM
Running 25:22 [2] 3.17 mi (8:00 / mi) +61m 7:33 / mi
Easy yog around the zoo. While I was yogging I was contemplating the impending occasion of the inaugural Cascade WIOL/Winter Series Relay, slated for Sunday at Woodland Park. Side note - this event was put together at a late stage and somewhat haphazardly, so we have presented it as a exhibition/bonus WIOL event, and will use it to do things like test the ability of our software and organizational wherewithal to stage a three-person relay and gauge whether interest in a relay even exists among WIOL kids, with an eye toward next season.
Anyway, as I was saying before being rudely interrupted by myself, during my yog I was contemplating the competitive prospects of the various relay teams (rosters are found here) and which might win the day. One is confronted with a veritable menagerie of age, gender, experience, speed, nationality, and relationship combinations, from which no team emerges as the obvious favorite. We have all-junior teams, all-female teams, family teams, husband/wife/third-wheel teams, old-guy teams, and everything in between. How to make sense of such entropy? With carefully measured, well-thought-out wildly unfounded speculation, of course.
Some teams which may emerge as contenders:
Three Fast Women (103): One of the most intriguing prospects, this team is all-female, all-junior, and something of a WIOL All-Star team - it includes this season's winner and runner-up from Varsity Girls, and runner-up from JV Girls. Siri's speed should get them off to a strong start, but can Annika and Caroline hang in?
Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia (105): Unless Peteris chokes (don't choke, Peteris) this team should emerge from Leg 1 with a clear lead. However, their Leg 2 and 3 runners are total unknowns. Therefore, I totally do not know whether Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia will finish first or last. Also, "Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia" is the best you can do? Really? At the Relay Champs next month, Eric, Tori, and myself plan to call ourselves Team America America America.
SGLRG Krakens (110): A solid all-around team with no glaring weaknesses - interesting that they've chosen to place their strongest runner in the mass start. Strategery. And lockboxes. This team name sounds like a second-division football club from the Eredivisie owned by an Emirati sheikh who has fallen out of favor with the king and had to auction off his only all-chrome Rolls-Royce :'(
Team NDN (111): Lots to like here - experience, skill, pedigree - but sprinting is the dominant milieu of none of these three, and this venue and format may devalue their strengths. If they come to Leg 3 at or near the lead, however, Nikolay will be tough to beat bringing it home.
Himalayan Blackberries (115): ^...except if this team changes over with him. The Bonesaw will blast onto Leg 3 like a starving wolf after the scent of blood, having already watched X teams start before him - his inner rage and serenity building in perfectly balanced symbiotic duality until they are unleashed upon the silly hapless controls...but will he be too far behind??
Prediction: I expect the winners to come from among these five, but in this post I have endeavored to use as many qualifiers and question marks as possible so as to make myself sound erudite and forethoughtful no matter what happens. Nonetheless, I will say that BulCanLat and Blackberries have top-end vroom but lack the requisite depth, so let's toss them out. We can then break down the other three teams into individual matchups. If we stipulate to the following rough equivalences:
Patrick ~ Siri ~ Nikolay
Gina ~ Caroline ~ Dave
Then we're left with Tim v. Annika v. Nina, from which, based on past results, we must give the nod to Nina. Ergo:
1. Team NDN
2. SGLRG Krakens
3. Three Fast Women
There you have it.
Anyway, as I was saying before being rudely interrupted by myself, during my yog I was contemplating the competitive prospects of the various relay teams (rosters are found here) and which might win the day. One is confronted with a veritable menagerie of age, gender, experience, speed, nationality, and relationship combinations, from which no team emerges as the obvious favorite. We have all-junior teams, all-female teams, family teams, husband/wife/third-wheel teams, old-guy teams, and everything in between. How to make sense of such entropy? With carefully measured, well-thought-out wildly unfounded speculation, of course.
Some teams which may emerge as contenders:
Three Fast Women (103): One of the most intriguing prospects, this team is all-female, all-junior, and something of a WIOL All-Star team - it includes this season's winner and runner-up from Varsity Girls, and runner-up from JV Girls. Siri's speed should get them off to a strong start, but can Annika and Caroline hang in?
Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia (105): Unless Peteris chokes (don't choke, Peteris) this team should emerge from Leg 1 with a clear lead. However, their Leg 2 and 3 runners are total unknowns. Therefore, I totally do not know whether Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia will finish first or last. Also, "Team Bulgaria Canada Latvia" is the best you can do? Really? At the Relay Champs next month, Eric, Tori, and myself plan to call ourselves Team America America America.
SGLRG Krakens (110): A solid all-around team with no glaring weaknesses - interesting that they've chosen to place their strongest runner in the mass start. Strategery. And lockboxes. This team name sounds like a second-division football club from the Eredivisie owned by an Emirati sheikh who has fallen out of favor with the king and had to auction off his only all-chrome Rolls-Royce :'(
Team NDN (111): Lots to like here - experience, skill, pedigree - but sprinting is the dominant milieu of none of these three, and this venue and format may devalue their strengths. If they come to Leg 3 at or near the lead, however, Nikolay will be tough to beat bringing it home.
Himalayan Blackberries (115): ^...except if this team changes over with him. The Bonesaw will blast onto Leg 3 like a starving wolf after the scent of blood, having already watched X teams start before him - his inner rage and serenity building in perfectly balanced symbiotic duality until they are unleashed upon the silly hapless controls...but will he be too far behind??
Prediction: I expect the winners to come from among these five, but in this post I have endeavored to use as many qualifiers and question marks as possible so as to make myself sound erudite and forethoughtful no matter what happens. Nonetheless, I will say that BulCanLat and Blackberries have top-end vroom but lack the requisite depth, so let's toss them out. We can then break down the other three teams into individual matchups. If we stipulate to the following rough equivalences:
Patrick ~ Siri ~ Nikolay
Gina ~ Caroline ~ Dave
Then we're left with Tim v. Annika v. Nina, from which, based on past results, we must give the nod to Nina. Ergo:
1. Team NDN
2. SGLRG Krakens
3. Three Fast Women
There you have it.
Sunday Feb 12, 2017 #
10 AM
Orienteering race 15:10 [4] ** 3.09 km (4:54 / km) +70m 4:25 / km
20c
Ugh
11 AM
Orienteering race 14:08 [4] ** 3.0 km (4:43 / km) +78m 4:10 / km
24c
Meh
Saturday Feb 11, 2017 #
9 AM
Orienteering race 16:12 [4] ** 3.33 km (4:52 / km) +36m 4:37 / km
23c
Meh
12 PM
Orienteering race 12:53 [4] ** 3.1 km (4:09 / km) +15m 4:03 / km
25c
Ugh
4 PM
Orienteering race 10:13 [4] 2.4 km (4:15 / km) +32m 3:59 / km
Friday Feb 10, 2017 #
4 PM
Orienteering race 15:10 [4] ** 3.49 km (4:21 / km) +38m 4:07 / km
19c
Meh
Monday Feb 6, 2017 #
4 PM
Running 48:52 [3] 6.54 mi (7:28 / mi) +101m 7:08 / mi
Ouch, this run took more effort than it should. I was lumbering where I usually am cruising and wheezing where I usually am lumbering. But nothing is in pain! (so far)
I was hoping there would still be lots of snow around Green Lake but turns out it was mostly mud.
I was hoping there would still be lots of snow around Green Lake but turns out it was mostly mud.
Sunday Feb 5, 2017 #
1 PM
Strength 22:00 [3]
Saturday Feb 4, 2017 #
11 AM
Orienteering race 37:12 [4] ** 7.05 km (5:16 / km) +167m 4:43 / km
14c
Ouch, crushed by the Bonesaw today. I made a couple suboptimal route choices and one dumb 90s mistake but mainly was just slow - only two top splits and those by mere seconds.
I shall diplomatically call this an extreme runner's course which did not interest or challenge me as an orienteer. Never mind, that's not actually very diplomatic. Our club needs more experienced course setters (by which I mean we need a greater quantity of experienced course setters). The issue is that all the experienced course setters are also the most important volunteers, and also want to run a course once in a while. I guess this issue is not limited to our club.
I shall diplomatically call this an extreme runner's course which did not interest or challenge me as an orienteer. Never mind, that's not actually very diplomatic. Our club needs more experienced course setters (by which I mean we need a greater quantity of experienced course setters). The issue is that all the experienced course setters are also the most important volunteers, and also want to run a course once in a while. I guess this issue is not limited to our club.
Running warm up/down 10:35 [2] 1.31 mi (8:05 / mi)