Training Log Archive: BigWillyStyle

In the spirit of "know thine enemy," I have recently been attempting to understand the ideology of them such as Steve Bannon (the white nationalist who by most accounts is the real decision maker in this regime). I've learned that he views the world through the framework of a dumbed-down global struggle - good vs. evil, white vs. black - that pits Judeo-Christianity against the forces of barbarism, which include but are not limited to secularism, scientific rationality, socialism, multiculturalism, "godless" capitalism, corporatism/state-sponsored capitalism, and, of course, Islam (or rather, his grossly ignorant version of Islam where ISIL = Islam). All good in the world has come from the accomplishments of those Western societies which have blended traditional Christian morality with a sort of good old down-home liberty-loving entrepreneurial capitalism. Racism is not, of necessity, a component - though in practice it pretty much goes hand in hand with such grandiose ethno-cultural superiority. It seems apparent that Bannon's purpose is to employ the economic, technological, and military power of the United States Government to wage the new Crusades. Onward, Christian Soldiers indeed.

C • Hmm 3

It's pretty cool to be named to the Elite team, though it feels somewhat cognitively dissonant being that I've been struggling with injury since September and haven't been able to train properly; since then my focus has been inward rather than outward, on recovering rather than getting faster and better. I definitely don't feel elite right now, but hopefully most of my knee issues are behind me now and that will change soon.

I became a much better orienteer in 2016, but there's plenty of room for improvement. In particular, I'm still just not that technically strong. There are times when I show myself flashes of potential (such as the first half of the NAOC middle) but I remain too erratic to consistently summon the combination of focus, accuracy, and speed that results in good middle distance results. No doubt this is partially a result of living in the PNW, where (Bend excluded) we have an almost total lack of technical forest terrain. The Bonesaw is a freak; I haven't the foggiest idea how he became so technically strong while living here.

C • Congrats! 4

C • Observation 3

My coworker told me a haiku he made up today:

This is a haiku
Haikus often don't make sense
But they're still haikus.

Only the best and brightest here at WIT.

Hey look, running! What a novel concept. I partook of the famous Q-bitz intervals with Gina and Patrick tonight at the Woodland Park track; we did 2x(6x~400) but instead of a normal rest period between each loop, the idea is that you solve a puzzle as quick as you can before taking off again. My first rep was 14:46, second was 14:08. I'm not very fast with the puzzles but definitely improved from the first to the second. Also it felt good to run fast(ish) on a track for the first time in some months. Didn't take splits but I seemed to generally be doing 75-80s. Slow, but not horrible given current lack of fitness.

Event: CascadeOC Winter Series & School League #6
 

Winter Series 6 @ Fort Ebey. One of those off days where you can tell early on that for whatever reason you don't have much in the legs. I wasn't overly impressed with the course; there were a couple doglegs, not a ton of route choice, and a lot of trail running. Ebey is a good venue, but unforgiving to course setters - the terrain is limited such that it must be used in a certain way to harness its potential and yield a great course.

Finished 1:36 behind J (but only because he made a big error on the first control) and, irksomely, 27s behind Peteris. I lost about 1:15 on 3 because I made a poor decision to cut downhill through some thick salal instead of taking the trail; also seem to have lost about 45s on 5, presumably due to the trail apparently being slower than the road, and another 45s-60s on 12, again presumably due to the trail being slower than the road. I enjoyed the 13-14 leg up the gently sloping field with the view of the water - that was a really nice touch.

Obituary of longtime Cascade/OUSA member Ken Lew. Note the last paragraph:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obit...

Rayne

Other than living in Chicago for a hot minute and a long-ago family drive-through, I haven't spent any time in the upper Midwest - so I'm contemplating wandering around Wisconsin and Minnesota during the week before team trials. Obviously there would be orienteering/training. WHO'S WITH ME? Shoot me an email or message.

"Over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice."

--Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham City Jail, 1963

Tempo ride, if that's a thing, around MI. Lovely day out - chilly but not uncomfortably so. When I was leaving, I happened upon a flaming car in the middle of the road I had been cycling on about 15 minutes prior. And they say nothing interesting happens on Mercer Island!

Cold AF

If we lived in a world where things like "time" and "money" didn't exist, I'd roll out to the GNC this weekend and while I was there I'd hit the Seahawks game in ATL.

Once more for old time's sake :'(

Event: CascadeOC Winter Series & School League #5
 

Winter Series 5 @ Fort Steilacoom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBE3JVXQIN4

This is one instance where the splits match my own race narrative perfectly. Hit the first forest part well (won splits 1-4), was super sloppy in the campus (well behind top splits on 5-7), hit the second forest part well (won splits 8-10, tied 11), then began to tire coming across the fields for the second time (Eric won splits 12-16-F). Overall, got Eric by 20s for the win, despite following a dead end trail down the hill from 13 and losing about a minute.

There are two venues where for whatever reason I perform better than others: one is Shoreview, the other is Fort Steilacoom. Over the last four Winter Series seasons we've had six events at these, and in those six events I have four 1st's (of my nine career WS 1st's) - including two of the only three times I've ever beaten Eric, Jourdan, and Peteris in the same WS race - and two 2nd's. In those six events I'm 11-2 H2H against E, J, & P, while I'm 20-19 against them at all other WS events in the past four seasons.

It is so cold. My rule of thumb is that any two of Cold, Dark, and Wet are acceptable, but all three = inhospitable for cycling. I may have to ponder whether an extreme of just one factor can compensate for the lack of another (or even two?) and make conditions comparably inhospitable.

C • SPRINT CAMP! 7

A lot warmer in the PM; I could even feel all my fingers, toes, and eyebrows the whole time.

Golden Gardens > Locks > Magnolia > Downtown > SLU > Eastlake > Fremont

My knee is responding well to the Bog Slog. It was a little sore yesterday (actually both knees were) but I think the source was random bumps and bruises rather than internal. It may be time to cautiously add some running.

Here are the 2017 non-local national-type events currently in my "Definitely attending" or "Very likely attending" categories. So if you don't want to kick it with me, don't let me see you at these events:

Interscholastics (TX March)
Relay Champs (CA March)
Team Trials (MN April)
SML Champs (ID June)
Deschutes Daze (OR Sept)

Not a very robust list, need to add some more. Would also like to go to the Classic Champs (which appear to be in VA in November?) because historically I suck on one of the two days and I need to get it right one of these years if only for my own sanity.

C • Portugal O-Meeting sounds l... 4