Training Log Archive: possum

Orienteering on the Spring Break-Up Olympic course at Ft. Leavenworth. I had a really good time. One major mistake, one minor mistake, and one bad route choice. I also had a bathroom emergency going from 7 to 6, and ran by Fire Station #1, which had a sign for emergency services. So I told the fireman, who was standing outside smoking, that I had need of an emergency rest room, and they graciously let me use it.

This was a much longer course than I would usually do, but all the navigation was really in the long course. So onward. Going from 20 to 19, I got somewhat confused by all the trails--some not on the map--and took the wrong trail. Did I mention this was a bare-bones map? I knew better, I should have checked compass direction, but didn't. I finally clued in that I was on the wrong trail, and turned around and went back to the correct one. At my slow rate of speed, this was about a 15 minute mistake.

Going through the woods from 19 to 21, I got on the wrong creek, but this time I checked early on, and quickly got back on track.

Good navigation from 21 to 17, but a killer hill. I did have to stop and catch my breath a few times.

Just a slow, steady slog to 12. I saw the big white area south of there, set my compass, and headed to 4. Bad route choice. I could see the control from a long ways off, but I had too very hairy stream crossings in between with lots of various types of brush and briars. I had to go a ways south to cross the first stream, and fight off briars to cross the second. Then go back a bit north to pick the control. After that, three easy controls and home.

Lesson learned: Check compass direction when choosing a trail.

C • Whole course 2

I started on Round 9, which had us pick a slip of paper from the box and do it for 2-1/2 minutes, then pick another paper and do that for a minute through the 30-second break. I started off doing the Ali shuffle, and had to time out a couple of times to get my heart rate under control. Then I finished off with a minute of plank twists. It did get better from there.

Riverfront Trail. A lot of sniffing going on.

I know my heart rate got higher than 120. A new training tool--we used sliders at the last round, and it was hard.

Jesse James Park. We parked in the disc golf area and walked the back loop.

Weekly workout with my trainer. Some new types of agility drills and balance. A couple of exercises used heavy enough weights that I went to exhaustion by my third set.

It really felt like I was working somewhat harder than this. Must be time to recharge.

Cold, really windy, blowing snow. Not a fun day to walk the dog. We went to Mack Porter and did the woodsy loop, which is about half in the woods. The weather wasn't supposed to get any better today. We saw a flock of robins, perhaps migrating? I don't know how I used to walk my dog without my buffs. I pull it up over the bottom half of my face, and pull my hat down over the top half. Only the eyes show.

This week's CHOW was punch the bag, do a Burpee. Each time, add a punch. I got up to 21 punches, which is also 21 Burpees.

Not a good route choice to go to 1. I didn't have trouble finding it, but I really did it the hard way. I tried to do it on trails, but should have gone through some rough open and woods. I think I would have taken 7-8 minutes off my time. I was pretty much ok with my other route choices and navigation. Lots of hills to climb. I was lilttle tired climbing the last hill near the end, and slowed some, otherwise, pretty good endurance and kept up the pace ok. Now I have to figure out how to put this in routegadget.