Training Log Archive: mikeminium

Event: MVOC / TROL #10 Woodland Trails
 

"Purple" course at Woodland Trails Scout Camp, set by Tom Svobodny. A chilly -6C with a light breeze. Snow began falling late in the race and quickly accumulated close to 10cm. The minimum possible distance was at least a kilometer longer than indicated on the map, unless one was capable of crossing the dangerously thin ice on Four Eagles Lake. Definitely a route choice suitable only for birds or perhaps a very lightweight squirrel (as one orienteer found to his dismay - fortunately he lived to tell the tale and after changing into dry clothes, actually helped out with control retrieval).

Snow shoveling

MVOC_Woodland_Trails_Feb_2014_Purple - Splits

Event: OCIN TROL # 9 Middle Creek Park
 

A hilly and frigid course at Middle Creek set by Ben and Stephanie. Running on frozen horse trails was like running on rip-rap. Ugh. Took a couple hard falls, on unforgiving frozen ground. Took some extra time rock hoping across creeks to avoid wet feet. Found the misplaced control 8, seemed like it was really early, but oh well. In retrospect that explains why I was cresting the ridge so early going to 9, and why on passing 8 again while going from 10-11, I ended up hitting the next ridge line trail a good 50-100 m north of where I expected and wondering how I got so far off line. A couple people never found 8; Stephanie lost some extra time moving it just in time to help out Bill Donnelly.

Approaching 14, bent over to read my map, raised my head fast and WHAM on a very solid leaning tree. Staggered to 14, wondering about possible concussion, let it distract me going to 15 and overshot 15, losing a couple minutes and getting passed (I thought it was Mintore, but in retrospect it must have been Ben King.). Slow but clean from there on in, definitely elected to take the slow but dry rock hopping crossing as opposed to a much faster splash through the half frozen creek to the final control.

Not my finest performance ever, but oh well, tomorrow is another day and another race!

Control pickup at Middle Creek. I picked up my 9 controls and came back to find Jordan bummed that he had missed a control he was supposed to pick up... one he had successfully found while doing his course. Bill Donnelly had gone out to get it. Shortly thereafter, Bill returned, also without the control.

Well, in that case it must have been moved or stolen. But by whom? On this frigid day, we hadn't seen any hikers, just a lost beagle and a couple horse people walking a young horse around the parking area.

A posse (me, Jordan, and Bill) quickly set out for the control taking different routes and determined to discover if it had been tossed in the woods, hidden under a log, or just misplaced all along. Well, all three of us converged on the site where it was supposed to be and amazingly enough,

THERE

IT

WAS!

right where it was supposed to be all along!

Well, I guess Bill and Jordan can blame it on tired exhaustion and frozen brains. At least the mystery was solved and the control safely recovered.

OCIN_Middle_Creek_Feb_2016_6 Red - Splits

Miami Whitewater. Added a lot of new horse trail. Air temp not as cold as yesterday, but strong breeze made it pretty chilly. A little light snow toward evening.

Zealous park ranger locked a gate just as I was getting back to the car, so I had to go out the long way; added an extra few minutes and miles.

Light snow removal

Miami Wfitewater

C • Brrrrr 2

Snow removal

Snow shoveling.

Setting a few tapes for UCMS O practice.

Warm up with the kids to start of today's courses at Mounds. Very light turnout, not unexpected due to known groundings and appointments. 7 from the middle school, 2 from the high school.