Training Log Archive: maprunner

For only the third time in my life, I got a massage today. I thought my legs would need it after two weekends in Harriman/West Point. Turns out the tighest muscles were in my shoulders. Weird.

Also, I think I caught Cristina's cold....

C • Bummer 1

Day two at West Point. I did not want to spend any time just wandering around. My goal was to read ahead, and orienteer as well as I could.

I messed up on the second control. First, I went up a parallel reentrant, which I quickly figured out. Started to contour over to the correct area, and was distracted by other runners. Stupidly followed them, and found a control. Wrong code. Where was I?

This time at least, I stopped and relocated. Started again, confirmed a few other features, and slowly made my way back to the same "wrong" control. Started to think they had put out the wrong marker, which caused me to say "The problem is you, not the control". Took a long look at my map, and noticed that I was looking at the circle for #3, but expecting the code for #2. Damn! I was at #3!!!!! Quickly ran the ~100 meters back to 2, then back to 3 again. At least I had a quick split to #3 :(

After that, I settled down. For the first time on this trip, I was orienteering, knowing what to expect, reading ahead, letting go of the map when appropriate, reading details when necessary. I was motivated by all the men running past me; I tried to keep them in sight for as long as possible. I pushed myself, since there was no reason not to try as hard as possible. Still couldn't run over the rocks or up the hills, but I moved quickly without stopping.

So, overall, I was satisfied with this run.

I was 1.57X the winner.

Green-2 - Splits

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

Day One at West Point. Plan was to go slow, read the map, minimize the mistakes, try to be <1.5X green course winner.
Slow: yes
read the map: usually
minimize mistakes: one huge one
winner's time: unknown

I started out OK, reminding myself to take it one control at a time. Fine until #3, a 4m boulder. First boulder I looked at was not it. Instead of stopping to figure it out, I wandered around to every large boulder in the area, completely ignoring all other signs (such as contours and a big lake). I estimated that I wandered for 5 minutes. When I looked at splits, I wandered for nine minutes. Nine minutes!!! Ugh!!! Must get this wandering under control....

When I finally located #3, I was punching at the same time as Acampbell (although I did not know it was her at the time). We were together the rest of the course. It was very interesting; we were often walking side by side, or two feet apart. But we both evidently navigating on our own. We would occassionally split up, but never for long. I thought she had dusted me on the trail run from 6 to 7. But as I approached, I could see that she had left the trail early, and was pushing through the woods. I stayed on the trail longer, and caught up to her. She finally ditched me on the trail run into the last control. It was very motivating to be with someone the whole course; kept me sharp, and forced me to move a bit faster. Thanks Alison!

C • Mary it was great running with... 1

My time versus the winner: 1.63

Green-1 - Splits

A little O training on the Surebridge map. It was raining and foggy, very cool to be out on the map. Good practice remembering how to read the rock features and how to relocate. Also, I have to remember to trust myself--I do know how to orinteer here, when I concentrate and read the map.

Followed by the requisite visit to Campmor before returning to Mom and Dad's. The week went fast.

C • West Point 1

short jog around MIke's brother's house in Clinton Corners NY. This nephew is not so tiring to chase around, since he's only 10 months.old. But still lots of fun :)

C • Tough duty... 1

on the beach near my brother's house on Long Island (see Mike's blog for the map). Also, various times of running around after my niece (almost three) and nephew (almost five). Lots of fun :)

Day two at Surebridge was a much better day for me. I was determined to read ahead, and plan my routes, instead of reacting to the map. Took it very slowly--I think I jogged twice. But I had a clean race. So I was very happy.

Yesterday, before the race, I stated that I wanted to be twice Kristin's time, and I was. However, it was a trrible day for me, with about 30 minutes of mistakes. Mike correctly pointed out that if I met my goal on a terrible day, then the goal was pretty soft. So my goal today was 1.5X Kristin's time. I didn't quite make it, but I was close. I think this is a good goal for next weekend, too (although I'll have to shoot for 1.5X the green course winner's time; don't think Kristin will be there).

C • Looks like we had 2

Green - Day 2 - Splits

Event: HVO A-Meet
 

Surebridge, day one. A very long day. The course was physical (of course) and I'm out of practice reading complex maps. A few small mistakes on early controls, because I was reacting to the map instead of reading ahead. Hit the wall after 90 minutes, so I started doing really dumb things (like wander around for 15 minutes looking for number 11). Not a good day, although the course, map, woods and company were all excellent.

Green - Day 1 - Splits

Moving around at SMP. Lots of people out today, and deer. Good news: the bathrooms are open for the season!

Possum Trot score O at Knob Noster. I treated this as a training run instead of a race, because I was afraid I would bonk if I went out too hard. Turns out, if I had pushed just a little bit, I could have swept all the controls. Oh well.

The footing was messy because of all the rain this week, and the snow had turned to slush in the woods. I forgot my neoprene socks, which would have been perfect today. Trails were now streams; streams were now raging (okay, heavy) torrents. Where were my neoprene socks???? Very cold water throughout the course. And lots of steep muddy hillsides--my particular favorite :( So I walked a lot.

Navigation was OK, except for one control, about half way, where I just turned off my brain. Physically, I was fine. The walking helped, and I still had plenty of juice left to jog on the trails at the end of the course.

Nice to see some old friends at the meet, and to spend time with Eric B at lunch.

up and down the big hill at Wyandotte

Just a short, wet and windy outing at SMP tonight.

up and down the hills at Wyandotte. My quads were protesting at the beginning, but I pushed on. Got to get ready for the West Point hills.

Was supposed to lift last night, but I got caught up in my book. Finally finished The Blind Side tonight.

Ran on the trails at Clinton. Took the park map, as well as some Harriman maps, to test my latest contacts for readability on the run. The contacts worked fine, but I didn't do much map reading; the trails are too rocky for me to take my eyes off my feet for long; I suppose that will get better with practice?

Stubbed my toe pretty badly at the turn around point. It felt OK most of the way back, except when I stepped funny or crashed into a rock again.

I hit the wall around 80 minutes; very tired the rest of the run, but I had to get my time in for the week.

around the fields at SMP.

Finished The Law of Dreams, a lovely book.

Test loop at Weston Bend. Beautiful day, nice view of the river, lots of fun as I flew down the big hill (wwhheeee!).

Just a few more minutes at Weston Bend.