Training Log Archive: maprunner

My goal today was to run a "middle" course at competition pace in preparation for West Point. So I ran the day 2 orange X1 course. It was 70 and overcast, so the conditions were not quite the same as the real race :)

What went right? My physical effort. I felt good, I was able to run through the open woods (wheeeee!) and even pushed up some small hills.

What went wrong? Everything else. I screwed up the first control, and almost every control after that. I misspunched 12 (which I didn't realize right away, but figured out when the route to 13 didn't make sense) and 14 (which I didn't figure out until I downloaded my track ). I debated whether or not to post my map, since it's so embarrassing. But I did. And we can post it on the "wall of shame" next to Valerie's infamous Colorado ramble :)

My concentration was gone. I couldn't read the map. Basic things made no sense. This ride is not mapped. This trail is mapped wrong. This cliff is too small. And so on. I blame most of it on my thinking about running instead of navigating.

But I also blame it on my FH (F *#@ ing hormones). I think it is totally unfair that women have to essentially go through puberty twice, while men only do it once.

As my FH decrease, my main symptom has been bouts of blinding RAGE, which are very unwelcome, and a pain to deal with at work. But for the last few weeks, I've started to exprience bouts of spaciness and lack of concentration. Like holding my keys in my hand and asking Where are my keys? And today I stood in front of a fence and trail juction for 30 seconds before I could find it on the map (along my planned route). Argh!

My route.

Day 2 - Orange X 1 - Splits

Mike and I went to Perry for some O training. I wanted to be in the woods as much as possible. I ran the course that Mike and Ulrik did a few weeks ago, which made good use of this small area. I ran on the trails to a start triangle, then did 2 or 3 controls, then ran on the trails to the next start triangle. My brain was not working well today and I made several mistakes. I'm disappointed with the first one especially, since my brain noticed that something was wrong with the trail I was on, but I didn't stop to figure it out. Didn't realize the full mistake until I left the next start triangle, and nothing matched up. At least I stopped that time.
route

After I finished the course, I still had 37 minutes of training ( I wanted to be out for 2 hours today). So I decided to just finish with a trail run, and I started to do that. But I was tired, and I felt it would be boring to only run trails, and I wanted more woods training. So, I re-visited a few of the controls, in different order. Until my brain really started to give out (briefly confusing up from down), when I did stop orienteering and ran it back in.

Mike and I went to Rockcrusher. Have to get in as much woods training as we can in the next two weeks. I did a line O course, becaue I wanted to work on my concentration, and practice looking ahead. I walked slowly, mostly because the woods were crappy. It's hard to stay exactly on the line, when there are lots of downed trees. Seemed like every reeentrant I went up was covered with logs.

My concentration was pretty good today. I also noticed that I'm getting more info from each glance at the map. Good.

C • Flying pig wasn't... 3

Mike and I jogged around the new west campus map for a little while. Thanks Ulrik, for doing the update!