Slough Creek update: In the morning I made a few changes - mostly adding ditches based on the lidar and tweaking some of the rocky ground based on notes I took the last time I ran at Slough Creek.
Mary and I ran at Slough Creek today and I took a few minutes to check out some of the stuff I'd drawn this morning. It looked good. I'm getting a better feel for when the lidar data is showing me something that should be drawn as a ditch versus an intermittent stream.
During the run I took a couple of notes. I've got a few new black X features to add (a junked car, and abandoned hiking trail bridge, and a roll of barbed wire). I also noted a large open area that needs to have vertical green slow run added.
I think we could use the map now - as is - and it would be fine.
12 PM
orienteering45:00 [3] *** 22c
I drew a control picking course for Mary and Slough Creek and then decided I'd run it too. I got sidetracked a couple of times when I saw something and thought, "hmmm, better check that out, might need to add that to the map."
Other than thinking about map changes, I was concentrating well and felt like I was orienteering well.
Fun and mostly through quite pleasant forest. Slough Creek is nicer than it was when we used it in the 1980s.
3
running30:00 [2]
I jogged around a bit until Mary finished and then I jogged over to the boat ramp parking lot on the east end of the map. Mary drove over there and met me there. It took me about 10 minutes longer than I'd expected because I couldn't help but check out a couple of areas I was interested in. I also got stuck in some crappy vegetation.
I checked out control locations and hung tapes for the New Year's Day orienteering at Rockhaven. I had to move one control location and will need to make a couple of little map changes. One nice change is that an area that was an open area that was getting overgrown with thorny stuff has now been cleared.
The trails are rocky and covered with leaves. That wasn't so nice for running. We should get a little snow and that'll make it a little better.
Mary asked me to prepare a new 10K course at Clinton State Park. I think she's tired of the old one. I drew up a course that was fairly easy, but had a few route choice options.
The map is KP + trails and a few other features added.
I shuffled around the course. For the most part I felt good. I've got no strength to climb, but otherwise I felt ok running. I got tired around 80 minutes.
My navigation was so-so. I didn't really lose time, but I wasn't sharp or concentrated.
I stopped once to get a thorn out of my shoe. I took one pretty hard fall on a trail.
I had no plan to exercise, but on the drive home it looked so nice out. I saw a couple of people out jogging and decided the least I could do was get out the door for a short jog. I did a very short jog. It felt good. And I was home in time to cook dinner (salmon and brown rice) before the KU game started.
Speaking of basketball...I listened to some of the Wyoming game on the way home from work. They were down by something like 11 (maybe even 14) and then quickly got back in the game. While I ran, Mary watched the game. It seemed like the Wyoming win must have been pretty exciting because when I got home Mary gave me a detailed description of the last minute or two of the game.
orienteering2:17:26 15.82 km (8:41 / km) ahr:158 max:199 24c
Possum Trot 19. Chilly at the start but not too terrible.
Got in a racing mood by listening to a live podcast on the drive to Jacomo - Blair and Tom's Sailing Talk. It was interesting. Also spent some pre-race time arching the bison and elk.
I'm not strong enough to push the effort for this long a race. I still get tired at the end, but I don't feel so sore.
I ran ok. Not super sharp, but no big time losses. AP shows me with 3:48 of errors. 1:31 on the second control. I think that's mostly just running a bit slow and getting a little caught in traffic. 1:25 on 20 might be a route choice or just going slowly? I ate a Gu on that leg. That might be some of the time loss. Also 52 seconds on 7. That's probably about an even split between a little wandering off line, a fall, and a second fall. The second fall was when I was opening a Gu and tripped. I got Gu on my hands. I sucked some more Gu out of the packet and, since I'd fallen, I got a mix of sticky sweet Gu and embered leaves and dirt. Yuck. I spit that out.
Mary shot video of the start and we reviewed it. I was the first to get moving (and moved in the right direction). I give myself credit for holding the lead for a half second or so.
The terrain was kind of rough. But not especially rocky or hilly. Especially on the last third of the course, the running seemed easier (more open areas and trails).
I'm satisfied with my performance, but maybe I'll be in better shape next year for Possum Trot XX.