Training Log Archive: AliC

Event: SMOC - 2013 Spring Yankee Springs
 

Setting out my 5 o-terval streamers! Whoa there, Lynn woods + its map are pretty awesome, major wake-up call!

Corridor training by Brendan. Good stuff, I was using features + compass and stayed pretty much within corridor, although I was not going quickly... well, a bit quicker at beginning where it was opener, but through the thicker zones, hard to stay in full contact and move. I think it'd be great training to do more of these, but also think more about trying to push the pace, not just being lazy and happy I'm in contact!

First o-terval. So, well, the o-tervals kinda ate me alive today and I didn't cope that well with that. Thinking about it afterwards, part was orienteering difficulty - it is just hard terrain and I could use much more practice on stuff like this - but a bunch of it was just really physical running that I didn't seem to do all that well with. And once I was upset about how I was doing, it was really hard to push that emotion away. Thanks to Ian, Brendan and Alex for putting up with upset-Ali.

1 - Looked like I could just fly away, keeping marsh on my left, swinging around until whatever the two big black linear blobs turned out to be and go between them. After crossing the trail, came quickly to a rocky little thing, for a sec, thought it might be yellow hilltop, but realized it was too close to trail, so had to be light-grey nose. So hopped from there to yellow hill to boulder.
2 - Ian and Brendan were taking away going the right direction to the next control (yeah, both had caught me by 30s and 60s, respectively, to 1), so tried to keep up with them for a bit. But I wasn't following the map well, didn't have a plan, so dropped off so I could navigate. Couldn't make awesome sense out of anything, so stayed on my bearing. Came out to the trail, realized I was about where I wanted to be, so headed in using the greys.
3 - I didn't see the route to the right on the big trail, I guess that was a good one. I used the little trail on the left, doing the same thing I had putting out the flag. Maybe could have strung together the cleared areas better at the end.

Second o-terval.

4 - Well, had also done this setting, I guess I left 3 going south for unknown reasons, but ended up just where I wanted in the reentrant, anyways, coming out insight of the low cliff to lead me in.
5 - In setting I'd gone pretty straight, which actually worked well, but I thought I'd try to the left this time. Mostly worked, until the end, when I don't remember exactly what happened now, but a marsh was where I didn't expect it, so had to readjust.
6 - Was mostly trying to go on a bearing after skirting the first marsh/green, but ended up much more right of the line (other marsh) and then still being right of the line (cliffs) after trying to readjust. Just very pushed by the thick off compass?
7 - Used the little trail to take me close, then used openings and headed to the grey nose to look below it for the boulder.

Scamper across the green marsh with the crew.

Third o-terval.

9 - Trail beginning, then cut by the smile cliff to next trail and headed in. Following the lots of rocks and a bearing and was just getting anxious about seeing my cliff, when a streamer popped out. Not necessarily confident.
10 - On a bearing across 3 trails, came out exactly where I wanted confronted with cliffs on the last one. Followed the opening around, just missed streamer by a bit and almost ended back out on trail.
11 - Pretty straight did it, although I was scared I didn't have the right big boulder on the way in.
12 - On a bearing again, which checked out straight-on by boulder sight at the first trail. Then let the reentrant shape after the second trail crossing guide me in.

Fourth o-terval.

13 - Bearing, noticing features at trail crossings, then aiming to see hill admist the green on my right, worked.
14 - Bailed to the farther trail and back up. Probably not the fastest option for most, but I wasn't running well through the woods today.
15 - Up over hill shoulder, then on right side of reentrant.
16 - Used trail at the beginning then in and along rocky edge, popping above it at some point.

Whoops, waited by my lonesome in the wrong place for the others for awhile...

Fifth o-terval.

18 - The guys said this was a delightful leg, so I was going on line through green, but then saw the trail route to the left. Eh, going for it. Think it was faster, for me, today, even if I missed out on the awesomeness of rocky-land. (That probs would have been better training though...)
19 - Up up up, saw some of Alex, nosey clearing made itself pretty clear as we slogged up.
20 - Ok, race down. R side of cliff, tople to trail, over rocky hill top, then slower, rocks, rocks everywhere, after a bit of hesitation, kept heading W to marsh edge right to the right boulder. Could have used more to guide me in perfectly, a bit lucky.
21 - N through some thick, to the trail, descending, pass one giant boulder then see one kinda on it's own, the right one. And that's that!

Guess I'm happy I at least kept myself together enough to do all of the o-tervals. They were certainly great training!

Quick stop up the firetower to see the view, then over to finish the line-o.

Line-o - I think I messed up a bit at the beginning of this, but was kind of where I expected when I relocated, so not totally sure. Maybe I did some contour-reversing instead? Then the end was fun, just sailling, contouring across and open slope. Weee! Also helped that it had turned into a nice day by then =)

Joggeroo to fetch a streamer and my hat.