Training Log Archive: AliC

Astrophysics frisbee! We had so many people today that we split it up into two separate games! A historic moment... fun times. My team lost the first game, 5-7, but it was really tight. We won the second 5-3: both teams were getting real tired at the end.

Run up around Headington and back.

One of my South Parks hill reps. Felt ok, but only did one. Wanted to get back! Took 4:54, actually, which is good!

Up through South Parks, around golf course, a bit confused in the neighborhoods, ended up in Magdalen woods, which of course I came out of the wrong way again- most confusing woods ever! - then up to Shotover and back. Also got confused coming back out of shotover, but less so than last time. Gosh!

Felt like I had lead legs. Guess they must be tired from the track workout despite the day off- quads and hamstrings especially tight.

15 minutes running, 5 min drills

3 x (800m, 100m roll-on, 300m), 2 min rest

Felt slow. Ran 800s in 2:48, 2:55, 2:52, 300s in 59, 59, 56. Maybe it's just getting used to the track. (Ran in 2nd lane as to not wear the track- adds a bitty bit.)

Recovery between intervals (jogging) and warm-doen (running to Tescos to get ingredients for making chicken fajitas!)

Didn't have too much time today, but snuck in a short run!

2 x 5 min Kenyan hills (run up and down a 50m stretch of hill continuously
1 of my all the way up the left side of South Parks hill, down to the bench and back up (only way to make a long enough interval out of it!)

Felt pretty strong, bored of training alone!

Before circuits. Around Headington Hill park, across on the Marston cycle path, then around Uni Parks.

Back at OUOC circuits! So good to train with people again!!! Good circuits, one exercise that Rune had us do was pretty impossible for me... Some muscles were sore from yesterday.

Run back home after circuits. Starting to feel a bit chilly in the air.

Wahoo! Got to go orienteering again after a hiatus of almost a month now!!

Opted to do the blue course, probably should have just done the brown and gotten more practice in. Things went relatively well for most of the course actually. I kept my head about me, and was careful when I really needed to be. Had an issue on the way to #6, a branch hit my eye, and did something to my contact. I tried to keep running and to keep my bearing, assuming the contact would readjust somehow- I squiged it that way and this way, but it still hurt and I couldn't see out of that eye. So I put my map down, compas and emit card off and took the contact out of my eye- it was ripped in two!!!!!! So I did the rest of the course with one contact in, one out, which wasn't that bad, but a bit distracting since my vision was wierd.

#1- Ran straight by this one! I thought it had to be on that thicket, but it said north side of, and I didn't see it, so I thought maybe that wasn't big enough to be a thicket and continued on, catching myself on a bigger thicket a bit later and having to go back.
#6- Lost the most time on this one- but it was a really tricky control, and it was the one I ripped my contact on, so I was happy that I found it in the time I did, since the contact incident distracted me.
#?- Don't remember the number, but there was a nasty control in some indistinct vegetation that I very nearly messed up by trying to go straight into some dark green.
#13- This one was a long way down way up leg and I was pulled off my bearing substancially by the feeling that I should be heading straight up the hill.

Good to be out there!

Warm down at finish, really actually to keep warm more than anything else! Did some strides, a few steeplechase practice hurdles, lots of skip-kicking (best name I can think of for this thing I do that apparently no one else does). Probably should have pushed it harder out there, shouldn't have had this much energy!

Astrophysics ultimate! A good game today, but a little physical. I got taken out by Teera while jumping- he just barreled into my ribcage. Someone else landed on my hip at some point in the game- big bruise there.

Ran to the West, and went down one of the reservas where they've cut all the trees to prevent runaway forest fires. There are still clouds out! I am now going to refer to this week as my altitude training camp and not my observing run!

14 x 15s hill sprints, for leg strength

I didn't feel very explosive, but I guess that's why these are good for me to do for training!

Went down to the gym below the kitchen and did my push-ups, and a few other arm exercises. I'm far less motivated to do arm strength stuff than when I was skiing- it's hard to see how they help very much! (Then again, it's a little pathetic that my triceps get sore from holding the map up in orienteering...)

So I'm here, TRYING to observe a few galaxies. After two nights of failed attempts (thunderstorms night 1, dust night 2), I woke up around 12 (went to bed at 6) to some of the thickest fog I've ever seen. So I went out running in it, which was kinda fun because I didn't know the road and never knew whether I had a big up hill or downhill or whatever in front of me!!!

Used the gym below the kitchen again- they had a nice cushiony mat so I didn't have to use my sweatshirt!

A run in the dust blowing from the Sahara Desert. Went West on the road.

3 x 3 minutes up a steep hill. Hurt! Definitely not in Holland anymore...

C • Spain 2

Ouchie!! Body hurts much from yesterday! I could barely run to start with, but loosened up a bit as I got going. Did a loop around the other telescopes, then down the mountain to the east before coming back up.

It's a windy one today, but few clouds. Hopefully observing will go well tonight!!

Most of my core stuff, but I just couldn't motivate to do my push-ups. Push-ups are icky.

Warm up. Ran down the mountain to the West. Stayed up until 3 last night, woke up at 11, body not quite cool with the hours yet...

Jumps, skips, hops and such. Included a few 15s uphill sprints for strength too. Noticed the altitude a bit!

And back up the mountain at the end. Wowzer, it's much steeper here than in the Netherlands!! Aerobically wasn't too hard, but much lactic acid in the legs!

Finally got in one of my core strength sessions again! Did it at 11:30 pm, so just barely counts as Saturday...

I'm becoming nocturnal becuase I'm using a telescope all night starting Monday night. Will not do wonders for training, I don't think....

Warm up and down for intervals around the golf course.

3 min, 5 min, 3 min, 5 min

Not super-hard intervals, just level 4 really.

Haven't been getting enough sleep, between so much to do, jet lag and such...

C • the traveller 5

Out from work, to Port Meadow, twice around the nature reserve (I saw the same guy on my second lap as on the first and he was in shock that I was going around it twice!), then into the city centre to pick up necessities like soap, nail clippers, and pens.

They completely reorganized Boots to make way for a 'new and improved beauty section'. This means the pharmacy is now upstairs, so if you're sick and need medicine, you have to climb a flight of stairs. If, on the other hand, you need at £10 thing of mascara, *that's* easily accessible... What?

Mellow little jog (considering having only 6 hours sleep in the last 40 hours or something ridiculous!). I live only 1 min 45 sec from South Parks. This is exciting. So I jogged around South Parks, then to Tesco to get some basics for the new house!!

A delightful morning run in Hanover. Ran along the Connecticut River, then Mink Brook, up past Shantytown, to Velvet Rocks. Checked out the new velvet rocks shelter and met a thru-hiker there that was headed north. The roof at the shelter is translucent, makes for early-rising apparently!

Stopped at the Coop to get chocolate chips, bagels and cream cheese, then ran back to the Rock.

C • hmm 3

Hike up Mt. Moosilauke, gorgeous until the top when we had 35 mph wind and fog. Went up Gorge Brook trail, down Ridge, didn't count the way down and the way up was probably longer...