Training Log Archive: AliC

Burnt Mtn. Training

Woke up and time for o-training! A course set by Carl Childs, 5.8k, but took us awhile... some confusion on a control or two, perhaps occasionally the odd thing about the map to blame, but I wasn't too pleased with how I coped in those cases... But it is really, really awesome terrain to play in and not at all thick despite being summer!

Ian and I alternated leading the first 6 legs, verbalizing our plans and then attempting to execute. I botched 2, Ian reports I just went off of my bearing, too far left after skirting a big boulder. 4, I navigated well too, although things felt a bit funny on the way in, not sure how I ended up so far so south, totally thought I was on my way to spiking the control! 6 went ok, but didn't feel 100% confident when leaving the trail to attack.

Then the rest of the course. Some fine, one epically disasterous one, for both Ian and I, we were wandering in the same area for a good long while, I twice came to the same place, really thought I should see a giant cliff with a hill, but didn't see it. Turns out, just needed to keep on and power through another few steps and huge hill would come into sight. Bah!

All in all, good to be out there, thinking orienteering-style and making way through woods, but would have liked to feel a bit faster and audacious out there...

C • Burnt Mtn 3

After a brief respite and some caffeine consumption at Bagel Basement, we headed out to Oak Hill for an o-tervals session that Carl had set and Krum had come down and streamered - so awesome that he did so, it made it a far better session!

O-terval #1 - Good
O-terval #2 - Good
O-terval #3 - Oh my, lots of up-down! Initially went by #8, and then a bit hesitant to #10, some thickness on the top of that spur.
O-terval #4 - Choose a better way than Ian to #12, more trail use... =) Then good on-in, although didn't initially see the streamers at #12 or #13, they were hiding right in front of me! Had to battle to Ian to the finish, but turns out he mispunched #15...

Really good to do these, happy about moving faster through the woods!

C • New map 3

Streamer pick-up! Hot out...

1993/2000

Tripyramid Hike

Stayed overnight in Great Bear cabin, on the side of Mt. Moosilauke, then skedaddled over to the Waterville Valley area and parked in the Downes Brook parking area to start our hike. Part of my goal for the day was to test out how my feet dealt with the boots I'm planning to hike Mont Blanc in, so I put on a light pair of socks, a heavy pair of socks and the huge boots that are really made for alpine climbing- crampon-compatabile and *no* flexibility. Blob. Meant I stomped up the mountain....

Did the boring bit first, along the road to Sabbaday Brook Trail. Then up along Sabadday Brook, with a brief look down at the cool little zone of waterfalls. A fault goes through it which channels the water into a distinct 90 degree turn, kinda cool! The trail didn't get steep until right at the end, but then I was having a rough time of it in the boots, not because of any blistering issues, which is good, but because they put pressure on the top of my left toe, which I guess has been minorly injured for the past 2 weeks. Last week I had to not wear my icebugs because they did the same thing. I'm not really sure what's wrong, but it doesn't hurt in my 212s at least...

We reached the ridge and headed for the North Summit first, where we took some friendly hiking group's photo at the not-very-impressive tree covered summit. Ah well, not all mountains can have breathtaking tops. We lunched there and then onto the Middle Tripyramid, which actually had two very cool views, one to the West towards Mt. Osceola and Waterville Valley and the other to the East, featuring Mt. Passaconaway, which is an awesome word to say.

I changed into my 212s at the North Summit, which meant the whole ridge-hike + descent was way, way more fun. You just can't be nimble on the rocks in big clunky boots! We took the Sleeper trail towards Whiteface, but as it was already 4.30, forwent its ascent, heading straight down the 5mi Downes Brook trail. Lots of rock-scotching across rivers on both the way down and up! A good hike.

Yeah HR data! Back on track. Not that HR during strength is that interesting, and I bump it up to L1 anyways, since it's not 0 effort, that's for stretching, if I logged that.... anyways, some morning core, still no SJJs b/c bruised elbows, but they are getting better!

Too busy to join George and Lyn for o-times at Earl's, unfortunately, went and did a quick track workout with Alejandro instead. Plan was 3 x (3 x 300, 200 off), 400 off, but was adjusted when it turned out that the track doesn't have even 100s, the curves are longer than the straights, so to have a 300, we needed to start at the 300 mark.

Anyways, first one was long, the rest correct, and did 500m recovery between sets. My right quad is a bit sore from the combined past 3 days of running, but not bad once warmed up. The idea of this workout was to make my legs feel some speediness beyond the average 5k pace, did them aiming for 57s, which is more mile pace.

Now heading north for some hiking + o-training, hope some of the degrees drop off during the drive...

Nice noonie run around a different version of extended Puffers- apparently some field or other has been fenced off for cows. Along with the 'normal' crowd of Sanjay, Sergio and Alejandro.

And my drills while the others stretched.

Arrived and soon met up with George and Lyn. Registered, put down my estimated time as 19.30, women's record at 19.26. Based on what I'd heard, the course was about a minute slower than Noho, but I would have felt a bit presumptuous putting down a faster estimated time than the current record...

Some others that were new to the race peered over Peter's marked-up o-map for a bit, but it didn't seem to make too much sense to them... ah well. I went out with it and a guy followed me. It was kinda strange, he was blatantly following me, I think to figure out where the course went, but it was super-awkward when I tried to start up a conversation...

C • Alison' USA gear 1

C • Focussed on WOC 2

~Forest Park 5k~

A good one! I won overall and broke a 30 year-old record by 37s! A bit contested at the beginning, when a fast-looking guy shot off the line and settled into a faster-than-I-could-go pace. But, turns out it was faster than he could go too... he hesitated at the stream crossing in the swamp and then he just barely passed a turn to the left after the swamp bit, but corrected after I shouted 'left'. Then we ran the next 1/3 of a mile together, before I took off down a hill.

It's a very fun course. First, there's a section that is real cross-country, through a swampy valley, and then some steep ups + downs throughout the race, never too prolonged. Also bits of road running here and there, making for a quite varied course. I just kept the cruise up around the course, and then steamed up the final hill, to I think a few people's surprise. =) Even one of the guys in charge asked if I thought I'd done the full course. Um, yep!

C • Congratulations! 9

And cool down, cheering on Lyn and George when they came by!

Oops, failed at joining the noonrun, because I didn't have any running shoes in my office, too bad. So scampered out after work for a quick Emily Dickinson loop, legs felt good, cruised around, think I will do Forest Park tomorrow!

But new HR monitor strap that just arrived didn't seem to communicate with Garmin, boo. Will give it another shot, but either it needs a new battery or it's defective, that would be disappointing...

Then Gang of 5 -1 (no Alex) dinner before Gail and PG head off to Germany for WMOC, good times, yummy food!

C • And a fine dinner it was, e... 2

C • Garmin heart rate strap 3

More-or-less rest day here, since weekend was quite a lot again and I just want to get better from this mild cold, hopefully get to go race Forest Park on Wed!

Two good things:
1) Paper referee report received, just needs minor revisions, psyched!
2) Senior and ski-o team uniforms received, now to organize and figure out how to get to people... if you haven't sent me your check yet, pretty please do!!!

Abs + back, left elbow is bruised from Esplanade sprint fall, and the other still kinda hurts from bike fall, so no SJJs...

Hammies! Just 10s because I haven't done them in awhile.