Training Log Archive: AliC

Event: 2012 Salomon Raid the Hammer
 

Raid the Hammer - Mount Nemo, Brant Hills, Tyndaga-Sassafras

Yeah Team Giggles! That was great fun. This year's edition was little sections of middle-distance type controls interspersed with trail runs, and a haul of a road section at the end. We worked pretty darn well as a team I think, Alex and I always chatting about the route, piping up when something didn't look/feel right. I'm not sure we rivaled the Sam-Hilly communication, but somewhere close, it was remarked after the race that we lived up to our name. =)

Race-wise, we were around several teams, but then kinda lost a pack of 3 teams messing up control #5 on the second map. We ran the long trail section onto the next map interspersed with the DontGetLost team with Sergei L., but they snuck ahead in the scramble (score-o) at the beginning of the last map. But we saw them, as well as Nick Duca's team leaving the aid station as we went in. We were super-speedy there and took back off.

The next set of controls all went smoothly, although very hard to run on the "Rocky Horror" section! The thorns weren't so bad in the advertised-as-thorny section though, or maybe we found a good way through. Heading into the last trail and then urban-o section, we were behind both the Sergei L. and Nick D. teams and not immediately catching that much ground. We did the gear check at the second-to-last control at the waterfall and then sped off, with Amy latching onto my pack for a boost and Alex leading away. Slowly, and steadily, we gained. We had a spell of good luck, just making the cross-symbol at a busy intersection and shortly after passed the Sergei L. team who friendly encouraged us, then we were chasing after Nick's team. Hard, hard work. My HR shot up for this final section and we punched the last control just in front of their team. I told Alex to lead us in the absolute best route or something like that, because we weren't going much faster and needed to take every advantage. It all worked (despite their last different route-choice of going through the field) as we finished 46 seconds up.

Super fun times, hope I can come back for another sometime! Team Giggles next year?

C • Great job!!!! 2

"Cool down" - chatting while moving *really* slowly! Legs didn't want to do much more at all!

C • Contests to the girls' gigg... 2

Day off, acquired OH license plates, now have to study up and make sure I know the Ohio rules of the road.... To Peach Mtn., MI and then Hamilton, ON tomorrow, passport is already right by the door! =)

Brrrr.... coldest time of day, 24 degrees and frosty! Sort of that ice-fog that condenses on you while you're out.

Normal running drills

6 x 3 min intervals, trying to go 5k ish pace, hoping that that's a bit under 6 min/mi. I did 3 on the bike trail, 3 on Wildwood trails.

Specific strength, sneaking in before "dark". Wore the reflective vest for good measure, I think some of the reflective bits were sticking out under the map holder... I hope!

Looked at Tahoe maps, the second half of Blue at Tahoe XC 2011, and then World Cup Long, my loop 2 and loop 3. Had to relive my mistake of going over the huge mountain, instead of around... whoops!

C • nice 3

Properly dark, ankle plyos!

Two rounds of hammies, distracted by the third by eggplant-cooking.

And just a jog around the neighborhood, trying out my shiny (literally!) new safety vest. Woo! Legs feel not springy, but not painfully sore either. It's been a tough few weekends on them and they aren't about to get a break with Raid the Hammer this weekend... maybe they'll just get used to it, I hope!

This morning I spent 3 hours knocking on doors trying to make sure Obama-leaning voters were indeed getting out and voting. Mostly, folks weren't home. But I gave encouragement at a few houses and was able to directly tell a few where their polling stations were. Only one guy was grumpy and had had enough of anyone coming to his door and telling him anything about the election. The best of course were the folks who answered the door and said things like, "Of course, sweetie, I just came back from voting for the President!" The neighborhood I was in was solidly pro-Obama, we saw exactly zero Romney signs. Different from my neighborhood (swankier zone...) where I would say only 1/4 of the lawn signs are Obama.

So far Ohio is still undeclared... staying tuned!

C • Much appreciated! 8

Standard running drills, legs definitely a bit flat

Pushups, 22 real ones, 5 fake ones x 3

Distance rxc, mostly double pole. On the early side, well, because the whole day was and hey, the sun was going to set! Quads are still quite sore and complain particularly when I go any down stairs.

Anyways, out for bike path + Wildwood x 2 loop, looking at ski-o maps from Sweden: Lygna Nord, Idre Fjäll, and Ånn. Even tried doing some awkward skate while map reading, probably a good idea to start training that up too!

14 min core + 12s for hammies