Training Log Archive: Sandy

Again, really wish I had splits to compare routes. Didn't get my brain in gear for a bit so was very bad to #1 finally sorting out that I just needed to go down the hill to the bottom. Hit pretty far left but figured that out reasonably fast. Hit every control cleanly after that except #7 but don't think my routes were that good. Took the road left to #5 but think the trail to the right is better; took the the trail right to #8 but think the road left is better; climbed early out of #10 so had to contend with too many ups and downs. TNT definitely paying off; able to run more of the course than last fall at Fair Hill.

Green Y Long - Splits

Event: US Short and Long Championships
 

I forgot my watch at home this weekend so didn't take splits. I really wish I hadn't done that since I would like to know what kind of time I lost in a couple of places. I was on a beeline to #3 but got worried and had to check out a hilltop off to my right - no flag so knew where it had to be so I think only 30 seconds but can't be sure. Coming out of #6 I hit the trail north of the control although I was expecting to hit the powerline so turned right and then had to stop and sort out what I had done. Again, just a small error but whether it was 20 seconds or 30 or even a minute I can't be sure. Too far right on #8 for 10 seconds, too far left on #9 for another 10 and then too far right on #10 for more(maybe 30 or more since I slowed down a bit before deciding I was far enough and needed to adjust). And lastly, couldn't figure out what was going on with the last control in terms of whether I needed to climb down, but got lucky and ran the ridge while I sorted it out and finally realized I just needed to run on the contour to the trail. So no major problems, but enough that I wasn't concentrating on pushing the pace. Tried to warm up - really I did - but legs felt awkward until after the climb to #5.

C • Ask me next time 1

Green Y Short - Splits

TNT - Media
Nice run with Dasha in Tyler. Was planning to really take it easy so let the others head off up the hill towards Ridley while we stayed close to the creek. But I felt pretty good so we tackled the red trail (probably longest big hill in Tyler) back on the other side.

Walked the 4 miles home from the bus.

TNT Andorra
5 miles on the drive + jog down and back; definitely feeling Sunday. Couldn't stay with Anne and Dasha but had a couple half miles at 9 minute pace.

Yeeeeeehaaa!!!
4:28, 4:29, 4:18, 4:15, 3:58, 4:25

Thanks to all the TNTers (especially Dasha) for pushing me week after week. Another one of those times when I got out the door not knowing what I wanted to do; got down to the drive and said what the heck, let's see what I've got. It was hard work and it hurt but I kept going.

C • WOW! 6

Jog down to the drive. Walking afterwards and back home. One calf is a little sore and wants to knot up so I've been doing lots of stretching.

Run in the sand along the Jersey Shore. Huge wind coming in off the ocean; great surf. Tough going.

TNT - Media
Ran with Dasha. Was better on the hills and felt much better in general this week than last. I've been good about stretching which has helped and now have to get back into a routine with some weight work. Will be much easier soon with only one week of classes left. I love my job!

TNT - 5 miles on Forbidden Drive with Dasha. A good size crowd tonight; enough that we split up and did different things. Dasha and I opted for the usual; a bunch of others did a trail loop.

Jog down, a minute or two of stretching while waiting for everyone to regroup and the jog back up.

Was very good and did some more stretching when we got home. It makes a huge difference in the soreness in my hips and that's almost gone now. A few more days of regular stretching and I expect it to be fine; amazing how much difference that makes.

C • stretching... 2

Putting out water and controls for tomorrow's local event. 3 1/2 hours at the park.

TNT - approximate time, keep forgetting to start my watch. Tyler trails with Anne and Dasha. Felt pretty beat the whole time. Tried to stretch afterwards and everything was super tight. Hopefully all related to just being tired from not enough sleep.

TNT - usual suspects. Did a trail loop with lots of hills tacking on 2 miles on the drive at the end.

Walked a bit waiting for everyone to regroup and then walked the hill home. Knees and hips are very sore - not sure what this is all about.

FCE Red course. Great day to be out. Worked epunch for a while then went out - don't think I ran more than 20 minutes total on the course - it was either uphill or there were too many rocks - but it was a good course so enjoyable. And despite not running, I'm sore enough today (Monday) that I know I got a good workout. One small error - a minute max - near the end but then another 2 minutes or so when a person started yelling and I thought they were yelling for help and so I turned around and back went up the hill. Turns out it was one of a group of 3 on the blue course and they were yelling at each other ("can you see it? not over here - is it over there?"). Very annoying. They came in after 4 and a half hours, last ones out of the woods, and didn't once apologize. Even though we had told them there was a 3 hour course limit and tried to talk them out of blue.

C • Great run! 4

3 hours (logged 1) streamering control sites for next weekend's local DVOA event. A pleasant day in the intermittent rain in beautiful woods.

TNT2 - Jim, J-man, Dasha, Anne. (We need some cool nicknames!) Most excellent run with Dasha and Anne through Tyler. We even had a map - sortof. Very nice to not need headlamps anymore!

TNT - 5 miles on the drive with Bob and Jim. 47:09 on the drive (a tad short of 5 full miles), plus the down, up, and a bit of stretching
.

Rest day - catching up at school. Actually my knees hurt more today after teaching than they did all weekend.

Interesting race. Started slowly, not really into it and did some climbs into and out of 1-4. For 5 I went around quite a bit but still had to go down then up. For 6, I had had enough and went way, way around to the right skirting all the reentrants. It seemed like it took forever at the time and I'll be curious to look at splits once they're posted (I left the event site really early to try and catch an earlier flight). The good thing about going around was that the attack into 6 was easy and I then knew that the light green was easy going so didn't try anything fancy on the rest of the course. Got sucked into taking the trail to the road from 9-10; should have stayed in the woods. Saw Peggy at 10 but she took off and I couldn't stay with her - legs were just dead. Drifted left on the way to 11 and didn't correct even though I had some clues. Sorted it out eventually and then nailed 12 where I saw Peggy again. Stumbled through the rest of the course just trying to keep moving.

All in all, a very fun weekend. A little too much celebrating for optimal racing but well worth it.

I'll just lump together all the warm-ups I did over the weekend.

Sprint course at the Flying Pig. OK run - one small bobble and a not so great route to #1 (went into the woods too early and had to do some ups and downs) and #7 (stayed left, probably should have gone right). Had a good rythmn going on 2-7 but then pulled up at 8 momentarily confused and couldn't get back into it to finish. Could have pushed harder but saving myself for the relay.

Second leg on the DVOA 8 pt. relay. Not sure of my exact time but it was about 28 minutes. This "yellow" course was a 2.9 red course. I pushed myself as hard as I could. Only "errors" were route choice decisions. Nothing I did was unreasonable, but maybe could have saved seconds here and there adding up to something significant. It was physically demanding enough though that just forcing myself to run was taking a lot of mental energy. But it was good enough as our team won the division. Very impressive run by Evalin Brautigam on the same course. Probably will get trounced by her in the very near future!

C • Congrats! 4

Sprint O/Br/Green - Splits