Training Log Archive: Sandy

Brown Course - F60+
Think I was fourth on the day but I left before results were final - I was cold and my knee was getting really stiff.

My race was fine - nothing special but no major problems. I would have done a few legs differently in retrospect but I always knew where I was and where I was going. Had trouble on one control - navigated right to a depression with a pink streamer in it but no flag. Relocated off a dot knoll with a control (so I know it was the nearby dot knoll that was mapped) and came right back to the depression with the streamer. Was about to just keep going when I decided to check in one other direction before bailing and stumbled on the control. I probably walked within 10m of it on the first pass but didn't see it. It might be in the correct spot - I'd have to go back and look carefully - or maybe the depression with the streamer was the right spot. I heard a rumor that the course setter or vetter or course consultant or someone like that had visited the location after some complaints and determined the control was "protestable". A shame really since the rest of the course was quite nice. I'll have to wait for splits to be posted to be sure but I think I lost about 4 minutes there.

I did some running - not much but probably a lot more than I should have. My knee locked up pretty tight after I finished. It's better now after some stretching and a shower and ibuprofen but it's a good thing there was a shuttle bus to get me back to the Lodge since I don't think I could have made the mile or so walk.

Long - 5 Brown -69 - Splits

Event: Flying Pig XIX - U.S. Individual Champs - Sprint-Middle-Long
 

Sprint course - F60+
A surprisingly fun but very long (too long) sprint course on a college campus. There were several legs where you had to look ahead or you would get caught. I did that reasonably well for the most part. On 6-7 I went right when I definitely should have gone left but didn't see that until after I was moving but that was probably only 10 seconds or so. On 7-8 I correctly read all the uncrossable walls and took a good route only to lose focus and not keep track of where I was and stood perplexed for 30 seconds or so until I realized I was one building over. Got a little lucky on 11-12 seeing someone take the bridge to the upper level of the building as I was approaching. Hmm...wonder why they're doing that?...oh, I need to do that, too.

Had to stop several times and put the reading glasses on to decipher what was happening. I had them around my neck but I can't read that kind of detail while moving. Mostly walked but occasionally jogged for 30-40 paces when I was on grass. Knee wasn't bad and didn't stiffen up much after finishing.

Sprint - 4 5 Brown - Splits

Tried to just take it easy so as not to injure myself any further. I have fairly low expectations for the weekend as running for more than 100m at a time is not feasible at the moment. I almost decided to bag the whole weekend and stay home but decided that I would most likely enjoy the atmosphere and staying at the lodge and just being in some new terrain.

It's been a crappy couple of weeks: the stress of the A event and getting ready for the Billygoat meant a little less sleep than usual, I haven't been exercising as regularly as I would like, there are some annoying things at work that just won't get resolved and then the kicker, my son and daughter-in-law are facing a new cancer diagnosis. She starts chemo next week.

C • Hope things get better 7

An early evening hike of the meadow loop with a trip up and down A-hill thrown in for kicks.

Pretty exhausted from the weekend. Not really training but needed to do something.