Training Log Archive: furlong47

Event: DVOA Elk Neck
 

DVOA Elk Neck - Green

When I arrived I heard that Green was tough and physical, so considered dropping to Brown, but decided not to be a wuss and just get it done.

Across the beach toward 1 (I love the smell of the beach and water) then up the trail into the campground. First I went in on the wrong side of the deep re-entrant and realized my mistake, so back out to the trail and around to the proper side and the control. Attacked 2 from the water tower. Then I went over to the road and up to the next camp area (nice smell of wood smoke here) taking the trail across and attacking 3 from the North. First I didn't see it, looking in the 2 small re-entrants, then went lower and it was down in the main re-entrant.

Cut straight over to the field and then dropped down from the field to 4. Attacked 5 from the field below the gray paved circle, following the indistinct trail a bit. This was another one I didn't see right away even though I was in the area, had to poke around a bit. Again, attacked 6 from the other water tower, no problem.

Because of how my map was folded, I didn't see the possibly better route to 7 (going East of the lake to pick up the trail) so I went around on the road and attacked from the road junction with the big trail. Hit a little bit right in some rocks, tried going a bit further, turned around and saw the bag. Went directly to 8, partially using the indistinct trail. Had to stumble around a little in the laurel and actually saw the water jugs and cups before the control. Crossed the road and followed along the stream to 9.

10 was the one I most worried about and I decided to be very conservative and take the road all the way around, actually past the control, and attack from the clearing to the West. Unfortunately this plan backfired when I entered the woods and found that it was very torn up in there (lots of deadfall, vines, thorns, and bad visibility) and couldn't find the control. So I went North to the trail, relocated at the sharp bend, and attacked again from there. I was coming in with a spur on my right and it looked like the right size and shape so I popped over the top of it and there was the control. Finally!

Across the road to 11. I landed square in the middle of a ton of rootstocks, some old, some new, and just had to poke around checking them until I found the correct one. Then I hit the trail to the South and took that until it crossed the stream and walked back the stream and the re-entrant to 12. From there, to the road, right in to 13 through nice open woods with beautiful early fall sunlight streaming down. And after that just 14 (Go control) and in.

So in the end, except for #10, it wasn't all that bad, even the climb didn't feel so awful. I was probably too conservative on routes and went around too much but it allowed me to find most everything right away.

Event: QOC: Little Bennett - Night-O
 

QOC Little Bennett Night-O - Orange

I think everything about this evening was perfect :-) Had a nice drive down, even warm enough to have the window partway open. The weather was just about the right temperature and not rainy. I decided to do Orange, because I have only done Night-O at Hickory Run (in the camp area) and Myrick before. Though probably around 10 times total. I like Night-O a lot but I don't think I am ready to do an advanced one yet (mostly because I think that would be frustrating and scary and I don't want to ruin the fun!)

That said, I felt the course was the perfect level for me at night. I loved that it was not too climby and was set in the nice open forest. Numbers 1 and 2 were easy, 3 and 4 were a little further off trail but still visible from it as long as you knew where to look. Heading to 5 I was in a big clump of people (and dogs... wearing headlamps...) so pretty much walked right to it with the group. Then cut through the woods up to the open field where 6 was located. I was expecting a building but it was actually a fenced in paved area. Hard to read on the map at night :-)

7,8, and 9 were all off the side of the road, but far enough that a good attack was necessary. No problems with them though, and then 10 and 11 were easy ones again on the way in. I did some running and had a blast!

Lesson on William. W/T and gymnastics, which are usually one of my favorite exercises but tonight I was riding like crap and William was really sluggish. He had shots today so maybe was feeling kind of gross.

Made sure to hit the gym today, because who knows how long I will end up standing in line tomorrow evening in order to vote.