Training Log Archive: Rosstopher

Blue Hills - Red -

I tried to race quite hard, always a challenge for me at local events. Woods were very nice, Sam and Jeff set the course in such a way that the orienteering was interesting but the forests were clear ( not always so easy in the Blue Hills, I sometimes find ). I only had two substantial mistakes in my mind, controls 1 and 8. The rest of the stuff was relatively minor and I was in okay control.

1)2:15
* not a great start, overran the first control
2)2:28
3)4:01
* little hesitation coming down the re-entrant to the control, boulder seemed lower down the hill and farther to the right than I expected
4)5:11
* too far right. hard to stay on line through the green marsh
5)4:04
* not very graceful getting down the cliffs
6)4:39
* a little too far right of the control, probably wasn't worth trying to cut the corner
7)5:48
8)3:42
* this is the worst mistake I made, was running well, but after I crossed the road I was on a really shoddy bearing off into the vague hillside, and sorta wandered back towards the control to find the flag
9)3:33
* no problems with this, a bit bold to call the feature a spur in my mind
10)6:19
* didn't see the flag when I got to the circle, started to worry, but then I spotted it just a bit lower. Didn't really agree with the map that it should be a boulder cluster
11)3:14
* saw a different control first, which pulled me off line to the left. did an okay job reading the contours to get myself back to where the control really was
12)2:50
13)2:33
14)1:17
F)0:33

C • Splits up 3

Helping Sam and the clan with the blue hills meet. got up pretty early to get to Houghton's pond at 9am, set half of the white, yellow, orange flags. After it was all done, picked up a set of the advanced controls. was moving pretty fast both before and after, but wasn't using my compass or anything, just a really nice day to be outside.

Used Sanne's mountain bike ( which she left in our basement when she moved back to Finland. Thanks Sanne) to go to Hammond's Pond and get maps and set out a beginner course for the EMS club day. Weather was perfect, but still not very many people had showed up by 11:30 when I left the tent in the very capable hands of Larry and Sara Mae. They have some really great stories about orienteering and running and skiing -- as an aside. I then biked down to Dedham for Sam's Graduation Party ( aka yummy food).

setting the beginner controls from Tuesday's Park-O over again. and picking up a control that had been accidentally abandoned from before.

Sam Graduated from Grad School! whoo hoo. I was busy working with the mice so I didn't get to come to the ceremony, but I met up with the family for lunch at a wonderful Thai Restaurant (Brown Sugar) and had some excellent chicken coconut soup and really spicy green curry.

Sadly I had a long afternoon of work, and didn't get done with stuff until after 7:30. I skipped running to get home and hang out with Sam, but she was still working on preparing for her orienteering meet, so instead I cleaned the house and watched the Celtics lose a 6 point lead.

didn't feel very fast. Running this route can be quite boring, should probably start looking for ways to make it more exciting. One of Sam's school friend's saw me running past, but Sam refused to ask her if she thought that I " was looking good".

It's my birthday, yay, yay, yay :) Haha your log is hacked :)

C • Happy happy happy late birt... 1

Can't believe that I had to work late on my Birthday! honestly, there should be a law. I got wrapped up in a project and I couldn't get away until after 7. Skipped the run, choosing to focus all my remaining energy on dinner and then Pub trivia at Union Street.

dinner was ideal, and trivia was going very well for our team until near the end. Because it was my birthday i was allowed to chose our team name "relapsing remitting Steph Infection" ( in honor of having our friend steph with us) there were plenty of objections but birthday trumps common sensibilities on this one.