Training Log Archive: Rosstopher

ARDF training at the Blue Hills with Les, Lori, Ian and Presto. Spent some time going over last week's maps, then Les placed 5 of the 80 Meter transmitters out in a small area ( no flags, just batteries and wire) and we went out to find them. I went first and immediately forgot that unless you press the button on the side of the receiver the direction of the beacon is actually the direction of the minimal signal. So I chased off into the forest on a 90 degree error for a couple of minutes.... then I remembered. After that it was much easier and way fun. Just short sprints 60 second dash towards the sound and then try to find the little glimmer of blue that is the battery casing.

took me 5 cycles to get them all but the first cycle I was being an idiot and the last cycle I was just looking for beacon number 1.... so I'm getting better. Lori got them all faster still so I have some more ground to make up :)

C • Unidirection button 3

Trail run with Sam. pretty relaxed pace, legs a bit fragile from the race yesterday. CSU meeting at Mark and Pia's place, and Pia had maps to copy and a course if desired out on the Hale map. Sam took a map and ran on the trails close to the controls in order on the course. I just padded along behind her. After running there was some pretty stellar food and company.

Mark should get an award for his grilling.

We talked about mapping priorities for next year and what kind of events we should run. We have a training camp coming up in July ( open invite for patuckaway july 11th weekend) and discussed a couple more C level meets in the fall. For one of the sunday C-meets I plan on putting on a middle distance course for the saturday. One advanced course and one beginner course only. The other event that I was excited about organizing was a trail race in the fells. good way to make some money for more maps while publicizing our club. Plus trail races are fun. Maybe in September... but I've got a lot to learn about putting on a trail race... got to start sometime.

Northfield Mountain Trail Race. race page

nice day, I was a bit nervous beforehand... I remembered how tired this race made me last year. got a good jump on the start and settled in ( was in the lead for 20 seconds maybe) and for the first mile I let the lead pack stream ahead. Then the climb picks up and I was just trying to work hard and stay with the people around me. I got passed just after the one mile mark by a steady runner and I passed a couple of guys about the same time... but after that I was basically alone. sort of glanced at splits, enough to know that the first mile was 6:00 and the second was 6:45 never really saw the 3rd. just before 4 miles you start running back down the hill and I tried to push hard. had a few mini-stitches but I could run through them. on the long stretches I could see the guy in blue in front of me and he became my goal. I chased him down and got closer and closer as we came out of the forest and onto the power lines. I really went into full out sprint as I came down the last forested hill and into the field and finish chute but I didn't start the kick early enough and the guy still beat me in.... but I must have made up nearly 45 seconds on him in the last 2 miles.

faster than last year (42:45 last year ) and I felt much better afterwards. my legs actually felt pretty unreasonably good. going out for the orienteering afterwards wasn't such a chore.

Orienteering at Northfield after the run with Sam. I drew a few controls up the mountain and then we alternated. Sam wasn't feeling as fresh as I was and we were both taking it a bit easier. The woods were kinda thick too, so it was hard to get excited about the training. I really wanted to do one fun downhill leg that would be super fast but then the woods were kinda gross so it didn't feel so epic after all.

tired from yesterday. No running but with a race tomorrow some rest is okay.

running to work. left early and was feeling good so I added on a lap of the reservoir.

went to meet the CSU running section at Fresh Pond for a 5 mile race. But of course I misjudged how long it would take and I didn't know where they were meeting so I was a bit on my own when I showed up. So I decided to start running by myself... I had gotten only a short way in when I saw Clem running towards me. so I turned around and joined him for him second lap of the race and then did a final lap of my own.

5 mile race, first half with Clem second half alone. was hoping to be about 30 minutes... was happy with this effort considering I had done a lot of running already in the day. Still haven't met any CSU runners because I didn't start and end with the crowd.

Brendan and Lori showed up promptly afterwards to start the CSU orienteering training

Fresh Pond sprint training courtesy of Lori. ran pretty hard but it's tough to push full effort after a hard run. Brendan chose some better routes at the end but I edged him by a couple seconds.

back to Harvard Square with Clem, Presto and Lori. a nice jog that proved that Lori knows the roads around that area much better than either Clem or I do.

didn't want to run this morning, very sleepy. sucked it up and ran anyway. It turned out to be a quite nice morning actually.

running to work, not even bothering to use my heart rate monitor anymore. supposed to be a rainy week, but not too bad so far.

hill intervals. I don't understand it. I felt very good, and I had put these off until Tuesday so as to rest after a very full weekend of ARDF. Still I was quite slow.

I'll put the splits up soon, I'm backlogging so I want to put fill this in now.

running to work, felt pretty good, but tired. ARDF is not a trivial athletic endeavor.