Training Log Archive: Rosstopher

Running out on Blue Hills West with a Jeff and Sam. We had an old Mt. Bike orienteering course and were taking turns leading controls. We were encouraged to take longish routes to the controls though because we wanted to be running for 2+ hrs. So we took creative long routes and sometimes got turned around on the tough-to-read photocopied black and white map. It makes a HUGE difference to go for a long run with people to talk too, not bored at all.

C • Running with company makes ... 3

Warm up with Sam to the start of the Semi-permanent course at Hammond Pond.

Contour only map, but had visited all the controls a few times by now. Still had a few bobbles... cutting through thick vegetation that was missing from my map and getting off the line because of wanting to find faster woods.

C • Any thoughts on heart rate? 3

When you run this kind of course back to back the second time becomes more like woods intervals. I did try a couple of new route choices, most of which paid off, still had trouble hitting 8 straight on though. I was sorta hoping that I might be able to do two loops and catch Sam on her first, but she was running too fast for that :)

home again. Later in the evening we went candle pin bowling. A really fun activity because you get to hurl the balls as fast as you possibly can... after that, knocking pins over is kinda just icing on the cake :)

Running to work in the morning. Hadn't cleared my Garmin from last night, so my track from last night is going to be confused and there's no track from this run. I find it so hard to get out of the house sometimes... decided that I needed to clean up the kitchen before Sam woke up because I'd left it a mess after a week of being on my own.

Running home with a pause at Shaws to grab materials to make fajitas.

Ran the short course first, mostly because I thought that the others would be running the longer one first. got messed up near 4 because the wide reentrant didn't really match my mental image of what I was expecting. Somehow missed the trail on the way from 8-9. I think it's better to do these trainings without reflective dowels, you really have to know your feature.

Longer Course. Been to a lot of the locations already. A fun course, very pretty and I think a great use of the area.

I was done but thought that I probably should get some more running in, so I slowly cruised back along the short course, thinking to meet up with Alex and shadow her for a few legs. I ran into the women at 4 ( they too had some problems with the area I guess). And fell in behind Alex. She didn't seem to get too bothered by my ghosting her. It can be tough to orienteer with an audience.

Spending the night at the BIDMC hospital for my first overnight stay for a volunteer study on brown fat in humans. A follow up to this paper. So I've got to sit here all evening...going to try to use the time to fill out my annual training plan.

C • email 1

Went out for my hills run in the snow. I had big plans to run 10 reps, and I did, but the snow and I presume the skiing this past weekend conspired against me and so my times felt really slow. The road was slick and slushy, just like Sandra said, and I got the slow slushy end of things.

I was pretty bored with running up the hill by the end, but glad that I was able to finish my planned workout. The other thing I noticed as I was running was that I was yawning like crazy when I reached the top of each hill. I mean, huge jaw-breaking yawns. Is this an indication that I'm not breathing properly? My brain is clearly short on oxygen after a hill sprint. I started out wearing my HRM but it was alternately very constricting and falling down, so I gave it up for the run.

Times:
2:09
2:15
2:16
2:17
2:21
2:19
2:24
2:27
2:25
2:24

I really had the best intentions for a productive day today :) oops. I wasted the morning at home, not even sure where it all went, and then because I noticed I was way late for my plan for getting to work, I skipped the run in Hammond Pond and to partially ameliorate that guilt I tagged on a lap of the reservoir. I wanted to get some hours in at the lab, because I'm skipping out on Wednesday morning. My legs didn't feel too sore after the weekend, but there are a few muscles in my arms and shoulders that are still a bit tired.

Running home. I had meant to get out by 2 or so, but it was almost 4 when I left and my mind was very much fixated on the cannellini stew I was going to make when I got home. Loops of the reservoir were not what my stomach wanted (you can only figuratively eat up miles) but I'm glad that I got the time in. really windy and cold on the south side of the reservoir and warm and sheltered on the north shore.... I was pulling my gloves on and off to stay comfortable.

C • 0? 2