Training Log Archive: iansmith

Lori and Sam are in town, and they orchestrated a group hike in the Whites. In attendance were Katia, Giovanni, Pia, Leszek, Sam's friend Steven, Dave Yee, Geoff, and the Swedish exchange student, Isaac. The group ascended Mt. Washington either via Tuckerman's or the Boott Spur, and we descended via Clay, Sphinx, and Great Gulf. I diverged from the group and ran alone to the nearby Mt. Munroe on the ascent (total ascent time 4:30).

We departed Boston at about 5:15, and started hiking around 9 AM. Ultimately, we didn't arrive at the parking lot by the Great Gulf trailhead until 9:50 PM; fortunately, we had adequate flashlights (with cell phones in reserve) that the trek out was not unreasonably dangerous.

So what happened? I think three factors contributed to our unexpected adventure: 1) the group had a wide range of hiking speeds, and it was difficult to accurately estimate how long it would take us to travel to certain points. A group of eleven also moves slower than any one person in that group because of yo-yoing and congestion on delicate sections. 2) Great Gulf (and Sphinx, especially) was treacherous, slick, and laden with deadfall. We departed Clay before 4:30, and it took over 5.3 hours for us to descend to the parking lot. In 2014, bgallup and I made the descent - while hiking leisurely, in daylight - in about three hours. 3) We didn't set sufficiently aggressive deadlines, nor did we move with much urgency. I reached the summit of Washington at about 1:30, and my group preceded me somewhat. As I recall, we didn't set out from Washington until about 2:20. Part of that was underestimating the 10 km Great Gulf trail.

Logistics are harder with a group. I've done much of my hiking/trail running lately solo, and as I'm always the limiting factor, I can go as hard as I'm capable. Traveling with a group is great fun - for instance, I chatted with Isaac about the four Tiomilas he's run and neat orienteering opportunities in the US while he's here - but invariably slower.

I felt very strong throughout the trek, and my equipment was perfectly adequate, with 3L of fluid, over a thousand calories of munchies, the standard emergency gear, and a headlight. For most of Great Gulf, I elected to hike at the back of the group - as our group stretched between intermittent regrouping periods, it gave me peace of mind that no one had been injured far in the rear. It's a little frustrating to take so long on what would have been more straightforward alone; still, it was a very pleasant outing, with great conditions, good conversation, and very good spirits even at the end. I added Munroe and Washington to my list of 4000ers.

C • Coincidence (nearly) 2

C • Not quite Meru.... 3

Washington to Clay and down via Great Gulf; total time of about 7:20.

I volunteered at the CSU Saturday Fresh Pond 2.5/5 mile race, which just consisted of writing runners names down in the order they finished on my clipboard. Diane McLaughlin and Joe do a great job organizing, and I got to chat with a few CSU running regulars - it's certainly a great group. Afterward, I ran three loops of Fresh Pond, my circuit of which measured 3.7 km; my splits were 18:30, 16:30, 19:00. I tried to push the middle loop to tempo pace, but I just felt sluggish and lethargic. Breathing was a bit labored.

I'm not quite sure I understand what it means to be human; the human condition is inscrutable. Certainly there are times when it seems to make sense, but they are fleeting and so limited in scope that they must be illusions. It's partly because of this challenge that I'm so grateful for my musical training; whether innately or as a consequence of my development, music seems to unlock wholly unexplored facets of being. My feelings and response to music resonate more completely with certain human experiences more than anything else. Rach 2, Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3, the First Contact theme, Alpine Symphony, Death and Transfiguration, Mahler 9, Copland 3, Brahms 1, Firebird, Death of Ase from Peer Gynt, Smetana's Moldau - all of these speak to aspects of existence I can't otherwise articulate. I suppose my brain is nothing but a collection of self-organizing molecules desperately trying to make sense of the world around it before entropy dictates its oblivion, but it's comforting to find something to grasp like flotsam in the ocean of time.

Maybe an existential crisis from time to time is a beneficial thing for perspective. And wow: Moldau.

Lori and Sam are in town to visit; after picking them up from the T, we went to Border Cafe and Berry Line. I ate more than I should have (remember this), and because of my heavily taxed digestion, running was slower and more labored than I would have liked. Still, I plodded on, making an effort to keep good posture, good form, and a steady effort. I listened to Fear the Sky, which has been interesting - though not nearly as good as Ready Player One, which made up my trip to and from Canada.

My throat is still sore and my respiration somewhat labored, so I'm not dissatisfied with this effort.

C • Eating and running 2

Still feeling sick - upper respiratory infection - but I was getting antsy and needed to go for a run. I felt ok during the run but was considerably congested at the end. I'm looking forward to Corn Maze.

A number of my peers were sad BigWillyStyle couldn't join us in the Maritimes, so I created a WillAvatar who could experience the event for him. This avatar consisted of a massage stick, a hat, a handy jersey I happened to have, a map, and a compass.



Wyatt and Giovanni hanging out with WillAvatar
Emily Ross and WillAvatar
Will is leading a pack through the woods!
Post race group photo
The Cascade folks were happy to see their companion
Group photo

C • Photos 9

Perhaps I can aspire to be a superhero in the modern era.

The 10 hour drive back from Nova Scotia was challenging. In addition to wear and tear from four days of racing, including the 2:30 sufferfest during the long, I had some minor cold symptoms. I listened to audiobooks and stopped once for a twenty minute nap, but made it through ok. Maine is a beautiful state with rolling hills, and it was interesting to encounter people and wonder what their existence must be like. Driving alone for great distances lends itself to deep contemplation of the human condition.

The weekend was a delight despite my lackluster racing and conditioning. I hope this to be a clarion call, an awakening that motivates me to greater heights. I hung out with my numerous Canadian friends, played some raucous games of taboo, tossed a frisbee around at the beach, visited some old forts, saw a museum exhibit about the Confederation Bridge, checked off two provinces from my list, and returned rejuvenated for work. Apart from - and perhaps including - a minor existential crisis, it was a fulfilling trip. Still, in the future, such long trips are best accomplished with traveling companions.

C • drive 3

Fishbones Stage 3. The organizers changed the race format to a mass start. I started really aggressively and faded as the race went on - I just didn't have enough stamina to keep up the pace. I was stung thrice on the legs by wasps after we apparently agitated nests at two different controls. Despite the lackluster effort, it was a fun event on a neat little map. I went swimming with the Eh Team and socialized with various folks before departing on my drive home.

A little warmup and cool down.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid

Distance traveled is an estimate; course distance was 12.9. As it was a WRE, I could not wear my trusty IOF-approved Garmin 405 with its broken screen. In two words: glacial and confused. My race was an unmitigated disaster; I was lethargic and count 23 minutes of errors. Ebone would have run under two hours easily. The only silver lining is that everyone else also struggled; Damien won in 2:15, and Ethan was insultingly close to my time at 2:34. I finished in fourth overall and beat a few people I didn't expect to. There were moment of good execution, planning, and even a little hustle. Nevertheless, it was a tough day. Orienteering is more fun when you're fast and good.

C • Insultingly Close 6

Long C10 - Splits

Fishbones Farsta in Prince Edward Island. The race was a one-man relay with three forked loops. I felt strong through the first loop, but was unresponsive to my efforts to push hard during the second. It was fun, and I enjoyed the atmosphere, but my effort was lackluster. I made good decisions during the start of the first loop - an area in which I have needed improvement during other mass start races. I didn't really do a proper cool down; I will amend this in the future.

Jogging and some drills to warm up.

Warmup on the track in the quarantine.

Canadian Orienteering Championships M21 sprint at the University of Prince Edward Island. I was not happy with my physical performance; I was lethargic and lacking power. Much more tragically, I skipped control 7 - I ran right by it. I was reading ahead to 9, which looked a little tricky, and my execution to 7 made 8 almost collinear. A disastrous mental mistake; I don't usually make these sorts of errors. A frustrating MP. The sprint was very much a runner's course; while the campus was replete with detail, the course could generally be simplified to negotiating buildings and occasional uncrossable features. I made a dumb 15s mistake on 17 when I missed a stair and ran around on a ramp. I also had about 15s of hesitation to 22 when I misread it as being inside a fence bend rather than outside. I'll upload the map when I return to Bostonburg.

I donated blood last week, and I wonder how much that has affected my aerobic capacity.

It was great to see all my Canuck friends.

C • Blood 8

For a cool down, I ran back the start and jogged the course through control 10, trying to recreate what was in my thought process and how I can avoid errors like the one I made today. I recalled that some fundamental sprint techniques - like folding my map for the next leg before reaching the control, and smooth entrances and exits - were lacking. There is much to be improved.

After some fish and chips at Brit's Fish and Chips, I went to the beach with a merry band of Canucks and the British lad Ben. We spent most of our time tossing a frisbee around in the surf, and had many glorious dives in pursuit of unreachable tosses.

Sprint C5 - Splits

Warmup on elliptical. I tried to keep my cadence at 95-100, though I lagged near the end because it was hot. There was only one other guy in the gym; I listened to episode 17 of a machine learning podcast featuring my collaborator, Jennifer Listgarten. She gave me a shoutout, woo. http://www.thetalkingmachines.com/

5x15 leg curls at 70 lbs
5x10 leg extensions at 85 lbs
3x10 squats at 135-145 lbs
medicine ball assisted kayakers
5 pullups for kicks

Especially during the squats, I didn't feel the targeted muscles were the limiting factors; rather, it was everything else stabilizing everything that felt unfamiliar. I kept the weight moderate, as I haven't lifted in quite some time, but I felt like I could have done more.

5k erg for maximum cross training fun. My butt started to hurt a bit, and I noticed my posture was deteriorating; fortunately, the angle of the display - and in particular seeing something behind it at the catch - made assessment easy, and I tried to correct. Stroke rate of about 26, with time/500m in the 2:05-2:15 range by design. Weighed in at 84 kg (186 lbs for you metrically challenged), but after the workout. That's a lot to drag up hills.

C • Weighed in 2

Easy run with Alex and Boris before games and waffles.

Event: 2015 Canadian Orienteering Championships
 

Evening run around the river. Garmin was gimpy (database was full) and failed to record anything. Museum of Science - BU loop. Pleasant day, albeit humid.

Run to the track.

After drills, some strides. I chatted with Patrick and Udeh.

Workout today was 3x {1000, 600, 200}. I tagged along behind Patrick and Udeh. Unfortunately, my Garmin database was full, so it didn't record splits for most of the second and third set. I was quite slow by the end, just hanging on. I guessed my later splits from the track.

Splits:
1000: 3:37, 3:42, 3:50
200: 38, 40, 38
600: 2:06, 2:10, 2:10

Run back to work.

Run home.

Easy cruise around Central Park. I got lost a few times and had to pause to consult the maps posted around the park. It seems like a neat place and would make for an interesting orienteering race.

Fantasy WOC was a fun exercise played by a number of spectators back in the US. I think what was most compelling was that otherwise, I probably would have only given significant attention to the top 10, my favorites, and North Americans. Fantasy WOC requires you follow the bulk of the runners, which makes the experience much more interesting.

It should be noted that in the Long, Cristina, Will, and the Zhyk all had DNFs - which was especially catastrophic for Cristina and Zhyk, who each had two men, and so couldn't drop all DNF results. Long results:

Name	Men Pts	Women Pts	Total
Boris	65	66	131
Hannah (auto)	72	67	139
Alli	61	85	146
Chris	60	86	146
Ian	64	83	147
Clem (auto)	83	80	163
Will	83	95	178
Cristina	171	43	214h
Zhyk (auto)	151	73	224

Final results:

Place	Name	Middle	Long	Official	Relay	Unofficial
1-T	Boris Granovskiy, CSU	132	131	263	46	309
1-T	Will Enger, COC	85	179	263	108	371
3	Ian Smith, CSU	128	147	275	66	341
4	Chris Gross, DVOA (mostly autodraft)	160	146	306	106	412
5	Hannah (autodraft) Culberg, QOC	200	139	339	62	401
6	Sergei Zhyk, DVOA	139	224	363	72	435
7	Clem McGrath, DVOA (mostly autodraft)	203	163	366	126	492
8	Alli Brown, CSU	221	146	367	142	509
9	Cristina Luis, Norway	201	214	415	78	493

Congratulations to all who participated!

C • Thanks Ian! 2

Short barefoot beach run at Crane Beach. I hummed the Chariots of Fire theme. The sand rubbed away some skin on my right big toe, which was uncomfortable.

My long fantasy picks:

Men: Daniel Hubmann, Gernot Kerschbaumer, Jan Sedivy, Vincent Coupat, Bartosz Pawlak
Women: Tove Alexandersson (!), Tone Wigemyr, Eva Jurenikova, Sam Saeger, and Liga Arniece

I was bummed when I missed out on Aligator and Kempster, but c'est la vie. Despite drafting sixth, I got both of my preferred first round picks. Hopefully Tove will overcome her foot troubles and lay waste to the field.

An inspiring athletic achievement (albeit with somewhat cheesy 1980s music), the 1984 Olympic women's marathon:

Morning wake-up jog.

Fantasy WOC Relay results are below. Everyone drafted two women's teams and two men's teams; their score is twice the sum of their places. We decided to have a Fantasy Relay at the last minute, so four people had to autodraft, and the relay results will not contribute to the final Fantasy WOC score. For those who autodrafted, when their pick came up, I assigned them the highest available finisher from the WOC 2014 relay. For reference, if we had perfect knowledge, we would choose finishers from the list 1-18, and everyone would have a final score of 76.

Manager	Draft Order	Score	Men Pts	Women Pts
Boris	5	46	12	11
Hannah (autodraft)	8	62	11	20
Ian	4	66	14	19
Zhyk	3	72	19	17
Cristina (autodraft)	2	78	23	16
Chris (autodraft)	1	106	30	23
Will	9	108	32	22
Clem (autodraft)	6	126	32	31
Alli	7	142	21	50

Fantasy WOC standings after the middle. Note that the score is the sum of places; i.e. like in golf and extreme bowling, a smaller score is better.

Manager	Total Score	Women	Men
Will Enger, Cascade	85	40	45
Ian Smith, CSU	128	92	36
Boris Granovskiy, CSU	132	74	58
Sergei Zhyk, DVOA	139	65	74
Chris Gross, CSU	160	71	89
Hannah Culberg (auto), QOC	200	94	106
Cristina Luis, Norwhay	201	95	106
Clem McGrath, DVOA	203	70	103
Alli Brown, CSU	221	121	100

Softball Playoffs! Rhymes with Code vs Momenta. We were 1-1 against these guys during the regular season, with a heartbreaking 20-21 loss and a 15-8 victory. Unfortunately, we apparently forgot our offense today, as they obliterated us 22-5. In the ghastly first inning, we fell behind 9-0. We didn't score a run until the bottom of the 3rd. In my two at bats, I hit a foul pop fly that the catcher caught and a grounder single. I was left stranded on 2nd at the end of the inning. I made no significant fielding contributions or errors.

So, a rough day. Still, we had a great time, had good rapport with the other team, and retired to the Asgard pub for a post-softball season Belgian white.

My fantasy WOC middle picks, with a heavy dose of Swissyland and Austria. Scoring is sum of best 4 places, smallest score wins.
Sara Luescher (SUI)
Heidi Bagstevold (NOR)
Amelie Chataing (FRA)
Inga Dambe (LAT)
Anja Arbter (AUT)

Daniel Hubmann (SUI)
Fabian Hertner (SUI)
Gernot Kerschbaumer (AUT)
Robert Merl (AUT)
Fredric Portin (FIN)

C • . 4

I visited the CAC Express near my office to evaluate it for purchasing a gym membership. I ran on a treadmill; it was boring, which marginally exceeded my expectations. I hate treadmills, but the idea is that a gym membership will increase my training - particularly with access to weights, erg, etc. It would have been invaluable during this past winter of my discontent.

C • MIT 2

I did a 2:00 500m on the erg to make sure I remembered how to use it.

Misc strength training.

Kayaking from CRCK in Kendall, to the Esplanade, and in the basin. Strong winds today made a more intrepid expedition (e.g. to the BU bridge) untenable.

The intersection of bold ambition and poor judgment due to stupidity is an interesting place. Emboldened by my July 12 assault on Bond mountain in the Whites, I set out on a grander expedition: to run Franconia Ridge from Lincoln and return via Garfield and Owl's Head - six 4000ers in a single epic push. The round trip would be over 42 km with over 1800m of climb; the difference between parking and the summit of Lafayette alone is 1200m. I'd hiked Lafayette and Lincoln in 2010 with Giovanni, Katia, Lori, and Presto.

My plan unraveled when I set out late due to a combination of sleeping until 10, terrible I-93 traffic, and a trip to buy some provisions. I didn't start hiking until 3p - with sunset at 8:09p. Conditions were good, with a temperature of about 25 C and mostly sunny skies. I was properly but minimally equipped, with 3 L of gatorade/water mix, a handful of candy bars, ziploc of emergency gear, my trusty map, sunscreen, toque, headlamp, and an extra long-sleeve. The extra liter - in a separate bottle from my platypus - was a lesson from Bond.

I redlined a little up the Osseo trail to Flume, running as much as possible, and summited at 4:30p. Franconia Ridge was glorious - and is rightly the crown jewel of the Whites - and I topped out on Lafayette at 6:30p, with maybe 20 minutes of breaks. The ridge looks deliciously runnable, but the climb was too much for me at times. Overall, I ran a bit more than half of this expedition, but few trails in the Whites are speedy - chiefly rock scotch. A rain earlier today left most rock surfaces wet and descents perilous. Still, fitness is hugely disappointing.

At Lafayette, I faced a decision: return the way I came, with relatively little climb and a straightforward descent, or be bold and shoot for Garfield. I had long abandoned my plan to hit Owl's Head, which has an obscure ascent route, but the Franconia Brook Trail is a 17 km highway with a mostly gradual descent that leads directly from Garfield back to Lincoln. Given the favorable conditions and my innate foolhardiness, I chose the bolder option, and topped out on Garfield in the deepening twilight at 7:45p. By waypoint 9 - the start of the Franconia Brook Trail, 4:30 into my trip, I was using my headlamp in near darkness.

Fortunately, the rest of my trip was uneventful. I ran into a few dozen campers, and got lost at trail junctions a few times for about 15 minutes time lost. I ran/walked most of the remaining 13 km (not on my track) in about 1:45, and returned to my car at about 10:30. My legs were a bit trashed, but I could still gingerly cruise on the smooth trail.

While this was a really dumb idea, I was mostly prepared and had told friends of my itinerary. I had water until the last 2 km and drank unreservedly. I had water purification tables and passed many streams. Had I needed to stay out, I had an emergency blanket, matches (only for critical circumstance), and extra clothes. My greatest liability was that I only had one flashlight. The trip was fantastic, and I hope to do it faster in the future. With Garfield, I have 20/48 4000ers.

C • Nice hike 4