Training Log Archive: iansmith

While helping Katie movie in, I tweaked my left hamstring when I tripped on an unseen concrete step while holding a box. It seems to be minor, but I'm going to let it rest.

COC Middle - C-11 - Splits

COC Long - C-11 - Splits

A mighty expedition on Mt. Lorne with Will.

Warm up before the race and cool down jog with Eric and Will.

NAOC Sprint - C-6a - Splits

NAOC Relay day! The format of the event was well designed: four different classes of 3-person national relays - M/F; 21+ and Junior - were starting at 10 AM. Three person club relays of three (?) different categories were starting at 10:10. The longest club relay was 7.8 km in total, while the longest national relay was the M21 19.5 km relay.

I hadn't planned for a relay; as I didn't apply for the national team for 2018, I'm not currently on the team. My fitness and training have been too lackluster to justify an application. In 2016, when we needed eight elite men, I was given a spot on one of the sprint relay teams, but the US has enough depth here that my slow services were not required. My performance on the long further excluded me from consideration. The US men's teams consisted of Anton, Michael Laraia, and GSwede on the first team and ebone, Will Enger, and Peteris on the second team.

Fortunately, Forest was very helpful in finding me a team, and I ran with Joshua Wiley and Bruce Christopherson on team "Leftovers are best." The leg lengths were 2.2, 2.2, and 3.4 km; I was running second leg. I knew going out that staying on the biathlon ski trails would be much faster than bashing through the woods, and this was repeated by first leg runners as they handed off. My course was basically a sprint, and I felt solid throughout. I was perhaps overly cautious on my attack into the first control after a long trail run for a small time loss. I also missed the third control by about 15s by attacking too soon from the trail. I felt a bit ponderous scampering around on the trails. Near the end, I saw Tori Borish, Eric Bone, and Robert Graham on their respective relay legs, and I tagged off to Bruce in an adequate 15:49. I spent the rest of the day yelling and taking pictures; in tribute to my training by Ross, I was asked to move twice for being too loud.

The US had an excellent day and should have netted 40 points from two firsts, a third, and a fourth place in the senior relay. Unfortunately, Colin Abbott took a stick to the leg and had to withdraw from the race; this gives the US ten more points. It remains to be seen if a 24 point lead survives the sprint day - especially without Ali. It hasn't always been the case that the depth and quality of the US men was able to score a resounding win against Canada, but it was today.

Relay - Expert 1 & 2 - Splits