Training Log Archive: MJChilds

Middle Distance at West Point Round Pond. Terrible race. Screwed up #1, #5. Did not have my head on straight. Was looking for first control in the boulder cluster along the line about 200 m before the control. Thought those were the boulders on the map, but somehow, thought the control flag would be there. Too stressed to think properly? Likely. Sloppy on #2 and #3. Stupid on #6 where I realized I needed to contour to the control, but headed downhill anyway--that's where the cliffs are! Wished I do have a "do over".
Good weather though.

C • terrible race but...? 2

Screwed up #1 again, miscounted driveways and overshot it, relocated on bare rock. Ran pretty well after that until #7 where I lost track of my location on the trail and corrected with the help of Stephan Bergstrom who also overshot it and cut through the woods ahead of me. That stopped me, I cut in and could see the spur. Was too low on the next one, but relocated on boulder near the flat then headed up hill and to the right where I ran past it, looked over a cliff and saw Peter G, Bob Lux climbing up the cliff--with no marker there--so I turned around and could almost touch it! Next 2 were gimmies as I had already seen #9 on the way to #8 and could see #10 from #9. At #10, I thought too much and while PG and BL climbed up the hill to the road, I realized that #10 was lower in elevation, so I backtracked toward 9 then climbed losing lots of time in the forest rather than on the road. Discombobulated, I was in a frenzy after that. Found #12 just fine, but was iffy on #13 and then didn't check compass for last one---when will I ever get over rushing blindly to the last control--and hit the building to the north before having to relocate. Stupid mistakes.

C • tough map? 1

Middle Brown - Splits

Sprint O/Br/G - Splits

Spent today trying to keep ahead of the flooding of our basement! Record setting rains last night of 2.75 inches in Burlington, after an already record-setting rainy April. Carl has had the sump pump running for a week or two, but this was too much for it. It's coming in fast and on three different walls. Carl calculated we pumped over 1000 gallons just from the pump and between the 2 shop vacs and the hand-sponging all day long, we surely dumped several hundred additional gallons. It's going to be a long, long night. I'm stiff and sore from bending and carrying buckets. And, the next storm is due here within an hour. Yikes! Three other houses in our neighborhood are dealing with the same thing. Wonder if we'll be able to leave to go to West Point. . .

C • Oh, that's terrible 4

Just wanted to run. Good feeling. Headed up N. Williston Rd. not knowing how far I'd go (dinner was in the oven. . .), and considered running "around the block" but it was rush hour in Vermont and I did not like the sound of cars, so I headed up a dirt road. Thought I'd cut through the fields and woods to GC and then, somehow back home, but it was too sodden, so I returned the way I came. Feeling pretty peppy and having it be subtly downhill, I picked up the pace and felt good about it. First half: 18:45, second half: 15:15. Guess I was really doggin it on the way out!

Abbreviated version because I had little time, but I actually did THREE pushups! That's the most I've done in years. Progress. :)

Gorgeous day. Even though I'd already walked for 90 min and worked outside pruning trees, I couldn't resist heading out for a short run. Warmest day of the season!!! Sunny, temp around 65 degrees! YEAH!!! Ran across GC to Tuthill's trail all the way to Catamount trails and back, picking up the pace due to the short duration of the run.

C • Lucky you! 4

Met KH, JG and KM and Ruby and Buster for a wildflower walk in the Hinesburg Town Forest behind the IGA. Saw the biggest patch of bloodroot I've ever seen--hundreds of them! Blue cohosh flowering, some hepatica, a few Canada ginger. Spring Beauties ready to pop, along with wake robin and early meadow rue. Nice walk. Also saw a few flowers (foliage) I did not recognize. Will have to return next week to see them in bloom and bring along my wildflower book. Lovely walk.

C • Wildflowers 2

Orienteering at Hubbard Park on Carl's training courses: I did his B and C loops, Ethan did A, B, and C. Good exercise, ran hard, focused on reading terrain detail. Was surprised that there was still so much snow on the ground (park mostly has a northern slope) and the larger trails were covered in a thick coat of ICE. Glad I was wearing my spikes!

Warm up and cool-down from car to starting point. Jogged. On return, walked some, but did not include that here.