Training Log Archive: MJChilds

Event: ONB Fishbones 2, Brookvale Provincial Park, PEI
 

Brookvale Nordic Ski Area, PEI. Temp 75-80 with HIGH HUMIDITY. A little more tolerable in the woods. Three loops. Thought I'd quit after 2 but as i approached the map change control, I decided to get water and see how much longer the course would be. 1.3km. Not bad, so I decided to complete it. Unfortunately, the Combination of being exhausted, reading the map, searching for water and having a woman block my view of the control resulted in my not punching that control. It occurred to me on the way to #1, but I was too tired to go back. I chose between going back and being tempted to quit, versus continuing and likely getting an mp. The last loop was hard and I walked a lot, but I finished.
I was pleased to see that I was ahead of both Marion and Joanne Woods as I began the third loop, but I did not have a chance of keeping up with them.
The Farsta was lots of fun in this area with a spaghetti plate of trails. People were everywhere going every which way. Great courses and great map.
Left afterward for Nova Scotia.

Event: ONB COC2015: Sprint Race, University of PEI
 

Happy with my race except for one mistake leaving #12. Did not consider he outer fence on the track so headed NE to the top of the hill then realized I could not get through. I had to backtrack to the opening on the SW side. That would have been about 20 sex of error but then I had a mishap on the track. I did not expect, nor see, a metal curb on the inside lane and so tripped over it, launching myself onto the track where I skidded and left some skin. It stung and cost me another 5-10 sec to stand up and get going again. Later, I learned that the red surface was rubber, so my wounds were not too bad after all.
Fun sprint. Too hot. Felt it even going to #1. Without any speed or heat tolerance, I had no delusions of winning. Happy to see my friend, Marion, won.

Sprint C2 - Splits

Beautiful walk on the beach this morning at PEI National Park in Cavendish. Tide was going out and the walk on the sand and in the surf felt great on my feet.

Later, we visited the Green Gables site at PEINP. I had brought the book (on tape) Anne of Green Gables by M. Montgomery on the trip. Carl and Ethan were good sports to listen to it along the way (11 hrs, + 4 hrs) which made the trip go faster. I wanted to expose them to the story and be refreshed about it myself since we would be going to the area where the story was set. We walked the Lover's Lane and then the trail through The Haunted Wood, about 1.5 miles in all.

Cathy Bakker and Andrew Cornett invited us to share their beachfront campsite at the NP, so we accepted and were so glad we did. What a beautiful place to spend the past two days. Got to know Bert and his wife, Odille, from Ottawa OC during our potluck dinner and "campfire" last night. Great fun was had by all.

Played Disc Golf at a very strange course at Strathgartney PP. It seemed like a ghost park--maintained lawns, but everything else seemed abandoned long ago, including the disc golf tees and (post) holes. It took us quite a while to find the holes, then we played what we thought was the course. Quite easy since it was both short and out in the open. That aside, it was lovely to be playing with Ethan, having Carl spot our discs as they flew over a crest or around a corner. I continue to be impressed by how good Ethan is. I love that we have fun playing together, lame as I am at the sport. The views from the highest point were lovely--down toward the bay by Charlottetown. A nice break in the pace from the orienteering schedule.

Event: ONB Ocean Floor Sprint, HPP fun raiser, Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, NB
 

Event: ONB Fishbones 1, Hillsborough, NB
 

Loved, loved, loved it! Running on the sea floor at low tide info the Flower Pots was amazing. Great that we could go back afterward and take photos before the dozens of tourists came.
Had a good race until I turned the map over and had a hard time keeping track of the clues as they were necessarily in a different part of the map than the front side. This meant unfolding, checking the code, the relocating myself in the map each time. By #10 I was confused, by #11 I was again confused but found it OK, then just ran to the finish chute and in to the finish. Once there, I thought I had missed the last control. My brain was fried. It took me a while and some effort to realize that #12 WAS at the top of the finish chute. Oh well. Enjoyed it immensely. Estimated to for now. Difficult Internet.

C • It's the most fun sprint... 3

White Rocks map. Did only 11 of 22 controls. Went well until #11, then I had a hard time reading the map and did not take the route I thought was optimal (left route on trail). Went downhill instead, thought I'd go up the spur but it looked too crappy so I ventured down further to go around the crap then saw a reentrant that also looked crappy so I tried to find a way to enter it, but then saw someone running on a trail nearby so I popped out to the trail. Very bad choice. I figured I'd go along until I found a gap in the cliffs to ascend, but when I finally came to one, the gypsum cliffs looked 100' high and I realized I did not have the energy to climb such a daunting slope. A minute later I decided there was no good way to get back to #12, so I threw in the towel and headed to the finish. I could barely get into the finish I was so wiped out.

Took a bad spill going to #9. Tripped, dived forward, and rolled over. Afraid I had hurt myself at first, but everything seemed OK. Two days later, the bruises on my left calf and hip are pretty impressive. Could have been a lot worse.

I knew that successive days of orienteering would be hard on me at this event because I have not been able to run well this summer--every run has been a struggle and I can't tolerate the heat.

It was a little disappointing to quit, but I think it was the right choice for me that day. I thoroughly enjoyed the course up until #11. In looking at splits, I see I was in 3rd place when I bailed. I take a small bit of consolation in that.
I continue to have huge respect for the numerous very fit Canadian women in my age category. Their performances are inspiring and they are great group of sports women.

Event: ONB COC2015: Middle Distance, Hillsborough, NB
 

Had a pretty good race. Very careful in the detailed terrain where gypsum was mined leaving piles and pits everywhere. On the last control I made a small parallel error searching a depression just off the main trail. Quickly recovered, lost about 1 min. Happy with my course.

Middle 5 - Splits