Training Log Archive: W

Wow, if I thought I was out of gas yesterday in the sprint, the controls after 15 today were a train wreck. After the spring debacle at Rumsey, I was feeling very cautious about this whole race. A lot of slow moving at the start and a few map stops to be certain I was on the right hill and going in the right direction. As the splits show I was leading until 13. Going to 14 I first took the wrong trail, and had to double back, and then got stuck in some extremely green green. I then punched 14, tripped on the radio control cord and fell on my face, totally demolishing the device and flinging it in the woods. I went and got it and briefly tried to put it back together, but all I saw was a block of something and a cord with wires sticking out.

So, I shrugged and kept rurnning. But, after that, the gas was just not there, reduced to walking on the last few controls, and becoming even more cautious because I didn't think my brain was working very well anymore.

But, then I look at the winsplits bonus content and, *sigh*.

Western Canadians - Long: Course 10 - Splits

Well, time for some intensive logging. This logging was contingent on how well I did at COCs, and, now that I approve, logging ho! First off, the Westerns Middle at Elbow Bluffs.

Argh. I suppose I should take consolation from the fact that at one point, I was going quite slow during middles and therefore was never leading the race. Now I generally lead the race, blow it on one control, and proceed to claw back to a decent position after plummeting to mid-basement.

In this race it was number 5. The green dotted stuff was a little confusing. But, firstly, Magnus would tell me "compass compass compass". I tried to go the hypotenuse and hit the trail north of me, but I got pulled downhill and discovered another trail. That pulled me way to low. Then I determined where I was, but when I found an actual trail, I was unconvinced it was the trail on the map, since the last one wasn't. So I climbed, and mistook the green dotted area for green, and I think passed by the control by no more than 20 meters on my way further up the hill. I kept going until I was starting to become concerned I'd gone too high, and was in a different area that still kind of looked like an area with green dots. Eventually I headed west back to the big re-entrant, determined where I was, and headed back down to the right place. Loss - 4 minutes, drop from second to 11th. Then, as I often do, I went on the warpath, climbed from 11th to 4th in 5 controls, and then won 4 straight legs, but it was far too late.

On the flat vague section, my compass definitely could have been better, because I felt I need to feature hop rather than go straight, so it pulled me a little left on 7, for instance.

Finished third by 3:05, time lost due to mistakes, 4:46. Again, argh.

Westerns sprint. Well, not much to say about this one. It was flat, fast, and not remarkably tricky. But, tricky enough to let everyone else make mistakes. I don't know what else to say. Control 9 was a problem because I couldn't see the trail I wanted to go in on, so I went to the next one, which made things a bit trickier, and I lost time there. Felt totally gassed around 8. Must've been that Cheer Pack I took.

Western Canadians, Middle: Course 10 - Splits

Travelled to Canmore and did a short run around town on the classic 45 minute route with Lambertino. He said that if I come and do one of those Raid races he'd actually train for it. Do I have the money for yet another trip this year?

C • Raid Team 2

Went for a jog with Nev around the river valley. Did some mini test running of my ultrasprint courses, did a tempo run around them and they took around 3:30 with no punching or maze, so.... they should be just about right. Mosquitos were incredibly plentiful, so that is going to be sub-optimal. Continued on for a run to the groat bridge and back.

Played a little soccer tonight. Kind of a cruel game since we started with only 7 players (since no one else showed up, we even had to delay the game and shorten it) but were basically running circles around the opposition. Though, I was working had pretty much the entire time, so I was pleased with that. After it got to 7-1 I started phoning it in, probably only the last 10 minutes or so. My tally on this team is now 5 goals in about 100 minutes of football. I probably don't belong in this league....

Here's another tune I like to rock out to pre-race. Generally I like the Gorillaz but though some of their tunes are a bit less pump up than others. Very variable in their style. Also a bit of foreshadowing.