Training Log Archive: WIn the 7 days ending Dec 15, 2013:
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Sunday Dec 15, 2013 #
Note
(rest day)
Well, the study is over. How sad. It definitely got me going. A solid 17 hours over 10 days with lots and lots of intensity, it was great. Soon he'll send me a bunch of the data and hopefully I'll be able to get some really good information to plan out my next phase of "making it up as I go along". Very excited about that.
And, although I wasn't tired, I've been nervous that I'm getting sick again, so I took a day to drink tea and take it easy. Hopefully it'll be all good tomorrow, because I want to see if I've still got some residual fitness on Wednesday! Sprint time! ITS ON!
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, get your friend into Ski-Orienteering. Ha ha!).
Day 6: A Trail Running Race Entry
5 Peaks, for example.
I think that one of orienteering's problem in North America is that we have too many orienteers. Too many people who only do orienteering, because other sports are just not "mentally challenging enough". These same people are usually the ones who criticize trail runners for "not wanting to think".
Go see how the other half lives (okay, 9/10s).
Not only will you learn the mental fortitude of pushing yourself past your limit without the burden of keeping all of your mental faculties in check, its a way to see how popular events work. Definitely some people around have caught on to this, but I bet you know an orienteer that hasn't.
Expand their horizons a little, its amazing how much nicer it can be over on the dark side.
And, although I wasn't tired, I've been nervous that I'm getting sick again, so I took a day to drink tea and take it easy. Hopefully it'll be all good tomorrow, because I want to see if I've still got some residual fitness on Wednesday! Sprint time! ITS ON!
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, get your friend into Ski-Orienteering. Ha ha!).
Day 6: A Trail Running Race Entry
5 Peaks, for example.
I think that one of orienteering's problem in North America is that we have too many orienteers. Too many people who only do orienteering, because other sports are just not "mentally challenging enough". These same people are usually the ones who criticize trail runners for "not wanting to think".
Go see how the other half lives (okay, 9/10s).
Not only will you learn the mental fortitude of pushing yourself past your limit without the burden of keeping all of your mental faculties in check, its a way to see how popular events work. Definitely some people around have caught on to this, but I bet you know an orienteer that hasn't.
Expand their horizons a little, its amazing how much nicer it can be over on the dark side.
Saturday Dec 14, 2013 #
Cycling 1:30:00 [4]
Well, the last day of cycling study with another 2 x 10k TTs. Not quite as good as my one I did right after a long hard block of testing. Interesting stuff I learned from this, particularly that its possible my best performance comes at the tail end of a relatively hard training block. Like, my tapering is best when its really, really short. I'll need to come up with ways to experiment with this.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, I hear someone is selling their old jersey from the '70s, its still good and is way, way cheaper).
Day 5: Base Layer
Craft Pro Zero Extreme
What should be the first thing you do after a race? Is it discuss with your competitors your route choice? Go get a cookie? Complain to the organizers about whatever you think was the fault of your mistakes?
Nope, you should wander straight over to your clothes, and change your shirt. Should you continue wearing around your race shirt after the race? NO! Not only do you once again look like a homeless person, you're going to get cold and sick. You need to change out of all of your race clothes. YES! You must do this.
This is why you have a nice, dry, soft, and amazingly comfortable base layer. I'm partial to the Pro Zero Extreme by craft. All of a sudden you're dry, warm, and well on your way to recovering.
This is not seen on TV, but I assure you, every racer in every winter sport does this. Walk over to their bags, put on dry base layer. This has nothing to do with looking cool, this is 100% practicality, and investing in a decent base layer is worthwhile.
It also helps that they are usually fairly snug and will totally show off your abs.
P.S. Is this the same shirt as your warm-up shirt? NO! That one is sweaty because you warmed up in it, remember?
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, I hear someone is selling their old jersey from the '70s, its still good and is way, way cheaper).
Day 5: Base Layer
What should be the first thing you do after a race? Is it discuss with your competitors your route choice? Go get a cookie? Complain to the organizers about whatever you think was the fault of your mistakes?
Nope, you should wander straight over to your clothes, and change your shirt. Should you continue wearing around your race shirt after the race? NO! Not only do you once again look like a homeless person, you're going to get cold and sick. You need to change out of all of your race clothes. YES! You must do this.
This is why you have a nice, dry, soft, and amazingly comfortable base layer. I'm partial to the Pro Zero Extreme by craft. All of a sudden you're dry, warm, and well on your way to recovering.
This is not seen on TV, but I assure you, every racer in every winter sport does this. Walk over to their bags, put on dry base layer. This has nothing to do with looking cool, this is 100% practicality, and investing in a decent base layer is worthwhile.
It also helps that they are usually fairly snug and will totally show off your abs.
P.S. Is this the same shirt as your warm-up shirt? NO! That one is sweaty because you warmed up in it, remember?
Friday Dec 13, 2013 #
Cycling 20:00 [4]
Vo2 Max number 3. I really hammered hard at the end of this one, I wanted to hit 70 so bad. I mean, obviously trying hard is really not going to make a difference, but I really wanted it so I put it all out there. Alas, I did not hit it, and actually went down from Monday. Though, partway through this one I decided "yeah.... I think I've had enough of Vo2Maxes for a little while. I've lost count, but I think this is probably lifetime #12 or so? 4th on the bike, if I recall rightly.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, just stick with a roll of flagging tape, you never know when they might lose their SI, compass, glasses, self-respect).
Day 4: Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip
Although my esteemed colleagues have already discussed this, I would argue that orienteering is, first and foremost, a running sport. Some people like total silence to get inside their head and do some great thinking, or like to be able to hear nature in all its splendour.
I, however, have heard nature a sufficient amount of times and would rather blast some electronica at 190BPM.
The Sansa removes any orienteer's excuse of "oh, well, I find simply running to be too boring, which is why I like orienteering!" Tough, you want to be better? Be a faster runner.
This thing costs about $40, and weighs a scant 15 grams. There's really no excuse on this one.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, just stick with a roll of flagging tape, you never know when they might lose their SI, compass, glasses, self-respect).
Day 4: Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip
Although my esteemed colleagues have already discussed this, I would argue that orienteering is, first and foremost, a running sport. Some people like total silence to get inside their head and do some great thinking, or like to be able to hear nature in all its splendour.
I, however, have heard nature a sufficient amount of times and would rather blast some electronica at 190BPM.
The Sansa removes any orienteer's excuse of "oh, well, I find simply running to be too boring, which is why I like orienteering!" Tough, you want to be better? Be a faster runner.
This thing costs about $40, and weighs a scant 15 grams. There's really no excuse on this one.
Thursday Dec 12, 2013 #
Cycling 45:00 [1]
Day ?? of the study, pretty close to the end. Just 45 minutes easy. Funny story though, my other easy day, I rode about 160 watts and my HR was in the high 110s. Today, I rode about 220 watts, and my HR was in the 100s. Am I better trained? Better rested? It was quite a remarkable change.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, a mystery novel about orienteering, if you feel they don't laugh hysterically about the sport enough).
Day 3: Honey Stingers
It is really in your best interest to discourage any orienteering friends from taking a picnic along with them when they go out. But, from my experience, the average non-elite orienteer: a) feels like their brain stops functioning after an hour of acitivity so the absolutely must have some food, and b) "just can't stand the consistency of those gel things".
Good news! These things taste like candy. Jam them in your rear pocket, pull it out during a fatigue induced brain attack, and then keep on plugging away. Soft to chew, easy to digest, freaking delicious.
Leave your camelbak, fanny pack, or sack lunch at the start.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, a mystery novel about orienteering, if you feel they don't laugh hysterically about the sport enough).
Day 3: Honey Stingers
It is really in your best interest to discourage any orienteering friends from taking a picnic along with them when they go out. But, from my experience, the average non-elite orienteer: a) feels like their brain stops functioning after an hour of acitivity so the absolutely must have some food, and b) "just can't stand the consistency of those gel things".
Good news! These things taste like candy. Jam them in your rear pocket, pull it out during a fatigue induced brain attack, and then keep on plugging away. Soft to chew, easy to digest, freaking delicious.
Leave your camelbak, fanny pack, or sack lunch at the start.
Wednesday Dec 11, 2013 #
Cycling 1:30:00 [1]
Almost to the end of the study! Today was more 10k time trials. With the other guy doing it at the same time, I didn't have full on fan action, so the sweat was rolling off my face like a river. I'm not sure I've ever seen such continuous sweat flow before. Gotta make sure to spray down the bike after this, yikes!
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, an I *love* orienteering bumper sticker, in case the tilly hat didn't make your love obvious enough).
Day 2: A Warm-up Shirt
Craft Performance Run T-shirt
Do you ever see anyone in any other sport wearing their race shirt as they walk from the parking lot? While they warm-up? While they're getting their pre-race bagel? If you want to transcend the 5k fun run crowd, a nice, simple, pre-race shirt is the ticket.
Its so that you don't get your race jersey all dirty and sweaty before showing up at the start line (a cardinal sin), and on cold days your race stop is still dry when you put it on right before the start.
With a warm-up shirt, you are in warm-up mode. When its finally time to race, then you put on your jersey, and OH YEAH, ITS ON NOW. You are now in the right mindset.
It doesn't have to be crazy expensive, but it should be some sort of tech shirt, and it should NOT be your old race shirt from the Beat Beethoven in 1982. Which I'm sure is totally still good and only kind of doesn't fit anymore.
12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, an I *love* orienteering bumper sticker, in case the tilly hat didn't make your love obvious enough).
Day 2: A Warm-up Shirt
Do you ever see anyone in any other sport wearing their race shirt as they walk from the parking lot? While they warm-up? While they're getting their pre-race bagel? If you want to transcend the 5k fun run crowd, a nice, simple, pre-race shirt is the ticket.
Its so that you don't get your race jersey all dirty and sweaty before showing up at the start line (a cardinal sin), and on cold days your race stop is still dry when you put it on right before the start.
With a warm-up shirt, you are in warm-up mode. When its finally time to race, then you put on your jersey, and OH YEAH, ITS ON NOW. You are now in the right mindset.
It doesn't have to be crazy expensive, but it should be some sort of tech shirt, and it should NOT be your old race shirt from the Beat Beethoven in 1982. Which I'm sure is totally still good and only kind of doesn't fit anymore.
Tuesday Dec 10, 2013 #
Cycling 45:00 [1]
The program today called for 45 minutes of easy cycling. So I did that. It was boring.
In the spirit of OC's 12 days of orienteering related gifts, I would like to present my own 12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, the O+ Rubik's Cube is fine if they've already given up hope).
#1 - Racing Flats
The New Balance RC 1600
"Oh, I'm too slow for racing shoes ha ha!" is what you'll say. I promise you, the vast majority of people who enter a running race aiming for a time they want to be proud of hunt for lighter race day shoes, whether that time is a 2 hour or 5 hour marathon. It makes a tangible difference to pull these on for a race.
Not only that, but its more fun to run in. Feeling light and fast will make urban racing more fun. Shoes are also a fashion statement. Urban racing is the visible version of orienteering.
What's more attractive? A totally bad-ass 50 year old hammering around campus? Or a homeless person codgering around looking sweaty?
Do your part for your loved ones and get them some flashy flats.
In the spirit of OC's 12 days of orienteering related gifts, I would like to present my own 12 days of gifts that, if you want your orienteering friend to seem less nerdy, you should get instead (or, the O+ Rubik's Cube is fine if they've already given up hope).
#1 - Racing Flats
"Oh, I'm too slow for racing shoes ha ha!" is what you'll say. I promise you, the vast majority of people who enter a running race aiming for a time they want to be proud of hunt for lighter race day shoes, whether that time is a 2 hour or 5 hour marathon. It makes a tangible difference to pull these on for a race.
Not only that, but its more fun to run in. Feeling light and fast will make urban racing more fun. Shoes are also a fashion statement. Urban racing is the visible version of orienteering.
What's more attractive? A totally bad-ass 50 year old hammering around campus? Or a homeless person codgering around looking sweaty?
Do your part for your loved ones and get them some flashy flats.
Monday Dec 9, 2013 #
Cycling 20:00 [4]
Vo2 Max test #2.
Not a ton to say about this one. Dude before me near passed out while getting the saline after his blood was taken, before the test even started! I suspect this was just a case of losing a lot of blood, and the nurse surmised it was partly because he was just sitting there with a very low heart rate and the influx of cold saline did him in. Not quite sure how that works, but it was a tense situation there briefly.
I didn't feel great either, but hammered it out pretty well. They told me my score this time and last, which was 62 then and 67 now. Fairly pleased about that! I suspect the 67 is a supercompenation spike, but it was great to see! Hopefully I'll get the raw data after its all over and have a good idea of what really happened.
Not a ton to say about this one. Dude before me near passed out while getting the saline after his blood was taken, before the test even started! I suspect this was just a case of losing a lot of blood, and the nurse surmised it was partly because he was just sitting there with a very low heart rate and the influx of cold saline did him in. Not quite sure how that works, but it was a tense situation there briefly.
I didn't feel great either, but hammered it out pretty well. They told me my score this time and last, which was 62 then and 67 now. Fairly pleased about that! I suspect the 67 is a supercompenation spike, but it was great to see! Hopefully I'll get the raw data after its all over and have a good idea of what really happened.