Training Log Archive: Charlie

Event: NEOC - Mt. Tom
 

Mt Tom meet. Really nice course set by Phil. I started off to the meet at 9:15 with an entourage of 10 in a two car caravan. Once everybody was ready to go, all the kids had to go to the bathroom again, and by the time we finally left it was 10. About 10 miles into it, the car behind developed steering trouble, and then things got worse. Eventually AAA had to be summoned and a couple more hours went by. Finally Rhonda went home and got me another car so I could go orienteering, and the rest of them could repair home.

Got to the meet about an hour after the close of registration, but Peter and Phil were gracious enough to let me out. A fine day. The hills were as hard as ever, but I was gratified to have studs on my shoes. Lots of elephant tracks, mostly helpful, sometimes distracting. Being the last one out I was surprised to find that I ran several legs in untracked snow. I kept looking for the footprints that both face right, but never found them!

C • Late starts 1

Red - Splits

With Peter, down the back trail to Old Derby Rd, left to Devil's elbow, back on road back to the landing and up to the house on trail. Knee was sore from yesterday, and my traction was poor on the snowy hills. Fell well behind on the hills, and Peter circled back for me a few times.

Driveway was icy today, and had to rescue two cars. Rhonda's friend Lynn made it halfway in her rear wheel drive 2wd pickup, before getting sideways. Judicious application of sand set me up to back it down the hill, in the midst of copious and contradictory instructions from the entire Thanksgiving crowd. Later on our friend Susan got her car sideways down near the bottom. This was more entertaining. I eyed the large oak tree on the downhill side and determined there was enough room, and just steered for it, letting the ice spin the car around in place to head straight down. Very slick, so to speak.

Tunxis trail, with Peter. Started from the trailhead near Hillcrest on 219 and went N to the Indian Council Rocks and beyond, around Pine Mountain and out to 179, with the last 2 or 3 miles back on the road.
Pretty slippery in 3 in of new snow, and having a hard time on the uphills. Interesting to follow Peter's tracks. Uphill our stride length is exactly the same (although he's turning them over quite a bit faster). On the flat mine is quite a bit longer. I did relatively better on the wider road and on the pavement, but generally fell well behind any time it got at all steep.

We were both pretty cold and wet when we got back.

Rhonda's morning class. Pretty fierce, I'd say.

Woods run out to the bridge, around Arthur's jeep road (wet feet), back to the bridge and out to the Devil's elbow and back on the street.

In Providence. Jogged over to get a sandwich and took it back to the hotel room. Not much the worse for wear after the traverse. A little sore in a few places, including R big toe, but that all pre-dated the traverse. Tired, but not too bad.

Event: Blue Hills Traverse
 

Blue Hills Traverse. Feeling pretty rough, and not moving particularly fast, but had very good navigation, and not a bad run

C • 2

Traverse - Splits