Training Log Archive: Charlie

Event: Hudson Highlander
 

Hudson Highlander

Map 1, Pole Brook (my route). In a pack pretty much all of this map. Putting my energy into hanging on, which was not trivial, and doing enough navigating to know where I was (particularly useful if I got dropped). Reading ahead to the circle, and making up ground when we got close by going right to the bag on #s 1-7 and 9. Three lapses: 1. On the way to 4 I was behind PG, who backed out of a laurel thicket and headed right to what turned out to be an even bigger laurel thicket. So I followed him (thinking at the time I could do much better by paying attention).
2. On the way to 7 mindlessly following Peggy and Nadim off to the left into an area boxed by marshes before looking at my map and correcting.
3. Following PG again down below # 8 and back up.
Then out to the road after 9 and watched my group disappear up the road, including the aforementioned PG, Peggy and Nadim, J-J, Phil and Katia.

Map 2, Sebago and trail run (my route). Took an extra cookie at the aid station and Peggy and Nadim got out in front of me. The rest of my group was gone. coach passed me at #11 and I saw him passing P&N, and then I was alone. I suppose I was waiting for a big crowd to come by, but maybe most folks were already gone. Trail walk was very painful, particularly feet, hamstring, low back. Alan Young passed just before the mid-point flag. Apparently he had started 1/2 hour late. Kenny and somebody else also passed the midpoint just before I got there, apparently on a route to 17. Eventually got to the top of the ridge and had a bit of trouble finding the trail, but heard runners coming back toward 13, and ran into Clint, kadley, Katia, coach, Rick D., many others. kadley advised me to turn left at the end of the ridge, but I didn't quite understand that and ended up losing the trail and floundering around in the marsh, before climbing back up to see P&N and Phil before finally getting to the end of the trail. Then back along the trail, which was getting really painful. Took the red dot all the way down the far end of the ridge thinking I would pick up the trail jct NNE of the control and work my way down the valley, but not paying enough attention, or maybe the trail isn't there any more and I got another 150 M along trail before I figured it out, so ended up approaching from the top. OK, but really slow. 14 was fine, and easy to read. Trail a lot of the way to 15, then up and over, stopping along the way to relieve some discomfort. 16 straight and easy. Remembered seeing Kenny's route to 17 earlier and thought about going E between the marshes to the trail, but it looked awfully green, so I headed N instead, picking up the EW trail just W of the power line, then along the linear marsh and just up until I got there. Stopped to drink and Glen showed up. Along the line past the two cairns into waist-deep blueberry and saw Glen making much better time off to my left near the cliffs, so I worked my way over there where it was only knee-deep. Trail N to below the big climb, then contouring in the general direction of #12, where Paul was picking up the aid station and I stayed to drink and chat for a while. Up the trail to the bend W of control and straight in, then straightish to 19, seeing Glen up ahead. Caught up to Glen and passed him, going a bit too far N and ending up in the big field, then not getting through the camp that great. Eventually crossed the power line at the bend, where the bridge and the rec control were. From there straightish route to control, while Glen went up the rocky reentrant around the green and I didn't see him again. Road to 21, a little unsure as I climbed back up, but the spur was obvious. Hadn't noticed it was supposed to be southern cliff and had a little anxiety when it wasn't on the northern one, but ok.

Map 3 Sebago (my route). All alone now. Reading fine into the circle on 22 but got sucked off to the right and downhill on another rock, feeling foolish but recovering ere too long. Passed 20 on my way to 23, and a little wobbly getting through the camp again. Navigating ok once I got on the hillside, except it was a little further than I thought and I was getting anxious until I got there. Then, between the stream and the cliffs, then across the bigger stream and I could see where I needed to go. As I got closer some cadets popped out of the reentrant on their way to 25. Generally south and not deciding until I got there between up and over and around to the right. Ended up following the trail back out to the road, which was not too smart. I would have saved a lot of time by cutting the corner. Took the road and caught up to the cadets who were just leaving it below the cliffs NW of the control. Across the top, them running, me walking, until they got dragged off right by another rock. I saw the small clearing and went directly to the rock behind it, hearing them exclaim when they looked back and saw me punch. Walking and climbing on an angle. Could hear cadets behind me. Thought I found it when I saw the big rock, but then read the clue and pressed on to the bare rock. As I punched cadets were right behind, and I saw Phil about 150 M ahead. Delightful! Hustled after Phil, leaving cadets behind. I had thought about going around on the road and attacking from the SSE, but Phil was heading up the spur, so I followed and passed him, giving him warm greetings. Eventually drifted a bit right and low, getting into the rocky reentrant maybe 50M low and to the right, so had to climb again. Saw a lowlander guy there, and then first Phil and then the cadets climbing up as I was heading down. Saw the spur developing from the road and right up to 28, watching the lowlander guy disappear off to the left. Hugged the cliffs and headed for the three way power line junction, then around the right side of the marsh on the mapped trail, which turned out to be a pipeline overgrown by laurel. Quite a slog. Got a bit further NE than the edge, and consequently a little too far E when I got to the cliffs. A little nervous as I kept heading left and down until I got to the right one, but no real problem. Can I get in by 6 hours? Doubtful but maybe. Hustling and contouring, hitting first the powerline and then the road. Encountered a rottweiler with a little too much interest in me, but no problem with the control, and 3 minutes left to get in. Hustle, hustle. Downhill finish probably made me look like I had more energy than I really did. Very satisfying to be under 6:00.

Very fun course. Thanks to the organizers.

Highlander - Splits

Event: Boggs Mountain A-Meet and Family Weekend
 

Rhonda's morning class

neighborhood run with Rhonda and Sassy, including a stop to clear some downed branches off Doyle Rd, and a stop to survey the scene at the Capen Cabin. Rhonda has a kids group coming there on Sunday. Sassy was more fun on the way back when she was somewhat tired.

Rhonda's morning class. Jan told a convoluted story about when her father met Eddy Mercx in 1988, and told Eddy about his daughter the bike racer. He and Eddy struck up a bit of a conversation and Eddy ended up giving him an autographed picture. Jan was at a big bike show last week and Eddy was a speaker there. She brought the picture and chatted Eddy up about the incident, and about the daughter who went on to become a world champion. Eddy was polite enough to act like he remembered her dad.

My friend Shirley came over for a tour of my charcoal platforms this afternoon. She is an inveterate program leader and has gotten interested in charcoal lately. She was also interested in the frogs, the herons, witch hazel, and a number of other things that turned up along the way. It was raining pretty briskly, but that certainly didn't slow her down any, and I gave her the full tour. She was impressed that I had streamer tape on a number of the charcoal platforms and thought I had put it there for her. Well, no. It is just left over from some old o courses, and I took most of it down while we were walking.