Training Log Archive: CleverSky

Willard Brook SW, In The Dark. After several drizzly/cloudy days, the sun finally peeked out this afternoon, though it was overcast again by the time I got to the woods. The water dried out pretty well, so I didn't get my feet wet (but this area doesn't really have streams or puddles). Familiar territory, but in an unfamiliar direction, starting with a bit of flat to warm up, then the big climb, and a bunch of twisties at the end. I had intended to do a bit more of the singletrack down by the marshes, but turned left instead of right. Just as well, the last part felt like it was going on forever as it was. Still congested, and had a fairly horrible coughing fit right after I finished.

Townsend State Forest, Red, 6.3 km, 175m. Some days you have it, some days you don't, and this was one of the days when I don'ted. I started out with the attitude that since I can't go fast (I'm still coughing and congested from the cold I had three weeks ago), I should just focus on being accurate.And I screwed up the first controol which wasn't even very hard. Part of the problem was that I was misled by an extra stream due to the very wet conditions, and once I realized that, I found the control. Struggled to get get out to the trail on #2 (should have gone to it even sooner), but the control was easy. #3 was a short leg that should have been a cinch, but I mistook one knoll for another one and wandered around for a while. It was during this that a young woman overheard my coughing and asked if I was okay. Jim Arsenault caught up to me at the control when I finally found it, but I didn't see him again. #4 was easy, #5 was hidden in the green, but I had the good fortun of being passed by Ethan just then and he led me into it. #6 was fine, #7 I got delayed in a bit of laurel on the way, then got to the hillside and wandered back and forth a bit looking for the reentrant. #8 fine, #9 I successfully contoured along the hillside until I thought I was in about the right spot, then stopped to look at the map, and when I looked up again it was right in front of me. #10 was okay, #11 I took the trail too far into the green and had to turn around to get to the right attack point, and was lucky to find the very low-hung control in a vague area. No real probems on #12-#16, but then leaving #16 everything seemed okay, crossed the stone wall, then saw the trail up ahead... but the trail was paved. I had gone off directly south instead of east, and also apparently crossed another trail without seeing it. So just a trail run from there to the last control and the the finish. Pretty slow.

results

And I had in mind to go hang gliding in the afternoon, but I was pretty knackered, and took a nap instead.