Training Archive: Cristina

Running warm up/down 10:00 [2]
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

Warm up for Day 2. I felt better today, especially in the liquids department.

Orienteering race 1:01:03 [3]
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

31 Day Challenge - Day 17
Anza-Borrego Day 2.

Started off just great today, reading the map well, felt pretty good running. Then I got to where I was absolutely sure the third control should be and it wasn't. Searched for a few minutes, then made my way back to the location and saw Brooke. I said that I didn't think the control was out (Boris had mentioned that there were some missing when we passed each other earlier) and she said, "yeah, have you seen the post?" and pointed out a control stand, with no control or epunch, right where the control should have been. I was not amused, but that was enough for me to continue on the course. The rest of the course, with one exception, went just as well as the first part - I was on the ball. I did have one inexcusable parallel error that cost me ~3 minutes on a later control, but other than that this went pretty well. It was also easier orienteering, physically and technically.

It turns out that my missing control was actually out there, on another control stand, several hundred meters misplaced, but placed accurately in relation to the misplaced control from the blue course. The green was missing a control towards the end of the course, as were the orange and brown (same control). Basically, it was a rough day.

C • Were you really at AB? Or c... 18

Orienteering 30:00 [1]
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

I walked and scrambled around to three controls on the Maze-O with Viktoria and Melissa. It was not as scary as I remember, though the wind was starting to howl as we made our way in, making for some spooky knife-ridge walking. I was also better able to actually interpret the map and actually navigate compared to previous attempts.

Running warm up/down 15:00 [1]
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

Before A-B Day 1.

Orienteering race 1:15:00 [2] ***
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

31 Day Challenge - Day 16

Anza-Borrego Day 1.

I was not having fun (I don't like heights and I don't enjoy the canyon stuff) and I was being a bad orienteer. Then I got really confused and went to 7 before 6. My first instinct was to go back to 6, of course, but I looked at the map with dread and realized that all I was doing was making myself miserable and reinforcing bad habits. I couldn't imagine prolonging the experience, so I just called it a day and ran in. Not a day to be happy with.

In other news, it was another 7 hours before I had to pee, for just the second time that day, and I wonder if today's disaster was just a lack of any kind of ability to make myself focus or if it was also a bit of dehydration.

C • No fun 2

Orienteering (string) 1:11 [3] * 0.18 km (6:43 / km) +2m 6:22 / km
spiked:17/20c shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

Team Fundrasier String-O

We set a very intense String-O course and invited people to try their best to beat Marc or Daniel. We originally were going to have a three-legged option, but everyone had so much fun with the two-legged version that we stuck with that. The 176m/20 control course involved some serious punching challenges, including sharp turns, creosote bush, and ocotillo. My 1:11 was second to Viktoria amongst the women, with 1:07, and the best time was achieved by Daniel Hubmann on his 4th or 5th attempt, 49 seconds. I think the best American came in at 58 or 59 seconds, and I don't remember now if that was Eric or Biggins... I will have to dig up the splits printouts to report the results.

This was a lot of fun, with most of the people who just came by to watch eventually caving and giving it a try themselves. It's also a nice little exercise in efficient punching and was a successful fund raiser, with $181 raised for the team.

Event: Anza-Borrego Orienteering Festival at Buttes Pass
 

Orienteering 30:00 [1]

31 Day Challenge - Day 15

Anza-Borrego model event.

The Sandra-Marc-Daniel-Annette crew departed my driveway in their 31-foot luxury RV promptly at the scheduled departure time of 9:00am. Must be easy to do when you don't have to pack anything, and you're all Swiss and efficient and stuff. The Cristina-Melissa-Boris-Kat car didn't make it out until 10:30. The beautiful thing is that we caught up to the Swissies with about a mile to go on the trip to Anza-Borrego. It was perfect, and I got to use my horn a lot.

We had left early so as to arrive in time for the model event, which was scheduled to end at 4pm. There were no maps or controls out for the model when we arrived, just before 4, but the maps did appear with about 20 minutes of daylight remaining. Eric was kind enough to put streamers out for everyone. So, Melissa and I trotted out there with headlamps (which we did need to get back to the car) and checked out the map.

Running warm up/down (Road) 20:00 [1]
shoes: Needs a name (2140)

To and from the Randolph gym with the Swiss contingent.

Running (Plyos) 25:00 [3]
shoes: Needs a name (2140)

We were defeated in our attempt to use the weight room (you have to be 'certified' even though there are no free weights...) but we finally managed to score the use of two mats and the basketball gym. I followed the boys and Sandra around the gym for the warmups and some running drills + plyometrics. Some of them were familiar, some definitely were not, and I was quite uncoordinated on the new ones. I made sure to jump much less than the others, but I was still sore in the evening.

I have been thinking that I need to incorporate jumping into my schedule, and I think this is the perfect solution to the uselessness and boredom of Monday afternoon squadron PT.

Strength/Core 20:00 [3]

We did a little circuit training afterwards, one minute per 'station', improvised core work and jump roping.

Orienteering 1:00:00 [2] ***
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

31 Day Challenge - Day 14
At Catalina State Park, running the O-intervals course for next Thursday set by Raffi. I ran about half of the course and did not run them as intervals. It was good! I used a compass today and worked on forming a good picture.

Also, we invited Jaxon to come along and Marc offered to do some partner training with him. I think it was quite a successful afternoon. And probably one to remember - it's not often you get one of the best orienteers in the world to orienteer with you for an hour.

Orienteering 1:00:00 ***
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

31 Day Challenge - Day 13

At Arthur Pack with Sandra. We had one map of an old course and one blank map and we alternated legs, with the blank map person following along. Then we ran it backwards, with the leader memorizing her leg. It was a very nice day (of course) and it was so nice to actually have someone to train with!

In the meantime, I am very impressed with the volume of training the Swiss boys do.

Running warm up/down (trail) 25:00 [1] *
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

Orienteering 37:00 ***
shoes: Rory (Inov8 X-Talon 212)

31 Day Challenge - Day 12

At Ironwood, running a part of a course from last year, alternating hard/easy effort for each leg.

Tucson has been invaded by Swisscheeses.

Running warm up/down (road) 17:30 [1]
shoes: DJ (Asics 2130)

Afternoon PT - running over there and then a lap around the twisty track.

Strength/Core 10:00 [2]

Fun calisthenics.

Orienteering 15:00 [2] *
12c shoes: DJ (Asics 2130)

31 Day Challenge - Day 11

An almost bogus session today, GoogleMap-O around the southern part of the base. I have to remind myself that the O value of this kind of thing is in practicing good flow and concentration. And it does take both to be flawless with an aerial, even if it's not that hard.

I also discovered that the raquetball facility is right next to the twisty track. I had no idea! And I stopped to use a restroom that I didn't know existed. Today's training was clearly valuable in more ways than one.