Training Log Archive: JanetT

Re: Sunday's Brown Long course -- After adding my GPS track to RouteGadget, I see that I didn't take the route/paths I thought I had to #6, which explains why things weren't looking quite right when I hit the stream. The intermittent/bike trail didn't turn to the NW partway down the hill, or I missed a turn and was returned to the big trail. If I'd just taken the main trail in the first place I'd have known where I was and would probably have been a bit faster.

At least I headed in the correct direction (towards the road, my ultimate mid-point goal). Took the side/clearing trail up because I could see the road and wanted to be sure of where I was hitting it.

Track doesn't quite line up correctly on some of the trails (1-2, 10-11).

Surprised that my hip wasn't nearly as tight as last week. I *have* been focussing on stretching hip flexors this past week.

Chesnut Ridge Park. Mid 70s and very humid with threats of showers
FR = 6.030, 145m climb
Route Gadget / WinSplits

~30 seconds lost on #1, surprised when the boulders weren't at the edge of the field, and confused by the fact that the fellow who started when I did punched at a control location awfully close to mine (in fact it was the same on). I thought everyone was supposed to have a different control 1, especially this close to the start.

AP has me with errors on several controls involving stream crossings, but those are only because I slow way down on steep climbs. I found the rest of the controls right where I wanted them to be.

2 - I should have gone from 1 through the field and the open-with-scattered-trees to the road instead of picking my way across the stream and then slogging up the hill and ending up across from the trail just south of the stream anyway.
3 - SE to the road junction and along the fence to the first crossing point, then compass right to the jct.
4 - S to the main trail, crossed over to the smaller one and east along the stream for a little ways until the crossing/steepness looked less, then up to the top of the hill.
5 - Compass. The drop into the stream bed was scary; I leaned forward to keep my weight balanced over my feet as I learned in downhill skiing -- try it, it helps! Got to the bottom and was looking for the best way up when I slipped an landed on my side in the muck! Sloppy, but it kept me cool for the rest of the run. :-) (Had to brush mud off my control descriptions at subsequent controls...) Hit the ride just NE of the boulder. Probably 'lost' nearly a minute due to having to pick myself up and "dust" myself off, then climb the steep hill.
6 - Trail to bend, then bike/intermittent trail to stream. Crossed the stream but wasn't sure exactly where I was so my goal was to just get out to the road safely. Got there, took trail/ride north of the boulders until I saw the open field then attacked. Several others shortly ahead of me, including Judy D and, I think, Gail (pink shirt), who I saw through 8-9.
7 - Tried the "open" field but high/prickly vegetation in it forced me into the light green woods which weren't bad. Kissed off the small building at the end of the road just SSW.
8 - back up to the E-W ride, along field edge, then cut in.
9 - Headed a bit more NE than straight to avoid the steepest climb, then along the stream
10 - Contoured along stream, crossed and took an unmapped trail up to road. Across bridge, then compass to stream before it crosses the trail, then counted dot knolls.
11 - NE to trail which crossed the stream at a gentle angle, then down the road until the little side trail headed toward the fence opening, and around (looped around the vegetation at the top of the stream)

Long - Brown - Splits

Event: Canal Cities Challenge
 

Sprague Brook Park. Temp in upper 70's and very humid. Glasses were no good after a few controls.
WinSplits / RouteGadget

Distance and climb above as reported on control descriptions. I made it a bit longer...
FR = 5.28 km, 152 climb

I was doing fine through 7. Safely identified the trail to 1, then in from the N. Back to trail for 2, between the hills to dot knoll. Compass to trail, then off the sharper of the two trail bends to 3. 4 on compass, reading the spur; 5 compass to trail, then around until I saw the building just north. Okay, those were easy, but can't get too complacent.

6 was a slog to get to the trail across the stream. I went west to the gentler spur and then headed NW to hit the stream near the sharp bend. Climbed the hillside at an angle (crossing the trail/"clearing" which looked more like a stream), taking the sharp reentrant that touches the trail, then W to the depression. Careful compass to 7 (I was still talking to myself here), ignoring the other people in the area.

Then it all fell apart. Thought I was headed SSW to the trail which I was going to take to the bend before heading to the swamp. I think I actually headed WSW and hit the trail much farther down the hill, then got confused in the trails/contours near the edge of the map, wandering off the map for several minutes before heading back and eventually finding the proper swamp/rootstock.

Left 8, south to the trail. More disaster, as I though I had climbed past the pond (never saw it) and angled down the hillside to hit the clearing/earth bank at the stream just northwest of the control circle. At least that was my plan. Execution is another story. I think I crossed to the slope-edge trail much sooner and angled down a pretty steep slope and crossed almost due south. Ran to road to relocate and found myself way far away. Instead of running the road I took the trail towards the campground, which was slower. Had to duck into the woods near playground to avoid the out-of-bounds, then hesitated at someone else's control in a reentrant. Got too low, near the stream before realizing it was up another contour. Ugh. Then had to make my way back toward the playground.

10 through finish were fine, though it was a slog climbing that last hill to the rock pile at 11 (through the woods which were wide-open; I didn't see any advantage to taking the road).

AP calculates about 19 or so minutes of error, though some of that is on #6 which is just slowness due to hills. I figured 16-17 minutes on 8 and 9.

Glad I got my head on straight on Sunday.

Course 3 (Red/Blue) at Sprague Brook Park
FR = 3.00 km
WinSplits / RouteGadget

Lovely little wide-open park sprint with just a few dashes into the woods. Like several others I changed into a cute little running skirt and sleeveless top based on the promise of open running. Just wish I was a bit faster, but I finished only about 45 seconds behind Linda Kohn, so don't feel too bad about my total time. Glen started 4 minutes back and didn't catch me until #9, the tree in the field near the west edge of the map.

Couldn't kick it in in the final sprint because hamstring was making itself known, so I kept it smooth instead.

FUN

Middle - Brown - Splits

Sprint - Course 3 - Splits

Using bands; no medium resistance ones available but I got a light one. Stiff would make my hip worse, and I don't want to strain it more. Lots of stretching.

1000m on Concept 2 rower.

RDLs with 18lb bar; pulldowns 8 @ 68.25lbs; one-leg squats, 15/leg

In Chatham. Quads a bit tight from yesterday's intervals so extra stretching called for. Right hip area still sore--extra hip flexor stretching? (seems muscular/nerve oriented rather than anything in the joint, though joint unevenness could cause muscular problems, I suppose...)

Using weights (and body weight for some, like planks). Right hip tight and sore all through class despite Tylenol before.

Warming up for intervals, as my hip was still hurting. The warm up helped, but hip still bothering a bit.

4 x 345m fast with ~225m slow (walking), CCW (better for my hip than CW, but I have to go the direction the "arrow" points -- they alternate it every day).

2:00 / 2:17
2:01 / 2:07
2:00 / 2:15
2:02 / 2:16

I know I've done these a little faster (1:58-1:59), but didn't have it in me today, nor to do more than 4. At least I was consistent. ~ 5.8 min/km

Walk / jog to finish up, then a lot of stretching.