Training Log Archive: JanetT

To start from where parking drive met the road.

Another day, another not perfect run, but good enough to stay ahead of the other women over 60 (including the one F65, two F70s and one F75....).

Cloudy and low to mid 50s with very light showers especially after I finished. Cooper Lake State Park, Buggy Whip section; 3.3 km, 54m climb claimed. 15(!) controls on this classic-length course, which has a very middle-like feel to it, especially near the end. Happy I had decided to look at the finish chute and finish area before running to see possible Go controls, because it paid off.

One boneheaded error at 8, too far left to 13, and a shorter distance right on 5, for about 10 or so minutes of error, again. To 8 headed off the trail early and hit a barbed wire fence I wasn't expecting which was oriented in a direction I didn't expect so I was very confused. Circled back toward #7 to relocate, which added a good 7 minutes to the leg relative to close competitors. To 13 I was headed N to an east-west linear feature and was distracted by a bag I could see to my left. It was control 81 and I was looking for 91 so I hesitated for a few seconds but realized it was a ditch end instead of a ditch bend so I headed east along it until I reached my control (passing another one on a gully...yes, that far off).

Good routes and execution to the other controls, which felt really good, especially when I approached a feature and found it directly in front of me. The Go control was a dot knoll shortly before finish, reached by going through some patchy woods...I just headed toward the folks cheering IS competitors. ;-)

Lots of fun being with my sister this weekend, too, and comparing routes and splits (I'm just a bit faster in the woods, but she beat me on my mistake legs and a few others). I was happy she could come.

Awesome prizes...thanks, NTOA! 1st/2nd/3rd received NTOA medals that show an armadillo holding/touching a control flag on a background of the state of Texas. In addition, first place received a small stuffed Lone Star Armadillo (which was also the name of the event) with a kerchief and label. So cute!

As the first and only competitor in F60 I earned an armadillo.

I'm not sure this link will work, but it's a photo on Facebook (set to public view). medal, prize, map

C • So cute 5

D2 Brown - Splits

Event: US Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Championships
 

Classic brown day 1 at Cooper Lake SP, Coyote Run area, temps in the upper 50s and cloudy. EDIT to add nominal stats, 3.7km, 81m climb per the map.

Took safe trail route to number 1 to get into the map (and find the start triangle). No problems with vegetation, map or navigation until I missed number 6 (code 232) and ended up almost 200m north, at number 203, which fortunately I realized was the next control. Easy enough to run due south to 6 and then find 7 again, about 4:00-4:30 later. Ate a Gu on the way to 8 and did okay the rest of the way.

The woods within 50 m of 7 had a lot of people going a lot of different ways so that didn't help much until I saw the bag and number.

First (and last) of 1 in my age group. Compared routes with Dick Neuburger after; he had messed up control 5 and was an hour 12.

D1 Brown - Splits

Model event at Cooper Lake SP near Sulphur Springs, TX (IS/IC Champs meet). Temp in low 70s and sunny. I did 11 of the 14 controls to check out the terrain and vegetation. Gaiters are definitely useful; greenbriar vines aren't too gnarly yet but they seem to be ubiquitous and not always easy to avoid.

Started not long after a school group that was together and kept going about the same speed so at one control (7; split 8) I decided to stop and wait before continuing so they could get farther ahead and I could navigate on my own because I wasn't getting ahead of them.

Track includes the walk/jog (leg 1) from parking to the start of the model "course."

EDIT: Calculated climb is entirely bogus. Three meter contours...maybe 50m or so. And I did not jump off a cliff. :-D

Back to the car

Wildlands Conservancy/Pool Conservation area in Emmaus, this time with my Garmin watch. Tried to go on every trail. The animal pens house a vulture, two hawks (in one) and two owls, in separate pens.