Training Log Archive: JanetT

Event: QOC Cunningham Falls
 

Painfully slow RouteGadget animation. (A lot of the slowness and jiggliness is due to trying to find routes through downfall, or climbing over logs.) I couldn't find a way to speed up the animation using this link.

Walk to start of Platformpalooza 2018 at Cunningham Falls SP in Maryland, set by Jon Torrance.

We'd driven through a downpour on the way where the temperature dipped into the upper 50s but it was back around 70 and not raining when we arrived at the park and registered. Weather looked like the rain would hold off the next few hours, perhaps letting us get around the course before returning. It was a bit buggy so I applied some bug spray and headed for the trail to climb to the start.

It started to rain lightly on the climb, then harder, and got heavy enough to create a stream and puddles on the trail. Then it thundered. And again. I vowed to head back if it happened again, but no such luck. ;-) HTFU training, to be sure. Finally reached the start.

A set of SAR folks who we'd seen some of near the pavilion were camped out near the start, a separate exercise from ours. They were also badasses.

Brown course, SL 4.5 and 120m per the map. I marked the difficulty as "difficult" instead of "advanced" because of the additional challenge of rain on the map, my compass and my magnifier (and fogged glasses for part of it).

I knew this was going to be a compassing exercise so made sure to go slowly enough that I could keep track of where I was, at least some of the time. Fortunately the many downed trees with dirt rootballs were mapped and very useful. Unfortunately there were more downed trees than mapped, making travel more difficult than expected, so it was pretty slow going for me today.

I contoured and checked off various charcoal platforms and rootstocks along the way to 1 and felt better when I found it without much trouble. #2 was a bit trickier, as I crossed a creek bed long the way but I spotted the rootstocks before the control.

The leg from 2-3 was a straight line through the mountain laurel. I decided to navigate by arcing north of the line/green to where the slope got steeper, but wasn't pace counting here and was trying to navigate off vague features (like the larger solid medium green blotches for the laurel)...not sure how I actually found it but did find the white woods so that helped.

Found 4 okay after I hit the depressions uphill from it first. From 4-5, I attempted to go straight but keep getting pushed offline by downed trees; I did find a platform with bag 125 and attacked from there.

I do not know what a good plan was from 5-6 but I didn't execute mine well, missing the control by a bit and then searching uphill from it before relocating off the rootstock 3.5 contours uphill. Peggy, also heading for it, helped.

I think I crossed the stream to 7 too far uphill and didn't positively identify ditches, so ended uphill from my control at a rootstock (but didn't know which one). Found a platform, which wasn't mine, well WNW near a ditch, and navigated from there (I'll admit to asking a trio of ladies on the Orange course, who had that control, where it was on their map; I'd already been out 1.5 hours at that point and had a long way to go.

Okay to 8 though I probably crossed the stream at too physically difficult a spot (took some time to traverse the wiggly contour areas along the route). Then I still had a long leg, climbing and contouring and climbing some more (not quite a km, but maybe 850m; 75m climb in all). I again passed control 125 so knew where I was at that point, about halfway along the leg. Saw Francis H off and on along the way to 9 and to the finish but he was on a different course so I only used his presence to my advantage near controls (10 and 11).

At several points I was ready to head in (especially on the way to 3, where I decided if I hit #8--8 contours downhill--first I'd quit...but didn't) but finished the course. It even stopped raining for awhile between about 2 and 9 but then picked up again and poured from there on in, and for a good 15-20 minutes after I finished. Thank you to Amy for putting my splits printout in my map case so I didn't get it soaked. ;-)

Amazed to find out I was second finisher on the course...an hour 45 minutes after Boris, but hey, I finished.

Brown - Splits

Balance and hip stabilization

Recovery walk on the walking path.

Results

All but 7 people received awards;-)

Trying to loosen up right hip before race. Did a bit to of stretching, too.

Nominally a 5K trail run (Raptor Run to benefit Bucks Co Audubon Society); a bit short but that's okay with me...two loops on varied trails through the property at Honey Hollow. Temp was around 68 and partly cloudy so really nice for running.

Not a large turnout, but they handed out beer glasses for awards (3 deep in 10 year age groups) and had hotdogs, ice cream cups, beer (and other drinks) plus makings for s'mores after the race. Great work by all the volunteers who supported the race as course marshalls and cooking food.

I had noted one woman potentially in my age group, and she wasn't too far ahead of me through the first loop but gained more space the second time around, finishing a minute or so ahead (Glen said she was 39:xx). I was second...of two in F60+. ;-) 27th overall and I don't think there were very many more beyond 30 runners.

Fell after the 2.5 mi point, banging the top of my left knee...there's a bit of an egg there now...and the heel of my right hand, despite the bike gloves I was wearing as I do for O. I tend to catch a toe when I'm tired, and there were enough roots (and a few rocks) to make things interesting.

Focus: hips. Lots of stretches with holds, plus some warrior 2s with holds. A bit intense. I have noticeable-to-me imbalances here.

Around and in the "compound."

Out to the walking path to start, where I was soon overtaken by 4 residents on bicycles. Then did the Allegiant balloon, then a wonky figure 8 closer to the house to get more distance.