Training Log Archive: bl

Return to the YMCA for the new season. In the future, I'll likely continue to use it during the warm months as well.

Nottingcook walk with Willow, start 4p. Several days of a gray, wet period. Woods brown and bare, all but November. The Great Blue Heron is making his annual visit to the stream which is quite covered by canopy - always has been hard to believe that it might be a worthwhile stop seen from above.

Nottingcook as a second thought with W. Had some fun off trail playing where are we. Crossed a path not noticing it at first but then saw a "slot" between trees, turned around to look the other way and saw a trail marker. Brightening up, partly sunny by end.

Got the boat out of the water today. It made me work harder than I'd have liked. Waiting a day or so to hear what my back thought of it. In any event, a big weight off my shoulders. End of 39 years afloat aboard Rhodora.

Over to the boat today after work to remove sails. Glad I had help because I was too stiff/slow to accomplish this task alone.

Masters’ Champs, Sunday, cold early, OK later. Gray sky, no rain. Brown X, 3.1K, 150m climb. I was pleased with this - no mistake time, went to all directly, if slowly. As physical as yesterday, more climb, less white alternating with yellow ski slope traversing.

Up the path to #1, straight/straightforward to #2 though going slowly in the terrain, #3 pretty much straight also but went left enough to hit the open area on the path and then across the swamp just beyond. Carefully up the slope, saw the boulder triangle in front & rest was history.

To #4 began the climb. Again straight to the second path. The climb to that path seemed endless, traversing up the slope til finally… Then along it to the end of the wall and attacked from there. Could have improved the final approach by using the path to the SW. Straight to #5 which was just about all up. Straight seemed the most error-free route though, for me, the climb was “over the top” physically.

Then the route leveled off & straight to the point. To #6, straight to the yellow, mode my way around the yellow “U”, seeing the boulder, the small RF and finally the larger one, tho it was hidden in green. Then a rocky traverse, but an “animal” path, too, for help. Could see point from 25m away. To #7 (which for all the world looked like a #4 when viewed upside down): back to the same slope I’d come from, down to the jct. marked by rock features and then down the steep slope to the stream, along it a bit and up when the terrain smoothed out. I could see the forest corner, and entered the woods accordingly, finding to the point.

Pretty much straight to #8, sorting out the yellow but some confusion as the white separation lines of forest did not seem quite right. But I could see the lift and the reentrant was supposed to be just beyond that. A moment of breath-holding, then the land dropped and the flag showed itself with a smile. Straightforward to the next as anyone could have noted where it was from the finish area.

Thought I could “run” in but could not. Again pleased but leading times were much faster. But no running equals no “speedy” results. I remember the days where the “battle cry” was beat Sharon C or 10’/k. How far I’ve (we’ve) come.

Great to see old faces & friends. Always regret not getting around enough to visit with as many as possible…the way of A meets. Hans Bengtsson and Oskar spent Friday and Saturday night with us and that was most enjoyable.

UNO made me proud. I wasn’t able to be a meet helper with other demands for my time.

Brown X Sunday - Splits

Event: 2019 Orienteering USA Masters Nationals at the Older Dash
 

UNO US Masters at Gunstock. Great day for it with extensive sunshine. Late start & so I was as warmed up as I was going to be. Being ‘“adrenalized” meant practically no bad back feedback. Pretty good run, estimate 4-5’ mistakes. Nothing big anyway. Didn’t have any physical umph though. On the first long contour leg, it was clear this was a physically challenging course. At the first flag, the code did not match. I knew I’d navigated to the correct point and was sure of the 2 boulders. I “punched” and moved on but with one hell of a lot of uncertainty. What could be wrong? I looked at the clue sheet and there was my answer, day 2 clues, duh. And too clueless to think to look at the map. I’ve haven’t resorted to that in many years. From then on, just navigate to the center of the circle with pretty much 100% assurance. I then lost almost 2’ on #2 due to lack of concentration. A few times, more time was lost from the edge of the circle in then I’d believed possible.

Getting into the first leg was sluggish - to right or straight? Chose the latter and vegetation soon fit and I was "launched". To #2, straight but distracted and allowed myself to descend, off route with confused recovery. #3 straight, ok. #4, a long, sort out white & yellow traverse. Attacked from the large path bend to north. #5, was deceived by the yellow as mapped just to the NW. Went the longer way. #6, another long sort-it-out traverse that went OK - so physical though. #7, 2 runners ahead to help. #8, same 2 runners in tandem. They were low. I thought I was right on. Into the woods, no knoll. So, after some soul-searching, climbed a surprising amount and the spur turned into the knoll. A bit of a "phew" when I saw the flag. #9 was surprisingly hard to find. There was a group. Charlie Schabazian led the way in the green, low vis area. #11 and 12 were "follow those ahead". Download, no MP, phew again.

Brown-X Saturday - Splits

To Rockland and return with Beth to pick up the Volvo from Saturday.
Two cars driving back - Beth did a good job of keeping close behind. She later said it helped her stay awake. 380 miles RT in a day is not my cup of tea. We went up via the coastal route and returned via 17/Gardiner. The back was better than I might have expected.

It was the last of Rockland as a boat owner. Tonight is yet another gale to even storm on the New England coast.

Nottingcook OLLI hike. Stiff as can be this morning after three nights aboard boat on chilly October eves. The hike worked out some of the kinks. The weather was perfect.

A short walk on New Castle Island yesterday to Urbanek's to get the car. Like learning to walk again after 3 days in an effective living space of 10' by 35'.

Orienteering? like I've been disoriented in a time warp. Hopefully focus away some of the blur before the end of the week. I think it's really a go-thru-the-motions and enjoy it, too, but not much more.

My training has been just "training" indeed, reading what contemporaries are doing. Back & boat these days weigh heavily. The back continues to hold me back. Had to cancel PT and a physiatry appointment Monday for the need to get the boat from Rockland to Portsmouth. The weather has been gale force just to the south of Rockland. Patience is a virtue and, more so, a safety consideration. Driving to ME tomorrow, leaving one car at Portsmouth shore. Then driving the other to Rockland. Back by boat to Portsmouth by Monday dark. OLLI Nottingcook walk Tuesday. I can't cop out on this which has been scheduled for about a year. Wednesday work, Thursday back to Rockland to get the car (no one way Enterprise car rental this time and no extra time to play transport games). Friday work, then UNO's A meet on weekend.

I think back to November '80 when I bought Rhodora . We brought her to Cape Cod from the Chesapeake in November. I missed a Blue Mt. A meet in Peekskill but drove down in December to play catch-up. This is the last dance for this boat for us. I expect to be at the meet but likely still out of breath.

A walk with W to the slough was a most pleasant distraction. The beavers have gone for one reason or another - now only a small pool and the stream that runs through it. I was photographing the pretty fall view and W decided to hop on the only rock as I was doing so. Look for light moments in gray days.

Masters’ Champs, Sunday, cold early, OK later. Gray sky, no rain. Brown X, 3.1K, 150m climb. I was pleased with this - no mistake time, went to all directly, if slowly. As physical as yesterday, more climb, less white alternating with yellow ski slope traversing.

Up the path to #1, straight/straightforward to #2 though going slowly in the terrain, #3 pretty much straight also but went left enough to hit the open area on the path and then across the swamp just beyond. Carefully up the slope, saw the boulder triangle in front & rest was history.

To #4 began the climb. Again straight to the second path. The climb to that path seemed endless, traversing up the slope til finally… Then along it to the end of the wall and attacked from there. Could have improved the final approach by using the path to the SW. Straight to #5 which was just about all up. Straight seemed the most error-free route though, for me, the climb was “over the top” physically.

Then the route leveled off & straight to the point. To #6, straight to the yellow, mode my way around the yellow “U”, seeing the boulder, the small RF and finally the larger one, tho it was hidden in green. Then a rocky traverse, but an “animal” path, too, for help. Could see point from 25m away. To #7 (which for all the world looked like a #4 when viewed upside down): back to the same slope I’d come from, down to the jct. marked by rock features and then down the steep slope to the stream, along it a bit and up when the terrain smoothed out. I could see the forest corner, and entered the woods accordingly, finding to the point.

Pretty much straight to #8, sorting out the yellow but some confusion as the white separation lines of forest did not seem quite right. But I could see the lift and the reentrant was supposed to be just beyond that. A moment of breath-holding, then the land dropped and the flag showed itself with a smile. Straightforward the the next as anyone could have noted where it was from the finish area.

Thought I could “run” in but could not. Again pleased but leading times were much faster. But no running equals no “speedy” results. I remember the days where the “battle cry” was beat Sharon C or 10’/k. How far I’ve (we’ve) come.

Great to see old faces & friends. Always regret not getting around enough to visit with as many as possible…the way of A meets. Hans Bengtsson and Oskar spent Friday and Saturday night with us and that was most enjoyable.

UNO made me proud. I wasn’t able to be a meet helper with other demands for my time.

Easement walk with Ken, Martin and Eric checking HNP with proposed new subdivision on lot 100A. Gray, no rain, good fall colors. Blazes easy to find when 4 are looking. Foresters' streamers hung and lot corners marked even tho subdiv has not yet been approved. Watch lost satellites before end.

Auctioneering crew.

C • Jalopy 5

I was looking for a Pawtuckaway map and happened upon this Boojum version from a local meet, 4/24/11. Lots of copyright dates and revision credits even then. At least by 2011, the poem was replaced with one line.

UNO Urban Forestry Center by Liz & Ed Kotowski, Deb & Faye. I was going to the boat Saturday morning & the meet was about 3 miles off 95. Had not been there in many years. Was a fine day. It's a great O intro area or, of course, walking/jogging with nice views of the salt marsh. Did "Get All" (25) and missed one - very close to the other that I went to but was fixated on the "next" that I could see from 100m away (boulder) and never looked back or around. Lots of short legs, good for a lot of map reorienting etc. I didn't really figure out how to punch where on the CC, 24 boxes, the points themselves were numbered 700 series but no dedicated box on the card. Punching 722 in #22 made sense plus extras in one corner but checking which punch what box, fwiw. And then to 95 and away.

Nottingcook walk with W from S. Bow Rd kiosk to end of WH road for a look-see of the OLLI walk 10/15. Woods aglow, quite a lot of leaves down. Bright, breezy, cool today - the only sunny day in the week. I’m impressed with how good Nottingcook looked. It’s been like the girl next door (as an adolescent) or the food from your boss’ kitchen. But one day (or eventually) you discover what you’d been missing or ignored - in your backyard.

Bog glimpse

Boundary walk with Ken - Boucher & Stone Wall easements vs 23 neighboring acres being developed but with only a few houses. Didn't have a gps - a gpx of the snow mobile trail thru Boucher would be most helpful. We found the boundaries/walls with some degree of ability and guessing too. Was reminded how attractive the Boucher place is with fields, a few old roads and small buildings as well as clean woods near the drive. Spent about 2 hours out - longer than I'd planned on.

Cool, gray day. Had planned S.Bow kiosk to end of Woodhill-Hooksett but the day got away from me.

Stoney Brook with W, late pm. Gray, breezy, quite nice. We smelled death and actually came upon a bear bait trap right up against the Chadwick easement. The green bucket is full of stinking animal rot and a piece of deer meat rests on top of the sticks.There was a note in plastic bag explaining, presumably legalizing the not-at-all challenging shooting of any hapless bear from the hunter's stand about 100' away in a tree.

Bog was empty, fall is filling in.

October 1st, Nottingcook walk with Willow around 4pm. Cloudy all day. Met a woman with two dogs that were focused on W who obediently did what a youngster should do to prevent getting chewed up. So only growls. Colors coming on, tall grass, no obvious ticks, no sticking seeds.