Training Log Archive: JayXC

Mtn bike ride cont'd

We set out with DART to hit LL and struggled to find the easiest CP on the course which wasn't a good sign. We actually left without it, changing our plan on the fly. At KK we ran into another team who indicated they'd found it so our plan changed again. We then went to HH-DD-GG-EE and ran into Tecnu on our way up to FF. Next was CC then LL again then up to AA and BB.



EG and I about to find out Tecnu and Bushwhacker put some time on us...


When we got back to the TA DART's bikes were still there but Bushwhacker and Tecnu had already left.




DART running back to the TA on the main road through the Score-O course.

There was quite a climb up towards the WISP resort. Time was starting to become an issue if we were going to clear the course. We kept the pace up the entire way despite the wind and made it back to the resort around 11:45a.



Looking back over Deep Creek Park as we climbed and climbed.

We emptied out our packs of non-essential gear, put our shoes on and headed uphill to the first CP which was the easiest one of the three we needed to clear the course. The next one was a spur down the backside of the resort ski hill near the bike trails we had ridden the day before and we spiked that one as well at 12:50p. We briefly discussed the last one and decided we'd give it shot knowing that if we didn't find it we had thrown 3rd away thinking that DART would only have time for 2 of the CPs and certainly would find them and return to the finish before we did so the pressure was on.

We made it to the other side of the creek, found the reentrant in the hail and then found the point in 12 minutes. We now only needed to get back to the finish before 2p. We ran the entire way and EG did a great job getting us through the maze of trails. I knew it was going to be close and wasn't really sure we were going to make it in time until we hit the top near the ww park. We flew down the Cat trail to the lodge and checked in only to find out that Bushwhacker had just finished 30 seconds in front of us.

I thought we raced very well together, made smart decisions and I'm pleased with how we finished. We'll continue to learn and adjust for next time.



3rd place overall.

C • Congratulations! 11

Event: 2014 US Nationals
 

Run up to ww park, lap of the park then run back to lodge.



Funny, I thought it was Mindy right behind me...


Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo Phtography. Thanks!

Bike back up to the ww park lodge for the KOM leg. Failure to actually punch cp2 as we rolled through meant I had to return again a few minutes later and negate any chance at the actual fastest time. Got stuck in a line of racers bikewhacking down an overgrown jeep trail. Fortunately EG recognized it as not the trail we wanted and we headed up hill to find the correct trail without wasting too much time.

Run from TA to canoe put-in with paddle gear.

On Deep Creek Reservoir. Nice to have a legitimate paddle at a Natls finally.

Windy paddle with the wind right into our faces and waves in my lap. Had to stop once to empty out the boat along the way. Committed to trying to clear the course by getting the two distant cp's despite not knowing what the Score-O later on looked like. We did know it was supposively 4-5 hours and 3500' of elevation gain.



Arriving at TA2

Paddle went well and we passed TOG and Bushwhacker before getting to the first point. Saw Tecnu and DART on the out and back portion so we had a good gage of where we were relative to the lead.

In retrospect it made more sense to do the first orienteering section first and not at the end of the paddle as the weather cleared up considerably by the time we hit the take-out.

C • short paddle first 4

C • Drag-a-boat 2

Scramble-O. Managed to misplot one of the points in the am and it took us about 15 minutes to finally decide to re-plot it in the field. I said 050 and EG thought I said 500 apparently. Spent most of the leg traveling with TOG.

Paddle back to the put-in from TA2.

Biking to Savage Mtn State Forest picking up CPs along the way in a fierce downpour. Passed DART going the opposite rotation as us on the northern points. Saw KP's bike at the bike drop for the last CP in that group and we figured it was either DART, BW or us in the lead.

At the southern CPs we decided to bikewhack to the reentrant CP with the intention of hitting the jeep trail below it. Turns out that trail is very subtle and we missed it, descending further. Climbing back up thru the Rhoto and briar didn't seem appealing so we rolled the dice and climbed up to the east onto the nearby spur which was much thinner veg and found our jeep trail not too long after. Within 800m on it we found a pasture and EG decided to try to go under it when he discovered it was electrified. Funny, he has the same reaction Bash does when electrocuted.

With our detour we figured we were back behind a number of teams now and were surprised when we met up with Bushwhacker on the way to the Score-O TA and found DART still transitioning when we got there.

Event: USARA Nationals
 

Travel to Mchenry, MD.

Spin on the trainer.

C • Seriously? 8

Run around MPP after SJU's XC meet.