Training Log Archive: SwampfoxIn the 31 days ending Jul 31, 2008:
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Thursday Jul 31, 2008 #
Orienteering 35:00 [2]
Orienteering 1:05:00 [2]
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 #
town biking 1:17:00 [3]
Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 #
town biking 23:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:18:00 [4]
Monday Jul 28, 2008 #
town biking 34:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:30:00 [4]
Test running out at Day 2.
Sunday Jul 27, 2008 #
biking 1:34:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:07:00 [3]
Saturday Jul 26, 2008 #
town biking 34:00 [3]
secret mtn bike training 2:11:00 [3]
Rode secretly on portions of the Laramie Enduro course. Nothing I've seen makes me think riding this race would be wise; I would finish days, if not weeks, after the next last finisher.
Orienteering 54:00 [3]
Friday Jul 25, 2008 #
Orienteering 1:58:00 [3]
Test running more courses, this time over at Day 2. Quite pleased to see the Grounds Crew was hard at work getting the grasses and other greens to just the perfect height!
Tons of flagging was out along the main trail. I'm sure it's entirely by coincidence the Laramie Enduro takes place tomorrow and the route runs along this trail.
And there was also a large herd of about 50 elk out, who, as far as I know, are not riding in the race tomorrow.
Tons of flagging was out along the main trail. I'm sure it's entirely by coincidence the Laramie Enduro takes place tomorrow and the route runs along this trail.
And there was also a large herd of about 50 elk out, who, as far as I know, are not riding in the race tomorrow.
Thursday Jul 24, 2008 #
biking 20:00 [3]
unsecret mtn bike training 55:00 [3]
After yesterday's nice thunderstorm, all the trails out of town were nicely, freshly washed down and ready for some new tracking.
Orienteering 1:17:00 [2]
Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 #
biking 1:33:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:32:00 [3]
Test ran a Day 1 Green. Was going to do this in frothy swimming wear, but it turns out that is is awfully hard to find any decent frothy swimming wear in Laramie. For quite a while I was bummed desperately, but after 5-10 seconds I recovered anyhow. And when I got home, I listened to Wilco until I was so mellow.
Probably should have tried Fort Collins. They have just about every rainbow imaginable down that way, and must have oodles of surplus frothy swimwear.
Probably should have tried Fort Collins. They have just about every rainbow imaginable down that way, and must have oodles of surplus frothy swimwear.
Tuesday Jul 22, 2008 #
biking 1:04:00 [3]
run 1:20:00 [2]
Monday Jul 21, 2008 #
biking 1:09:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:01:00 [4]
Sunday Jul 20, 2008 #
Orienteering 54:00 [3]
A perfectly beautiful way to end the day.
Note
As an homage to the fact Oringen is about to begin, and to Swedish cuisine in general, I cooked pasta for dinner tonight, and got out the ketchup.
Though I didn't actually use the ketchup! That would be taking things too far. Of course I used normal tomato sauce instead.
Though I didn't actually use the ketchup! That would be taking things too far. Of course I used normal tomato sauce instead.
Saturday Jul 19, 2008 #
biking 2:18:00 [3]
Classic summer day. Rode south as far as The Buttes. Turned around before I hit Texas.
Orienteering 40:00 [2]
Friday Jul 18, 2008 #
Note
Fun Wyoming fact: exactly one person has been killed by an elephant in Wyoming history.
It is not believed that elephants will present any danger to competitors at the coming US Classic Championships in a few weeks.
It is not believed that elephants will present any danger to competitors at the coming US Classic Championships in a few weeks.
run 1:00:00 [2]
Ran up on the west rim up top, for a change of pace. There were still some mosquitos up there--quite a few, in fact, if you stopped in the wrong spot.
Thursday Jul 17, 2008 #
Note
Feeling slightly unbalanced while at work today, I wondered if it was that darned unsecret mountain biking training causing problems again! But it turned out to be nothing more than my chair having developed a slight list to one side.
Close call.
Close call.
Orienteering 1:40:00 [4]
Test ran Day 2 Blue in the early evening, after light showers went through up in the hills. It was cool and quite pleasant.
Now I've test ran a Brown, and a Red, Green, and the Blue for both days, so I have a good sense for how the terrain runs, the course flows, and the usability of the maps. I've made several small tweaks, and otherwise things look pretty well set now.
And--oh, yeah--the Day 2 area is the real deal. I was taking it at race pace most of the way around tonight, and it's as good as orienteering gets anywhere. I remember long ago Eric Weyman writing prior to the 1979 US Championships at Silvermine that the second day there would be as good as anything US orienteering had ever seen, or words to that effect, and that's about how I feel about the Day 2 area here. It's flat out exceptional.
It's also super clean. No use trying to find even a single briar cane or poison ivy leaf, because you'll come up empty. If anyone takes even a second step into any "high frustration" vegetation areas, it will be their own fault. It sure didn't happen to me anywhere.
Now I've test ran a Brown, and a Red, Green, and the Blue for both days, so I have a good sense for how the terrain runs, the course flows, and the usability of the maps. I've made several small tweaks, and otherwise things look pretty well set now.
And--oh, yeah--the Day 2 area is the real deal. I was taking it at race pace most of the way around tonight, and it's as good as orienteering gets anywhere. I remember long ago Eric Weyman writing prior to the 1979 US Championships at Silvermine that the second day there would be as good as anything US orienteering had ever seen, or words to that effect, and that's about how I feel about the Day 2 area here. It's flat out exceptional.
It's also super clean. No use trying to find even a single briar cane or poison ivy leaf, because you'll come up empty. If anyone takes even a second step into any "high frustration" vegetation areas, it will be their own fault. It sure didn't happen to me anywhere.
Wednesday Jul 16, 2008 #
unsecret mtn bike training 1:11:00 [3]
Did an inspection tour of a new road going in on the north side of town.
Orienteering 37:00 [2]
Note
Flowers are fading fast now up in the hills, as the lushness of spring goes over to those familiar mid-summer brown-yellowish greens of the curing grasses. This year's pink locos (and the meadow flowers in general) were exceptional--the best I've ever seen--but there will be no hint of them whatsoever on our lower map areas in just another few days. Mosquitos are fading fast too, and no tears are being shed over that un-sad development.
The cattle have been diligent and hard at work at clipping the annual growths in the Day 1 US Champs area down to racing height, and truly deserve praise for the outstanding work they have been putting in. But that would include praise for their cowpies too, and it's harder to muster the proper amount of enthusiasm for that, unless you are a manure loving fly.
Hopefully a few herds will be rounded up and moved over to the Day 2 area soon.
The cattle have been diligent and hard at work at clipping the annual growths in the Day 1 US Champs area down to racing height, and truly deserve praise for the outstanding work they have been putting in. But that would include praise for their cowpies too, and it's harder to muster the proper amount of enthusiasm for that, unless you are a manure loving fly.
Hopefully a few herds will be rounded up and moved over to the Day 2 area soon.
Tuesday Jul 15, 2008 #
biking 1:00:00 [3]
Down to the river and back through campus. Finally, the bike path is completely dry from end to end. It's fun to see the new crops of sandbars emerging out of the dropping river.
Orienteering 1:14:00 [2]
By the end of the day, it had gone dead calm, and a few passing ATVs left dust hanging in the air long after their sounds from their noisy engines had faded into the distance.
The cattle get a little antsy when ATVers come through. They can never be sure it isn't going to be some cowboys with some branding irons.
But it's nothing compared to how they react to the approach of pajama clad runners. They take one look, they stand right up, and then....they are *gone*! Anyone who says cattle can't run hasn't spent any time around cattle. There's a reason why cattle are specifically banned from the greyhound tracks, and it's because the dogs wouldn't stand a chance and would be so humiliated they would be worthless for racing ever again.
The cattle get a little antsy when ATVers come through. They can never be sure it isn't going to be some cowboys with some branding irons.
But it's nothing compared to how they react to the approach of pajama clad runners. They take one look, they stand right up, and then....they are *gone*! Anyone who says cattle can't run hasn't spent any time around cattle. There's a reason why cattle are specifically banned from the greyhound tracks, and it's because the dogs wouldn't stand a chance and would be so humiliated they would be worthless for racing ever again.
Monday Jul 14, 2008 #
biking 51:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:50:00 [4]
Test ran the Day 1 Blue course. Maybe others will want to allow for possible biases, but I thought it was super fun, so much so that when I finished, it seemed like such a shame that I wouldn't get to do tha actual race! I'm sure the feeling was helped by the fact that my legs were juiced, and it was easy to go faster, almost without even trying. Usually it takes some real effort for a slow-poke like me. Then, too, cattle were all around, and while it's hard to say why it should be so, it's always more fun to go running when the cattle are out in the woods. I guess because it gives the thing a little "twang", almost like you're down in the hot state of Texas!
Anyway, I just thought the course was a total blast, and it will be interesting to see what the actual racers think. It's anything but a "typical" course, so at any rate I'm not expecting uniformity of opinion. But you never know. Maybe everyone will hate it with equal measures of disgust. ; )
Anyway, I just thought the course was a total blast, and it will be interesting to see what the actual racers think. It's anything but a "typical" course, so at any rate I'm not expecting uniformity of opinion. But you never know. Maybe everyone will hate it with equal measures of disgust. ; )
Sunday Jul 13, 2008 #
biking 1:23:00 [3]
Another classic summer day! Water is *still* over the bikepath at the underpass on the greenbelt; I'm sure it's the latest I've ever seen water that high.
Orienteering 39:00 [3]
This finished up my "Tour de Daze". Now I've seen and streamered all the control locations, and hopefully a few of them jive with the correct spot in the terrain. But you never know. There are so many details you can get wrong when you're planning an O' race, and if you've never made any mistakes, then you probably haven't done much course setting. I nearly left a streamer in the wrong spot yesterday, but caught the mistake as I was headed off for the next control!
secret mtn bike training 52:00 [2]
Came home to find out that the King of Beers has agreed to become the ImBev of Beers. All hail the new ImBev! But I already knew it was going to happen, because last night god to me in a dream as a Bud Lite can, and told me it was his will.
Saturday Jul 12, 2008 #
Orienteering 1:25:00 [3]
Friday Jul 11, 2008 #
biking 1:46:00 [2]
Legs felt a bit under while I was riding.
At nearly exactly 5 o-clock, the wind shifted direction sharply, picked up, and the temps dropped about 10 degrees. Almost as good as AC!
At nearly exactly 5 o-clock, the wind shifted direction sharply, picked up, and the temps dropped about 10 degrees. Almost as good as AC!
Orienteering 1:05:00 [2]
Was only forced to dispatch one foolish mosquito. Didn't notice any hordes of dragonflies flitting about yet, though there were Hermit Thrushes singing sweetly off in the deeper parts of the forest.
Thursday Jul 10, 2008 #
unsecret mtn bike training 1:04:00 [3]
Rode some of the trails east from home, sticking as much as possible to the trails heading up the fall line, since bikes are for climbing. Classic summer weather--an almost cloudless sky, a hint of summer haze down in the valley nearer to the ground (as I was looking down on the valley from the height of the ride), warm, and a nice breeze to keep the feel set on Fresh. Naturally, no humidity to speak of.
Orienteering 1:32:00 [4]
Mercy! I was running hard, but it was not until well after I was done and feeling considerably wasted did I realize that maybe I had gone a little harder than I had thought at the time. But I survived, while one horsefly did not.
Wednesday Jul 9, 2008 #
biking 2:08:00 [3]
Rode south of town on 287; really surprised to see how busy the highway was--I'd guess that big truck traffic might be double or more of what it was just a few years ago. And, somehow, I don't think it has much to do with Laramie Daze. Excellent weather for riding. Hard to beat summer here, once it finally arrives!
Orienteering 1:12:00 [2]
Streamering up at Happy Jack, where the mosquitos were waiting and ready to do some chewing. But everytime I stopped to tie up a streamer and they dived in, I slapped a few of them down and told them they better enjoy it while it lasts, because the dragonflies are coming soon. Once the dragonflies make the scene, mosquitos are dead meat. Many more bike tracks marked the trails than runner's shoes.
Tuesday Jul 8, 2008 #
biking 1:09:00 [3]
A true Tour de Force de Laramie Power Effort, including fording the Laramie River where it still overswims the Greenbelt. But the river levels are dropping rapidly, and soon the graffiti artists can ply their chalked chicken pom drawings upon the asphalt pathway!
They can hardly wait.
They can hardly wait.
run intervals 1:42:00 [4]
Smashing fine weather in the early evening up in the hills, and seemingly I had it all to myself. Lots of birds were singing and cattle doing their moo thing, and that was about it. Really gorgeous out, and the pink loco weed this year is the finest I've ever seen it. The trails were powdery and fluffy, and put me in mind of some of the fine trails around the Bay Area I got to sample once upon a time. I ran mostly at Huddart, Edgewood County Park, Stanford Hills, and Rancho San Antonio in the time I was there, and it was outstanding trail running in just about every way possible. After thinking about the South Bay area while I was running, It was funny to come home and see a mention here (at AP) about Bay Area maps, etc.!
Recovery was hastened by re-fueling with most excellent pasta pesto of unusual provenance and secret recipe. But I can reveal no pine nuts were involved, nor any lime zest.
Recovery was hastened by re-fueling with most excellent pasta pesto of unusual provenance and secret recipe. But I can reveal no pine nuts were involved, nor any lime zest.
Monday Jul 7, 2008 #
unsecret mtn bike training 26:00 [3]
Note
I seem to have received an emergency javelina alert. I'm not sure what to do!
Orienteering 1:43:00 [2]
Out at Forrest Meadows, to hang Daze streamers. A brief thunderstorm cooled things off and crisped things up just before I set out, without leaving the grasses wet and heavy, so it couldn't have been more pleasant out. And I don't think I saw even a single mosquito either. I didn't hear a single ATV or any other vehicle the whole time I was out, so it was just birds and grasshoppers and crickets. The area now mapped as Forrest Meadows was one of the first places I ran when I moved to Laramie, and it's still one of my favorite places to step off the trails.
biking 55:00 [2]
Sunday Jul 6, 2008 #
Orienteering 1:44:00 [4]
Might have gone at this not quite topped off, because it didn't take more than a few minutes after cooling down to realize I was about 3 quarts low and quite spent. Thankfully it was partly cloudy while I was doing the work!
Saturday Jul 5, 2008 #
unsecret mtn bike training 30:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:23:00 [3]
Felt pretty decent today, and the wildflowers and the one coal black moose were spectacular!
Friday Jul 4, 2008 #
biking 1:41:00 [3]
The river is still too high to get all the way around on the greenbelt, and the little fishies are still loving it. There has been an explosion of floating parties on the Laramie River this year, but none today that I saw. I think 99.4% of the town was at Washington Park, where a *huge* celebration of the 4th was underway.
And, man, was it hot! Well over 80F out today, maybe even 81 or 82F.
And, man, was it hot! Well over 80F out today, maybe even 81 or 82F.
Orienteering 1:44:00 [3]
Thursday Jul 3, 2008 #
biking 42:00 [3]
run 1:27:00 [3]
biking 54:00 [2]
Wednesday Jul 2, 2008 #
Note
I have put up the terrain description for the coming US Classic Championships at: http://swampfoxridesagain.blogspot.com/
unsecret mtn bike training 20:00 [3]
Did bike dance to bring on thunderstorm.
run 46:00 [2]
biking 1:02:00 [2]
Tuesday Jul 1, 2008 #
biking 26:00 [3]
biking 53:00 [2]
run 1:20:00 [3]