Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Rained much of the morning and early afternoon, and then cleared out beautifully everywhere west of the Laramie Range. Up top on the Range, however, thick fog set in, with temps about 20 degrees cooler than yesterday.

It's rained 3 out of the last 5 days, with good or better amounts of rain each time, with one real gully washer. A pleasant change, and it's done wonders for both gardens and the air quality. For a change, it's not hazy out.

Biked out past the airport after the rains today, under clear blue skies and with a cool wind blowing out of the south. Thanks, Denver! There were a number of helicopters out at the airport. Not sure why, as all the local fires seem to be done.

Then headed up top to run in the fog. Thought it might clear off while I was up, but it didn't Saw numerous odd tracks in the trail in several places, all headed the same way. It looked to me like they might have been martian tracks, or maybe cows. Hmmm, probably cows.

On the way home, and just after exiting off the interstate, I saw--almost simultaneously--a nighthawk fly right in front of my truck, an owl flying over the road further ahead, the thin crescent moon higher up and slightly further away, and the planet Venus. It looked like Venus and the moon were planning an illicit rendezvous in the skies, if such a thing is even possible.

According to certain ancient runes inscribed on stones near Västerås, a man who sees all of these things is destined for greatness, and included in the pantheon of such men are Alexander the Great, Leonardo de Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Dennis Rodman (Dennis Rodman??). I'm no scholar, but personally I have long thought that some of that must have been mistranslated.

In the meantime, I await my destiny. And the crazy ants which Tom Carr is sending.

C • illicit rendezvous 1

Spent a long afternoon in the sun and the grass--a lot of grass, and a whole lot of grass seeds, with especially ample amounts of foxtails--making some revisions out at Twin Boulders. Today it was the ATVers that were out in force, with diminished amounts of sage buggies. As far as I could tell, nobody was listening to Chuck Prohet. Need more cows out at Twin Boulders, and when it comes to summer and cows, there is always reason to be optimistic.

Looking at the JWOC Middle Final area, and looking over the brand new Granite Planite map we will be using for the Rocky Mountain O' Festival middle day, my overwhelming thought is we are way, way vegetation deprived. Maybe we need to send out an urgent plea for orienteers everywhere to send as much of their thorns, vines, and invasive thick bushes as they can possibly spare.

Even then, it might not be enough.

C • On it. 7

For alternative training today, I changed guitar strings. I also did some biking and running, and watched a formidable downpour come pouring down. So that's like four alternative training things in one single day! But the real training effect for sure came with the string change--the other things were just icing on the cake.

Also, I finished drafting up Granite Planite and did rough course designs for our Middle day at the Rocky Mountain O' Fest. To test my course setting skills, I tried to set a really good Blue Middle using only 4 controls. I don't think I succeeded. Some people maintain less is more, but in this case after studying the result, even they might conclude more would be better.

I think more would be better.

Rode down to the river today to examine the dropping water levels and expanding sandbars. Ran intervals in the early evening, and had the particular dirt road I was running on completely to myself. Mondays do tend to be somewhat less frenetic up there.