Training Log Archive: PG

Event report for the NEOC web page.

C • A lovely report 1

Found at Cemetery Hill: pair of running shoes, Mizuno Wave Rider 15, size 8.5 women's with orthotics in them.

Lost at Earl's Trails: green EMS Mid-weight Techwick zip-top shirt.

If you have lost the shoes or found the shirt, please contact me (pg@crocker.com).

At my mom's in Litchfield after picking up my brother at the airport. Out of one universe and into another.

The 5-Day is over.... :-)

I'll write a bunch more in the next couple of days. For now I'll just say that I am delighted (and relieved). It met all my hopes and expectations. A huge number of people pitched in to help in totally competent ways, and always with a good attitude and a smile, including cleaning up the meet site each day -- we left Mt. Tom at 4 pm, everything done.

The results crew -- Valerie, Ed, Jim -- was fabulous, better than ever and they were already awesome. Ditto for my woods crew -- Phil, Ali, and Alex. And lots of help from the ski-O crowd, including control pick-up, that made the concept of using the event as a fund-raiser for the ski-O team even that much more rewarding. And a lot of help from others who just did so with a smile every time I asked, or even just when they saw something that needed doing.

Such a good feeling being associated with this crowd. So many people leaving with a smile on their face. The memories will be very fond.

C • Thank you! 6

And I forgot there is one more person I particularly want to thank and that is Boris Granovskiy. Boris was my course consultant for the two A meets (Days 1 and 2 at Earl's Trail). I had never had a course consultant before (and almost never even a vetter), and I was a little unsure how it would play out, plus we didn't have much time, couldn't really get started until after tax season, and then the week after that I had family matters to attend to.

So I told him right off the bat that we didn't have much time.

He was cool. I'd e-mail him course designs, starting right from the beginning when I had my first routings. Within a day or two he responded. A bunch of suggestions. Usually about 75% I'd agree with. The others, sometimes I'd suggest an alternative change, sometimes I'd defend what I'd done.

We did maybe 4 round trips. And each time there is no doubt in my mind that the courses got better.

At some point I said, OK, this is it, no more changes. He asked if he could see the final product after JJ had made all the changes. So I sent to to him. And they came back one more time with about two pages of the most nit-picking suggestions you could imagine. Move this number just a little this way, cut this line a little here, and so on and so on.

And every single one made the courses better, the map easier to read.

If you ever get the chance to have him as a course consultant, grab it.

Event: Western Mass 5-Day
 

A good day. But very tired.

C • Good? 16

Putting out controls.

Putting out and checking controls, and more water.

C • Water 8

Putting out the last bunch of controls just before dark. Getting tired, even though I'm just walking.

Hope people enjoy the 5-day. It may, as with the Superstars, be 20 years before the next edition.... :-)

C • Good luck this weekend 1

Ali says she's OK, but it's not so good when one of your main organizers is in a bike accident 2 days brfore the event. Initial damage report is 13 stitches to the chin.... :-(

My fear is that Alex's competitive nature will now try to top it.

C • Oh no! 7

Same as yesterday. Since yesterday's run got panned by Alex -- "You only went up once!" -- there is no point in denying that today's was equally lame.

Two more trips carrying water, which should do. And clearing a trail, and spraying some poison ivy, and trimming a little foliage at one control site. Just the stray mosquito, but one more tick, that's four for the season (as compared to none all fall while mapping).

A little warm-up and then once up South Sugarloaf, just to see how bad it felt. I suppose it could have been worse. Just haven't been doing any training. Only good thing is the G is slowly but steadily going down.

Checking points at Cemetery Hill. Looks good.

Steady rain.

Two trips hauling water up the hill, 15 minutes up, 11 down. Woods still look nice despite the full leaf-out.

Five days to go. Note that I'm counting until when it's over, not when it starts. Three days to get all the preparations done and I think we are on schedule.

C • Dragon 10