Training Log Archive: PG

Today's route. Has Quickroute ever been used for such a fine map? Actually, it sure makes up in legibility for what it may lack in accuracy.:-)

And for my latest sniping about the accuracy of the 305, from elapsed time of 32:17 to 33:23, the distance covered doesn't change, even though the track continues and even has a couple of bends in it. And I was not standing still. Is the 305 just having a senior moment?

C • Declination 5

Stopped on the way home at the Harwinton Conservation and Recreation Area (after first stopping at Town Hall to get a map). Just about right for what I wanted, enough trails that 30+ minutes covered almost all with only a little repetition. It plus the adjacent schools and town buildings and playing fields could make a nice O' map, but I don't live around there so it's not going to happen.

Plus, I don't have the skills that some people seem to -- go find some LIDAR, process it, add in info from the aerial photos, add the GPS tracks from running the trails -- a couple of hours and you've got a suitable map, go out and add the stones walls and rocks if you feel like it, could be done in a day.

Would be nice, but I think I'm too old and too stupid for that.

Legs could have been worse, given yesterday's exertions. And manage to run, albeit slowly, up all the hills.

C • Roraback WMA 9

Event: NEOC: Blue Hills Traverse
 

Blue Hills Traverse. Very much enjoyed the course, it was set to be a fast course, lots of trail running possible, not one of those courses where they are trying to keep you off the trails.

I'm sure a purist would say it wasn't interesting enough, wasn't challenging enough, too many legs where there were a couple of choices and they were both easy, no legs where all the choices were bad, too many easy controls.

So what, it was fun. And that trumps all that other stuff.

Legs felt OK, helps being cool, mid-40s. Tried to pace myself, run without stress, think I managed pretty well, felt not too bad right to the end. Though one other goal, run gently/smoothly in the woods, I was trying but still had 6 or 8 hard falls, every one miserable for my shoulders. And I really was trying.

I had a nice mix of solo running and company. Part of the solo running is because in these mass-start events I'm always willing to take a different route if I think it's better. So on 2-3 I went off the map, think it was the best route even though I screwed it up when I got back on the map, lost a minute or two.

Picked up Izzy and a guy I didn't know at 6, picked up JJ on the way to 7, picked up Katia and Mika and Clint on the way to 8. So quite a crowd through the spectator loop 10-13.

Did my own thing to 14, far right route, coming in on the route to 15 the last 700 meters to see who was ahead. Not the best route, maybe a minute slower but I enjoyed it. Also seemed to have lost a couple of companions in the process.

To 15, Izzy was ahead (and she seemed to be doing here own orienteering all the time, not just following, good for her), pulling away, also still with Katia, nice company! Did 16-17-18 very smoothly, then 19, the only bad control of the course, not that it was wrong, just not a good place to put a control, too much crap. Caught up to Ernst there, he'd been looking for 10 minutes, also Ben G, also a couple others I didn't know. Guessed right, found 19 without much delay, everyone else too at that point.

So off to the races, couldn't keep up with the others, just stubborn enough up and down the last hill to get in ahead of Katia.

And quite delighted with the day.

I'm sure someone will post the map (I'm at my mom's, no scanner). Which reminds me, it was 1:15, first 1/15 I've been on for a while and my gut feeling about distance was off several times.

Here is a copy of the map with Magnus's route.

Traverse - Splits

Taking a look at some of the west part of the Earl's Trails map -- I'm working on the Billygoat course and just want to see if there were any obvious changes. Found one, a guy is building a barn, of no consequence to an orienteering course. Had a nice chat with him.

Woods look very nice.

Also trying to figure out if Speedy Goat courses can fit in a little section of the map. I think they could, but not sure if there are better alternatives for the SG. Or whether there will be a SG?

Mix of a hike and a jog -- the former being the climb up the telephone line on the other side of Mt. Toby, ran the first 100 yards or so and decided that was enough. But a pleasant enough outing.

Entertainment was the pre-election politics edition of This American Life. Good entertainment, though I'm glad I don't live in New Hampshire. And got me wondering what percentage of orienteers in the country are in red states and what percentage in blue states. My gut feeling is that more are in the latter, though it might depend on who you count as an orienteer. Certainly the best terrain is in the blue states.

C • Most definitely 25

Robert Frost loop (because it picks up part of the RF trail) on Mt. Toby, same as last Tuesday except I did the lollipop in the other direction. And felt a little better too, though still had to walk one bit. A couple minutes faster, exactly the same average and max heart rates for whatever that's worth -- probably not significant, since the same measuring device claims that the route got .16 miles shorter.

Which has me wondering about the 305, fine toy that it is. If we know the distance measuring is bogus at times, and we know the heart rate measuring is bogus at times, is there any reason not to believe the time measuring is also not bogus at times?

C • Measuring time is easy, 2

A couple of times up South Sugarloaf, hiking up the trail, running down the road. Not much energy, was a struggle getting out the door.

And earlier, in a game scheduled at 10 am on a weekday to get on TV, saw my local team and my alma mater go at it, a three-pointer at the buzzer winning it for the local team, much to my satisfaction. The alma mater was not helped by the fact the two of its best players have departed after a cheating scandal.

I wonder what the difference in average IQ was between the teams. 25? 50? 75?

But it was an entertaining game and a good visit with my friend Seth.