Training Log Archive: PG

Sunday's map (click on map for a larger version) --

Day 2, 4.0 km beeline, plenty of climb.

OK. Only problem was spacing out a bit on the way to 4, took me a lot longer than it should have to make sense of where I'd gotten myself.

And such a strange course, in particular some of the control locations -- very small rocks or cliffs that in some cases shouldn't have been on the map. My sense is that the controls were decided on before a terrain visit, and not changed even if the actual site was pretty weak. I can't imagine that someone actually picked them all based on what they saw in the terrain. I guess we need to do a better job educating....

Overall, the weekend was a great success. (1) Don't think I hurt myself Saturday despite a dozen falls; (2) lots of sunshine, so nice hanging out at the finish; (3) good dinner with Charlie and Rhonda and Ken Sr and, the star of the evening, Bill Duncan; (4) don't think I hurt myself Sunday either, only 2 or 3 falls; and (5) a final treat, stopping for lunch on the way home today, excellent Thai food in Beacon. Very glad we went. Just wish Gail's knees were doing better.

Brown X day 2 - Splits

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

BrownX course, M70, 5.0 straight-line, 105 meters climb advertised, actual about 270.

Classic West Point orienteering, the likes of which we haven't seen for years. Well, maybe not the really classic old-time stuff as all the controls were in more or less the right spot. But still, the course was about 50% too long, and not flat..

But, as they say, whatever. I was out for a mellow walk/jog in the woods. Which is what I did, though I should make it clear that a mellow walk/jog is the same thing as "race pace" these days, especially on a warm day as this was. Had no inclination to go the slightest bit faster, though I will admit to running the whole finish chute, all 210 meters, not a single walking break. Though I was very tempted.... :-)

No mistakes of any substances. There is the phrase, usually used when the course is easy, "Any O' course is hard if you run fast enough." Can one also say that any course (at least the navigation part) is easy if you go slowly enough? I am certainly testing the theory.

Nice to see lots of friends. That was the reason for coming.

And the legs seem to have escaped any trauma. Though I did fall about a dozen times.

Today's map (click on map for larger version) --

Brown X Day 1 - Splits

The final numbers are in for the fund-raising for the juniors tied in with the Boston Marathon, and they are wonderful. When everything is totaled up, the donations were --

For the junior team -- $22,538
For the ski-O team juniors -- $514
For the senior team -- $674

Overall total -- $23,718

As I said, wonderful.

Thanks to the following for their donations:

Phil Bricker
George and Lyn Walker
JJ Cote
Andrea Schneider
Kris Beecroft
Ross Smith and Sam Saeger
Cristina Luis
Tom Overbaugh
Alex Jospe
Peggy Dickison
George Minarek
Clint Morse
Glen and Janet Tryson
Dennis Wildfogel
Charlie DeWeese
Tom Overbaugh
Ernst Linder
Valerie Meyer
Peter Gagarin
Jamie Gagarin
Peter Goodwin
Becky Carlisle
Valerie Meyer
Bob Lux
Carl and Mary Jo Childs
Rick Worner
Dick Detweiler
Ian Smith
Rich Davisson
Eric Smith
Anne Billman
Sharon Crawford
Jim Arsenault
Mike and Vivian Fritz
Mike Lyons
Guy Olsen
Maryann Cassidy
Leif Akerblom
Brenda Blacklock
Jeff Saeger and Judy Karpinski
Rudy Schwarz
Ed Despard
Niels Lyng-Olsen
Sandra Fillebrown
Edward Niemann
Barbara Bryant
Walter & Patricia Lyons
James Henderson
David Yee
Hans Bengtsson
Ken Walker Sr
Stina Bridgeman
Anonymous

I don't expect to be running another marathon anytime soon. But I do expect that there will be many more opportunities to help our younger orienteers -- not just financially, but also through anything from coaching to transportation to just encouragement or showing an interest in them. Many of you already do this, and do it a lot. It makes a difference.

Finally, just a personal note. I was thinking about your pledges every single mile into Boston. It turned an experience that I feared would be difficult and depressing into one that, while still difficult, was also exhilarating. I will remember it fondly for a long time. Thank you.

And I know the juniors thank you too.

C • Amazing! 2

Last week Genia, Michael, Gail, and I went to a small celebration at the Litchfield library in honor of Jamie. She was involved with the library for decades in all sorts of roles, from Board president to volunteer. More recently, she made a donation to the library, part of which was used to upgrade the community room. The celebration was in her honor. But, given that there were quite a few people there and it was in the evening, when she is generally not at her best, she didn’t attend. The plan was to go visit there some nice spring morning.

Today was beautiful, and I headed off to Litchfield after breakfast. Jamie was all ready to go, knew exactly what was up. Lina is expert at handling the wheelchair, and she was a master at negotiating the hill on Gallows Lane (and for sure wasn’t going to let me do it!).

Ann-Marie, the library director, met us. First stop was just outside the community room, where the plaque is, photos there, and then inside and more photos. Everything looked great. The library is a wonderful place.

And then time to head home.

It was a fine visit. Jamie enjoyed it. Couldn’t have asked for a better outing.