Training Log Archive: Linear Ice

My first yellow leg, on the MNOC White relay team which consisted of Julia (orange) then me, Jim Mullin (Brown) and Mike Carlson (Green)

Julia ran a fast orange; especially the first half where it was pretty thrilling to hear that she was in the lead for 12 point teams when they popped into view about half way through the course. Must have irritated the other teams, because they fought back a bit, and Julia had a rare mind-block near the finish, so we were slightly behind when I went.
I was SO glad to be running yellow, because I may be one of the least consistent runners I know, I'm out of shape, sick, and wanted to make sure I didn't have a huge error. Which I didn't. In fact, I've had many 300 m legs on courses that were longer than my total time on this one.
I did not run perfectly by any means, took a couple of "short cuts" that got me stuck in some fairly unrunnable areas, and walked up the big hills which shouldn't be necessary on a 2.2 k course. So I ended up with over 21 minutes, but it was good enough to put us in the lead.
The advanced courses turned out to be fairly grueling and difficult and burrful; Jim Mullin and Mike Carlson put in strong efforts, but some of the other teams put in great times and we ended up with chocolate chip cookies (really awesome ones that Dana made) instead of medals. I think that made us all plenty happy; really really great to be around MNOC people and actually have a couple of relay teams too.
Even going out for chili afterwards. :-)

Yellow - Splits

Event: OCIN A-meet (Night, Relay, Ultra-long)
 

My results came back with another mp. Which made me say "huh?" because I really really checked every single control to make sure that my clue sheet and the control matched.
Except.... as it turns out, at the water stop. (thanks, maprunner, for pointing out there were two water stops near each other.) Then it all came back to me. My thoughts at the water stop were:
"Punch first, then drink"
"don't drink out of the water jug." (not that I do, but I also think "don't shoplift" when there's cameras in a store and I don't shoplift either and after all the talk on AP about drinking for water jugs, I already felt guilty for something I wasn't planning on doing.)
then "good thing I'm not planning on drinking from the water jug, I could get everyone sick with my cold"
then "wow, I'm only the second cup here... that's cool, I must be doing okay" (I was in the third start group, but this was the fifth control).
But what I never thought.... was CHECK the control code. So that's the one I mispunched.
Rest of course:
2 easy enough which was nice for an early night control
3 I recall hitting that one okay, although looking at it now it looks a wee bit lucky
4 ran for the big road, which seemed a really really long way away, then just went around the dark green, into the re-entrant and no problem. I think I also so Mike Carlson coming out around there.
5 okay, bad me
6 got a little distracted on the trail to six..... but ended up back on track soon enough and found it without too much trouble and by then there seemed to be a pack of red runners and green runners around (most of this course was blissfully and a bit worrisomely dark and lonely)
7-8-9 just pay attention
10 not a problem
11 was horrendous. I didn't go far enough to 11 or high enough, then wandered around in circles, debating whether to go back to 10 back and forth, back and forth, back and forth and eventually cheated a little and saw where someone else went and said SHOOT I should have pace counted I was on the right track. Hated my orienteering self a bit here.
12 Crossed road, took path to near trail bend and cut in to the control
13 Wandered around for quite a while, I think a couple of gullies too early. Saw Ian Smith (I think?) whip by on the lower path, and thought maybe I'd follow him for a bit (I know, this makes no sense) and then looked up the gully to the left and saw the control.
14 was a little low, then went up high and saw a rat's nest of people who just also found the punch and went to join them
15 took the trail, mostly, just wanting to be done without another boom
done
and really really had a good time. Great course, not too impossibly hard for a Night-O and still lots of terrain to cover. Not really sure of my time.
I should have gps track and I'll add that and map later this week.


HA> just ran across this photo on OCINs site, and I think it proves that YES, I do typically check control codes. Although this was from NAOC middle I think.

US_Night_2012_Green - Splits

Andrei planned another fun Score-O. Lake Elmo has numerous updates near the awesome new xc ski building; paths, roads, vegetations and contours have changed a bit. I spent some time wondering whether the Seekers would be able to get their mind around all that, even with "course setters notes" and thought the better of placing control there.... other control was on unfindable boulder (Minnesota has the world's smallest boulder), and other ambiguous spots (to me) so it took some time to set these easy controls correctly.
Was great to have most of the Seekers, the newest of which is Darryn's son who just happens to be the same age as the other kids and already has some orienteering experience. It would be great to have another MNOC family involved!
A few adults also joined in.... Stephen, Robin, Andrea, Chris. Other than Andrea, they're also learning and this is a great way to practice on some easy courses. (If anyone knows of others who want basic training, just let me know and we'll add them to the list).
We did kind of "call the course" early and retrieved our kids and controls; it was just a bit cold and the snow made for wet feet. Some of them were underdressed for the cold wind. Was becoming unfun.