Training Log Archive: David_Waller

An okay run around MUNA. With the 73 bridge still out, all of my usual routes are shut-off, and I have no idea what distance I'm running or what kinds of times to expect. No big deal; it's still fun to be outside when the humidity is down.

Same run as Monday, with a little extra trail added-on near DeWitt cabin. Felt fine. It's nice to have sweat evaporate.

What a difference a day makes! With the humidity way down, I felt like I could run forever. A nice solid, although somewhat slow run through MUNA. Wore a new heart rate monitor that I got on the cheap at the Gaiam outlet in Westchester.

Night trail run at MUNA, on the way back from Mike's birthday party. I was surprised at how easy it felt, no doubt because the day's ridiculous heat had subsided. To me, night running feels intrinsically faster than in the day, even if it is not objectively so. Two hypotheses could explain this effect. First, at night, visual cues for velocity (optic flow) are much more local than in the day, when distant visible objects move very little across the retina as one moves. So most visual information at night moves rapidly over the retina, and this may be interpreted as faster-than-usual speed. Second, on the assumption that percevied velocity is a weighted combination of internal (e.g., kinesthetic, vestibular, proprioceptive) information and external (e.g., visual) information, night running may affect the weights of these inputs, which are presumably adjusted dynamically based on reliability. Perceived velocity based on heavily-weighted idiothetic signals may just seem "faster" than usual.

C • Wooosshhh 2

Event: OCIN FAST-O - Miami University
 

Having set this course and been over it a number of times, I felt pretty confident that I made good route choices. I started strong, but sagged in the heat and humidity and didn't finish with much spring in my step. Perhaps putting nearly all of the climb in the first three controls also contributed to the difficulty of finishing the course strong.

Course 2 - Splits

The weather is really bringing me down. Another depressingly slow, drag-ass, sweat-fest. I think I'm through for a while going out in the heat of the day; my body refuses to acclimate.

Blah.

Participated in Bob Ronker's East Fork Backpack Trail Run this morning. It's a handicapped run, with slow runners starting first and faster runners starting later. Based on my age and previous performance at one of these events, I was given a 14 minute handicap, the 37th start out of 75. I passed at least 30 people in the first four miles and gutted it out to the end, never getting passed. There were a few people who finished in front of me, but not too many.

Staying on the trails in East Fork is the way to go this time of year, although I had to resist the occasional desire to barge through a reentrent. All in all, it was a nice day to be out (though pretty humid) and the trail was in great shape.

C • East Fork Trail Run 2

I had no ambition to make this a fast run, and indeed, it might have been the slowest I have ever run this particular course. Felt strong for a few miles, but tired quickly in the heat and humidity.

Night-O on the permanent course at Hueston Woods (Lodge). I wanted to run controls 20 - 11, roughly in that order (switching 17 and 16, I think) and, with a bit of a mis-step on #13, basically spiked the first 8. The last two, though, completely sucked. I know that I was in the circle for #12, but eventually gave up on it. When I drifted into the honesuckle forests north of #11, I just called it quits for the night. There was tons of (unmapped) deadfall, a whole lot of nettles, and the powerline trail was extremely dense and thorny. Had I planned on only hitting 8 contronls, it would have been a blast.

At least it was nice to beat the heat, to do some O on Thursday, and to get a bit of practice for the NSF's Night Rogaine in August.

C • Impressive 3

Vinyasa I w/ Scott. Supta baddha konasana for sivasana!

One more time out at Western, this time running both courses in full, non-stop, end-to-end. Although more thought probably went into the design of course 2, I now think that course 1 is actually a little better. The maps for this meet were printed several weeks ago, and a few things have changed that may affect runners, especially on course 2. Also found a mistake on the course 2 clue sheet. I'll have to make some explicit course notes. A really hot, humid, miserable, and slow run.

Hueston Woods loop, felt really good with less humidity today, and I thought I was doing a pretty strong run; however, my time was relatively slow.

A brutal run through MUNA in outrageously humid conditions. After singing the praises of my head-band to my running partner, Eric, it promptly became saturated and completely worthless after about 2 miles. I told Eric truthfully after the run that if we had exerted the same energy on that run it in the Autumn, it would have been 20 minutes faster.

Event: OCIN FAST-O - Joyce Park
 

A very fun sprint course designed by Pat Meehan.

Course 2:

1-5. a nice opening. not too challenging navigationally (but some nice options getting to #2). These controls gave me time to settle into a rhythm.

6-8. I had a small mistake on the way to #6 because I had drifted south and did not find the little connector trail near the road sign. I had to bushwhack through the green to get to the trail, and then follow it to the ruin. (BTW, the vinca in that section is gorgeous.) Having messed up at #6, I was a bit flustered going into #7 and didn't have an exit strategy. When I punched #7, I had no idea where #8 was. Thinking that much of the course was still North of me, I stepped down to the bike trail and started walking up it to regroup. Stupid. My next leg was in the totally opposite direction! So I went back, passed #7 again, and bushwhacked through the green to the road on the way to #8. This was my biggest mistake of the night and probably cost me ca. 15 seconds.

8-9. Pat artfully set up the classic decision here: direct way through green versus a safe but seriously long detour. I opted for the green route, which, in retrospect, I don't regret. I took a very direct line, but felt a little slow through the woods. Face-high nettles didn't encourage me. I probably could have sprinted around the woods a few seconds faster, but would have been completely exhausted on reaching #9. No regrets.

10-F. A barrage of controls along the river, some in very pretty locations. Of course, I was too tired to really appreciate them fully. The leg from 16 to the finish was very well-set: several fence-related decision needed to be made quickly at a time when runners were completely drained mentally.

Very fun course.

/Course 1:

This course was a clinic in control placement. Many controls were visible along the route, but never the one that you approached. One of the biggest head-rushes in the sport is thinking "the control will be behind that object", sprinting to the object, turning the corner, and seeing the control. The image of a control suddenly appearing exactly where you expect it definitely releases endorphins. This course offered a lot of these rewards.

I spiked most of the controls, except #4. Same story: I had run 1, 2, 3 too quickly and didn't have a clue where 4 would be as I approaced #3. The time I saved in running the first few controls quickly was instantly frittered away by having to figure out where 4 was. I could have run the whole opening much more smoothly.

I passed Steve Vaughan shadowing his kids in the woods on the way to #9. It was very cool to see a barefoot orienteer. By #11 I was exhausted and just tried to hold it together to the finish. I was proud of my route from #13 to the finish, but wonder if it went through private property that should have been X'ed out on the map?

Easy control pickup -- Joe Burkhead did most of the heavy lifting and I just jogged to some of the nearby controls.

Thanks for a fun event, Pat.

Course 2 - Splits

Course 1 - Splits

Course 1 - Splits

Vinyasa I with Scott. Felt great.

More vetting out on Western campus, just for the hell of it. Quite hot out; in this weather, I can't run for more than 45 or 55 minutes without water, so I jogged back early. Found a stray O-bag in the middle of the woods that was clearly OCIN's next to a kid's fort . I played the grinch and brought it home.

Field checking for the Western meet on 22 July. Course 2 will definitely adhere to Pat Meehan's "get-the-IQ-in-the-toilet-early-on" principle.

C • IQ-in-the-toilet 1

Long slow run around Acton Lake. Got off-trail for a few miles, sometimes as a shortcut, sometimes not. The bike trails at the NW of the lake still confuse the hell out of me. I don't think that I have ever run the same course through there.

C • Cool run 3