Training Log Archive: jima

Event: Blue Hills Traverse
 

Blue Hills Traverse - Ponkapoag and Blue Hills West maps. 13.1 km advertised, ~15.2 as I ran it.
Knew I wasn't going to be fast out of the start, and decided to not push overly hard until I was warmed up a bit. Was passed by lots of folks on the way to 1, but kept contact with the ever shifting group. Went left to 2, cutting along through the woods above the marsh where I made us some time on those who stayed on the trails. Jon C, Alex and Ernst came blazing out of the woods as a bunch of us were heading in by the E end of the fenced in area. Opted to go right to 3 with most others going left - fine by me so I wouldn't burn myself out too early. Plenty of familiar folks around.
Took trail around to the left then cut back in to 5, might have lost a bit of time there. Pretty clean 6,7,8,9 and into 10. Appears some folks had trouble with 10 as there were some there who had been pulling ahead earlier.
Slogged along the road run, then a fun Saeger loop. Some back and forth with Phil, Evalin, Maria and a couple others.
Got sucked to the left with Evalin to 14, Doug Sevon made up some time by going straight to it.
Screwed up to 5 by cutting to the left onto the dashed trail before passing between the marshes rather than staying straight behind Evalin - Phil and Evgeny made up some time on me, then I was behind them up the hill. Saw Maira at 15, I had a better approach than Phil et al, who had climbed up through the rocks.
Same crowd again at 16 & 17.
Went left 17-18 and helped at 18 by Evalin coming in from one side and Evgeny from the other.
19 and 20 OK - first out of 20 by not stopping for water - still had plenty in my bottle. Other catching up on the road run, then 4 of us along the upper trail. Maintained contact with them, even though they were pulling ahead, then cleaner and straighter into 21. I stayed higher to the left to 22, was afraid they;'d gone, but saw Maria climbing up ahead of me, then she stayed too far left. Evalin crossed in front of me into the control. I went left to the trail then cut over, saw the knoll and wandered downhill, looping around when Maria came in from below obviously on a beeline. I cut back below her and got the control just ahead of her, no sight of Evalin.
Went just right of the line to 24, coming in along the dashed trail, the went down the spur instead of the road to the bend. Saw the spectators which helped. Down the road, but not looking closely enough at my map, to the stream bed and along an indistinct path to near the download. Someone helpfully pointed out that I should look at my map and that the last control was back thataway... Maria beat me to the punch.

Great course. Might have been faster overall if I'd pushed more at the beginning and hung with a faster pack, but just as likely would have crashed and burned and stumbled in much later.

Traverse - Splits

Slogging around the trails at RV Farm with about 4" of snow. Some of it was light and fluffy, some was heavy and wet, and there were sections of just wet. Foot prints around much of the main loop, but was the first one for much of the rest.