Training Log Archive: dlevine

Random @ 12. Still started too fast (this machine instantly goes to your pace, albeit at a low incline to start) and had to slow down partway. Yikes!

Tim's handball goodbye. We did it up in Delevan at a court with a glass back so that we could film. Tim (young, fast, and leaving us), Steve (older and quick) and Jerry (older and less quick). With all of us skilled, it was a tiring evening.

First match was doubles: The draw was Tim and me. We warmed up more quickly than the other two and won 15-7.

Second match was cutthroat with Jerry taping. It was close for a while before Tim pulled away. Final was 9-15-12-x.

Third match had Steve taping. My serve was on and the match was dull. Final was 15-2-x-1.

Fourth match was my turn to tape. Steve got a 0-13-0 lead, but couldn't hold on as Tim roared back. Final was 15-14-2.

Fifth match was tight. Final was 15-12-9-x.

Sixth match had Tim insisting on taping. 15-x-4-0. (Serve was on.)

Seventh match (yes, we did take some breaks) was 12-15-9-0.

At this point, Steve quit, and Tim and I were dead, but Jerry insisted on taping one last singles match. Was tied at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9. While leading 9-7, I thought that "even if I lose, this was a good final match". Though consciously, I kept trying, the score will out and I lost 9-15.

Great time, spread way out as we had the court for three hours, but I am quite sore. Best of luck to Tim with his upcoming move and (later) nuptials.

Allegany River Trail with a "bonus" campus loop.

Cascade Road loop at my parents. "Paying down" the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.

Random @ 15, then @ 9 as I learned that the new machine does not adjust pace for climb, i.e. my workout wanted the same pace at 9% incline as at 2%. This may be a good idea, but not at the level I was going (relative to my fitness). I had to adjust both pace and incline down a good bit.

Initially cutthroat with Danny and older Steve (both good)

Steve started out on fire in the first game before Danny woke up some. I remained "asleep" and the score was 0-6-14. Then things got more even and the final was 14-8-21.

Steve's "flames" jumped to me in the second game: 21-3-2.

Third game was 11-4-12 when Danny had to leave. I caught that we were "keeping our scores", but missed the other change. I led 13-12 and didn't show the necessary desperation as I lost 13-15.

Payne. 15-4, 15-8. Not much to say.

Laps at the fitness center as part of a "mobile department meeting". Effective from a work point-of-view; less so from a fitness one.

Random @ 15

Parent/Varsity volleyball game. Heavy part of workout was warming up with the girls - mostly Sarah, who seemed to delight in having the only parent who could give her a solid warmup. Had an epic miss on a spike during warm-ups, but made up for it with a series of blocks during the match. Unfortunately, I had to leave after one set as I had to get back for class...

Singles with Steve K. (older, skilled, and crafty)

First game neither of us could score until the 17th serve when Steve hit an ace. I was thinking that the longer match would play to my favor, but it was really over right then as he pulled away and won 10-21.

Second game he led early and I came back to 9-10 before falling 14-21.

Third game was very close and ultimately tied at 15. I lost 15-21, showing how little the "long" match helped me.

All night he played well and I was just a bit off; obviously a very bad confluence.

Around the World @ 15

Pool was very warm; I started my watch late (and backfilled the time for the first set) and felt the "time off".

Cutthroat with Tim (young, quick, and good) and older Steve (good and smart); time discounted

Played very streaky, but my serve was apparently quite successful. Good thing, too, as little else was.

First game: Led 7-0-0, trailed 7-8-10, took six in a row to lead 16-12-14, won 21-18-15.

Second game: Trailed 0-5-8, won eleven in a row to lead 18-10-14, won 21-15-14.

Then, showing my wisdom, I "took my ball and went home".

ROCs Mendon Ponds Night-O

Score-O format with a 90-minute limit. 26 controls plus a "ghost" control that would exist (centrally located) for only ten minutes at the 30-40 minute mark. There were two punches there so it counted twice. "Course" was determined by the number of punches (Blue - 26, Red - 23, Green - 20, .etc.) with ties broken by time. Getting the Ghost control meant that even a top runner got to skip two controls... Maps were distributed two minutes before the start, making planning a "quick think" operation. For company, I had brought along Brian, a student of mine who is a senior ROTC cadet who actually likes "land nav". Brian get situated meant no warm-up, but that probably didn't hurt.

Start -> 189: Broke downhill towards the road and up past the shelter into the woods. Last of a group of four. (Didn't realize it, but Brian was also going this way.) Group spiked it. 2:43

189 -> 170: Through field on deer paths, bouncing off the clearing that hosted the Scout jamboree. Angled in to where the control should be and it seemed that only three of us found it. 2:33

170 -> 165: Up stream keeping right. I drifted a bit wide to avoid briars and saw the other two head right in to it. 1:27

165 -> 169: Up to road, looking for path in, see one runner going each way. Down to path, angle on to ridge, into control. Essentially alone now, with certainly one, and probably two guys ahead of me. 3:28

169 -> 166: Angle past path to hard-pack driveway. See Brian coming the other way and think he's doing the opposite loop. Turn on trail, but am going slowly because I have resisted using my light to this point. 4:02

166 -> 161: Back to field by lodge. Trail to the bend and straight through the woods. 2:22

161 -> 168: Across field and across a dry part of the swamp so that I am south of control. North to marsh, well west of control, but not sure by how much. The going in the marsh was wet, but clear, so I just soaked the feet and headed in. Brrr. 4:26

168 -> 167: Across again (on the logs) and up to the trail. Saw the hill and ascended, but it was the wrong hill (just to the west). Adjusted and went right in. 2:30

167 -> 185: Out to field and then trying to find deer paths through the growth. Saw a light coming at me and thought it was a bit off, but veered that way anyway. Reached edge of field and the guy was muttering that he had missed it. Turned east and overshot it by about 5-10 meters before looking back and seeing it behind the thicket. 2:39

185 -> st: Angle out to road, down road to intersection, watching the clock click past 30 minutes. Decided to skip 164 for now and just head in. Big crowd at control. 5:23

st -> Gho: Yes, Canadian friends, I have now punched the Gho control! I swear the e-punching is overestimating the split time. 0:04

Gho -> 188: Back up road, reeling in the group in front of me. Very politely, they scanned the woods searching for the trailhead and I saw where they turned in. Very politely, I passed them and lead them right to the flag (yeah, right; it was on the trail bend visible from 30 m!). 2:52

188 -> 171: This leg would have been faster, but I was worried about missing the first trail junction. Worry was increased when compass implied I was making a 90-degree error (until I realized that I had turned the map 90 degrees, too!). 2:50

171 -> 172: First control with "a crowd". Passed two groups (including Jackie N. and Doug K.) on the trail up. Saw another pair coming out as I went in to punch. 2:21

172 -> 174: My first big gaffe... Back to trail, passing one group in each direction before heading off to road. At road saw two groups heading in at a location I thought of as "way too soon". I went in one clearing late and took the right fork and then the left fork as intended, but this left me on the NW-SE trail 70 meters west of the control. I knew that I would be in trouble if I didn't relocate soon, but when I got to the SE end, there was a lot of activity to my north and I figured things out. Still, a big gaffe. 6:08

174 -> 173: Possibly the toughest leg to the toughest location. Did decide to risk the bushwhack to the trail to the east. At the midpoint, ran into a guy who made the same bet in the other direction. We assured each other that it was clear sailing to continue. Came out at junction NNW of control and took trail around the ridge. Went south, but missed the rocks that should have guided me in. Several folks ahead of me. Saw field ahead and reentrant to my right, descended and realized I overshot. Turned around and go a flash from the reflector, about 40 m back. As I punched a pair of guys shouted "There it is" as they descend from the ridge and there was a crowd forming as I was departing. 5:07

173 -> 184: Straight up and over ridge and down to trail. Somehow missed the junction 80 meters north of control. Was passed by one of the guys who had overshot 173. Terrain was troublesome when I realized that I was just west of the control, not just east and therefore the control was uphill not down. At this moment, the other guy headed in and everything made sense. Suddenly a crowd formed again. 4:09

184 -> 179: Out to trail, chasing the same guy. I saw the field, but he kept on running, I cut in at the same time as him. He ran to the far corner, but I ducked around the thicket and punched. As I retreated, I saw him turn around and see the flag, but it was the last time I saw him. 1:57

179 -> 190: Back out to trail and up to road, looking to cut off the dogleg, but the brush was too thick. Finally did cut it off at the end, but the person above me decided it wasn't worth it, so I suspect I saved only 30 meters or so. Nice run down. As I passed 186, I thought about going in, but it was a few contours up in green and I didn't see a more plausible skip ahead, so I continued to the road. Down through the field and past the two buildings. I saw a light bouncing along the field edge and thought I saw it pass the right spot. That runner turned, faced me, and then followed my light in, backed up about 10 m and went over the hill side. I caught up and saw that he had found the flag. Very interesting piece of "cooperation". 6:59

190 -> 178: Other guy stayed low, but I climbed back to the field and then through the semi-open hillside. Found the edge of the parking lot and as I sited on the control, I saw him leaving. 2:40

178 -> 177: Back to parking lot as other guy attacked from the left, I went right up the hill and in. As I punched, I heard Brian say, "hi".

177 -> 187: Out to road and up trail. Brian passed me as we went in on the trail, but stopped and I passed him. Didn't want to look bad, so I ran the hill, not knowing he had turned around. (Thanks for the assist, Brian!). Turned onto trail and got to the flag just ahead of a father-son team coming from the other direction. 3:38

187 -> 175: Where I really blew it. Started up trail to east, turned on north trail and followed its bend to the west. Turned on northerly trail that should have taken me right in. Saw other folks going up trail, but thought that they had gone too far. Cut in, across field, scanning, but never saw control; came out on E-W trail north of control and realized that I had overshot. Am now concerned about time. If I don't find this soon, I am out of the Blue division. If I am out, I need only one more control, so that should be easy. Thus, I decide on "one more attack". I attack off the bend and see the reflection through the thicket. Aha1 The other group must have been exiting. *sigh* This clearly cost me a couple of minutes! 4:32

175 -> 163: My last mistake. I leave 175 to the NORTH! Hit trail that takes me to the E-W park road. West to intersection, south past store and into parking lot where a woman says, "oh wow, running with flashlights. tsk, tsk." I go straight to control knowing that I just lost time to a moronic route choice. 3:43.

163 -> 164: I now have to do three controls (counting finish) in less than ten minutes. I think I can do it as long as I don't do something stupid. I am now regretting having skipped 164 earlier. Due north on trail to clearing, past missing Gho-st control to road and field. Yuck! The field is a big marsh. I see the reflection from a long way away, but it's NOT my control; it's a permanent course marker. Calmly stare at map and decide to look to my east, where I see the marker 15 meters away, tucked in well. 1:55

165 -> 162: Angle across marsh/field as a train of lights are approaching from my left. Interestingly, some are veering in to 164 and others are going straight to the finish. Nobody seems to want to pick up 162 on the way in. There are no lights anywhere in that field. I angle across the field, and at the top of the ridgeline, scan and find both the building and the control. 2:20

162 -> Finish: I'm going to make it. I turn off my light so as not to offer a huge clue as to the control and climb the hill to the road. There is now a train of runners heading in. Only a few seem to go to the finish (I assume the others were trying for a quick grab of 161). I punch in a group of three. 1:41

Total time: 85:53

As I download, I am told that I am the first finished on "Blue". Wow. A moment later, a guy behind me downloads and beat me by six seconds. (He had walked a cool-down lap of the building before downloading.) My second place finish stands up! Still, it hurts to have made three bad gaffes that easily cost "many times six seconds" each. Any one of them being smaller and I win.

Side note: Brian won the "Green" division with 20 controls in 75 minutes. He did almost the same route as me, skipping the Gho-st control, 190, 178, 187, 175, and 164, but picking up 186 to get his total. Nice job, Brian!

Trying to get the kinks out after last night's handball and before racquetball...

Payne

15-8: Led 3-0, trailed 3-8. Weird game
15-8: More conventional way to win by this score...

So, after six months off, I carefully arranged to play doubles with a moderately experienced group to "ease back in". Alas, only two of us showed and the other was Tim, younger, faster, and more powerful than me - and able to keep my competitive juices high.

Took quite a while to toughen up my hands and to adjust to the handball/racquetball bounce differences. In the end, we played three games before inviting two wanna-bes to try the game. (The latter was interesting, but only a trivial amount was logged.)

First game: trailed 2-10 as I tried to find my bearings; lost 8-15
Second game: trailed 9-10, but got winded during an epic point at 9-11 and lost 10-15
Third game: led 2-0, trailed 2-6, led 10-7, before it got knotted the whole way and I won 15-14. A moral victory!
Demo game for the newbies: LONG demo before I lost 1-3.

Random @ 20? - not really sure how this works out. Scale-wise, it should have been easier than the bike, but it was definitely harder.