Training Log Archive: dlevine

Went to Byrncliff for the BFLO ski-O and ran into Ray Valeri who made fun of me for my very un-hip outfit. He did, however, volunteer to try to teach me how to skate ski before I went off on the course. His lesson was brief, but fairly effective.

BFLO ski-o.

Time is only off the official web site as I accidentally stopped my watch mid-ski and didn't look when I was done until too late.

Skis off and across the parking lot out of the start. Past #7 (where I saw Eric Smith coming in from the right) and #2 on my way to #1. Was having trouble learning to skate and with the conditions. Slogged my way in. 10:00

Down hill and back to #2. 2:36

Slogged hill (can't skate this - at least not yet) to #3. 5:31

Tired from hill but straight across, skating some. 5:45

Tried to go down first turn through powder, but I took a header. No big deal. 2:43

Skis off and run the no longer existing trail and then coast in. 5:08.



Skis off to go down the hill as it was windswept bare except for a few ice patches. Then classic across the ungroomed golf course, some of the nicest snow I saw.

Skis off and ran down the road too far to the start of the trail. (Should have used the parking lot and just cut over.) No problems, but I added too much distance.

Followed tracks out of #8 to the bridge, then up the the lodge and trails in. Others apparently cut the hillside, but I like what I did.

One-way trail forced the use of the side trail and a climb to #10. Took the skis off for the last 50 m rather than skiing around. Perhaps if I had been less tired... Saw Dayle Lavine at control.

Trail to corner of field, then across stream and up train into control. Was surprised how far up it was. Saw Rick leaving this one as I arrived.

Up hill to trail that would take me all the way to #11. Great time coming down. Was leaving as Rick came in.

Trail over to field, but there was a groomed, unmapped trail down the east side of the field going right to the control.

Out, counting corners and keeping my eyes open, past lodge and down hill making sure to start breaking action before control.

Across road and through the warmup area on trails, trying for one last set of skating.

Skating the whole way in except the bridge.

Not bad for my first time trying to skate. I cheated occasionally - even when not necessary - but I might be able to learn this...

Payne

Took a lot of warmups as neither of us had played in two months...

15-12, 15-8 (led 14-4), 11-2.

Got to the pool only to find that it was closed due to "no lifeguard" though one was expected in half an hour. Too little time to leave and come back for watercize. I waited and the guard got there earlier than expected and I got a short swim in before class. Had the pool to myself for the first 0.5 km. Weird feeling.

New instructor had us going a bit more (both quality and quantity) than the former instructor, but I am not convinced of the wisdom of some of the moves/stretches. Have to watch this...

Random @ 15. Not much time between class and meetings...

Random @ 15 (with Phil after search committee meeting)

Doubles with two experienced novices and a rapidly improving newbie. I played a very "lazy" game as no one else seemed to have flow. We rotated partners. I went 5-1 (losing 14-15 in a game we led 14-10) without ever really cracking a sweat. Time is discounted heavily, but still probably an overestimate. Oh well.

Sprague Brook Map Hike

After finding a complete lack of snow at Mendon last week, I decided to try a winter-nav map hike at Sprague Brook. I left the skis and snowshoes at home. BIG MISTAKE! I was okay on the road and the initial hiking trails, but got blown away with post-holing knee deep once I went off trail. All in all a nice day, but not an efficient one.

Car (by main bathroom) -> 11, 6:47
11 -> 17 chatting with a skier as we went up the hill, 7:41
17 -> 18 around the trail and then couldn't find it. Relocated twice and then found it with my footprints crossing within two feet of the tree it was on from my first attack; I was simply looking the wrong way! 18:58
18 -> 23 slow out to trail to east, then easy, 9:13
23 -> 19 ran right to it, but didn't see it. Just about gave up and kicked a log dislodging the snow. Is that a piece of metal? Yes! Marker was buried as the tree it had been on had tumbled. Sheer luck that I found it though I'd gone right to the feature. 16:23
19 -> 22 deep snow all the way, but found the marker easily 8:32
22 -> 20 again deep snow to the spur, but it (the spur) was obvious when I was there. After several trips up and down the spur with no luck, I searched for buried logs. Again I struck out. Gave up. 28:20
20 -> 24 confirmed where I was as I left 20 and got to 24 with little trouble other than crossing the brook 16:35
24 -> 25 my scariest control, form line hill in green forest on gentle hillside. Attacked on a bearing like I rarely do, using the snow to verify the straightness of my attack. Slow, but worth it, 10:46
25 -> 21 Blew this one repeatedly but refused to give up, 23:23
21 -> 16 Long, but straightforward, 15:13
16 -> 15 Deep snow until I got to the edge of the pond, 4:51
15 -> 14 Not bad to the trail, then easy; stopped to chat 7:58
14 -> 12 A bit of a slog, but I was ready to quit. Took the trail down to the rootstock, but no marker. One side of the rootstock where it would make sense to hang the marker is covered with eighteen inches of snow so I suspect it's there. Checked other nearby rootstock, but liked the location of this larger, partly buried, one. Gave up. 11:16
12 -> 10 Stream was flowing quite "well" so the crossing was a challenge, but after that it was fine, 6: 18
10 -> car 2:22

#19 is definitely there, but may be buried again soon as I could not completely dislodge the log, so it is "low".

#20 is either well buried or missing

#12 is probably buried and will show up placed reasonably (or not) come spring

Pool was warm, but I felt good for the first time in a long time. I knew that I was a bit slow, but was hoping to break 35, 36 at the worst. Alas, I missed the latter by 0.01 seconds. (I rounded down.)

New instructor will clearly scare out much of the class. Much harder workout - especially after my swim - and the different atmosphere may do people in. Interestingly, she'll only be here on Thursdays and I have work commitments next week that will permit me to make class, but after that Thursday morning is for skiing as long as the snow lasts...

Random @15

Pain, and more pain... Soreness from Sunday's "Slip-O" and handball last night caught up with me. By the end it was more of a death march than swim.

Painful class as cramps were lurking just around the corner throughout the second half.

Random @ 15

Cutthroat (discounted)

Played Tim (young, solid) and Dustin (young, still developing).

Couldn't really get loose and suffered from the fact that scores can go up twice as fast in cutthroat. Trailed 2-12-5 before "coming back" to lose 11-15-8.

Started well in second game and led 10-2-1 before "hanging on" to win 15-10-5.

Started really well in third game and led 11-0-0 before winning 15-7-2.

Fourth game was to 21 for "all the marbles". Led 6-0-0, but we were all tied at both 6 and at 10. I led 17-10-10, but Tim ran off six straight. When he was done, I took over and won 21-16-12.

Very intense throughout.

ROC Ski-O at Mendon Ponds in the midst of a significant thaw.

Followed the meet director's advice and used "rock skis" (classic). Alas, I also followed his advice that classic skis needed "no wax". It turns out that he meant that normally wax-less skis didn't need extra wax. By the time I was halfway to my first control, I knew I was in trouble.

Start->2->5->10*->11*->12->14->15*->9->13*->16->19->20->21->17->18->23->6->1*->finish* where * means I took off my skis for a significant period of time. (At 13 it was just going into and out of the control up to the ridge.)

Stopped my watch accidentally part way and had no idea what time it was. My best guess turned out to be off by a minute and I was 26 seconds late for a 2-control penalty. Ouch. Good news is that somehow it did not affect my placement at all. (It stunk to omit #22 which was 80 m from the start/finish, but it would have cost me even more to get it.)

First time in the pool in a long time. Was more concerned about rhythm than speed. Could feel both the quad injury and the lower back tightness.

So, after a protest by people enrolled in the class, there will be a Thursday watercize class, but only if enough people show. Of course, today, since no one knew this, we had only minimal people. The instructor said that she would go for ten minutes to give people a chance to be "late", and she did so, terminating the class then. (It took 3 minutes to brief us all.) Crazy world.

Warm-up before handball

Singles against Tim, a younger faster player whom I can sometimes outthink.

First game I had trouble getting the range, trailed 7-12, but won 15-14.
Second game I continued "hot" going up 11-1. At 11-4, we started having trouble with a "Y urchin" who kept opening the door in the middle of our play and ultimately throwing things into the court. When he clipped my ankle doing so, I chased him through the locker room into the pool area where a Y staffer recognized trouble when he came in and then an adult dressed for court-sports. Alas, the break killed my mojo. I fell behind 11-12 before taking the last four points.
Third game I still had no mojo and lost 8-15.

Still, taking 2 out of 3 from Tim is a good thing.

Back to the pool after a week off to nurture the dodge ball injuries and to visit the new grandbaby in Portland, OR. He and his three-year old brother are very cute; I ate many "Gus-burgers" while out there - interestingly, eating a Gus-burger burns more calories (some) than you gain by consuming it (zero).