Training Log Archive: dlevine

Two Allegany River Trail loops...

Legs still stiff, but I made it through.

Cutthroat with Tim (experienced and young) and Syed (a novice).

Couldn't move my legs at all in the first match. Lost 2-10-15 (and I was lucky to get two).
Loosened up in the second match and got a string of really good serves. Won 15-9-4.
Tim came back a bit in the third match, but I was able to hold off "leg exhaustion" and hung on 15-5-12.
Then I made my best move of the night and retired.

Event: Billygoat Run at Mt. Tom
 

Great Billygoat

Took the right side trail down the stream out of the start, around and then up the hill the steep hill as the two packs joined somewhat. Good first leg route choice. 11:08

Followed a train that was more or less going straight to number 2. We seemed to be veering off left, but I told myself that it was my desire not to climb that made me want to go right. As we climbed the big hill into it, the pack split pretty bad and when I saw the flag, only Eric Smith was with me. Alas, we were looking at #5. The good news is that although we were seven contours high, we were "close". And as we headed in, there were lots of other people who had blown it coming in as well. 17:55

Straight line in a bit of a train. 5:16

UGH up the hill; I took the left fork, but there was such a crowd that it didn't matter. 5:47

Climb had taken something out of me, but I followed the train to #5. 3:48.

Nothing to #6 except the realization that somehow another train had caught us and I was now in the middle again. Nearly died going up the hill. 4:50.

Did a very bad job leaving and ended up losing lots of time and a little skin on the rock scree. Took the trail past the second knoll and tried to follow the cliffs in. A pack entering from my left and heading up the hill confused me and I spend some time exploring the spur due east of the control even as I saw Sharon Crawford go by saying, "it must be the next one". Relocating on the spur, I again learned how smart she was. 15:38.

Up the reentrant south of the line, only Rob Freeburg with me. He beat me down the hill, but took the trail too far around and had to come back to the stream, so he punched only slightly in front of me. 6:39.

Followed Rob back to road and into woods, but lost him until I saw the rock and then him punching at the control. 3:10.

Rob went a bit south, but I went up the spur to the road. As I passed the trail junction, he came out on my left. Guess the spur was a better option. I was faster up the hill, but distracted by the tower. I punched, looked back and saw that Rob was also distracted by the tower. 5:59.

Rob ran past me down the hill as I kept jumping to the trail to the west. Crossed the reentrant and followed the hills in. All alone now. 8:41.

Took the path of least resistance out and hit the east end of the field, then took road to the aid station. Caught Rob. 5:45.

Rob and I had both earlier discussed skipping 14 and now put that plan to work. Took the trail up the steep stuff and then contoured in to the control, albeit coming in one contour low. 12:27.

Down the reentrant and then around. Hit the intermittent trail next to the cliffs, took it to the big trail until that turned left. Turned right instead and had a small climb to the control. Saw Bob Lux looking confused and someone else punching ahead of us and leaving quickly. 8:36.

Slog the hill WSW to the trail. Trail to the (near) summit and then herd path in. Saw all sorts of folks heading down the trail from 18 to 19. 14:05.

Once again, no challenge. Straight to the summit. Led a decent group in, all of whom would have three minutes on me by the time I got to #19. Still, the water here (17) was most appreciated. 2:36.

Down the trail in a pack. Cut in a bit soon and ended up punching last. 3:32.

Dropped by the pack down the hill. I am real bad these days about running downhill on stony ground. Ultimately cut in too soon as well. Didn't get lost, but woods were slow - even for me. 10:19.

Beginning to get worried about time and I'm alone and 20 is a disaster waiting to happen. Climbed a bit to visit the dark green near the easternmost of the three ponds. At that point decided that the trail was the better part of valor and took it all the way around. Cut the corner on the two oxbows 200 m west of control and came in off knoll NNW of control. Bounced off cliff, saw green and punched. Slow, but safe and now I know that I will almost certainly finish in time. One other person here (came in contouring) but I never saw him again. 21:31.

Aimed off a bit right, crossed trail, then took trail to junction. Continued down spur and saw the falling off into the swamp, but didn't see control. Saw very shallow thicket and the low hanging flag. 7:01.

Skirt the swamps, which involved more short steep climbs than made me happy, but no big deal. 6:22. (Now I am truly golden; even a sprained ankle - as occurred more or less right here at the last goat here - wouldn't stop me.)

Right fork as it has no climb. Oh crap, there is a bit. No matter. Run/walk to flag. 4:55.

Trail to road to flag. 2:22

Run in not having seen anyone for quite some time. :14

3:08:28. Not a very good run, but it could have been worse. I did more solo work than normal for a goat, but given my poor choice of packs (other than my brief period in a pack of two with Rob) it was probably for the best.


(Skipped the sprint even though I was signed up for it. Hearing Eddie say, "it was steep" was all the impetus I needed.)

Billygoat - Splits

Hancock Road Loop at my parents house.

Cascade Road loop at my folks. It was HOT especially heading into the sun on the black, unshaded road during the return part of the loop.

Dennison Park Course (intensity rated using the arbitrary standards from last March)

Shot a 60 which included 6 bogeys and 12 pars. Missed one birdie putt and three par putts that hit the basket or chains. Could have been my best ever round on this course.

Odd swim. Couldn't find rhythm and my shoulder - which has been sort of sore for a while, but not weak (as measured by weight lifting) really ached, so I just bagged it. I was supposed to head to the doctor's for a routine physical and did, but they had no record of my appointment. They had a record of my blood work (one week ago and scheduled for one week before my appointment on their records) but nothing else. So, I am no scheduled for Monday. Go figure.

Random @ 15. It is criminal to have been indoors today, but Phil forgot his running shoes. I'll make it up by doing the lawn in a bit...

West Point Classic

For the third time in two days, I blew #1. Biggest gaffe yet. Immediately to road, then up to intersection with dirt road just SE of control. Went in on a bad bearing, got confused, found Brown control on fence by small swamp. Never looked at compass (BAD) and relocated improperly. Eventually, my brain caught up with me and I worked my way to the control. 6:44.

While getting ready, I had seen several green runners come through the parking lot. I just couldn't see my way to doing that and I went NW and then hugged the fence. At first that was good, but then it got gnarly. I climbed early, using the two cliff systems that were NE of the control as handrails. From the second I was able to contour/pace count in perfectly. 10:41.

Climbed too much and was just below the cliff system N of the circle when I saw the reentrant and saddle. Down two contours into the control. 5:14.

Back up the same track I came down (How I hate that!) into the saddle. Got drawn to the knoll just SW of the circle, but realized my mistake and headed in. 2:57.

More or less straight to 5 following what seemed like a deer path when I could. Saw saddle, then control. 3:01

Down hill through rocky ground to the edge of the swamp. Counterclockwise around hill mass, then backwards along the 8-9 line and down the road to the gate. While drinking, I was caught by two women. Down the spur, I saw the cliff mass NW of the knoll and turned in. 8:47.

Straight to it with one of the women, using clearing to get altitude correct. 2:07.

Up hill due S, then turn at the fence and run to the gate. Skip water and head straight in, searching for reentrant to right as I approached. 4:23.

Veered a bit left and hit fenced in cleared area, cut south back to line and once I was between the hills, I saw it right in front of me, albeit, a good bit higher than I wanted to climb. 6:19.

Slightly N of E towards the radio tower. Through end of stony reentrant and up to W corner of tower. Around tower and down road until I saw the access road cutting in from the left. Then gingerly down the grody stuff, passing Robert Buracynski on the way. Hit reentrant and followed it down to flag. 8:53.

Up hill so as to pass N of compound, having bad memories of having tried the green S of that compound during last year's middle. Stopped for quite a while for water. Bearing in to control as a small group punched simultaneously. 6:38.

Down hill and around through rocks. Thought I saw the double-rock, but when I got there, NO control. Headed on, but saw what looked like a second spur, so I turned back. Passed by Susie DeWitt, Sharon Crawford and some other woman as I retraced. Eventually decided that retracing had been a mistake and headed forward, coming to the control the same time as Robert. 8:38.

Out of control to right side of reentrant. Planned to drop into reentrant with control very near the circle, but I was on the wrong spur. Headed down and hit the green just above the trail and road. Fortunately, I was able to figure things out quickly and headed right to control. Again, punched just ahead of Robert. 4:36.

Down to trail any way I can get there and then run as much as possible to the go control, telling myself to look at/check off nothing on the way. 2:48.

Run in, but get caught for a second at the road junction. Pull out map, determine that the right fork is correct, head up and see the control about one step later. Listen to folks telling me to run harder. :52.

A pretty sloppy race, but it was nice that all of my mistakes were less than five minutes. So I probably got out of a West Point weekend with a total of fewer than fifteen minutes of errors - a new low.

Green X Long Distance - Splits

Event: USMA West Point A-Meet 2010
 

Normally, I don't count the walk to the start, but this one was physical and my shirt was sweated through by the time I completed it.

West Point Middle

Bad start, down the trail, but high (and a bit short) to #1. Relocated off the big hill, still having issues when I decided to check the road and the swamp. On my way, I saw the cliff as I passed it and saw Bernie Breton punching as I went in. 4:51.

Following Bernie as he went right down the line, past the cliffs and in. 5:01.

A group was heading up the hill, mostly going left (N). I went over the 1-contour hill and approached the knoll from the south. After I spotted it, but before I punched, I saw Bernie coming in from the left. 2:46.

Following Bernie and a bunch of others along the cliff line. After we turned in, there was a bit of a train showing where the control was. This was lucky as this was probably the toughest control of the day. 4:09.

Found the rockiest exit from the circle at #4; following this finding a small, but wet swamp on the way. From the flat above the control, I was able to see #5, but I found the rockiest way down and lost ground to others descending closer to the control. No navigational issues, but I thought I lost a minute or so and splits analysis confirms. 4:36.

Surprisingly, the crowd was down to three for most of the trip to #6. I was beginning to feel winded/heated and tried to focus extra hard. One veered off after the stream and the second missed it, but I was slowest and though I went right to it, punched second. 4:34.

Group headed in the general direction of #7, but seemed to be drifting left. I was pulled a bit, but saw it a bit ahead and to my right. Punched alone and never saw any of those folks again. 1:40.

Bail to road but drifted N more than I should have. Angle in to the stream/stone wall junction, past another control (on hill by stream) and contour in. 5:16.

Slight uphill trying to find broken down stone wall for path through green. Came in just slightly high and took it through the thick stuff. Attacked what I thought was the site, but turned out to be unmapped rock a bit below and I had to make a steep climb at the end. 4:32.

Bail downhill to road. Alas, the road was a path with a stone wall and I was confused. Finally realized that I was 30m N of the bend in the road. Went right in, getting confused by the extra stone wall until I realized that it was the curved stone wall on the map. 4:06.

More or less straight to it with an assist from a walker heading on the right line. 1:50.

In. :41.

All in all, an acceptable run.

West Point sprint

Blew first control for the second time today. Ran right to the obstacle and didn't see the flag on the NW corner. Went to next obstacle even though I thought it was wrong. Again, no flag and I turned back in disgust to see that the flag was on the other side of the obstacle. Tough call on whether that side is more N or NW, but I should have checked "around the corner" My fault. 1:04.

Past the boulder by the pipe and right to it. 1:27.

Heat is already getting to me as I climb towards #3. Did stop at the intermediate root stock even though I didn't believe it. (Mostly, I couldn't bear the thought of returning if I was wrong.) 2:31.

Down trail, L around first barracks, then NE between last two barracks. 1:04.

Through first and second barracks and in. :40.

Over one barracks down sidewalk, left turn and in. :48.

Down to road; then road too far before going left around building at edge of parking lot, through grove of trees and in. 1:38.

Up road to #10. (I'm supposed to be heading to #8 for those who lost count.) Realized my error as I started to check the control description as I eased in. CRAP! Back down driveway to beach. Across beach ,but don't see the flag on the hill I expect; instead it's on an awfully small knoll at the end of the peninsula. Alas, it has the wrong code! Turn around and see my flag in the shadow of the little hill. ARRGH! 2:15.

Across parking lot, up hill between the whole set of barracks, turning right to get the flag. Thought about going under, but the buildings were marked as uncrossable. 1:24.

Straight to it. As I looked down from above, trying to figure out where to place my feet, Jeff Saeger says, "You're almost there". Not sure if he meant to this one or to the end. :48.

Through parking lot, right to it, cursing my mistake at #7 once more. 1:19.

Under barracks on straight line to it. :57.

Edge right slightly to go under barracks again and right to it. :54.

Up on sidewalk around one more barracks than necessary, but right in. :53.

Down hill and through tennis courts to flag. 1:13.

Pushed it in, but was dying of heat. :23.

Mild heat exhaustion and moderate depression (about two goofs) when I was done. Mostly, though, I just wanted to be cool.

Green X Middle Distance - Splits

Or/Br/Gr Sprint - Splits