Training Log Archive: kissy

A good hike at Kings Mountain in beautiful weather. I felt a little guilty knowing that a storm was raging back at home, leaving Tanner and Graham in the dark.

A quick ride on the park road, taking in a few rolling hills. What a great day. We head north tomorrow, into the belly of the beast.

A wonderful ride at the beach. We really lucked out on the weather -- high 70s and stunning sunshine.



(This was at sunrise, so not alot of sun...yet.)

The only slight bummer was a very strong wind which was blowing out to sea, so I had a side wind both ways. I could manage it except for one particularly strong blast that almost blew me off the road. I rode out to Bodie Island lighthouse and back.



Although the scenery mostly included sand and marshes, there was a fair amount of woods that looked inviting.

A glorious hike at Ratlum Mountain. I'm not sure of the actual time, but this is definitely less than what it was. And it included quite a climb back up to the top of the mountain, which I managed just fine (and which I heard a certain PG was a little disgruntled about when he made a similar trek in an earlier time).

This was the culminating event of a wonderful time spent with Charlie and Rhonda, really the most spectacular hosts. The food, the views, and the company were all top notch.

Long US Champs @ Middlesex Fells.

This was a much better day. Although the AP splits reflect 6 minutes of errors, I have to say that is all a factor of lack of running. I found all of the controls right on and felt much better about the navigating (although, granted the navigation was much easier today). Unfortunately, the only semblance of running I did was in the finish chute since I still refuse to walk that piece of it. Oh well, such is the life of a bad knee person.

Green-Y Long - Splits

Middle US Champs @ Lynn Woods.

So, this was a definite disaster. Missed badly on #1...I took 20 steps off the trail and was already unsure of where I was. I did fine on 2-4, but was thrown off by the extra water around #5. Tried desperately to fit the "ponds" to the map, but couldn't. I eventually figured out they were not on the map, got smart about the contours, and was able to find the control. Good for 6-9. On #10, I couldn't initially force myself to get far enough away from the trails to find the boulder. Good on 11 and 12, but after leaving 12, I fell on the rocks and totally bashed my knee. I said a very bad word. Luckily, that happened at the end. After I finished, I sought out Dr. Lux, who fixed me up.

Not a good day.

C • I wonder if I can guess wha... 11

My orienteering might not have been stellar today, but my trip into Boston to see Caitlin and Graham (who was visiting his sister) was quite fine.

C • Nice smiles 3

Green-Y Middle - Splits

A good hike in Jockey Hollow. The temps were slightly cooler and there was quite a breeze. It felt good to be out and even better to know that I am officially starting a vacation that will last until 11/1. Delightful!

Final visit to my orthopedic surgeon here before I head west and find a new doctor. His parting advice was that there really isn't much more I can do for my knees that doesn't involve surgery (aka, knee replacement). The only questions that linger are partial or full, now or later, which one first, etc.

Maybe my new, as-yet-unknown doctor will have some better, miracle advice for me.

The short but very hilly ride from home through Jockey Hollow.

A nice adventure at Surebridge. I had intended to just do a trail hike with a map, but as I started out on the trail, I saw that there was quite a crowd today. It's one thing to have many folks on a trail when you're running, and you can just pass them and be on your way. And a totally different thing when everyone is walking, and you just can't get away from them. So, I made a very quick decision to get off of the trail and look for the old control sites that were on the map I was using. Unfortunately, I didn't have a compass since I had been planning to just stay on the trails, but it turned out that I did just fine without one. And it was probably better training that way, too!

It looks like I might be in Denver before Christmas. Sweet.

C • Woowoo! 5

A little hike in Lewis Morris after a big rain.

After a pretty bad week for my knees, they felt somewhat better today, so I went for a very leisurely hike in Jockey Hollow. The weather was spectacular, resulting in very crowded trails. Always nice to see that.

Listened to a podcast of an interview with a dominatrix/former heroin addict who went on to get a masters degree at Sarah Lawrence. Followed by one playing of "Jessie's Girl." Usually I have to play that song about 4-5 times before I can get it out of my system.

Dr. Noah Drake

C • on some soap opera, right? 1

It never stopped long enough to get out for a bike ride, so I went down into the basement for a quick spin. Enough to loosen up my knees, which have been hurting all day.