Training Log Archive: kissy

A quick session at the Shepherd University Fitness Center with Don.

He looks really good. You almost couldn't tell anything had happened to him, except for the bandage around his right calf. That's where he got scraped pretty badly, and then it got infected. He had to have minor surgery to go in and clean it out and debride it. So now, it's about the size of a grapefruit and about 1/4" deep. Bright red and icky (I just saw a picture). He goes every day to the VA hospital in Charles Town to get the bandage refreshed to avoid another infection. But, it's not stopping him, so that's good.

A couple of days off to travel East for Mom's 80th birthday! I can't believe she's 80...mind blowing. She thinks her 4 kids are taking her out to dinner on Saturday night, but when she gets to the restaurant, she'll see that all of her grandkids (minus 1) are there to celebrate. She'll be very surprised. It will be good to see Don and see that's he's healing since his accident.

I'm hoping to get a chance to bike and run while I'm there. I'm bringing the equipment so I'll be ready if the opportunity presents itself.

C • HB 4

A new swimming training session - every other Wednesday

Body Pump

On the stationary bike at the gym.

Another session in the pool. I'm getting better and feeling more relaxed. One of the coaches even used me as an example of good form. Ha! Not speed, though, just good form. The speed will come.

Mikell and I went to Blue Mt. for a bit of training on a lovely day. And it all started out so grand. I was doing well until after #6. I was heading to #7 and found a road right on my route which threw me off. Was it the road that was mapped? It didn't feel right, but I couldn't imagine a whole new road had popped up...silly me. So, I convinced myself that somehow I had hit the wrong reentrant for #6, come down off it a weird way, and this was the mapped road. So, I started heading south to hop over the ridge to #7. Well, it didn't match up exactly, but close enough, so off I went to #8.

Somehow I missed that first 3 contour hill, so when I was climbing the second one, I thought I was on the first one. And, lo and behold, there was a small (unmapped) trail at the top, so everything was matching again. Until I went down the other side. By my gps tracks, I see I went right past #8 and never even knew it. I hit the road, convinced myself *there* that it was new, unmapped road (unlike the one between 6 and 7) and kept going, looking for the second hill to climb. And, of course, there was no second hill, but you'll have to take my word for it since, by then, I was off the map.

At this point, being totally lost, I decided to just head northwest until I hit one of the two roads that sort of bordered that area. Along the way, I hit a pretty big rock feature and couldn't figure out which of the 2 rocky features between 3 and 10 it was because it didn't really fit either one. Of course it didn't because it was neither! ARGH!

Finally, still not having a clue where I was but thinking I was on my way to #1, maybe passing by #5 on my way, I found myself in familiar territory and saw the rock that was #4. I knew it was the rock because Mikell and I met up there earlier and discussed some of the surrounding features. OMG! How could I be so far off?? I guess that's why they call it training.

So, I limped back to the start (mentally limped, that is), but at least was rewarded with seeing a large (~20) herd of elk. A small present on an otherwise dismal showing.