Training Log Archive: OrunnerIn the 7 days ending Dec 18, 2010:
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Saturday Dec 18, 2010 #
11 AM
Orienteering race (Goat - The Billy Pig) 2:27:18 [5] 11.7 km (12:35 / km) +415m 10:42 / km
shoes: Vavrys - studded rubber cleats
I look forward to the Billy Pig all year. Then the day comes. The morning starts out at 9°. There is 4" of snow on the ground from two days prior. It is cold. I am old. I was out drinking the night before. I see all of the guys, all younger than me, in their hi-tech outfits. I am wearing my O-top, once white with a red stripe, now kind of a flamingo pink. I am pumped; high on the anticipation of the challenge before us all. Over the next several hours we will all test our bodies, our minds, and our wills. It will be a contest of endurance. I do not look forward to the physical costs. But I cherish the rewards of completing such a grueling event.
The Billy Pig and Piglet starts together in one mass start. Mike Minium hollered go, and everyone runs uphill to the first control. I rapidly find myself falling behind. I know right away that if the pack keeps this pace up I will never see any of them again. Steve Barnhart is well ahead of me. Last year (actually this year, it was on January 3, 2010) He arrived at the Billy Pig with a friend, and they ran the vent together. At the start line I say to Steve, “Let’s do this thing”. I did not have a definition of what this meant. But as we started up the hill, Steve hollers, “Let’s go Meehan.” There was no way. I was giving it my all. But the harder I tried the farther behind I fell. I guess I was not the last one to the first control, but I was near last.
I was breathing hard, my legs hurt, and I was drained. All that at the first control. I wanted to take it easy and run the road around to the 2nd control. I saw at least one person ahead of me do exactly that. But Steve had gone straight through the woods. I wanted to keep him insight in case I was able to catch him. Jeeze. The running was painful and difficult. The trail system on the badlands was covered in snow. I could not tell where the trail was or was not. I had hoped to use the trail junctions as attack points. I gave up on that and ran with the dissipating crowd ahead of me. Steve was long gone. I saw Doug disappear over a rise. It seemed about right to me and eventually arrived at #3.
I saw Steve off to my left heading out to the road to 3. I wanted to do that also. But kept the shorter route; at least in distance. I found my way crossed by repeating micro ridges and gullies. With the slippery snow this slowed me and drained me further. I eventually made it to the road but could see that I had lost substantial ground on Steve and the pack well ahead. I was unaware of whom if anyone was behind me.
3 was simple, at the end of a long ridge off the road. I passed a couple of the juniors along the way.
Number 4 seemed simple enough; cross one reentrant and hit a depression nearly at the bottom of a wide spur. Yet, brain death was kicking in early, and not just for me. As I crossed the near side of the spur I saw many confused individuals wandering about the hillside. I realized the small depression must be trickier than it appears on the map. As it turned out, I was just psyching myself out. I pulled short where a group had gathered; silly kindergarten mistake. I relocated in my mind and pressed forward with a bit uncertainty. But then, bingo, there it was. And what was more, I had caught Steve, and Had Dave Waller in sight.
The Billy Pig and Piglet starts together in one mass start. Mike Minium hollered go, and everyone runs uphill to the first control. I rapidly find myself falling behind. I know right away that if the pack keeps this pace up I will never see any of them again. Steve Barnhart is well ahead of me. Last year (actually this year, it was on January 3, 2010) He arrived at the Billy Pig with a friend, and they ran the vent together. At the start line I say to Steve, “Let’s do this thing”. I did not have a definition of what this meant. But as we started up the hill, Steve hollers, “Let’s go Meehan.” There was no way. I was giving it my all. But the harder I tried the farther behind I fell. I guess I was not the last one to the first control, but I was near last.
I was breathing hard, my legs hurt, and I was drained. All that at the first control. I wanted to take it easy and run the road around to the 2nd control. I saw at least one person ahead of me do exactly that. But Steve had gone straight through the woods. I wanted to keep him insight in case I was able to catch him. Jeeze. The running was painful and difficult. The trail system on the badlands was covered in snow. I could not tell where the trail was or was not. I had hoped to use the trail junctions as attack points. I gave up on that and ran with the dissipating crowd ahead of me. Steve was long gone. I saw Doug disappear over a rise. It seemed about right to me and eventually arrived at #3.
I saw Steve off to my left heading out to the road to 3. I wanted to do that also. But kept the shorter route; at least in distance. I found my way crossed by repeating micro ridges and gullies. With the slippery snow this slowed me and drained me further. I eventually made it to the road but could see that I had lost substantial ground on Steve and the pack well ahead. I was unaware of whom if anyone was behind me.
3 was simple, at the end of a long ridge off the road. I passed a couple of the juniors along the way.
Number 4 seemed simple enough; cross one reentrant and hit a depression nearly at the bottom of a wide spur. Yet, brain death was kicking in early, and not just for me. As I crossed the near side of the spur I saw many confused individuals wandering about the hillside. I realized the small depression must be trickier than it appears on the map. As it turned out, I was just psyching myself out. I pulled short where a group had gathered; silly kindergarten mistake. I relocated in my mind and pressed forward with a bit uncertainty. But then, bingo, there it was. And what was more, I had caught Steve, and Had Dave Waller in sight.