Training Log Archive: mintore

Event: SMOC Chilson
 

Chilson Impoundment Red by Mark Voit (6.8 k)

Meet 14, Course 22

Leaving the car, the goal was to not let Chilson eat my lunch. Mark set good thought provoking courses but -- Goal achieved.
Was this a good run, not really, but it wasn't terrible. I probably dropped more than 10 minutes that care and good flow would have recovered but my final analysis is that this probably still is in the good goals category rather than being something that I should have just done today.

Started out fairly cautiously in diminishing 49 degree drizzle, using roads and trails to the rock pile. This was a bit green and wet; a highlight was that most of the course was much more passable. Leaving 1, is an example of where time was lost. The first waypoint is the trail and then (taking the safe route) there will be some trail running for a bit; just drive for the blasted trail (30s lost). But, I stopped short and slowed down, a bit further, slow down and finally the trail and I ran around and attacked 2 from the east passing a small depression. Three was tricky but I got to a good attackpoint from the trail bend under the line and was able to count across reeentrants and keep moving quickly. This was my best leg. I worked generally SW towards the trails leading to C4. Lost track of my distance along this trail as I was moving too fast and watching for rocks on the trail rather than keeping my head up. Caught myself at the braid (90 s lost), then the control was straightforward. Across to 5 through some unmapped clearings, hooking up with Aragorn. Leaving this control was confusing; just E of N there seemed to be more old road beds/trails; this was really slow probably floating unintentionally east (2 min lost). The leg to 6 was a great route choice problem with at least four possibilities. The low route most east seem too far around for the small climbs through the middle. Gained on Aragorn by picking a close-to-the-line trail route. Should have climbed more from the attackpoint using the hilltop. I stayed too close to the edge of the plateau and this noise distracted me from finding the correct ridge; I ended up looking back 25 m towards the bag (2 min mostly from wandering). C7 and C8, Aidan and I bounced back and forth (8 crossed a fun sharp saddle between two depressions). The rain picked up a bit and the race with Aragorn started to distract me. I went alone up and around a large hill towards C9. My map reading was not so solid and I was surprised to end up in a plateau filled with mayapples. I headed S and fortunately hit the trail crossed it and headed to the bag (the surprised part ate 90 s). For C10, I missed a faint trail that I didn't remember was faint (I actually took the missed trail going to C6). Nonetheless, from the next hilltop, I decended to the control but the decend was a surprise due to an unseen tag line (30 s). C11 was also tricky, navigating a series of ridges and small unaligned hilltops. I ended up on the saddle to the east, only 40 m from the control but I had ground out and bled time (3:30 lost in 4 pauses). A less good choice to 12 (20 s) and slower than reasonable running from the end to the spur road directly N to the linear marsh (90 s lost). Bang through towards the finish and clearing skies.

A day well worth the drive!

Event: OCIN - Camp Craig / Camp Friedlander
 

As a torrential downpour drew to a close, Aragorn and I took of on a quick Rosemead loop. It seemed like the thunder would have had us getting wet, but the sky was bright by the end.

A broken up run with 15 min of neighbourly conversation after 1.4 miles and a pause for a lost dog. Slowly, I am getting used to the warmer evenings but it is hard to convince myself to move faster.

dragging around a slow evening jog