Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

tl;dr Nitrogaine returns in 2017, details tbd

Nitrogaine II went well. Great group, super helpers (esp. the incomparable BNM, and pickers Igor, Ati, JK). Also, I cannot stress how great it is to have an audience that is something like 99% positive about everything. I had one good natured angry fist shake and re: one cp: "t'was impossible". Both taken under advisement (not my favorite parts of the course, totally fair criticism, wouldn't use either again (at night)). So much positive attitude really warms the soul.

Improvements over round one:

* Reduced scope I think was better (45 km->35 km beeline)
* Increased density near start/finish was better for most teams and gave more routes
* First to find cash prizes
* Silver Lake finish has better amenities
* Switch to scrambled over omelettes improved speed

Issues:

* Well the sticks only hold 50, so hanging 53 was silly (didn't think to check SI-9 spec until it stopped beeping during my dining room test on Thursday). Only have 44 next year anyway, shouldn't be a problem.
* Midterm! I'm soooo going to bomb
* Key co host racing (makes Saturday a crunch)
* Woods not as nice, should scout better - school didn't help but could be accommodated with superior planning and discipline

Considerations for next year:

* Move or stay? PRA is super easy to work with. I have at least one more trick to expose more terrain and vary the experience
* pre hang reflective material during scouting for speedier setting
* Different weekend - avoid SCAR (for more BNM time) and avoid potential school overlap - August is no classes at either campus, and isn't the "shortest night", but is still short ish. Could be warmer and buggier?
* Add a quarter? Could add a two hour version w/minimal extra effort.
* Stipulate that the worst score gets a free lesson. :)
* Study the Top Routes, which heavily converged around the same potential distance, and cater it more tightly to that (maximum density, minimum unused areas - not many went to horse trails (also 'cuz of bad point balance))- should be easier to set up
* Late reg was a boon to attendance. Just need to spec the guaranteed swag cut off for sure so I don't sweat about it
* pre hang truly remote earlier? Probably would be okay, and make weekend of less stressful.
* I think I can cajole another 1-2 to people to hang around next year and help which would be helpful.

Interesting quirks:

* Racers are camels! I drank a liter per hour in setting, so I provided, roughly, 3 liters per racer at the water stops, which is like 32 gallons dispersed between the six stops (with 5 more gallons at HQ). Total gallons used by competitors? 6-8 or something. Crazy low. How weren't they thirstier?! It was warm and muggy in the woods! I think Sarah drank 3L during just the Half, but the full folks didn't do much. Oddly, the Patterson Lake stop was hit hardest (and not many teams went there), but it was visible to cyclists so I'm not sure of the Nitrogaine vs. Poto split, haha.
* Bike setting is fun. One wonders if there's a bike drop o event format that would be fun. Other than the first there really sets a good idea of where to bike drop, but maybe if you cluster it a bit, that only gives an AP for the first c and the rest are fair for everyone. EG, look at Waterloo - some areas look alright but are too far apart to be anything but boring slogs on foot, and you'd need to cluster in each section anyway to give some off trail.

C • re: Water 4

C • Don't tell my mom. 1

Event: Nitrogaine II
 

Bike O for the dead lake section.

I came out of the 68 / 88 / 104 section back onto Poto right as some trail runners came by. They looked at me, in my helmet and pack, haggard, as though I might murder them there. And I was then going their direction, so lots of nervous looks back.

They encountered the trail coordinator for this section of the trail, and she explained to them that I was trimming branches. I wasn't, which I clarified with her later (BNM knows her, of course). Trail coordinator was very nice - we both confessed to occasionally biking a bootleg exit from the trail (me for nitrogaine, her for house proximity).

I'm always impressed how much ground the Nitrogainers cover - this took a long time to bike!!

Nitrogaine registration up 25% over last year, thanks to a late surge. (now at 21 full, 9 half)

C • hey, that's great! 8