Training Log Archive: Gswede

So, looking at the analysis, it went pretty well.

I don't like my route to #1. There was too much extra distance there. I could have been more efficient. I suppose I let the hill push me off the line, but if I had climbed it then I would have been at the same level as 1. Need to keep that in mind.

I overran 2, but I think if there had a flag I would have been able to correct. That area was quite vague when looking downhill at it. It's a tricky one, not many visible features or clear Attackpoints. The woods were open, but there enough trees down to make it difficult to stay on a bearing. I suppose I should be more assertive with my compass in those instances.

Really happy with how I handled 9. The visibility in that area was really low because of all the hemlock (very healthy hemlock at that!) But I was able to hit the clearing north of the small hill about 2/3s of the way to the control and then hit the shelf after that. I didn't adjust the GPS properly so it looks like I just missed 9, but I was there. Sure of that.

This terrain deserves lots of repeat visits. Reeeaaaaaalllly nice. Except for the area of squiggly GPS track between 6 and 7. There were more thorns than I would ever want in that area.

One foil balloon today.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LNtVroAUAsWLNy5v8

Control Count: 480

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d7LJtLxmdTCZjaASA

Intervals at HR with Peter. Again, very good to get moving fast again with someone else.

I had a significant mistake on each interval except the last one.

On the 1st interval I let myself drift of my compass to 3.

On the 2nd, I wasn't on the east side of the shallow spur that I was using to lead me into 7. When I found the form line reentrant I thought it could have been the depression but kept going because I was unsure, until I was certain I had gone too far.

On the 3rd, I stopped too early going into 13 and saw what I thought could have been considered the form line reentrant.

Of course a problem here is not having streamers or flags, but there's no sense in getting bothered by that. It is what it is and I've got to move on. Really happy how well I held it all together for the final interval. And yes, I think my detour on the way to 14 was completely worth it considering the forest. Need to get those dang protective glasses. And I also started each interval with 3 pistol squats on each leg. Getting tough.

Control Count: 466

45 minutes of torturing Peter with a strength workout.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rh7xWVokE5kFk5pc6

Gorgeous terrain. Perhaps a bit too much impact from deer in some areas, but other areas were very healthy.

Not very technically difficult, but I did lose contact on the way to 1 when I left the low-viz stands of pine near 5. I struggled to make sense of the contours after that. I'm also surprised I was that low on 5, but I think that the downed trees slowed my progress enough to make me think I had gone further.

Really, really runnable forest. Really hilly also, obviously. But I like that, it's a good physical challenge. Took some time at 8 to take in the great view of the entire valley and the Delaware. Also picked up two foil balloons. #AOWN

Control Count: 451

Intervals with Peter on Richard Lake.

We would switch who started first. First he started 30 seconds before me, then I started 30 seconds before him, and so forth.

I haven't done intervals like these with anyone for a while now. And I was pushing hard. Physically it was a great workout. Really had to work for it. I also followed each interval with 3 pistol squats on each leg.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fSiED6NPBkLKvYqk6

Overall pretty good. Missed the 2nd control on the first loop. Very vague area. But if there had been a flag there, I would have gotten it. And then I misread the final finish. I went too high thinking that was the spur. I suppose I forgot they were 2.5m contours and went straight up the hill.

I was working really hard physically for a few of those. For several sections I was average 4:45-5:30/k. Obviously when the terrain is open and not too hilly, it lends itself to fast running like that. But I was breathing pretty hard at the end of each of these.

Control Count: 441

https://photos.app.goo.gl/24B1DkEKhbs3Du138

Recon in Allamuchy with Peter. Set a long course in case the terrain was fast. It was very open, but the hills slowed me down a lot.

Peter started about 3 minutes before I did and I caught him at 4 and we both got to the edge of what looked like an impenetrable wall of thorns, a mix of Japanese barberry and greenbrier. So I decided to skip 5 and 6 since 6 also looked like it was potentially swampy and thorny. Peter told me later that it was fine though.

Really spectacular terrain for orienteering, as is most of North Jersey and the Hudson Valley... if it just weren't so dang expensive to live there. At least I'm only 30 minutes from this map here in East Stroudsburg.

Control Count: 413

Peter will be staying at my house for the next week as we test out this area and house as an elite training center. It'll be good to have someone to train with. Hopefully we can get AJ up this weekend and get a bit of a group together.

For the future, I can only comfortably host 4-5 people tops. Not limited by space, but the one bathroom is enough to keep too many of us from getting together. Luckily, it looks like there are several reasonably priced AirBnBs around us.

Rest day, except rest days aren't just rest days anymore and need to have some level of activity. Which is still nice honestly.

Easy out and back on the Levee. Good to clear out the legs and the mind.