Training Log Archive: mayer22

Iron Furnace Challenge at Blue Ridge Scout Reservation
I've been wanting to explore this terrain since I came to school in 2003. Been close over the last few years as Earl helps the camp out occasionally. Beautiful wooded terrain. Need to do some orienteering here still. Liked the trails on the back half better.

Second MTB ride of the year. Lots of elevation. Had considered doing the shorter loop but made good time on the first half. Turns out the second half was MUCH slower but also more interesting trails. There was a lot of climbing as well and lots of small trees across the trail that unless you were super strong you couldn't climb AND hop the trees. But the trail was really nice. I would have preferred removing the trees but others that could ride them liked them.

I was pretty slow comparatively but felt like I was keeping at least a decent pace. Rear tire lost some pressure on the first climb/descent. Had to put some air in it a couple times. A few technical descents. The course could have been marked better. A few times I had trouble knowing where to go. The trail over the ridge was also hard to follow sometimes as it isn't ridden a whole heck of a lot and the blowdowns made it difficult at times. Probably stopped about 10 times total to figure out where to go.

Was planning to spend some time at the camp/waterfront with the girls after the ride but Nut had to go to the doctor for an emergency so I took off right away.

Ride back to the car.

Workout before my flight
Pushups
Hanging Leg Lifts (need more grip strength)
Planks
Side Planks
Tricep Pushdowns
Hammer Curl
Lunges
Situps

Was originally planning to run downtown, wonder and then underground back. Just before I left had the idea to check some local O Clubs for some maps.

Turns out the London Orienteering Klub has a permanent O Course on the north side of the city well within Tube limits. It was too far to run too and explore so I rode up, ran around, then changed, sort of showered (thanks to facilities at the park), and then road downtown in nice clean clothes and explored.

Orienteering was ok. The map I used is here:
http://londonorienteering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads...

I just did the controls in order so as not to make it too confusing. This meant mostly short leg lengths but that was ok. Better than the run getting too long.

The park had too many footpaths to mark on the map which made things tricky at times. Would have been a big help to have the map printed bigger than 8.5x11. Also the map was so busy it was usually hard to see contours unless you stopped and really focused on them. And there was quite a bit of low brush with some "nettle" like plants (not as bad) sprinkled in.

I had an easy warmup run from the tube to the park. Then got ready and stashed my bag in some trees under some leaves while I ran. I couldn't find the marker for the first control so went to the next and then found what I was looking for.

Control 3 was supposed to be on a building that was no where to be found but I eventually found the marker. I never found the marker for 5 so I took a safe route to 6 to make sure I was in the right spot as I questioned my route to 5 (I was).

Got confused on the attack to 9. Mostly good for a while after that. A round about way to 16 and then 19 was tricky to get to from 18. The direct route was through a thick/wet area that I didn't read very well and also through a low fence.

Then I totally blew 20. I started looking at the first turn in the wall but didn't realize I needed to go to the second. As I was searching I was saying that nothing else really matched up, and that's why. Spent almost 10 min searching the wrong spot.

Finished the rest and then stopped to see the marker for CP1 on the way back.

MUCH better than city road running, having to stare at my phone so as not to get lost.

Easy jog around the docks.

This is the rest of the run. I stopped to take a dip in the river and my watch reset.

Pushups
Hanging Leg Lifts (need more grip strength)
Planks
Stair climbs (9 flights)
Side Planks
Tricep Pushdowns
Hammer Curl
Lunges
Situps

Ran to Olympic Park. Actually found a bike/running path (on top of a sewer) that got me most of the way there. Very little running on roads. Once I got up there it was a mix of surfaces: canal trails, forest trails, fields, bike trails, urban MTB trails, and walkways. There was one forest section that had some trails that I went by and didn't get to explore. Went by the velodrome. There was also a neat closed road bike loop.

Had to stop a bit to check directions, more so later on. Legs were a bit tired. Pace not super fast.

Took the tube back.

Pushups
Hanging Leg Lifts (need more grip strength)
Planks
Stair climbs (9 flights)
Side Planks
Tricep Pushdowns
Hammer Curl
Lunges
Situps

Up late again to submit paper.