Training Log Archive: TomNIn the 7 days ending Oct 12, 2015:
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Sunday Oct 11, 2015 #
Orienteering race 1:36:12 [4] 5.2 km (18:30 / km) +225m 15:13 / km
shoes: IceBug Olx 4
Boulder Dash Green, Day 2. I'm much happier with my navigation today, and I felt good all the way, except for one control, see below. But I guess I paid the price in the form of slow pace. I was surprised by the time, I thought I was faster.
I had no problems at all on the first 6 controls, spiking each time. I felt like I was synthesizing the rock and contour detail, which I've never been able to do before, sort of like walking and chewing gum at the same time. I thought about the long leg for quite a while, and decided to take the trail all the way around to the N of the control, crossing north over the logged area and picking up the trail across the marsh near #10, and passing by 9 and 8. The attack in to #7 from the north was fine. The only problem was I lost the trail about a half-dozen times getting there, losing tens of seconds each time backtracking to the last blaze.
After that, there were issues. I wanted to take the trail back to 8, but couldn't find it. Went back to #7 and tried again, slower this time, and picked up the trail this time. It happened again from 8 to 9, couldn't find the trail at all, gave up and crossed the stream (should have gone right there in the first place) and the control was easy from there. And then I found the trail just fine on the way to 10 but wasn't paying enough attention and went back and forth on the trail for a while looking for a solid attack point.
I must have had a total burn-out on #11. Not careful about where I crossed the marsh, couldn't relocate on the other side, ran in circles for a while looking for identifiable features, and finally found a cluster of them, but they were other green runners. I shamelessly followed them to the control. Then I hared off to finish way ahead of the pack. I can still run fast, even if I can't navigate for squat.
I had no problems at all on the first 6 controls, spiking each time. I felt like I was synthesizing the rock and contour detail, which I've never been able to do before, sort of like walking and chewing gum at the same time. I thought about the long leg for quite a while, and decided to take the trail all the way around to the N of the control, crossing north over the logged area and picking up the trail across the marsh near #10, and passing by 9 and 8. The attack in to #7 from the north was fine. The only problem was I lost the trail about a half-dozen times getting there, losing tens of seconds each time backtracking to the last blaze.
After that, there were issues. I wanted to take the trail back to 8, but couldn't find it. Went back to #7 and tried again, slower this time, and picked up the trail this time. It happened again from 8 to 9, couldn't find the trail at all, gave up and crossed the stream (should have gone right there in the first place) and the control was easy from there. And then I found the trail just fine on the way to 10 but wasn't paying enough attention and went back and forth on the trail for a while looking for a solid attack point.
I must have had a total burn-out on #11. Not careful about where I crossed the marsh, couldn't relocate on the other side, ran in circles for a while looking for identifiable features, and finally found a cluster of them, but they were other green runners. I shamelessly followed them to the control. Then I hared off to finish way ahead of the pack. I can still run fast, even if I can't navigate for squat.
Saturday Oct 10, 2015 #
Event: UNO Boulder Dash
Orienteering race 1:39:25 [3] 5.0 km (19:53 / km) +165m 17:04 / km
Boulder Dash Green, Day 1. Not high expectations for this race, given my past difficulties with rocky New England maps. But things worked out o.k. No problems with #1. (Yeah, it was streamered.) Solid approach to #2, then I was stopped by the stone wall. No matter how many times I looked at the map, I could not see a stone wall on it. I insisted afterwards that it wasn't mapped. When Phil B. showed it to me, I figured it was left off of just my map. But no, it was there of course, but I had a cognitive failure, it was invisible, just like the famous selective attention problem.
Controls 2, 3, 4, and 5 went very well. I'm particularly happy with my approach on 4, staying low to spot the spur, then up to the huge boulder just below the control. But another control-finding problem on 6, I was in contact all the way in, but then floundered around for a long time looking in various reentrants.
From 7 to 8 I ran straight north and followed the trail to the bend, attacking from there. Still missed, not high enough on the slope. A little luck on 11, didn't know exactly where I crossed the swamp but kind of blundered into the control on the other side. Going to 12, I followed the stone wall to the end then out to the trail and approached from the NNW. Good map reading on the attack, but would have been better going straight in from the stone wall.
I feel like 14 was a psychological breakthrough for me. Everywhere else I found linear features to lead me in, but on this one there was no choice: read the rock and contour detail. Well, o.k., there was a swamp about 2/3 of the way, which was basically my attack point. It all hung together, and it may not have been fast, but it was solid. Man, that felt really good.
Controls 2, 3, 4, and 5 went very well. I'm particularly happy with my approach on 4, staying low to spot the spur, then up to the huge boulder just below the control. But another control-finding problem on 6, I was in contact all the way in, but then floundered around for a long time looking in various reentrants.
From 7 to 8 I ran straight north and followed the trail to the bend, attacking from there. Still missed, not high enough on the slope. A little luck on 11, didn't know exactly where I crossed the swamp but kind of blundered into the control on the other side. Going to 12, I followed the stone wall to the end then out to the trail and approached from the NNW. Good map reading on the attack, but would have been better going straight in from the stone wall.
I feel like 14 was a psychological breakthrough for me. Everywhere else I found linear features to lead me in, but on this one there was no choice: read the rock and contour detail. Well, o.k., there was a swamp about 2/3 of the way, which was basically my attack point. It all hung together, and it may not have been fast, but it was solid. Man, that felt really good.
Thursday Oct 8, 2015 #
Road running 42:00 [3] 4.5 mi (9:20 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 14
Around the pond end-to-end and back. Fabulous day, sunny and warm (after the morning chill came off). The lake is quiet. Maybe only a dozen cabins are occupied, mostly year-rounders. The loons are practicing take-off maneuvers. There are some other fishing birds, cormorants I guess. The fish appear to be plentiful. Lots of fall color, maybe not at its peak yet. Speaking of which, the Maine Fall Foliage Website has a picture of Howard Pond on its front page. It's a view over the water to the hillside rising right up in back of our cabin (from a previous year). Our cabin is in the shadows on the right-hand side of the picture.
Wednesday Oct 7, 2015 #
Note
Kensington MD to Hanover ME in 11.5 hours. Drive was non-stressful, weather was pleasant. Stopped for a 20-min nap in a park-n-ride off I-84 in CT.