Training Log Archive: MeanGene

PM - walking and jogging around Clinton State Park with Dee to get instructions from Steve Riley on her course marshaling duties (lots of direction changes between 2 mi and 5 mi races). Steve's work to layout the course was reminiscent of may O'meet setups. Pleasant warm, sunny day.

AM - campus run from SRFC over to Memorial Drive & back

AM - weights (RW-A)

AM - exercise bike, sluggish - rpms more in 90s instead of 110s.

AM - weight workout = RW-B

PM - Clinton SP. Started at Barner School to check out the 5 mile course form Jan 1. Met Greg Burger at the top of the hill just west of Barber School. He was scoping out the course as well but didn't have the map I got from Steve Riley, the race director. Made is own path thorugh the woods besides using the established ski trails. He's making the course design as close to Des Moines' Living History Farm minus the steep hills with the ropes to use. 57 degrees and sunny on Dec 26! Time slower with stops to chat with Greg about the course. Brought both the O'map and the course map, but couldn't O' and chat with Greg when I had to read the course map almost the whole time.

AM - Merry Christmas. Run with Dee to Wakarusa & Clinton Pkwy. Dee was surprised I had never run her full route. 30, overcast, wind from MW.

AM - SRFC - exercise bike on 9 setting.

AM - SRFC - weights (RW-A workout)

C • What is SRFC? 2

AM - Deerfield Hills route. 25 degrees, all streets cleared of snow & ice - still about 1/2 inch in grassy areas. Got to keep up the motivation to get out when it's cold and dark. Used LED headlamp to watch out for icy spots.

AM - SRFC - shot baskets and then light bench presses, chinups and stability ball. Red Dog workout was locked out. KU Athletics is probably all in Ft Worth and no one let us in.

AM - from house to Allen Fieldhouse to see women's basketball game. Dee had the car for a women's running group holiday brunch and net me at the game. Easy jog, some walking through the slushy 2" of snow and a lot of cleared roads, too.
KU women are 8-0; great start but need to improve before league play.

AM - River trails - to mark course for tonight's run. About an inch of snow on the ground - very quiet and picturesque. Quite a few runners out - saw 4 separate grops. # people also doing trail maintenance. Run was stop and go as I hung signs and posted directional arrows.

C • Marking the course? Isn't it ... 1

PM - LNWM 2005 - 5 people total inspite of some PR hoping to attract runners. Nope - 100% orienteers, even if Dee counts - she did the PTOC picnic and MOP Runs to mention recent events. In fact, it's been 100% since '98.

Hamstrings still very sore from yesterday - another indication how unprepared I was for the Possum Trot this year.

AM - at Allen FH - Dog Days calisthenics with a 6 x 30m lunge walks. Tight hamstring muscles later in the day.

AM - Dog Days - runs on levels 2 and 3 at AFH after exercises

PM - Red Dog group - fun run downtown with runners dressed up with Christmas lights and bells. (The closeup of the back of a Santa hat with lights - that's me).
Met behind Kizer Cummings (Jewelers), then walked through the store before running up and down Mass Street. About 60 people; 34 degrees, gusty wind from the north, dry.

AM - Allen Fieldhouse w/ Red Dog group for first time this winter. Large group (about 80 people) - calisthenics - enough to get a good workout.

AM - after exercises - then ran around AFH level 3 with 4x climbs at building corners from bottom to top floors.

Kaw River Trails with Ed Payne & Mike Eglinski. Easy with Ed - he turned around at the 2.5 mi mark (after the big log). Mike & headed to far end. Snow & slush on the ground - footing was fine. About 35 degrees. Tired.

C • 1

AM - MARA Chili Run - from shelter #1 headed south, counter clockwise along paved lake roads, then turn around at 3 mi. Ran with Karen Hyde - worked to keep her pace.
Saw Dee get her Grand Prix award again for another (8th) year. Opted not to run in the woods.

AM

AM - SRFC - weights - RW-A. fast circuit, stayed with 30 sec rest between first 2 sets, 1 min before doing 2nd set.

AM - SRFC track, felt like doing 17 laps after being wasted the last 2 days.

AM - weights: RW-B workout

Event: Possum Trot IX
 

Possum Trot: did only 13 of the possible 26 controls. Took about 2 hours to get to 10. Getting really tired of the brambles, thorns and saplings. Scratched up pretty good at the Weston Bend meet a few weekends earlier (located along the same bluffs further south).

Got to meet site early and did all preparations without rushing. Then at start forgot to get my water bottle. Got one and stuck it in the back of my bike jersey - abd idea - bounced too much. Decided 3 hours like that wouldn;t work - went back to car to get bottle waist strap. 5 min behind, but then didn;t get sucked into going to fast with the pack.
Brutally hilly. I had trained more hills this summer than before - but did not specicifally do training for long, steep hills. The Living History Farm 10K was a lark compared to this. Leaving 13, started to cramp. Smart thing for an old guy is to go back to the start. Avoided the severe type of cramps - another 10 min and it could have been bad.

Possum Trot - Bluffwoods (south of St Joe, MO). Abandon course again. After 2 hours was only about a third done. Bad start - forgot water bottle, then retrieved bottle for 10K refreshment stop (still by the start), decided carrying a bottle in a bike jersey was lousy (too bouncy) and ran back to car to retrieve bottle fanny pack - 5 min loss at start. But , I figured in a long run of 3 hrs plus, 5 min is better than all that time with the bottle jostling. Then next 10 controls went OK - bungled one and banged my right wrist hard going down too fast in a ravine - assumed the opposite side was dirt - it was rock. Swore &$^%(#!! (not cool). Saw Mary at 5K refrshment stop and elapse time already hitting 2 hrs. Started to cramp after bungling 13 and on way to 14. At top of ridge - decided I was too old for this. In spite of more hill training this year, it was the right kind of hill work. Standing around the Kansas Champs all day on Sat. has to take a toll, too.

For PT '06, the right choice would be to run the regular green course - unless the PT course is less steep and I've properly trained.

First 10 controls except for mental errors was fun. Just got tired much, much earlier than expected.

My best races were 5Ks this summer and not the long stuff. Leave the marathons to the younger runners.

helped with finish line at Kansas O' Champs.

AM - campus run

AM - weights: RW - B workout

AM - up Lawrence Ave, Settler, Riverview, Wagon Wheel, Longhorn, Ranger, Saddlehorn, then Tomahawk (skipped going to Fall Creek), and home. Used headlamp. About 23 degrees.