Training Log Archive: ernst

Event: UNO Camping Weekend
 

Pawtuck Camping Weekend. Green Course (4.6.k). I did set the courses, so control locations looked familiar, but the routes I took were new to me. I had streamered the control locations about a month ago. A solid run - I wanted to just jog, but really got into it, so ended in racing mode. Nice to have confidence when you get near the controls. That's how it should be - always!
I was 2nd, 4 minutes behind Hakan, 1 minute ahead of Giovanni.

Wicked hard Night O. Not so wicked hard this time: Short legs, a humanly tolerable distance, and not much climb. Mostly pleasant. I was trading the lead with Alex and Neil until about # 6, when i fell behind about 30 seconds, and then accidentally turned 90 degrees while following along the edge of a pond and ended up with 270 degrees surrounded by water. Had to get out of there which meant a lot of fighting through thick vegetation. That dampened my spirit a bit, and I continued the second half alone. Slower but steadily. A few mistakes - mostly being too short than I thought, but was able to recover solidly each time. Was third, about 14 minutes behind Alex and Neil. Fun event! Thanks, Jim! Weather was perfect.

Green - Splits

Run to work

Biking home w. fish pick up detour.

Out the door on a day of "work at home". Already 80 F, and the woods did not seem to have cooled down much over night. Plan was to accumulate a few miles ending at the swim hole (Thompson F), then swim (20 minutes) and then run back home (1 mile). This ended up being a nice long route to W Foss Farm loop, then to Surrey bike trails, out to Stonehenge and back, then to Thompson amounting to 7.4 miles to the swim hole. The run home was understandably sluggish, but also very hot - 88 F now. Had to jump in the baby pool to cool off again.

Swim to dock and back. The usual. River is a bit calmer, but still nice and cool, but not cold.

Run to work. Modest pace. Hot already - and I am still a bit sore. Just keep running, I guess.

Running home. Still 80 F at 6:30 pm. Somewhat tired, but eventually got into a rhythm with a lot of sweating. The new usual, which includes 3 hills and around the field. Saw what looked to be a boy-scout/family group hiking on the Colasante trails, - I never see a soul there. I detoured and ask them if they were lost - which they negated.

Bike to work. All on road.

Running home, the usual with one extra hill plus loop around field. Not much ummph... quite sore from Sunday. Also quite hot still at 6pm.

A loop around SH, then to Thompson farm loop to swim hole, then home after a 20 min swim. Hot, 88F, but relatively dry air with a gentle breeze. Not very fast going but a good run to shake of a bit of soreness from yesterday.

Swim to dock and back in between a run.

Wapack trail race: "out and back" from Windblown to Mt Watatic parking lot and back. Lots of stepping over rocks and roots and more climb than I am used to.

I started pretty fast with the front group - just what I am used to with trail running. Inevitably I had to slow down as footing got rougher and steeper. A bit of exhaustion started to build up towards the turn around point with the last bit of climb up to Watatic, and then down (- 200m) to the parking lot. About 1:38 at the turn around, so my 3:20 target time seemed realistic. At this point I was running alone for about the last 5 miles, but then, of course, I saw many of the on-coming runners, which was a lot of fun. I was in 14th place, until a fast relay runner passed me on the climb up to Watatic.

Then a long gentle down towards Binney Pond and the mid food station. All seemed fine, but then some cramping started to manifest its ugly face. Perhaps heat related (now about 75 F)? I had been hydrating and feeding (power gels) pretty consistently. I attributed the cramping to lack of mountain running training. I was just not used the the continual lifting my legs up, or putting on the breaks.

So it was touch and go for the last five miles, which included a lot of climb, and warmer temperatures. Eventually I made it intermittently hiking and jogging. Looks like my 'rivals' had similar issues. I did not catch up with anybody, nor did anybody pass me before the finish.

A fun race, nevertheless. I won my age class (60 - 69) but did not beat the PG record of 3:13 (on the 7.5 mile course). Lots of pizza, cookies, drinks - hanging out socializing. I won a bottle of Italian Champaigne (Spumante), everybody got a pair of gloves, and all this for a measly late registration fee of $ 30. Bonus!