Training Log Archive: bbrooke

Another night (last night) of terrible sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, I flipped around and put my head at the foot of the bed, so I'd be just a bit farther away from the noisy window. Still with headache and stomach issues today, too. Ugh.

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The thickness of the brush for #1 - #5 was kinda unbelievable -- very difficult to move through and see through. I was hunched over swatting branches out of my face most of the time.

After yesterday's disasters, I tried to be extra careful -- but, that plus the thick veg meant I was also extra SLOW.

I found #1 - #4 OK, but got a little lost around #5 (I saw the clearing ahead and thought I had gone too far so I turned back -- in fact I was probably very close). JP found it while I was nearby, so that was helpful...

After #6, the rest of the course was very open and fast and I enjoyed it a lot (much like a park Sprint course). But I was still near the bottom of the Red results. Oh well -- it was still fun overall.

C • Sounds familiar... 3

OCIN_OINK_Sunday_AJ_Jolly_December_2017_6 Red - Splits

Really awful sleep last night -- my Airbnb this time kinda sucks (it faces a busy four-lane road that's VERY noisy throughout the night -- and the bed is right up against a crappy single-pane window facing the road).

Maybe that's why I had a 16-minute leg (#9) and a 23-minute leg (#14) today. Or maybe I was just orienteering really poorly. In both cases, I lost contact with the map and was totally lost. "Failing to plan is planning to fail" -- or however that expression goes. After the #14 debacle, I decided to mostly just walk to save my legs for the next day.

I also lost a few minutes trying to disentangle my shoe from barbed wire on the ground near #3 (I finally just ripped it out), but those few minutes were insignificant compared to the disasters at #9 and #14.

Sharon looked at my splits afterwards and asked me, "Did you take a nap out there?" ;-)

I think I have a (new) bug of some sort -- splitting headache at night and intermittent but severe GI troubles during the day & night.

C • sleep 4

OCIN_OINK_Camp _Ernst_December_2017_6 Red - Splits

Event: OCIN TROL / OINK! (Winter Pig National Event)
 

OINK Day 1 -- Red course (I upgraded to Red since these middle-distance courses are short).

I never got as lost as I did at a few of the QOC US Champs controls, but I did hesitate and slow down a lot a few times. Also, my tracks look very inefficient from the start to #1. In retrospect (from my literal armchair), I think it would have been faster for me to go the long way around to #8 (using the short little trail through the finger of woods), rather than fighting my way through the thorny woods. And I guess I could have also used that little trail to go from #2 to #3, and then run along the edge of the clearing. It seems so obvious now...

I took trails as much as possible for 9 - 10 - 11. I saw the other F21+ runner leaving 15 in a strange direction, so thankfully I paused to read the map there and didn't get caught by the fence trap...

Nice, sunny weather, and a surprisingly fun & challenging course for such a small area.

I still have an occasional cough and some throat-sludge...but I think I can turn off the AP "sick" flag as of today. Yay!

C • Just in time 2

OCIN_OINK_Friday_Waller-Stephenson_Dec_2017_6 Red - Splits

Work / travel day; feeling slightly better.

This trip's Airbnb place is...tolerable.

Roost Run Club -- I just walked since I'm still feeling crappy (slightly better than yesterday).

Sick -- ugh.

(Just a bad cold -- but I'm achy, my throat is painful, and I feel exhausted.)

:-\

C • Oh no! 2