Training Log Archive: AliC

To the race start, having packed everything back on to the bike, so it was a bit heavier!

Warm up to the start. Got a little mini-cramp so walked for a bit to make it go away.

Yay! A good day! So excited to at least have had one decent race where I didn't become hopelessly confused at any point. I finished 5th out of 12 in women's elite. Pretty psyched about that!

What worked: I was careful. Very careful. Sacrificed speed to make sure everything around me added up with the map. I would say I was a bit over-hesitant, but that balance is tricky for sure!

C • :) 1

And cycled back from the race to Eindhoven. Took a roundabout route, because the cyclepath along the highway wasn't that interesting, and I figured I should put the Fietspadkart I bought to use! I went back over to Holland the same way I came, then diverted to the west into small towns- Achtereste Brug, something else Brug, then picked up a cycle path through a park that was gorgeous (and filled with other people cycling! had to use my bell quite a bit). At the end of this cycle path, there was some sort of detour around Valkensward because of a car race, so I went to Dommelen (home of Dommelisch beer), up to Waalre, over to Aalste, and finally on in to Eindhoven.

Back from Hoogeveen- probably the last time I do this. Ouch, my legs were sore!

On the rib- since the medicine was making my stomach turn in circles, I stopped taking it on Friday. On Saturday, the rib felt awful. I kept sneezing and it was really painful with each sneeze. So silly!!!!

But, this morning, I woke up and it felt decidedly better- ie. didn't hurt when I did a sit-up to get off the ground, and a little better when I had to use it to crawl in and out of the tent. Hopefully I'm on the mend from this super-mysterious injury!!!

Over to the race. Went early to check out yesterdays results and buy a new control-description holder.

Over to the start!

Ugh. Really wanted to do better than yeserday, but this was worse. I became totally confused to control number 5, and I'm actually still not sure what I did. Everything seemed to make sense along the way, then nothing did. I relocated by realizing that the two paths I could be on had slightly different orientations, so a bearing settled which I was on, then I just along it til I saw something noticable.

So that mistake took a lot out of me, and then, about halfway in, I got really, really tired. This hasn't happened to me in an orienteering race ever before. I was just totally wiped. A little bit later, I realized I was massively thirsty and must be really dehydrated- definitely true! I had bad stomach cramps after yesterdays race (I blame the medicine I was on for my rib- the doctor mentioned something about stomach problems when he gave it to me- not like I can read the Dutch warnings though!) and probably didn't eat or drink enough going into today... oops.

Was 10th out of 10. Blob.

Cycling to Hoogeveen with everything I need for 3 days packed onto my bike: tent, sleeping bag, O-kit and shoes, raingear, some food. Just a bit heavier feelin than normal!! Rib still hurts.

From Eindhoven down to Lommel. I bought a bike route map from the tourist office at the station, but the route was easy- just take the highway between the two cities, more or less. Trickiest bits were just getting in and out of the cities. Something like a 33km cycle? I was getting tired by the end, so I eased up a bit- wanted to save something for the race!

First race running in an elite class! Of course, it didn't go amazingly, coming in 9th out of 12th- I made a big 'ol mistake on number 4 and took forever (around 7 minutes) to relocate. So that certainly didn't help. Other than that, I was pretty happy with how I raced, actually!

Goal- Do better tomorrow, and don't let the path network mess with me. Paths may look friendly and like good things to orienteer off of, but they're not when you mistake what path you're on!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....

I have been waiting to go orienteering at the Belgian 5 days most of the summer, and now I'm not going. At least not to the first day. My rib is simply not getting better, and as much as I'd like to orienteer, it would be stupid to do right now, without really knowing whats wrong, and having it only get worse and not better since Monday.

Seriously, what is wrong with this rib? I don't understand. Absolutley no trauma to it, and it I pulled a muscles or some such nonsense, I would expect it to at least not be getting worse....

C • Rubbish!!! Hope it's nothing t... 1

Went to the local doctor, and he diagnosed what was going on with some Dutch word, which sounds like it just means inflamation. I asked if I could go run and things, and he said if the pain allowed... I have some prescription anti-inflammatory to try to calm things down!

So, tomorrow morning I'm off and going to the last 3 days of the Belgian 5 days! Wahoo!

C • I want to go orienteering! 2

Event: 5 days of Belgium
 

Taking the day off so I don't aggravate the rib at all! Hopefully it'll be better for tomorrow!!!

To and from Bridge night with Stefan and George. I'll miss bridge nights, they've been lots of fun...

Rib doesn't hurt much while I'm cycling, but seemed a bit worse right afterwards.

Mellow run around the blue loop. Very nice. Unfortunately it got cloudy, but it didn't rain, so I was happy!

Skipped softball. My rib is still hurting a fair bit and I think that would for sure aggravate it. What have I done? It really feels like it's the bone that's hurt and not muscles or something.... Could I really have gotten a stress fracture in my rib from carrying a bag around??? I going to go ahead and assume it's nothing major- hopefully better tomorrow!

To and from soccer. On the way back, faster than George and Gabriele, who had to take a longer route on their bikes.

A good match- the sides were 6 vs 8, and I was on the team of 6, which meant lots of running! Much more comfortable doing this now than at the beginning of the summer.

Gabriele had two fantastic headers into goal. Simply unstoppable. I played goalie twice, saved it a few times.

Haro brough some beer for after the game. I hung out, didn't drink much since I still had to run home!!

Finally got some core strength back in!

Unfortunately my top rib is really sore, maybe slightly injured, from carrying around my shoulder bag all weekend in Amsterdam. I broke this rib during one of my shoulder dislocations, and it set at a wierd angle. Hopefully it'll go away in a few days!