Training Log Archive: DWildfogel

US Nationals Long at Bishop Lakes, Brighton, MI. Start at 10:08. 9th of 30 on Brown A, 4th of 7 in M70.

Worn out by the time of this race. 35 degrees at start. Big mistakes on the first two, figured it out after that. Really should have won this. Had the fastest split on four of the legs and the second fastest on four others, but lost a total of about 22 minutes on the other 3 legs: 14 on #1, 4 on #2 and 3 on #5.

Wore gloves and a long sleeve shirt, both unusual for me. Certainly glad I had them in the beginning. However, at some point in the run each shoe became untied, and with the estick and safety strap on my right hand, I couldn't get that glove off, and that led to significant difficulty getting the shoes re-tied.

Left for the start a little late, so run there under a bit of duress, but it turned out that their clock was a couple of minutes slower than mine, so got there in plenty of time (though not as calm and collected as I would like to be).

[Orienteering race]

Sunday_Long_Bishop_Lake_Oct_2018_4 Brown A - Splits

US Nationals Sprint, Round 1, at Centennial Park, Plymouth Indiana. Start at 9:32. First overall on Brown A, though just 4 secs ahead of Chuck.

Did extremely well in the urban parts, but lost time when I had to duck into the woods for #7, though it was because I couldn’t identify things in the urban part. Brown B had this control with a slightly different starting point; Soupbone made an error about the same size as mine, and GlenT about half as much.

#7-#8 was the same as on Brown B. My time was 2 secs behind the fastest on Brown B (Walter) despite making a (silly) 5 second error.

Against the Brown A field (i.e., me against the fastest time besides me on that leg), I was 17 secs ahead not counting #7. (This includes Janet Findlay having a 5 secs-too-fast split to the GO control; given the big error she had on the previous leg, I'm guessing she was at the GO control at some point prior to getting to the next to last control.)

Had best split on 6 of the 11 legs, and second best on three others (missing first by one or two secs). Besides the error on #7, the only other leg was #10, to the GO control, where I was 4th (though two of the people ahead of me probably went to the GO control before #9).

Started at the same time as Marie-Josee (and no one else). Took a quick look at our clue sheets (probably shouldn't have) and saw that her #1 was my #2 and then the next few controls after that were the same.

SHOES: Tough deciding on this. Turned out there was no stream fording on Brown (got a hint of that from Mike), so metal-tipped cleats weren't needed, and they would have been somewhat of a detriment given that more than 80% of the running was on pavement. The Salomons were worth it because of the few brief forays into the woods. So, I made the right choice.

#1. Seemed very straight-forward, left of the ball field, right of the pool. 2nd, 2 secs behind Janet F.

#2. Looked in that direction and immediately saw the bag and Marie-Josee about to punch it. 1st, 1 sec ahead of Francis H.

#3. MJ went around the left side of the ball field, I noticed the right side would be about the same, so just went around the left side, too. Right side would've been slightly better as I could've had a look at #4. 2nd, 1 sec behind Janet F.

#4. A little perplexed because I couldn't see a wall on the map (it was gray, and I often can't pick up that color) and then I saw Marie-Josee running to where I was heading from the Gazebo further N, and for a split sec though maybe I should be heading to the gazebo. But then I saw the low wall dead ahead, and Marie reached down behind it to punch, so I never deviated from my path. 1st, 1 sec ahead of Chuck.

#5. Had worked out this leg on the way to #3. Almost exactly on the straight line, using the sidewalks almost all the way to the fence (didn't want to cut through the little patch of woods) and then following the fence around. 1st, 8 secs ahead of Chuck.

#6. Straight line at first until near #1. Didn't want to go through the sandy area and also saw that the control was inside the fence, so went around the left side of the pool and got inside the fence from the N. 1st by 3 secs ahead of Janet F (and 12 ahead of Chuck).

#7. N, then around the ball field, and then something was wrong; what I was seeing didn't match the map. It may have been that the X in the white patch was now a building, and no trees around it, but can't be sure. In any case, I had a real sinking feeling. OK, forget the other stuff, just use the big building. Got myself to the edge of the woods. There were a couple of dumpsters there; where they on the map? At that moment, JJ dived into the woods to my right, so I went in and looked to the right and saw a bag. Couldn't be mine because it was in a depression with no rootstock in sight, but I stupidly went all the way there to check the code. Then, given that it was a depression, looked at the map, realized where I was looked to the NW and saw the bag (meaning I most certainly could have seen it when I first stepped into the woods if I hadn't fixated on looking where JJ had gone). An ugly 15th (of 25), 45 secs behind Janet F.

#8. So close to the sidewalk, went back up, then right of the fence to the covered bridge. Approaching #8 on the road, judged that I should cut into the woods just before the sidewalk on the left joined the road. That was an error in judgement (and the circle obscured the change in width of the road, which would have been a more definite attack point). Stepped into the thick woods, didn't see a bag ahead, then saw it 20m to my left. Back to the road and then to the bag. Lost at least 5 secs, but still 1st by 4 secs over Chuck (and 2nd vs Brown B, 2 secs behind Walter).

#9. Over the bridge, didn't want to cut in right away. Scared of missing this entirely in the thick woods (happened to others). Cautiously around to the left of what seemed to be the mapped darker green, and then saw the control dead ahead. 1st by 5 secs over Chuck (and 14 ahead of Sharon in 3rd).

#10. Legs staggered a bit going up the hill with deadfall, and came out 10m to the left of the control. 4th, 5 seconds behind Chuck in 2nd (Janet F and Jim H were also ahead, but they most likely had been to the GO control prior to reaching #9).

F. Legs were shot, but still managed 2nd, 2 secs behind Francis.

RouteGadget

[Orienteering Sprint race]

Good warm up, mostly jogging to the start, some faster striding once in the start area. Legs weren't as fresh as yesterday, but felt pretty good and I felt ready to go.

Cool down

Sprint Champs Round 2 at Centennial Park, Plymouth Indiana. Start at 12:32. 3rd of 25 on Brown A (Chuck 1644, Joe Senhal [M75] 1726]), 2nd of 7 in M70. Wound up 2nd to Chuck overall, 47 secs behind.

This one was much less urban, mostly park, but 6-7-8 were in woods (fight even!) and I wound up at 8 before 7. Did not change gears as I should have. Very disappointing.

Lost 15-20 secs at #3 because the vegetation was mismapped. I was going to use the finger of clearing pointing W, just N of the control, but when I got there, there was no such finger. Had to double-check that I was where I was supposed to be, and eventually spotted the control through the woods.

Had 5 #1 splits, 3 #2's and 4 #3's (accounting for all the legs except #3 and #7, already mentioned above.

Had the second fast split on #5, but route choice cost me ~12 secs.

Legs were definitely tired. On the little hill in the latter part of the leg to #3, I had to walk a bit. Fortunately, there were no other hills.

1. Bearing at first, then identified the feature (not easy to pick out in the visual field) dead ahead. 2nd fastest, 2 behind Francis H.

2. Just follow the curving bank. Fastest split, 6 secs over Rick W.

3. Described above, including losing time on the hill, lost 20 - 25. 10th fastest split.

4. Bearing, then spotted it halfway. Chuck said he saw it from #3. 3rd fastest, 3 behind Chuck.

5. Did not want to chance going through the woods and having to hunt for the control (though the bridge would have made a good recovery point), so ran N to the sidewalk and then to the bridge. Had thought about cutting towards the control before crossing the bridge, but then thought "must be a reason there's a bridge, and I don't want to get stuck crossing whatever it is that the bridge is going over." So, went over the bridge, spotted the control from there, and got there quickly. However, there was really no impediment to cutting to the control before crossing the bridge, and Chuck did that and beat me by 11. 2nd fastest split.

6. Had already ascertained that had to go NW to the bridge over the river. Ran fairly hard to the black X NNW of the control, took a careful bearing, and spotted it just a little to the right of where I'd been heading. Fastest split by 11 secs over Janet Findlay (who can really run). At this point I was in first, 6 seconds over Chuck and 101 ahead of Joe Senhal in third.

7. Had long since determined that 6-7-8 were the only things that could keep me from winning. But I left 8 without a plan, and with no thought that I would be able to read either the vegetation or the depressions, going only on compass and pace count - which should have meant that I did that very carefully, but I didn't. After bumbling around a bit, JJ came by (just as in Round 1, #7!) so went where he was going, spotted a control in a long depression, and went to it. But the code was wrong, and in a few seconds realized it was my #8. Took another few seconds to get over the sickening feeling, then turned to head for #7, just as George was coming in to #8. Now I actually navigated by the depressions, and got right to #8. 16 fastest, 156 behind Joe Senhal, completely losing the race here. But I didn't give up, and just tried to really pick up the pace.

8. Had been there already, and though it wasn't trivial to get back, had the fastest split by 7 secs on a short (44 secs) leg.

9. Out to the sidewalk, stayed on it until the big field, immediately picked out the correct tree.. But Francis beat me by 1 sec - maybe he cut through the woods?

10. Complicated little leg, perfect for me, had fastest split by 3 over Janet F 0n just a 25 sec leg.

11. Cut between the tennis courts. Another leg right up my alley, taking only 104 and beating the next person (Janet) by 7.

12. Had noticed when I got my clue sheet that the next to last control was the same as this morning, so got there with no trouble. But the difference between me in the woods and me not in the woods is clear: Only second fastest, with Chuck 1 sec ahead.

13. Same leg as this morning, this time I stayed a little more to the right and pushed hard, managing to do it 2 secs faster than this morning, despite very tired legs. Janet, who'd been 10 secs faster than me in the morning, was 8 secs slower, so we tied, for 3rd. Chuck (1 sec faster than the morning) and Joe S (who'd made a half minute error on this leg in the morning) were 4 secs ahead.

F. A second slower than in the morning, third fastest.

RouteGadget

[Orienteering Sprint race]

Warm up, mostly jogging to the start. Legs definitely tired.

Cool down. Had to force this because I was really tired. Hoping it'll help for tomorrow.

Saturday_Sprint1_Plymouth_Oct_2018_4 Brown A 1 - Splits

Saturday_Sprint2_Plymouth_Oct_2018_4 Brown A 2 - Splits

Event: 2018 USA Nationals - Sprint Middle Long
 

Weekly accumulation of morning exercises. Tailed off on the strength exercises as the week progressed.

US Nationals Middle, Brown A. 2.6 km, 35m climb (though I get 20m on my route). St.Patricks Park, South Bend, IN (with the first two controls in Michigan). Start at 3:27pm.

Excellent run despite the rain, mostly on trails. Complicated trail network - right up my alley. First overall. M65 was on Brown B, many legs in common, looks like I did very well even compared to those guys. Don't know how I managed it on only 2 hours of sleep.

Comparison with Brown B: 7 legs in common, which I did in 1318. Of the top 6 on Brown B (Soupbone, TomN, Tarry, Glen, Walter, Peggy), only TomN (second overall) was ahead (by 27).

It started drizzling (and was quite chilly) when I started my warm up. Held my magnifier in the palm of my hand to keep it dry. Fortunately, didn't need it until the middle of the race, and by then it had stopped raining.

RouteGadget

[Orienteering race]

C • Well done! 2

Friday_Middle_St_Patricks_CP_Oct_2018_4 Brown A - Splits

Long, long day of travel to South Bend, IN. Flew from Oakland with George, Marie-Josee and Francois, then Francois drove the two hours to South Bend. We got there after 11 Eastern time, after leaving home just after 9 Pacific time.

The meet HQ hotel, Waterford Estates Inn, was quite adequate despite less than stellar reviews.

Jeep trail next door. Despite the sore lower left back, went ahead and did a short warm up, as planned. Back felt a little better as I went along. Biggest problem is that I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I'm really dragging today, and I need to pack. I like going on trips a lot more than packing for them.

Splits are for two laps at a time, 0.4 miles:
436, 359 (last lap in 154 without pushing)

[Easy distance]

Cool down

Hurt my back while bending over to pick something up. Same spot (lower left) that I hurt before the last race in WY. :(

Doing all the exercises, hoping it'll be fine by Friday.