Training Log Archive: Charlie

Brown X Day 2, DVOA A meet at Hay Creek.

Toe felt pretty good when I woke up, but nasty when I first stepped on it. My initial reaction was that there was no way I could do a race today, but then as I moved around the room and held onto some furniture it seemed to be enough weight off to consider going out. Besides, what else was I going to do while everybody else took the buses out to the forest? So we made a quick stop at Walmart and I acquired a cane. Not being experienced at Walmart, I didn't quite know where to look, and didn't want to put any energy into looking around, so we stopped at the customer service desk, where the lady asked me if I wanted to buy one or borrow one. Interesting, but not planning on coming back, I went for the purchase. And then I was all set to go, so got all my various stuff on and headed to the start.

Right fork on the trail, thought about taking the ditch up, but figured I ought to stay on trail at least a while, to see how my foot tolerated it. Walking exclusively. So up the trail, side trail past the rough open patch, and then another right until I found the ditch again, following the side of it down the larger re-entrant. Past the gentleman lying prone behind a tree, apparently watching the race. Over the spur and into the smaller re-entrant for #1 from the side. Down to the trail and up the intermittent trail through the green. Sure made this leg a lot easier than it could have been. PG passed me halfway up. Good, I was only 6 minutes behind him by then. Hit the larger trail, right fork, headed in from the charcoal platform and could see the boulder cluster at #2 from a distance, although the flag was tucked in. S to the trail, left and up the hill a bit, maybe not as far as I thought. Contouring, but probably starting too low and drifting down a bit more as I inspected the many unmapped cup depressions. And eventually I was too low, but more too low than I imagined. Eventually stumbled on the charcoal platform almost 200 M down the slope to the W, but didn't quite figure out which charcoal platform I was at. Two trips out to the trail before I got it. Looks like about 12 minutes lost.

From there things were looking up quite a bit, and really no more difficulty. Angled to the trail, then trail to the roundish bend north of the control and spiked it, then angled back up to the trail, to the junction, to the side of the ditch. Tried to follow the left ditch fork halfway down, but I was finding it a bit vague, so just moved a little further left and headed down, swiveling my head as much as possible until I spied #5. Contour and compass perfectly, coming out directly opposite the small trail. Small trail past the bend and the rocky stuff, then down the hill, saw the flag at #6 from a distance.

Thought about dropping to the trail, which probably would have been a fine idea, but somehow thought it made sense not to lose the 3 lines, so contoured and climbed a bit, coming around the nose and hitting the trail just past the little sharp re-entrant, then a few steps on trail and angle right in. Could see the reentrant at #7 developing from a distance. A little dicey climbing down into it with cane and bad toe. Phil HT just ahead, went back out and took the trail WE on the SW side of the stream, but I saw some reasonable rocks to hop across and went NE. To the upper trail and planned to go up and over, but leaving the trail was too steep, so stayed on the trail, and then suddenly I found I could half jog a little on my heels and so the trail seemed like fun for a while. Stayed with it to the little bend to the right straight south of #8 and then started to climb. Steep at first but then ok. I was getting close, figuring I had another line or so to climb and then I saw a monster rootstock. Wow, I thought. Wouldn't it be great if that were on the map? And then checked the map and there it was, just about 30 M downhill from the control. Excellent. Just about 25 M or so behind Phil HT, who had come around and up from the E, but he showed me a clean pair of heels on the way over toward 9. Stopped to pee for a bit, then back at it, up toward the saddle, and on to the trail junction along the line, which somehow didn't look quite right, but I knew it was the right place with the ditch coming down into it. So a bit more trail and then contour and compass into #9, maybe 25 M right of it on my line, but it was easy to see so no problem. Contour and compass to 10, could see it from a bit, then down relatively quickly to the trail and found the trail to 11 to be more long and uphill than I imagined. Managed to jog (sort of) the rest of the way. Excellent! Cane was indispensable.

Map and route

C • Never say die... 2

Hay Creek - Day 2 Brown X - Splits

Event: DVOA Fall Orienteering Festival
 

Brown X course at French Creek. Map to follow, perhaps when I get home.

Inauspicious start on a large jeep trail, with the first control 100m+ down the trail in a white course sort of way. Somehow it seemed to met that #1 on the map was the start, and that I was heading for #2. Funny how the mind can work. Anyway, snapped out of it by the time I got to the real #1 and punched it. Apparently not everyone was so lucky. Picked up intermittent trail for a bit on the way to 2, but having a bit of trouble finding it, until the shape of the land and a patch of green pushed me left and into the control. Then 3 was fine, arrived there just behind George Minarik. George was walking and I was proceeding in a way that more or less felt like running, but it took me a long time to catch up to him, then across the rocky ridge and down the other side, pace counting, and tripping over and over on sticks and the like. Went what seemed far enough, casting about for the sharpish reentrant that held the control, but not finding it. So I wandered a bit to the right, coming eventually to a very sharp reentrant, so now I knew where I was, although not happy about it. Turned back and shortly took a very hard fall, stubbing, twisting and otherwise mangling my R big toe. One of those things that hurts like hell, but usually feels better after a while. Except it didn't. Instead it kept feeling worse, and soon I could only walk, and walk with a lot of difficulty. Took me a couple more passes to find #4, twice relocating off the trail bend, and even finding #5 in my travels. In too much pain to be thinking clearly. Saw Leslie and Janet when I was finally getting near 4. Hobbled off to 5, getting there a bit after Leslie. Struggled up the hill, with Mary Jo zipping past as we got to 6, and by then clear that I would only be walking, and walking slowly and painfully. A long time on compass heading over to 7, not quite hitting it right on, but finding the cup depression 100m or so away, slogging along toward it, the relatively speedy Janet heading uphill to consider a control on a rock pile, while I was headed the right way, but she turned back and got there well before me. Saw her from time to time on the way to 8, faster and to the left. After that she disappeared quickly. Met up with Leslie again after 8. By then I was thinking that just walking in would have been a good plan, but I was curious to find the remaining controls, and pretty sure I wouldn't make things any worse, so slogging along on compass, hit 9 pretty much right on, and then eventually to 10, stopping to look at a pit along the way. Leslie was with me at 10, too. Nice to have company. Then in and back to the car to survey the damage, and to accept the help of my good friends. Gail got me an ice pack from the first aid guys, Phil brought me a sandwich, Leslie plied me with a drink and some fruit.

Map and route.

C • "Relatively speedy" 18

French Creek - Day 1 BrownX - Splits

A very pleasant ride down to Pottstown with Peter, Gail and Phil. Phil regaling us with stories from his 3 and a half hour faculty meeting, the reason, more or less, for our latish departure. Phil has a wonderful delivery, explaining to us the nuances of voting on tenure for an aspiring professor, the subtleties of whether his research might be considered strong, or excellent, or something else; the wisdom of crafting one's vote to be other than the ultimate desired result, because the game is so complex. Phil earnest, matter of fact. The rest of the occupants of the car choking with laughter. Quite a good time.

A pleasant dinner along the way, and then at the Comfort Inn, crawling with orienteers, those seen not in a while, and those seen last week. Short visits in the lobby with the illustrious SaraMae, with Peter Goodwin, Mike Minium and some juniors - turned over some o shoes that may fit one of those juniors. Chatted up j-man and the lovely triple double, and Nick Barrable, he of Compass Sport. A fine orienteer, whom we met this summer when he stayed in the same apt building in Pragelato.

And then up to bed. Very tired, not bothered at all by my new roommate Phil staying up reading.

Posted my maps from the weekend's courses at Pacheco SP. Pretty dreary navigational work on my part.

Saturday middle distance


Sunday ultra long

dog loop with R&S. Colder weather came in while we were away.

R,L,S,F,B with Rhonda

Long travel day. Up at 2:30, left at 4 from Sebastopol. SFO-DCA-BDL. Got home at 7:15 pm. About 10 minutes before Zack arrived, always a cheery situation.

On the creek trail behind Kathy's house, heading W out for an hour, then turning back. With Rhonda. The trail is dead flat, which is a bit harder than rolling hills for me.

RLSFB, with Rhonda in Kathy's back yard.