Training Log Archive: JanetT

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Big boom on the second control (really the first independent one since everyone ran down a trail to the same first control), wandering for an estimated 9-10 minutes in a rocky area (sound familiar?). Again, I think I must have run right by the knoll with the flag and continued down a spur to the wrong area. Then I couldn't figure out where the heck I was; nothing was matching up; I couldn't trust my compass. Finally did stumble on #2 and then continued on my way. Most of the rest of the controls were in the open and compass worked again (okay, it probably worked before -- but not my brain), though I had a bit of a bobble on one near the end, finding another first, about 1:30 error. Finished 3rd in F55 for a bronze medal...

Sharon C. had the fastest Brown course run of the day, ~47 minutes! She's just awesome...finished 3rd overall for the 2 days.

My efforts notwithstanding, it was a super course on a really nice Laramie-area map, and a great job by the US Champs committee!!! I especially like some of the names of rocks and bays (like the very very large " 'Scuse Me Rock" in the SE corner, which the blue course went near). :-)

C • Relocating 2

Brown 2 - Splits

Day 1 of the US Champs; brown course on Diamond Bay map (1:10000). Started 4 minutes behind Judy Karpinski. The first control was streamered; just follow the streamers and punch. Second control was a short leg, SSE of 1, followed by a long SE leg to 3. I almost headed off towards 3 but quickly noted that I was still in woods, and so was 2. Saw Judy coming back to 2; we headed across a wide open field toward 3 together, though about 15-20m apart. I wasn't getting ahead of her so was aware of her presence. Crossed a large, rocky spur and headed down a wide reentrant pointing straight towards 3 which was a knoll next to a large cliff. My big boo-boo was misreading the direction of the cliff adjacent to the knoll, and thinking the knoll was on the W side of a spur rather than the W side of the reentrant facing the spur -- there was a LOT of rock detail in the circle. I followed a small distinct reentrant into the larger one and headed up to look on the W side of the spur for the knoll.... If I'd just turned my head and looked up as I went into the small reentrant, I would have seen the knoll's flag -- it was just feet away from me!

Several minutes later (I'm estimating 8-9) after not finding the knoll, I noted that there was an aspen grove nearby -- SW of me when it should have been S -- and figured out my error. Darn -- I know from yesterday I have to work faster at relocating, but was distracted by the fact that Judy was 'just' behind me (at least she had been). Need to stop thinking about others and just concentrate, and also read the map right.

Very careful to # 4 (just past the rocky detail area) which others had some trouble with, then the rest of the course was more out in the open. Finished 3rd in F55, 18 seconds behind Ardis and 6 minutes behind Beatrice. Fourth woman on Brown of about 16 or so [Sharon was fastest, 8 minutes ahead of me], and 12th of 49 on the course.

Hope tomorrow goes a little better and I have a clean run -- that would be nice.

C • Great job! 4

Brown 1 - Splits

Laramie Daze training course on East Pelican Bay (1:10000 map today), green course.

My plan was to walk the entire way, resting my bruises from yesterday, but keeping up a strong, steady pace. I skipped an across-the-wide-open-prairie control (cutting out 280 m), concentrating on the controls in the more rocky areas. Still managed to royally mess up # 7 (along with a half-dozen other unlucky souls). I should have immediately gone to the fence and figured out where I was along the road; instead I guessed (wrongly) and wandered a while before seeing figuring out I was too far west (and probably off the map at some point), and headed back--at least a 10 minute error. Hope I have all the errors out of my system now and will have clean runs the next two days. :-) It was fun going slower.

So how did I manage to beat my per-km time from yesterday??

Laramie Daze training course on Happy Jack map (green length). I hadn't run (but I had hiked!) since we've been out west so I used today as a running/orienteering training day too. Will take it easy tomorrow and just walk part of the morning's course, and rest up for the weekend.

Had herd paths and people to the first 3 controls, then proceeded to not pay enough attention going to 4 and misidentified a trail, ending up 150 m east at a trail jct. and having to double back. Good to the next two, but then misread the map on 7, thinking the hill was on the NE side of a spur instead of the SW side of a reentrant -- d'oh! On 8 I drifted left quite a bit and finally relocated from the trail north of the control. Clear sailing from there on in.

I managed to take a tumble climbing up the rocky hill to 15 (tried to take a big step but lost balance and fell backwards) so now I'm nursing a bruised hand and hip. Fortunately it's not my map/compass-holding-hand; just my pin-punching hand. The hip I'll have to wait on to see how sore it is, but once I get running I think I won't notice it.

Another gorgeous Laramie day, with temps in the upper 60's and mostly sunny (clouds scooting by now and then), and the ever-present breeze.

Drove to Laramie via Jackson, Rock Springs, and I-80. Long trip, eased by a Starbucks frappuccino in Rock Springs and The Altitude restaurant in Laramie. Yum!

Hike in Grand Teton Nat Park (Cascade Canyon).

Before our hike I needed a pit stop but the facilities were in another parking area, so I jogged over and back.

Hiked from String Lake trailhead in Grand Teton NP south to Jenny Lake and then up a horseback trail to Cascade Canyon and up the canyon for a ways. Saw lots of other hikers and some neat wildflowers we hadn't seen earlier (monkshood, among others), but no pikas or marmots (probably too many hikers). Back down via Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. On the trail back along Jenny Lake we noticed a large nest in a dead tree snag and determined it belonged to osprey.

I used hiking poles for the steeper ups and downs and was glad I had them to save my knees. The slope was about what I feel comfortable with, 1000' climb in one mile.

We were amazed at the people out on the trails in flip flops or sandals, or long skirts.

Had dinner at the Snake River Brewing Co. in Jackson. Beer was very nice, food okay and atmosphere what you'd expect for a brew pub.

In my opinion, The Altitude brewpub in Laramie does it the best -- great beer, great food, and a nice atmosphere.

Event: 2008 Laramie Daze & US Champs
 

After entering Grand Teton NP, we stopped at a Visitor Center near Colter Bay and found a little walk out onto a peninsula jutting into Jackson Lake, so we took it. The lake water was COLD.

AOWN: After dinner at the Pioneer Grill in the Jackson Lake Lodge, we went out onto Lunch Tree Hill to see if we could spot some moose (it's supposed to be an excellent location to see them). There were hundreds of elk in several clearings that we saw first, but then Glen spotted a dark shape moving off in a different direction. The binoculars confirmed it was a mama moose and a fairly good-sized calf. The elk at times looked nervous and grouped up, then dispersed; we later learned that someone had noted a grizzly bear in the area, but we never saw it.