Training Log Archive: PG

Event: WCOC Pond Mountain
 

A little warm-up. Raining lightly and cool (mid-40s).

WCOC local meet at Pond Mountain, thanks to George and Lyn.

I haven't been to Pond Mountain for half a dozen years, and forgot how nice it is. A lot of gorgeous forest.

Blue course, 11.0 km straight-line. Pretty good run, even given that it sure wasn't easy to read the 1:15,000 map with my old eyes (I think it used to be easy?). Only two mistakes of any significance, both about a minute, so that's OK. And running pretty well. I like it a lot better when it's cool, even if totally soaked.

And a scalp, the fabulous Samantha! :-)

Within a couple of minutes of finishing I was freezing. Glad I didn't hurt myself out there.

And then stopped in Kent for a little lunch in honor of a good run, totally decadent, eggs benedict, first time in decades. Really putting the body to a test to see if it can handle it.

My course.

My route.

Blue - Splits

In Greenfield, relaxed pace, the legs were a little sore and weary from the last couple of days, so just a day to take it easy.

Orienteering at Pond Mountain tomorrow, 11k blue course. Supposed to be a little wet, but that's better than hot.

A little warm-up.

And then some hills at Mt. Tom. Up the Teabag trail, then the M&M over Dry Knoll and down to East Street, then back up over Dry Knoll again, and over the shoulder of Goat Peak, then back via the Beau Bridge trail and back down the Teabag. Managed to run all the hills, so felt quite pleased with myself when it was done.

A little warm-up.

Training session for Mt. Washington. Got to start somewhere.

Three times up South Sugarloaf. I think this road is about the same average incline. The only problem is it takes about 10 Sugarloafs to equal one Washington.

Came down the trail the first time, but it was muddy and slippery and I couldn't see too well (drizzling/foggy). The second time I came down the steeper road at the top (have never tried to run up it, must be at least 20% grade, guess I will have to try it). The third time I came down the way I went up.

Ascent times were 10:19, 10:03, 9:45. Working a little harder (i.e unsustainable for too much longer) on the last one. But generally felt reasonably comfortable.

Ten trips would be another matter entirely.

Entertainment was first a Fresh Air interview with Michelle Williams (very interesting, especially if you've seen Blue Valentine, but it didn't make me very eager to see Meek's Crossing), and then one with Sidney Lumet, also very interesting.

And then off to Bradley to pick up my brother and then to Litchfield.

Interesting outing.

I decided I'd go do a run up in the hills, nice trail along the top of a ridge in Colrain, I've done it three or four times. The original plan was to do the whole thing, start at the south end, up to the north end and then add just a little more to get to the Vermont state line, and then back.

But then not long after starting, and the legs were not feeling very spry (as opposed to yesterday, when all the hills felt easy), I decided I'd probably only do part of it, maybe turn around after 30 or 40 minutes. The whole thing would take about 100-110 minutes.

The other reason for scaling back was it was raining and about 40F, and over the years I've just gotten a little more cautious about heading off on these solo runs. I didn't expect to see anyone else out there, and the thought of getting hurt is more often in the back of my mind, and 40 and rain is not a good time to get hurt.

So I ran along, a bit up and a bit down, listening to Tina Fey and Terri Gross, watching out for the frost pockets, and after about 20 minutes got to the foot of Avery Hill. And there were a few signs up of the "No Tresspassing" variety, and a big tree trunk across the trail, but I knew where to go. So I hopped across the tree trunk and around a corner and then it started to climb seriously.

Except right away there was a dirt road, that was new, but it was going where I wanted to go, so up I went, and eventually I was at the top.

And a little confused, it wasn't quite clear where the trail down the north side was. I headed down what I thought might be it, and then it dead-ended, but over to my left I could see another dirt road. So I worked my way through the brush over to it, and then down it pretty steeply, and then it turned and headed down even more steeply off the ridge. Well, that wasn't where I wanted to go.

Chugged back up, got to the top. By now I'd decided that I was quite happy just heading back. The problem was, which way was back?

There was the dirt road I'd just come up, but it was clearly wrong. And I couldn't spot the one I'd come up the first time, though I couldn't remember for sure if it had been dirt road all the way up, maybe the last part had been less distinct (the whole top was logged). Started down one logging track, nope, that wasn't going anywhere, back up to the top. Looked back down where I'd just been, yup, that's where I had gone the first time down from the top, and that was heading north, so I didn't want that way.

So I headed down the opposite way, remnants of a trail though not much recent use, but it felt OK, I thought it was the old trail heading south. And after a bit it hooked up with the main snowmobile trail.

So I followed that for a little while. And it didn't take too long before I said to myself -- Peter, you have definitely not been here today.

At this point I was starting to get a little worried. I was a little chilly, but still pleasantly chilly, but quite perplexed about where I was. And with the heavy overcast there was no help from the sun as to which way I was headed. So I went just a little farther, as it turns out to just south of hill 1145, stopped, had a careful look at my map, and decided, yup, I was headed north.

A quick u-turn, came back to where I'd come off the top, there were more signs there saying the trail was closed, there was also a recently cut trail swinging around the side, and within several minutes I was back at the tree trunk I had hopped over.

And slowly figuring out that there was just one dirt road up to the top, that I had gone up it, then after a short detour gone down it, then gone back up it again. How stupid we are sometimes.

The rest of the run was fine, legs felt a little better, though the ego quite a bit worse.

C • not as much fun 7

Joe was sporting a lush set of whiskers yesterday. He says he's grooming his image for his role as head goat four weeks from now. Seems to me it makes him look about ten years older....

C • summer picnic makeover? 21

C • methane 1

Very pleasant run at Earl's trails with Phil. Relaxed pace, just shooting to do about 45 minutes. Legs felt quite good after they got warmed up.

Event: WCOC Paugussett State Park
 

Warm-up, not enough but better than nothing. Even a few minutes makes a difference.

WCOC local meet at Paugusset, red course, straight-line distance 7.3 km. The course. Note that the green course was the same, excepted it skipped controls 5 and 7.

Not a bad run. Had a little more energy than I expected, meaning I jogged up a few hills that I didn't expect to be able to.

Clean on the first 5, then screwed up the route leaving 5 (didn't look at my compass soon enough and was heading NE instead of NW). A little off at the end of 6-7, a little scratching my head approaching 8. But overall perfectly fine.

Nice day, nice to see friends, including Joe sporting a new set of mostly gray whiskers. Thanks to Rick and Susie DeWitt for making it possible.

My route.

Red - Splits