Training Log Archive: PG

Event: WCOC Huntington Bike and Foot O
 

Got a call on the way to Huntington and it was the eye surgeon, not the retina guy but the guy for cataracts.

I'd gotten a call from his assistant earlier in the week to set a date for the first surgery and get the ball rolling. There was a available date in a couple of weeks but it was right before the SML champs. Next available date was October 15, so I took that one, no reason not to do it on my 70th birthday.

And then she told me what sort of lens the guy was planning on putting in, one to correct for nearsightedness and let me have distance vision with no glasses. What maybe most guys want.

And at that point I got a little bothered, because we hadn't really talked about it. And since this sort is surgery is a substantial commitment -- as opposed to getting glasses, where if they aren't right you just get another pair -- I wanted to be sure I was happy with what was planned.

So I asked if I could get an appointment with him to discuss options, and she said he was very busy at the office so that was going to be hard, but on the other hand he was very happy to call me and talk either some weekday evening or on the weekend.

That was better than nothing, so I said OK though not really happy. And then spent some time in the last couple of days educating myself about the options in lenses, and also try to figure out what my wishes were in terms of where I wanted the focal lengths set.

So anyway, he called and we ended up chatting for about 15 minutes, I asked a bunch of questions which he answered. I also tried to spell out for him what mattered to me, which I thought might be different from his normal clients, such as (1) I've always worn glasses and I don't expect to be liberated from them, (2) I've always been nearsighted and could read well without any glasses, and I want to still be able to do that in the future, not have to chase around for a pair of reading glasses all the time, and (3) I'm happy to pay for premium lenses if they will help. Also explained my need to be out in the forest and able to read a map.

We went through the various options and decided on a plan -- keep the nearsightedness, get a better lens for the right eye to correct for the bad astigmatism there, and plan on still wearing glasses. My vision should get somewhat better, though there is no avoiding the bad retinas (which also limit the options in premium lenses, such as multi-focal ones).

And he said an interesting thing at the end, that he was so glad we had the conversation because he now understood what my hopes and expectations were. And of course I was happy too.

I think my expectations are pretty low, and I'm trying to keep them that way. But any improvement at all will be very welcome.

C • Commitment 7

C • case 1

Joe's WCOC local meet at Huntington with MTBO prominently on the menu. So I packed my bike stuff. Two courses: novice, which stayed on the wide old roads, and advanced which spent a good bit of time on single track. In the interests of self-preservation and also finishing before it got dark, I chose the novice. And got around just fine, not fast but just fine. And no falls.

Until I was ready to leave. Rode the bike over to the car, carrying some maps in one hand, not paying attention, and down I went. Idiot. Right wrist was immediately sore, but I think it's fine. And somehow I whacked a spot on my calf, which is just sore enough that it may alter plans for tomorrow. When I had been planning to go up to Pisgah for a 22K trail race, lovely trails. But now I'm thinking I'll see how it is in the morning and probably just see if I can manage a run on the trails around here. So hopefully no real harm done. But still an idiot. :-)

And then the usual weekend stop at mom's. Which is one of the reasons that I go to a lot of WCOC local meets, and hardly any NEOC or CSU ones.

novice - Splits

From the Notch, on the Robert Frost trail heading east over to the far end of the roller-coaster (turned around just before the climb up Long Mountain). Lots of ups and downs. Haven't run this for a long time (and used to do it 10 minutes quicker).

But a good outing and a good effort, except for the steep climb up Rattlesnake Knob on the way back, legs just died on me after no more than a minute and walked the rest of it (2.5 minutes). Only rarely was I able to run this section, so I guess not doing it now is to be expect. Still, one can always hope. Also walked about 30 yards, the really steep part, of the first climb on the way back, but that one was never easy either.

Perfect day, even though the legs are still a little sore and tired, but the energy levels are so much better than when it is hot.

And then to the range on the way home for a little remedial practice with the long clubs. Got things figured out, at least until the next time. :-)

Plan is to go to Huntington tomorrow. I suppose I should take along the mountain bike as Joe has set a couple of MTBO courses.

Speaking of which, I think if I were trying to recruit mountain bikers to O', I'd print part of a map and a course on a piece of map and pose a few questions aimed at seeing if a person has some understanding of (and interest in) maps. And then put the website address on it where you would go for the answers and, of course, lots more info about MTBO. 95% (maybe 99%?) wouldn't be interested, but it might be a way to entice the odd one that is, without wasting a lot of time on all the others.

At the Amherst College track with Dave. Low 40s and fog. A couple of miles to try to warm up, but quads still sore from a couple of days ago.

Same as last week, 3 x 1600 on a 10-minute cycle. Dave suggested trying to go a little faster, so a little faster we went, and then a little faster still. Plan was to average about 7:20, ended up doing 7:14, 7:11, and 7:07. Not so bad.

And a couple more easy laps. Fog was just starting to lift, nice morning.

Nice run with Phil on the North Sugarloaf bike trails -- not much of a network, but a lot better than just having the old jeep road. One fall, just not picking my feet up enough. Quads sore from yesterday's downhill but otherwise felt fine, lovely late afternoon.

Mt. Wantastiquet in Brattleboro, one of my routes to see what sort of shape I'm in. Ran the whole way up (26:13), though not without some serious deep breathing. So my shape is OK, not great but not so bad either.

Coming down (17:23) is a whole lot easier.

Event: WCOC Gay City State Park
 

WCOC meet at Gay City hosted by George and Lyn. Three forest sprints and then three mazes.

First was Red-A, 2.5 km. Good run, just having trouble seeing the controls.

Red-B, 1.9 km, not so good, spent 3 or 4 minutes extra on #2.

C • #2 and #5 1

Red-C, 2.4 km, decent run except for an extra minute on #6.

Maze A, good run, punching was a little slow.

Maze B, better.

Maze C, best.

Picking up the controls from Sprint A. Mostly walking, some jogging.

A very pleasant day at Gay City. Weather was perfect, nice courses, good company. And most fun was George's maze. Not really a maze, just 11 controls and a corresponding map that just showed the controls, nothing else (a few trees, a couple of picnic tables, there wasn't much else). No clues, so you had to just trust that you were reading the map right.

And a minute of this, fast as you can, 7 or 8 or 9 accelerations and then putting on the brakes, left me gasping for air. And then repeat two more times, different courses. Excellent.

Red A - Splits

Red B - Splits

Red C - Splits

Maze A - Splits

Maze B - Splits

Maze C - Splits