Training Log Archive: cmorse

Started out to do a hard effort run, but cardiovascular just not cooperating. Pushed hard for first 2km, then backed off some. Still a good outing overall, but pushing a little too hard early on I think...

Field checking at Crandalls. Up in the far western part of the park, some really sweet terrain, some marshy barberry crap - all of which will probably see little course usage as its a fairly narrow area inside the official park boundaries so would necessitate fairly severe doglegs to utilize. Nice day to be out - plenty of Symplocarpus coming up - a sure sign of spring and official mapping season.

C • Glad you got out there . . . 15

The plan was to leave work at 10 or 10:30 this AM and go mapping at Crandalls. Had all the gear ready to go. Then I get a call and I've got to keep my eyes out for an overnight international package of plants from the US Virgin Islands and inspect/treat for pests when it arrives and otherwise take care of the plants. So 10:30 comes and goes and I'm off the clock (in a loose sense) waiting for the plants to arrive. 1:30pm and all the major couriers have come and gone and no plants. So I call my researchers secretary (he's also Vice Provost of Research these days) and she 'updates' me that he thought there was a possibility the parcel might get hung up in customs. Great...

If its now in the hands of Homeland Security and there's even a suspicion there might be pests on any of the enclosed plants (valid collecting permits or not) then I'll be dead and gone before I ever see that package.

Regardless, its not here and its too late to get any mapping in before I have to be home for buses, so I'll just head home and drag the bikes up out of the basement in optimistic hope I might get them on the road soon.

Dragged it off the trainer, up the cellar stairs and out to the driveway. Pumped up the tires, tooled up and down the road a bit running through the gears and testing brakes and such. Running fine, but my quads are going to have their work cut out getting back into 'bent shape. I think I'll leave any serious jaunts on the 'bent until after the Sprint Champs. No sense confusing my legs with different priorities.

Was reading about a new folding SWB from Challenge - the Travelling Mistral SL - carbon fiber rear fork, monotube butted aluminum main tube - only 24.5#. That would make my legs happier - probably climbs really nice too. But my tax handout from GW is going to have to get a lot larger before I'm riding one of these....

Need to start commuting by bike again, if only to be able to go longer between visiting the gas pumps in town... Problem is that I've got three substantial hills between me and my place of employment and the direct (fastest) route is on a heavily travelled road on which the 85% median speed is 13 mph faster than the limit. In a word - sucks....

I love riding the 'bent - but commuting to work (usually in the pre-dawn hours) is all about getting there in the minimum amount of time, not about enjoying the ride, so I may well go back to the touring bike for commuting purposes and leave the 'bent for longer leisurely jaunts.

So cleaned up the Cannondale and pumped up the tires (we'll see if they even hold air overnight) and tooled about. Its actually quite a nice, responsive bike (for 22 years old) but the fun goes out of it (so says my neck, wrists and back side) after 40-45 minutes or so (which happens to be how long it takes to get to work on that bike). So I think I can commute on it without too much undue discomfort - maybe we'll try it next week....

10 reps of 20 seconds, 10 seconds between - last couple were pretty tough to hold my legs still for the full 20 seconds.

I've also noticed a 'weirdness' in my left shoulder - when lying flat on my back and putting my hands behind my head, I can easily put my right arm/elbow flat on the floor with no problem, but the left I can only get down to where my elbow is about 2" off the floor without pain behind the shoulder. I can force the elbow down and lay the arm flat, but not comfortably. Not sure if its muscular or something else.

Easier pace today, and after yesterday's encounter I decided to carry my weasel-scope just in case. Actually pretty comfortable as its about the same size and weight as the GPS which I've been carrying in my hand on most trail runs lately. Don't normally need it, but on those days I opt to venture off trail or wander down some untrodden route, it (the GPS, not the weasel-scope) gives me a pretty good idea of how far I've gone.

Did the loop CCW rather than CW today, plus added a another internal trail loop for extra distance and fisher spotting opportunities. Saw three blue-hairs walking by the pond, but that was about it for excitement today....

I can't really tolerate exercises like situps, yoga etc without getting nauseous. Pretty much anything where my head moves through varying orientation. But my abdominal region is a tad out of proportion to where I'd like it to be and I'd pretty much given up on situps to work my abs when it occurred to me that I could lie flat on my back and lift my legs instead of my torso (and head) and still get the same benefit.

So I did a series of 10 - lift my legs to about 45 degrees and hold for 10 seconds, slowly lower and rest 10 seconds, repeat 10 times. Really felt it in my lower back and abs so maybe its worth doing. Will try to do these daily and slowly increase the reps...

Another 10 before bed...

C • ups...not? 4

Same loop as Saturday, but pushing the pace as hard as I could for the distance. Felt good even though I've still got a lot of sinus glarp.

AOWN - treed a nice sized fisher at close range - we spotted each other at about 15m and he headed up the closest tree which the trail happened to run right past. Got a good close look as I went by at less than 10 feet. Very cool....

C • fisher 3

didn't start the watch leaving the house (only hit it once), so the outbound time is a guess....