Training Log Archive: expresso

Event: Flying Pig XI
 

After driving to/from Cinti nearly 100 times, I could almost time it to the minute (so I did). I made a poor route choice through Chicago but recoved well with a clean run the rest of the way. I arrived about an hour before my start with just the right amount of time to warmup & get my head into my upcoming run. I was expecting a technical and hilly course. As I get little practice with either of these types, I was a little concerned going into the race.

Decent warm up/down with add'l stretching.

Short Pig (middle) @ Miama Whitewater. Very cool and breezy but I ran in short sleeves knowing that I'd st* warm up on the hills (which I did). Some good stuff on this course but I was a little off as I was becoming accustomed to the terrain & map. I also had 1.5 booms on the course. I need to analyze them a little closer to find the flaws and determine how to avoid these types.

Red - Splits

Spin on the elliptical and then some stretching (time not logged).

Alternated between 400s, 300p. Felt smooth. Then some jacuzzin' (time not logged =).

Pokey run out (and almost back) at OO path. Still pretty sore.

Reflecting on the past weekend, I feel like I just got back from an a-meet. I am physically tired from both days and emotionally drained from the build-up & execution of directing a successful CAOC meet. Fortunately, everything went great and I just need to recharge my batteries before the Pig.

Too little warmup/down.

This is a race that we chuckle about for a while. Jeff set some great courses but expressed concern that they were too short. I never saw the maps beforehand because I planned to run. It wasn't until red runners were limping in to the finish completely gassed from their race. OCAD had measured the distance at 6.46K so winning times were expected to be around 50 minutes with most people coming in before 90 minutes. No way!! Someone layed a ruler on the map and measured almost 10K for red; apparently the OCAD scale was off by 50%. LOL!! Componding this was tough footing and many route choices to either add a lot of distance or have you bushwhacking through green. BTW, all courses were off by this factor so we had many white runners out almost an hour and most orange over two. I think I'll call our meet the "Camo Goat" because it was a goat race in disguise. As meet director, I started late and thus knew the distance I was going to face. I hadn't brought any Gu to the meet so I mooched some energy bars and jammed my pocket full of raisins before my start. I paced myself because I knew it was going to be long and I was a bit fatigued from yesterday. My race was fine, I planned ahead and executed ok. I had a few errors but they are correctable and not fundamental o-flaws. I was not thrilled with my sixth place result but I know how to improve this. I felt quite good physically and am well on track with my fitness goals. One highlight that I'll take with me is winning the split to control 12. The top three runners took all of the other winning splits but I knew my planned route to 12 was sound and I executed it perfectly. Plus, my advanced acquisition of mass over the years gave me the advantage of higher momentum down the long slope. Those thin Europeans will learn this American secret someday.

C • ocad 6

Lots of miscellaneous running with some of it unplanned. I didn't do enough warmup before the first sprint because it took me a long time to get my annual WI parks sticker and I wanted to get "first tracks" through the snowy course. There was a nice run out and back to the second sprint. The bulk of the running was coming back from hanging controls for the night-o. I couldn't stay for the actual race (because I was directing tomorrow's CAOC meet) so I offered to help Charlie. I got so exhausted running through the deep snow while setting that I decided to run a much longer route back on snowy & muddy trails.

First sprint at Badger's sprint meet. Charlie did a great job course setting for this meet. I really enjoyed the courses and had two solid races. This one went through the fields and camp sites north of 142. The snow was deep and there were a few opportunities to to fully immerse your lower leg in ice cold water. I had some Snowgaine flashbacks, yikes !! Still, a fun race.

Second sprint. This one was longer with half paths & half snowy, muddy, wet field running. I pushed it hard again and my race was pretty clean. Very enjoyable.

Hanging controls for Charlie. OOf !! This sapped the rest of my strength as I ran to the points trying to finish before sunset. The fields and woods were either covered in a foot of wet snow or mushy with foot-sucking mud.