Training Log Archive: expresso

U.S. Relay Champs - Osborndale SP, Derby, CT
An absolutely beautiful day for orienteering and a perfectly executed relay champs meet. Our Chicago team consisted of Natalia, Kathy, myself & Maricel running in the 4 point category (even though we had 8 points) because we liked the course selection. Nati and I would run green courses, Kathy orange and Maricel red. Nati led off and made an unfortunate error by going to the wrong second control and taking a while to recover. Kathy was struggling with back problems from yesterday's sprints and could barely run. By the time I went out the forest seemed empty and I orienteered solo the whole time (very enjoyable). With our race results already determined, all pressure was relieved and I went out to enjoy my race. My time time was pretty average and could have been better but for the long routes to controls 2 and 6. Having not readjusted to the 1:10 scale, I made a parallel error on the rock walls to 2. Although I discovered my error in time, it rattled me and I was tentative heading down the long (but obvious) spur to the control. I was again tentative to 6 and should have busted for the rock wall catching features and attacked from the end of them or one of the big boulders. I was drawn too high and lost some time recovering. The rest were fine but when I finished I realized that they'd already mass started the final leg runners so Maricel's time would just be added to mine. Not a great team result but good fun at a very well-run event.

C • Good work! 2

C • Great Race 2

Control pickup and a re-run of leg 2. It's all so clear when you're not racing. I hope I achieve this clarity more often during races.

Stopped for food at a diner on the way out of Derby and (sure enough) there were some orienteers there. I dined with QOCers David, Tim & Ted and got the inside scoop on the US Champs. I also received a much-appreciated LIDAR primer from Ted and am amazed at the usefulness of the technology to making o-maps. I followed this with a nice drive to my father-in-law's house in Winchendon, MA for a week of hard labor (and occasional training).

Event: Sprint Series Final & US Relay Champs
 

Warmup/downs around sprints.

2007 WCOC Sprint Meet - Course A
First sprint of the day. Relaxed and ready at pre-start but that changed when I got my map and could not easily find the start triangle, had difficulty adjusting to the 1:4000 scale and determining where I'd jogged to by the time I had my bearings. I was still flustered after stumbling to the easy first control and I took a few steps in the wrong direction to 2, stopped, got my wits about me and spiked the next few running parallel with Kristin H (who had already made up the 30 sec gap). I think she made an error at 5 because I never saw her after that. My last mistake took me to control 1 before 6 for the loss of at least another half minute. The rest of the contols went smoothly as I caught up and pulled a number of folks along. Not a good way to start the weekend's races but still great to be racing on a map.

2007 WCOC Sprint Meet - Course B
Much better race than this morning. Decent nav to 1 but poor route choice to 2; I should have taken the trail but just didn't see it (glasses?). Picked up with a fast group and helped them as much as I was assisted. Of course, a good train of orienteers is much faster and my time shows this. Another all-around great courses that was a lot of fun.

WCOC Sprint Series Finals
Now this was a ton of fun. We all stood in the pavilion and watched the top six women (then men) run in a head-to-head race around a forked sprint course. Chicago's Kathy B. was a surprise entry in the women's final as her local sprint points and morning points were enough to get her in where she had a great race (4th). The first three loops were all about the same distance so they kept circling back at the same time and heading off on a different fork. Peter's commentary rounded out the exciting atmosphere. The real surprise came in the men's race when John F. lost a lead to John T. on the fourth common loop. I guess it came down to route choice.
After these exciting races we all got a shot at the same course in a mass start of over 30 people. It was fast and immediately formed trains for the first three loops. The fourth loop had two long route choice legs which separated my group and then we coalesced for the final sprint around the pavilion. This ended a great day of sprint racing which is a format that I am beginning to appreciate.

Nati, Kathy, Maricel & I got cleaned up and headed to a great Italian restaurant for dinner and then early night's sleep with our full bellies.

Sprint A Course 3 (R/B) - Splits

Sprint B Course 3 (R/B) - Splits

Quick run before my taxi duties began. Started @ Brainard & EW and did a Carmel Lap from there. Nice temp. Felt good.

Same circuit again but less time between machines (which I don't log anyway).

Planned to again work on technique; specifically stretching out longer each stroke and kicking without any pause. Concentrating on these made a difference but I regressed when my mind zoned elsewhere.
Core workout:
100s hard, 500s long, 100s hard, 400p, 100s hard, 300s long, 100s hard, 200p, 100s hard.
My 100s were: 1:27, 1:29, 1:31, 1:28, 1:25
I was pretty beat at the end and glad to have that behind me.

A banner day for J & K's cross country. They had a home meet (held at Copeland) against the local Jr. High schools on a beautiful day.
All the 6th graders ran first and Katie had a very good race. Her pace was very consistent and I could see the she was pushing herself throughout the race as I kept running back and forth across the circular course. She seemed a bit disappointed (maybe because she focusses too much on results) but I was all over her with genuine praise for her excellent race.
Joseph finally had his "breakout race" and I'm not sure why it was today (maybe because he knew many of the kids against whom he was competing). Any way, I gave him my pre-race pep talk and said something like "These races will hurt but they always end and you will feel great." because his pace always seemed to go to the point of discomfort and no faster. I also told him to stay near the leaders because it is too hard to catch them late in the race. He said, "Oh, I will." indicating that was his plan all along. Good. So he and another Highland boy took off into the lead for the first quarter mile and I was worried that he would burn out. I ran across the field to the long hill and could see from his expression that he was already going anaerobic. I knew the pain would set in by the top of the hill so I warned him about it and told him to set a pace and run through it. He was passed by 2 or 3 boys but stayed with them for the next lap. The two leaders pulled away on the hill but Joseph had a solid third place and I told him that he was having a great race and to keep it up for the last quarter mile. He started a decent kick to the finish but I saw his Highland peer pushing very hard and I knew he would be caught. I was too far away to yell any warning so I just fret. The boy made the mistake of drawing even with too far to go (~40 m) so Joseph had enough time to react and he rarely loses sprint races. So he came away with a hard-earned third place and was very proud of himself. He loved to hear me recount the race for him and asked me to do it a few times over the evening. He tasted the euphoria that a hard race provides and really enjoyed it. Katie got a lot of attention for her race too. She deserves to be equally proud of her effort and accomplishment.

Nice ride out to, down and back the Phantom Trail. Struggled at the beginning but was able to push it a bit at the end. Still a long way to go to become a decent cyclist.

Same citcuit. It's getting incrementally easier.

Wanted a moderate workout so I went for longer distances and worked on technique. After the typical warmup I did:
400s, 400pwp, 300s, 300pwp, 200s, 200pwp, 100s hard, 100 back (with flip turns) with 30 sec rest between them.