Training Log Archive: ParkSchool

I was quite satisfied with this run until I got home and realized that I had skipped the penultimate control. I made exactly the same mistake last time I ran here. In both cases, the last 3 controls were all perfectly aligned, so my quick look along the line connecting the controls convinced me that the GO control was all that was left. I have long known that while my visual acuity (until recently) was always excellent, my color differentiation has been poor. I wonder if this is partially at play here. In any case, I have now DSQ'd 4 times by this exact same mechanism while using e-punching, presumably because I don't have the visual reminder of an open box on my punch card to alert me to a potential omission. I shall have to endeavor to be more attentive, especially near the end of a race.

In the past, when I have stumbled upon discussions regarding my preferred format for A-Meets, I have generally not offered an opinion. Although I have a preference for traditional 2-day classic events, I have seen value in the argument that events of differing lengths may help develop different skills, and in particular may better prepare our national team for the types of events offered at the WOC. Still, every time I have to gear up for a second run with the dogs after competing earlier in the day, I recognize how much I hate running hard twice in one day. Maybe it is a measure of my poor fitness or age, but I just can't seem to get myself started during the second activity. And I don't think this is just a poor performance causing me to whine, because it wasn't my worst run by far. I even felt as if I had regained my stride towards the end. Still, I struggled enough to think that I would rather do two events at near peak conditions rather than three events with one suboptimal effort.

Brown - Splits

In a more organized life, I would have gotten out for a run earlier to give my body more time to recover before the first NEOC local event of the year tomorrow, but mine is hardly an organized life. So I went out just before dusk and gave a steady but not spectacular effort. I took special care not to roll an ankle on the rocky trail just after the start, so of course I did just that, although not with any serious consequence. It amazes me how much more often I twist an ankle when I am running slower than my normal tempo. There must be some stabilization mechanism that gets suppressed when I don't stride fully, although I hardly have the patience to try to analyze it fully. I wonder if others have this same experience.

Today the two straight overnights and the two straight reletively strenuous running efforts caught up to me. This was clearly a run done exclusively to placate the dogs, and it was a particularly dispirited effort. I had nothing on the uphill. I had nothing on the downhill. Even the one mile drive back home felt like an effort. I hope at least the dogs enjoyed it.

I was expecting to be tired after two runs yesterday and an overnight shift. In fact, I did feel sluggish as I headed up the long hill from Caryl Park (stop me if you've heard this refrain before), but nevertheless I managed to keep up my speed reasonably on the ascent and was very pleasantly surprised to arrive at the crest ahead of my split from any of my recent efforts. At this point, 28:00 seemed llike an eminently reasonable goal. I picked up the pace on the downhill and was again pleased as my body appeared ready to accept the new challenge allowing me comfortably to exceed my revised expectations. For what it is worth, the effort represented a new PR, although it must be recognized that I have only run the current route since a trail closure forced a alteration last Halloween, and never with any real purpose. Still, it was nice to be able to make a new entry on my PR list.

Since my high school Presidential Fitness testing, I have run on a track exactly once, at which point I ran a timed mile in just over 6:30. Under the circumstances, I had few illusions about my performance and set out hoping for 12:30 and praying for better than 13:00. The weather was again gorgeous, and I successfully timed my run to occur after the temperature had risen out of the 30's but before it had reached the 50's. After loosening up, I ran one lap at the fastest pace I thought practical and discovered the time was 1:41, so I knew I would have my work cut out for me to achieve my loftiest goal. I was actually happy with the way I was able to hold my pace initially, but somewhere aroung the 1 mile mark I really started to suffer, and I was forced to back off a bit. The problem felt more like heavy legs than shortness of breath, so perhaps I can blame yesterday's run somewhat, but by and large, it seems that this is what I can expect unless I commit myself to more aggressive weight loss and speed work. I'm not sure I have the willpower for the first or the time for the second, but I'm at least proud of myself for making the effort to measure myself against the standards of some of those with whom I hope to compete.

C • Which President? 3

And then there was the responsibility of getting the dogs out for a run. I waited half an hour but still felt like my legs were dead, and since I didn't have any more time later in the day, I just went out and did it. Again, law enforcement was a presence in the parking area, and again I did my best to pretend that we always use leashes despite the evidence to the contrary provided by the dogs running in opposite circles around my legs. Still, I was just as happy to have an excuse to stop and untangle myself. I did release them as soon as we were out of sight, but found that I wasn't moving appreciably faster. I did at least take the opportunity to remove some of the larger pieces of deadfall from across the path.

C • places for dogs 4

Saturday the weather was miserable, yet the dogs prodded and prodded, and eventually I relented and took them for a run. Sunday and Monday the weather remained miserable, and the dogs didn't bother me at all. I guess even they have a limit to what they are willing to put up with. Today was a gorgeous day, almost shocking in its contrast to the preceding few, so it seemed appropriate to take a longer than usual run. I had revised my plans to run the 3 km time trial tomorrow, so I didn't want to overdo it and thus settled on a comfortable long loop from Caryl Park.

At first, I made an effort to avoid the plentiful water on the trails, but that soon seemed impractical, so I charged straight through the next several puddles. But then I nearly threw a tread in the muck, so I reverted to Plan A to the extent that it was feasible. My effort was steady but not stressful and seemed like a reasonable tune-up for the harder run I had planned for the morning.