Running1:01:12 [2] 10.48 km (5:50 / km) shoes: Asics Cumulus 2009
Easy run at West Rock. It started to get dark in the middle, and by the end (6:10 PM) it was almost completely dark. Now that I have no more major races until spring, I plan to add more volume to my training gradually over the course of the next two months by extending my easy runs 10-15 minutes and adding a weekly long run. The goal is to run 7-8 hrs each week, which is new territory for me, something I've never managed to do before due to physical limitations (injury). But I think I can do it now!
Running12:43 [2] 2.12 km (6:00 / km) shoes: 2008 VJ Integrators
Warm-up.
Orienteering1:01:09 [4] 8.11 km (7:32 / km) shoes: 2008 VJ Integrators
A-meet, on a map adjacent to yesterday's US Champs area. The course had more short legs and the terrain was simpler - much more forgiving than yesterday. I still had some trouble with the terrain in a few places, and made some bad route choice decisions, but I had great flow for most of the course, which felt awesome. If only I had a week in this terrain! I was 2nd on red today behind Helen Palmer, who got me by 4 minutes. I could have run her time, but not much better than that.
Note
Later on in the airport, I developed a grading system for my trainings and races. My calculations yield a C for today's race, using the following general letter grades: A,B,C,D,F.
Running18:00 [2] 3.0 km (6:00 / km) shoes: 2008 VJ Integrators
Warm-up. It was very slippery yesterday wearing mudclaws, so I decided to wear the integrators today instead.
Orienteering1:12:53 8.0 km (9:07 / km) shoes: 2008 VJ Integrators
US Champs. Spiked the first control, but then had trouble on the 2nd. I matched up the depressions along the way and came to where I thought my control should be, but didn't go high enough up the hill, and decided i must be in the wrong place. Having ruled out the correct area to search, it took me over 15 minutes to come back to it again, this time 100% convinced it had to be there. Found it this time. Then continued onward, met Sam at #4, ran together till #7, then went separate ways. I was wrong, so was a minute behind again at #8. Continued onward, but was discouraged and therefore not looking at the map. Drifted to the right and found myself closer to the finish than to #9. Realized that I could finish and still probably be 3rd, but didn't care about that. Thought about running the rest of the course as a training (because I clearly need more time in this terrain), but that would mean a total change of mindset and I wasn't up for that. Decided to jog back to the finish and conserve strength for tomorrow. Spent the rest of the day going over and over #2 and what I could have done differently, but it mainly comes down to not having enough experience in this type of terrain, not blatant stupidity. So it's disappointing, but I can't be too unhappy with myself.
Orienteering51:31 5.5 km (9:22 / km) shoes: Mudclaws (Aug 2009)
Model event for the US Champs. Was surprised by the size of the depressions, and had some trouble relating map to terrain at first, but got into a good flow towards the end of the course.