Training Log Archive: hamlet

It was really cold! I genuinely wore almost exactly what I would normally wear for cross country skiing, minus the ski pants. I had on gloves, a buff, thick socks, my ski undershirt and jacket, and a ski headband. And my feet and hands were still cold! I really need to get used to these temperatures soon.

12 sets of 10x 60lb RDLs
2 sets of 10x hanging leg crunches (I have no clue what it's called)

This run made me angry. Or maybe I was already angry before, I'm not sure.
So I was pushing the pace a lot for a lot of the run, because of how frustrated I was. I was really really frustrated about forgetting about the team call that I was looking forward to, and I was frustrated about eating a lot of crap when I came home again. I was also really frustrated that I feel like I'm not improving at all in my running. I just want to be able to run well for once.
So since I was pushing the pace, and it was dark (I had a headlamp but it wasn't very bright), about 2.25 km into the run I tripped over something. It caught me off guard, since I was running on a trail I know very well, and I landed hard on my palms and a bit on my knees. I stayed on the ground for like 15 seconds, because it hurt (after all, it was a bit chilly and the trail had gravel on it), but then I got up because I was angry at myself for being such a baby and actually being in pain and stuff. Yeah, I was really angry at myself.
Then the last bit of the run was even worse. When I got to the last hill in rock creek park, and the biggest one, that I usually jog up lightly and still suffer on no matter what, I tried to run up it hard. On the first part of the hill (the less steep one) I slowed down for like 3 seconds to a walk, but then I got angry that I was chickening out of the running, so I pushed again, but at the end of the second part (the steep part) I couldn't, so I slowed down to a walk. This made me really angry, because the last time I walked up that hill was maybe last spring, if not even earlier.

First 10 mins: skill drill (traverse, crossing arm and leg over on each move)
The next hour: bouldering exercise (perfect repeats - improve efficiency on each try of a climb)

MY PALMS OW
Yeah I really fell hard, because my palms hurt when climbing quite a bit. But on the other hand, I was still able to climb pretty well (maybe because I was still angry at myself?)
V1
V2
V0
V2 2x
V3 2.5x (I failed one try)
V2 2x
V3 (not completed, got halfway up)

1 min pank
20x windshield wipers
20x pushups (on fists, b/c of palms), but the easier version
20x I.Y.T's
20x DB rows
20x Rear delt raises
20x high knees

Event: SVO Mid Atlantic Championships & NRE at Pine Grove Furnace State Park
 

I feel like this was a somewhat harder orange course, mostly because of the unfamiliar terrain (since it was in the side of a hill for the most part). I had hoped to do a bit better than I did, but I'm not too disappointed.
I did a few mistakes, but just small ones that cost me about 4 mins total (not including the legs that I was just slow on).

First, on the first control I lost maybe 30 seconds or less by overshooting the correct trail and going an extra ~30 meters before cutting into the woods and turning back.
Then, on the second one, I just slowed down a bit when attacking the control, because I shot off the trail and didn't know exactly where I was, but thankfully after getting a rough estimate of my location and making a few steps I saw the control.
On the third leg I was quite slow, because I shot off into the correct direction, but without a specific plan of how to navigate, nor following the bearing I had set up (mainly just to keep me in the general correct direction, because I really need to practice more of following bearings). Thankfully, I kept on the correct spur, but I was afraid I was overshooting the control. However, I know that on some courses before I felt like that and in reality I wasn't nearly far enough, so I (thankfully) kept going and I found the control.
For the 4th control I followed the line of root stocks up. I had poor micro route choices, since I couldn't decide if I wanted to go on the left or right of the root stocks, so for the most part I just went through them. It wasn't horrible, but I could've saved some time and energy if I had been more decisive and made better micro route choices.
Then to 5, I drifted a bit too north/up, and I found a charcoal furnace that was northwest of my control. I didn't want to try and cut straight to the control, so I contoured over, trying to see the control, but I hit the trail and just decided to run down it.
To 6, oh god that hill. I really ought to run more hills, I have no endurance up hills. I ran a bit up it, then I just couldn't any more. I saw the charcoal furnace to the left of the trail, so I figured I would turn off of the trail when I get there and contour over to the control. That worked, but man I was slow. That hill killed me.
Then I wanted to contour over to the trail and take that down, but I kept drifting down and ended up right at the beginning of the driveway to the northernmost cabin (so I wasn't our of bounds, thankfully). I should practice contouring, though, it could have really helped me. But thankfully this didn't cost me too much time, so I ran down the road, then took a left and ran up the road in the re-entrant. Another hill that killed me. And it wasn't even steep at all! I guess I was just trying hard to run it fast, but that certainly didn't feel fast at all. But after all I convinced myself to keep at it and I ran up till the end of the road. I turned into the woods and had a slow attack to my 7th control because I was so tired from that hill. Yeah, I really should do more hills.
So here I decided to run back out of the woods the same way I came, and turn left to go south on that road. It was downhill, but a bit twisty. It was fine for running, but afterwards while comparing route choices with Max he showed me that another (in my opinion better) route choice was to go all the way back down the same way I came up, and then turn left to go around the other side of the lake than I did. But after all, I don't think I lost too much time with my route choice, I don't think it was too much longer.

The course went okay. But it was good that Greg gave me some advice during the warm up, and I tried to stick with it. It was to use a lot of compass (I tried, but I didn't want to trust it too much since I know that that's something i really need to practice a lot more), keep my head up (that saved me a few times), and to not run diagonally down, but to contour over and go straight down or vice-versa (I did this with #5, and I think it worked well). So that helped quite a lot.

I feel a bit bad that I didn't run red as I had planned, but I am so glad that I didn't, it was really nice to have a short course again.

I hope I didn't let my team down too much :)
So I started but man I should have warmed up better somehow because my legs just didn't want to work. I was kind of alright to the first control, but that hill to the second control killed me, and I almost ran around the wrong side of the fence. I really couldn't push up that hill, and then I realized Kirsten was right behind me and I was like "oh crap" but that still didn't help me up the hill much. I tried to run as lightly as possible, as my dad tells me to do up hills, but I just really couldn't.
Granted, I have been slightly neglecting hills recently on my runs, and oh how I regret that.
To the third control I was navigationally okay, but again, poor micro route choices. I cut through the woods in what was probably the greenest strip there was. It just seemed like it had the most deadfall. I tried to get around it but that didn't work too well. But once I made it out of the woods it was fine.
The rest of the course was clean, and I really felt good. Since the rest was flat, I could run more easily (not that I was super fast, but at least I wasn't dying). And I'm really happy with my finish. I really extended my stride, so that's good.

C • Good job! 1

Orange - Splits

Relay Leg 2 - Splits

Super, super easy run today to not get too sore tomorrow for the Mid Atlantic Champs. On the way there I was doing some drills while waiting for my mom as she was taking photos and on the way back we noticed there were streamers left from the Sokol run last Sunday, so I was taking those down.The last hill though absolutely killed me

Bike Ride with my mom. We biked on Rock Creek Trail, then turned up to Forest Glen and biked around on the historical loop thing to check it out. We biked back down the hill, and onto Rock Creek just to turn onto the little mountain bike trail on the strip of field right before the underpass under the Beltway. We biked on that, then along the river, and then to Rock Creek Trail and then home.

Even though it was really slow, it was still nice and I enjoyed it. The weather is really nice, and slightly chilly, which is good (in my opinion).

We had our ab/situp test today, so it was how many situps can you do in 2 minutes
My result was 60, which was not bad. In fact, I was probably around the average of our class, which is nice, given that in everything else I'm probably the weakest.
Then I did some arm exercises that I haven't done in a while
4 sets of:
20x 10lb bicep curl and press
20x tricep pullover, increasing the weight by 5 lbs each set, starting with 15 on the first set, then 20, 25, and finally 30lbs (that last one hurt).
4 sets of:
20x double-poling like things that I still don't know what they're called

I left school early because I had to go to the MVA to get my learner's permit

We went to Wheaton because we were coming from th MVA and we were supposed to go to Rockville afterwards, and then straight to the Czech school, so we stopped by in the park to get the run in.

To be honest I was dying during this fartlek. I don't think I was running fast enough for the interval portion, but I tried my best.
90 seconds on, 30 seconds off (10 intervals)
1. 310m
2. 280m
3. 300m
4. 280m
5. 260m
6. 280m
7. 300m
8. 270m
9. 290m
10. 280m
Also, I guess I had a bit of a map training exercise because I ran with a o-map of Wheaton because I would've gotten lost without it, I don't remember the trails too well since I usually don't run on them :)

No biking today. I don't really mind that it's raining. But first off, I really don't like how warm and humid it is. Secondly, I am insanely sore from yesterday. Like, my back hurts so bad I can barely walk. My arms are so sore, I feel it every time I lift them. So yeah I really did not want to bike today.

No biking today. I don't really mind that it's raining. But first off, I really don't like how warm and humid it is. Secondly, I am insanely sore from yesterday. Like, my back hurts so bad I can barely walk. My arms are so sore, I feel it every time I lift them. So yeah I really did not want to bike today.

I had no idea what to do, because everything was sore.
So I did my pushup test first. I got to 21 pushups.
Then I did a few calf lifts (50lb), I did 10 reps.
I did some bicep lifts, 10 reps of 70lbs
I did some things with the band with the handles to work out the muscles I need for double-poling on skis, I used the stiffest band there was and I did 2 sets of 20 reps
I was on the bike for like 3 minutes
And I think that's it
So yeah super low intensity except for the pushups and the double-poling exercise.

I was doing the final mapreading exercise for the month of October. It was the ZMR and 3D mapreading. It was alright, it was more manageable than I thought it was going to be. It was hard sometimes to write down my answer while running because of the hills :D
I was also running with my mom, so we were talking for a while, and I couldn't map read at the same time, but I managed to get both maps done in time thankfully.

So we were doing one rep maxes for deadlifts today
I started with 65 lbs, 3 reps
I increased the weight by 10 lbs each set
At 145 I think I was only able to do 2 reps
I was going to end at 195, but I realizes that I was super close to 200, so I just added 5 lbs and lifted that once. I'm glad I did but I'm absolutely in pain, my lower back hurts like crazy.

Afterwards I just did 20x 25lb tricep pull overs.

It was raining, so we couldn't go roller skating or biking :(
Lead:
5.9 - onsite
5.10d - completed, 1 hang at the top
5.10a - onsite
5.11a - completed, 1 hang at the top
5.10d - completed, 3 hangs

I went into this super sore, and no comment about how I feel after. As soon as I got home, I filled up the bathtub with water and laid there for about an hour and a half

Finding my 1 rep max.
45lb bar
Started with 10lb on each side, in total 65lbs, and 3 reps
Increased by 5 lbs (total) each set
First weight I couldn't do 3 reps on (only did 2) was 90lbs total
Then at 100lbs I found my one rep max.

I tried a pull-up afterwards, but noooo

100m striders with 100m walk back

~15m for each exercise.
Low - middle - high knees
butt kicks
high knees with kick
deer jumps
one-legged hops
karaoke
frog jumps
skips
side skips
metcalfs
There might've been more? I can't remember anymore.

10x 200m intervals with 200m jogging rest
1. 43 sec
2. 46 sec
3. 44 sec
4. 41 sec
5. 45 sec
6. 45 sec
7. 47 sec
8. 45 sec
9. 44 sec
10. 42 sec - I tried to push as hard as possible on this one, and I legit felt like I couldn't breathe fo the last 50/75 meters.

On the intervals, I really felt my core working hard. Like, it genuinely was sore afterwards. I was focusing a lot on my form, and using my hips, so that might be why.

Plank, leg lifts, crunches, dead bugs