Training Log Archive: j-manIn the 1 days ending Jan 29, 2006:
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Sunday Jan 29, 2006 #
Event: QOC - Great Falls, MD
Run 31:00 [2] 3.4 mi (9:07 / mi)
slept:3.0 shoes: Spikeless VJs
Warmup before QOC brown.
Run 23:27 [4] *** 3.2 km (7:20 / km)
shoes: Spikeless VJs
This was an interesting, frustrating, and potentially educational experience.
The result wasn’t bad, but the process sucked.
Because of the length of the course, I decided to run this at high intensity. Basically, it was a disaster. I felt great and strong through the first couple controls. I felt like I had a hammer and was going to beat the course into submission. But I was Orienteering like an idiot. I did not have map contact, no visualization, no distance sense, and bad direction. After hosing 4 (as I had 1,2,3) I made the conscious decision to back off and return to “cruising” speed. Then things got better, with the exception of 5.
What is the point? Well, that you need to know when to apply the power. This was the second time in recent memory that I deliberately eased off the tempo (last time was after control three at the snowy FCN last year.) At the latter, I did this before the damage was done.
I have been starting out very fast at many DVOA meets with the mindset that I am going hit it hard, and just keep it running hot until I can’t keep up the pace anymore. And that has worked. It is a little different than the last time I was good at local meets.
By 2000, in DVOA-land, I was at the point where Orienteering had become a running exercise as I was sufficiently familiar with the parks that I could negotiate even technical legs at FC without much Orienteering. After my multi-year hiatus, some of that familiarity has receded, but it is coming back.
Anyway, the takeaway as I see it is several-fold. First, a comfortable cruising speed is not slow. Second, hammering the first control in areas where I am not 100% confident is bad. Third, hammer when appropriate.
I wonder what Greg thinks?
The result wasn’t bad, but the process sucked.
Because of the length of the course, I decided to run this at high intensity. Basically, it was a disaster. I felt great and strong through the first couple controls. I felt like I had a hammer and was going to beat the course into submission. But I was Orienteering like an idiot. I did not have map contact, no visualization, no distance sense, and bad direction. After hosing 4 (as I had 1,2,3) I made the conscious decision to back off and return to “cruising” speed. Then things got better, with the exception of 5.
What is the point? Well, that you need to know when to apply the power. This was the second time in recent memory that I deliberately eased off the tempo (last time was after control three at the snowy FCN last year.) At the latter, I did this before the damage was done.
I have been starting out very fast at many DVOA meets with the mindset that I am going hit it hard, and just keep it running hot until I can’t keep up the pace anymore. And that has worked. It is a little different than the last time I was good at local meets.
By 2000, in DVOA-land, I was at the point where Orienteering had become a running exercise as I was sufficiently familiar with the parks that I could negotiate even technical legs at FC without much Orienteering. After my multi-year hiatus, some of that familiarity has receded, but it is coming back.
Anyway, the takeaway as I see it is several-fold. First, a comfortable cruising speed is not slow. Second, hammering the first control in areas where I am not 100% confident is bad. Third, hammer when appropriate.
I wonder what Greg thinks?
Run warm up/down 10:00 [1] 1.0 mi (10:00 / mi)
shoes: Spikeless VJs
Cooldown