Training Log Archive: Sid

Event: 2010 US Rogaining Championships
 

US Rogaine Championships at Suger Hill State Forest:
Silence Beckons' plan going into this race is to stay out for 24 hours trying to maximize points. In the last 2 rogaines SB had slept for 6 hours though the first was according to plan, the second was due to incident. SB is pretty rusty on rogaining as the team has not done such an event or a similar A/R in over 2 years. Orienteering is considerably different.
Our route was designed to reach the bottom of the map and to generate about 1850 points. We got off to a bad start as I took a route choice to control 54 but other teams running circles around us influenced my thinking and SB bailed off the route too early. Deciding to head to our next control rather than searching further, wasted time and points. In retrospect, we should have hit 39 and then 54. Once in touch with the map again, SB hits controls 51 and 44 though being on stream beds, the wrong direction traveled occurs. From 44 the stream is taken to the trail and 64. To the trail SB heads south to 80, on another stream bed. From 80 it is bushwacking to the road and along it the W2. South on the trail to the corner, we hit 50 on another steam bed. Just missing the dense undergrowth, we return to the trail for a quick travel to 34. It is a bit tricky being off the trail to the east. Back on the trail, we head down the hydro right of way to 71. 34 was an optional control and in retrospect going directly to 71 likely would have worked better as the right of way had lots of elevation changes and was very dense.
From 71 we found a side trial past the road and bush wacked to 68. I had an error on leaving 68, I was playing golf and just head to my next attackpoint without looking. Wrong direction and short re-trace. SB uses the classic drop between the two streams to find the confluence technique to find 83. It was about 7:30 pm now and we think on night strategies. Back to the trail, we hit 47 off another stream bed re-entrant. We take a bearing to 72 and everything seems good but it is getting dark in the woods. We try to find the control but have trouble fine tuning. Wandering too much, we decide to bail. On reversing we end up right at the last location, suggesting we had not travelled far enough. It is now dark and we head for roads but decided to try for 60, our next planned stop. We hit the trail but travel too far, reversing we drop onto the saddle and head for the spur on a bearing. The saddle is hard to see at night and we return to the trail for one last attempt. Off we go and get in the vicinity but can not find the control, even with the high voltage facemelter on. We are abut to bail when we notice lights approaching. Our lucky day, it is Bash and Tiny also after 60 but pace counting. A couple 100 metres on our bearing and there she be! Heading back to the trail, we are in a conundrum. We just can not see well enough at night to go by my usual O style with no pace counting. I usually just feel the distance by the terrain. We travel the trail to the area near 78 and see a team come out of the woods. In we go, to find the hilltop and attack 78. We wander around in the area but no control. A couple of corrections but no luck. Out again, we rest at the trail for 10 minutes, thinking things through. Spooked a bit we decide to skip the central valley traverse and go further west and travel north to our third string of controls. We are in a good area for night navigation but the controls are elusive. We decide to do some walking, heading near Monterey and jogging north to W5 to regroup. We hit 45 in passing but get turned around on leaving, leading to some internal discussion.

C • the wrong direction travelled occurs 1

MTC Swim. Slow but steady! Good to be back in the pool.

Snow Mountain climb in the Adirondack Mountains.

Spectating at the 2010 Ironman LP. My brother finished in 14:10. He had a great run with 4:49 marathon.