Training Log Archive: Sandy

TNT - left school early and did some vetting for Clem's courses while there was still daylight. Key, since the park closes as sunset. Decided running around the track was not what I needed to do tonight so bailed and went home after meeting up with the TNT crowd to do some transferring of various equipment for this weekend. Don't like skipping TNT but I think it was the right decision for tonight.

C • Thanks Sandy! 1

TNT - run on the drive with an injured Clem; Dasha joined us at the end.
4 miles in 41 minutes or so - the rest is the jog down and walk home.

Knees sore tonight but in an okay way - meaning in a way that I can tell they'll be fine tomorrow.

Same as yesterday.

Almost finished with the #$&*@^%$ paper. Down to the last theorem and references.

Wanted to do some yard work - perfect weather for moving a bunch of lilies that need moving - but this paper is just taking all my time this weekend.

Trail run on this side of the valley. Mostly just plodding along to get out and do something besides stare at my laptop screen. Felt a little better by the end.

Have a paper that has to get written and I just can't seem to get it done. Paid the price by not making it to Washington's Crossing and probably won't make Green Lane tomorrow either.

Up at Hickory Run for a TV show taping but they were late so went out and did some scouting for the team trials courses. I'm coming to some decisions on start/finish/parking I think that will allow for non-bogus WYO courses. That's really been the hardest part - trying to figure out the logistics for the non-advanced courses.

Met a TV crew from a PBS station that was doing a show on orienteering/adventure racing. Mary did the part where she was teaching the two adventurers how to orienteer and went with them to a few controls that I had hung. Then they interviewed me about orienteering in general, orienteering as a competitive sport and the connections between adventure racing and orienteering. I think the main idea of this show segment - it's part of a series called Explore PA - was to teach this couple all the different skills needed to do an adventure race at different places in PA. I'm sure sounded like a complete moron - I'm trying not to remember what I said. One interesting question I was asked though was what made me so passionate about the sport. I gave some lame answer about the fact that it combines thinking with physical competition but I was thinking about it some more on the drive home in the pouring rain. What exactly does make me so passionate about it - especially these days when I'm really not able to get around so well any more. And I have to say that it's probably something like the elusive chase of a perfect race - the feeling that I'm really at one with the map, I know exactly what I'm going to be seeing and the terrain and the map are just blending together. I've had a handful of close to perfect races over the years and that feeling is just something special. It'll be interesting to see if I can still get that feeling when I can't push hard physically any more.

C • One interesting question I ... 8

TNT - at the track in the rain with Clem, Dasha, Tom, Randy and Eric.

A very poor effort. Didn't even keep track of how many laps. Maybe did 2 miles and then had to walk a lap as my shins were starting to twinge. Did a couple more after walking the one lap. Almost all laps were very slow - probably 11 minute pace. Threw in one faster lap at the end but didn't even push that one very hard.

I think the back-to-back hills on the road and track workouts are not such a good idea for me. Or else I need to do something in between to get my legs up to the task.

C • Hang in there! 1

C • Toe socks? 6

C • 1

C • TNT? 4

TNT - with Bob and Clem. Hill repeats. Unfortunately, accidentally cleared my watch before recording the splits. Took a while to get to the hill, did 3 repeats each of about 4:45 to get up and about 5:45 to get down. I didn't push the downs quite as fast as last week; my shins were a bit sore. Stretched for about 5 minutes while waiting for Bob to finish at which point Clem was in the middle of his last one and we correctly figured he'd easily catch us on the way home.

DVOA local event at Camp Rodney. Green course. Although some were complaining of the thick woods, I actually liked this course and thought the course setter did a good job setting legs that gave you reasonable routes through the not so bad stuff. Made a lot of silly small errors. Had no drive to push hard.

Event: Big Blues Ramble 2007
 

An uninspired outing - 4 miles on the drive at 10:30 pace plus walking down and back up.

Just found out my mom is really ill. It's not clear exactly how bad things are but it doesn't sound good. She's always been so healthy and full of energy, travelling the world and seeing the sights. It's really hard to get my head around this.

C • That doesn't sound good. Di... 7

TNT - Media. Eric, Tom, Randy, Sandy, me, and Clem for a short time. Dasha joined us for dinner.

Not really sure of the total time - although I was dutifully taking splits and while the watch was beeping back at me, it wasn't recording anything but it was dark enough out that I wasn't looking at the watch so I didn't notice until yesterday when I tried to read the splits.

Had assumed we'd be on the track at the high school so didn't bring my headlamp, but there was a soccer game. So ran a warm-up lap around the fields while it was still light enough to see and then settled on a short stretch straight that was lit by street lamps from the parking light and did intervals; run hard one way, jog back. Did 12. Was very consistent in terms of strides - I was pace counting the last half since it makes it easier for me to get through them.

Did a good bit of stretching while waiting for everyone to finish.

Excellent dinner by Tom. Worth the wait!

TNT - Clem, Dasha, Sandy and Bob. Clem and I did hills while the rest ran the drive. I knew I couldn't keep up on the drive so I figured at least hills were my own pace.

16:16 down to the drive and then to the bottom of the hill
454/503 up/down
452/504
459/505
3:18 stretching while waiting - Clem finished his hills just as the others came by; quite good timing
rest of time is back home where I jogged the road part of the hill home - it seemed almost flat after the other hill!

Found a way to "run" down the road that doesn't hurt my knees - a combination of running when there's some softer stuff on the side that is runnable and the road isn't too steep and a weird walk/run where I keep my knees bent pretty far and keep my weight back. May look/feel weird but it works!

DVOA local event at Egelman's Park. I'ts a small 1:5000 map of a piece of Mt. Penn. The course criss-crossed back and forth all over the place and was a lot of fun if not particularly challenging navigationally. A few small misses; maybe could have been under an hour if I had spiked every control and taken better routes to 4, 13 and 16 - but not by much.

It was fun to see Eric beat most everyone. TNT rules!

5 miles on the drive plus the walk down and back up.

Haven't gone this far in many months and was worried so took it nice and slow. First mile was 11 min, but then picked it up and was just a little over 10 for the rest. Boy am I in poor shape!

Been doing some knee strengthening things at night to work on the downhill thing. We'll see how long I can keep at it and if it makes a difference.

I don't mind going up the hills but coming down is really difficult. Last night I was concerned about shin splints since it was on the road but my legs feel okay today. Icing last night probably helped a lot.

C • downhill 2

TNT - with Sandy, Karl and Clem
Hill repeats on the new hill.

16.22 - warmup to the hill
6.11/6.29 - went quite a ways up the road on this first one
4.55/5.33 - to the culvert
4.57/8.11 - walked most of the way down as I was feeling twinges in my knee

rest of time is home

C • To the culvert... 2

Event: Susquehanna Stumble X
 

SVO Stumble.
As usual, a great deal of fun. Did the short. Ended up running with Heidi O, John and Dagmar for most of the race. Saw lots of people on and off -the long was not just the short plus a second loop so at first I couldn't figure out why I was seeing some of the long runners.

Only had one or two bobbles and there was generally agreement that the map was less than perfect in these areas. Didn't lose much time and overall satisfied with my routes and with the orders of the controls in the windows.

Really hot day although I don't think it really affected me too much while on the course. I was dripping with sweat but only once crossing a field did I feel that the heat was uncomfortable. But I did drink water at all three water stops which is highly unusual and once finished I started to feel the sun quite a bit. My car showed 100F when I got in it to go home!

Short loop on the trails on this side of the valley. My ankle felt okay - I could feel it on the uphills, just a little stiffness, but generally it was fine. Will probably attempt the short stumble this weekend.

C • stumble 3

Yep. 30 seconds. That's how long it took to turn my ankle on the trail. &^%$#$%@@!#@

:)

C • Ankle 11

Core work and stretching. Got lazy part way through and didn't do the strength and yoga parts I sometimes do.