Training Log Archive: Sandy

I had really looked forward to this race all fall and used it as a reason to drop some weight and do some regular running this fall so that I would be in reasonable condition. I went into the day knowing that I had the skills to perform well and was in reasonable shape, but that I've had trouble reading the map and focusing the last couple of years and that I wasn't going to be able to push as hard as last week since the footing wasn't quite as good and the terrain was going to be trickier.

I took a slow route to #2 - staying pretty far right of the line to be sure I saw the huge double depression - and the control was right where I expected it to be. Felt good to #3 as well. Changed my mind on how to go to #4 and ended up off to the right. I should have been able to figure it out a lot faster than I did but it took 4 minutes. In retrospect the left route along the ridge would have been better. 5, 6 and 7 were fine. I was doing fine to 8 but I swear I looked in the depression where the control was and didn't see it. Couldn't imagine where else I could be so went back to the hunter's stand, back around the hill and into the same depression and now there was a flag. I guess I may not have gone far enough the first time but it sure felt like the same depression when I was approaching. Anyway, another 4 minutes gone there.

I finished thinking I had left at least 10 minutes out on the course and that wasn't going to be good enough. It turned out it was enough to win F55 but it wouldn't have won F60 or F65. We really should have larger age groups (at least 10 years).

Absolutely fantastic terrain, map and course. Very glad I made the trip.

C • Great job Sandy! 5

Did some celebrating in the evening - quite a bit more than I'm used to!

C • Age group sizes 25

Brown Day 1 US Champs - Splits

Event: US Individual Champs 2009
 

Walked around the model map and visited most of the controls on the 5k course. Felt better by the end but was still making errors even at a walk. It was very easy to make parallel errors since you could easily convince yourself that this depression was that depression, etc. It was also very easy to get off on a compass bearing and that was the biggest lesson - keep checking the compass.

Knees okay but slipped a bunch and was pretty sore by the end. Although the woods were wonderful, there was just enough junk on the ground and it was all covered by wet leaves that I had to be really careful on the downhills .

Not good. Legs and knees felt weak and unstable and I decided not to push things.

I did quite a bit of yard work Monday and Tuesday and I'm sort of achy from that. I really hope I didn't overdo it. But my yard is starting to look very nice again. I had let the flower beds get full of weeds and hadn't cleared out any of the dead stuff so lots of pulling stuff up and trimming things back and spreading mulch.

I was planning to go to Hickory Run today and check out the new map and get a feel for the visibility this time of year but when I got up this morning it was clear that it was not going to happen. Just didn't want to get moving. Perhaps the drive up and hiking around in the woods in the perfect weather today and then the drive back would have been the best antidote for the blahs, but perhaps just staying home and taking it really easy was more useful in the long run. Getting up there in the first two weeks of November is probably more important anyway.

C • the blahs 2

Down on the drive. Started slow but picked it up towards the end.
(531, 526, 539, 531, 513, 503)

walking down and back up

Hanging the white controls and checking a yellow.

Can't find my splits but I know it was 57 something. It was sort of fun running the course knowing where I needed to go and where I needed to be careful but also sort of boring since I really didn't need to look at my map very carefully. So it was much more about physical training than orienteering training. I was pretty beat but managed to push for a lot of the course. Made up big chunks from yesterday on the leg where I tried to put my contact back in before just chucking it (about 4 minutes) and another 3 minutes on the leg I flubbed yesterday. Today I pretty much went right to it on a careful compass reading so I really don't know what happened yesterday. I got sloppy near the end and was doing things from memory and not looking at the map at all and had one leg where I took longer than yesterday by close to a minute. But felt pretty good moving in the woods - there's very little rock on the ground at Prince William and so I can actually run, even the downhills.

C • That's what I like to hear! 1

Knee feels reasonable tonight.

I feel completely beat. But in a good way.

C • that's one of the best feelings! 1

Green - Splits

Green - Splits