Training Log Archive: cporter

Event: SVO Susquehanna Stumble XI
 

Susquehanna Stumble (Long) at King's Gap - so I made it through the Stumble, but it wasn't pretty. I think I was recovered enough to "run" the long Stumble, but I hadn't anticipated the amount of climb that we'd have. Also, the blueberry bushes were everywhere! Picking up my knees became quite difficult and was somehting my legs were not ready for, especially over such a prolonged period of time. So needless to say I was very slow.

My navigation wasn't the cleanest either and I think I made a series of bad route choices in the windows where you could visit controls in any order you liked (I generally made route choices based on avoiding climb as much as possible.) I didn't do too badly on the first loop with no mistakes trying to find the controls, but just slow route choices, also my calves cramped up really early in the race which slowed me down. I had three pretty big mistakes on the second loop that added up to at least 12 min of error, but probably more. All of them were bingo controls with charcoal terraces on the sides of other wise completely bland hill sides that were easy to miss. Still it was frustrating, and relocating was a night mare. About 3-4km from the end of the race I was so tired that I couldn't do more than walk anyway.

So running the long Stumble was doable, but probablynot the best decision after running a marathon less than a week before, but there was no way I was going to miss it! Despite it all I had a great time!