Training Log Archive: Ricka

Warm-up

I skipped the morning sprint Course - mostly to save my legs. Right now, 3 courses in 3 days is sufficient. I did feel fresh in the afternoon Middle. People really enjoyed the Sprint Course.

After one of my best A-days on Friday, I shifted to one of my shakiest A-days. First, "That's orienteering". Second, Friday was very physical in terms of climb but "contour only" orienteering was nearly sufficient. Today was lots of trails to read and nastier vegetation in between - hence much more technical.

Start-7: They gave us pretty easy controls early near or through the large fields used for Sprint. I did well but did not take advantage of ease to plan rest of course. Also my pace may have affected me later.

7-14: Into the mountain bike trail maze. Only one error (3 minutes) but lots of hesitation and bobbles - stayed close but poor planning and execution - overall, sloppy. Several good recoveries though. Leaving 12 was weird - trail was 10m from control, but in 40m I still wasn't there. Only later did I realize I left control S, not SE. That should have been a quick fix. Hence took me awhile to make sense of 4 trails between 12-13.

14-16: 13-14 was a well-executed trail run, then short ugly climb around Green to control. But I lost contact with map and must have planned next leg as 15-16 (but leaving from 14) . Went SE (not SW). Trail maze made no sense; then fields made no sense, then park boundary. I eventually relocated to 16, but never imagined that I'd skipped 15 (I never have been able to use, "If I'm here, where was i 100m ago?"0. Also, I had had time to look ahead to 14-15 on route to 14 but hadn't done it - ouch! Tricky course and mentally tired - also just rusty.

16-F: Good pace, getting tired. Sloppy on three easier 'end of course' controls.

Good news. With less climb on course and more training in past 3 months, the 2nd half of course and post-course felt very good physically. Looking forward toward tomorrow. Sunday venue seems to be a blend of Days 1 & 2. Less climb than Day 1; fewer trails than Day 2. I like the sound! Ooops, rain moving in Sunday.

Event: OCIN Flying Pig XVI
 

Map and route now on Routegadget.

First day of Pig at Middle Creek Park. I realized that I haven't run an A course in the past 18 months, but I have been doing some woods training in St. Louis as well as set the CR Middle Courses last fall. They all helped.

Very consistent run. I planned legs ahead several times on uphills. I pace counted more than usual and it really helped a few times. Course was VERY physical, 5% climb. Vegetation was well-mapped and not too bad. Sunny and warm - 80. I have never seen so many "excellent" deer trails - they were both very helpful and very confusing.

2-3: No good attack point existed. My plan was a bit vague. Used ditch on right as handrail. Turned left on trail, but it was deer trail just above "my" trail. Tom Carr passed me and just ahead. When he turned down and back a bit, so did I - worked. Pace-counting from ditch would have helped. Loss less than 1 minute.
3-4: Vague "aim for yellow" plan, but did see ditch as catching feature. Picked up several deer trails. Did pace count and tried to read ditches. Got close to ditch, control just left of me. Hesitation, bit lucky.
8-9: Running short leg down hill with Charlie S - he'd started 2 minutes behind. Obvious "aim off left" leg - did not do it. I hit trail left of Charlie - he turned left high, I went left low - nothing. Saw house - too far. Back. Originally I'd been 10 m from control - ugh. Lost 1 minute.
15-16: I suspect that I'm the only one to run the stream bed instead of the trail: flat rocks were fast; shoes with spikes worked great; little deadfall.

Slow pace at end as Charlie (M55) gained another 2 minutes on me.
2nd in M60: 9 minutes back of Tom Nolan; 2-3 minutes ahead of 3rd and 4th places. Fastest Green was about 48.

A good day!

C • thanks for the fly through ... 1

Warm-up: Jogged uphill to Start; back down to parking lot; jog and walk back to Start.

5 Green - Splits

Intervals: 70/115 spm - felt easier than expected.

8*6 sets

I picked up a hitch for Prius on S Morganford, so stopped for run at Carondelet. What a great park! Run felt great.