Training Log Archive: GlenT

Event: 2022 Billygoat
 

Billygoat 42 at Letchworth SP. 12.2k, 550m climb. Sunny, about 50F at the start (9am), rising to about 60F when I finished. Nice course by Tom Rycroft with vetting by Linda and Lindsay. Often wet and soft underfoot, including on many of the steep hillsides.

Followed one of several trains headed towards the first control, trying to scan the map for potential skips while not losing contact or falling. Remarkably alone on the short leg to 2, overshot a bit and had to double back. Back in a train to the pretty straightforward 3, 4 and 5 controls, noticing that we kept dropping down in steep 2-4 contour steps and would soon have to climb back up. Punched just behind Peggy at 5, along with several others, then the elevation payback started with a steep climb out of 5. The crowd got spread out by the climb and I was a bit on my own to 6. Passed Kirsten M on the climb to 7. As I was crossing the road to 8, I noticed some people running on the road, checked my map and realized they were skipping 9 and taking the right fork to 10A. That looked like a good idea, so after I visited 8 I headed back to the road.

I was by myself on the road with one person a ways ahead, ate a Gu and spent some time looking at routes for the rest of the course. Kristen H appeared as we crossed the road to the field on the way to 11 - she had not skipped yet. Kristen and I were more or less together from there until 19, often taking different routes but ending up at controls at about the same time (although she led me into controls more than I led her). To 13 I stayed on the power line left of the OOB while Kristen went right. I stopped at the aid station for about a minute or so, drinking some Gatorade and chatting with Linda, which probably accounts for the "error" AP calculates for this leg. Kristen and I reached 13 at the same time. She pulled away on the longer run to 17 but then made an error to 18 so we were back together from there to 19.

Control 19 was by far my biggest error of the day (over 9 minutes). Kristen and I stayed lower and contoured around after crossing the stream but passed just above the control without seeing it. I went well beyond until I saw the structures to the NE, then doubled back, still in search mode. By that time Kristen had found the control and was gone. Several others had now caught up (but were also in search mode). I was the first to spot the control but 7 people punched it in the 25 seconds after I did, so now there was a new pack, including Marketa Graham and Cathy Bakker who I was with off and on for the rest of the course (we also caught up to Pavlina a couple controls later). Group navigation for the rest of the course but everyone pushing a bit with whatever they had left to avoid an all out sprint at the end,

I finished 38th overall with an official time of 2:26:56 for my 26th Billygoat T-shirt (now 10th overall in number of Billygoat shirts and most shirts with no Billygoat lifetime points). Steve Tarry continued his streak of Billygoat finishes and Sharon Crawford gained the record for all-time oldest Billygoat finisher.

Thanks to ROC for a very well run and fun weekend and to Tom Rycroft for a fine Billygoat course. And thanks to Peter for doing a fabulous job with the weather.

Billygoat - Splits

Event: ROC - Overlook NRE
 

Walk to Arena, including a bit on trails through the warm-up area. Didn't start my watch.

Overlook NRE, hosted by ROC at Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area. Brown course - 3.0k, 100m climb, 1:7500, 5m contours. Excellent course by Stina Bridgeman. Woods were generally open with great visibility, medium density trail network, some intricate contour detail and almost no rock. Low 50s, partly sunny.

I had a very good run with only one significant error of about 30 seconds. I started 2 minutes behind Marketa Graham, 4 minutes behind Janet T and 6 minutes behind Phil B. Saw Phil heading up the hill to 4 and got ahead when he took a small side excursion on the way to 5. Marketa also lost time going to 5 so I was ahead punching at 5 and on the way to 6. Janet Findlay also joined us at 5. I misread the contours in the circle at 6 and veered right while the rest of the train punched at 6, leaving me at the back of the pack coming out of 6. Passed Phil and Janet on the way to 7 and was just behind Marketa at 8. She headed off more to the south while I went more east to pick up trails to 9. Marketa came by me on the trail to punch 9 just ahead and then it was an all out sprint to the finish, where we punched at about the same time (although I was actually 2 minutes ahead from the start stagger). Good practice for tomorrow's Billygoat, although the intensity will likely be quite a bit lower.

Thanks to the ROC crew for a very well organized and executed event.

C • Nice work! 3

Walk back to Parking.

Brown - Splits

A mostly different set of trails at Green Lane. More muddy spots today. Low 70s, mostly sunny.

Saucon Trail north from Station Ave. in Coopersburg to Passer Rd. And back with a side excursion on the loop through Living Memorial park. Lower 60s.

Trails at Green Lane. Some mud in the usual spots. 70F, partly sunny.

Neighborhood and Park.