Training Log Archive: bl

Long O Champs M60 as run by a chump. Was guilty of trying too hard (which is a disadvantage). Found myself in a state of disequilibrium right off the bat. Later, it was too hot, I fell too much, there were too many wait-a-minute vines, possibly too much blood, negative feedback begetting more of same. First error was running right to #5 in the belief it was the first cp, incl checking code & then waking up! (enough to proceed that is).

Was lucky with the first cp (finally) as the AP was not deliberate enough, functioned on hunch in poor visibility & it worked. #2 was about the same - st thru green, thought I'd ID'd path bend, then more or less compass in green, white woods finally, could see river, went right and went quite a ways wondering if I'd needed to go left. But cp was there, phew.

4 ok. 5 - disaster. Mostly S to road, not sure what next. Plan was to return to 5 the way I'd come, L of green. Turned R, went to jct, Set compass to hit road just S of numeral "1". Think I got into open, but for some reason thot it was the open well to the SW. So went NW toward numeral "5" but, of course, terrain did not match since i was not where I thot I was. Hit N-going path, then NE/SW (had seen cp in ditch just before )SVT. Not many possibilities, got it figured out, went fm bend just before river, crossed marsh ok where others had done, recognized other side. Big dose of neg feedback. 6 - got a bit too far L. 7 easy since I watched others before starting with Charlie & Dennis. 8 - ran to an identical cp/feature that I'd seen fm 200m away, wrong code. Wandered on with uncertainty, no plan. Wondered if I'd gone by but thot I'd have seen. Saw it w/ relief. 9 - crossed stream, wasted time climbing too early/unnecessary contours. Little uncertainty up big reent (because there was a ditch?) but looked ok at top. 10 - ok. 11 - had run right by so knew it was an easy-to-spot RS. Just tired on the leg. 12 - st & ok, run/walk. 13 - ok. Some pretty trivial legs, a very narrow section to pass thru on the way to second half. Could have picked other features to reduce "dead" running.

1203 - late start, too late, too hot for me. Two nights very poor sleep though I felt fine at starts both days but managed disconnects/lapses, possibly in part due to lack of good sleep, no proof really - no results, though, either. Dealt with some degree of self-loathing, mental flagellation. Goals were 1, no MP; 2, win M60 (seeing as PG, Coach not around); 3, have a good time. (had heard of Joe's 50 so maybe under 60'?). What cheered me up alot was facing the music at the results board. BP, tp, Glen, Clnt M, Phil, Charlie S, all slower. Misery had so much company it couldn't help but laugh:). Harder than it appeared evidently.

Staying in a motel tonight. 2 double beds, so much room I'll have a hard time sleeping.

QR

C • Watching before starting 3

Long - Green X - Splits

Event: US Individual Championships (Sprint/Middle/Long/Trail)
 

B/B+ until major mishap revealed. Punched #5, #6 was right to right but not quite.... Fooled a # of people but most caught it. From #6, I was into following the line to the next circle, no excuse.

#5 - - started between buildings but it looked like a trap. Not sure I really ID'd it as such but ran around. The fellow just ahead of me went straight thru & was there first leading me to think I'd lost time by running around but went back for a closer look & met a father-son reviewing the same. Son provided a demo. DQ's whoever they were - can see scuff marks.

11-12 - went just L of line which had to have cost. BP went right around, looks considerably better.

14 - follow the leaders except leaders went to a cp near the W corner of the fence. Checked code but somehow map got turned & time lost relocating on map.

Sprint start


5 to 6 and alley just under 5


Surprise... (6,7,8 off to left)


How not to do - end pf alley under 5 (DQ behavior, scuffs...)

C • Nice pic of the DQ's 4

Sprint training - Splits

Travel Notes

Early flt (0705) to Atlanta. Up at 0445 w/o need for any of the three alarms that all worked...that in and of itself was a surprise. Could hear Tiki spinning the wheel and actually awoke with a perverse mice "nightmare" needing dismissal. Off to MHT with dawn dawning which can be a pleasant experience but better in another manner. Don't see enough dawns. Some poor sleep irritability triggered by people being too slow with checkin (not planning even a bit ahead) at airport, too many immense derrieres, the "contained madness" of the family of 6 right behind in the 5 seats across (one c. 5 mo old)....crying, whining, shrieking/screaming, coughing, dad loudly talking much of the time directly behind playing a DVD golf game w/ the oldest, maybe 4. An iPod w/ ear buds would have been heaven sent. A completely full flight. Oh, vulnerability! Huge Atlanta airport, talk about feeling lost, insignificant, barely a face in the crowd. Out to Carollton for a brief visit to the UWG campus. Multitudes of kids, quickly felt out of place. "Excuse me sir, are you lost?",ie, did you wander away from the local assisted care facility? Green leaves of summer indeed, spring faded. Looked for a WiFi - couldn't use campus, public library closed, wandered into a charming coffee shop in the old downtown. Took notes of how to get to Chattanoochee Bend SP, back roads indeed. Tranquility expected. Spent 15' reading notes from the O-Ringen last summer...notes are fun, for me anyway.

Sprint tomorrow...too much sitting, no track visits, que sera, sera.


River mist


Morning dew

Nottingcook to go over part of third green leg & check a few paths. Green as mapped was fine - just needed to avoid, "white is quite right" if given the choice. Bob D had blown leaves off the Glacial Boulder trail making it prominent, looking nice. Blazed but otherwise not very apparent on forest floor elsewhere. Showers making for shelter three times, best shelter was under GB overhang. Long time since stuck in rain. Sky finally lightened, it was a bonafide April shower. Had left mail on ground at home a mile away - barely wet.

Returning, noted 8 large brown paper bags filled with leaves with "True Value" emblazoned in red on each. This was well into the forest, dumped right by the Woodhill-Hooksett road. A forest floor covered with leaves, 8 bags stuffed with leaves almost a half mile in. The human brain is as confounding as it is marvelous. Logged areas from 2 years ago actually look nice...open with brown floor reminiscent of Harriman.

All my bags are packed ♬

Streamered white course, combining w/ DP. Dogs thought white was just the right length. Wondered if first two legs aren't too hard, depending on a field-tree line veg boundary in a big & somewhat rough field vs an obvious path leading off from under one's feet. After sat on a knoll, did 50 situps (of contrition, bad ice cream habit), savored the gentle west breeze and cloud formations - as did Z&M. Didn't see any ticks on them. Beth 3 yesterday, me one.

Nottingcook green. Thought I'd go to BB for an O experience before weekend but, of course, there are courses beckoning out back. Looked at green earlier today & cut from 5.8 to 5.4. Figured 10'/k as rough est since I'm map maker, have placed quite a few controls/made quite a few courses & hung these particular streamers. Was windy/gray/chilly. Nottingcook is a challenge...technical, hilly with more green than mapped, scratchy, took blood from me twice. Was never lost but not always in contact with map. Had 2007 copy, one new trail threw me (on subsequent copies) and 2 mapped boulders seeing one was cause for pause (corrected by BG '09). Will make the course still shorter and consider same for others tho 8k is prob ok for blue.

Beth was walking dogs at N'cook just after I finished & they got wind of me, both running off but I was gone far enough...to car & away

Gallery #2

Beach Walk, Olympic seacoast, Washington, 1975

Green - Splits

Visited last 3 control sites off PL, Woodbury-Sambo property. Under sky at Woodbury cut. Up to winter '08-9, it was under canopy...in summer a thick green with 'mystery places'. After logging, it was largely "naked" with mud, pools & rivulets. Now, green pines are growing as is cover grass, no mud but ruts in places. It looks much better but a world apart from what it was.

Some map changes etc. Gray chill. Wind from NW past few days. Surprised some paths are as good as they are figuring so little use. Probably 3 yrs since last there for '09 BG.. Sambo has cleaned up rides, made some new ones, generally a neatnik re his woods which is refreshing. No time to make those changes. Not motivated to run today. Rather whimpy approach. Corey came by, had been salmon fishing first thing.