Training Log Archive: PG

Stopped at Gay City on the way home to meet up with George and have another go at the MBO "expert" course from Saturday, with the intention of doing both all of it, no skipped controls, and also staying on trails the whole time, which would mean a good bit longer ride. Wasn't sure whether we'd go together or separately. I think my assumption was I would do it on my own, in effect another go at a "race."

Got organized, started off together to #1, and within 5 minutes I was saying to myself how glad I was to have company. Just seemed right. Good company for sure, also safer if we clobbered ourselves when we crashed (note that I don't say "if" we crashed). So a few times I waited for him, and a few times he had to wait for me, so what.

Took a couple of different routes -- to #2, first I rode right through the stream like Joe said he did, no problem, and then took the first trail up the hill, a little easier. To #6, took the left route, really fast the first part, then very slow and rocky the last part. And then to #8 and #9 all the way around on the single-track.

And it sure wasn't easy, at least for me. Surprised myself sometimes by making it through sections, but other times there was no point of even trying, just too steep and/or too many rocks. I'd imagine Joe is pretty good at such stuff. And I don't imagine I ever will be.

Actually I don't it think it would be too wise to try, since that would invariably mean a lot of falls. Had two unplanned dismounts today, though no damage fortunately on either.

But it is fun. And adding in the O' element certainly adds to the fun. I would think there would be a lot of O' maps in the Boston area (and elsewhere) where a MBO course could be set in addition to the foot-O' with very little advanced work. And might bring out a little new blood. Or at least something new for the old-timers to try.

Added my semi-bogus splits (I was stopping my watch when we stopped), so now I have two semi-bogus results in the list. :-)

C • bring out a little new blood 1

Expert Bike O - Splits

Event: Pisgah Mountain Trail Race
 

88-72-0-61, best forgotten again, except the company was excellent.

Event: WCOC Gay City State Park
 

Routes from today. First the summer-O (click on map for larger image) --



And then the MBO --

C • Same map used for both events? 4

WCOC local meet at Gay City organized by Becky (the summer-O part) and Mike (the mountain bike O part). Beautiful day, really enjoyed despite my failings.

The main event was of course the MBO, so best to get the regular O out of the way first. Or maybe best to do it on fresh legs and the MBO on tired ones. Whatever.

"Expert" course, 5.6 km straight line. A pretty good run around the course, speaking just physically. Seemed to alternate between bits where I had some energy and ran right along, and bits where nothing more that walking. Funny enough the latter seemed to coincide with uphills and/or thick vegetation. But still felt relatively pleased to run as much as I did.

Navigating was a little shaky. No horror stories, just a little sloppiness in three places, at most a minute each, probably less.

Nice course, nice woods (though they are even better when the ferns are down).

Changed clothes and gear and headed out on the "expert" MBO course.

Executive summary -- DNF. :-(

A few more details. This was also a lot of fun. I haven't done much mt. biking, maybe 15 times in my life, and this was certainly testing me. Some really sweet single-track is what Mike said was on hand. I would have described it as rocky in places and very rocky elsewhere.

Mostly I managed OK. Got up a lot of things I wasn't sure I could, and got down everything (though right at my limit a couple of times), but I also was off the bike maybe 15 or 20 times when I'd look at something and think, "No way." And off the bike two other times involuntarily, once just late getting a foot out so a little bit of an awkward save, and the other a moment of ineptitude ending up in going mostly over the handlebars, fortunately at very low speed and landing in a non-rocky area. The result, luckily, was that neither I nor my map board was busted.

Cut through the woods 5 times, though I'm not sure that was legal. First was about a 100-meter pain in the butt hoisting the bike over a few obstacles, next a shorter downhill section through nice woods, next a shorter flat section through nice woods that I managed to ride, weaving between the trees, next another very short section ridden, and last a rough downhill maybe 150 meters that result in my DNF.

Meaning, I was heading down to my last control. Had look ahead, next was just a long leg back to the finish. And for some reason partway down the steep slope my mind switch into thinking about the best route to the finish, and forgot about actually going to the last control. And that's what I did, feeling very pleased with myself for a good route choice.

Until I finished and looked at the map a little more closely and saw what I'd done. Idiot. Could have picked up the last control with no more than a minute extra.

Oh, well. Guess I'm going to have to do the MBO stuff again, if anyone within reasonable driving distance is nice enough to organize one.

C • nervous 4

And then out to pick up 3 controls, the first of which was what had been my first control. Seemed to handle the ricks much better than the first time. This little outing was a lot of fun, mostly on excellent trails, gave me a chance to practice my map reading on the go a bit.

And then home with a stop at Panera Bread to use my gift certificates from January. :-)

C • ...handle the ricks... 10

Expert Foot O - Splits

Expert Bike O - Splits

With my first (and maybe last) major MBO competition coming up tomorrow, things are coming together nicely on the equipment front, a pleasant surprise. Since I am clearly unable to construct a map board on my own, I ordered one Monday evening. Best delivery possible was predicted for the coming Monday, but things happen, not always bad things, so I ordered it anyway.

It seems they were shipping it via some combination of FedEx and the USPS. On Tuesday, the tracking software said the package didn't exist. On Wednesday it said it had been shipped Tuesday, who knows from where. Last night it said it had arrived at some FedEx hub in eastern Mass. This afternoon it said it had arrived at the South Deerfield post office, of which the Sunderland office is a satellite. Great, should be available for pick-up tomorrow morning a hour or two after we needed to be off to Gay City.

What the hell, might as well try. Called up the South Deerfield office. As it happens, I have a tax client who works there. :-)

As it happens, she answered the phone. :-)

She was happy to help, a quick look, they had the package, and 5 minutes later I had it. :-)

Now I need to figure out how to attach it, and then how to use it without crashing the bike. But this is still progress. :-)

C • Larry B. had one at Pawtuck... 11

Out again on the mountain bike, this time heading up South Mountain Rd., which is a harder climb, much more loose rock. Had to get off about 4 times. Don't imagine the folks with any talent would have had a problem.

But enjoyed it anyway as there were a number of places I made it up that I had my doubts about. And the times I had to get off were done without a total lack of coordination.

And of course then there is the downhill all the way back. :-)

The Garmin track, the part from mile 3 on, is incredibly inaccurate. Do they just have bad days? And the thought of anyone using one of these things for course setting is ludicrous, at least least in areas like around here with hills and an evergreen canopy to mess with the signals. So the distance is something between 5 and 7 miles. I assume the time is more accurate.

And earlier, 88-71-0-61, best forgotten.

C • Garmin 1

Same loop on Mt. Toby as Monday. Took a little air out of the tires, pressure down from 35 to 30 both front and back, and that seemed a little less bouncy. Wondering if even a little lower would be better still, or just asking for flats.

And made it around without getting off the bike, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Felt like I had a little better control than last time. Or maybe it was just the mantra for the day -- be careful.

And earlier, 80-70-1-61.

Mt. Tripyramid. Perfect day, very much enjoyed it, but the slides were not easy. Went up the north slide (the recommended direction to do the loop), mostly solid rock slabs just barely within my comfort level, certainly wouldn't have wanted to go down that way. On all fours a good bit of the time, and succeeded pretty well in picking a good route.

Coming down the south slide was less fun. Seemed not as steep, but a lot of very loose gravel that gave no traction, so probably fell on my butt half a dozen times when my feet went shooting out from under me. Nothing dangerous, but I was also being very slow and careful, and still not too coordinated.

Rest of the trail coming down was good for running, cruised right along, plus ran the Livermore Trail in both directions (except for a little walking on the way up), so the legs were tired by the end and will be sore.

Not a route for someone with bad knees.

Suggested time in the AMC guidebook is 7 hours. It's also supposed to be 11 miles, supposedly wheel measured. I'd guess its latter number, the distance, is a lot more accurate than the Garmin. The two agreed just about exactly on the Livermore Trail, but not when it got steep and twisty. Though some of that may be, if I understand the Garmin correctly, because the AMC is measuring the distance along the slopes (whatever the proper term for that is....), while the Garmin is measuring the horizontal distance.

So this knocked off two more of the NH 4K peaks (north and middle Tri). I think that leaves me with 4 to do -- two Wildcats, plus Cabot and Owl's Head. None particularly appealing. At the rate I'm going, did the first of these over 40 years ago and there are 48 in all, I should finish up in 4 years. Though perhaps I should try to speed up the schedule, as my ability to do these things is certainly declining.

C • Tripyramid 9

88-69-1-60.

At Earl's Trails with Alex, doing some of her O' intervals. Seemed like excellent training, got me running up some hills I normally wouldn't have, except about halfway through she rolled an ankle pretty bad. So I ran off to fetch the car while she headed for the nearest exit.

Left hamstring just a little achy after I stopped.

Time includes a little bit of standing around, as we would take turns leading, with the second person waiting 30 seconds, which was enough so that we were mostly on our own.