Training Log Archive: PG

Yesterday's course (click on map for larger image) --

And yesterday's route is here.

Knee was actually better than I expected, but still rather sore, so cut the run very short. Legs felt tired anyway. I think I put in a reasonable effort yesterday.

Event: HVO Blue Mountain
 

HVO meet at Blue Mountain, Red course, 6.6 km.

In life sometimes there are no good options, just trying to pick the lesser of the evils. Today's course seemed like that much of time. But realize that is mostly a compliment and not a complaint. Just seemed like a lot of legs where there were choices, just none of them very appealing.

Though I guess I am really thinking of the physical aspect. The terrain is just hard to get through, a combination of the hills, the dying hemlocks, and some damage from recent storms. But it is still a wonderful place and it offers wonderful orienteering. Which is what we were offered today.

Had a change in O' gear today, added one thing and omitted another. Could have actually used both.

What was added was gloves, bike gloves actually, and they did what they were supposed to do, on my one bad fall, slipped coming down a rock face and took a nasty tumble, they prevented what would have been more damage to my right hand (still a hard whack, but no lacerations that would have surely happened otherwise).

What was omitted, and would have been useful, was a compass. Broke mine last time out and haven't gone around to replacing it. I'm not used to going without, so even though the sun was out, there were times when I was a bit directionally challenged. Though only once seriously, on the way to #5, what are those houses and that field doing there, hmmm….

But a good run in general, didn't miss much otherwise, and though I walked/trudged up a lot of steep hills, I also ran a good bit of stuff too. But it's just slow terrain.

And the only regret is that I managed to whack my right knee. So the kneecap and the tendon right below it are rather stiff/sore. A longish run was planned for tomorrow morning, but the odds of that happening seem not so good.

C • Pasi style 1

Red - Splits

Back roads in Leverett and Montague. Up then down.

Got accosted by a St. Bernard on the loose. Came from an old house with a police car parked outside. Kept taking runs at me until I was about 100 yards past the house. I was yelling all the time, directed both towards the dog and also hoping to rouse an owner that might call it off, but no luck on the latter and not much on the former.

I mostly don't like dogs and I can't tell whether they are friendly or not, but even a friendly dog that just wants to play can do a lot of damage.

So I drove back to the house afterwards. Dog not in sight. A guy working on some equipment by the road. We had a civil conversation. According to him, his kids had let the dog out by mistake, though I got the feeling it was far from the first time it had happened. Usually, he said, the dog is out loose only after dark. And it wants to play. But, he admitted, it is scary.

I saw no point in getting into a shouting match. But what am I supposed to do, never go there again? I'm debating writing his chief and the town selectmen. In a civil tone, of course. Though I suppose I should first find out if Montague has a leash law, and if so, under what circumstances it applies.

C • Thinking of complaining to ... 5

Bunch of driving today but a nice trip -- Litchfield to Bennington, VT, to home to Bradley to home. Never been to Bennington College but seemed like a fine place. Went there with my brother and Gail to deliver some of my mom's funds to her alma mater (she was in the third class there) and had a very nice visit (as one would expect under the circumstances). One more thing done.

Wednesday evening track group at Deerfield Academy. Warm-up.

6 x 600, then jogged 200 to get back to the S/F, then about 40 seconds rest to keep to a 4:15 cycle. Comfortable pace for the most part -- these workouts are a lot easier on the mind if the pace is a little less than full effort. Legs generally felt OK.

2:33, 1:05, 37
2:37, 1:05, 33
2:31, 1:04, 40
2:31, 1:02, 42
2:28, 1:06, 41
2:28, 1:04

And some more easy afterwards. Small but nice group -- Barry, Sidney, Ed O'Connell, Margaret, and one other woman, can't remember her name.

The map from Rochester and my route is on RouteGadget.

C • point density 18

So an article in todays WSJ about seniors and new technology to help keep them safe. Starts off with the statement that 1 in 3 seniors fall every year, so it's a serious concern. Hmm, I think so far this year I must have been down something in the range of 50-100 times.

C • Doing your part 9

Another adventure, i.e. running someplace I'd never been, this time on some bike trails in Charlemont by the Berkshire East ski area (called Thunder Mountain many years ago). The trails are of fairly recent vintage, last two or three years. The terrain alternates between steep and very steep, but they seem to have done a good job of making ridable trails, at least for someone with more skills than I have on a bike.

But bike trails are almost always good for running as they aren't generally too steep, although in this case they do go up and up and up, and then eventually back down.

They'd also made a map recently, looked rather nice, and I procured a copy to take with me, both to have some sense of where I was going and also to see if the map was any good.

The map was decent, certainly better than some I've seen (such as the trail maps put out by the Commonwealth for its state parks and forests, where the mapping of the trails has only a slight connection to reality). But it's hard to know what to think when the map shows a trail that doesn't seem to exist, or has junctions that don't look at all right. Willful incompetence, or clever planning, the latter being the case if the map is trying to reflect trail work that hasn't yet been finished. But in many places the turns on the trails corresponded nicely to the map, and in checking afterwards, well, their GPS wasn't much different than my GPS.

It was just as good that I had the map for entertainment, because my running truly sucked. Zero energy and zero willpower and a hot day and I was toast before I started it seemed. I decided the way to cope was just to take short stops, a minute or so, as often as needed, but when I was moving keep running instead of walking. I think I needed about a dozen stops. Not a good day.

But at least I got out. The plan for the month is that running comes first, get it done in the first part of the day. Now I just have to get out earlier, especially as it gets hotter.

And wore the bike gloves. They seemed to be tolerable, but of course this would be the day I didn't fall at all, so not really a good test as to how much they will help when I do go down.

Back to Pocumtuck Ridge, this time the south end. Went down the power line to the east looking for trails crossing it, but none to be seen, though I didn't go all the way, didn't feel like navigating a short marshy area. And then back up, a good climb, couldn't make it all in one go, took a stop in the middle for a minute or two.

And then a little way down the power line to the west, and then back up. Will have to complete the trip in both directions to see where they tie in to civilization. Also check around Clapp Pond as I know there are a few trails there.

Always more fun to go places you haven't been before.

And then just before I was done, on a stretch of the ridge trail I know very well, clipped a rock and did a face plant at pretty good speed. No major damage, but another gash, right palm this time. Thought I had done more damage to the gash on the left palm, but after cutting off the flap of skin that was going to come off at some point anyway, it doesn't really seem much worse.

But it would be nice to finish a run without losing blood. (Even yesterday, a nice gash just above the sock line on my left ankle, on a run with no falls and no recollection of doing anything….)

Gail suggests I should go get some light bike gloves to wear when running on trails, so when I fall…. Not a bad idea.

C • Golf gloves would work fine, too. 6