Training Log Archive: PG

My route from yesterday's Green course on RouteGadget.

A few recollections before I forget --

Going up to #1, across to #2, and leaving #10 I was slipping a lot, combination of the slopes and the beech leaves on the ground. In general traction was poor, those were just the worst places. Some proper O' shoes would surely be better than the road running shoes I was wearing.

The mistake at #3 was worse than I had thought. My instincts must be rusty. I was telling myself something was wrong and I'd gone too far long before I acted on them.

As I told Jon afterwards, it took some real balls to put #6 where he did. Not easy to be sure it's the right place. On the other hand, I suppose, also not easy for anyone else to think it's the wrong place. I was getting quite nervous the last 100 meters, even though I knew I must be doing it right.

The most fun was #7 and #8. Reading the shelfs was pretty easy, but you sure didn't want to make a mistake and think you were a shelf higher or lower than you actually were. Distance was trickier to judge, depending on judging what was what as far as rock features and contour squiggles. I did #7 just right, a good plan to lessen the chance for error.

Not so for #8. I was off on where I thought I was when I dropped down to the last shelf, thought I still had 50-75 meters to go when I was already there. Got down to the shelf, looked around and there was a knoll (clue was a cliff on the back side of a small knoll). Better check it out. Did a full loop around it just in case the control as tucked at the south end. Nothing. Back up to where I was. A careful look at the map, ah, there are two knolls, both with cliffs on the back side, control is at the northern one. Looked up, there was the second one right in front of me. Took a few steps, there was the control. Probably could have seen it a minute earlier if I'd been looking around properly. Another skill that is rusty.

I ran a good bit (for me), certainly more than any time is my new running career. On the trail the first half of the way to #1 (and a miserable rocky trail it was). Maybe 80% of the road/trail section going to #7, ditto the road to #9, ditto the road to #10. And all of the road to the finish. Seems my butt is a little better, I can go for a little longer if it is flat/downhill. Uphill I run out of gas very quickly. In the woods, ran occasional little bits when it was flat or gently down and the woods were clean.

And while running I stuck to my rule of never looking at my map and never looking around, just at where my feet were going, since priority one was no falls. Successful on that. And on the last part to the finish, gently downhill, I resisted all urges to run a little faster. My experience too often in the past is that that leads to bad things.

That will be it for O' for this year, but I have done more than I expected, and certainly enjoyed it more than I expected.

C • running 4

North Mountain and some on Sugar trail.

Event: NEOC: Wachusett Mtn.
 

NEOC meet at Wachusett. Green course, 5.2 km, 210 m.

I wouldn't have thought about this event if Phil hadn't had it on his schedule, and if Julia hadn't also said she'd be interested in going. Phil then decided that Kansas City was where he preferred to be this weekend, the lure of visiting a sister and running the Possum Trot (though perhaps not in that order) too strong to resist.

I was still somewhat interested in Wachusett, as my outing last Saturday had been very satisfying, though not really keen on a trip by myself. But Julia was still interested, so I swung by Amherst to pick her up, and an hour later we were there.

Wachusett was first used for orienteering 25 years ago, September of 1994, and then the Billygoat in April, 1996. Then a little more, but I think the map went into hibernation for many years until summoned forth by Jon Campbell for a local meet a year ago. An interesting place to orienteer. The map is almost all light green, but the vegetation is actually not bad, didn't encounter any thorns, just a little bit of mountain laurel easily avoided. Mainly just a little scruffy.

And the map has held up well over the years. Don't think there are any new trails (especially of the mountain bike sort), no dense thickets of young white pine. Seemed perfectly fine today. And an interesting course by Jon with good variety.

And my orienteering? Mostly good but a couple of times shaky, recovered once quickly (#8), the other time a little less quickly (#3). And though it has been years since it I have thought about such things, I do seem to have claimed a scalp today, that of my traveling companion. :-)

Very glad I went. Good company, for sure. A bit of socializing at the event, though it was a bit cold for that, chatted some with Jonas Martner, visiting this fall from Sweden with his wife and two kids, tried to interest him in Ratlum Mountain in December.

I was running a little more than last Saturday though still very cautiously. And definitely enjoyed the orienteering. That last is not a trivial statement given recent years.

C • Scalp - he's back... :) 3

Green - Splits

Conway Road in West Whately, last bit on Williamsburg Road.

Tolerable. Which is progress.

And then afterwards a hike with Gail up South Sugarloaf.

South Sugarloaf, trail up, road down. Lots of leaves.

Old roads north of Quabbin. Getting cold -- mid-20s, NW 10-20 mph but much less when away from the water. Usual routing out there, lots of stops. Face got chilly, toes a little chilly towards the end, rest was fine. Sure helped having hand warmers in my mittens.

Adventures (up to a point) are usually a good thing. So, today, time for another adventure. A culinary adventure. Surprise!

Picked out a recipe from the Jerusalem that seemed like it was worth a try -- Braised quail with apricots, currants, and tamarind. On this venture, rather than the master (Gail) / slave (me) relationship on our last venture in the kitchen, it was a little more equal. Me still the novice, but not quite a total idiot.

Anyway, it got done in not too much time and without any crises and it was delicious. :-)

C • quail 4

Jeep road on Mt. Toby.