Training Log Archive: dlevine

ROC Event at Letchworth East

It was a Club Series event (#4 out of 5) but since I hadn't run any of the previous three, I decided to go for the long course rather than my "age class".

Wasn't going to take the trail and ended up doing a "90" to get to it. Heard folks at the cabin and decided to go low to preserve their privacy, but got caught in muck and green - should have taken the driveway. As I approached the control, Mike Lyons, who started a minute behind me, passed me having taken the driveway. Oh well. 4:13

Down the hill, skirting the Posted signs and out to the loop on the road. Off the loop (instead of the spur - small mistake) and down to the flat. Saw Mike cutting left to right quickly as if leaving the control and was confused because I expected it on my right. Stopped, spotted the small hill/knoll from which he must have relocated and realized that the reentrant I wanted was indeed to my right, albeit with the flag higher than I was. 8:37

Straight bearing, crossing both reentrants and following Joel Shore into the control. 2:45

Down the hill to the trail via the path of least resistance. Down the trail until there was a plain to my right. Angled in to the control that had two nice folks drawing my attention. 6:08

Down the terribly footing of the stream to the hill. Trying to stay dry, I hit the hill about 30m left of the control. 2:00.

Trying to stay at the foot of the hill, but also keep dry and out of the swamp. Crossed the first reentrant, but the second one looked too small. Went up and pushed on, and sure enough there was a third with the right shape. Went down a deer trail on the far side, but couldn't find the control. Was really becoming disheartened when I looked right and saw it about 15m away. This is not good to be missing them by so little and seeing nothing. 7:51.

Again down and hug the swamp while staying dry. As I approached the terrace saw someone in yellow (Vince) coming in from the hill side. Confused, but not by the control. 5:12.

Vince stayed low, but I found a deer trail a bit higher that got me to the second stream a bit ahead of him and a bit higher. Cut up the hill with no problems other than a lack of energy. 5:11.

Up the hill, but I drifted east a bit as the going was easier. Angled in off the trail to compensate, got on the ridge and found the control even as I heard others calling out asking where it was. 3:46.

"Snuck off" towards #10, but got high a bit too soon and caught in all sorts of green brambly stuff. Bailed out low, but then had to go high again to get into the flag. All around sloppy. 4:27.

Down to the trail, but I drifted west without realizing it. I ended up on the spur to the west as I saw Mike Lyons coming up the hill. Oh my, he must be having a bad run. Oh wait, it's Nate, not Mike. Perhaps his course has my control on that spur. So, I explore to no great effect until I recognize the berm at the top. I now see Vince (who has apparently caught me again) heading down what I now believe is the correct spur. I get there and there are other folks, but no Vince - not my problem; I just punch. 7:11

Pass the group, run down the hill ahead of Gary with Vince in the distance. Vince stops and takes a 90 degree turn just where I expect the pond to be, so I veer off a bit and spike the control behind him and ahead of Gary. 2:36.

Angle down to the road and see Vince trying to reel in Eric B. They cut off the parking lot, but I continue a bit further on the road and cut in where it is flat. Do a full face plant about 30m shy of the control, hyperextending the knee, but still get there basically at the same time as them. 2;38.

Out to the road where there is now a train of four of us (Vince, Eric, Gary, and me). Down to the trail where I stop for the unannounced water. Angle in to the control, last of four in a tight pack. 7:01.

Follow Vince to the gorge trail as the other two go out to the road. Jump to the road much later when the gap is small and head up to the steep bank before cutting in. Boulder is hidden by the tree laying on it, but someone (not me) finds it first. 6:51.

Out to road, now second behind Vince who blows by the turn and misses the control, continuing as if he is going for the GO control. I head in at the clearing and spike it. The other two are still behind me. 4:07.

Back to the road where I now decide to take a time penalty and cut through the field so that I can warn Vince that he missed one. When I catch him leaving the GO control, he explains "not on Red" and keeps running. Wow, we seem to have the same course, but not quite. 3:15.

Across the field with Gary coming up behind. 1:29

Overall, a very sloppy run on a nice day. I later learn that Nate was on Red also and - despite his obvious mistake at #11 - beat me by 10 minutes!

C • Splits and left of 5 1

Red - Splits

Local BFLO meet at Camp Schoellkopf

Made my first error before getting to the meet. Drove past the (unmarked from my direction) turn into the camp. Realized that I had never crossed a stream on my way there before and turned around, drove back and saw the turn-in sign. 3 minute error.

Took off down road and down hill to #1 which was surprisingly easy due to great visibility. 1:48

Up trail and through woods towards #2. Saw the sharp hill and went around and into it where I saw a father and two kids. 2:30

Decided to go through the woods to #3. Crossed the reentrant with the stream below, headed over the next spur and angled down as the woods opened up and I could see "my spur". Got up on it and saw no flag, but realized that it must be hidden behind the knoll even though no descriptor was given. Down to the knoll. Empty. I thought I knew where I was, but I figured I must have been off by one spur. Went one more ridge west, but as I suspected, I saw the road right below me when I got there. So, back to the spur with the knoll and (?) the flag. Took a quick jaunt in both directions and no flag. Realized I must have misdrawn my circle. Went one spur over. Traveled north over the hill and saw a smaller hill below me with a flag. Yup; it's mine. I must have made a copying error. I hate that! 8:33. Error: 5:00

Down to #4 verifying which spur I was on as I passed the campsite. Passed another family as I approached the amphitheater. Seeing them kept me running, but I had lost my psych. 2:42.

East through the woods to the road to the bridge. Picked up burdocks that I tried to pick off my shirt. (On the drive home, I found another nest in the back of my hair!) Across the bridge and the psych was gone as I crept up the hill towards #5. Using the steep to my left as a handrail, in to it with no problem. 6:58.

More or less straight to #6, aiming off north a bit to ensure that I saw the swamp. No issue there and I skirted its SE boundary as I went in. 4:08.

Up the steep hill to the old trail that eventually disappeared. Tried to stay on the hillside above the swamp. Got pulled up to the Orange control on the spur and then lost track of my altitude. Ended up overshooting the control on the high side, but got lucky as there was a catching feature of a stream about 75 m later. Relocated and did fine. 5:00. Errors: about 1:30.

More or less straight to #8 just trying to stay in the most open corridor. Saw the spur and then the flag from a distance. 3:52.

A very easy leg to #9 once I got off the spur. The stream was a major handrail. 3:26.

Further along stream to clearing. Found old road around swamp and headed up the hill, a bit tired. Angled off road at just the right time to the flag which turned out to have the wrong number. I was sure I was in the right place and the clue sheet said "84" while the flag said "B4" so I put it down to a clerical error and only lost a second or two. No individual split here, though as I forgot to punch.

Northeast to hit road right at bend. Saw Rebecca Wightman and felt that I had to run well for appearances so actually made good time. Angled in at the first clearing and cut over to the second. Could hear someone struggling in the woods between the clearings off to my right, but I spiked it, even punching before I entered the second clearing. 11:49 for the two splits.

Across the field, down the path to the bend and then more or less of a straight shot keeping the small stream on my left. Almost veered off to the right thinking I wasn't there yet when I saw the bag. 3:59.

South across the first stream, down the unmapped road in the yellow (probably one driver "made" this "road"), cutting over, looking for a good way down. Got all the way to the sharp reentrant above it and decided to take the reentrant down. Mistake! It had a stream and a slick rock bed that slowed me to a snails pace even as I knew exactly where I was going. Alas, I was essentially in a canyon with no desire to climb out, so I stuck it out. No problems with the control, but it cost me 3-4 minutes. 8:16

Along stream to bridge, sharp left after bridge onto trail and field-hop to the control. 2:46.

Slog up the hill looking for the cleanest woods, not worrying where I came out, but as I got close that strategy spiked the control. 2:17.

Jog in. :18

After checking the master map, it turns out that I had the correct circle for #3; it was mishung. Had I had more confidence, I would have moved it, but alas the chances of my copying error were too great. And, by then the last starters had been out 45 minutes so it was too late to do anything useful.

It was a nice day and the exercise was good even if the run was uneven.

More getting back onto the court. Very sloppy match with Payne.

15-12 (led 13-6), 15-9 (trailed 6-9).

The pool was warm again. It took everything I had to make this time. Still, it felt good for a change.

Back to the court and the hands definitely need to be toughened up. Played cutthroat with one experienced player and one novice. Won 15-2-2 in the first, but lost the next two 8-15-3 and 10-15-1 as my began to try more "stuff" with little success.

Random @ 15; arrived late due to unscheduled meeting with advisee.

Pool was warm and I was tired; not a good combination.

Random @ 15