Training Log Archive: tdgood

Walk new neighborhood.

Day 2 of U.S. Master Champs in Connecticut. It was much colder in the morning than yesterday but did warm up by the time I stared. I had already decided to wear long sleeves but would have been fine with short sleeves.

Start-1
The race didn't start off well as there was a snafu at the start. The person who was to start two minutes in front of me on my course didn't get to the start line at the initial call up. He was late and then took forever to get through the line. His philosophy, it didn't matter as he was going to hit the start unit when he started. I pointed out to him that I was starting right behind him. Well he never did get started before me so I started first. As a result I was in a hurry to get away from the start so he didn't just follow me. I started the way everyone was going down the trail before looking at the map. I was down the trail quite a ways before I realized that I shouldn't have taken the trail at all. Green X was very BAD control #1. It was 90 degrees in the different direction. I found out later that the start triangle was not at the start but no one had told my start group that at the start. So after running down the trail I had to run back down to the start and go the correct direction. Since the start wasn't in the right spot I was again off. It took me a while to figure things out. I lost at least a minute.

1-2: Across the reentrant, up the hill. I wanted to avoid the thick green to went high. I overshot and had to cut back to the control. Time lost 30 seconds

2-3: Head west to avoid the cliffs. Just get to the stream then go up the stream. When I got to the marsh there was a down tree in the way from from approach. If I had stayed by the stream it would have been fine. Time lost: 5 seconds.

3-4: Cut up the white area. Last part was easier to go north to get to the marsh so I did that. Ran down the marsh to the hill. Control had a bad control description. I was listed as the inside of the north side of the hill. I read it as the north side of the hill so approached from the north. The control was basically the top of the hill (there wasn't a north). Time lost 5 seconds.

4-5: Get to the trail. Little bit down the trail, cut through the hill and over to the gap in the thickets. I was in the right spot but there was no control. Control was tucked around the vegetation and I just stood there trying to figure out where it could be. Time lost 30 seconds.

5-6: Run to the trail., down trail to junction. Approached from the north but I was to close to the green and had to plow my way through losing time. Time lost: 10 seconds.

6-7: Started to the trail then decided I wanted the safe road run. Road wasn't safe as there was no shoulder. Ran hard and made good speed. Down main trail to junction. Down trail tot eh large cliffs then cut across the valley stream and up the other side. I misjudged where I was. Finally found my self near the start. Cut over to the control but pulled up short at the wrong set of rocks. Eventually relocated. Time lost 1 minute.

7-8 : Straight. no time lost
8-9 Straight. I would have pull up short but saw the water jugs and all the people standing around and realized that was my control.

9-10: Up to trail. Went up hill intending to head west around the green . I got suckered into a socket of white woods. I thought I was skirting the edge of the green but never got out. I ended up going through the worst of it. When I finally came out I wasn't on the trail where I was supposed to be so overshot the control. I was closer to 11 than 12. When I saw the bridge west of 12 I realized where I was and ran up the stream to the control. Time lost: 4-5 minutes.

10-11: Down stream, cut over saddle to marsh to dot knoll.

11-12: Started up the main trail then cut back to lower smaller trail. Bunch of people in front of me. I cut in too soon and had to go through more green. Lots of people at control. Time Lost 30 seconds.

12-13: Stupid control. I was behind people getting to the trail so couldn't get around them in the green. Hit the trail and ran to get ahead of everyone. Riley Culberg still just ahead of me. Down trail to island. I was surprised when Riley turned right after getting to the island. I went straight to the control. (time lost 5-10 seconds getting to trail).

13-14: stupid control. Ran in general direction of control. Saw large boulder in water confirming I was on the right direction.. No time lost.

14-15. Riley ahead of me again. Running hard. Down trail cut into woods. to boulder. Wasn't my control, huh???? I went further but didn't see the control or boulder cluster. So I circled back. Checked control again to make sure I had read the control codes correctly. Went back out the trail and used the marshes to key off of.. I Still overshot the control. The boulder cluster wasn't. Control was hung on a small rock that was smaller than the previous boulder I had already been to. Map made it look like the boulder clusters were be much more noticeable then they were. Time Lost: 5 minutes.

15-finish:Ran down trail around inlet to finish. No time lost.

Total time lost 15 minutes.

Overall felt slow again because the terrain was so slow.

livelox route:
https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Day-2-US-Masters-Or...

GreenX - Splits

Event: NEOC - 2022 Masters Nationals
 

U.S. Masters Green X, Connecticut, Bigelow Hollow State Park.

My ankle was wrapped as I had twisted it a few time in the last few weeks. I was being very cautious on the rocks to avoid twisting it again.

Overall, I orienteered ok but was slow. The longer trail runs were definitely faster than the woods but unfortunately I tended to take the woods and not the trails. Woods tended to be rocky/slow and in some areas with lots of debris on the ground.

start- 1: I was having difficulty interpreting the map right out of the start. The saw the stone walls in the forest but couldn't see them on the map. The were lining the trails and I don't think the map used the minimum gap between the features on the map. I hit some other control first which I think must have been the light green vegetation boundary. I was very slow relocating from it. Time lost: 1 minute.

Livelox: https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Day-1-US-Masters-Or...

1-2: I was going to take the small northern trail then climb the hill at the end. So I started off down the stream and hit the trail. The problem is that I hit a trail junction. There is no trail junction on the map. The map shows a ride but it doesn't hit the trail. I was confused. Since I couldn't find the trail junction on the big trail I didn't want to risk the small trail route option. I took the bigger trail with more climb. I ran up the hill then decided to follow the line of cliffs instead of taking the additional trail run.. Followed the cliff all the way to control #125 which wasn't mine. Wandered a bit then went further on to the control. Total time lost 2 minutes.

2-3: Down the hill, across the marsh, across the trail, across the marsh then turn right. Slow to control but did ok.

3-4: I figured I would follow the mash around the hill. Big mistake. The map shows it as open woods but it was rocky/stony ground, with patches of down debris which made it very difficult to even jog. The trail to the south would have been the best route. After following he hill awhile I decided I had enough and climbed up over the hill to the trail along the other marsh. While the climb wasn't pleasant I am sure this was time saver for me. followed the trail to where it crossed the stream them cut up the hill. I was too low and hit the rocks to the south. I couldn't tell what was what and headed south first before going further up the hill to the control. Lots of overall time lost: 5 minutes at least.

4-5: Jon Torrance caught me which was bit demoralizing since he started 6 minutes behind me. We went up the hill over the top and to the control. No time lost.

5-6 : Jon ran away from me on the down hill as I was being very cautious with my ankle. Not time lost just slow.

6-7 contoured to the trail/trail junction, then cut into the woods below the stony ground to the control. Lots of other people were coming up from below to the control. No time lost.

7-8: Down to the trail, ran a little bit on trail then cut corner so not running trail all the way around. I got ahead of people that did take the trail around.

GreenX1 - Splits

warm up to my run.