Training Log Archive: Bash

We're new to this and could use some advice from more experienced folks... We pulled a deer tick off 'Bent tonight. It was only partially engorged; he raced Saturday and Sunday, hence it could have been there > 48 hrs. Skin is bright red around the bite, maybe dime sized. Hard to tell if there is scattered rash beyond that since it was itchy and he was scratching through his shirt. He'll call his doc but I'm guessing local docs don't have much experience with Lyme. Any advice from AP Land?

Turns out I've been wasting my time training for races that take 40+ hours. Apparently, the sweet spot for me is a little over 20 minutes. Who knew?

The NAOC Sprint was a great time with loads of variety in a short race. We started by Madawaska Falls after running a beautiful riverside trail to the start. I went out for 5 minutes on the little warm-up map since I haven't run on a map drawn to sprint standards for a long time - probably not since the Canadian Champs a year ago. It was a good reminder of what trees, rocks and vegetation would look like and what a 1:4,000 scale would feel like.

Cristina and I had the same start time so I shamelessly followed her to the start triangle. ;) Then she was off like a shot running through the streets of Arnprior. Woo, Cristina. I jogged along at a more sensible pace, picking off controls in the downtown area - stone walls, trees, etc. It was like a ghost town with the busiest streets closed to traffic for us - very cool.

We ran into a residential area and through a little fenced walkway, then ended up on the front lawn of a school at #6. From here it was about 70 m due north to a rootstock in the forest. I briefly considered going straight there but had a nervous moment and decided to run along the schoolyard until I hit the little trail that led right to the fallen pine tree attached to the rootstock. As I look at the map now, it appears to be a dumb choice - about 60% more running to get to a control that was only a stone's throw away. However, this tied for my best split of the day (3rd) and moved me up from 8th to 4th place so apparently my nervousness was well founded. We had a few more controls in the forest, then I missed seeing #11 as I ran by in moderate visibility vegetation. This was a 1:09 error, according to AP. Yipes, it didn't feel that bad but I guess it really shouldn't take me 2:18 to run 100 m.

Soon after that was the scary part of the race where we ran into Robert Simpson Park, which was filled with spectators. We'd been warned there were 14 controls placed within 120 m of the finish chute, only a few of which would belong to our course. I didn't stop to read my map carefully in the park due to embarrassment about everyone watching, which could have led to embarrassment about everyone watching me get hopelessly lost but fortunately I had two minutes of unconscious competence at the right time. I only wasted time (2 seconds) looking for the start of the finish chute, which was just silly because I'd stood for an hour at the finish line before my start, and it had never occurred to me to imagine what the big tree by the Go control might look like if I approached it from the other side.

7th of 28 today, 83 seconds off the podium and less than 5 minutes behind Pavlina. (In our age category, we only race for 2nd place!) She was 3 minutes behind Ted de St. Croix running the same course so maybe it was a little long for the recommended winning times, not that I mind. It was nice to feel things click today - just in time for the event to be over. :(

Then we watched the very exciting North American elite relay championship. At least it *was* exciting until the Americans pulled ahead on the final leg and won the darned thing. ;)

Great job by Orienteering Ottawa on this entire weekend - a class act and lots of fun.

Sprint - Course 3 - Splits

NAOC Long Distance

This was the type of race I was expecting yesterday: only 9 controls and I had to do serious relocation exercises on 3 of them. I got off to a bad start by running directly toward #1 cross-country since it was close, but I hadn't counted on the nastiness of the terrain. If I'd stayed on trails, I could have saved about 5 minutes. I redeemed myself with the 2nd fastest split on the short leg to #2. (I specialize in short legs now, apparently.)

On #3, I had a split of almost half an hour, and it would have been worse if I hadn't run into Etoile, who was looking for the same control and politely pointed out that I'd turned my map upside down! Although we went our separate ways after that, we eventually met each other at the control. [Looking at my GPS track, I see that I was heading straight for the control and only 120 m away from it when I turned onto a trail that fit with my upside down map. If I had continued on my bearing and ignored the stupid trail, I was on track for the best split in my category at #3. Oops.]

It was a spectacular day to be in the woods, and it felt great to run. Although I was messing up like crazy, I was still having fun and trying to do a better job each time I approached a new control. I've seldom had to do that much relocation in one race, and I think I'm getting better at figuring things out - although it would be nicer if I didn't have to do that. I was 19th of 32 in my age group - not good but I didn't deserve better.

Huge congrats to AdventureGirl! on her silver medal in F-20, Wilsmith for his silver in M-Elite, Hammer for his win in M45 and Kissy for her podium finish in F45!

Fun to hang out with C-Bass and Revy this weekend on an all-too-rare visit to the East.

Long - Course 6 - Splits

I left a little late for the 1.8 km warm-up run from the NAOC arena to the start. After 200 m, I noticed that I didn't have my SI card - sigh. Back to the van, then I ran a little faster to get to the start on time. I forgot to turn on my GPS for part of this. There were so many great people around that I wanted to talk to! It wasn't conducive to focusing on a difficult race but it was a good problem to have.

This was my first run in my new Fellcross 2 shoes and my first time using a brand new compass that didn't work when it first arrived in the mail two days ago. I always used to say, "Nothing new in a race" but now I'm all about living on the edge.

North American Orienteering Champs Middle Distance

The flat, rocky, complex terrain around Carp is humbling. It's similar to Rocky Ridge and the north end of Hilton Falls - very difficult to relocate if you don't hit a control right on. It makes my head hurt to concentrate that hard!

This was an interesting, challenging, well-set course with difficult footing in a beautiful autumn forest. I haven't done much navigation this year so I expected to get completely lost at least once. I cautiously counted my paces and followed precise bearings, never relying on features alone.

I messed up a few times when I got sucked in by a flag from another course. "Oh, there's a flag in a ditch well off my bearing. I'd better veer off my line to read the control code in case it's the hilltop I'm looking for." But my control was never too far away. So my navigation was a little ragged at times but things never got stressful - although it was getting close with #12, the 2nd last control. :)

10th of 34 in my category, which was better than expected. There were two splits where I came 2nd to Pavlina but other than that, my best split was 10th. It looks like I excel at legs where I run 100 m south between two controls. This skill will not be terribly useful tomorrow in the Long Distance event.

So nice to see so many friends - Revy, C-Bass, Arthurd, Cristina (with apple cider donuts), Kissy (who knocked it out of the park again), Sid & Trudy, Ken, DLevine, Hammer, Starr, AdventureGirl!, Backwoods, Mr. & Mrs. GHOSLO, Anvil, Blairtrewin, Mark A, Sudden & family, Wilsmith & family, Nick, Dale, Mr. & Mrs. Dobos, Smoke, Barb, Izzy (North American Champ), Benoit L, Nick DsC, James and a whole bunch more. That's the best part of a NAOC!

(Straight line course distance: 2.9 km, 40 m elevation gain.)

The DontGetLost crew has taken over all the cottages at Bayview Lodge west of Arnprior. Nice place!



Mocha continues to feel great, and we were happy to have another chance to take her paddling. She is so thrilled when she sees us carrying the canoe to the water. My sweet girl. :)

Middle - Course 6a - Splits

Event: NAOC2014 (North American Champs/Ottawa O-Fest)
 

Congratulations to Orienteering Ottawa on putting together an exciting, fun opening ceremony for the North American Champs! Live band, parade of clubs and nations, hockey orienteering, torch lighting, wild cheering and stomping from the packed bleachers... Nice.

NAOC road trip with pooches

Sneezing today and exhausted - nooo!!! Bring on the ColdFX, Vitamin C, zinc lozenges, oil of oregano, eye of newt...

In the last two days:
- 8 hours of driving
- 7 hours of sitting at the hospital waiting for Mom's pacemaker to be replaced (with both of us expecting it to be more like 3-4 hours)
- 1 hour of fixing (or attempting to fix) technology at my parents' house.
- Less than 4 hours of sleeping
- 0 hours of exercise

Being an 80-year-old involves more endurance and mental toughness than anything I do.