Training Log Archive: Len

Event: DVOA Quail Hill Scout Camp
 

Green Course... to feel good about myself.

A few minor mistakes mostly in reading a 1:5000 map after spending 8 hours on a 1:24000 yesterday. I felt good except for anything uphill, then I could tell there was not much left.
Nice course and I got to see the amazingly large rootstock.

I almost broke out a new pair of o-shoes but didn't want to get them really dirty :) - - - and I would have. Melting snow and sloppy mud.

Finishing 3rd was awesome. Looking back, I think all my time in deeper snow yesterday made this seem like nothing and it offset my lower physical condition.

Green - Splits

Event: Crooked Compass Adventure Trek
 

LESSONS TO LEARN

1. Get to registration early... like when it opens. You need every minute before the race to plan.

2. Read the course notes - COMPLETELY - And do this first, before trying to plan a route.

3. Get to the race location BEFORE check-in opens and 'gear up'. Then you have the entire time after check-in to read course notes and plan a route. That time should not be spent putting on foot goo, ankle braces, shoes, etc.

4. Secure your maps and punch card. They must be accessible but running with an open ended sleeve that has multiple papers in it is a recipe for disaster.

5. Keep your eye on the big picture. This means overall time and overall topography. TIME- know about how far you should be at the 1/4, 1/2, & 3/4 mark as a gauge. TOPO- keep an eye on the grand scale. Rough navigate using the largest features (mountains, lakes, valleys) things that can be identified from kilometers away.

The Crooked Compass Adventure. 5 mandatory controls - 8 hr time limit.

Note to self if I re-read this... anything that sounds like complaining in this is strictly about how I feel now about my performance after looking at my downloaded route. The experience was fantastic and I love The challenge of 8 hours in the woods. The location was amazing and had some very unique features.

PRE RACE DAY
I was feeling comfortable with the training I logged gong into this. It was light but gave me confidence. Unfortunately the Blizzard of 2017 hit just 5 days before the event. This created elevated anxiety about how to manage my physical ability over 8 hours in deep snow (something I have never done before) Snowshoes were seriously considered.

Friday nights weather also turned questionable. My plan was to drive out Saturday morning (3 hours west) this would put me passing through the cold front with snow. At 9pm I opted to go immediately and sleep in a nearby hotel. This worked and lowered some potentially high stress.

RACE DAY
Check-in opened at 6:30. I was there 6:45 or 6:50. (See 'NOTES' entered for Lessons to learn). I did not read all the course notes or get to review the maps as much as I would have liked. I need to manage this pre-race time better. I was 2-3 minutes late to the 7:30 race meeting and may have missed a critical point about a trail alignment.

THE RACE
One of the last things Brent said before "go" was that the mandatory controls had to be completed in order. So, after "go", I asked him "so you're saying I cant go backwards?" "no, 1-5". Well, that changes things. On my way to control B3 I looked at a new game plan (not the best thing to be doing). As I approached my second control, B1, I saw Sandy and Valerie and followed them to the CP. It was at that point I realized I lost my punch card :( - apparently, after CP 1 i folded over the wrong side of the bag which left the other end open. Valerie has a photo of me crying over my lost punch card. I gathered my stuff and went to punch and mark my map when Sandy called my attention to my thumb compass I left in the snow.
Ok, I can deal with this. Abby and Brent provided their phone numbers in case of emergencies. I figured this qualified :) I could see if I could pick up a new punch card at the manned F2 station. So, heading to B2 I was rummaging through the maps, clue sheet and race notes to find a cell number... several times. I caught up to Sandy and asked "Sandy didn't they give us there numbers. I cant find them anywhere." (wait for it) "Yes, there on the punch card." :( She was kind enough to read me Abby's number off her card. The call to Abby confirmed I could pick up a new punch card at F2.

New Game plan #2 - I looked at my watch. 30 minutes into this 8 hour course and I've completely re-planned my route 3 times, lost my punch card, almost lost my compass, and had to call the event director.

After a bit of an extended search for B4 I decided to skip B5 and head to the other side of the PA Turnpike. This was managed on an overpass of Rt 915. My short range plan was to get controls
I, R, F1, and Q (in that order) prior to stopping at F2 for a new card. I did this to save elevation but looking at it now I should have done I,F1, R and then F2. I ran past Q two more times before the day was over.

My next short range plan was to sweep the west controls (H,G,E,D,C,B,A) in that order. My attack on H started at Q (which by the way, was on the abandon turnpike) So now I can say I have orienteered on the PA Turnpike. H and G worked well but half way to E I realized I was heading uphill and I wanted to get all the low controls (E) In retro-spect I should have saved E for after A as I was 3/4 of the way to D at that point.

My route to D was across a nasty cross slope with a lot of downed trees. It seemed to go on forever... which most of these legs did as the maps were 1:24000. B was completely botched because I missed the fact that the intersecting trails at the top of the ridge were really SW of the control instead of NE. I attacked B twice heading SW, the last time for over 1/2 km until I realized that the hand drawn trail on the map was not a secont trail but the trail to attack from. :( :( I got B then A and got back to the abandon Turnpike (about 4km away from F3 which was near the west entrance to the tunnel I would need to take to get back across the new Turnpike and to F4 The tunnel being about 2km. This meant I would be traveling 6km on the turnpike... Kind of fun but a hull. I decided to pass the time with a call to Patty. :) 5 minutes which was fun as she didn't understand how I could be on the Turnpike :)

The tunnel was neat but very cold. There was a good breeze that I was walking into and no way to get away from it. On the East side of the tunnel and 3 hours remaining my plan was to get the last mandatory control and head for finish - maybe picking up a few controls if they were close.

I did get B10. It was on a spur about 100 vertical feet above the trail but I rationalized that I had to make the climb sooner or later, I should get some points for it. There was a good beaten trail leaving B10 in the direction of B9 which was on a jeep trail that lead to the finish. Good Plan....that route was 1km with an additional 250' vertical that seemed to go on forever. ..and my watch died in here.
I got to B9 and got up on the jeep trail, a little over 2km (and another 400' vertical) to the finish with about 20 minutes remaining. Doable, I thought, except I started down the trail in the wrong direction.... 1/2km before I realized the error. (to help with the trickery, there was a stream that paralleled the trail the entire length but it crossed over at the point I steeped out on it so either way I went, the stream was on my right.

18 minutes to go and now the finish was 2.5km away and 450' vertical. @#*!!!. It took me 21 minutes and it was one of the most difficult, physical obstacles I have overcome in recent memory. I'm very disappointed I went overtime but I am extremely satisfied with my overall effort and specifically those last 21 minutes. I really just wanted to drop to my knees and give up.

SEQUENCE: B3, B1, B2, B4, I, R, F!, Q, F2, H, G, D, E, C, B, A, F3, F4, F5, B10, & B9.
Hated to pass on B6 but I knew I could not afford the time or energy.

My garmin put me at 850 vertical feet of climb. I say BS. Sometime I will hand calculate it.
I have estimated the last 47 minutes at 4.4km to add to the garmin info that stopped at 7:16:32 and 27.6km

NOTE on SUPPLIES PACKED:

Hydration pack with 1.7 L water and 2 500ml containers on the shoulder strap that have 2x Gatorade

FOOD - Packed:
3 Tangerine PowerGels
1 Apricot Cliff Bar
2 Oatmeal Rasin Walnut Cliff Bars
1 Coconut Cashew QuestBars
1 Shot Bloks (full 6)
3 KIND Caramel Almond & Sea Salt nut bars

SUPPLIES REMAINING:

Hydration pack with 0.25 L water and 200ml of 2x Gatorade.
300ml of Gatorade was consumed in the last 20 minutes.

FOOD - remaining:
2 Tangerine PowerGels
1 Apricot Cliff Bar
0 Oatmeal Rasin Walnut Cliff Bars
1 Coconut Cashew QuestBars
- Shot Bloks (2 cubes)
1 KIND Caramel Almond & Sea Salt nut bars (I liked having these)

In warmer weather I could see needing more than 3 liters of fluid for an 8 hr duration.

C • Fuel 4

C • Hey . . 2

After lap 5 an aquagirl started in the next lane. She maintained a body length or two lead. I managed to pass her after about 5 laps and gain a similar lead but it only lasted a half lap. We swam that way for 15 more laps with her lead between 1 to 4 body lengths.
I was just about to resign myself to her superiority when she slowed slightly. I passed her on her 20th lap and maintained the lead, increasing it to about 6 body lengths over my last 10 laps.
Fun session.

Ok, so I broke down and got a pair.
Did a few laps and thought they didnt seem to help that much. So, I took them off and did a lap in o-shoes. It was noticeable more difficult. Mostly with the extra slide and uneven footing of a shoe in deep and treaded snow. The snow shoes even that out and make each landing more stable which requires less muscle reflex to adjust to the slip.
Now I have to figure out how to set them up for easy on/off as I would have now problem flipping them over my back and going without if it was smoother.
Like any extended trek, weight is a factor and I'm hoping the extra 4 lbs will be worth it.

12"+ snow and snow pack
a bit faster than yesterday but still concerned about Saturday's distances and if I can manage 8 hours of this.
gaiters helped and I thing the VJ's are better than the inov8 as far as warmth/comfort

Same time, half the distance...
12+" of snow.
Wore same clothing I did on Saturday with a shell jacket. This was a bit too much.
Unfortunately, my heart rate monitor needs a new battery so I cant evaluate that but I definitely felt more exertion in the 12" of snow over 2.5km than running 5km in grass.
It is too late to try something completely different - like snowshoes. I need to stick with what I know and be smart.
I think a well executed game plan will save me more time than anything else at this point.

The Blizzard of 2017.
didnt hit as hard as they predicted. Maybe 12 - 16" out of possible 24".

15 loops in snow-pack.

At a real loss for how to handle footwear this Saturday.
Do I try to keep my feet dry or assume they will get wet and keep them warm?
Kind of late to be experimenting :(