Training Log Archive: Anna

Prologue - Splits

Chase - Splits

Stampede - Splits

Borrowed Rudy's bike and took the campground road to Happy Jack Trail, to Tie City Campground. This includes the whole ride there, but I didn't count most of the ride back since there was so much coasting downhill.

Started at the corner of the Happy Jack map. Ran the trail out to get used to it a little and read the contours looking through the woods. When I got near these 2 rock features, I stopped my watch while I walked around and picked out each black triangle and bare rock area. The most important things I learned:
1-Bare rock on contours is as noticable as boulders on the ground, although it's not as eye-catching on the map.
2-Single boulders aren't very useful.
3-The contours are the most helpful when things get confusing.
4-Rocky areas are hard to run through.

Then I took a rough bearing through the woods to a wide saddle. The light green was hard to run through, with sticks down and stuff. I ended up where I wanted, in the open field. The contours were a lot more subtle than they appeared to me on the map, and I was confused for a second.
I was running down a broad spur then, reading the vegetation. At first it was tough because I didn't make the distinction between rough open and open w/ scattered trees. I got more confident when I figured that out and then was able to pick out the individual areas of white.

Opening Sprint - Splits

Slow run with John, my first since getting up to this altitude. At first my legs felt fine but I was breathing really hard, but then my legs started to feel it, too. I'm not sure if it was the altitude or the hills. Probably a combination of both. Anyway, I'm not sure of the pace since I wasn't feeling like normal. For sure slower than 9 min/mile.

to and from Forest Park with John. Legs felt a little tired on the way there, but it was a nice cooldown on the way back since I needed to loosen up.

3:20
2:58
4:53
1:29
1:14
1:05
1:26
2:12
3:28

Legs felt tight at beginning from sitting after first sprint, but I warmed up and then took it a little easier than I had on the first one.
43
5:10
4:52
2:10
1:07
1:31
1:03
3:51
1:11

Got to the race 17 min before start, registered, and tried to get a good warmup in. We didn't warm up as a team since I had to go to the bathroom, Ali takes a long time with her shoes, and Jenny doesn't always keep up. Then we had to choose between striders and stretching, and I did striders while Ali stretched. They did get 2 rushed striders in. Not a good way to prepare for a race.
We did do a quick cooldown together while we watched the boys race. Phillips beat Andy, but Brian beat Phillips.
I thought it would just be another short jog home, but it ended up longer than I expected. I didn't mind, but I know it might not be a good thing to do after a race.

Pretty good race for me. The course was really flat, and it was 3x the same loop. The footing was a little tricky in some places, but that's an advantage for me.
6:20, 6:38, 6:44. Then my finish split, but I didn't stop my watch, and I'm too lazy to do the math.
Disappointing pace-wise. I didn't get passed at all, so at least I didn't slow down as much as the people I passed. Good to have a course like this because when I slow down on other courses, I know that the miles aren't identical, so I tell myself I probably didn't slow down that much. I thought of holding back on the first mile, but everyone else was getting tired from going out too fast, and I wanted to pass them. I think that Mikecz's rule of starting to pass halfway through is a good one. That'll also help me psychologically because that's how I raced during track season. I'm also not afraid of running in the back anymore.
I ended up getting second place; that junior from Marquette beat me, and I didn't see her the whole race.