Training Log Archive: Ari-oIn the 7 days ending May 7, 2015:
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Thursday May 7, 2015 #
6 PM
Bicycle 35:14 [1] 7.9 mi (4:28 / mi) +96m 4:18 / mi
Ride out to O. Got decent directions which I wrote on a piece of paper and attached to my handlebar. Worked well. Only borked twice, once going through Union instead of left, another when I missed the turn across the Mystic. Went the wrong way up Park St in Medford (contraflow bike lane, guys!) and then took the Fellsway (three lanes of traffic and no bicycle accommodations, come on DCR). Going around the circle on the right side was fine, and then the ride past there was good.
Orienteering race 32:10 [2] **** 2.6 mi (12:22 / mi) +30m 11:57 / mi
spiked:8/12c
Changed in the woods and ran the course. Real orienteering for a Park-O, fun! No map in front of me, but from memory … mostly took trails to the first couple; probably could have saved a little through the woods, then flummoxed 5 (I think) taking the wrong route out of the control. Reoriented well and ran to 6, and then got caught between two green marshes but decided that since none of the green was that bad to bash through it. Nice reentrant to follow to 7. Spiked the next few and went down to take the trolley grade and bridge to 12 but buggered the circle (might be some extra trails) then ran back through the parking lot.
Bicycle 35:16 [1] 7.7 mi (4:35 / mi) +15m 4:33 / mi
And the ride home! Lights. Check. Sunglasses in the pack. Check. Compass, dipstick and such left on the table? Uh, yeah.
Well I was in a rush to at least have some daylight!
I did okay with the route, skirting the rotary of death and going straight through Medford and joggling over to Somerville. Down through Davis, down through Harvard, and then clear roads to a green light for the start of the Putnam to Post Office segment. Ooh! Ooh! Time to punch the accelerator and OH YOU DUMBASS CYCLIST WHY ARE YOU RUNNING THE RED LIGHT? OH AND YELLING AT ME? I SHOULD STOP? FOR YOU, WITH NO LIGHTS, RUNNING A RED?
Die. Just go and die in a hole.
No improvement on my time. I blame a headwind, and this goddamn biker. I should have chased him down and read him the riot act.
Well I was in a rush to at least have some daylight!
I did okay with the route, skirting the rotary of death and going straight through Medford and joggling over to Somerville. Down through Davis, down through Harvard, and then clear roads to a green light for the start of the Putnam to Post Office segment. Ooh! Ooh! Time to punch the accelerator and OH YOU DUMBASS CYCLIST WHY ARE YOU RUNNING THE RED LIGHT? OH AND YELLING AT ME? I SHOULD STOP? FOR YOU, WITH NO LIGHTS, RUNNING A RED?
Die. Just go and die in a hole.
No improvement on my time. I blame a headwind, and this goddamn biker. I should have chased him down and read him the riot act.
Wednesday May 6, 2015 #
Run hills 18:00 [2] 1.0 mi (18:00 / mi) +262m 9:55 / mi
Legs still sore this morning from Sunday. I did half a stadium but then stopped as they were getting more sore, not less.
In other news, apparently I'm supposed to call the doctor RIGHTAWAY if I find a tick for prophylactic antibiotics. Too late now, just monitor and hope that a) I got the bugger off in time (14 hours) and b) it wasn't a lymey tick anyway. No rash, yet, or swollen glands; and I think the tired piece is from not sleeping quite enough.
In other news, apparently I'm supposed to call the doctor RIGHTAWAY if I find a tick for prophylactic antibiotics. Too late now, just monitor and hope that a) I got the bugger off in time (14 hours) and b) it wasn't a lymey tick anyway. No rash, yet, or swollen glands; and I think the tired piece is from not sleeping quite enough.
Sunday May 3, 2015 #
9 AM
Trail Run race 2:32:01 [3] 10.5 mi (14:29 / mi) +1341m 10:22 / mi
Seven Sisters Seven Sisters Seven Sisters!
This might be my favorite race, or close to it. It's so damn hard, it's super hilly and rocky, and all without going over 1000 feet. Beautiful scenery, beautiful trail, and just a great way to break yourself in the best way. I have no idea what the climb is—my Garmin says 3500', Alex's 4400 (using that from last year because I can)—but it falls somewhere in between a vertical K and a vertical mile, up and down, in well under the advertised 12 miles (more like 10.5). With those ups and downs, it's impossible to measure. I'm using the higher number because I don't think Strava samples enough, and I trust Attackpoint more.
Unlike last year, I didn't run 13 miles of trails the day before. Also unlike last year, I ran Boston two weeks before and am still recovering (although done, I think, after that). And also unlike last year, it was hot today. Sunny, and in the 50s rising towards 70. Not a cool race day. I was going to wear the CSU colors, but it was too warm, I threw it at a friend and we were off, after some timing delays, anyway.
Felt good up the first hill and passed Kehr and Kelsey, so I knew I was doing pretty well. But it was warm, and I don't do well in the warm, especially when it's early season warm. 65 and sunny and dry in October? I'd be fine. Right now? Pretty brutal.
I was sucking down gatorade but didn't need the energy. I didn't take water at the first feed stop (mistake) and kept on trucking, but started overheating. I gulped some blue juice and cooled down some, and was doing well to the second feed, where I got water and diluted the blue and felt pretty good. Then it was up to the Summit House and a mandatory walk across the porch (in the shade! I was happy to walk) and down, after some ups. Came in to the turn at 1:09.
But going out, it was still hot. I had to keep the pace under control and take on as much water as I could to keep my core temperature down, and that meant mostly fast hiking the hills. My feet hurt a little, but my legs felt pretty okay, it was more heat management. That was fine, although major positive splits: 1:09, 1:22. (Not sure what my splits were last year, I think a little more even.)
I took on water at each stop on the way back, and probably drank 2L during the race, and needed every bit of it. No goos; I had plenty of energy, just water to keep me cool. Ran with a few people for the first half of the way back, then on my own. Some struggles up the last hill and down the last hill; I was pretty sure I was behind last year's time but then I thought I ran 2:30 last year, in fact 2:31:37. So I may have beaten it, and today was much harder running weather for me. It will be interesting to see what the %back was, too.
This race is outstanding. It's hard. Real hard. It has the rate of climb of the hut traverse (or more), and therefore of the Hard Rock. It's super low key: it seems they use chip timing only because they have to. Someone was saying they aren't capping the number of starters, even though it's grown, as the RD said that races come and go, and they figure it will go down at some point. But with trail running become more of a thing—and with this being basically the hardest race out there, and such a great course and all—it might not get much smaller. But it's manageable; there's only a couple minutes where the passing is much of an issue, and everyone is super-supportive, and the organization is great, and the money goes to a good cause (iirc, to the range itself). It's going to be a mainstay on the calendar, even if it is right after Boston, I can do it!
This might be my favorite race, or close to it. It's so damn hard, it's super hilly and rocky, and all without going over 1000 feet. Beautiful scenery, beautiful trail, and just a great way to break yourself in the best way. I have no idea what the climb is—my Garmin says 3500', Alex's 4400 (using that from last year because I can)—but it falls somewhere in between a vertical K and a vertical mile, up and down, in well under the advertised 12 miles (more like 10.5). With those ups and downs, it's impossible to measure. I'm using the higher number because I don't think Strava samples enough, and I trust Attackpoint more.
Unlike last year, I didn't run 13 miles of trails the day before. Also unlike last year, I ran Boston two weeks before and am still recovering (although done, I think, after that). And also unlike last year, it was hot today. Sunny, and in the 50s rising towards 70. Not a cool race day. I was going to wear the CSU colors, but it was too warm, I threw it at a friend and we were off, after some timing delays, anyway.
Felt good up the first hill and passed Kehr and Kelsey, so I knew I was doing pretty well. But it was warm, and I don't do well in the warm, especially when it's early season warm. 65 and sunny and dry in October? I'd be fine. Right now? Pretty brutal.
I was sucking down gatorade but didn't need the energy. I didn't take water at the first feed stop (mistake) and kept on trucking, but started overheating. I gulped some blue juice and cooled down some, and was doing well to the second feed, where I got water and diluted the blue and felt pretty good. Then it was up to the Summit House and a mandatory walk across the porch (in the shade! I was happy to walk) and down, after some ups. Came in to the turn at 1:09.
But going out, it was still hot. I had to keep the pace under control and take on as much water as I could to keep my core temperature down, and that meant mostly fast hiking the hills. My feet hurt a little, but my legs felt pretty okay, it was more heat management. That was fine, although major positive splits: 1:09, 1:22. (Not sure what my splits were last year, I think a little more even.)
I took on water at each stop on the way back, and probably drank 2L during the race, and needed every bit of it. No goos; I had plenty of energy, just water to keep me cool. Ran with a few people for the first half of the way back, then on my own. Some struggles up the last hill and down the last hill; I was pretty sure I was behind last year's time but then I thought I ran 2:30 last year, in fact 2:31:37. So I may have beaten it, and today was much harder running weather for me. It will be interesting to see what the %back was, too.
This race is outstanding. It's hard. Real hard. It has the rate of climb of the hut traverse (or more), and therefore of the Hard Rock. It's super low key: it seems they use chip timing only because they have to. Someone was saying they aren't capping the number of starters, even though it's grown, as the RD said that races come and go, and they figure it will go down at some point. But with trail running become more of a thing—and with this being basically the hardest race out there, and such a great course and all—it might not get much smaller. But it's manageable; there's only a couple minutes where the passing is much of an issue, and everyone is super-supportive, and the organization is great, and the money goes to a good cause (iirc, to the range itself). It's going to be a mainstay on the calendar, even if it is right after Boston, I can do it!
Saturday May 2, 2015 #
Event: West Point A-Meet
1 PM
Bicycle 1:05:24 [1] 16.0 mi (4:05 / mi) +40m 4:03 / mi
Roommate: want to go for a short, slow bike ride? Me (thinking about 7 Sisters): YES!
Out around Mystic Lakes and back. Some potholes, but mostly nice riding. Chilly, and a breeze both ways, it seemed. Pushed a couple of times, but not hard with 7S tomorrow!
Out around Mystic Lakes and back. Some potholes, but mostly nice riding. Chilly, and a breeze both ways, it seemed. Pushed a couple of times, but not hard with 7S tomorrow!