Training Log Archive: BorisGr

Event: 2010 US Team Trials for WOC
 

Warm-ups and cool-downs

US Team Trials Middle Distance

Fun course, disappointing race. I'd been racing with a chip on my shoulder the last two weekends that somehow fueled my racing and gave me an extra gear that was just missing today. I felt like I sleepwalked through the course, never pushing to the limits and yet still managing to make a couple of mistakes (15 sec on 4, 30 sec on 11, 45 sec on 15). Ended up 2 minutes behind Eric. Nate Lyons had a great race and finished 2nd.

US Team Trials Sprint
Another really fun course by Greg and Sergei, though the map had a couple of imperfections, one of which cost me. I felt surprisingly good physically and was running well through 14 controls (3rd overall, 0:13 behind Ross) when I lost 44 seconds on #15 - I ran through an unmapped passage through the green and thought the control I saw had to be women's, since it was not where I expected it to be. Made a loop through the next patch of green and came back to check that control, which turned out to be mine. Argh. Then also overran #18 by a few steps - another 10 seconds gone.
Great race by Patrick - that's how sprints should be run!

Blue Sprint - Splits

Easy run at West Rock with Becky and Marie in the beginning. Felt pretty tired, so didn't do the long run I considered doing. Will probably take tomorrow off.

We saw an opossum outside our building last night. It was cute. I wonder if there is some rivalry between the gangs of raccoons and opossums for the nighttime supremacy of our parking lot.

Went out to Osbornedale to do some exploring for my upcoming local event there. The girls came along - Kat, Becky, and Anais.
It was cold and wet, and the map wasn't exactly perfect, but at least now I know which areas to avoid for the courses.

Intervals at the track. Much nicer with company, in the form of Marie and Siobhan. Did the same eight 400's and two 200's as last week, with 1 minute rest.

76
76
76
77
75
74
75
74
33
33

- Splits

Patrick, Carol, and co. were going to Ansonia to train this morning, so how could I resist? Jogged around the RedY course from Saturday. Woods beautiful as always.

C • TT 15

Warming up with Ross on the warm-up map. Legs felt tired.

WCOC A-Meet Day Long Distance

I had an early start and was sandwiched in the middle of a CSU pack - Kenny 3 minutes up and Ross 3 minutes back. I didn't feel great during the warm-up, but got locked into racing pretty quickly after the start. Had good speed and was on top of my navigation for the whole first half of the course, through the beginning of the butterfly. The only time I lost up to that point was a bit of hesitation on the long leg to 12, though I still do not understand what superhuman powers allowed Ross to crush me by 1:43 on that leg and the rest of the field (save bigE, who was running too fast for his own good there) by a full minute. Very impressive!
At the beginning of the butterfly (just about halfway into the course), I am a bit over 2 minutes down on the Ross express. Then I eat a Gu and fall apart. It has happened frequently to me that my brain shuts down right after eating a Gu, and so I try to eat them in sections with easier orienteering. It did not help today. Perhaps I need to eat them gradually, taking only a bit at a time, rather than overloading myself with sugar.
Anyway, I was orienteering out of control on 16, probably losing 45 seconds there, and so I stopped, ate my Gu and drank some water. Was ok but slow to 17 and 18, then picked up the pace to 19 and blew up. I misread the marshes around me after crossing the trails a second time and ended up making a parallel error while running through what is shown as green on the map. Relocated at the out of bounds houses and ran over to 19, angry. About 1:40 lost. Take the safe route to 20, forcing myself to say everything I am going to do out loud, as I can tell that I am having serious trouble focusing. Plus, my butt hurts. Clean to 21, slow to 22, then blow up again to 23. Run to the first trail, stop, check my direction, and still run off nearly 60 degrees off. Correct myself, make it to 23 and 24, then blow up one more time. Down to the trail, up through the saddle with the small ponds in it, then tell myself to just run straight to the trail and run off randomly, weaving through the marsh not sure where I am. Finally hit the trail, stop again, refocus, and manage to get through the rest of the course, but not before leaving another minute out there, for a total of about 5 minutes lost on the course.
This was a great course by Joe, worthy of a WRE, and very physically and mentally intense the whole way. Ross' time of 82 is really good, and I had no shot at that. However, 87 should have been very doable.

QR: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

C • less is more 3

Control pick-up

Blue1 Day 2: Long - Splits

M-21+ Day 2: Long: Blue combined - Splits