Training Log Archive: ccsteve

Event: ROC - Durand Eastman Park Trail Challenge
 

Very nice trail challenge at Durand. Conditions - hot.

Opened at the tail end of the runners, and kept a steady pace through the first set of congested controls. (dual punches on #1 next time? - but we were polite;-)

Pulled young Lyons in on the way to 6, then promptly skipped my thumb over a road when I needed to get 7. "I know I crossed a stream, why is there only this depression here, and where's this spur that I'm climbing?" Probably 45 seconds there, and I would have taken a drink if I had passed by it...

8 was one of my cleaner legs in the first part. I was fast to 9, but the confusion around the control and Brian's backtracking seemed to have an effect - I didn't read the contours properly to 10, and was slow there. (on the positive side, that was perhaps a bit of rest, and useful from that point of view, and not terribly long - I was mostly standing still trying to make sense of it)

12 and 13 were two great controls, with a #1 split on 13.

15 shows as time lost - I stopped for both a full glass of water and a full glass of gatorade. I figured the rest and refueling would be worth it - and think it paid off. I took a cut low route before the road started climbing, but think I added back the climb along the pond/marsh. Met Rick who seemed to have gotten on that trail much earlier.

Slogged cleanly through and drank again on the way to 18.

19 was another good effort with a 5th place time on a longer leg. Think my key was taking the trail for the less steep climb for a ways, and then cutting left and around the drop (and climb).

Then for 20 I returned to the open grass and ran down and around instead of trying to pick a way through the woods or that swampy area. It seems to have paid off as I think I dropped a couple people through that section. (anyway - they punched before me at 19, but I didn't see them at 20, and didn't take the time to look behind;-)

That led to the "here, we'll run with you for 10 yards" party people on the road, and the long run back to the finish.

And I thought I was both managing through it and moving my legs in the best possible speed though 21 and 22. And I noted that 22 was about 100 meters up the road - so I started counting.

And got to 62 and realized that the thing off to the side wasn't really a trail (drainage depression), and what was I doing - 100m is 45-50... A quick check of the map shows that the parking spaces really are on there, and the trail is on the other side of it.

So I turn around and pretty much lead in 4 people that also might have run by it otherwise...

Quick punch and down the trail - where I run by another group of three that seems to be searching. I'm well on my way to 23 when someone (Michels?) decides to go over the spur and I realize that seems like a good thing to do (so I do that where I am), and there's the flag.

Now on the first time through, I followed the streamers and that seemed ok. But coming from this side, it seems like the path that goes to the re-entrant is more direct, so I use it, and then cut off through the Laurel(?). Which was fine until the almost-path kind of died out, and I had to do high stepping to get through. Brian passed me there - though with a #1 leg to the finish, it doesn't seem like I was going to keep up with him - I don't feel so bad...

The bobble at 22 probably cost me 10 seconds, but more importantly it pulled everyone in with me - oh well - it's not like I've used second-to-last controls to jump people in other trail challenges - oh wait - I have;-)

Shows my capabilities are getting there - three and a half minutes from third place with a couple good runners in that mix.

C • Dual punches 8

8k TC - Splits

Meant to be a shakeout from the weekend of vacationing. Was a bit warm as well. 8:53, 8:27, 8:44, 8:04.

Workout with Rachael. Mile+ fitness walk, 20 min at a jog (she walked), Mile walk return.

Workout with Rachael. Mile+ fitness walk, 20 min at a jog (she walked), Mile walk return. She's building back up to train.

Over to the small park for a tabata workout. One mile 8:36 over, 2 min rest, 10 x 20s + 10s sprints, 3 min walk, one mile 8:27 back.

Nice to have a more moderate pace run with zip too. 8:16, 8:12, 8:24, 7:37.