Training Log Archive: Mona

Lapham Peak, with Marco and Maja. Black Loop w/ some shortcuts. Maja had some allergies, so she was a bit slower than usual (plus that she's not taking her alergy medicine!)

Felt good the first half, then I just lost the energy!

I was expecting to be hot, as we ran at lunch time, but it turned out to be pretty cold and humid.

C • Very Nice! 3

Totally recovered from the 12 hour AR. Marco and maja NA for running today, so I did a Body Pump, better than nothing. I am contemplatinmg adding a couple more pounds on the back exercises..but contempating is probably all that I'll do...

Feeling good, almost recovered from the race, so why not!

2007 Southern Kettle Moraine Challenge

12-Hour Spring Race
http://wisadventureracingsociety.com/2007%20SKMC%2...

Team Terra Trekkers, 22/38, 10h 10min
-------------------------------------

What an AMAZING race that was! Every inch of my legs is either swollen, has a bruise or a scratch (yeah, with the knees it's espacially bad), but not feeling sorry at all!

Some wordy description:

It all started at 6am (that gave me again about 3-4 hours sleep total). Now, 6 am I don't consider to be early to start a race, I think it's simply crazy! But you gotta do what you gotta do!

Met up shortly before 6am w/ my team, John, Paul and Neil, the most amazing and supportive team!

It started with some orienteering on an b&w aerial map...don't ask! I never done before, and I was trying my best to keep confusion to a minimum, given that I got picked to navigate somehow..

Then the paddling in nascar style, 6 laps around Ottawa lake...it was all good, till, as part of the rules, at the 5 th lap, we had to switch the back person w/ the front in the water in the canoe. Somehow we completed that task :), and now that I was in the back, I got my first lesson in stiring the canoe...and, to my surprise, it actually worked! I'm sure Paul was secretely stirring from the front :)

Then off to road biking and then mt biking on the Emma Carlin green loop and the connector trail. Now, that was SCARY! The only mt biking I've done before was at Lapham peak, which I though was tough. Well, that was nothing! This portion of the race was from the beggining my biggest concern, as to whether I'll make it back in one piece or not. So, w/ my team encouraging me, I focused on the <20" trail, and try to avoid seeing the drop right next to it. My knees got bunked several times each (on ice right now), but by the time I was done, I was going over logs, rocks, and only one time I chickened out downhill, on a steep, sandy, washed out slope. I was so happy (and excited!) when I was done!!

Then some more B&W aerial map orienteering, we had to split in 2 teams, and sure enough I had to "relocate :)) " at one of the controls, but didn't mess up too bad.

More road biking, and then more orinteering on a topo map. Wow, now I was so comfortable, even if it's nowhere near an orienteering map, I could at least see the (big) hills and depressions. The woods were quite thick, and w/ no trails on the map, it was plenty of bush wacking! And with no gators..well, lets' just say my lower legs have the general color of purple :) Eventually, w/ my questionable navigation and excellent 20-20 eagle eye of Jon, we got all the points! That was the last tough part!

A bit more road biking back, and the last task was agetting a horse shoe around that metal pole, and I'm glad Paul nailed it, cause I was definetly not going to be the saviour!

And that's it! Yes! A nice dinner was waiting and a well deserved rest that I'm planning for a whole week!

C • NASCAR style paddling! 2

Whoa! My quads are in pain! And with that 12 hour race on Saturday, I don't even know what's best : ice pack, hot pack....I am SO freaked out: I think I got hooked up w/ these top racers in my team, and I'd have to break it to them about my awesome "top speed"!

Anyway, biking today was ok, but still sleep deprived and low energy...

A bit sleep deprived, so energy level slighly down. However, except left shoulder reminding me that it exists every minute, had no problem cranking the weights.

Contemplating at this time to do an adventure race this saturday...I'm not trained whatsoever. we'll see.

OakLeaf - south - w/ Jeremy

1) yesterday crunch got all the energy our of me
2) I tried this new exercises that suposedly increase your speed (knees up, heels...blah-blah). All they did was getting me even more tired, so I was barely moving...and slowing down Jeremy this time!
I was also going to do the intervals, (3 min fast, 3 slow, but all I could do was 1 min fast, then walk 3 min!...some interval!! Well...there's hope...

3) Maybe not eating anything till half hour before the exercise (noon!) didn't help much either.

Happy when I was done! Luckily I was looking forward to swimming, which was fun. Did 10 laps or so, and was out of breath after each one. But still fun!

C • Lucky 1

Lapham Peak, Black Loop, Solo.

I missed the Ice Agers, as I couldn't get up, and then it took me another good 5 hours to get going. But, once I got going, I had this weird energy...quite unusual for lazy me...hmmm.

Conclusion: New RECORD! This one will be hard to beat! My previous all time record, in october last year, was 72 min, now 69min...

I went in with my mind set to run to the max...and, with the help of some good tunes and possibly Sudafed might have had an effect, I did it. My HR was off the charts, but I didn't care. All kind of pains came and gone...I still didn't care. Now, I'll probably care soon, when they'll hunt me down!

Planning my run for tomorrow..this almost counts as training, right here! If I get lucky I'll tag along w/ the ice agers 50. It should be perfect running weather, if I can get my butt moving in the morning!

Back to health! Run w/ jeremy in men falls park. jeremy is a bit out of shape, so I was not the one the slowing him down this time around. I started fast (speed is all relative!), but then I had to slow down, so he can keep up. We did a litle sprint in the end, and I realize I need to train for that, as i don't even know how to sprint!

Great weather, pretty nice sunset, and you could tell the tri's ae coming up, as there were bikers all over the place!

the middle ears decided it's time they take control of my hearing and balance!

C • ??? 3

I just could not sit on my couch all day (usually that's not an issue at all, cause I love my couch!!) It has this electric (or electronic?) recliner, oh, man!

Anyways, I was feling pretty bad during the pump, and whenever the instrcutor was yelling the instrauctions I had to cover my ears..plus some cold sweats...but otherwise, it worked fine.

Just checked and my weights are amost the same as 6 months ago, does that mean i didn't make progress??!! I don't know...

team trials, Pontiac Lake, MI.

OK, this WAS a killer! I started off easy, as I knew I'll be in the woods for a while, and that worked OK, but I was dead tired by the end of the race. So, just for the spectators, I put on my best "sprinting" in the finish shute!

Pretty clean run, except a couple relatively serious mistakes, both times when I was counting on the trail system, (I believe 6 and 12) . Probably some other few (?) "seconds" have been wasted in other places, but I didn't pull one of my great "45 min" mistakes.

Found a bunch of flowers, which took the edge off the fact that forest was quite green. I thought I got pretty good shielding, but after I got home I realized that this is the most beating my body took in bruises and scratches ever.

My feet feel great after running in the woods for 3 days, no (new) blue toe - nails. And except my hamstrings, which are trashed, everything else feels just right!

C • Sprint? 5

Day 3: Red - Splits

Team trials, middle. Peach Mountain, 15 mi NW of Ann Arbor, MI

Another awesome day to run, did not get lost at all, did my usual slow jog/walk. ooohh, the hills!

I'll add more details as they come to mind.

C • Good Job. 2

Day 2: Red/Brown - Splits

Event: US Team Trials
 

team trials, sprint. Highland Rec Area, 15 mi NW of Ann Arbor, MI

wanderful day to be in the woods, had a great time (that is not my run time), ran to the wrong control a couple times, but overall, ok perfomance by my books.

Sprint TT (Red/Blue) - Splits

shoulder pain, not pleasant at all.

I'm still going to detroit, given that I bought my ticket already.