Training Log Archive: j-man

Event: Hudson Highlander
 

Slight warmup to the Highlander start. Feeling a bit rushed--pinning on my number, gus, etc., on the run. At the start, a minute before taking off, had to remove my shoes (laces taped) to remove a stone that would have made a hole in my foot had I not.)

2009 Highlander.

A very good race. I am satisfied with the performance, but I also wonder if it could have been a little better. (Well, on the 3rd stage I know it could have been better. More on that later.)

It basically went as I expected. I have come to know my general capabilities on long races and also had a good sense of my shape, which suggested to me I should be able to hold it together. On the other hand, I was feeling quite tired the day before, and wasn't sure whether the Training Camp would have had an impact.

Anyway, the plan was to start steady and finish strong. I got the last part, but of course, started faster than I wanted/expected.

I had no plan to follow Tero, but to the extent I could see where he was going to #1, I decided to go that way, too. The initial pack was feet, Ross, Jon, Boris, JB, Matthieu, etc.

I really had to work hard to keep up with just about everyone. As we got to the 2/3 point of #1, people started to diverge. I placed my bets on Ross/Boris (although Ross was already away, and Boris was very strong.)

Punched #1 with JB and saw Boris climbing the hill. I gave no thought to challenging for King of the Mountain as I assumed it would be in vain. But, Jon T did it! Awesome! (I could not have challenged this year anyway. My uphill power just isn't there.)

To #3, kind of went after Boris, but as we got into the cliffs, I wanted to slow down. Still, I had a pretty good sense of where we were (or so I thought.) We did find the control, with Matthieu sweeping in from above and Wyatt and Kenny showing up on the scene. The Americans seemed to be deliberating a bit too long on this rather sweet leg and I wanted to just go. Actually, I want to go right, but the Frenchies went left. And, so did I.

For this whole leg, I really just blatantly followed. I only had marginal contact at times. I really didn't want to lose the guys. And I almost did as we got into the green valley. As I hit some flat spots I really tried to push and I got back. Along the way, I thought I saw Ross going the wrong direction up on the hills to our right. Anyway, we spiked that control (#4) just as Kenny and Boris were storming in from the right. I want to see their route...

Anyway, back after the Frenchies. We almost went right on #5 (which I thought would be OK) but they changed their minds. I saw Jon T taking off on the trail run at this point. I was a little high on #5 and the control was really hidden, but we got it.

Off on the trail run. JB took off first, and I took off after him. Assumed Matthieu was right behind, but I never looked.

I was right with him until Times Square, but then he started to open a little gap. It never got too big, and I cam back in a bit, until the indistinct trail, when it opened up again. I lost contact on the steep climb after the powerline.

So, into the aid station and I see JB and JT taking off. Had I not had a drink (which would have been really stupid) I might have kept contact.

I didn't and that was a pivotal moment (the second, after having drafted off JB up to that point.)

I was on my own and slowed down. #8 was OK, #9 a little off. #10 was very bad, however. Not sure what happened, aside from losing contact and not having a good final approach plan. Anyway, missed low and see Ross (was expecting him to show up eventually.) He went further in a direction I didn't want to go, but we both corrected correctly, and climbed up. At which point, Boris and Kenny reacquire. A new game was on.

We were all running the same speed and navigating in our own way (except on #12 when I followed Ross despite thinking we were off.)

On the way to #16 I try to do my own thing and go up the hill. But, I miss slightly right, and Boris is right there.

Last few controls were uneventful and we get to the aid station and transition. This was the point I was looking forward to, strategically and tactically. I had no idea who would be there with me or ahead of me, but it turned out my two esteemed teammates were there. In any case, I was feeling really good (considering) and looked forward to the last bit.

Seeing a left road route to the first control made me happy. I was hoping the guys might go that way, too, and I saw it as a chance to put on some speed. But, they went the other way and my surge was for naught.

Still, I was ahead, but I gathered as I left 20 (I thought I heard "Go Boris!") that everyone was still there. Indeed, as I was on the way to #21 they were beginning to rope me in, and a bit of hesitation on #21 got us back together. I gamely push on and push through 22 and 23. Looking at 24, I was a bit concerned--worried I might get hung up in green/rock by going straightish. Still, I couldn't find anything else, and decided to take my chances.

Maybe a little further right than I wanted (I saw other people over there and didn't think it looked right) but then I adjusted and thought I saw my feature. I definitely saw JonT, however, cruising in from the right, and get to the control at the same time.

This was a most unexpected development. I had sort of planned my route to the next control (it mostly involved trails) and I took off after Jon. He was surprisingly spry on the trails and got a bit of distance on me. He then leaved the trails sooner that I wanted, but I wanted to keep contact. We took off across the flats and I think the gap stayed constant, but it was sizable. I didn't see him punch #25 and I thought that was it. He had broken me on the trails.

I just concentrated on holding it together on #25. I did what I intended and basically spike it. And then I see Jon again converging from the right. A really, really unexpected development. Since I had punched first, I was thrilled with my good luck, surmising that the race with Jon, Boris, and Kenny was over.

However, I wasn't done. Some sort of instinctual reaction occurred and I thought I had to finish first, so I took off and was prepared to run over cars and people if necessary. (Of course, it wasn't--right?)

So, I guess I held him off, but maybe he was adhering to the pre-race instructions?

So, final thoughts:
• Race dynamics broadly what I expected. Held it together at the end. Endurance good.
• Felt way too fast at the beginning and I was just following. I did pick some good people to follow and got lucky that they didn't get away on #4.
• The speed on Stages 3 and 4 is congruent with my technique. I.e., I can orienteer/run fairly well in Harriman at that speed.
• I could have maybe eaten/drank more: 2 cups (1 water, 1 Gatorade) at #6, 8 ounces Endurox at #7, 2 cups (1 water, 1 Gatorade) at #14, 8 ounces Endurox at 19. One Gu at 6 and one after 22. (and maybe one other, but I can't remember.)
• Anyway, I didn't really fade, and refreshment consumption was consistent with my training, but still I feel like maybe I could have done better with that aspect.
• JB is a stud. He really kept it going, starting to win splits.
• Surprised I didn't win the finish split, but tied with JB, so that is OK
• Jon T wins the King of the Mountain. Impressive.
• I have no complaints with any aspect of my speed or orienteering (or following) on stages 1, 2, and 4. Stage 3 was bad. I didn't manage the transition to solo orienteering well.
• It was good/impressive to see the speed/endurance of Kenny/Boris who haven't really been preparing explicitly for this sort of race.
• Enjoyed the course setting on leg #1. Leg #3 was fine, but I like drama in the Highlander, and that was more pedestrian.
• Leg #4. WTF? A disgrace. What kind of map is that? It is a travesty.
• Overall, despite the above, a good event.

Highlander - Splits

In a pack, towards the French Speciale.

Drills led by Francois. Have seen/done just about all of these. Except for the arm thing.

[Editorial comment]

I am somewhat bemused to see how everyone is hanging all over these exercises (which are nothing special), wanting to write them down as divine revelation, etc.--suggesting a hungering for coaching or something.

None of this was evident when we actually had a coach. Oh well. Perhaps one 15 minute lesson from a visiting French guy will be more valuable to our athletes than agreeing to sustained systematic training by a nearby coach. Or maybe not, because he wasn't French. Or something.

[end.]

Some brisk running to the start of the French relays, with some quasi-uphill intervals baked in.

French Relays.

These were 2 runners per team relays with every runner eventually running every leg.

Andrew Childs and I did fairly well, but we both had some problems.

The last leg was kind of exciting. I started off just before Ross (which I knew about) and Tero (which I did not.)

Good to 1, but very bad to 2. Also, I miss 3, and I see Tero swooping in and guessed that Ross was right around there. Anyway, thought I might be able to hold off Tero, but no dice. He cut through me like a light saber on the flat stony stuff. Game over.

A pretty feeble warmup to the start of the WOC 93 Short with Zhyk.

WOC 93 Short Course Final.

A good and bad run. Not a hard course, but fast. My first time loss was at 5 where I was looking for the control on the rock and standing around for a while, convinced the control was stolen?! Then Zhyk and Sam catch up and I see the control. For the next few controls I follow Zhyk, who is running stronger; lose him to #8, but apparently made the same mistake as he did (just not as bad.) I was amazed to see him again at #13 when I was also standing around. Finished just ahead of him.

Rough calculations show about 4 minutes of mistakes--on 5 controls. The rest was pretty good. So, I think I could run 30 flat here, if clean. Pretty far down.

Jogging back to the parking with Eddie. Getting cold.

[After the relay.] Picking up some of the relay controls. Slowly.

Training camp over.

My own personal special thanks to Eddie, PG, Linda, SandyF, Eric Weyman, and of course, the French, for all technical aspects. (Tero one of the very few people who ran every single exercise, plus the Highlander.)

Thanks to the Youngs and Bretons for graciously hosting us.

Special thanks to everyone who came. There were definitely some who were enthusiastic and prepared to work hard. (Maybe too much.)

As for me--I enjoyed every aspect of it. It was the best training camp I've been to in the US, but also the only one with Tero attending.

It was the right amount/variety/focus of exercises for me (as it should have been, as I decided to be pretty self-indulgent if I was going to help to pick up the pieces.)

Anyway, that's it for me. Enough time and effort for the Team for a while. Other inmates can step up.

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18115983@N00/sets/721...

WOC 93 Short Final - Splits

To the start of the O-intervals.

Mildly raining.

O-Intervals.

We paired up people fairly well. I put myself with Matthieu (http://iof.6prog.org/WR_Athlete.aspx?AID=FRA106) and we would proved to have decent parity.

Eddie was paired with Tero. Not sure how that was.

Anyway, did pretty well. A little shaky on the first leg on A. B was good except for the penultimate control, and C was bad in that I went to the wrong second control (just misread the forking.)

On the second loop, I benefited from catching up to! Francois in some green and just following along on the shared legs. (Which, in my mind was very much in the spirit of the exercise.)

It was raining heavily at the end of the exercise.

From the interval finish to the start of the middle middle.

Middle middle. Started out OK on the first two. Physically, they were a struggle (really high, gnarly bushes) but then cruised real well until 6. Badly messed up 7, and then 8 (10 was mishung) and then I downshifted.

Nikolay and Andrew passed me at 8 (Nikolay started 2 minutes behind me--I wanted some pressure.) I caught up to Nikolay at 12 and Andrew before 15, finishing a bit ahead of Andrew and a decent amount ahead of Nikolay.

Time is approximate. (Splits lost for subsequent splits.)

To the start of the TT middle. Rain had stopped, but still quite cloudy and wet.

2003 TT Middle Re-Run.

(I had run this course once with Wyatt as training. My re-run was as good as his original run.)

Started off brilliantly and orienteered most of the course quite well. Until #5, when I dropped a few minutes, a bit more on #7, and a bit on #13. 18 seconds to tie my shoes on #11. A good run would have probably been 37. Nowhere close to Brian May's time.

Splits: http://www.attackpoint.org/racesplits.jsp?raceid=8...

Back from the finish of the 2003 TT.

A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that Brian would have received 118 (current day) AP ranking points for his run there. (Hammer got 108.)

Not sure whether this is right, but I do know that is a really good run for an American (Canadian.)

Blue - Splits

Jog to the start of training with Brendan on a map not to be named.

Eddie's corridor-O at Sebago. Great fun. It really forced you to concentrate continuously and read the map, but was less contrived than a line-O.

Did OK, but missed #2 (left) and #5 (right). Otherwise, pretty much on target.

To the start of the middle-style course (control picking inspired.) Tero appeared as I was waiting for Brendan.

Also, at Sebago.

2nd Eddie course at Sebago. A chance to do some real orienteering. I started out badly, but started getting smooth and fast 50% of the way through.

We weren't sure where Alex was so I traversed the eastern-ish side of the ridge occupied by the second course. She had finished soon after we left.

A good warmup to the training camp. Not too hard, not too soft. And fun exercises by Eddie. Nice control hanging by PG.

I am officially burnt out from orienteering. I guess I should be glad I don't have a real job?

I just got done replicating the rolling, cumulative, and period returns of a certain hedge fund with amazing accuracy using just four tradable instruments and dynamic leverage. My former employer will likely share this with them and look like geniuses. I, on the other hand, will toil in obscurity.

Too late, so no towel. Wanted to run but the treadmills were full, too.

Easy run. Hamstrings both very tight. Not fun.

To the track. Got started a few minutes late, so tried to be brisk. Unfortunately, my stomach wasn't great, but managed to get there OK, and didn't need the facilities either, so I guess I was ready to go.

Normal warmups. I had done a few minutes of bonus stretching while the guys were still warming up. I didn't want to be tight like last week.

Normal strides.

Workout was:

1600 @ 5K pace
400 @ < 3K pace
1200 @ 5K pace
400 @ < 3K pace
1200 @ 5K pace
400 @ < 3K pace
800 @ 3-5K pace

200 rest after all.

Normal crew, plus John. SGB showed up just in time, deftly avoiding drills.

First few were nice. I felt good, and thought about quick turnover. As the workout progressed, my stomache was more noticeable, and during the 2nd 1200, I really tightened up. Especially the mid left hamstring.

By the last 400 I contemplated stopping, but the 400 felt OK.

On the last 800 I was very tight and my left achilles started bothering me.

So, is this tightness normal? Feeling bad on intervals makes sense, but I felt tonight my major limitation was in the legs and and tightness related rather than lactate or cardiovascular.

Anyway, the good things were how I held on to the 400s. Also, fairly steady, but I felt like I didn't do a good job on the last 800. And when I finished that I felt like I should have given more.

Times:
528
216

113
211

404
213

113
216

408
213

114
223

243

And average laps (for the 2+ lap) intervals:
82.00
81.33
82.67
81.50
and overall average of: 81.88 (vs. 81.67 last week) Noski?

Felt fantastic on the way back. Yes, I was tight, but I was running just under the speed when it was noticeable. So, I could just cruise along very happily.

Didn't get started until very late, and no towels: ergo, biking.