Training Log Archive: Sid

MTC Spin with Coach Steve. Recovery ride with intervals. Forgot to start HR monitor until 1/2 way through. Legs fell good and was hitting speeds in the 28 to 30 kmh in some intervals. After O-racing yesterday, I was pleasnatly surprised with my strength. Burn - 281 kcal for 35 minutes.

US Ultra Long 2008. last chance for redemption. Not many controls but long legs. From started headed down to river side trail and headed north. Picked up a tail and missed my cut off, not noticing until I hit a stream. Headed up the far cliff and ran along the top above a stream until its end. Taking an easy bearing to hit Cp1 in the next stream valleys. Easy point to point route but lost time with first mistake. Took a point to point route to CP2 kitty cornering trails and using the river bed to reach CP2 in another valley pit. Drank Gatorade and ate fig bar. Took bearing to top of valley to hit CP3 but overshoot. Did poor correction heading far west and crossing stream valley and climbing the wrong valley before realizing my error. Headed back overshooting CP3 again but glimpsed Bash passing. Finally used odd hilltop to nail the CP. Scared I decided to take trail to CP4. This was long but safe. Passed many acquaintances running every which way. Readily hit CP4 but route choice was suspect. Picked up some tails and reached CP5 using the high ground to my advantage. Straight over the CP6 but overshoot and corrected badly. Surrounded by 5 others, I had no dynamic choices to find the control. The group finds it and heads for CP7. Stop for Gatorade and fig bar at 7, manned by MM. Ran trail with kitty corner to CP8 with the group. 8 was easy to finding following a swamp section. The group headed back to the trial but I decided to gamble. Cutting through a dark green band, I hit a white section for easy running using valleys to CP9. Go from the back of the pack to beating the leaders, young army O-racers. Decided to take a near direct route to CP10 and kitty corner from trail to trail ascending and climbing valleys. Hit trail to road and see Bash ahead. Pas Bash on the road and hit the trail section run earlier to 4. Reach corner near CP2 and crash dark green to open running down a spur to the river valley. Cross the river and hit the trail perfectly on the far side. Run the trail until above the river valley and spot CP10 on a hill across the river. Down and up to hit CP10. This leg was without doubt on of my best navigation sections ever. Fast and near direct. Having run the trail section earlier was a big help though the early route choice was slow. Take a bearing towards CP11 but things feel really odd. Up and down a few valleys. The map and my perception seem off but can not pin point the issue. On a bearing hit the trail leading to the river crossing. Run up the hill to CP11 and quickly sprint for home.

Better race than some. Well designed course by Cedarcreek. Still made 2 major and one lesser error costing about 20 minutes. Overshooting and sloppy corrections were major problems. Overall fitness seemed good though.

Green - Ultra Long - Splits

Sprint #1 Flying Pig. Completely out to lunch off the start. Could not figure out where I was and ran across the major road into the tent city. Stood confused in the centre of the field until I realized CP1 was has back across the road. Hit CP2 readily and almost went the wrong way to 3 but slowly puzzled it out. CP4 was okay and CP5 was easy near 4. Sudden came by and lead through a underpass to CP6. Really confused I decide to go by compass. Took bearing and headed the wrong way of the map again. Reversed and hit CP7 with a major delay. Started to get the feel for the course hitting 8, 9 & 10. Decided to be adventuresome going to 11 but no advantage was realized. Similarly went to 12 around the building to the east. Going to CP 14 ran around buildings but in retrospect missed a shortcut using an underpass. Around building to CP 15 and the finish.

Badly messed up race!! Could have knocked 10 minutes off my time if I had got my bearings sooner. Should have concentrated on figuring out north before the start of the race.

C • Crossing the road 4

Flying Pig Sprint #2. My type of sprint, in the fields and trails and with some nasty stuff not for the faint of heart. A little stiff to start with running the open field to CP2. Went near a direct route to CP 3 trough the dark green. Ran trail to CP's 4 & 5. Just overshot 6 costing seconds. Hit 7, 8 and 9 readily. CP 10 was a fast run up a dry stream bed. Trail to 11, back over by CP3 and crashed the green to the field. Around opposite end of the pool to CP's 12 & 13. Sudden appeared behind at 13 and passed me as we ran through the opening with CP1 to 14 and the finish.

Finally got my act together!! Could have been faster but this was near my max nav speed.

C • Great Race! 3

Orange/Brown/Green Sprint 1 - Splits

Orange/Brown/Green Sprint 2 - Splits

Event: Flying Pig XII
 

Flying Pig Model at Rentschler Forest. Light rain but warm outdoors. Flat training section but gave a good idea of the terrain. Ground was saturated with water after the night showers. The light green was quite passable though dense in sections. Route choice was important.

Short Pig WRE. Started good but overshoot 3 and reached it with Bash who started 2 minutes behind me. Ran to CP 4 with tail. I was there first so took the clearings rote to CP5. I knew Bash would take another route as tandem racing is not our thing. Got to CP's 5, 6, 8 and 9 with no problem. Completely lost it at CP 10. Nice easy house line in the distance as a hand rail but went south west instead and hit stream. Getting more confused I bailed east and hit 9 again, followed house line and hit 10 readily. CP 11 was straight forward and back on track, hit 12 and 13. On CP 14 went a bit wide to another course's control before going to the correct one. I still swing by wrong controls when I should not, costing time. Hit CPs 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and finish readily.

Lost about 12 minutes or more with 2 costly errors. Need to be more focused. Running legs felt good though.

Green- Short Pig - Splits

5 days without any activity. Spent a total of 17 hours in airplanes. Flew Sunday Monday to Paris arriving at 7:15 am for Duseldorf flight arriving at 8:45 am. Slept 4 hours on plane and 2 hours on arrival. Went to Wire trade show until 6 pm and out for dinner until 11 pm. Tuesday was at show from 9 am to 6 pm. At night we went to old Staldt and drank beer in the street and had pig's shank for dinner with a 12 am night cap. Wednesday at show all day and out for supper until 11 pm. Thursday up at 4:15 am for 7:20 am flight to Paris. 3 hour lay over for flight to Cincinnati. Arrived in Cincinnati at 3 pm. Caught up on internet. The service in Europe is poor and pricey. Do not know if I am ready for the Flying Pig but navigation has been good lately. Legs should not be bad but am likely 7 lb higher than last week. Hook up with the TOC & GHO crowd tomorrow. Back to 12 hours of training next week. Hopefully, it is a few weeks before next trip to Ohio.

No jet lag though! Perhaps due to heavy sleep quotient normally.