Training Log Archive: wilsmith

Feeling way too beat up from last week plus the weekend races plus the travel plus the ER shift. And haven't spent nearly enough time at home with Katarina and Mia, enjoying the new renovations (nearly 100% complete for this phase anyway).

So not training, and relaxing instead, seemed wise. I almost should have a category for "Relaxing" - I think it actually aids performance as much as (or even more than) many of the other forms of training that I and others tend to log on Attackpoint.

Rest day - if you can call a gruelling 24-hour shift in the ER a rest. Home by 0200, slept a few hours, then off to the salt mines. Crazy weather - something like 5-10 cm of SNOW today. What gives? I don't think my new medical student is all that impressed with the weather thus far (though to be fair, it's only been a day and that day was snowy and sub-freezing - in late May...).

Saw the map from today's US Team Trials long distance - just as well I missed that one. Running up and down vague, diffuse green hills like that just doesn't turn my crank all that much. Sprint and middle looked to be much more enjoyable courses IMHO - though I wasn't there on the long distance so it may have actually been a real joy to behold in the forest.

C • long 3

US Team Trials, Day 2 - Middle

A good performance on a very nicely-set race. Excellent course, fairly technical area - intricate contour details in relatively diffuse, subtle terrain. So many form lines that you wonder if a 2.5 m contour interval might have been appropriate.

I started first, some 30 min before the Team Trials runners, in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to catch a flight out of Newark in the early afternoon. Strange to be in the terrain all alone, but at least you get to see what you can do all by yourself. It was a tough enough race that I expect there would be significant contact amongst runners, probably having some effect on the results. Apparently a bear was sighted near our 8th (?) control by the pre-runners, but I hadn't heard about this until the end of the course and certainly didn't see it myself. Just as well.

Some small mistakes, maybe about 2 minutes in total. Felt physically decent, only really felt heavy coming up the big hill after the road/river crossing, and up the gradual slope to the penultimate control.

Had to leave before the results were in, but I felt that people could run 30-31 minutes with a good race. However, many people were experiencing big blowups, so perhaps my time would stand up to a top-3 finish. Will see what happens once the results are posted.

Felt good to have a decent middle distance race, particularly after not running well in the sprint yesterday (I still really, really haven't figured out how to force myself to run HARD in the sprints - pretty much default to a middle-distance pace, despite being physically capable of running much faster). Want to get in as many middle-distance races as possible before the WOC.

Sad not to be able to race the long distance tomorrow - but am scheduled to be on call in the ER, so have to fly home overnight tonight (crossing my fingers that my re-vamped flight schedule will actually work...).

C • 'Sneak pre-view'... 11

For the above.

Event: US Team Trials
 

US Team Trials, Day 1 - Sprint Distance

A longish sprint race on the Lehigh University campus. I thought it was a well-designed course for the terrain, although probably a bit long overall. Nobody broke through 20 minutes, although I presume the course was difficult enough that everyone made some small mistakes at least. For my part, I was doomed by just not pushing hard enough to make up for any mistakes (I always seem to make a few in every sprint), plus making a huge error (about 45 seconds) on the 13th (?) control. Total loss of over a minute in errors - it was possible to win today, but my performance was only good enough for 7th - stupid, stupid me. Must work at these if I am to ever be able to really enjoy sprint races.

Started second of the non-Team Trials runners, passing the first starter on the way to the 2nd control. Ran the rest of the course without seeing anyone else on my course, which did nothing to speed up my already-slow default pace.

I never had good flow through the course, felt like start-stop-start-stop-repeat. Strangely enough, I can't even recall where I went during the course. I can only say that I did visit the correct controls in order (so say the splits), but otherwise I can only remember about half of the routes. Compare that to virtually any terrain race (sprint, middle, or long) and I have very good recall of where I actually ran. Probably not doing a good-enough job of reading ahead and pre-visualizing the course, I guess.

For the above.

Travel day - up at 0330 EST, flight from Moncton to Newark via Toronto, then a drive into Lambertville, arriving in mid-afternoon.

Went to explore a new park near Bob and Lynne's house. Decent terrain, varies from quite white to quite green. Some contour features, but in general not too technically-taxing (at least the part I could see). Large, relatively hilly area, and it will be nice for training runs whenever we visit Lambertville in the future.

Going through and re-checking the terrain for the COC Sprint, with Adrian out test-running the Men's WRE course. I think he ran 17-18 minutes, so we're about the right ballpark. Probably a winning time in the 13-minute range.

Discussing some routes to increase the technical difficulty, as well as some of the new IOF-suggested rule deviations to increase the technical challenge. This will be quite a fun race, and despite the terrain looking not-too-tough at first glance, I am sure there is enough challenge that nobody will be able to run a totally-clean race. Good opportunities for spectators and general hanging out as well (assuming the weather is nice).

Out for 3+ hours, but logged at 50% due to stoppage time and mapping a few errant features here and there.

A pro-rated (50%) log of time out vetting and running through the very nice and challenging terrain for the Fishbones events. Some truly excellent land out there - and we're sticking to the very nicest stuff for our courses. No point in having people come all this way and struggle through the greenest-of-green vegetation. Better to spend as much time in the white, technical forests as possible.