Training Log Archive: AliC

Event: Flying Pig XVII and Eastern Interscholastic Champs
 

Having collected Eric and Ian from Indy airport, arrived in perfect time to register and scamper out for a warm up. Nice to have a warm-up map to get the feel of 1:4000 again! I also noticed that contours seemed to be on top of black features, which helped once during the race.

Two rounds of normal running drills. Trying to remain un-intimidated by two MNOC women doing their war dances.... =)

Sprint @ Indiana University, Flying Pig Blue

3rd on Blue, happy about that!

A fun sprint. It wasn't crazy-technical, but I and others made some errors, so hard enough for a challenge! I started out pretty fast, especially as the first 3 controls were really easy in a big open area. #4 took a bit more thought, but then right after #4 I took a twig to the eye and bam! out popped that contact. Luckily it wasn't my dominant eye, but my vision did feel a bit wonky for the rest of the race.

I had one big mistake (#11, 20s), going left instead of right around a building. Now it totally looks like right is faster, even if you don't notice the mandatory stairs going left, so either I didn't look long enough to tell or brain was too oxygen-deprived to make the right assessment. Actually, I now remember I was flustered the control before, so I didn't have much time to plan beforehand, and there was also a kid racing at #10 at the same time I was, so that take some neurons to figure out if I'd punch before/after him.

In general, I was surprised how normal it felt to be out there sprinting for the first race of the season. The one thing I really noticed being a problem was the control descriptions. Basically, I just quit trying to parse them (still read the # unless I there was simply no way I was at any other spot). So that's to be worked on.

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Since I've decided that I'm going to really try to push for good sprint results at WOC and the World Games this year, here goes a thorough investigation of yesterday's race:
1 - First map look: ok there's no trick to #1. Actually 1,2,3 are all simple, in this big field, just a bit of looking at the map to figure out absolute shortest routes.
2 - Good
3 - Paused for sec right after 2 to make sure walls were crossable, should have already known that
4 - Decided on right route, was thinking about trying to be speedy. Decided also to go right to 5, although I didn't manage to workout the full way to the control.
5 - Fine, but was surprised I had to use the stair at the end.
6 - Choose left, because I knew I wouldn't have to use the stair again. Splits wise was pretty even either way?
7 - The one control it would have been good to actually read the CD. I decided it was on the inner SW corner instead of inner SE corner which made me falter right at the control. Also, going left of the star-ship shaped building seems like a faster idea, both given the actual control placement and the uncrossable fence dodging required on the right-hand route.
8 - Went left. About the same as right based on splits.
9 - First slightly distracted by someone going up the stairs and then appearing lost. Then also confused to find the box before the actual control. The box was on the wall, the control was where it should be. I think the guy around me at least got box and control closer together again.
10 - Easy sprint down to, but got there at the same time as someone else, so was figuring out the who-punches first and then quickly decided to go left instead of right to #11, my big mistake. Argh! Now looks so silly...
11 - Well, should have gone right. Left was longer, had extra climb and involved stairs.
12 - Fine
13 - Left of first building then diagonal, then using the little building on the edge of woods for guidance to the rootstalk.
14 - Fine
15 - Fine, used bridge for guidance in aiming to it.
16 - Fine
17 - Careful to avoid daffodils, then used a bit of a bearing and actually, someone else clearly dipping into the depression and then scooting away.
18 - Green X = pine tree said the course notes. And there is exactly one evident pine tree, so just sprinted that way.
19 - Boo, should have used the trail V to send me exactly to it, instead I was distracted by two kids playing on a tree stump. Wondered if they'd just dispatched the control to some nefarious other location, before going on my way to the right place. Focus, focus girl!
20 - Easy, nearby statues.
21 - For the first time, tried to use the trails in the woods, but this was way slower than Eric who nailed the leg 10s faster. He said using the bridge for aiming-off help and just tumbling downhill to the swamp was the answer.
22 - Some slight panic just about here about the line of daffodils just S of the crossable wall, but not on map, guess I can cross then, after a little dodging.
23 - 24 - Finish - Sprinting in to Vlad's announcing that I was putting up the then-fastest time on Blue =)

C • Nice Run, Ali 6

Warm down with Clem and Ian, noting frat party at hm, Sigma Chi, blaring music from a radio station in the middle of a field and some very over-tanned ladies. Collegetown!

And a bit of a re-run of some of the last controls. I re-did my not-awesomes to #19 and #21. Then Ian and I headed out for some Italian at Charlie's recommended 4th Street place - choice of left (Italian) or right (Ethiopian) sides of the restaurants. We chose left and can verify that that chef makes a mean tomato sauce!

C • Puccini's -Caravan 2

IU_Campus_Sprint_2013_8 Blue - Splits

Awesome colloquium today on the basics of dark matter by NYU's David Hogg. Just generally great explanations, but my fave parts were probably when he compared my boss here to a Roomba (dedicated to studying the universe's dust...) and when he described what would happen if two universes with different physical laws collided. "It would be bad. Very bad."

Also, we only know the grav constant, G, within about 5 decimal places. Not that that's too shabby, but we know G*M_sun within 13 decimal places. Because the planets are *awesome* test particles. We can predict the location of say, Mars to within a centimeter. That's pretty crazy!!

C • cm 5

Long run! Although I think some of the HR data at the beginning is bogus. Need a new CR2032 probably... Out to Wildwood and about. Did some running through terrain to make things more interesting, and then swooped down for some time on Blue Trail's board walk in the floodplain before doing a few loops of the Blue Trial hill.

Ran into runner undergrad who's in my research group going anti-parallel on the hill, which we'd just agreed was the best hill in Wildwood earlier in the day, coincidence!

Ankle plyos, legs a bit tired, so still only one set. Couldn't even make it through the normal 3-out-and-backs on the spin jumps. Jeez!

Some more puttering around Wildwood and then home! Hands were getting cold as the temp plumeted, I tried to retract them as far as possible back into my jacket, which I'm sure looked funny...

Perfect timing! The track girls were just finishing up their workout when I arrived at 5.30, so didn't have to Plan B (minute intervals in the park).

Running drills

3 x (3 x 400) with 200m roll-on within sets, 400m between sets

Times:
79,79,77
77,78,77
81,79,78

The first 4 I had a clear track, but then a bus full of developmentally disabled adults arrived to use the track for walking laps. Most of them were really conscientious and even cheered me some (got a high-5 after one interval!), but a few were very dedicated to their walking mission in lane 1. So the odd dodging, but hey, passing people might have to happen in whatever race situation, really. Also good that whatever program they're in does do some exercise, even if just walking!

Over to the gym, with a bit of a loop because I forgot my ID card the first go. Can run there mostly on soft surfaces, actually, not bad!

Zumba day! Small class though, only 6! One brand-new song that's not too tricky. Apparently the lyrics are also funny, but my spanish isn't good enough...

And Core15 afterwards, led by a guy subbing in who realizes that core is more than just abs! Did some crazy planks and some bonus awkward fish flops.

Wahoo! Officially had a *blast* mountain biking with Barbara at Island Lake. Ok, it was definitely muddy. But that meant the challenge was kinda more getting through the muddy spots rather than going at speeds that freaked me out on downhills, so that's ok by me =).

And, mountain biking would appear to be a way better workout than road biking. Road biking I always have issues getting my HR high at all. I guess MBing uses more of body?

Rest of Easter was really lovely, with amazingly delicious food hanging out with Barbara and family and friends!

C • HR 12

A warm up, which just happened to take me to a kame (glaically-deposited hill) on the West side of Lake Genevieve (a kettle lake). Steep little hill with a nice view of the lake from the top.

And I finished my taxes, so I was allowed to go orienteering! =)

Training at Lyndon Park with some other members of the keen SMOC crowd. It's a new map Igor is working on. Parts are a bit thick, ok, really quite thick, but it's fair and not truly impenertrable. A question- will leaves out on the raspberries make them better or worse for getting through? Maybe the leaves will deflect some of the thorns from grabbing in? But the leaves also make it all just a bunch less visible, harder to aim to step right on the suckers to avoid getting caught... hm.

QuickRoute
Felt rusty to 1 and 2, which shows, didn't read the contours sensibly to #1 and then didn't compass right to #2, no reason to not go straight on the line to it. The rest went pretty well, some hesitations that I should work on working out...

C • Raspberries are fine, it's ... 2

Rested for a bit and grabbed some water and contemplated whether I wanted to battle the brambles again and decided that yeah, I getter get my butt back out there and rack up a smidge more training before the Pig! So did the closer set of controls backwards.

QuickRoute

And puttered around on the trails a bit, just exploring the park. Up another little hill with another good view. Then to a dock out into the lake. A park sign explained that a peat bog is forming on the W side of the lake, acid-loving plants and all that. A cool well-documented little park!