Training Log Archive: cporter

Both the temperature in the morning and the price of gas are high enough - its bike to work time!

Core work out. Chloe taught the class today=ouch.

Just signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon! (October 26, 2008) I've got my work a head of me.

Bike Commute home

Also just realized that today marks 2 months until I take off for Sweden! Can't wait!

West Point A-Meet - Classic Disance. Well, I had had hopes of redeeming myself today for Saturday's sloppy races, but I am unhappy to report that this race was my worst performance of the weekend. Training wise, I seemed to either nail everything I intended to do on a leg, or I completly blew it all. Overall, I had more clean legs than poor ones, but when I did make a mistake, it was a big one. Again, I planned to work on the same skills as Saturday. My first control was OK, I hesistated, especially at the start, but managed to run a fairly clean leg. Control #2 was by far my best leg of the race, and then we get to #3. I did just about every thing you are not supposed to do on my way to control number three. I picked a weak attack point, but changed my mind half way through my leg and used a cliff as my attack point which may or may not have been the cliff that I thought it was on the map. It didn't take long before I started to lose confidence and realized that I definetly was not where I thought I was. I found several other controls out in the woods that were not mine and tried to relocate off of them, but had no success. Fortunately I eventually was able to relocate off of the 3rd control I found out there that was not mine, but by my estimation, I lost at least 15 min on that leg. Controls 4,5, and 6 went well, but I really slowed down so that I didn't repeat 3 and because the fog was actually getting worse so my visibility was greatly diminishing. Since control 7 was mostly a trail run clear across the map, I was able to collect my head and only bobbled slightly within the control circle. However, on my way to number 9, I started to get intense pain in my right knee with shooting pains down the outside of my calf - I literally could not run the pain was so bad. Walking was fine since I didn't need to bend my knees past 90 degrees, but running was definetly out. It was so frustrating too because the woods finally opened up and were less rocky, but I just could not run. My guess is that all of the running that I did through the low bushed from 6-9 aggrivated my IT band which caused the pain, hopefully that is it :(

Overall, I was really unhappy with my finishing time. Had I not made such a huge error at number 3 and been able to run the entire second half of the course I probably could have shaved a good 30 min off my time.

C • Bummer.. 3

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

West Point A-Meet - Middle Distance. After speaking with Bob Turbyfil numerous times, he has thoroughly ingrained into my orienteering philosophy that any race that is not "the race" (i.e. the race in which I am specifically training for) is just training. This is not necessarily a new concept to me - in the past I have told others (and myself for that matter) that I was running a race as a training, but it was more of an ego-saving that I made when I expected to run poorly, I would attempt to run the cleanest run I could, but if I didn't then it was no big deal because it was "just training". The real problem with this defense mechanism is that I really gained nothing out of my previous "trainings" - if I ran poorly, I hardly ever asked myself "Why?" But when Bob Turbyfil asks you "Why?" you better have answer and I've come to realize that I want the answer too. There is a lot that I want to accomplish in the next 18 months, but I will never get there physically or mentally if I do not know what I need to improve or how to do it. At this point I do not know how to correct all of the orienteering mistakes that I make, but we'll worry about that when I more fully realize what those mistakes precisely are...

So, back to the middle distance. Since this race was a training here is what I hoped to work on at the start of my race: clean first control, using the C.A.R. method when making a route choice on each control (especially haveing a clearly defined attack point, before I leave the previous control), and to practice map simplification as much as possible. I should also say that all of these techniques are things that I want to become automatic habits, eventually. So how did I do? Well I was hesitant on chosing a route choice to #1 and I did bobble the control once I was in the control circle, but I did manage to take my time, choose a good attack point and not completely blow the control - we'll call it a partial success. As for practicing the CAR method and simplifying the map, I'd say I successfully planned for and executed these two skills on 50% of the course. Controls that I ran particularly well were numbers 2,3,8,11,and 13. Controls number 5 and 10 were almost huge mistakes if I hadn't correctly estimated my distance. Interestingly, numbers 9 and 12,the two shortest legs (and by short I mean practically on top of the previous control) were the two that I really blew. Perhaps I did so because they were such short legs there I did not pick an attack point?

Overall, the course was slow, but it was slow for everyone. The fog also created problems for successfully implementing my training goals. On #10 I literally ran right by the huge crop of bare rock that I had chosen as an attack point because the fog obscured it - in general it was difficult to see even large features unless you were right on top of them. Despite all of that (and the rain) I enjoyed the course and felt like I got some decent training in.

West Point A-Meet - Sprint. Again, ran this sprint as a training focusing on the same techniques as the middle as well as making a quick exit from each control (i.e. have my route planned before I entered the control). Unfortunately, I did not do so well with my goals. I bobbled at least 50% of the controls and hence did not have my subsequent route planned because I had to search for the controls. I also made some pretty poor route choices and grew hesitant as the course ran on. I did nail the first control which pleases me, but it hardly makes up for the other 19 that didn't go so well. Oddly my finishing place was better for this race (there were fewer competitors though), but overall I wasn't very pleased with my sloppy performance.

After a very long, but pleasant car ride up to West Point, I just needed to get out, stretch my legs, and move - took an easy jog around Camp Buckner. Once again thank you so much to the Ferguson's for the ride to and from West Point.

Bought my airfare to Sweden last night! T - 2 months, 5 days, 3 hours, and 33 minuets till take off. Can't wait!

C • Ahh! I still have to buy al... 3