Training Log Archive: Rosstopher

Running from Longwood, thought that I would go explore a new area and after consulting google maps, decided to do a hill workout on Summit Ave. The hill is actually quite large, and I ran loops up and around the hill in between reps. I did 3 x 2:00 going up the hill. Each time this got me from Beacon St. to the mailbox on the corner of Jordan.

Hill workouts I think will be key for real improvement in orienteering, I think one of my current weak points.

C • Boulder Dash 9

Such a better race. Pre-ran which meant getting up at Six, the sky was about as light as the 4th leg of the Jukola was for me, and woods were very wet with dew. I had decided mentally to relax my expectations for the woods a little bit and that seemed to make the difference. The forest was the same but I didn't try to beat the woods and felt more like I was trying to flow more on the running.

first control I went way right, along the swamp the entire way, just because I was remembering Saturday and wanted to have a better time running. I think that this route choice was slow, but it was a great way to work myself into the map. really flowing well and started to think that I was having a good race today, maybe even enough to pick up some places... and this really affected me going to 13. A pretty vague area that put up red flags when I looked at it, because I knew there was a great potential for running right past the flag. However, I ignored my warning bells and decided to keep running hard with the intent of ( I assume) "bumping into it". I got quite lucky and recognized a patch of clearing near the circle and relocated to find the flag.... still probably lost 20-30 seconds on a plan that was basically "let's hope I get lucky". I bobbled 14 too, because I was too worried about getting across the powerlines and didn't get out to the trail that would have been the logical attackpoint. spiked 15, and messed up coming out to 16. 16 was another control that had the warning flags up as being in a "tricky area" which again I ignored to my near peril. I cut up from the road junction and was checking things off nicely until I came across other control flags. And checked them all eventhough they weren't even on the right features. I finally got smart and recognized the patch of green near the circle and picked up the flag. Good thing the race was over at that point, because I was clearly itching to make a really big mistake.

still, much better than the day before, felt great and had fun. nice.

Event: Boulder Dash 2007
 

I'm adding this race from work, and I didn't bring my maps with me or anything, just seems like CSU will have more training hours if I post the stuff that I do on weekends sometimes :)

I pre-ran this race, which meant that Brendan and I (and Lori) got to the race site super-early on Satuday. We hopped a ride with the Olafsens and Loki tried to get me excited about racing by jumping all over me. He needn't have worried, I was already psyched up, and I felt great. I very quickly realized that the woods were not going to be great running; I felt like I was working incredibly hard and pushing through green woods the entire way to the first control. I also was off my line by the time I approached the circle, and luckily I was aware enough that I could read the features and relocate without much hesitation. slightly frustrated I redoubled my efforts and again felt like I was just throwing myself at a wall of green. And again, I wasn't keeping to my bearings at all. On the fourth control I decided to go straight because I was skeptical that the white woods were really going to be white, and I wasn't going to add distance.... I ended up way right on my line, and ended up finding myself on the indistinct trail behind the control. Yikes. felt like I was pulling things back together, and actually running okay through the woods until control #10. I was checking things off just fine, and I think I just shut my brain off at a crucial juncture, and when I came out to a bit of rocky ground it looked a lot like a cliff to me. I then spent what appears to be 5 minutes trying to figure out where this cliff fit into things. I wandered quite a lot, and was pretty wimpy about trying to relocate ( should have run up the hill when I knew I was lost and started over again), things finally fit and I found the control but saw Brendan making his way to it at the same time. I blasted out to the next one ( thinking how hard it was going to be to shake Brendan now that he was with me) and had no issues on 11. Took the road to 12, but still messed up in the woods near the bag so that Brendan was back on my tail again coming out of there. ran as hard as I could out to the road on the way to 13, and was way right of my line again, and ended up with a much harder attack on the control than I would have liked ( and Brendan was just coolly going straight to all these so he was keeping pace quite easily). ran through the swamp with Brendan to 14 ( cursing quite a lot at how hard the running was) and finally got away on the way to 15, spiking 15, 16, and running hard on the way in.

legs felt perfectly fine ( rolled my ankle a little though) and felt like I had pushed hard but not run a smart enough race.

super light backpack, but felt very blah running. I think that I'm basically just bored with this route, and especially bored with all the stop lights that I have to wait for. I raced a guy up the hill in front of BC, he beat me but it still gave me a little energy to finish the run off with.

was daydreaming about getting CSU orienteering socks made and possible designs for a CSU tiomila tshirt.

C • CSU get-up 3

CSU training. Beginning of the new era CSU trainings, meaning that we aren't trying to make it into the woods while it's still light out anymore. Brendan planned for us to meet at the MIT track at 7, which meant that I could get there on time.

we ran 800s at 3 minute pace, with a 400 jog of rest. I felt incredibly good for these, suspect that i should perhaps have been running a slightly faster interval... but was more fun to run with Brendan anyways.

I was feeling very sleepy before running today, and then after running woke up a lot. nice when that happens :)

running home after work. Way way too much in my backpack tonight. I gave a presentation so I had nice clothes ( nice clothes just seem to weigh more) and lots of stuff from CVS in the pack. I felt very heavy and slow, but it must have been all mental because I ran about the same speed. My legs hurt a bit more tonight, but that might be a cumulative effect of the weekend (racing at 110% is pretty sweet actually) and the past couple days on the roads.

after the run I had to rush to get ready for my girlfriend's secret-sister's secret birthday dinner at an undisclosed location. I got anchovies on my Bertucci's Caesar salad. mmmm.

C • secret society 4