Training Log Archive: fpb

Wow! Third overall, first master's, and the Trifecta Cup! Gary M. and I really did well. Given our limited breaks, I thought we might have reached the magic 100 km, but it was only 80 - less than my other two 24-hour events, but much more efficient.

It's going to take a while to describe 36 controls...

24 - I've found it's calming to start things off with a close, easy control that no one else seems interested in. It ensures an uncrowded experience. We never found the ride indicated on the map (something that would be generally true throughout the event), but the control itself was easy.

65 - Since the circle was over the west end of a stone wall, it didn't even occur to me to look at the clue sheet. But the clue was "SE inside corner of shallow hill", the first of several descriptions that seemed like bad Eastern European translations. We only found it because there were a few teams here (probably coming from 57) and they were making a lot of noise. This let us know we had to keep an open mind about control placement, something Gary would later prove to be very good at. (The "shallow hill" was a closed contour about 500x100 meters, not even a hill by Florida standards)

57 - The FLT took us past the first of what would be many CCC dams, then a small stream led us easily to the control. We were able to walk across mud flats without sinking; this was going to be a dry 24 hours.

52 - Walking down John Smith Road, we wondered why the roads around here have both first and last names. No good theories. We missed the wall on the first attack - must have been just to the west, even though we aimed for middle - unless the wall was intermittent. Turned around at the top of the hill and got it immediately. A bit disappointing but we would really only make one mistake worse than this the rest of the time.

31 - Good use of contours to get us close enough that I could pick out the small clearing from a difference in light quality through the foliage.

62 - Took the safe, less direct route to the ruined Camp Pharsalia gates, then followed the marsh and stream edges.

6 controls in under 3 hours. 2 per hour means 48 in 24 hours - obviously unsustainable, but it seemed like we should be able to keep this pace at least until dark. More tomorrow.

20 - Easily skirted the SW corner of the camp, but had a bit of trouble finding the control, since "end of guardrail at road junction" was ambiguous. We should have looked at the first possibility we came to, because that was the right one. Already there wasn't much water left here, a bad omen.

76 - Stone walls and a stream made this one of the easiest of the day.

45 - Came out onto George White Road at the exact right spot, but then headed north. When we passed a house I voted to turn around but Gary was fixated on contours. 200 m later he agreed, so we came in from the east and then the north. Worst navigation of the event but not too much time lost. Saw three other teams on the way out.

42 - Mostly roads and then a direct east bearing to the property corner.

70 - Three parallel streams, two shown with marshes at their sources. We attacked from the east (bad choice) and ended up at the northernmost stream, the one without a marsh, though there was still a hint of one. After a bit of confusion Gary elected to head south and spiked the control - well done!

67 - Long downhill through some occasional thick stuff, but no trouble. Got to eat a few blackberries. Took a long break at 67 ("dinner"?) and debated whether 28 was worth it. It was.

28 - First encounter with truly dense contour lines (downhill for us), but no trouble.

39 - Spotting an entrance to the cemetery from the east, I said something like "we can attack from above", which brought a stare from a South Otselic resident. The control itself had no water - only 3 jugs were placed here (!?). No matter, there was an ice cream shop and a store just down the block. If either had a grill I might even indulge some cooked food.

But alas, the ice cream shop was closed, and so was the store, and so was the gas station across the street. Gary had just enough change to get a $2 Pepsi. Teens on a golf cart were racing around picking up signs - some kind of festival or supper had just ended, possibly the reason everything else was closed, and we just missed it. My streak of never successfully making a store purchase during a rogaine would remain intact.

With almost 200 m of climb to our next control, I needed to fill up. Yes, there was the stagnant-looking Otselic River, but with all the houses around, surely there must be a hose? We passed a church with a sign, "Only Jesus can quench a thirsty soul". I was willing to take my chances with water. We walked around the Grange Hall, then completely around the middle school - nothing. Maybe I would have to last until the stream below 68? We started climbing, and right as the village turned into countryside, there it was: an old-fashioned pump in the front yard of a recently-abandoned house. Hooray!

Still happy with the progress to this point, though the amount of unproductive time was beginning to creep upward.

Event: CNYO Rogaine XXII
 

Controls: 24-65-57-52-31-62-20-76-45-42-70-67-28-39-68-61-56-36-69-30-51-77-64-25-40-22-48-37-26-46-33-66-83-53-21-38. Total 1728

Testing out the new shoes for the rogaine.

Pretty sore from sprinting - a few upper-leg muscles I've never felt before. Will take it very easy Thurs & Fri.

Warmup/cooldown. Except a cooldown is impossible in these temperatures.

400 m in 62.9 in 98 degree heat. Good enough for the master's win.

Another PR (another first-time event), again top masters.

Hoping to not be sore tomorrow