Training Log Archive: Charlie

Event: DVOA Fall Orienteering Festival
 

Brown X course at French Creek. Map to follow, perhaps when I get home.

Inauspicious start on a large jeep trail, with the first control 100m+ down the trail in a white course sort of way. Somehow it seemed to met that #1 on the map was the start, and that I was heading for #2. Funny how the mind can work. Anyway, snapped out of it by the time I got to the real #1 and punched it. Apparently not everyone was so lucky. Picked up intermittent trail for a bit on the way to 2, but having a bit of trouble finding it, until the shape of the land and a patch of green pushed me left and into the control. Then 3 was fine, arrived there just behind George Minarik. George was walking and I was proceeding in a way that more or less felt like running, but it took me a long time to catch up to him, then across the rocky ridge and down the other side, pace counting, and tripping over and over on sticks and the like. Went what seemed far enough, casting about for the sharpish reentrant that held the control, but not finding it. So I wandered a bit to the right, coming eventually to a very sharp reentrant, so now I knew where I was, although not happy about it. Turned back and shortly took a very hard fall, stubbing, twisting and otherwise mangling my R big toe. One of those things that hurts like hell, but usually feels better after a while. Except it didn't. Instead it kept feeling worse, and soon I could only walk, and walk with a lot of difficulty. Took me a couple more passes to find #4, twice relocating off the trail bend, and even finding #5 in my travels. In too much pain to be thinking clearly. Saw Leslie and Janet when I was finally getting near 4. Hobbled off to 5, getting there a bit after Leslie. Struggled up the hill, with Mary Jo zipping past as we got to 6, and by then clear that I would only be walking, and walking slowly and painfully. A long time on compass heading over to 7, not quite hitting it right on, but finding the cup depression 100m or so away, slogging along toward it, the relatively speedy Janet heading uphill to consider a control on a rock pile, while I was headed the right way, but she turned back and got there well before me. Saw her from time to time on the way to 8, faster and to the left. After that she disappeared quickly. Met up with Leslie again after 8. By then I was thinking that just walking in would have been a good plan, but I was curious to find the remaining controls, and pretty sure I wouldn't make things any worse, so slogging along on compass, hit 9 pretty much right on, and then eventually to 10, stopping to look at a pit along the way. Leslie was with me at 10, too. Nice to have company. Then in and back to the car to survey the damage, and to accept the help of my good friends. Gail got me an ice pack from the first aid guys, Phil brought me a sandwich, Leslie plied me with a drink and some fruit.

Map and route.

C • "Relatively speedy" 18

French Creek - Day 1 BrownX - Splits

A very pleasant ride down to Pottstown with Peter, Gail and Phil. Phil regaling us with stories from his 3 and a half hour faculty meeting, the reason, more or less, for our latish departure. Phil has a wonderful delivery, explaining to us the nuances of voting on tenure for an aspiring professor, the subtleties of whether his research might be considered strong, or excellent, or something else; the wisdom of crafting one's vote to be other than the ultimate desired result, because the game is so complex. Phil earnest, matter of fact. The rest of the occupants of the car choking with laughter. Quite a good time.

A pleasant dinner along the way, and then at the Comfort Inn, crawling with orienteers, those seen not in a while, and those seen last week. Short visits in the lobby with the illustrious SaraMae, with Peter Goodwin, Mike Minium and some juniors - turned over some o shoes that may fit one of those juniors. Chatted up j-man and the lovely triple double, and Nick Barrable, he of Compass Sport. A fine orienteer, whom we met this summer when he stayed in the same apt building in Pragelato.

And then up to bed. Very tired, not bothered at all by my new roommate Phil staying up reading.

Posted my maps from the weekend's courses at Pacheco SP. Pretty dreary navigational work on my part.

Saturday middle distance


Sunday ultra long

dog loop with R&S. Colder weather came in while we were away.

R,L,S,F,B with Rhonda

Long travel day. Up at 2:30, left at 4 from Sebastopol. SFO-DCA-BDL. Got home at 7:15 pm. About 10 minutes before Zack arrived, always a cheery situation.

On the creek trail behind Kathy's house, heading W out for an hour, then turning back. With Rhonda. The trail is dead flat, which is a bit harder than rolling hills for me.

RLSFB, with Rhonda in Kathy's back yard.

Brown Ultra Long at Pacheco. Mass start. I knew enough about my conditioning and general physical level that I had no trouble executing my strategy right from the start - let them go. Dennis had been worried about the whole race being run in a pack, but I knew I couldn't be part of any pack. So muddled along on the way to 1, seeing lots of people in front, of course on a variety of courses. Stayed on the road a good ways, then cut across some spurs and right in. Saw some people ahead who had come along the ridge line, also a very good route. Down left of the pond and up the opposite side, trying to hang onto Gary Kraght, but falling a bit behind, finally catching up near the control. Then had what turned out to be a good route to 3, seeing quite a bit of Rich Parker. Straightish to 4, ending up going right through the medium green, which was pretty diffuse bushy stuff and no real obstacle to passage. Amazed to see Dennis there, as I had thought he was at least several minutes ahead. As it turns out, we were ahead of everybody except Brian Ellis. By the time we got to the aid station, we were in a pack of 6 or 8 (described by the aid station person as the peloton). On the way to 6, they streamed out in front, some going uphill early to the right. I stayed low and climbed the last slope, all alone until I got close to the control, where I was only about 25 M behind Dennis again.

Back down toward the road, but reluctant to cross the fence for actual road running, then angled up over the last two spurs. A little uncertain, thought I was still low, but all of a sudden I was in a pack near a control, which I think was the green one. So then I was convinced I was low and climbed way too high. In fact, I had already been too high. Hard to see how I did that, but I did. Headed back down, but then was stopped by someone yelling for help from above, so started back up, but then he said no, keep going. Waffled for a bit, then back down, could see the right thicket from a distance, but a lot of climbing and about 13 minutes lost. And that is where I had just had it, too tired and too sore to be thinking clearly. Instead of going down to the road and around to 8 (a fine route), or up to the trail, also fine, I climbed and tried to go straightish, but had trouble following any kind of a line. Got very hung up in the stripy green, much worse than the dark green had been. Not sure if I was going to end up in a poison oak thicket, so backed out and went down to my left, got confused going across spurs, and got more focused on my very sore R achilles than on where I was going. I was much higher than I realized pretty much the whole time. Finally and mercifully hit a fence, learning that I was about 250M away from where I thought I was. Limped back downhill and found #8 (another 10 min or so lost), then limped back up and across, contouring a bit, eventually to the road, up to the fence junction and then to the control. Just slow. A fairly straight line from there to #10. Matej went by like a shot, saying hi as he motored past.

So probably half an hour lost between the mistakes at 7 and 8 and the death march to 9 and 10. Still a nice course and a beautiful day.

Map.

Not sure what to make of my physical condition. I am kind of beyond any kind of useful training at this point.

C • Float tank in the future? 2

C • Pacheco 7

In the parking lot, waiting for the awards ceremony. R, L, S, B. No forearm, as the gravelly stuff wasn't that inviting for my forearms. Thought I had found a quiet little spot, but Ian stopped by and recorded some of my effort. Nice to see Ian out there. Oslug was also at the meet, seems to be everywhere these days. Nice to see her as well.

US Ultralong 2013 Brown - Splits