Training Log Archive: Charlie

Team trials, special green course for feeble onlookers not up to the mega red and blue long courses. 1:15000 map, just to make it more interesting. Peter was working the start, and looking forward to my reaction when I found out it was 1:15000. I think I disappointed him by not expressing enough distress. "Would it help?" I asked.

Despite developing a plan and thinking I was doing more or less the right thing, I did lose contact on the way to 1, but eventually came to the top of a substantial cliff.not all that far north of the control. Seemed likely that I was in fact where I thought I was, so skedaddled down and punched in. I lost some time, but just hesitating and studying the map. Don't think I wandered much.

Karen M passed me on the way to 2. She was walking and I thought I was jogging, but I certainly couldn't keep up. 2 was easy enough, just get to the trail and then head S keeping the marsh on my left. Past the marsh on the other side, heading up to the EW trail and crossing it, angling up to the trail up the big hill. Somehow I got ahead of Karen and we arrived together at what seemed to be the right place to leave the trail. So many little knolls with cliffs on them! I think we were just one bump north of it, but she and Mitch C started exploring further north, and I hung with them for a while until I just went back where I started and found the little bump with the flag, losing about 6 or so minutes in the process. Then 4 was easy, except I kept getting pushed R by the terrain, finally crossing the marsh at the narrow point just N of 6. From there I could just go up the spur and hit it right on, aware of the marsh through the trees on the right.

Map and route.

More later.

C • exploring at #3 2

Long Green - Splits

Event: Senior Team USA Trials
 

Red Sprint at Team Trials. Apparently DSQd. There is a tiny strip of green just before the finish on the map, and there is a hedge on the ground, but with about a 3 foot wide gap in it. Not that I was really looking at the map, but rather chasing Steve Richardson to the finish. He apparently jumped the hedge somewhere left of where I went through and was DSQd. I didn't realize until later that I had also crossed the green.

Generally things were pretty small for me to read on the map, and not really possible in most places without coming to a complete stop. Only one real error other than the DSQ, leaving 16 and planning to go around the S of the building, I went around the building further south as well and was running along S, when I wanted to have gone E and then N. Had to stop and figure out where I was, so that was worth about 2 minutes.

To add insult, my Garmin track got garbled and downloads only a race from 2 months ago.

The map.

C • Wait, what?!? 14

Sprint Red - Splits

working out with Eric. My back is less painful than it has been since the February incident, although I still feel pretty vulnerable.

With Rhonda, from PV. Felt a little stress in the R quad, so good we kept it short. The back is feeling pretty good, though.

C • So the reason to return on ... 2

Feeling a bit subdued and logy after the shot yesterday, but this wasn't so bad, and overall easier at the somewhat slower pace. I was being extra careful of the back, not pushing the pace at all.

C • shot 1

stretching and strengthening with Eric. A long road.

Splits: 2:12.5, 2:11.9, 2:09.2, 2:04.4

This feels so hard. It is difficult to picture stretching this out to 5K, which seems to be my preferred winter distance.

Second spinal injection this afternoon. This is generally a pretty easy procedure to undergo, doesn't hurt, only takes a few minutes. When I got up to go, however, my first steps were a bit unsure, so I got stashed in the waiting room to sit for 10 minutes or so. Now that I am home, I feel a bit tired and woozy, not so different from when I had the last one about 5 or 6 weeks ago. This one was lower, at the L4-L5 level, and more toward the mid-line.

Fastest time since I started up again after my back episode began around 1 February. Felt hard. Breathing hard at the end.

Splits 2:13.4, 2:07.7, 2:06.6, 2:02.5

C • Leading the way... 2

Event: Forage the Farm
 

Green course at Muscoot Farm. BillD was kind enough to drive, a very enjoyable outing on a very hot day. I was chastened enough by my last few outings in the heat to take it very easy, and that seemed to work well. Hot and sweaty, but not too depleted by the experience. Mostly walking, but some jogging. A couple of lapses with the compass where I was having trouble keeping on a line, but not real difficulty finding controls.

Saw a bunch of Rich N between about 2 and 6, then again when I was on the way to 11 and a bit off line, and he was heading from 8 to 9 and well off line. Saw Jim H leaving 12 ahead of me, and got passed by Andis around then. He was motoring, as is often the case. A very pleasant outing.

Map and route.

Green - Splits