Training Log Archive: andrea balakova

Checking control locations for the Sage Stomp Sprint. The area got hit by some wind and all the trees eaten by pine beetle are down. Changing the map around some controls and changing slightly the courses.
The worse situation is around the start and finish, the courses are pleasant. Now, the controls are placed on existing features, that should help :)

Jog with Anina and Anna (and Luna of course) before a party at Susanne's house, hot tub etc.
trail up to the viewpoint over Seymour valley, BP the rest
7

Ran to the school to attend part of full faculty meeting first. Then ran to Princess Park, placed some flags and did some more running with the juniors.
6

First Junior Session in Princess Park with Meghan, John and Karen.
Fun!
Felt like full park with orienteers. Had 23 or so today (plus some parents) and will end up probably with 25.
Have international group this year, should do a relay using different flags...
For sure a few names to remember for the future national team, so far only 11 or 12, 13 years old
One boy came all the way from Edgemont village on his scooter, ran all our exercises and left on the scooter home.
Others running, running again, running more and still smiling.
Did not listen to comments yet, but love the beginner explanation of the cliff symbol (black line with spikes).
What do you do if you get lost? Shout very loud:I am lost!
Do you want to run more, you can pick up the pin flags from warm-up?! Yes, my dad (who followed him the whole time) needs some exercise.
After the fist and very basic explanation of symbols I went for run and stopped on random places asking: What is that? They answered yellow! Me:but what is it? Yellow... Me: you speak just like an orienteer. But what is it? An open, grassy area of course...

Wet at Robert Burnaby Park by Thomas. Two loops, decided to do both of them in the end, but walked too much in the second one. Hilly, muddy and started with Louise, Graeme and Magnus who are a bit too fast for me...Kept with Magnus for a few controls (now I am reading that he took it easy at the beginning).
6.6

Light run around Cat Lake twice and a bit more. My leg was complaining about the intensity, so sit at the lake and counted loops for Rachel.
3.6

Hiked the back trail to the second peak of the Chief with Rachel and Luna, ran some parts on the way down. I forgot how huge these rocks and boulders are.
6

Some bouldering with Louise at the bottom of the Chief. Luna was watching us...

Four Lake Loop in Alice Lake Prov. Park with Rachel and Luna. Very pretty and balanced loop.
7

One hour of running in the woods in Smoke Bluffs area with Rachel and Luna. Had no idea which way to go, but ended up on some main trail and made it back to the parking, added 40 minutes on some flat and very pretty nature trails down in the valley.
9

Biked to Barnet Marine Park to do some mapping over there and meet with Magnus on his way from work. Got hit by a car on the way, biking in the bike lane, car coming out of some car wash place. Thanks God I saw it happening and evacuated the bike the right way, pretty much jumped on the car and let the bike continue its way, landed on the front window and only hit my leg "the healthy one". Bike got a bigger hit. It was completely his fault. Made the guy put up my chain at least and left over the bridge, do not even remember the uphill part how high my heart rate was.
18*0.33=6

C • glad you're OK 4

Core with the Grid and massage

Easy jog with Luna, Varley trail, Rice Lake entrance, Suspension Bridge.
Trying if I can finally stop resting.

Biked to Luna's house and back in the morning. Later to Stanley park for WET. Very strong wind on the Lion's gate bridge from the ocean made it pretty hard.
22*0.33=7.3

Wet in Stanley park by George and Jeremy. An exercise forcing us to read control descriptions. Took it easy.
3.6*1.5=5.4

Micro-o with many controls in the circle and only one was the right one. Had to slow down every time to read it right. Good exercise.
1.2

Jogged the middle distance at Pacheco Pass with some walking sections. I guess everyone walked a bit because it was quite uphill and hot!!! I liked the course, but am missing running speed and fitness at the moment. Enjoyed to be on the course. A feeling of a very large o-event for North America. Nice to talk to all these people.
5*1.5=7.5

Pictures from the trip
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magjoh/sets/721576263...

Red Middle - Splits

Event: US Interscholastic & US Intercollegiate Championships
 

Sprint at Casa de Fruta somewhere close to Pacheco Pass, south of San Jose. Jogged the course to save my foot and leg and the rest of my "falling apart" body. Enjoyed, but what was that for course planning? First control confusing and some controls just a run across a parking lot. Pretty good map. I was not last even if I was pretty slow.
3.9

Long Sprint - Splits

San Francisco by foot. Hours and hours of walking in the parks, following the coast and in the town as well. I think we walked a marathon yesterday. My leg and foot somehow holding on, but still not sure about any running on the weekend.

Walking a part of an orienteering course when Magnus, Jonas and Kyle were running it. Very steep over here.

The fact that my muscle still hurts is a really good thing for GVOC, I get to organize so many events these days...
Spent the day organizing race for the cadets in Maple Ridge, the place I met Magnus for the first time five years ago pretty much on the day.
I should stop resting, my body is showing different issues when resting too much.

Ski-o organizing at Cypress, full service from the mountain. I got in on Snowmobile, a worker from the mountain started a fire in the stove for us, got a table and chairs ready and picked me and the O -gear up after the race. How often do you get a ride on snowmobile while organizing an orienteering race? On top of that they gave us a few downhill tickets as draw prizes,.. just the coffee delivery was missing. Fun! I do not know what to answer when someone is very helpful and keeps asking what else we need or should bring for us. That does not usually happen at our races. Go Cypress! We have to create a tradition of this event.

Faster hike in Lynn/Seymour Valley with Anina and Luna.
Offffff for two weeks! It would help if my leg decided to feel better.
More mapping, almost done with my second map (the domino one), found a few fun features.

Just finished my first mapping project - Victoria Park as an adding to Magnus's map of the Lonsdale Quay.
I am a "Czech mapper", very picky and over mapping... good for a micro-o.
By the way, the map looks like sunglasses. The next one I am going to do looks like domino. My dream job is to be an orienteering bum, so Ocad skills required.

Walked the WET at Central Park

Bike ride to Hydraulic Creek and back to explore some old and non-existing tiny trail with big trees. Found 4 big trees, found a small trail to South Needles which supposed to be much worse than Grouse Grind and has marking made by NS Rescue team. The Weather in Lynn Valley is changing every five minutes. It went from freezing fingers to sunbath in the garden and hails right after that.
4

Core with the Grid. Made Magnus to do that as well.

Swimming at West Van pool with my friends/colleagues. Sauna, Hot Tub... actually the entry to the fitness room upstairs is included in the price. Next time.