Training Log Archive: vmeyer

Event: QOC College Park
 

Walk to start. Wanted to turn around about three times, especially when swarmed when standing still.

FR distance was 4.24 miles with 302 m climb.

S-1: Only pulled 45 degrees to the right to start today and recovered much sooner. No error time shown.

1-2: Working on being careful, so this was the best split for the day at 14th.

2-3: Being careful, or actually being SMART goes flying out of the window as I descend a steep, rocky scary route from the top. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Kind of shaken after I get to the bottom but find 3 easily enough.

3-4: With the recent experience in my head, I go down the spur to find an easier way down to the next control. Execute the descent well for the first half but again end up in a steeper area. Get down that in one piece, then around the lake, running into a confused PG and actually find the control ahead of him as he relocates off of the road. I took twice as long to get to the control, but PG has the error time, and I do not. :)

4-5: And, then he was gone in a flash! Have to admire how speedy he was, if this is his slowed down pace.

5-6: Another 90 degree error, since I was aiming for the marsh west of the control. Sort it out, though only after avoiding the concertina wire and also mispunching #38.

6-7: Another adventure in poor compass but manage to sort it out and find the control, though only after adding some more climb to the total.

8-9: Pleased with the route choice for this one until I got to the bottom of the hill and looked up. Once I got up there, I walked by the tiny rootstock and only saw the bag tucked into the hole when glancing back over my shoulder. 16th best split.

9-10: Back done ANOTHER steep hill.

10-11: Road to trail and into the control, which seemed like it should be right there, but of course, it is up another big hill. Making matters worse, there was an unmarked trail, so when I got to the small trail, I started looking for the control there. Up and down a couple of times until I was finally where everyone else was. Mary Jo sees me and ask if I was looking for 90, and I said yes, but I am trying to decide if I want to go up there or not. She asks if I had gotten all of the other controls, and I say yes, to which she says something like, well up you go, no use quitting now. So, up I go with Mary Jo behind me. Seemed strange that she was not in total race mode, but it she had some errors. So, we punched the control, and I sat on the bare rock looking out over the pond and chatted/vented for about two minutes, and then went off to finish the course.

11-12: Turn down the trail and MJ asks me if I really want to go that way. Had the same plan but I was about to do a 180. Off to the water pit, though we are little high. Error time on this control because of sitting on the rock after punching.

12-F: Down to the trail, and then I run for the first time all weekend trying to get MJ in the chute. It was a tie.

Water and the finish and then a nice walk back to the parking with MJ and Starr. Hosed my head off in the camp pump. Ahhh!

About 15 minutes in error and ~20 minutes in fitness.

Physically, I am happy to get through the weekend in one piece, except for sore body parts and three burst blisters.

I would have liked to have talked more to people this weekend, but I was having trouble keeping up my side of the conversation. I found myself just walking away. I think maybe want I think of as my orienteering identity is too closely tied to the electronic punching side of things, so I don't know what to talk about when I am not behind the desk.

Thanks to everyone for the hugs!

Brown X day 2 - Splits

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

Brisk walk to the start - chatting with the Domonies.

Advertised distance was 5k w/ 105m climb (way too long for a Brown WP course) - FR says actual was 5.191 miles with 336 m climb.



S-1: Did a 90 out of the start and was fighting my compass, trying to convince it that I was going in the correct direction. Crossed enough of a wet spot that I was sure everything was fine. Turns out I was over visiting in vicinity of Brown Y #1. Caused some of those folks to scratch their heads for sure. :) I finally made a big enough circle around that it got me close enough to the road that I could figure out where I was. Then to the control but missed seeing it because the bag was faded. Back to it as Peter and a train dropped down from above and punched ahead of me. 30+ minutes lost.

Should have followed my first instinct and gone back through the start to the road and around.

1-4: Settled in and carefully made my way around.

4-5: Ugh! Route choice poor. Should have gone straight. Met up with Barb D at the control.

5-6: Was going to take the trail around but my feet were hurting and felt better in the woods. So, after a bit of a debate, I bashed into rhododendrons and nailed the control. Best splits of the day (10th).

6-7: Not a horrible leg but should have gone to the road and trail since I was just fighting through low veg. Lifted my foot high to stomp on a blueberry bush in frustration, and within a foot of me a wild turkey whooshes up and flies away - we screeched in tandem.

7-8: Finally #8 is the water control, and I am looking forward to it. However, I bash through the worst of the green/swamp and then parallel the trail instead of finding the trail, wasting time along the way and starting to stumble around. Break out the GU knowing that water won't be far behind. Get to the control location, and it is on the top of a huge bare rock and boulder, some look out point with buzzards flying overhead. Getting up was hard, but I did it unaided. Getting down was sketchier and I ended up with my legs in an awkward position but managed to get down in one piece. Felt sorry for the even less nimble people who had to tackle that control. Cool site, but not on an O course. Should have carried water, since it is often a hit or miss at this event, as well as the fact that my navigation is often a hit or miss. No water until 2 hours in for me, which was about 3.5 k into the course.

8-9: On the trail and thought I would see it, which I wouldn't have because it was on the other side of the hilltop. But, had switched in my mind that I was going to 10. Checked the code and back to 9.

9-10: And then back to 10. Knew where it was - 15th split, second best one of the day.

10-11: Descent out of 10 is scary work, even on the trail.

11-12: Yay! More climb.

12-13-F: Finally done.

Brutal, physical course, though I felt strong through the blueberries and even took this as a route choice a couple of times, gaining time on my competition, or so I thought at the time, and a little motivation is good at times.

Time loss is ~40 minutes in error and probably ~20 in fitness. Two hundred pounds is not easy to carry around, though my breathing was never really an issue. Oh, I was breathing hard, but I guess I mean that my asthma was in control.

It has been almost two years since I have toed the line as a regular competitor at a national event, so my expectations were pretty low - don't get hurt and find all of the controls, and I reached those goals Foot held up fairly well, though I have three blisters contact points in the shoe. But, I never wanted to quit because I was in extreme pain.

Roger enjoyed the day, and we had a nice dinner with Sandy after.

C • Wow...wild route to 1 2

Brown X Day 1 - Splits

Walked around NYC with Roger. Keeping a slow pace is harder than walking faster. Feet in such pain by the end of the day - nine hours later. But, this was Roger's day...a small price to pay for him being an O widow many other days of the year.

Travel day to NYC. Had a fleeting thought at 5 am that I would go to the pool at 5:30 and get a swim in. Hah! Not happening.

Staff meeting at the central office, so grabbed my bike at lunchtime so I could ride over to the meeting instead of walking. Mostly just needed the motivation to ride to work. What a beautiful day to be outside.

Ride to the central office the long way.

Had 60 seconds of face time with my supervisor before the meeting - first time we have seen each other in six months. This seems wrong somehow, but I am not complaining.

C • Nice! 1

Pretty tired and didn't want to attempt riding up the hill, but I figured - quitter can't get better, so up I went. Tried to change to lower gears but the front ring was stuck because of the accumulated grit from Saturday. Had to stand up or fall over, and as I stood up, the gear switched, and I almost fell over anyway. Determined at that point to keep going, and with lungs burning, I made it to the top! WooHoo!

Felt like the egg sandwich I ate too close to swimming was a lead weight. Glad I only planned on 50 today. It seemed like I was barely moving along at the end. Perhaps still tired from the weekend too.

So sore today - hip area and core. Yeah for a rest day.