Training Log Archive: JanetT

Event: HVO chase start, classic distance
 

RouteGadget for Mountain Lakes

Non-chase Green B course at Mountain Lakes set by HVO's Niels Lyng-Olsen (spelling corrected), 5.6 km, 190m climb. I took it easy, partly because it's longer and steeper than I normally do, and partly because I'm still somewhat stuffed up from a cold this past week. Legs felt heavy near the end. I didn't feel like running at all except on bigger trails and roads (and I was rarely on smaller trails for more than a few steps). Slightly warmer than yesterday; low to mid 40s and overcast.

I couldn't/didn't want to run much to the first control between rocks and downed trees, but just tried to keep a steady pace near the line. No problem with #1 and 2, then on my way to 3 decided to stay between the two road/trail route choices, so again, the footing wasn't always easy. Got higher than I intended in the stone wall area so ended up approaching it from above instead of below as planned.

Mostly straight to 6 but some of the terrain didn't look as distinct as mapped; a bit hesitant near the control.

Hardly saw anyone out there (someone near #1 and 6, and then again in the diamond forking section 7-8-9-10-11), which was a function of not doing the chase. ;-) So I got to navigate almost completely on my own.

Green B - Splits

Event: WCOC Ansonia Nature Center--NRE
 

Brown national ranking course, middle distance, at Ansonia Nature Center in CT. Beautiful woods here, as always, save for some small sections of barberry near wetlands, mostly avoidable. 2.5 km, 1:7500 map upper 30s and sunny.

No problems finding the controls when I was close, but on routes in between on the longer legs (2 and 4) I was sometimes unsure where I was.

Leaving #1 I followed the stone wall for a ways and then crossed the water at what I hoped was the narrowest point of barberry, and shortly thereafter hit a trail which I took toward the left. What I hadn't realized is that there was a trail S of the fenced area that made a turn; I could and did jog a bit. When I hit the junction (I was expecting a Y) there was a control nearby and I realized it was on a feature ENE of where I expected to be, and then I knew exactly where I was and continued along to the correct Y jct before turning in the direction of the control. A bit of extra distance and uncertainty en route.

Leaving 3 I intended to head mostly due north reading the features and while I went where I intended, the mapped green wasn't as prominent as I expected so I wasn't quite sure where I crossed it, but ended up south of the feature-covered hill hoping that's where I actually was. Sure enough, after passing east of the hill I turned NW and found the boulder. Hesitant travel but otherwise okay on this leg.

The rest was pretty straightforward and fun. On the trail between #7 and 8, I saw two fellows pulling something behind them; turned out to be a cart with a (presumably dead) deer in it... it's bow hunting season.

I think a map correction needs to be made S of #1 (outside the circle) where there's a narrow line crossing a reentrant...it's not a trail and not a cliff, but there *is* a short (20m?) stone wall in the terrain that crosses that reentrant and continues to the next, S of the mapped cliff. (Also--this didn't affect me--there's an odd hockey-stick-shaped line west of Brown #7...what is that?)

#5th on Brown when we left, a couple minutes behind Charlie. Don't plan to do the chase start tomorrow, and maybe will do a longer course at Mountain Lakes just to enjoy those woods.

C • hockey stick 5

Brown - Splits

Focus: shoulders

Fun ride at Nockamixon, temp around 58-60F and partly sunny.

Second time I've ridden my bike there, and first time since the leaves fell off the trees!

Started out taking the "road" (more of a ride, with grass and mud) NW from parking up to the Hammer Trail loop, and then inland on that one to see the carved stump (with a Green Man face), looping through the learning/playground section just beyond the stump, and then back on upper Cold Spot to the turn near parking.

Then a partial loop on Haycock Run, continuing onto the lakeside part of Eastern Woods as far as Jaywalk (crossing the Sidewalk, but doing some walking there where it crosses a stream), to the junction where Glen was resting; and then back the way I came, doing a loop of Haycock Run again before heading back to the car.

I could tell my quads were stronger than the last time I was here, getting me farther up short steeps (though I still had to hop off the bike in a few places, and at one climb I dropped the bike but stayed upright) and across many of the stream crossings (some muddy).

When I rode Hammer Trail before, leaves were on all the trees, but now the woods are wide open and you could see a *long* way...totally different experience!

Skipped yoga today because of the head cold that started Friday night. Sat night my throat was very sore, and Sun/Mon is the runny nose stage. Maybe this will be a short-lived one!