Training Log Archive: JanetT

Event: New England Championships
 

New England Champs day 1, Brown X course (same as M65, and others); 4.1 km, 135m climb. Willard Brook St Forest near Townsend, MA.

Temp was around 50 when we got up this morning, but warmed up some as we drove to the meet site. It was probably in the low 60s when I went out at 10:40, and near 70 when we left. Cloudy or partly cloudy most of the time. It was soooo nice to chat and catch up with people we hadn't seen in over a year, though some of them somewhat delayed my heading to the start such that I arrived right on time to clear/check and get my map. :-D (My fault as much as theirs...)

I didn't plan to run, even on trails, anywhere, mostly to avoid tripping on anything (roots and rocks in the trails) and damaging anything more than is already damaged. I did jog the last few feet from the bridge into the finish punches at the end of the course, because there was a photographer (Clint, maybe?). But I tried to hustle on the trails, and did the best I could to stay focused on the heavy-navigation legs, particularly 4, 5, and 6. The primary difficulties around those controls were the medium green to access them (all three were in areas mapped as light green or white, surrounded by medium green which was largely mountain laurel. I picked my way very carefully from white blob to white blob between 5 and 6, and then headed downhill from the big cliffs through some smaller rocky area to hit the stream south and west of the hilltop control. I heard some noise behind me and it was Glen catching up (he started 22 minutes behind me) and passing me. We both were on an unmapped trail that took us to the foot of a clear hilltop SE of the control; as I arrived Glen was headed back towards me and said that wasn't the right hill, but then he turned around and we both then corrected to head WNW, and I never saw him again (until after the finish).

The last 4 were easier and in less med. green, so it was just a matter fo going as fast as I could (while not running) on the trails.

Rt leg felt pretty good (relative to a week ago) but I took a hiking pole with me to help with hills, staying balanced getting over logs, and staying upright while descending the rocky areas. I tucked it under my arm on the trails.

Tomorrow should be more of the same. Thanks, J-J!

BrownX 1 - Splits

Model course for New England Champs at Willard Brook State Forest in MA. After a 5.5 hour drive with three stops, we arrived just before 3 PM and parked near Janet F and David H who had arrived a few minutes before us. We chatted for a bit, catching up on the past number of months. As we were getting ready, Charlie D & Rhonda and George and Leslie M drove out having arrived earlier; we also saw Alar R. I didn't bring a HR strap, so the wrist HR readings are suspect.

We then went to check out the control sites and mapping. Good to do, to see how the levels of green are mapped and the size of the mapped boulders, and the subtlety of the contours (lots of form lines). I visited controls mostly near the trails: 8, then 3 and 4, 7, and 2. 1, 5, and 6 were farther away from where we parked and we'd budgeted about 45 minutes; I was not jogging at all so didn't have time for the farther-away controls.

On the way to our motel we stopped for paninis at Filho's Cuchina in Groton. Very tasty! (I have some left over for tomorrow's lunch.)

Neighborhood sidewalks, a bit faster than I have gone since my bike crash a week ago...felt good (except for the couple of sore impact spots on my bruised right inner leg).

Eight toads. Low 60s, no moon yet (Jupiter and Saturn visible), but the power company has finally fixed all the burned-out lights--yay!

Neighborhoods and a smaller loop in the town park. About 70 and sunny.

Event: Hudson Highlander
 

Walked from the kids' place around adjacent neighborhoods. Low to mid 70s and sunny.