Training Log Archive: JanetT

Yard work. Needed to be done, though it's not as fun as orienteering or trail running.

Rode riding mower; then pulled some Virginia creeper out of potentilla shrubs and cleaned up. Mulched around newly planted hosta (which are doing nicely; I noticed that one of the older, established hostas has been deer-nibbled) and geraniums. Then raked up shrub trimmings that Glen had cut.

Event: Ratlum Mountain
 

Two person sprint relay at Ratlum Mountain, WCOC's summer picnic location. Glen wanted me to go out in the mass start. Everyone headed out down the road towards the barns first, so I did too, but then decided to cut to the trail N of the barns rather than go through the woods, so lost a bit of time there on route choice (no trouble finding the hill once I was on the right trail), maybe 20-30 sec slower than I should have been. Clean and easy to 6, then tried to cut through the med green to the trail northeast. Laurel kept pushing me around. If I'd only pushed through that last bit instead of bailing out to the big trail... lost at least 2 minutes here, if not more. Found the charcoal platform (3rd on this course!) off the lower/downhill bend in the trail with no trouble. The rest of it was easy, and I tagged off to Glen.

FR distance = 2.079 km. Climb is that calculated by AP.

Leg 3 of the 2-person relay after Glen finished and tagged me after 15-16 minutes rest...I could have used another 5 minutes!

This course had longer legs; first control was boulder #31 (easternmost of a group of 3 large boulders), route choice was left or right of line. Left was slightly shorter, but included a bushwhack section around the unelectrified electric fence, which I've tried before on previous visits to Ratlum. I decided to go right which was all on trails. Not too much more bushwhacking required except from 7 to 8. Another tag off, then waiting around for Glen to finish to see where we placed -- 5th out of 11 teams! There were a couple of make-up mass starts for later legs, and results were determined by order of finish.

Fun courses by Charlie -- thanks! -- and great barbecue (hot dogs / hamburgers / salads and chocolatey desserts) afterward presided over by Rhonda -- excellent! And the weather cooperated very nicely this year (~80 and sunny; no thunderstorms in sight).

FR distance = 2.203 km

Only weights in addition to body weight. Still some trouble with roll-ups and with changing position. Good thing it doesn't affect my legs. ;-)

2 x 12 RDL, slowly, using 12lb bar
Not even gonna try pulldowns...

Pine Ridge XC ski area on the Rensselaer Plateau (i.e., at "elevation" compared to Albany, so they get a bit more snow cover in the winter). Temp around 80 and --with bug spray-- the bugs weren't too bad. (buzzing, but no bites)

Used a map version from a topo (I think) with an XC area's trail map laid over it to verify a property corner and a few snowshoe trails. Saw some neat 1-1.5m boulders but I don't know if they'll be added for a ski-O map. :-)

In Chatham. Decent workout but I'm still being careful of my shoulder/back.

A couple of us in the back row were gossiping about the lady in white tights....

Using exercise balls.

Some, but not many, moves were difficult to do with my strained shoulder/back muscle. It's in such an odd location--not someplace that I've hurt before--so I'm at a loss how to relieve it (stretch).

Rollups were difficult, at least partway up because apparently I use that area of my back as well as abs to pull myself up.

Before intervals. Uncomfortable to look up to the TV.

The fast part of the intervals, 4 x 345m (3 laps of track, 14 laps to a mile).

In between intervals, and 1/2-mile cooldown. Not too many folks on the track (good!) so I didn't have to work to avoid anyone.

Tried to work on form (lean into curves; chest forward with shoulders up to make sure I got lungs filled) until I started getting tired in the third one so only did one more.

Smaller than usual class, only 11 instead of 14-16. Jennifer related that she'd gotten some poison ivy on her face and was taking steroids (prednisone), and warned us she'd have even more energy than usual ;-) though it didn't seem harder. I skipped the pushups--a stumble at Thacher strained something in the (already sore) shoulder/back area and even a plank hurt.

Event: Badger Training Camp
 

Trail run/hike in Pittsfield State Forest in MA. Glen and I started at (about) the same time, but he climbed all the way up the hill/mountain, while I ran trails closer to the base, including ones called Vosburgh and Wood Ramble, plus some bike trails across the main road from parking. Got back a couple of minutes after Glen. Some of these trails were included in the snowshoe run I did in late January called Curly's Record Run. Looked for Barry's Rock near the end of my run but was stymied by a closed trail (with a sign) and ran out of time.

Nice recovery run from yesterday's orienteering. :-) Cool day (low 60s) and clouds with just a brief drizzle at one point.

UPDATE:
QR of my run

Forgot to start my watch until almost to the turn off the road so need to add another 2-3 minutes and about one-and-a-half to two tenths of a mile. Started up the road to Vosburgh trail, finished south of "Chipmunk".

Event: EMPO - Thacher State Park
 

For some folks' amusement, here's a clip of my QR from last weekend, showing my first attempt to find 41 where the circle was, and slightly downstream, then bailing out and attempting 70. The first part of the SW trek to 70 off the road corner was across logging roads and crap, including shoe-sucking mud. It was surrounded by indefinite woods that threw me completely for a loop (literally!) until I got my head back on straight and headed farther south to the control. If I'd just headed west to the trail in the first place....

After snagging a control to the north of finish (both 41 and 70 were south) and having over an hour remaining, I decided to try for 41 again, attacking from a different location, just in case I was in the wrong place earlier in the day. I ended up at the same spot, and decided the control was mis-hung...which it was, down the stream another 200 or so meters (south).

C • #41 3

Ran around the field near start at Hop Field parking area at Thacher, probably not really enough but it was still raining a bit. Fortunately the rain stopped while I was out on my course. Registration crew had nice accommodations in the 'warming hut.'

Red course, set by Bob L. (aka 'mosquito'). Lots of trails so lots of trail running opportunities, but also some off trail legs requiring good compass, which I did well on today (none of the compass legs were more than 300m).

The three I bobbled were actually near trails. :-) on the first one I hadn't run far enough and checked boulders near other streams (including one not on the map)--pace counters would chide me here (#2). The second one I missed (5), I should have aimed off more; I hit a trail (control was a boulder on the other side, pretty trivial) and ran 60m the wrong direction before closeness to the road told me I needed to go back.

Did well on the next several, including one where instead of taking the trail around I headed directly toward a line of cliffs to hit a gap that would take me up to a stone pile above--right on! Okay on next several (9-12) then tried to get smart on a cliff near a trail and approach it through the woods (missed) instead of just taking the darn trail around. Easy run in from there.

Marcy B was there and G and I chatted with her about the REgaine last weekend.

Club meeting after event ended.

UPDATE: Added FR track; 7.872m measured by Forerunner. Climb is that calculated by AP/FR.

My route / Map

Red - Splits