Training Log Archive: Nev-Monster

Woke-up today feeling both sick (crazy sore throat) and intense neck pain plus my upper-leg/hip close to spasm most of the day. In other words, bit of a wreck.

No training, but did finally have coffee with Cross-Country Canada President/CEO Pierre Lafontaine to discuss possible volunteer opportunities with CCC. Man, he has a lot of energy and expect to see big changes coming to nordic skiing in Canada. A sampling:

-Very pro relays, brought to introduce them in age group races when he ran Swim Canada to force clubs to develop depth

-Wants provincial sport organizations to be more empowered, much more transparency and sharing of responsibilities

-Going after sponsors, big name ones like a well known one based in Ottawa

-transition into new blood on boards

-roller ski races in Southern Ontario

-Establish an Urban Committee to work on bringing trails and races to the cities

I'd love to play an active role in Orienteering in Canada, but skiing in a sport to watch.

Great run with Will from P7 to show-off Gatineau Park. Ran Skyline, then King Mountain and back. After showed him Camp Fortune, he agreed it would be an amazing arena for a World Cup.

Went to the Cat Cafe in Old Chelsea for a coffee. It was really expensive. And there were no cats. Zero.

North American Sprint Champs M40

Bronze baby!

Warm-up for the Sprint. Cool and chilly.

Sprint - Red X - Splits

North American Long Distance Champs, M40

Very few details to come.

Long - Red X - Splits

Event: North American Orienteering Championships 2016
 

North Americans Middle Champs M40

Had an early-ish start, although was glad I didn't pre-start in order to announce.

Early:
Strange first control, I've never seen anything like that before. Took it very careful to the first few controls to try to get into a flow.

Middle: tried to push the pace, if the course is giving me trail options, I should take them and push it. Pretty smooth. Was crazy lucky on 14 with a random rootstock. Got off my berring and about to panic when I spotted the flag.

Late:
This is where I started getting sloppy. Didn't really have a plan for the long leg to 15, got lucky finding it, but slowly. Not great through the final section, especially sloppy on 19 where I just kind of went in the direction and tailed a dude.

Ended up mid-pack at 54:06. No major issues, just not clean enough.

Great finish run in and really impressive arena.

I liked the area and the map.

But, it was chilly, where was an option to buy something warm to drink? Or food?

C • NAOC Middle 1st Control 2

Middle - Red X - Splits

Run in the Westdale Trails. Ran into Turbo and friends and jumped into two loops with him.

Upper leg feels tight!

Combo of putting up some flags in the morning and then taking many of them down post event.

Frustrating day. Someone determined quickly that we had the scale wrong, 1:15 rather than 1:10. Great. That meant tough courses became really tough. Then a Nov control had the wrong code. Then we realized we had forgotten to put out an Intermediate. Ah well, the weather was just perfect and getting 100+ to an event the same morning as the Army Run and Terry Fox Run was a good accomplishment. Richard G really saved the day for this event, I was just along for the ride.

I'm still interested in Meet Directing a major event eventually, just limited options for me to do so.

Just a guess on time. Excellent technical training by Stefan and Jennie at Cites Des J. Precision O, many controls in a small area and excellent use of a neat part of the Gats.

However, I forgot my headlamp and was out of daylight about halfway. Also, I think I'm into a batch of new contacts that really did not enjoy map reading at dusk.

Also, I need a new running headlamp. Any recommendations?

C • Headlamp 2

Just a quick morning ride to wake up. It is chilly! I need to track down those arm warmers and hope they now fit.

Combo of checking ribbons and trail running.

Tues Night Trail Run. From P11 out along 36 and back. Ate too soon before the run and paid for it. Also left foot really hurt, should ice it tonight.

Had to pop up to Old Chelsea and hang a couple Novice ribbons. Pulling into town realized I had brought everything but the maps. Luckily Richard had emailed me the PDFs so for the first time ever went Orienteering by phone to hang these.

Two of a bunch of hours hanging ribbons. I did find some classic mega thick tree stormed sections of the map which was very slow.

My god Orienteering events take a lot of time and energy to put on.

C • time 2

Any Americans reading this with access to an REI and going to NAOC??

C • Yes 6

O Event at March Highlands. Really fun 8.2km LA course. Interesting area, lots of trails, which means lots of trail running. However this style of trail running is probably the most technical possible (wee ups and down with lots of junctions and tricky rock footing).

One of those courses that if you found it boring or not technical, you should have run harder.

Felt okay early, then was easily dropped on a trail section by a 9:00 3km runner, aka Philippe Turcanu. Then saw him a few other times. He's very fast!

Was doing okay until 10-11. It goes right at the edge of the map and thought, hmm this isn't a great leg as some adventure runner could totally go off the map. I then immediately messed up my berring and went directly off the map. Found myself on a random trail, tried to make sense of it and eventually decided I need to get back to #10. Which I did and then went mega slow to 11. After that, was a sloppy.

Legs did not feel that quick out there.

Hanging ribbons from Dunn Road for next weekend. Some big contours on that map.

Long Advanced - Splits

Afternoon of field checking and running from P5. Rained this morning so everything was damp and wet. And hot.

http://www.blogto.com/arts/2016/09/ontario_place_f...

Adding this to the list of places Ontario could host a World Cup.

Hard trail run workout with the Dave crowd. Great 2km loop of a mixture of ridge road and single track.

Control site checking from Dunn Road. Man, again, crazy nice woods on that map.

For a couple of nights to do a mini training camp:
Lake Placid or Tremblant?

C • Placid 3

Hammer-fest on the cross bike at the end of the day.

Spend most of the day on Lac La Peche in the north end of the Gat Park. Only log an hour of paddling. I still have very little clue what I'm doing trying to steer a canoe.

Warm-up and cool down.

I like everything about road races except for running the actual race itself.

Free 5km. Not great, legs felt dead the whole way.

Control location checking for Fall B Meet (reminds me, we should change names of B Meets in the future) from P5.

Lots of thinking about BG and trying to remember his lessons about Orienteering and keeping positive out there. Also of him making fun of the Gatineau woods for being too thick. However, some of those woods today, my god they are good. I swear you could totally have a World Cup in the Gats (if you could ever get permission).

Also, hey, I'm unemployed as of Sept 1st! Goal is to train as much before NAOC. We'll see if life doesn't get in the way. Maybe try to get out west for training or just stick around Ottawa. Or the Hammer.

C • Come West young man 1