Training Log Archive: bl

After work, remains of the day, a lovely one at that. Dogs & unanticipated route in Nottingcook after encountering a fellow & dog cutting wood. Starting to look nice w/ yellowed ferns. Bracken & brashings....

US Ultra long champs, Rattlesnake Hill, Ossian, NY

Pretty good, near B+. A few times my aim off failed & I came right out on the desired locale - which isn't exactly being in control. #7 demanded careful map/compass/ sense of distance. Should have stayed in lowest area & been more pedantic. There were 2 runners ahead of me going same direction but I thought lowest area appeared to be to right. So went right some 120 m or so - woods became thicker & certainly no sign of water drainage so ran some 125m directly south to compensate - saw woods open some, a few runners & voila. George Walker did this leg just right even tho coming from another direction. Rest ok - will be interested in comparing leg times. Did not have any umph. Left thigh, tho it is not sore/ does not hurt, seems weaker than right. All in all, result I can live with, first M60 but some 12' behind Tim P. etc.

Note

475 mi home, needed to keep gas pedal pressed some most of weekend to prevent motor shutting off (probably the throttle body, a new item on the landscape). Ran into construction on Mass Pike & resorted to breakdown lane which resulted in conversation with state trooper. Glad to make it back to driveway. Nice camping eve with leaves rustling above in 2 small trees, one distant dog barking but spacious & otherwise pleasant and for $10.

Two versions of early Sunday, driving back from camping...








And ever-cheerful Beth who completed brown short (tho not quite finding #3, neither did Ruth Johnson) showing off her non-pride "injury"...3 hrs 21' was a good test of her meniscal surgery success...lay person might call this a bloody nose:-)

UltraLong: Green X - Splits

Event: US Sprint & UltraLong champs
 

US sprint champs

Decent run except for #12, conspicuous tree. Had read meet notes but
failed to realize how important to know that the conspicuous tree was
coniferous - that proved critical for some. In my case, I was looking for a
conspicuous tree in a deciduous forest of similar-sized trees which was, obviously, fruitless. 3rd M60 to Dennis Wildfogel & Dave Cady. DW found 12 in 59" to my 3:28. Think Ken Walker said he was around 5.5' on same leg. Spent some agonizing 12-15 secs looking for start triangle on map...

C • Yes, serious deficiency at ... 1

Terrible! First 7 ok. About to depart AP for next when I realized I was
going to go to #10, #8 being a good way to the left. Sped up to make up for
lost time, very annoyed as I had similar mental failings in Scotland. Lost
some 90" at #9 within 30m of control in open woods - was a pit higher up on
knoll. TP caught 2' on me there. Went off & blew 10 badly. #11, not caring
much, aimed diredtly at an intersection, came out some 25 m to left, failed
to see it & ran some 125m away from it, came back & there it was. Well down in list. Glen Tryson cheered me up with his 7' mistake surveying a swamp.

Saturday awards ceremony...

Sprint: Green - Splits

Middle: Green - Splits

Rest/drive

West fm Bow, thru Brattleboro, missed 9W south of there so took 2W as alternative. Stopped by river in Savoy, then thru North Adams. Stopped for 30' in Williamstown...strange visiting back as far as fall, '64 & and numerous interim. Showed 'the kids' some of the campus. Onto Albany. and the great beyond after Syracuse. Night 100 mi east of Rochester at a frayed Red Carpet inn for $55. Arrived at Mendon Ponds Sat around 0900, 400 mi from home, the car would not idle and stalled if foot removed from gas....

Run home from work, cool & dry. Not many of these these days; always a decent picture of what's what. Under 58' is acceptable. Have been 54s, 55s & 56s, even a 53..what a difference a day makes...and what's behind the difference is largely a mystery.

Early autumn...

Went to SPS, ran some on empty track & once around XC loop, slowly. Rest day mentality. Tired. Nice breeze.

Prefer tracks that are red or green vs black that is Memorial field of last night. Have 3 tracks available locally, a luxury.

Noon loop, was supposed to run w/ Diane, boss came up with some late morning trivia that needed doing for JACHO inspection. Got out 30' late, ran in opposite direction on the route I'd guessed she took & we had a mid-jog chat going in opposite directions. Seemed like energy was there.

Track workout at CHS track, Granite State RC, first organized track practice I've attended in many yrs. Maybe 20 runners, Rob Knight (60+ Hopkinton runner, sub21 5k... who's now connected to a face), the coach, w/ a prescribed workout -- & pair off so to speak. Ran w/ a fellow Bob, 40ish, runs once a week, bikes more - agreed pace was 7'/mi.

I'm not in the same groove I've been & "disdain 7"
is not the case, currently, for some reason.

Ran some laps @ 6:40 pace before anyone showed up (thought no one would materialize when no one was my sight by 5:10 - they were in pkng lot, a bit out of sight)

400:100"
800: 3:22

Then the assigned workout:
4x100 loosen up
2x400 @5k pace: 97, 99
1600x2@10k pace, 200 rest: 7:15 (thinking 55 v 52.5), 7:07
2x400:98,94
always in motion...

Interesting to be in so much company & a bit distracting, so accustomed to the privacy/seclusion/solo concentration that's mine @ SPS. Worked hard on the 2 miles to my dismay. Pre-Scotland, I'm beginning to think, I was a different person...even though goals are always on the horizon.

New group of people. Some brief conversation re O/rogaine - don't know what they're missing. Bit like Republicans...clueless. Stiffer this eve than I care to admit.