Training Log Archive: bl

Nottingcook walk with beth & dogs. Prime green, not a few mosquitoes and ticks. Walked thru medium green woods then white, then a disappearing ride, finally under hemlock cover and back on path.

No notable injuries at end of weekend & end of spring season, more or less.
Rt great MTP chronically sore since even fall 2011 BHT recollection. Smoulders & I don't ice or use NSAID sufficiently.

Sprint - had a good night's sleep in the tent in PG's woods and start was early enough (race short enough too) that heat was not a factor. Had a good run, only botched 11 for maybe 30" worth. At start, mistakenly had leaving field well to left in mind before I let compass needle settle the point.... Sharon helped me find 6 when she disappeared, punching at end of ditch. 8 - didn't see right-hand route. At times this sprint seemed like European summer O - lots of green, sunshine/warmth and exact flag placements. Camera person just before 14, a potential distraction, calling for me to look! Ended up second overall. TP had misfortune of mp as in evidently not ensuring a beep fm Sport I dent.

Crawfords & Trish Underwood


Sprint finish (where shade was at a premium)



Ali C contemplating flag pickup chores


Results tent


"How'd I do that?"


Old NEOC'ers

Mt. Tom in the pm: wilted again, nearly a survival experience, an almost Billy Goat on a hot afternoon in spite of abundant shade. Quite a start with everyone more or less on their own due to forking combinations. A lot of very physical climb, surprised I didn't cramp on the second loop. First loop, was with Pia Webb on & off thru 5. Must have lost 1.5' there not sticking with my guns as I had spotted/ran by small boulder to SW. Pia distracted (maybe had missed herself) & then I misread "ditch" which was man-made which looked like an old path. Failed to see 6, took road to right but then noted 6 and got on the path about half way along road. Saw Tim & Pia heading out on second loop as I was finishing up first.

Second loop, first flag amounted to a long run on the path & a most tiring climb to the flag as were 2 & 3 long climbs to the flag. Didn't recognize that 3 was first loop 2. Did recognize that 5 was first loop 4. Could not keep up with Mika on path heading to 7. Crossed field and went thru marsh as absolute short cut. Felt very nice to have wet feet. Getting to 8 was seemed a chore being that tired. Saw Jim Crawford enroute 8 as well. Loop began & ended with much the same trail run. Ran down some lovely reentrants - not rocky at bottom, big/steep sides...very pretty to behold with a few seconds available for such.

All in all, a challenging weekend with considerable variation. Fun to be back in the Pioneer Valley...not a bad place to live:). Well done!

Event 4 - Cemetery Hill Short Sprint - Splits

Event 5 - Medium CF: Mount Tom - Splits

Event: Western Mass 5-Day
 

Western Ma 5-day, first middle. Start before 11am so temp seemed ok tho this was billed as a 'heat wave weekend' by the met office. Was a good run with maybe 45" lost on #5 when I turned right instead of left, turned around before trouble came knocking. Went to the others directly enough, maybe too much deliberation at times. Around 12, came upon an orienteer using a walking stick - turned put to be Jim Crawford, Sharon's brother whom I've known since 'the beginning'. I'd call this an A minus run. Within a minute or so of fastest green.

Middle #2 - by now, it was hot & this was a "wilt" for me. Missed # 1 - crossed stream & went up & up...going to highest point. Could not see in woods & had no idea there was a high point to right. Got to top, no flag...hmm...had to be the very highest point I was standing on, headed off into green to north, fingers crossed. Went directly enough to the rest, seeing various runners along the way. Ken W around 3 & 4, Mitch Hansen around 8. Went over the hilltop 5>6 tho that seems so contrary given the work req'd to climb. Running to 12 was a deja vue for second portion of leg. Started out with Clint Morse & was sure he'd gotten there ahead but he spent time surveying the spur to the west. 6' behind leaders.

Went to U Mass campus to see sprint arena/map etc but too tired & hot to compete. Found the local watering hole for a cold dip.

Middle finish


Another view - starts & finishes were probably in as compressed an area as any A meet ever!

Event 1 - Middle Green X - Splits

Event 2 - Middle Green X - Splits

AM DP walk & noon walk at work with some stretching. Off to the Crusades of western Mass "for better or for worse".

SPS track after work, had Mocha from pet therapy day which proved a bit of a distraction. Some blue but no sun, decent breeze so pretty good conditions. 2x200, 2x800, 2x1600.

3:49, 3:46, 7:43, 7:37 - better than the other day. Mocha was tied up for last mile, yelping at times like she was dying...sl. loss of focus for me running by 4x.

To Hopkinton for a visit to 111 ac Hawthorne TF. Had been once before,
maybe 10 yrs. First part is wide open hemlock, not a green thing on the ground. Abundance of walls, streams and contours in some areas. All parts generally open. Probably a good beginner to intermediate forest. Run was really a SloGo walk-jog. Appeared like the green grass of summer w/ plenty of rhododendron color.

Enroute, noted a cat behind a car by side of road. Considered its running
in front of my car (which it did). Just as it was doing so, NPR lady made a
comment about a cat. Was running on Rollins Rd - a loud crack followed by
a large branch crashing to the road about 150m right ahead, blocking half the road. Ever since a tree surgeon pointed out all the hung braches that go unnoticed above, I've been pondering chances.... One missed Beth & M last summer by about 2' in Rollins park.

DP, mellow eve. Met the Saltmarshes on their evening walk. Took a camera as it seemed Z would find a turtle or two and she did find 2. Nose to the ground, turtle finding is the goal. Once found, interest wanes until the next, new trail.

Z's temporary treasure


Wary eye

Gray, cool. Stayed around the Sandbox. Picked up a 30.06 casing - used to
be fascinated with these when 12 or so. Memorial Day parade would result in numerous ending up on the ground for kids to scrap over

Relentless erosion



tree in background used to be on its own promontory

SPS track, noon, little drizzly making for decent enough temp. Nice to visit the
track, having been lacking any "honest" titrable "speed" work. Last 2
springs have dissipated into injury - in no hurry to chase after that
record. 2x400: 4:09, 3:57; 2x 1600:7:42, 7:45. No clue as to when I last did something similar on the track - would guess last spring.

Ran out of time for a third or even fourth but need to visit regularly now
that ice is broken. sub8' pace is in the race. far from 'disdain 7' days but you never know (but avoid pissing off the msk system).

Hopefully rounding up a mapper for more of BBSP - maybe to have 8-10sqk completed by fall.