Training Log Archive: bl

Event: NEOC: 2014 Troll Cup
 

NEOC A meet at Townsend and on a cold morning, thin sun thru the pines at the finish area. A nice, challenging course, I’d give me a B, blew 5’ on #7 by split comparison - was doing just fine til then. Left 6 NNW for the wet reentrant (should have gone over top at Scott & Tony did). Halfway there, for some reason - the fact that the map may have been turned & that the line continuing to 7 was broken (for detail preservation) might have had something to do with it, I headed off for #6. Went maybe 100m, caught my error & returned to the reentrant which wasn’t really giving me the feedback I was looking for as it did not seem to have water feature quality - but it did have boulders. In fact, I did ID early the biggest (denoted by a fairly small symbol on the map) but could not place others nearby, giving me an uneasy feeling. Tony passed by - I gave him a whiny question and similar for Ernst going 90 deg different. Anyway, finally I spotted the string of 3 additional boulders I needed to feel secure & went to the point.

Very pedantic on the way to 1. I did not appreciate the green detail/accuracy as much as others indicated on most of the legs. Got the map wet on a stream crossing just before 9. Lower map was pretty well saturated before departing the meet site, even tho sealed. Saw Tony near 8 and 9 with minor fumbling at the latter (circle is centered on a reentrant and code says “spur”).

A long run-in, O Ringen-like in length. Certainly losing map contact was costly, if not fatal. Missed a few splits on the 305. Beth was attending a course on “mindfulness” - something I need to pursue as well
(tho it’s been a time consumer for her for 8 weeks).

C • Awesome weekend 2

Brown - Splits

Quite sore right first MTP, exacerbated it somehow (on top of '07 injury) - nothing I recall. Anyway, no plan for action today to speak of.





Hancock cemetery from recent UNO mtg visit

Went to Y - raining, just plain cold/gray on the night of the full moon. Had hoped for a kayak spin on Touree, Tu & Wed being best chances but was not to be.

BHS before work - gray, low to mid40s. 1 mi walk-jog then 3 more: 9:27,
9:03, 8:39 & off to work. Different and nice way to begin the day. A few
warm zephyrs portending a warm day coming.

walk-jognmile warmup.

pm warmup

Returned after work: had 2 more track miles in mind but JV football team came & spread out on the track. Got the HR up though.

Exeter TF/Fort Rock on way back from Portsmouth. Overcast, pleasant temp. For life of me, could not orienteer. Contours are shakey in many places or just plain left out - USGS base, I think. Paths were as leaf-covered as can be and there were more than mapped in places and, in others, they'd either changed or largely disappeared - eg, SVTs on the periphery. The existing trail network was not blazed at all well, if at all - surprising for Exeter TF. Boulders mapped inconsistently. "Old map syndrome".

Tough place, great terrain, mucho boulders -- needs a redo by a professional, someone with time and capability.

Note
Drove to Portsmouth mid-am in the new car. Passed thru local Hooksett toll booth and just then it occurred to me that I did not have an EZ pass on the windshield. We have years of EZP usage so usually don't give it a thought. No lights or sirens, I continued, figuring I was now captured in a photo. New registration yesterday and had just put a new plate in the rear, removing the cardboard one (dtd 10/24) from the dealer. I planned on doing the front when I got to IBH. Now I'm wondering what the bureaucracy will say about different plates on either end of the car. But, at IBH, I see that there is a dealer advert in front, so no registration discrepancy, so relief there. To and from on RTE 101, I'm wondering about my interaction. It's just an oversight. I arrive at the TB and tell the lady I'd gone thru the booth this morning, not paying, not thinking, EZP at work. Her reply: "That's not a problem. There are no pictures here." Then she smiled, wagged her finger and said "that is a secret". I had a dollar for the 2 passages. She gave me 50 cents back so the morning pass thru the booth cost nothing. Unfortunately, I forgot to say "keep the change"!

From boat launch on River Rd. Down wind, up sun and return. Great views of the Merrimack, nothing but forest/field along either shore in the middle part. Got as far as the falls. Had not been to that stretch at all and had not been along Edgewater in 15 or so years - a dead end that makes it clear it does not care for visitors by car.

Bear Brook O training, follow a line as well as a few straight legs. Windy, windy in tree tops, hi 30s. Didn't see anyone in woods. Seven cars at Hayes field - a mtb group, I think. Some hunters' cars, too. Generally ok but lost it across the rides and came out left of where I thought I was and went left. Ended up on road. Finished over "out-of-bounds" Bear Hill. No detail to speak of - what there was was under crosshatch and then the woods were light green for a lot of it, so just rough O possible. One blister in the making.

Route

Bear Hill Pond

November marsh