Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Ran some trails in Bastrop State Park, a pleasant enough outing. I saw some orienteers leaving the park as I was coming in, and while I was running, I was wondering what the orienteering there would be like. An awful lot of what I saw was pine forest with a pretty dense understory of what I'm guessing is some sort of invasive ornamental shrub, and that part of the forest would have been pretty tough going. There were also some more open parts of a scruffy sort of oak dominated forest with some scattered glades that would have been more runnable. Maybe other parts of the park were more like that.

But the highlight of the day was my visit to Austin, where I paid a visit to the SRV statue. Which proved to be much more difficult to find than I would have guessed. I google mapped it before getting there, and the address looked easy enough. In the end I walked around nearly an hour or more before finally spotting it--from the wrong side of the river after having been mis-directed there by friendly Texans. It turned out that an alarming 100% of all Texans I stopped and asked for directions were unable to give correct directions. It was almost like Jaywalk in real life! Bunch a BBQ eaters--what do you expect! ; )

The walk was well worth the effort, however. For one, I did persist and attain my goal of seeing the statue, and for another, the riverside area was plain abuzz with all kinds of runners, walkers, and onhanging dogs, making for great people watching. There was a fair bit of skin in plain view, and even one runner who by look and by form must have been a very, very good runner hailing from some highland region of Africa. Austin is obviously a very happening city and that's why I always say it's my kind of town.

C • So you're thinking of moving to Austin? 1

I woke up this morning with one side of my throat sore, but I didn't feel bad in any other way, and by the time I got out to the meet site it seemed like it was going to be OK to run, so I did. (By the early evening after running, I could hardly feel any sign of it left.)

Wasn't very efficient in getting through the forest, which tended a bit thicker and stringer than the forest we saw yesterday. It was more demanding woods running, and a lot of the time my running felt very clumpy and like I'm pretty de-trained for running through terrain, which is probably about the truth. In a couple spots the map, the terrain, and me were not in happy agreement, but in the end I found all the controls and came back home before the cows did. And not even one single far ant bite, so it was a highly successful day.

One weird thing about the weekend was seeing hundred of other runners in the woods, and yet not even one other runner that I could be sure was on my course. There were tons and tons of kids, and relatively few adults, and only one applied mathematician (as far as I know.)

Thanks to NTOA for all the work that made a nice weekend of Texas orienteering possible!

C • coincidence? 6

Life as a Red runner today was not so bad. The promised severe weather didn't develop (and still no tornados yet) and at worst it sprinkled a little bit while I was out in the woods.

One leg started twinging with the dreaded Car Travel Cramp Syndrome, but it never got so bad. My navigation was a little bit too much "so there", which wasn't a surprise given that it's the off-season for me. My worst offence was trying to hop over one control, and I suppose I was lucky when the ensuing terrain wasn't making too much sense, and so I didn't let myself get too far off before stopping to see exactly what I had done.

It was pretty fun orienteering, and while there was nothing very complex about the terrain, the woods weren't at all bad, and the forest changed in character in different parts of the course. Plus it was fun just to run with so many other people in the forest. There were a ton of juniors out there and someone was almost always in sight (though I never saw anyone that I could be sure was on my course) and usually several people were around.

Only one person asked me for help about where he was, and the funny thing about that was that he was asking at a spot in the forest that should have been dead easy. Even though I may not have been the energizer bunny, I ignored the request and just kept on going!

Event: Interscholastic Champs
 

I have snucked across the line into the Fire Ant Star State, but don't tell no soul nowhere....

C • Taxes... 1

Really nice out, with blue skies and lots of sun; it felt like spring as it is always imagined in these parts.

It was mild enough to create some spring skiing type conditions in spots.

Quick run by the Hilton Garden Inn, which has just opened. No sign of Paris. There was a big sign outside which read: "She's Not Here", which would seem to be definitive.

I don't know. Maybe I just need more sleep. Or maybe it's something else. Whatever it is, the more I have looked at Charlie's log lately, the more confused I have become. It has become almost religously confusing. It is probably a blessing I never started to watch "Lost".

With all the fresh snow yesterday now nicely groomed, conditions were super fine today--maybe the best of the season, and it's been a good season with a lot of really great days already.

Another nice thing that you start to notice about now is how much lighter it seems in the late afternoon compared with even just a few weeks ago. Now it's possible for little bits of sunshine to glimmer through places in the trees even as late as 4:30. It gives the trails--which trend to the north side of a slope--a whole different feel.

It'll almost be a shame to head off for the lands of armadillo and ocotillo. But maybe there will be some fire ants, and that will make it all worthwhile!

C • The fire ants are hibernating 1