Training Log Archive: PG

Day 1, US Champs in Bend, OR.

A terrific area, wide variety of terrain put to good use by the Red Y course I was running. At some point in the middle of the course I was thinking that this would be a fine place to hold the World Champs....

My own run was uninspired. A few minor time losses, plus time wasted being too careful, also had no energy, maybe because the altitude (6-7,000') was kicking in. Nothing really bad, but feeling like I was moving in slow motion the whole time.

I'll post my routes in a couple of days.

Red Y - Splits

Jogged around the model map. Interesting area.

Relay, ran first leg on a CSU team with Victoria and Jon Campbell (and a great last leg by Jon got us into 3rd place in the open class).

Had an ok run until a couple from the end when I thought I was farther than I was and turned off the trail to look for the control too early. Loss was less than a minute but cost 3 or 4 places, not a big deal, just a bit of pride at stake. Other than that, just working hard the whole time, navigation was a mix of following but also trying to find ways to save a little time/distance whenever possible. Which made it a lot more fun and better practice than just hanging on to someone's back the whole time.

Went down to Crater Lake in the afternoon. Really beautiful.

C • 1

Sprint at Central Oregon Community College. Much more interesting/difficult that I had imagined -- I'd thought most of the terrain would be around the college buildings, whereas most of it was in the forest just west of campus. Ran well, but O' was shaky, not relating map and terrain well at all. Got lucky a couple of times -- there's a control, oh, it's mine!

Middle distance in the afternoon at Arnold Ice Caves. A neat area topographically, though the running was tougher than expected -- you had the choice of rocks, or soft sand, or sage, and the sand was best (though it took me a while to figure that out -- I was running in it much of the time and finding it was a struggle and trying to find something better, by the end it seemed easier just because I accepted the fact that it was better than anything else).

A good run, at most 30-45 seconds of errors. Got a little extra motivation at the end because I knew Pam had run 38:03. I was 36 with a control still to go and looking a little doubtful, 37:15 at the top of the last hill and looking very doubtful (and I said to myself, it's ok, you came close), and then I remembered I'd started my watch 10 seconds early, and zipped down through the sage fast as I could. Would have made it even without the extra 10 seconds, should be a lesson to stay away from pessimistic thoughts....

Red - Splits

Sprint 1 (Long) - Splits

Climbed partway up Mt. Hood (well, as far as the car would take us).