Training Log Archive: PG

The Prologue, a sprint in other words, same area as was used for the classic at the Team Trials two years ago (very fine, in other words).

Not a great run, but not bad, a couple of mistakes maybe something between 30 and 60 seconds in all. Similar feeling to yesterday, running out of gas towards the end.

I think I finished about 12th, will add a couple of points for the Sprint Series. Big gain was two days ago, think I got 27, not a big number but I had only 7 sprints up until then. Boris needs to do another update right away while I think I may be in the top 16, before I drift down again....

The Chase. Went off one second after Mook, who had not had a good run in the morning, and he was gone before long. But had some other company, plus picked up Texas Tom and Ted Good who had both started a little earlier, so I had company most of the way, often a group of about 6 which I managed to hang with ok. Good run, good effort, maybe gained a place or two by the end, not sure.

Really nice course and terrain.

Almost was eye-witness to a murder. No, there was no murder, but there was this elk with a full rack of antlers -- it was really motoring as it crossed our path about 5-10 yards in front of Tom (I was about 10 yards behind him). Man, if it had hit him....

Warm-up for the two races.

Prologue - Splits

Chase - Splits

The Stampede -- mass start, two very short loops, half the field on one first, half on the other first, then a longer common third loop. Together with the WOC stars, Texas Tom, Ernst, and Ted G early on, then took a different (road) route to the first longer leg, nothing gained nothing lost, then in a rough group of 6 -- well, it was 7 for a little bit, picked up John F. at the end of that leg, had to guide him to the control, but he left before too long, couldn't run that slow he said, so of course I said something about not being able to run as crooked as he did -- anyway, sort of hanging on for much of the longer loop, though I must say that both Tom and Ernst seemed to be feeling the high altitude blues and weren't moving as quick as usual. But about 3 legs from the end the stars and Ted took a lower and faster route, got 100 meters ahead, and there was no catching them, especially when Hillary turned on the afterburners in the homestretch to claim the coveted Spam. I think I ended up 9th, very fine, winner of the men's Spam was Eric Bone in about 42 minutes.

A good hard effort, sort of silly because I wasn't going to claim any Spam (fortunately) no matter how well I did, but I did remark to myself as I managed to keep running up a couple of modest inclines, Damn, it's nice to be in shape. Stll hurts though....

Warm-up.

Stampede - Splits

Event: Rocky Mountain 1000 Day
 

Opening sprint of the 1000-day. A hard effort though not well paced, a bit too quick in the middle and dying towards the end. Lots of little mistakes, nothing big, maybe not quite a minute in all.

Sore throat afterwards, combination of hard breathing and dry air, at least not accompanied by a hacking cough like you can getting racing at an indoor track in the winter.

Tried out my new contact for map reading (the +1.5 diopter one). Still hard to read the map on the run, but it was a 15,000. And maybe it did help, the only time I remember stopping between controls was because of uncertainty if I had gone far enough (I hadn't), not because I couldn't read the map. I'll keep trying it over the next few days.

C • Best internet 7

A short warm-up, both physically and for map reading. Didn't take long to get the heart pounding. Helped, felt ok on the slight climb to #1, but should have done a little more.

Opening Sprint - Splits

Walker Ranch loop up in the hills above Boulder, altitude 6400-7400'. Nice trail, but almost no shade and felt very hot. Loop was about 8 miles, 2 good climbs, one about 1000', the other about 600. Going rather slowly, walked a few spots, not sure if it was my energy level or just the heat. Probably also a bit low on fluids.

Several signs warning to watch out for mountain lions. I'm not sure what order they come in but I'm pretty sure my personal wildlife "Axis of Evil" in the lower 48 states consists of grizzly bears, mountain lions, and poisonous snakes, with black bears, FDFs, deer ticks, and West Nile mosquitos not even close to being in contention. I haven't ever seen the first two, and really don't care to (I'm no fan of the bad snakes either, though I have seen a few closer than I wished).

So there were a few times as I passed below some rock outcrops that my attention was up above and not on the trail.

By the way, the signs said, if confronted with a lion, that you should "act big." Right -- I've been working on that for 6 decades and still haven't figured out how. And to think that Big Eddie figured it out in half the time....

C • No attack badgers 3

In Boulder, along a section of the Mesa Trail , up and down, up and down. The air didn't feel as thin as I feared, maybe I still have a small remnent of the Alps in me.

Two bear sightings, or probably two sightings of the same bear. The first time, on the way out, all I saw was its head poking out above the long grass, looking at me as I passed by no more than 15 yards away. Ten minutes later on my way back it was meandering up the hillside maybe 50 yards away. Both times it gave the impression that it just couldn't get too excited -- runners ... so what else is new....

C • Bears 2