Training Log Archive: PG

Event: WCOC Gay City State Park
 

WCOC meet at Gay City hosted by George and Lyn. Three forest sprints and then three mazes.

First was Red-A, 2.5 km. Good run, just having trouble seeing the controls.

Red-B, 1.9 km, not so good, spent 3 or 4 minutes extra on #2.

C • #2 and #5 1

Red-C, 2.4 km, decent run except for an extra minute on #6.

Maze A, good run, punching was a little slow.

Maze B, better.

Maze C, best.

Picking up the controls from Sprint A. Mostly walking, some jogging.

A very pleasant day at Gay City. Weather was perfect, nice courses, good company. And most fun was George's maze. Not really a maze, just 11 controls and a corresponding map that just showed the controls, nothing else (a few trees, a couple of picnic tables, there wasn't much else). No clues, so you had to just trust that you were reading the map right.

And a minute of this, fast as you can, 7 or 8 or 9 accelerations and then putting on the brakes, left me gasping for air. And then repeat two more times, different courses. Excellent.

Red A - Splits

Red B - Splits

Red C - Splits

Maze A - Splits

Maze B - Splits

Maze C - Splits

Back up to Ashfield for another section of trail, this from Chapel Falls up to where it connects with the Moose Run trail in DAR state forest where I was yesterday, and back.

Also a first class trail. Uphill on the way out, but nothing that couldn't be run relatively easily. And through some entertaining forest, meaning entertaining to anyone who likes to imagine what an O' map of the terrain would be like. Not the best terrain in the world, but also far from the worst.

Legs were again perfectly OK. I imagine tomorrow (planning on O' at Gay City) will be more of a struggle for having run today, but so what. Nice to get out before the afternoon rain. One fall again, no damage.

Also, still hoping to make a trip up to the Whites to knock off one of the remaining two 4,000-footers (Owl's Head and Cabot). Probably should just pick a nice day this week and go do it.

And three more trail sections in Ashfield to do. There is something about running someplace I haven't been that makes it much more fun.

Went up in the hills to check out the bike trails in DAR State Forest, and it turned out to be a fine outing. Weather was perfect. Trails were good, a few less rocks and roots would have been even nicer, but it just meant that I had to watch my footing more. And even the trail map put out by the state was surprisingly accurate.

Did a nice loop, Long Trail along the lake to Moose Run, then back on the Long Trail up to the tower, then back down on the NEMBA trail. One fall, but I had my padded gloves on, so no damage.

Stopped and climbed the old fire tower, and the visibility was about as good as it gets -- Monadnock, Wachusett, Greylock, the southern Green Mountains, the hills where CT, MA, and NY meet, plus a lot of bumps a long ways away that I couldn't identify. And that's with my bad eyes and no binoculars. Quite spectacular.

Another day's (or two) worth of trails there to run sometimes, plus the trail down to Chapel Falls, whenever I get around to it.

So they had the US Rogaine Champs a week and a half ago and 5 teams showed up, total of 10 people. A few others for the 4- and 8-hour non-champs events. Rather a farce.

Let's see, there are 5 age groups, and 3 classes for each age group, and three podium places for each class, and 2 people per team, so that's 90 medals up for grabs. Seems folks got on average 3 medals each (no one fewer than 2, some got 4). So they've got 60 left over? Is OUSA paying for them?

Sometimes it seems like O' meets are approaching that nirvana where everyone gets a medal. Rogaines, at least this one, are way ahead in this respect.

Clearly what should have happened is that the US Champs should have been elsewhere. And the obvious candidate was in South Dakota in August. All they need to do was co-brand the World Champs as also the US Champs. A much much deeper field.

And then, if I read the results from there correctly, Sandy and I would have won the 55+ mixed class. Outstanding. :-)

But they put the actual champs just 3 weeks after South Dakota. And in a place that was guaranteed to be wicked hot. And you might get shot. All of those, especially the first, are good reasons not to go, but they scheduled it anyway.

And then, for reasons I cannot fathom, continued a campaign of insulting folks who would normally be the ones attending. I do not know why this is being done. But it is effective. Just not the way that is desired.

But everyone is different, I keep reminding myself….

C • Everyone is different 4

C • a little puzzled 2

At the Amherst College track with Dave. Nice to have company and a reason to get out. A couple of easy miles first.

And then 3 x 1600 on a 10-minute cycle. Plan was to do about a 7:30 pace with a "comfortably hard" effort, so about 2:30 break in between. Times were 7:35, 7:36, and 7:11 -- the pace was a little too comfortable on the first two, chatting away, and then on the harder side for the third, hardly any chatting at all, but still a good ways from a real hard effort.

Quite pleased. Back was not much of an issue.

Been taking a few days off training -- my back tightened up on Sunday (maybe because of Saturday's bike ride, though it wasn't hurting during the ride). So just working on getting the spasm to loosen up. Lots of time on my back on the floor with my legs up in the air That's done the trick before when something similar happened (but a good deal worse). Plan is to run tomorrow morning.

And today it was good enough to tromp 18 holes with Mike on a hilly course in central Vermont. Perfect day weather-wise, uncrowded course, many more good shots than bad, excellent company, and I'm getting pretty good at dispelling all bitching tendencies within 15 seconds. Back was mostly OK and I came home with a smile on my face.

And in micro-micro-economic news to do with mom's care, laid off 5 people over the weekend. Not fun, but at least they are getting severance pay and can file for unemployment. Basically changed the care model. Suggested to Lina that she quit her factory job and care for mom full-time-plus, with husband and daughter rounding out the team. So that's all done, she (Lina) seems much happier, I hired the two family members so the impact on the local economy is pretty much a wash, and most important by far, I think it will result in better care for mom.

And mom is still hanging in there, the latest change being that she is now talking most of the time, and not just the pleasantries that she usually utters. Whatever inhibition she always had seems to have weakened. So on visits I am spending most of the time talking to her, very much a change, and an interesting one. You never know what life will bring. Sometimes it is a pleasant surprise.

C • Mother's care 3