Training Log Archive: PG

Trails on North Sugarloaf -- up to the top via the north part of the inner loop, back down via the south part of the outer loop. Warm, and I'd already carried the clubs for 18, but the legs felt fine, got up the hills without too much distress. :-)

Still need to venture up to the Whites to knock off one of the two remaining peaks. I think it needs to be in the next three days if it's going to happen this year. Will see if I get my act together.

C • Mt. Cabot 1

Event: Explore the Sanctuary
 

HVO local meet at Westmoreland Sanctuary, courtesy of Geoff Connor. 90 minute score-O, 22 controls plus 4 more controls somewhere along a line-O.

First time I'd been to Westmoreland in a long long time, and maybe only the second time ever? A nice place, beautiful woods in a lot of places. Quite a few fallen trees as a result of hurricane Sandy (though nothing like the deadfall in South Dakota), and a modest amount of barberry, but the majority was really nice.

The plan was to get them all. Got off to a good start, felt like I was ahead of schedule for the first 45 minutes, but then probably slowed down a little. And then botched one control. And suddenly realized I was running out of time. Skipped two controls, got the three still on a reasonably direct line back to the finish, but the last bit had a lot of deadfall and prickers and rocks and hills, and time was getting short. At 89 minutes I was sure I wasn't going to make it, but a good last effort got me in with 7 seconds to spare. :-)

Glad we went. Gail had a good time too. And reasonable energy despite a hard week of training.

And only one fall…. :-)

I'll do the map when I get home. Which reminds me -- it sure was hard to read. Don't know if it was the printing or just me, but it was a struggle.

C • map reading / printing 12

Another of the Ashfield trails, this time from 116 north to Hawley Road. Skipped the little bit north of Hawley Road to an outlook as I was running short of time. Pretty nice trail. Some hills, a little more so than you would get on a mountain bike trail, but all runnable. Even on somewhat tired legs.

At the Amherst College track, by myself, as Dave is away. Warm-up, plus a few faster bits, the latter rather slow and leaving doubts as to how the workout would go.

And then I started off on a 5K, not at all sure how it would go, nor how far I would get. But made it all the way, not really close to cutting it short because I never felt bad enough. And rather pleased with the effort on legs that were certainly not fresh.

1600's in 7:16, 7:18, 7: 7:16, plus :50.
1000's in 4:32, 4:32, 4:34, 4:33, 4:27.
400's in 1:47.8, 1:50.0, 1:49.0, 1:49.3, 1:49.5, 1:50.2, 1;49.1, 1:49.4, 1:48.6, 1:48.7, 1:48.6, 1:48.1, plus 50.0.

Quite beat by the end, didn't feel like any more running, just walked for 10-15 minutes.

C • Nice 6

Checking out another area in Franklin, NH, where they've built mountain bike trails in the last few years, the reviews (for bikers) said the only complaint was not enough really hard stuff, which for running is no loss at all.

Decent run, not all that much energy but got it done. Endlessly twisting and turning trails, very modest hills, lots of roots but not many rocks. Would be a totally fine area for orienteering.

Map.

I figured today I might as well explore a bit more of the trails on South Sugarloaf, such as they are. Found a couple of bits I wasn't aware of, steep and gnarly, plus ran the lower connector over to North Sugarloaf. I think there is a higher one too, but I'm pretty sure it is unrunnable. Still, ought to check it out sometime.

Legs tired today, that's what a couple of days of twice a day workouts will do, even if the pace is slow.

Trails on North Sugarloaf. In fact the goal was to do all the trails on NS, with the exception of the one heading off to South Sugarloaf, and I think that was done. Three good climbs -- the first up the bike trail, which is easy; the second up the outer loop on the SE side, which steady and hard and justs goes on and on; and the third up from Hillside Road past the water tank, which is real steep.

But it was one of those rare days when the legs felt really good, so I just chugged up all of them, never really being close to walking. Felt great. A couple days off plus the cool dry weather sure helps.

Although it wouldn't be a proper run without at least one crash, and crash I did, going down the steep hill to the water tank. Hooked a toe on a root I never saw and seemed like I banged all parts of me, plus a mouthful of pine needles and dirt to add insult.

Fortunately it didn't seem like anything serious, assuming the bloody kneecap is mostly just for show. But it would be nice not to do such things.