Training Log Archive: Linear IceIn the 7 days ending Aug 26, 2011:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
| Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | |||||||
Friday Aug 26, 2011 #
10 AM
Orienteer race (Telephone Song) 52:49 [3] 5.3 km (9:58 / km) +174m 8:34 / km
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
3rd Race in Laramie Daze..... and sadly for me... my last one since I need to go on trip for work. =(
Mass start, as the other races were.
I was feeling a bit nauseous this morning, so decided to let the mass pull me for as long as possible...... dealing with running and thinking was a bit more than I could deal with.
As a result, this race ended up feeling a lot more like a cross-country event than an orienteering event.... I had Ian/Tori in sight for much of the run through the controls and let them pull me along. I did keep contact with the map, made some slightly different (though not necessarily better) decisions for first 7 or so, then was able to slip by Tori as she ran past control 8 (oops.. yay) ...and was on my own for 9 (Ian being well ahead by this time).... and messed it up a bit there but it sounds like numerous people did and although I went quite high, I relocated fairly well.
And then..... just an uphill run with easy nav, trying for a pace that was just slightly disheartening for anyone who might be behind me but the altitude was certainly catching up and I was feeling it, so it was a hard push into the finish.
Many parts of this run were awesome.. I particularly liked the long downhill run... and the terrain was very runnable. Was a good chance to practice running a little faster through terrain and since the visibility was so high... still maintain map contact.
Speaking of maintaining map contact.... my map is now a few hours away from me. I FORGOT to take my maps w me and so they will be headed back to MN as I head to my business trip. SHOOT.
Mass start, as the other races were.
I was feeling a bit nauseous this morning, so decided to let the mass pull me for as long as possible...... dealing with running and thinking was a bit more than I could deal with.
As a result, this race ended up feeling a lot more like a cross-country event than an orienteering event.... I had Ian/Tori in sight for much of the run through the controls and let them pull me along. I did keep contact with the map, made some slightly different (though not necessarily better) decisions for first 7 or so, then was able to slip by Tori as she ran past control 8 (oops.. yay) ...and was on my own for 9 (Ian being well ahead by this time).... and messed it up a bit there but it sounds like numerous people did and although I went quite high, I relocated fairly well.
And then..... just an uphill run with easy nav, trying for a pace that was just slightly disheartening for anyone who might be behind me but the altitude was certainly catching up and I was feeling it, so it was a hard push into the finish.
Many parts of this run were awesome.. I particularly liked the long downhill run... and the terrain was very runnable. Was a good chance to practice running a little faster through terrain and since the visibility was so high... still maintain map contact.
Speaking of maintaining map contact.... my map is now a few hours away from me. I FORGOT to take my maps w me and so they will be headed back to MN as I head to my business trip. SHOOT.
12 PM
Orienteer 1:20:00 [3] 4.0 km (20:00 / km)
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
Memory-O with Coach Charlie and Pete C.
I was pleasantly surprised that with enough simplification and easy route choices (hitting some trails/roads), I was able to do a few legs with no problems. We each did a few, then heard thunder, started getting wet... but we were already done. I was pretty tired by this point and had to catch shuttle to Denver.
Amazing fun week, really enjoyed the O-ing, people, fires, music beers and library.
I was pleasantly surprised that with enough simplification and easy route choices (hitting some trails/roads), I was able to do a few legs with no problems. We each did a few, then heard thunder, started getting wet... but we were already done. I was pretty tired by this point and had to catch shuttle to Denver.
Amazing fun week, really enjoyed the O-ing, people, fires, music beers and library.
Thursday Aug 25, 2011 #
Orienteer race (Lar Daze 2 - Yellow Pine) 1:04:00 [3] 5.3 km (12:05 / km)
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
I tried to remember and put into practice everything I knew about orienteering before yesterday, with special concentration on Ian's special tutelage from yesterday of paying better attention to all of the features around me.
I do know that today I always had contact with the map, had (imo) good route plans, and executed them for the most part exactly as planned or modified as needed based on what I saw.
Surprise!!! I believe it helped quite a bit... and that my better results were NOT just a result of luck (although I think I am overdue for that as well).
It perhaps also helped that this was a mass start with one course, so although most of the time I didn't really see others around.... when I did, I integrated this into my "clues" and of course it's always reassuring not to be the ONLY one somewhere for an hour or more.
Result....... I broke my streak of messing up at least one or two BIG time on a course.
I know by now that O-ing does not have continuous improvement, but maybe I can get the trend back in the right direction.....
I do know that today I always had contact with the map, had (imo) good route plans, and executed them for the most part exactly as planned or modified as needed based on what I saw.
Surprise!!! I believe it helped quite a bit... and that my better results were NOT just a result of luck (although I think I am overdue for that as well).
It perhaps also helped that this was a mass start with one course, so although most of the time I didn't really see others around.... when I did, I integrated this into my "clues" and of course it's always reassuring not to be the ONLY one somewhere for an hour or more.
Result....... I broke my streak of messing up at least one or two BIG time on a course.
I know by now that O-ing does not have continuous improvement, but maybe I can get the trend back in the right direction.....
Orienteer (Happy Jack) 1:45:00 [3] 3.0 km (35:00 / km)
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
I d id the same slow and careful exercise I did yesterday, without compass and without an Ian to set me back on track. The first five controls (backwards) were picture perfect but then my brain turned off and I COULD NOT reboot. Very fortunately, I ran into Soupbone and Jan doing their memory-O (coming from the opposite direction).
Soupbone later told me the control I had been looking for was in slightly wrong re-entrant.... but it was too late for my brain to come back on. I found one more control, with difficulty, with compass, and realized that there was nothing more to be gained.... just too tired. Struggled back in.
Soupbone later told me the control I had been looking for was in slightly wrong re-entrant.... but it was too late for my brain to come back on. I found one more control, with difficulty, with compass, and realized that there was nothing more to be gained.... just too tired. Struggled back in.
Wednesday Aug 24, 2011 #
Orienteer 1:40:00 [3] 6.2 km (16:08 / km)
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
Arghh.
Yes, beautiful terrain and I really really liked running here. Liked being able to see the contours, run through the sagebrush, open areas and distinct vegetation changes. But unfortunately it didn't stop me from my growing bad habit of doing pretty well on most of the course (mixed okay and pretty good) and spending 30 minutes or more on one or more controls. This time it was number 8; I didn't go up high enough on the hill and suddenly all the little sub-hills with rocks looked the same. And I mistook a small path for the main trail on the map and and and and. So yes, a big arghh.
But as I noted today, the nice thing about orienteering as a sport is that each of the controls somehow has a way of resetting the "happy" meter and so I really did have a good bit of fun out there.
Also... I was able to use my pace-counting again and it seems to be working. I did NOT use it on 8, which makes me happy in an odd way. Something to try to fix my sloppiness.
Oh... I also ran out the wrong way on one of the controls, but I call that just "dumb" and not something I plan to do a lot. And it was easy to notice and fix.
Yes, beautiful terrain and I really really liked running here. Liked being able to see the contours, run through the sagebrush, open areas and distinct vegetation changes. But unfortunately it didn't stop me from my growing bad habit of doing pretty well on most of the course (mixed okay and pretty good) and spending 30 minutes or more on one or more controls. This time it was number 8; I didn't go up high enough on the hill and suddenly all the little sub-hills with rocks looked the same. And I mistook a small path for the main trail on the map and and and and. So yes, a big arghh.
But as I noted today, the nice thing about orienteering as a sport is that each of the controls somehow has a way of resetting the "happy" meter and so I really did have a good bit of fun out there.
Also... I was able to use my pace-counting again and it seems to be working. I did NOT use it on 8, which makes me happy in an odd way. Something to try to fix my sloppiness.
Oh... I also ran out the wrong way on one of the controls, but I call that just "dumb" and not something I plan to do a lot. And it was easy to notice and fix.
Orienteer (Training in WY) 1:40:00 [3] 3.0 mi (33:20 / mi)
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
Ian suggested that maybe it would be a good exercise to walk through some of the the Plains of Despair training area (fitting?) and look around at features, plan a route, note all the things I saw along the way and he would be my guide/coach.
And then, right before we started... he said.. "Oh. And no compass".
So this was an excellent exercise.
I really like trying to integrate everything together in the morning for a race, perhaps even if I'm going just at or maybe even slightly above my speed level, and then taking the afternoon to totally concentrate on the map and not worry at all about if it takes 1.5 hours to do a few controls.
I know that it's faster to walk than to run in the wrong direction.... I am trying to find the right balance....is it a good or bad idea to be right at the edge of what you can process? Am I better off just walking all the morning races (not time-wise, but getting-better wise?).
And then, right before we started... he said.. "Oh. And no compass".
So this was an excellent exercise.
I really like trying to integrate everything together in the morning for a race, perhaps even if I'm going just at or maybe even slightly above my speed level, and then taking the afternoon to totally concentrate on the map and not worry at all about if it takes 1.5 hours to do a few controls.
I know that it's faster to walk than to run in the wrong direction.... I am trying to find the right balance....is it a good or bad idea to be right at the edge of what you can process? Am I better off just walking all the morning races (not time-wise, but getting-better wise?).
Tuesday Aug 23, 2011 #
Event: 2011 Laramie Daze
Note
One other MAJOR achievement for the day. I finally, after much studying was acknowledged as being a Junior Forest Ranger - my area of specialty is Guernsey State Park. I hope to include Ft. Laramie at a later visit.
I am obligated as part of this honor and responsibility to continuously educate and inform others about the wonderous facts about Wyomings and National Parks.
I received a badge and had my photo taken with the Park Ranger as I was reciting my oath of office.
I am obligated as part of this honor and responsibility to continuously educate and inform others about the wonderous facts about Wyomings and National Parks.
I received a badge and had my photo taken with the Park Ranger as I was reciting my oath of office.
4 PM
Orienteer (Laramie Daze) 1:53:41 [3] 5.07 mi (22:25 / mi) +217m 19:48 / mi
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
Day 1 of Training.... and most of the controls went very well, navigated to them quite well but on TWO of them, I double guessed myself when I didn't see the control right away (didn't realize there was a clue sheet on the back!) but at least this time I hovered around the right area (for quite a bit) and found the controls. It was weird, cause I thought I was on the map.... AND I WAS! but didn't believe myself.
I also practiced pace counting with some good success.
Somehow I didn't do this map quite right, but since a few of us are using my phone as a hotspot at a remote campground.....and my laptop is out of battery.... this is all we can do for now. =)
Pete Curtis showed up... so now there are four of us MNOCers and I think Soupbone may have been promoted by Ian to semi-MNOC status... Welcome, Soupbone!
I also practiced pace counting with some good success.
Somehow I didn't do this map quite right, but since a few of us are using my phone as a hotspot at a remote campground.....and my laptop is out of battery.... this is all we can do for now. =)
Pete Curtis showed up... so now there are four of us MNOCers and I think Soupbone may have been promoted by Ian to semi-MNOC status... Welcome, Soupbone!
Saturday Aug 20, 2011 #
12 PM
Orienteer race (SD Rogaine) 11:35:43 [3] 28.21 mi (24:40 / mi) +1476m 21:13 / mi
shoes: Icebug Spirit-L olx
with Soupbone.
We messed up a bit on second control, then did some nice orienteering through the remainder of the day. Until night. Then things fell apart; hard to work on the 30000:1 map, even thought we planned well and had controls in open areas. We passed by small "roads" that were supposed to lead us to APs, just went in wrong directions at times.. picked up no controls after dark. We made up for bad orienteering with fun jogging/walking (nice to be out of the NUMEROUS fell areas), and lots of talking and maybe.. that also had something to do with some of the misses. Every team seemed to have trouble with Night Orienteering. We had lots of fun but I think we were both sorely disappointed to have a ZERO for any night controls.
I have decided to bequeath all of my hatred for hills to Night Orienteering. Why would you orienteer without light. What's next, Oxygen-less orienteering? Good part is I now love hills. .
Charlie was a good partner for me; we both like to run the trails, we back each other up will on the map, I think we did a better job together than we would have apart (Know that's true for me at least). And definitely more fun; I'm not sure I could do a 12 hour event alone.
Not sure how we placed yet, but most of the teams did the 24 hour event (and at least half of those slept for a good bit of the night).
Ian and Andrei did great.... saw them at midnight and was a bit worried. I've never seen Ian look beat up before but he did a bit. It was brutal. Strangely, at 11:30 this morning, he came in with a BIG smile and looking full of energy. More like the Ian we know, but how does he do that?
And of course Andrei was a smiles and jokey and other than a 1 gallon blister on his ankle and numerous other bodily scars he looked great and fresh-ish too! Whoa.
GPS track ran out of juice before we did, so shows us not at the finish yet.
We messed up a bit on second control, then did some nice orienteering through the remainder of the day. Until night. Then things fell apart; hard to work on the 30000:1 map, even thought we planned well and had controls in open areas. We passed by small "roads" that were supposed to lead us to APs, just went in wrong directions at times.. picked up no controls after dark. We made up for bad orienteering with fun jogging/walking (nice to be out of the NUMEROUS fell areas), and lots of talking and maybe.. that also had something to do with some of the misses. Every team seemed to have trouble with Night Orienteering. We had lots of fun but I think we were both sorely disappointed to have a ZERO for any night controls.
I have decided to bequeath all of my hatred for hills to Night Orienteering. Why would you orienteer without light. What's next, Oxygen-less orienteering? Good part is I now love hills. .
Charlie was a good partner for me; we both like to run the trails, we back each other up will on the map, I think we did a better job together than we would have apart (Know that's true for me at least). And definitely more fun; I'm not sure I could do a 12 hour event alone.
Not sure how we placed yet, but most of the teams did the 24 hour event (and at least half of those slept for a good bit of the night).
Ian and Andrei did great.... saw them at midnight and was a bit worried. I've never seen Ian look beat up before but he did a bit. It was brutal. Strangely, at 11:30 this morning, he came in with a BIG smile and looking full of energy. More like the Ian we know, but how does he do that?
And of course Andrei was a smiles and jokey and other than a 1 gallon blister on his ankle and numerous other bodily scars he looked great and fresh-ish too! Whoa.
GPS track ran out of juice before we did, so shows us not at the finish yet.