Training Log Archive: piutepro

Event: First Annual St. Patricks Day O Event
 

Red course in Central Park. My map skills are somewhat winter rusty. The race goes right into the scramble, an area with many small winding trails, then criss-crosses the whole park. It is fun to run in the park, have always the feeling I could be or should be faster on this trail. Take my first fall after #4, make a proper roll on the asphalt, shatter the compass. Yes, why using a compass, when it cuts my hand when I fall.
The tricky part is to navigate the uncrossable areas, find the road crossings.

Sprint at Central Park. I am moving well until #7, I have a boom (2-3 min.) in the iffy area. We had the control before, but we come in from a different direction.

Central Park is definitely a great sprint area.

C • Sprint 1

Red (aka Blue) - Splits

Sprint - Splits

A new route, less climb, more trails, also it is night and I run with the head lamp on the trail in the woods. Keep an easy pace, relax and try different speeds, like a warm-up almost.

I run in the morning since I'll return from NYC late. It is cool, there is a crisp light on the river.
Maybe I would be a better orienteer if I would run in the morning at the same time when the races are. The body would be used to it. I am definitely not part of the 'I run 5 miles at 5 AM in the morning before work' crowd. So today is an exception.
I see a cardinal in the underbrush. The glowing red feathers make it look like an exotic bird lost too far north.

On Moneyhole map from Indian Brook Road. I want to do short legs to simulate sprints. The area is more overgrown than expected. I switch to line features, thinking that sprints use many features like trails or fences.

As the sun goes down, I am at a rocky hill in the middle of the map. I have my camera with me and spend some time on extracurricular activities taking pictures of the boulders and the trees in the warm evening glow. It cuts in my running time, but it is fun.

I do some trail run to get used to speed on turning rocky trails. I wish I could run as fast in the woods as I can when I do tempo runs along the river. Well, I guess I am dreaming.

The usual easy run, partially faster, than easy again to give the body some time to relax. My legs muscles tighten up when I do more tempo runs. I should warm down and stretch more, well yes, I should. I get home and soon I am involved in other stuff. Tomorrow I run in the woods, this usually loosens my muscles and takes out some of the tension.

About a 3.6 on the AP intensity scale. Not a real tempo run, yet pushing towards the threshold. I start after dark, since I worked too long. I worked some old memories from Italy in my book. I am always amazed, how precise the memory is, e.g. how I see landscape, houses, fields and roads which I traveled 28 years ago. Great stuff, practical for use while writing.

Anyway, I run with my headlamp in the woods, the open trails are illuminated by the great full moon raising above the Mt. Beacon range.

Later I read Swampfox's notes. He sees the same moon 1729 miles away. Pretty confusing stuff. How can the moon be in two places? I also see the reflections of the mirroring animals on the moon. They use it as a communication satellite to spread their top secret information. Probably the bald eagles here picked up the signals and transmit it to the local whales in the Hudson River.

My legs are sore from the two tempo runs two days ago. I do a relaxed 10 k run. It is easier to run when it is warm. 60 degrees are almost a perfect running temperature, at least when coming out of a cold winter.

See the park ranger sitting in a cruiser at a weird spot, a.k.a the ditch. I wonder what he is doing, until I realize, that he got stuck in the mud. Think about helping him to push the cruiser out, but I decide, that he has probably a tow truck on the way which is stronger than me. I assume the ranger was supposed to watch for the Bald Eagles at Dennings Point and make sure that humans don't disturb their winter stay at the peninsula. Probably the eagles will leave soon to wherever they spend the rest of the year.