Training Log Archive: piutepro

Streamering controls in a top secret area for one of the upcoming races. One hill is high speed running, a little grass on the ground between the trees, otherwise nothing than wide open perfection. No problem to find good control locations. Behind it a green jungle, but with good intersecting roads and trails. Great running among swamps, small ponds and lakes. The second half of the run is high speed around a lake and over the big hill back to the car. I have to pick up Mario from the junior camp at Baileytown. Turns out that they had ended the camp at 1 AM, much earlier than planned, because they were rained out in the morning. Then the sun came out, too late. I had called, not found anyone near their cell phones. Hm, guess this was not practical.

C • Top Secret 4

Streamering controls and revising the course while being on two unnamed maps at Harriman. Struggling with blueberry bushes and mountain laurel. I consider renting a blueberry combine and a mountain laurel whacker. Something to make the woods fast, open and pleasant. Or then invent a protective gear like the slalom racers in skiing, so that the stuff doesn't get though my armor.
Anyway, find some good spots and some map good looking but in reality poor ones.

We have a meeting of course setters for the Highlander and discuss the best way to loop the course. It should not be too hard to run but also not a dummy course. Still fine tuning. There are four or five people to hang controls, so nobody will see the complete course. Maybe I should test run it. Would be fun, but I want to do the actual race. If I get enough sleep the days before.

The "Got that back-up done" loop in wonderful sunlight. Over the river they display a calendar image of a sunset, well done, well painted and with the beautiful illusion of being a real sunset over the Hudson River.

Got lazy leg after a lot of blueberrying in a certain area of Harriman. It is hard to guess where I was (I mean I know where was, but you don't), since I am setting courses for at least three or four events plus the A-meet. It doesn't matter anymore, on which map I go, there is always some course setting to do. It feels like being an orienteering pro. At the (monetary) receiving end something is missing, though.

Streamering (and moving) control sites at the map which is on top of the pile on my table. Lots of course setting this month. What kind of training is this, running to a spot, sloshing around, checking the features on the map, deciding what works as a control site or not. On some place the flag would be visible from far, at other spots a spurt of growth of the blueberry kind has happened. Or the feature which looks cool and nifty on the map is a bland squiggle of nothing out there.

So I run while revising the course in my mind. Each time the control moves, the route choices change. So course setting is more a mental exercise than practical orienteering or running.

A good fast run, towards the end I ease up, thinking that I might need some rest only two days after the weekend. For the Highlander I probably should add some longer runs.

Warm up run, in between and return. Good warm weather, great to run.

4x 3 min. or less tempo run with one minute or less rest. 1x one mile run in 6.12 min (an estimated mile, a flat gravel path).

I have good speed, the legs feel fast. I reminds me of the weekend, when I used this kind of speed a few times on the trail. So it begin to get used to it and it helps in the race to click into this high gear. Cool.

The "Easy over (and glad there is no snow)" loop. As usual, after a (good) race weekend there is some energy left, but I take it easy and focus on recovering and getting some rest while running.

I spend the dark hours of the night with Highlander planning and figuring out details, e.g. where to hang controls and where food and drink stops are needed for the race. Camelback would be a good sponsor for the HH. No more water carrying in the woods for the course setters.