Training Log Archive: cmorse

Treamill Stress Test at doctors. Estimated distance, last segment at 5mph, 18% incline. Sweating, but quite tolerable.

Morning run w/ John. Legs felt heavy from the start. Fell less than a minute in on the first hill, split my thumbnail, plus a few bloody gashes elsewhere. Had to walk a lot of hills and watching my footing in most places as I seemed particularly prone to catching my toes. Gorgeous morning to be out, but I was definitely holding John back from a more spirited run. Sigh...

AM run - hot already, mid 70's and its not even 9am... Out on SLR, then a bit of old dirt road trail running up Hare, then back on the road. Trail portion logged separately.

Jan Hammer, The Early Years on the iPod....

Up dirt road, loop east on powerlines, then down powerlines to lake, along the shore a bit then back up the hill. Distance estimated based upon pace.

Afternoon run out the dirt road and back. Felt like a lot more effort than it should be. 790's are pretty well shot - felt every stone on the road - not that the 790's ever had much cushion to begin with.

Event: WCOC Sessions Woods--NOD
 

An early morning pre-run at Sessions Woods. Ran early since I had to work today, most of the flags were out already, the remaining ones were streamered. No SI since there was no clear/start/finish boxes, so I just took splits the old fashioned way.

As a NOD meet, Peter Gagarin (meet director) tossed out the option of using a GPS to navigate the course. So for chuckles my goal was to go out and run as much of the course on GPS, using the map/compass as little as possible. This worked really well in many cases, not so well in others but was certainly a lot of fun.

I had preloaded the coordinates to my GPS the night before and glanced at the map enough to determine which 25 (of 30 total) controls I was going try for. In the nice open woods of the northern portion of the map, the GPS was a real benefit as I would look at my map at the start of the leg to A) determine the next control and bring it up on the GPS and B) ensure there were no major uncrossable features and/or obvious trail routes. But other than that I didn't study the map for minor features, nor did I really check to see what was actually in the circle when I got there. I just looked at the GPS which gave me distance to control, direction to control and my current direction. (in cardinal directions - N,NW,W,SW etc) As long as my current direction and the direction of control matched it was full speed ahead picking the cleanest line through the forest. No checking features enroute, no trying to hold a steady bearing. Since the GPS was constantly recalculating my current position, heading and bearing a quick glance at the GPS was all I needed. If the control was NW and I was heading W, a minor deviation to the R was all I needed to set things straight with no slowing down. When I got within 20m of the control the GPS beeped and I'd look up and usually see the flag. A couple of early controls I did overrun slightly as I was moving quickly and passed the edge of the circle before the GPS realized it and beeped. In the first half of the course I don't think I lost more than 10s on any given control and I ran the full leg about as hard as my current fitness will allow (not that fast).

As I passed around W of the pond and headed toward the cluster of controls in the green, the GPS quickly became less than useful. Determined not to rely on the map, I found myself facing impassable rock faces and laurel thickets over and over again and the per/km times plummeted. Such that after the first couple (found just fine once I located a clean line into them) I opted to bag the rest of that group and drop myself down to the 'get 20' course instead. I'd worry about which other two to drop later.

Back on the trail and into open woods running smoothly again and simply enjoying the act of running through the woods. I should note that as far as satisfaction goes, I actually prefer open, clean courses which allow me to run - when the courses get ultra-technical forcing a slower, methodical approach I'm less excited about them. Plain and simple, I'd rather be running full stride than picking technical lines through Pawtuckaway type terrain..

Anyway, the rest of the controls came easily, though since I abbreviated my course part-way through, the efficiency of my overall route didn't gain me anything. My total running distance is probably pretty close to what I would have run had I done the full 25, but the time pissed away thrashing around in the laurel thickets and picking lines up amongst the rocks would have meant a much lengthier time spent in the woods for the same distance run. And I did have the issue of getting to work on time.

A very fine time in the woods, many thanks to Peter for letting me run it early and for allowing the GPS option. I think allowing GPS would appeal to a lot of folks that might not otherwise try orienteering and is an idea worth exploring, perhaps setting a separate GPS course at meets comprised of controls where the benefits of running with a GPS can be enjoyed. Many of the same controls could be used, just keep the legs out of the highly technical areas.

PS - Another benefit of the GPS is that eyesight handicaps can be diminished. As an eyeglass wearer, running in the rain is close to useless, and this AM my glasses fogged on me a couple times. But since I did not have to relate the map to the larger landforms around me (which I can't see without the glasses), I could easily see the GPS and my footing well enough to keep moving on a couple controls where I was carrying my glasses. Just sayin....

more detail later, just jotting splits before I accidentally erase them..

159
352
209
345
215
237
226
434
746
727
144
732
342
420
241
133
123
210
255
213

Met up with the boys for the usual Tuesday foolishness. As usual, they left me on the first uphill. Short on time and even shorter on ability, I only shuffled through 2 of 4 repeats. Had to get to work...

21:15, 23:37 splits

C • Friday 2

Easy 2 miler w/ Jackson after school.

Total weekend accumulation of warming up, jogging out to catch Hayden on his first solo white course (photo ops) etc. Very rough guess on time/dist

Didn't feel like going out on a technical course (ie not fast), so opted for the Intermediate course so I could at least hopefully stretch my legs and really run in the terrain. Shooting for sub-30 for a sub 10min/km. Got it with a few seconds to spare.

A bit left up the wrong hill on #4 (45s?) and then wound up undershooting #5 and having to come back (maybe a minute or so). But a real fine run...

Event: UNO Pawtuckaway Camping Weekend
 

Opted for short advanced as I haven't been orienteering in quite a while. A little shaky on the first couple, then settled down to methodic pace counting in the really tricky stuff - clean, but not terribly fast - then the woods opened up and I was able to run some more. But it cost me as I mispunched on a similar type feature (dry marsh) on the last control, feeling good (aka cocky) and neglecting to double check the control code. A fine run even if officially a DNF.

Wore the new RocLite 285's - very nice fit and secure in terrain. Also had a new pair of O-Roc 340's along, but Jon was in need of shoes so I had him try them on and wear them. They fit, he likes. Early xmas present for my little brother. I'll order up another pair for myself.

E-punch Sprint - US Team Fundraiser. Ran sans compass for additional challenge. A little hesitant on #7, then completely fubar'd by going to going to #9 before #8 - punched then realized boulder should be below rather than above, looked at the e-box number and realized my error - up to #8, then very quickly back to #9 and in. Very high intensity and fastest time of the day for a while until Sam & Ross totally decimated my time...

Second sprint, which was the first 4 controls of the long version - so I had been to all of them once before. This time no map, no compass. Gasping a bit coming back up the hill to the pavilion but very happy with the time.

So I figure Ross would come in and blow this out by running 1:45 or something stupid (and ditto for Sam). But when Ross only puts down a 2:10 I start thinking that maybe there's room for improvement from the old Clintster. (Not 7s improvement mind you, but something).

Another hard run, on very tired legs gasping even harder on the final approach. And shaved a whole second! Enough for one day.

I think Sam finished up with a 2:21 best, Ross put down a 2:01 on his second one. Val put up $20 to the team for anyone who could break the 2:00 minute barrier - which eventually was done by Ethan Childs with a 1:57.

So only 20s back of a very speedy teen. Not bad for an old man... :-)

Did the last 3 controls of the Wicked Hard Night-O course with Uncle Jon and the boys. Hiked the whole way except the run-in.

Started out with the crowd, most everyone gone by the time we hit the road. No biggie since they went L toward #1 and we headed R to the Fundy Trail. Up Fundy to a good attackpoint before realizing there was actually a small trail going most of the way to #12 (hard to pick out the fine trails on a rock strewn map like Pawtuckaway - especially with my old-man eyes in the glare of a headlamp). Up the twisty mountain bike trail to our attackpoint giving us a bit over 100m off trail. Jon stayed on the trail taking a solid bearing while the boys and I trudged up hill - Jon shouting L or R as needed to correct our line. Reflector soon came into view, we punched, then turned off the lights for a bit to absorb the absolute dark of Pawtuckaway at night. Then back on with the lights and retraced our steps back to Jon's light.

Rather than trudge cross country like a true WHNO stalwart, we took the trails back to the road and took the shorter, safer attack to #13 - took it cleanly then due S to the road again, crossing over and heading for the final at #14 which was in a small depression. Good solid attackpoint as a trail led into a clearing with a leanto just on the edge of the circle, we get there and Jackson tears off to the reflector and punches us in - but I announce it can't be ours because this is a lean-to in a clearing, not a depression. But he says it has a #14 clearly marked on it. Hmmm. Go a bit further into the depression and sure enough, there's our marker (the first being control #14 from the Vampire O - running concurrently with WHNO) - do a double punch and head for the pavilion and s'mores.

What are the odds of hanging two controls, BOTH #14 inside the same control circle at Pawtuckaway, at night? Marginal at best I do believe. Lots of fun and our first run-in with WHNO. We'll be back.

Had to drop the car off for service, so took the headlamp and ran home from Doug's. Good to get it done, but not much fun on roads...

Group run at the forest. Met up with John Agosto, Dave Almand, Tony Bonnano and Mark Buongiorno at 6 for 12 miles or so. Headed down Gulf Rd and picked up the moonlight course route - difficult to see footing as it was just barely getting light. A variety of trails out to Parker where we picked up the Soapstone course at the first aid station, followed the Soapstone course around until just before the third water stop I found myself leading the group and called a course change and led the group down a different trail (the old Soapstone course) to the old third water stop and proceeded to finish up with an older version of the course which most of the others had never run before.

A great run, brisk pace at times, a little pokier at others, but mostly kept the group together for the whole run.

Weigold > Tobiasson - S trail going up, then down the middle section, then back up the N side, back down middle and back. Adding dirt road from parking out to pavement and back makes it an even 5k. Took a dive about 3.5km, right leg a bit scratched up.

C • Middle trail 2

Went for a walk w/ Jackson after work. Nice breezy afternoon.

walk w/ Anna & Jackson before dinner

after dinner walk with Jackson, discussing his first day in middle school. Late dinner, so even later walk. Too dark, should have had lights with us..