Training Log Archive: cmorse

Geocaching with Jackson and Hayden after work. Mostly roads to cemetary on Browns Bridge, first cache of a multi, but we couldn't locate it. Will check the clues and try again since its near home.

Was going to follow the lead of JHen/Phil and rerun the 2001 Goat, but couldn't locate the map. Couldn't find a copy in the PG archives either and could only remember some of the control locations from memory.

So I decided to dig out the Blue course from the Troll Cup - hard to believe that was only 10 years ago - seems like ages. But a fine course it was - if I recall it was a DeWeese design with Gagarin vetting - or maybe the other way around.

Jogging into the start I really didn't feel all that energetic, but it was clear blue skies and about 35, so worst case I'd have a nice walk in the woods. Had a bottle of dew and a GU in my fanny pack so confident to begin.

Visited the cows at #2, didn't notice too many minor bones, but a couple skulls still evident.

No real navigation problems, but hesitated in the circle a couple times to verify I was on the correct feature and not a nearby one, in all cases I was good.

I've visited all these control sites before, and I'm sure I must have run this course before, but a number of the legs felt 'new' to me. Perhaps I just took different routes than previously or perhaps age has deleted some of the old ones from memory (I turned the age counter ahead a year today)

Flushed up a sizable (12+) herd of deer enroute to #16, and also crossed paths with a couple different groups of mtn bikers (literally as I would pop out and cross the trail in front of them)

Had to walk a number of the steeper hillsides, but took the opportunity to sip on my dew. I would have to say my energy felt stronger on the second half than on the first, but that may have been because I was pushing to see if I could break 90 minutes after doing the first 10 controls in reasonable time. I didn't break 90, but at least it bodes well for being able to run the ultra long without major bonkage.

Note: The weight (2 below my stable average of 170#) was post run, but also after consuming a large turkey sub. That thing had to be 2# by itself, so probably finished up the run down a couple additional pounds. Or maybe I'm in an uncontrolled free-fall toward the G. Nah....

C • March 22 2

jogging in to the start, brisk walk out from the finish

Decided to keep track of Geocache's found in an effort to motivate the boys to get out and do more of them (or do them more frequently at least). So I'll periodically keep a running tally for the current month and year.

2008 - 7 found, 1 miss
March 08 - 7 found, 1 miss

Note that I'm counting yesterday's first miss as a found cache because we searched every nook and cranny in the vicinity only to later find it had been removed. If it had been there, we'd have found it. In the case of the latter miss, I suspect it was placed with a less accurate GPS and thus the control 'circle' was likely larger than what we were searching in. But it was late in the day, sun going behind ridge so we only spent 15 minutes searching. Note we also go with coordinates only - don't bother reading the descriptions, clues or even what size cache we're looking for. We go to the location and look for something cache-like - sometimes with success, othertimes not, but we get out in the woods....

Have to work tomorrow (Easter), but since I don't have to be in uber early, I can ride in daylight and will probably ride the 'bent. Not sure what possessed me, but I decided to weigh the bike (as ridden, not stripped) and it weighs in at just a tad over 45# - ouch. No wonder the hills suck so bad. Might have to seriously look at a lighter bike for the future like that Mistral I was musing over last week - that would shave over 40% off the total bike weight. I do like the ride of the LWB though.

Geocaching with Jackson, in the vicinity of the rail trail, but mostly traipsing off trail, up and down steep embankments, through marshy areas and a number of tricky stream crossings on slippery logs. Found the first two, 3rd one we couldn't locate (but turns out it had been removed) and couldn't locate the last one either. But a nice afternoon to be out in the woods.

Helping out at running club. some easy jogging and field games, then a hike in the woods.

Yup, ran to work in the dark. Considered biking, but glad I didn't as there were a number of black ice spots that would have been invisible in the dark. Loaded IPOD up with 10 hours of a book on tape (Stoneheart) and started listening to that on the run in.

Really not a bad run, but getting tired toward the end. We'll see how I feel in 7 hours when I have to turn around and run home... Or maybe I'll call today an early day and leave at noon.

The major downside to the run this AM was getting here and finding Dunkin Donuts closed (wanted my Bacon/Egg/Cheese bagel & a dew for protein/carb replacement) and then realized the convenience store across the street was closed too. Almost 20km of running and no snacks at the finish?? Damn this sucks.. Guess I'll have to hit the vending machines in TLS.

Missing breakfast (and caffiene) was not good this AM. That and the fact that I don't take a lunch break (so I can leave an hour earlier) meant that my muscles were sorely depleted when I headed back home at 2pm. And within a mile it was evident it was going to be a slog. Lots of walk/run both on hills and elsewhere. About halfway home I hit the convenience store and got a 20oz Dew, shortly thereafter a little life came back into the legs - the running segments got a tad longer, but more energetic, but I still had plenty of walking stretches. Although it was probably 15-20F warmer and the sun was out, it felt colder than going in because I was running into a stiff headwind all the way home. A lot more traffic too. Found that after about 40 minutes it was such an onerous slog that I wasn't really paying much attention to the book on my IPod so I just turned it off to save it for another day..

Although my legs will be complaining for the next 24-36 hours, no damage done and it feels good to have gotten a double long run in...

Side note: down 4# from my usually rock steady 170# after getting home. Most likely due to dehydration...

C • You're 4