Training Log Archive: cmorse

With Ken, Ginny & Michelle - first 5k loop at an easy pace, then 2nd loop Ginny & Michelle did another easy pace, Ken & I would randomly head into woods and do a couple minute fartlek terrain intervals and return to recover with Ginny & Michelle. Ken & I then did a 3rd loop trails but at a pretty decent pace. Ken continuing on for 1 or 2 more, I was done with 3. Had intended to do some O training, but on my own map theres not a lot of real navigation going on, just pick a feature and terrain run to it, so the fartlek lap got that terrain training in nicely - and Ken survived without any faceplants...

Time for some O training, so headed up to Forest Park early. Couldn't find an old map copy, so looked online and found Charlies DOMA archive. But then the printer wouldn't cooperate, so I loaded up the DOMA map in my iPhone browser. This would be a memory-O exercise. Study map, put phone in fanny pack, execute, repeat. Could usually memorize 2 controls at a clip, but definitely had to come to a full stop, and spend a bit of time perusing small phone screen, scrolling, zooming etc before moving on.

Parked in my usual 5K spot, so did the course starting into control #3 (this was Sprint 2 from Phil's series) and last control was #2 at the skate house then finished up the hill to my car. First part of the course was pretty sketchy in the woods - N facing hillsides had quite a bit of ice, which was disguised by a faint dusting of new snow. And lots of new deadfall in the woods.

Not a blistering pace, but a good warmup for the Snowstorm 5k at 9:30

Cool, wet roads, light flurries. Was definitely too warm doing my Memory-O exercise, so when I stopped back at the car I looked through my bag to see what else I had - opted for shorts, my new WCOC shirt and arm warmers. As I was running, I could feel that my well ventilated torso was cold, but not painfully so.

Off the line strong, 2nd up the hill, a group of 4 or so fast guys pulled by me past the zoo and I could hear another guy breathing hard and a heavy footfall right behind me. Focused on turnover and breathing and just kept moving along, when I could hear him pulling close I'd give it just a bit to stay in front of him. Turning the corner to head down the hill I saw him and a group of 3 others within 20m going down the hill so I tried to speed it up a bit and open a bit of distance. Seemed like it worked because I couldn't hear him breathing down my neck, but partway up the final sidewalk he went blowing by me at a pace I couldn't hope to match. But they announced my time as 19:26 as I crossed the line which would be 9 seconds faster than my previous 5k PR - so I'll take it....

This would be my 2nd best ever VDOT score @ 51.5, but the top score is from the Wickham Park XC race last summer and I think that course is officially short though I logged it as the posted distance - so today's 5km could be among my fastest efforts yet - all this as I close in on the half century mark in a tad under 6 weeks. Can I go 19:20 at the season finale in two weeks? Hmmmm...

{edit} Official results have me at 19:28, still a good bit off the old PR, but a little farther from 19:20

C • Nice Job!!!!!!!!!! 1

About half of my 'road miles' this AM were on rough shoulder etc, so I'm estimating 3km on hard surfaces and putting the rest under trail mileage.

Dunham Pond & Dunhamtown Forest exploration. Running pretty hard at times, a bit slower in other places to discern trail system (confusing blaze system) I think I have all the main trails figured out now though.

C • Get well...... I think I'm ... 2

woke up, felt lousy, stayed home from work and went back to bed. Woke up later and did taxes...

Dunham Woods - missed the first trail entrance, went in off Dunham Pond Rd, wandered trails - more than on map, and all apparently blazed in white - nice open woods. Wanted more time in woods than on roads, but will know better next time

Over to Dunham Woods and back - hard to call this 100% road run though. Stayed in junky stuff along roadside much of the time, took some diversions through smaller off-road parcels that aren't worth taking the time to calculate out of the gps track and stuff. Mid morning, sunny low 40's - absolutely gorgeous...

down the road and back...

Afternoon run with Hayden - sunset, getting cool quickly. Opted for a series of 125m fartlek intervals, with 125m easy between. Except the final one was basically 375m. Its all good...