Training Log Archive: Carolyn

Monday nights at Trinity Brewing Co. A little faster this week. I've put in some decent training in the past two weeks and I can feel the fitness starting to come back. I just have to be careful about overdoing it and hurting myself- I'm far too prone to running injury because of my stupid biomechanics. I was conversational all except the top parts of the two biggest hills. And had a good religion/politics discussion with one of the old guys. Its always good to hear I'm not the only nonstereotype in the springs. And wine and sweet potato fries afterward.

A very good day after waking up really nauseated and calling in sick and taking a 7 hours nap instead of work. I'm blaming it on putting the guys in charge of food last weekend. Frozen hash browns that had been melting in my car for 24 hours then semi-heated on the camp stove? That could have been it. Or it might not have been it. Either way, I'm planning food next time.

Garden 10 miler is 4 weeks from yesterday. I don't think I have much of a chance at beating my 1:17 from last year on five weeks of good training (with 1500 ft of climb) and even less of a shot at the sub-1:15 goal after last year's race, but 1:25 isn't out of reach I don't think. As long as its not too hot. Last year's upper 40s was perfect.

Red. I walked most of it. It turns out I can actually follow a bearing when I'm walking. I felt pretty much spot on through 7, made a pretty big mistake on my way to 8, a smaller mistake on the way to 9, and I took a "longer than necessary but I knew where I was the whole time" way to 10. I'm pretty happy with it. That's definitely the best my navigation has been. I wish I could run and navigate at the same time, but that will take more practice. I really like the map.

I started very cautiously since I've been blowing the first control pretty consistently lately. Last place on 1 and 2 but not after that. I got caught picking my way through a bunch of downed trees before 5. I gradually started moving faster and was running for 6 and 7. I *really* felt awesome after 7.

I of course go on to butcher 8, but there are no circles in my route. There was plenty of slow going up the reentrant when it seemed like I had gone too far, there were too many rocks on the right, and then there was a bend in the reentrant that caused me to finally figure out my actual location. I figured out where I was and moved on. I made a route choice error on 9. I should have taken the trail down rather than the reentrant which was steep on the sides and filled with tumbleweed. I'm not sure why I started looking at the wrong pile of rocks, that was just stupid, but I realized where I was quickly and didn't walk all the way around the wrong pile of rocks first.

After those two blunders I did some careful navigating on a safe route to 10. I came out of 10 in the wrong direction. It cost me time, but I knew where I was and recovered. I'm very happy with that overall. I'm especially pleased that there are no aimless circles on my track. Now I need to be able to navigate and run at the same time like I did at 6 and 7. That was my best red course ever but it had the most walking time ever too... In theory I should be faster if I run more, not less.

From Orienteering Routes

Event: RMOC - Buena Vista
 

Green Night-O at Buena Vista. Finished!!! Shamelessly followed footprints in the snow and noticed other people around. I did find some completely on my own without major navigational errors.

#9 was really my only panicky one, but I saw people... I was being led by people at 11 and it messed me up I think. I should have ignored them, I was pretty sure we hadn't gone far enough while they all thought they had gone too far up the spur. Confidence would have helped here. I was especially happy with my 5 and 6 where that were my relative fastest splits except the finish and I didn't see people going in or out of them. In fact, I think I led people to them. I just think its hilarious that I had the least "lost" time on this course. Consistently very slow and careful and I had the brightest light.

From Orienteering Routes

Red - Splits

Night-O -- Medium - Splits

ute valley, extra gnarly rocky route

2x little flying ranch loop on the roadie