Training Log Archive: tdgood

I didn't like the mapping yesterday so was worried about today. I started off ok overshot 1 by a little bit. I discovered again today that they didn't break any circles or lines so again hid key features. Lost minute at #1. Bigger problem was course design. Control 6 was in a direct line between control #1 and #2. I ran directly to #6 thinking I was going to #2. Needless to say the code didn't match so I started wondering around trying to figure out what I had done wrong. Everything pointed right back to #6. Finally I realized I was at the correct location but wrong control and went to the correct #2. At that point sevarl people who started behind me had passed me. Video followed me around for the next couple until I was able to run away.

Middle Red Y - Splits

I was worried about the length. 9.6 is a very long way. 16 years ago I ran 10.8k course on blue in the same area/map.
I started of ok but once I left the trail the map lost semblance to reality. I was having trouble telling up from down. I went right to one which was a mistake. Left was faster. There was a lot green, not mapped, that slowed me down. I drifted right to get out of it but I think it was larger than mapped which means I was farther East than I meant to be. I got to the reentrant but didn't see the control, so I started went one more. Eventually I went to steep area to right and cut in from there. #2 I blew. I misread the hills and went way right. I hit the marshes way south of the control. I took me awhile to figure out where I was. On the way to 3 I decided that the vegetation mapping was spotty. There were lots of unmapped green patches, and what was mapped wasn't always correct. 3 was fine. I didn't know if we were allowed to cross the red hash (boundary line?) so I went right instead to avoid some climb. I hit lots of gene, not always on the map. 4 was fine. 5 I took the trail. #6 I took the trail around most of the way. #6 clue description said wet pit so iwas looking for pit. The map had a wet depression. It was a shallow depression. The intermittent stream was all so dry and not much of a stream bed. #7 I stayed too low and the control circle hid the contour detail. I overshot and after a lot time, came back. #8 I drifted right then over compensated and went too far left. I basically bounced off the road to the control.
I was very unhappy about the water stops not being at controls. There was only one water stop on the clue descriptions. There were extra ones on the course but you couldn't tell where without actually having to scan for them. My route only took me to two non control water stop and one was 300m from the finish. I was very dehydrated by the end and very close to leg cramps.
Back to the course. They was some good legs but the map couldn't always back up any given route. Green was iffy, some subtle contour stuff was iffy. The detailed areas I think were just mapped poorly (but the last is probably partially my eyesight). #11 was a reentrant but was more like a flat area against steeper hillside.
Needless to say, I was slow, sloppy, and with the potential leg cramps not happy by the finish.

Long Red Y - Splits

Event: 2014 US Nationals
 

A runners course. My back was sore and it hurt to run all out. I had some hesitation throughout the course but was mostly just slow. I took the left route, two bridges, which appears to be slower than the right route. Iscreweed up 11/12. I saw 12 cutting into the woods and went to it first before 11. Pretty far back in the standings but still got third U.S.

Sprint Red - Splits

Home in time to run. This is 4 days in a row. May be a new record :).

Rt 175 + Severn Road +

Dist Pace
1.05 8:03
0.25 8:03
0.95 8:28
0.96 8:39
0.24 8:25
1.55 8:47

Started off strong and decided to go ahead and push the first mile and not let up. Ran ok for the first mile but my muscles were protesting. They got tighter and tigher the farther I ran.

Rt 175 + Severn Road

Dist Pact
1.05 7:40
0.24 8:05
0.95 8:30
0.96 9:13
0.24 8:59
1.05 8:44