Training Log Archive: ParkSchool

Between overnights, and with 7 hour turnaround before subsequent shift, so thought it best I get the dogs out now. Only time for the short woods loop, so thought I would run it fairly hard. A bit sluggish up the first hill (maybe I should have stretched, but the puppy gets into trouble if I don't get started right away), but then loosened up pretty well and had solid run. Was hoping to get under 18:00, which I just missed. This used to be my standard for any reasonable run, so I was glad to see that it was still readily attainable. I'm not so sure however about making another run at my PR of 16:30.

Event: CSU Cat Rock Park-O
 

Weather was delightful, and I was feeling significantly more rested after taking a nap once the kids got off to school. Ran at a nice easy pace, hoping to keep something in the tank for the Cat Rock event later in the day, not to mention the three successive shifts I am scheduled to work starting tonight. Had to wait a total of 1:20 for Fonzie to catch up. He is still not so great on the second day of back-to-back runs.

Not quite as ugly a performance as I had thought when I believed the scale error for the advertised 2.0 km course to be 3:2 rather than 2:1, but still far from an ideal performance. Started off in a typically hurried fashion as I had again misjudged the rush hour traffic, and got about 50 m into the race when I realized I had left my compass at the registration table. It turned out to be a fortuitous delay as control 9 actually arrived in Ross's hands as I was running to the designated spot. First few controls were OK, but I really felt like I was fighting the map. I could not differentiate the trails from the walls, nor could I make out the green on yellow interfaces. I also was quickly getting the sense that I was having to run further than I was expecting. I had some problems at 5 where I stopped short because the mapped reentrant actually encompassed two smaller reentrants, the closer of which ended S of the flag. Navigated through 9 without major mishaps, although I was frustrated by guessing poorly about which nook or cranny of the vegetation was hiding the flag. Then had first meltdown on approach to 10. Was absolutely convinced I was looking for a pit at the end of a stone wall, but there was no wall to be found. Relocated on the open ground, then ran N to next trail junction again without seeing a wall. I assumed I was at the mapped trail N of my destination, so I ran back and forth again before finally deciding that the mossy boulder right next to the trail must be the dot knoll on the map, which could only mean that the stone wall was actually a trail. Ugh. After that mess, was not unhappy with navigation until I reached 14, where I inexplicably could not orient myself for at least 2 min despite being inside the circle next to the mapped blue container. I still don't understand what was making me so confused, but I certainly felt like a rank amateur. Managed to navigate respectably for last few controls, but was now already 20 min behind schedule to get to work. It was certainly not the fulfilling experience I was looking for as I faced another depressingly overcrowded waiting room on my arrival.

C • I'd like to see a scan of the map...? 3

Advanced - Splits

I think I saw Ian S. quoting some expert regarding the need to assign every run a purpose. Today's run certainly had one. "OH MY GOD, is there no other way to get this overly demanding, overly aggressive, overly intrusive beast of a puppy off of me so I can get some sleep." I had feared that the overnight shift would be dreadful, and I was not disappointed, so I was not the least bit enthused about going out, but it seemed like the least of evils. My plantar fasciitis was worse following a misstep yesterday where I distinctly felt a tearing sensation, but it was not so bad as to make me think that I was going to have to shut it down for a while. Managed to plod around the full course without injuring anything more significantly, and considered it a major accomplishment.

Event: Club Champs Return to Mt Tom
 

Had been concerned that trying to find my controls was not going to be much of a challenge, and I was right. However, there were also 3 controls from Phil's courses, and most discouragingly, I wasn't able to find any of them in a timely fashion. Had some hopes of using my unfair advantage to grab title of M21 champion, and knew Ian F. had put up a time of 75 min to shoot for. Had fine effort and execution through 7, succeeding in navigating cleanly and catching Ian S. at 2 and eventually running away from him (well, maybe walking away from him is more accurate) on climb up hill to 5,6 and 7. Made first mistake after crossing marsh to hit trail on way to 8. Thought I had gone over small hill to hit trail, but when I turned L to look for the reentrant I planned to climb up, I wound up seeing the trail junction further on. Tried to take a straight line approach from there, but did not know where I was when I hit the reentrant (bumping into Ian again), and overestimated the amount I had climbed. Eventually I hit the winding trail beyond the control which allowed me to relocate. However, I now knew that Ian S. was ahead of me, and I took off like an idiot in hot pursuit without having any plan as to how to get to 9. If I had even taken a second to think, I would have remembered that I had vetted the control and that it was in a very technical and secluded spot. However, I simply ran off and hoped I would recognize something when I got there. I didn't. I am pretty sure that I was on the indistinct trail in the middle of the direct route, but I just wandered blindly from there, stumbling well past the control before bailing out completely in order to find the trail running parallel to the stream. Rest of the performance was solid but not spectacular. I took more direct line to 11 along the ridge, but hit the lower of the 2 cliffs, and then didn't see upper cliff immediately, so wandered aimlessly for another minute before coming back to the circle and seeing my control as Ian approached from the back side. Was happy I still had enough to pull away from Ian again, surely helped by the knowledge that the last controls were all my selections. On arriving home, I realized that I had failed to adequately activate start control, so first split is a guess. I will be interested to see splits from Ian F. and Andrew Childs. I suspect that my times will be competitive for the 13 controls I spiked, but that is hardly a consolation for being so inept on the controls I had not chosen myself.

Somewhat disappointed to learn that the 2008 Club Champs were going to be a remix of my control sites from the Heart and Troll. It has the feel of a can't-win proposition. Even if I do well, I'm only meeting expectations, and if I manage to screw up, then I'll really be embarrassed. Was hoping to have the opportunity to go to WCOC-Ansonia today, but was unable to find someone else to take Kyra to riding. Well, at least the dogs got a good run today. Decided to really push it today to see if I could get anywhere close to my PR. Managed to get within 1 min counting only the time I was running (28:13 vs 27:22), but did stop for 3:15 at midpoint to wait for Fonzie. Still, I felt as if I could have kept up the pace for the full run even without the break, so that was encouraging. Maybe I will try Blue course tomorrow to keep pushing my training.

Too hot today to consider a serious run, which was convenient as it allowed me to conserve my secondary rationalizations of being too tired or too sore for another day. Started off again at 9:00 min/mi clip as on Tuesday, but this time didn't try to pick up the pace. In fact, wound up having to jog in place for 2:30 total waiting for Fonzie to catch up. I think he may need a good brushing to help him shed more of his winter coat.