Training Log Archive: Kseniya

Indoor cabin sprint organized by Boris in lieu of normal Oing. Hannah killed it in 1:04. Super fun.

Well, day two of forest training got cancelled due to strong winds. As we were sitting at the cabin without electricity, eating breakfast, at least five trees across the field toppled over creating a nice, previously absent opening. That was clear indication at least to me that going out into the woods was not a good idea.
The ridiculously cold temps, however, did not prevent our pack, consisting of myself, Hannah, Boris, Erin, Misha, and Emma, to try to run elsewhere, such as through the famous D.C. zoo. We saw a wolf pair, some seals, an eagle, a bear, some deer, and squirrels. Fun times, augmented further by Ally bringing pizza. :)

much needed stretching

Event: QOC Prince William Forest Park
 

QOC Junior Training Camp - Prince William Park

TG's course. This was a great training exercise consisting of five different sections, four working on a particular O-skill and last one combining all the elements. Corridor-O was nice to start out with, going slowly, messing up a little bit. Control Pick was super fun, as always. Compass was challenging and I need to work on that. Contours Only was surprisingly difficult to switch into, and I totally missed control 16, stopping short due to confusion of mapped rootstocks and misunderstanding of the vague marshy terrain. Had to re-do the whole loop, glad I didn't give up. Woods were greener than I expected.
map w/o route

Training two of the day consisted of partnering with someone approx. same speed, running each leg differently, and then comparing routes trying to determine fastest. Hannah and I were great partners and pushed each other well. We alternated taking straight vs going around routes and came to most controls evenly. Thus, it seems the best route method for this type of terrain is not solely going straight or solely going around but a nice mix of the two depending on control legs and level of tiredness of actual legs.
map

Training three of the day. Night-O. It started lightly snowing as we were heading out and wind was picking up. I did the short advanced course and that was plenty sufficient. Quads were feeling the hill workouts and back was getting tired from climbing underneath mountain laurel and holly bushes. At one point it started snowing heavily and you couldn't see anything but the snowflakes in front of your face falling forcefully but majestically in the light of the headlamp. I had to rely on my feet to guide me and feel my way around the terrain; this worked fairly well. I started spacing out on the last few controls and reverted to walking, almost didn't want to come out of the darkness by the end. almost.
map

Night - Adv - short - Splits

Short hills are fun. Did 25.

C • cadence 3

So I have a serious problem: I read too many books concurrently (not literally at the same time, of course). I need variety to suit whatever environment and mood I may find myself in. But this condition can lead to a feeling of being stuck in between moods, in between worlds, on the boundary without anywhere to go. Not that the books I’m reading are bad or anything, it’s just that I get stuck in that pattern. So typically, as part of a larger pattern, when that happens, a book lands on my lap that sucks me in and revitalizes my state of mind. I just finished such book, called Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. It was delicious and refreshing as strawberry rhubarb pie.
It starts out as a simple, innocent stroll on a beach, then slowly shallow water creeps up to your knees as you wade further out, and then all of a sudden you find yourself a regular mermaid at the depths of an ocean swimming with Poseidon. nbd.
Murakami creates many surprises and then makes those surprises seem normal.
This book reminds me of a bit of Bulgakov’s works. I wonder if Murakami ever read Bulgakov.. Anyway, I like this genre.

I also finished A Breath of Life not so long ago. Lispector has become of my favorite authors, and I wonder what it would be like to read her books in Portuguese..
Couple years back I devoured two of Lispector’s books, esp. my first introductory one, The Passion According to G.H., which actually ties in with above mentioned literature piece being Kafkaesque.
I find her writing to be akin to spilled gasoline, pungent, irreversible, and on the verge of being set aflame, just on the cusp that you can’t do anything about it, that all you can do is just stare and inhale while trying to not explode yourself.
With this book I wanted to savor, to draw out the flavor, to breathe it in deeply. I wanted this book to be like a different petroleum product, not petrolatum, too occlusive and doesn’t allow skin to “breathe”, no, glycerin, I wanted Lispector to be glycerin and penetrate my skin, sinking in little by little, moisturizing my soul, setting it ablaze in freedom from normalcy.

C • Was it? 4

Long gradual hills are my weakest hills so this workout was difficult but necessary. 6 x ~1:30 min. It was sunny but quite cold this morning, and it felt like my lungs were about to collapse the last 30 sec of each hill. There was a significant amount of ice on the sidewalk of the main road, forcing me to work on my penguin running skills; soon I'll be able to perfect this art form.

Verona park