Training Log: Lori

Running before work over to the horse fields! My parents headed out this morning at 6:15, so I decided to just head out for a run after they left. It was about 10 minutes earlier than I normally leave, but it was almost completely dark still. I debated doing a Beebe Lake loop instead, but I really like the horse fields run, so I sort of stumbled my way through the Palmer Woods trails before getting back out into a field. There were a few horses out in the predawn light, which was super pretty. And then the sun finally rose about 2/3rds of the way through the run and sunrise was beautiful. A few more weeks and it's going to be headlamp or Beebe Lake loop. Good to get out!

Walking with Sam (yay, Sam's back!), Zephy, and Boyse before work and then walking with my parents, Zephy, Kiwi, and Boyse at Buttermilk Falls State park! Good to be outside and spending time with everyone. Zephy wants to be best friends with Boyse so badly. Boyse likes to pretend Zephy isn't there. Zephy managed to get his back legs up to my head height on a leap today, which feels like an accomplishment, and also somewhat worrying because our fence is only 6 feet high...

Green Y at Lechworth State Park! Well. It's been a while since I've blown up that badly. I did not have the most auspicious pre-run experience. I was taking care of Zephy, Boyse, and Kiwi while my parents were running their courses. Unfortunately for me, the start window was super short, so they only had about an hour to finish their course before I would miss my start. I spent the time wandering the parking area in the mist with three dogs all pulling in opposite directions and Zephy attempting to free all of them by chewing their leashes (Zephy's leash was specifically chosen to withstand such activities, but Kiwi and Boyse's leashes are...barely intact at this point). Anyway, eventually I started wondering if anyone would ever finish. There were zero finishers back at 10:15, when I was supposed to start. By 10:25 (still with zero finishers), I started to wonder when the last start was. The dogs and I trouped over to the start and determined that the last time I could possibly start was 10:48, which was distressingly soon. I ran back to the parking with Kiwi dragging, Zephy leaping into the air at head height every few steps in the excitement of running, and Boyse trying to pretend he did not know Zephy, and begin sort of debating what to do. I could not leave all three dogs in the car together. The terriers would probably attempt to murder Zephy and Zephy would likely eat the car. I would have just run the course with Zephy, but Zephy isn't really supposed to run with a person for another few months. Luckily, Andy Hall volunteered to hold Zephy while I ran. I don't know that he really knew what he was getting himself into, but it was a super kind offer, and, at this point I was desperate. I stashed the terriers in the car, checked back in with Andy one last time, who assured me holding Zephy would be fine, and dashed to the start, making it at 10:47 - just in time to drop my jacket off and dash off into the woods.

Needless to say, my brain was at least 50% on the dogs at this point, but miraculously I managed to hold it together for the first 2 controls pretty well. I have zero clue what happened on the third control. I thought I was following a good plan until I got to where I thought the control should be and it wasn't there. I circled around for a while and then debated my relocation plans. I figured my two best options were up 3-4 contours to the road or down 6-8 contours to the trail, so I went to the road. Sadly, I did not really ever see the clearing I was planning for my road attackpoint, so I ended up going down to the trail in the end anyway. I did manage to find the control that way, so win? 20 minutes lost here. Ugh.

The rest of the course was actually pretty good. Attackpoint thinks I lost time, but those weren't mistakes so much as me deciding that anytime it made even the remotest amount of sense to pop up to the trail and attack a control from there, I would do that. Aside from number 3 the course was super fun.

I really can't thank Andy enough. From what I hear from my parents, he might have been stuck with Zephy for quite a while... Hopefully Zephy was not too crazy (ha ha). Anyway, super fun to get out orienteering this weekend!

Random wandering around with Zephy, Kiwi, and Boyse.

Normal stretching.

Day2 Green Y - Splits

Green Y at Sprague Brook Park! Woo! Orienteering! Today's course was super fun. Lots of fast woods and some trails and just generally a good time. I mostly had a pretty clean run. I lost a couple of minutes debating how to get down the giant slope to cross the stream. I started to go down in one spot, then thought, that could not possibly be the best way down and actually climbed back up a few contours to keep running down the trail a ways. I eventually went down a spot that looked nearly as bad, so I probably should have just gone for it in the first spot. Things were fun and clean after that until the second to last control where I stupidly bobbled around a bit after getting almost to the control, but not seeing it. Otherwise, just a really fun run!

A few miles of wandering around with Zephy and (sometimes) Kiwi and Boyse.

Normal stretching at the hotel.

Day1 Green Y - Splits

Weekday walking with Zephy!

Running before work over to the horse fields! Gorgeous sunrise run :-). My legs felt good, and the view with the sunrise and all the horses in the field with the mist coming off the pond was pretty amazing. I felt pretty great on the way out. My stomach was feeling kind of icky last night, but felt fine when I got up this morning. It started bothering me more and more on the run home, and was feeling kind of not great for a while this morning. By lunchtime things seem back to normal, though, so hopefully that's over!

Normal weekday walking with Zephy!

Normal stretching.