Training Log: PG

biking 3:06:46 49.12 mi (3:48 / mi) +829m 3:37 / mi
ahr:137 max:158 rhr:54 weight:142lbs

Nice break in the weather, mid-70s, almost cold. Up in the hills on the west side of the valley, nice loop, and the only ratty pavement was in Shelburne Falls and a little bit in Whately, maybe 2 or 3 miles at most.

So Phil wants to do another century. Sounds like a fine idea, but there are lots to chose from, including all sorts of possibilities of the make-up-your-own-route variety.

biking 49:34 13.61 mi (3:39 / mi) +89m 3:34 / mi
ahr:124 max:149 rhr:54 weight:140lbs

Easy pace to South Deerfield and Whately. Very windy.

Some stress in my life right now that I would be happy without, but I guess I can't complain since it's my choice. Trying to increase the return on an investment over what has been offered. We shall see.

biking 1:27:40 23.66 mi (3:42 / mi) +220m 3:36 / mi
ahr:131 max:152 rhr:54 weight:140lbs

To Greenfield and back. Into the wind the whole way, or so it felt....

Note
rhr:54 weight:141lbs

The following is not intended as any form of criticism, but rather as a statement of concern that what we are doing is not the best approach....

The subject is relays. We have a US Relay Champs, but it is sort of a second-class championships under the current system.

This year's relay champs were in Colorado last Tuesday, part of the Rocky Mountain Orienteering Festival which ran from Saturday July 17 to Wednesday July 21. From all I heard, the maps and courses were great.

But when I look at the results of the relay I see only 16 teams, and only 10 of them are eligible, 2 in the 4-point class, 3 in the 8-point class, and 5 in the 12-point class. That's not very many. And not enough.

I'm not blaming anyone or anything for this. I'm just wondering what should be done to get more vibrancy in this championship event. Is it a matter of scheduling? Or insufficient PR? Or that nobody gives a shit? Or that in our individualistic orienteering world, most people don't like relays?

And as I look around at what's going on in this country, I don't see many other relays being held this year. In fact I don't see any other relays, though I haven't really searched. And this strikes me also as not a good situation.

Do we do something to revitalize the relays? And if so, what?

Or do we just let them fade away?

C • Relays 19

Note

No time to bike today because I had stuff on in the morning, a PT appointment and a tax appointment midday, and a golf match in the afternoon. Yup, a silly golf match.

Which ended up, as in most other golf-related stuff, just like orienteering. Meaning ---

1. If you hang your head and give up after a mistake, you guarantee that you won't do well. And we all make mistakes.

2. In orienteering, the only thing that really matters is your time. That defines you on that day. Talk all you want, you did what your time was.

And in golf, of course, all that matters is your score. Excuses are worthless. Easy to make but worthless. And all the would'ves and should'ves and could'ves are equally worthless.

So today, with a variety of miscues on both sides mixed in with a few moments of reasonable skill, I missed early and often, trailed most of the way, only caught up at the top of the chute, and out-kicked him on the way in.

So now I have to play another silly match....

biking 4:03:07 62.68 mi (3:53 / mi) +700m 3:45 / mi
ahr:136 max:154 rhr:54 weight:142lbs

I'd taken three days off, one planned, the next two because of rain, which wouldn't bother some folks but I have not yet reached the point of being willing to head out when it is wet. And my heels and Achilles tendons still hurt so running was out of the question. So I thought I would be well rested. Perhaps I was, but I still felt like crap.

A longer ride, up to Brattleboro on the east side of the valley (Millers Falls, Northfield, Hinsdale NH), back mostly right down Rt 5 (Guilford, Bernardston, Greenfield, Deerfield), which you might think was stupid, major highway, heavy traffic, but I-91 gets all the through traffic and 5 not much, and the pavement is good, and there is often a shoulder.

The only problem was that I was wasted by the time I got to Brattleboro. Into the wind most of the way there, but really that just meant I was going slower, not working harder. Just one of those days. At least I had the wind with me coming back, only reason I made it.

I suppose the one good thing was I missed running over the skunk by about 2 feet. It was already dead, but I didn't notice it until it was almost too late....

Stopped twice to refuel (both fluids and just mentally), once in Brattleboro, once in Greenfield. Economic observation of the day was I paid $1.52 for a roughly 24-ounce soda in Brattleboro (fountain style, so I could get some ice) and 63 cents for the same thing in Greenfield. Counting the cost of the cup, I guess the first place made about $1.45 off me, the second only 55 cents. Either way it was worth it, the alternative was a call home and begging for Gail to come pick me up.

Ended up drinking 3 quarts, still lost 4 pounds, which I figure means I sweated off 5 quarts. Yikes. Maybe I'm getting too old for this shit....

Obviously you can get this by clicking on the little globe, but I just like it front and center....

C • Bike route 2