Training Log Archive: TomNIn the 29 days ending Feb 29, 2016:
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Monday Feb 29, 2016 #
Core strength 20:00 [3]
Slept about 11 hours. The exercises went o.k. once I talked myself into it. Run tomorrow.
Sunday Feb 28, 2016 #
Orienteering race 1:22:00 [5] 6.0 km (13:40 / km) +180m 11:53 / km
shoes: Icebug olx 2nd
QOC Happyland Green. A difficult course -- lots of vegetation, tricky contour detail, obscure control placement. I made 3 significant mistakes, and thought I had wrecked it, but it turns out I came in 3rd, in a group of very close finishers.
On #1, I caught AJ Riley, who must have started just before me. We took different routes to 2, but converged at the same place, which was nowhere near the control. I was thrown off by the little creek branches, and didn't see the spur with the control until AJ spotted the problem with the creeks. Even then it was hard to find the control, since the spur wasn't quite as well defined as depicted. A lot of people had trouble here. We took different routes to 3, again converging at the control. Same with #4, but AJ had a better line into the control.
I messed up 5 badly. Got tangled up in the swamps and dark green, missed the creek junction, and without position knowledge bailed out all the way to the road. Attacked from there and still had a little trouble, going too deep into the reentrant and backing up, the control in a pretty dense thicket.
On 6 I had a very fast split, going past the ruin, crossing the creek on a bearing, then contouring into the little reentrant. On #7, I ran all the way on the road, attacking from the nearest bend. But I messed up the compass after the long run, and had to go back to the road and start again. With oxygen in the brain this time, it was easy.
Then 8-9-F were also fast. Maybe a little advantage having crossed this terrain with the map walk group yesterday. I'm really happy with my running speed this spring. Now my legs are the limiting factor.
On #1, I caught AJ Riley, who must have started just before me. We took different routes to 2, but converged at the same place, which was nowhere near the control. I was thrown off by the little creek branches, and didn't see the spur with the control until AJ spotted the problem with the creeks. Even then it was hard to find the control, since the spur wasn't quite as well defined as depicted. A lot of people had trouble here. We took different routes to 3, again converging at the control. Same with #4, but AJ had a better line into the control.
I messed up 5 badly. Got tangled up in the swamps and dark green, missed the creek junction, and without position knowledge bailed out all the way to the road. Attacked from there and still had a little trouble, going too deep into the reentrant and backing up, the control in a pretty dense thicket.
On 6 I had a very fast split, going past the ruin, crossing the creek on a bearing, then contouring into the little reentrant. On #7, I ran all the way on the road, attacking from the nearest bend. But I messed up the compass after the long run, and had to go back to the road and start again. With oxygen in the brain this time, it was easy.
Then 8-9-F were also fast. Maybe a little advantage having crossed this terrain with the map walk group yesterday. I'm really happy with my running speed this spring. Now my legs are the limiting factor.
Orienteering 20:00 [3] 2.7 km (7:24 / km)
shoes: Icebug olx 2nd
The relay exercise turned out to be another short point-to-point course, the relay concept having been abandoned due to junior fatigue. I suppose that's a good thing -- they all got a great workout. An interminable trail walk brought us to the best woods this whole weekend. I navigated well, good concentration and position knowledge, but had difficulty seeing the mini-controls from more than about 10 feet away, and also I noticed that my legs were pretty tired.
Map Walk (Control Pickup) 40:00 [3] 1.5 km (26:40 / km)
shoes: Icebug olx 2nd
Picked up 7 controls from the relay exercise. Half the time was just getting back home along the trail. I made an effort to jog the uphills. After that, zombie time. Rehydrating with half a bottle of cranberry juice.
Saturday Feb 27, 2016 #
Map Walk 3:00:00 [2] 4.7 km (38:18 / km)
shoes: Roclite 280-2015
I volunteered to lead the intermediate map walk, as a last-minute substitute for Jon, who was under the weather. As a group leader in general, I didn't do so well, because I didn't take a head count, didn't keep track of my flock, and didn't take care to spread myself among them to make sure everyone got the same information. But other than that, I had a great time and I think they did too.
We walked what Jon thought was an advancing Orange course, but what I thought was 100% advanced. I drilled the techniques that came up (this being the mid-Atlantic, it was mostly counting reentrants). I told them what I was doing with the map and compass. I helped them recognize terrain features. I told them what map symbols meant. And I blabbered about whatever came to mind, wisecracks and all. We spiked 9 out of 10 controls, and the one was when I let one of the participants make the plan and reluctantly went along. Nothing wrong with her plan or execution, but I wasn't tracking well and ended up ordering a relocation. After that, we didn't do anything that I didn't agree with.
Afterwards, the thing that struck me was how incredibly tiring it was! Walking this course in 3 hours was clearly more work than running it in 50 minutes, and in addition, being a chatterbox is hard for an introvert. For the rest of the evening, I recovered by standing at the road intersection alone in the dark and directing what little traffic there was, then lying in my bunk "reading" but actually dozing off. No game night for me.
We walked what Jon thought was an advancing Orange course, but what I thought was 100% advanced. I drilled the techniques that came up (this being the mid-Atlantic, it was mostly counting reentrants). I told them what I was doing with the map and compass. I helped them recognize terrain features. I told them what map symbols meant. And I blabbered about whatever came to mind, wisecracks and all. We spiked 9 out of 10 controls, and the one was when I let one of the participants make the plan and reluctantly went along. Nothing wrong with her plan or execution, but I wasn't tracking well and ended up ordering a relocation. After that, we didn't do anything that I didn't agree with.
Afterwards, the thing that struck me was how incredibly tiring it was! Walking this course in 3 hours was clearly more work than running it in 50 minutes, and in addition, being a chatterbox is hard for an introvert. For the rest of the evening, I recovered by standing at the road intersection alone in the dark and directing what little traffic there was, then lying in my bunk "reading" but actually dozing off. No game night for me.
Orienteering 1:30:00 [3]
OK, one other thing. While there was still light, I grabbed one of Thierry's advanced training maps and went out on the course. The first segment was a compass exercise, moving between little islands in a sea of white. Got that. Next was contour-only, and I didn't do so well. Had to backtrack on the first control and re-do. Missed #6 after a long leg fell apart at the last minute. Skipped #7 and went straight to the corridor.
Corridor was an abject failure. Starting from an obvious feature (on the road next to the water tower) I could not get to even the first control. I went back and tried it two more times, failing in different places each time. Too bad, I would have liked to have gotten further along.
Corridor was an abject failure. Starting from an obvious feature (on the road next to the water tower) I could not get to even the first control. I went back and tried it two more times, failing in different places each time. Too bad, I would have liked to have gotten further along.
Friday Feb 26, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Pushups, planks, squats, lunges, figure-8s. And stretching.
Thursday Feb 25, 2016 #
Road running 1:10:47 [3] 7.8 mi (9:04 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Through Forest Glen and the National Seminary Park, down to Beach Drive, up Old Spring Road and back through Kensington. Included the loop up and down Homewood Parkway, plus a nice tour of the Seminary, past the Chalet, and Pagoda, around the hotel circle, the Windmill, the "Taco Bells" and out at the new Walter Reed Annex.
Core strength 15:00 [3]
The full workout, post-run. Plus stretching.
Wednesday Feb 24, 2016 #
Road running 31:59 [3] 3.8 mi (8:25 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Drumm loop in pretty quick time, just squeaking in under 32 minutes (but I could have hit the watch a little further up the driveway). 42 degrees and raining. I felt pretty good, but guess getting out of the rain was a motivator. The conditions are supposed to deteriorate later today.
Core strength 10:00 [3]
Planks, figure-8s, and stretches.
Monday Feb 22, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Road running 39:08 [3] 4.5 mi (8:42 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
GSFC perimeter road. The road was soft, but dry on top. Just a few puddles, easily avoided. Great day, 50 and sunny.
Yeah, my legs are a little tired.
Yeah, my legs are a little tired.
Sunday Feb 21, 2016 #
Event: QOC Mason Neck
Orienteering race 1:30:55 [5] 8.0 km (11:22 / km)
shoes: Icebug olx 2nd
QOC Mason Neck. Wow, epic fail! I like score-o, but I've never been any good at it. Don't know why, but it's pretty clear I make bad choices.
So this time I decided to clear the area northeast of the road, come back through the south side, and use any leftover time to get the ones in the little NW sector near the finish. Step 1, check: cleared 13 controls in 40 min. Step 2, rejected. Got 5 controls in the next 40 minutes, overtime already and still deep into the map. It took me 15 minutes just to run back to the arena, and another minute to pick up the last mandatory control just before finishing. Score: -134. Obviously an inflated idea of what I could accomplish in the more technically difficult area.
On the bright side, I ran the whole way in a no-rain window. On the other hand, I got in mud over my knees crossing the marsh between 127 and 131. Not sure I actually saved any time, and I sure smelled bad.
So this time I decided to clear the area northeast of the road, come back through the south side, and use any leftover time to get the ones in the little NW sector near the finish. Step 1, check: cleared 13 controls in 40 min. Step 2, rejected. Got 5 controls in the next 40 minutes, overtime already and still deep into the map. It took me 15 minutes just to run back to the arena, and another minute to pick up the last mandatory control just before finishing. Score: -134. Obviously an inflated idea of what I could accomplish in the more technically difficult area.
On the bright side, I ran the whole way in a no-rain window. On the other hand, I got in mud over my knees crossing the marsh between 127 and 131. Not sure I actually saved any time, and I sure smelled bad.
Saturday Feb 20, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Speed work (Tempo) 23:25 [4] 5.0 km (4:41 / km)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Tempo run at threshold pace, at the track. 65 and sunny, what a change from the last few weeks. Target pace was 1:53 per lap, 12.5 laps. Actual splits:
1:51
1:55
1:51
1:53
1:52
1:52
1:53
1:52
1:52
1:51
1:53
1:52
0:54
1:51
1:55
1:51
1:53
1:52
1:52
1:53
1:52
1:52
1:51
1:53
1:52
0:54
Road running 21:00 [3] 2.3 mi (9:08 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Jogging to and from the track, a little warmup.
Thursday Feb 18, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Wednesday Feb 17, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Ugh.
Trail Running 48:00 [3] 5.2 mi (9:14 / mi)
shoes: Roclite 280-2015
Greenbelt Park Perimeter Trail. Pretty sloppy and muddy today, with a couple of spots of standing water that required a run around.
Tuesday Feb 16, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Road running 46:13 [3] 4.8 mi (9:38 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Hill repeats. 6xhill at 33-34s, jog back down. There had been ice all over everything this morning, but the rain took it away, and when the rain seemed to be stopping, I went out for the run. Immediately the sun came out and I was overdressed. Didn't see that coming, either.
Monday Feb 15, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
Snow Shoveling 40:00 [3]
2x. Didn't see this coming.
Sunday Feb 14, 2016 #
Core strength 15:00 [3]
25 pushups, 4 minutes of planks, 50 squats, 2x25 reverse steps, 30 figure-8s.
Road running 33:34 [3] 3.8 mi (8:50 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Drumm loop. Coldest day of the year, only about 20F. Around 5 deg. colder than yesterday, but full sun and no wind made it feel fine. Nylon pants over tights was good for orienteering yesterday, but too warm today. Maybe I should have a pair of warmer running pants. Then again, if it's only one day a year, why bother.
Saturday Feb 13, 2016 #
Orienteering race 1:04:00 [4] 5.7 km (11:14 / km) +160m 9:51 / km
shoes: Icebug olx 2nd
FUMA orienteering event: Green. I hear this may be the last time we can use the forest area behind the academy, because of development or something. Too bad, it is good orienteering terrain. There seemed to be less of the nasty pricker stuff than I remember, or maybe the courses didn't go through it this time.
Mostly straightforward navigation by contours and veg. boundaries, but some tricky areas, easy to get a little off course and misread the land features. I did that on the short leg from 7 to 8, and lost about 4 minutes, first looking for the control in the wrong set of reentrants, and then relocating off a distinctive reentrant about 100m away.
Being out in the woods was a lot more comfortable that I thought it would be. It was about 5 degrees warmer than at home, and not as much wind. As soon as I got warmed up I didn't notice the cold at all. Wind chill warnings all throughout the area.
Nice talk with Carl Muench afterwards, who came up with the idea of a QOC intercollegiate team: Jessica, Colin, Chris, and Addie, three of whom were there today and the 4th (Addie) would have been if her bus from Ithaca hadn't broken down last night and sent her back. Some team spirit was already detectable.
Mostly straightforward navigation by contours and veg. boundaries, but some tricky areas, easy to get a little off course and misread the land features. I did that on the short leg from 7 to 8, and lost about 4 minutes, first looking for the control in the wrong set of reentrants, and then relocating off a distinctive reentrant about 100m away.
Being out in the woods was a lot more comfortable that I thought it would be. It was about 5 degrees warmer than at home, and not as much wind. As soon as I got warmed up I didn't notice the cold at all. Wind chill warnings all throughout the area.
Nice talk with Carl Muench afterwards, who came up with the idea of a QOC intercollegiate team: Jessica, Colin, Chris, and Addie, three of whom were there today and the 4th (Addie) would have been if her bus from Ithaca hadn't broken down last night and sent her back. Some team spirit was already detectable.
Friday Feb 12, 2016 #
Core strength 10:00 [3]
Planks etc.
Thursday Feb 11, 2016 #
Core strength 12:00 [3]
Core strength plus stretching. I did TGIF's Five-Minute Plank. OK, it was really a 4.5-minute plank because I kind of dropped out on the last one. Plus squats, lunges, and figure-8s.
Wednesday Feb 10, 2016 #
Trail Running 48:29 [3] 5.2 mi (9:19 / mi)
shoes: Roclite 280-2015
Greenbelt Park Perimeter Trail. What a nice run! The trail was in fine shape, hardly any wet spots. I felt strong all the way through. It was sunny, cool and breezy today, and I could hear the wind, but couldn't feel it. Perfect conditions.
Sunday Feb 7, 2016 #
Road running 1:07:39 [3] 7.2 mi (9:24 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Past Forest Glen castle, through the seminary, down to Beach Drive, up E. Bexhill and back through Kensington.
Core strength 10:00 [3]
Strength circuit after the run. And stretching.
Saturday Feb 6, 2016 #
Orienteering race 59:15 [3] 7.0 km (8:28 / km)
shoes: Icebug Gryllo
QOC Bumble. As time goes by, I am appreciating this event more. It is a very fine format: mass start, 5 windows but the various color courses are allowed to skip from 0 to 4 windows. Approx. 10k with all the windows. Assuming everyone self-handicaps correctly, the finish should be exciting, runners from all competitive classes finishing together.
In the past I ran up to the "red" equivalent, skipping 1 window, but this time I ran "green" and skipped 2 windows. I figured no one could complain (I'm a year away from brown, after all) and also that I had a fair chance of winning at that handicap.
I was close. One of only 5 to finish in under an hour, outclassed by Peggy (4 skips) and Hannah (2 skips). There were two other guys on "brown" who may not have judged their handicap according to the same standards.
I can't say I took the best possible control order in the 3 windows, but my choices weren't horrible, and I executed them without errors. Good speed for the most part (walked up a few of the hills).
A nice day, sunny, cooler, and very little snow, despite the apocalyptic reports from earlier in the week. A couple of warm days and rain did the job.
In the past I ran up to the "red" equivalent, skipping 1 window, but this time I ran "green" and skipped 2 windows. I figured no one could complain (I'm a year away from brown, after all) and also that I had a fair chance of winning at that handicap.
I was close. One of only 5 to finish in under an hour, outclassed by Peggy (4 skips) and Hannah (2 skips). There were two other guys on "brown" who may not have judged their handicap according to the same standards.
I can't say I took the best possible control order in the 3 windows, but my choices weren't horrible, and I executed them without errors. Good speed for the most part (walked up a few of the hills).
A nice day, sunny, cooler, and very little snow, despite the apocalyptic reports from earlier in the week. A couple of warm days and rain did the job.
Friday Feb 5, 2016 #
Core strength 10:00 [3]
Thursday Feb 4, 2016 #
Road running 42:00 [3] 4.6 mi (9:08 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
At GSFC. They piled huge amounts of snow on part of the ring road, which now looks like a glacier, 10 feet deep, 400 feet long, the width of the road. So I ran on the perimeter road, which was muddy in places, but got back on pavement halfway around.
Tuesday Feb 2, 2016 #
Core strength 10:00 [3]
The usual. I'm doing reverse lunges off a 10" step.
Road running 33:00 [3] 3.7 mi (8:55 / mi)
shoes: Adrenaline 16
Noontime run, sunny and high 40s. Some slippery areas. Running felt good, but my ribs ache where I landed hard last week. It got a little sore yesterday on the downhill legs where there were downed trees and other obstacles.
Monday Feb 1, 2016 #
Map Walk 30:00 [3]
shoes: Icebug Gryllo
Control pickup. 8 controls just off the road north of the creek. Then loaded up the meet kit and controls, and took it all over to Dave & Heidi's for the Bumble next week. Little Bennett got a lot more snow than Greenbelt.
Complete exhaustion after dinner tonight, slept about 11 hours.
Complete exhaustion after dinner tonight, slept about 11 hours.