Training Log Archive: TomN

CVOC score-o on a new map at Camp Brady Saunders northwest of Richmond. 25 controls, 90 minutes, 1 point per control, -1 point for each 5 minutes overtime. Drove there with Greg and Kathleen, and about 10 million other people on I-95.

I couldn't find V (the second control I visited), and lost some time there. I contrived to miss K, and had to go back for it after clearing that whole side of the map south to north. Got to K with about 30 min left, then went for one final loop clockwise around the start area, picking up all the rest of the controls but coming in 2 min overtime.

This is a nice area. The woods are pleasant, with a good variety of terrain features. The mapping needs some work, to add the terrain detail and the vegetation.

Red - Splits

Setting out controls at Fountainhead with Nadim and Dave O. I took a 3.5k loop, plus a control way off in the middle of nowhere. But the thing that took the most time was streamering the archery range. That took forever.

Also, I broke my new compass. It was a Suunto Arrow 6. It broke in the same place as my old Arrow 5, on the circle enclosing the capsule. It seemed like the 6 was a little beefier than the 5, but I guess not enough. Okay, in both cases I had drilled a hole for a #8 screw (to hold the magnifier), but the break wasn't at the screw hole.

It broke not in the field, but when I put it in my jacket pocket and left the jacket on the car, pinned under the windshield wiper. Somehow that wiper blade broke the baseplate, and I have no idea how.

Set out the white and yellow controls on the north side of Yates Ford Road. I met a woman who lives in the house at the top of the road and asked her about leaving controls on the trails and fields. She said there were no group activities and hardly any foot traffic, so I put them out. All except the ones in the arena area. Then out to the far southeast again to fix up the one remaining control and pull down streamers.

Setting out controls with Dave O. He got stuck with hauling all the water. I didn't mean for that to happen, but it was the only way I could see to divide things up reasonably. I dropped him off at the spur trail off Evans Ford Road, then drove back to the main parking and set out a dozen or so controls. When that was done I hiked over to the far side and we split up the rest.

Mid-Atlantics at Brandywine Creek, Green course. I had a terrible start, not planning well at all. Came to a trail, tried to locate myself on it, finally realizing it was a different trail that I hadn't seen on the map at first. Started towards the next trail, but it seemed way too long, and it seemed like I could see the bottom of the valley ahead, so I was worried that I passed it. Didn't want to descend any more for fear of having to climb back up. What to do, what to do! Stuck with the original plan, got to the trail, diagonaled to the control just as Jody Landers got there, and he had started 2 min after me.

Tentative all the way to 7, and then started to pick up the pace as we transitioned to the boulder-covered hillside. I really enjoyed those controls. Finally felt good running, and the navigation was good too. Salvaged a decent run, but then mispunched at 13. It turned out our boulder was a little further on. I had a funny feeling about it as I was going up the hill away from it, but I thought the control number was right. But it was one off, 51 instead of 52.

I guess I would have finished just out of the placing points anyway, so no big loss for the club.

Mid-Atlantics Relay, 3rd leg (advanced). Couldn't decide between the road and the woods to #2, ended up on the road but bounced off fairly quickly. Overtaken at that point by Chase Thatcher, and managed to stick with him the rest of the way. Certainly faster running than I would have done without a pacer, but I was navigating, and made my own decisions. The team ran well, Paul Hession, Lydia Andrews, and me. Third place among the 6-point teams.

Green - Splits

Setting out controls for next weekend. Nice day, walking with backpack. I struggled a bit with the field assembly of the flag, number, pin punch, e-punch, and control stand but eventually got a system. Next time maybe a little more efficient. I drove down Evans Ford Road to check out the possibilities, and I think I can park in a turn-out down south of the open field, where there isn't such an unrelenting barrier of Private No Trespassing signs.

Event: QOC Great Falls MD
 

Advanced-Medium - Splits

A beautiful day, started out cold and windy, but the wind didn't penetrate the woods and the sun came out and turned everything red and yellow and soft-edged. I still have some difficulties with this map, but I know it well enough to work my way out of trouble. My speed is way off -- no running for about a month and lousy performance before that. The analysis also shows I lost 10 minutes, and that's more than I thought (I figured 4-5).

The first control had a tricky bit right out of the start, and I stupidly took the hill head-on, up the cliffs, rock climbing skillz still etched in. Angled more towards the main trail than I thought, picked it up at the circle, and took the trails nearly the rest of the way, heading off from the bend to the big ditch and then to the control. Not too bad a time for not having any decent plan starting out.

I lost over 4 minutes at #2 without really knowing it. I contoured around the big reentrant but got too low, couldn't recognize the hill shape, came up and back to the control, but I must have taken a lot of time to think about it. After that, good going until 13. I thought I had a good approach to the mess of ditches, but it didn't work out. Going in circles and trying to think of a relocation strategy, but then I saw Francis coming in, and I followed him to the control. Another 4 minutes lost there.