Training Log Archive: elavallee

Went out for a short, close loop. I had some difficulty finding 50 in the dark still, but finally picked it up. Than I came out on the trail and started running down it and it started to turn, but there wasn't supposed to be any turns. I had come out on a different trail then I thought. Another dumb mistake that cost me time and maybe another control. I wasn't paying enough attention to my compass coming out of 50. I picked up two more controls and got in 10 minutes late.

I planned a conservative route for my last 3.5 hours. I dropped down and got 30 quick enough. Then got down onto the trail and followed it. All of a sudden I see marsh really close to me on my right. This didn't make sense. I went a bit further, but it still wasn't making sense. I decided to bail from the trail and take a heading out to the main road. I went maybe 50 m up to some elevation, and as I look over the other side, more swamp. This doesn't make any sense. It turns out, I had gotten on the "wrong" trail again. At this point, I had been walking very slowly and was very tired. I didn't feel I could run anymore and decided to cut my route even shorter, walk another couple of controls and come in early. I felt a little defeated by this last very stupid mistake. It cost me another 60 points.

Despite my amateurish mistakes, I do think that I did better than last year. I covered much more distance, was careful with my timing and acquired almost 350 more points than last year. There is still plenty of room for improvement though.

Event: NEOC: Northfield Mountain Little Troll Cup
 

Event: CNYO - REGAINE X
 

For this first segment, I got some good advice and I took it. I went as far west and south as I could. It worked out pretty well and I did a much better job of keeping track of distance and time. I also got to see a porcupine climbing a tree as I went into 57.

Second segment, I covered a lot of ground, but didn't get much done. I totally messed up 64. I think what happened was I picked up a logging road that wasn't on the map and took it north, but it put me further to the east than I thought. I wasted too much time looking in not even the right area. I should have had alarm bells going off when I didn't see the stone wall near the trail like was shown on the map. I was getting stupid already. I got up to the fish hatchery in full dark, but didn't have enough time to do much. I got 22 then decided to head across east to 27. I was following a trail, when I sort of lost it, then I found it again. Then I realized I was heading the wrong direction, I missed the turn and was on a different trail. I didn't think I was that far off and just decided to head north and pace count my way back to the trail I wanted to be on. As I got close to my count, I look over to my left to see something reflecting. It was 27. I hit it by dumb luck as I was further along that other trail than I thought. Pace counting seems to be crucial at night!

Then on my way back into camp, I decided I was going to take an ATV trail back to it only, as I got around the southern part of a swamp, the trail suddenly ended with two large stone piles. I thought I must have missed a turn or something, so I walked back a ways, but found nothing. I was dumbfounded, and had no choice but to take a compass bearing back to camp. It was about 10:45 at this point and I had to be back by 11:00. I got in 6 minutes late and it cost me 18 minutes on the next segment. I wasn't the only one to get bit by this.