Training Log Archive: BigWillyStyleIn the 7 days ending Apr 26, 2015:
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Sunday Apr 26, 2015 #
11 AM
Orienteering race 1:08:55 [4] *** 6.19 mi (11:08 / mi) +415m 9:13 / mi
23c
8.4k = 8:12/k
A better run than yesterday, with less time loss and some smarter decision-making. I lost time at 11 in the control circle; either the control was weirdly placed or the spot was weirdly mapped, or both. I arrived with no doubt as to being in the right place, but was unable to locate the control ("single tree" along a white/yellow boundary). Hunted around a number of bushes and trees, questioned myself, reconfirmed location, and finally found it tucked away behind some thick brush farther into the treeline than seemed right. 1:30-2:00 lost which I felt like I didn't deserve to lose.
11-12: My only bad route choice. Perhaps I was a bit out of sorts after the unexpected troubles with 11, but still should have stayed left/high atop the open hill rather than going right/low along the trail, then sidehilling through the forest. The high route also would have offered a foolproof attackspur; in the absence of a solid attack point, I came in too low and had to circle back and up a contour or two. 2:00-3:00 lost.
The organizers reset the start times for yesterday's top three F/M21 finishers into a goofy pseudo-chase thingy in order to create spectator excitement (I'm sure this somewhat silly plan failed spectacularly, for all the obvious reasons). Thus, Schirminator started 12 min ahead of me, while Mark was between us. I was able to catch Mark around 7, and did not expect to see Erin but caught him at 17 and finished 10-15s ahead.
Overall, a fun and successful weekend. We spent some time at the social/dinner discussing new BAOC jerseys. I suggested yellow and blue, like the Golden State Warriors, maybe with maroon accenting if they want a nod to tradition. However, they seem set on some bizarre combination of black plus orange/green/purple. How vulgar.
A better run than yesterday, with less time loss and some smarter decision-making. I lost time at 11 in the control circle; either the control was weirdly placed or the spot was weirdly mapped, or both. I arrived with no doubt as to being in the right place, but was unable to locate the control ("single tree" along a white/yellow boundary). Hunted around a number of bushes and trees, questioned myself, reconfirmed location, and finally found it tucked away behind some thick brush farther into the treeline than seemed right. 1:30-2:00 lost which I felt like I didn't deserve to lose.
11-12: My only bad route choice. Perhaps I was a bit out of sorts after the unexpected troubles with 11, but still should have stayed left/high atop the open hill rather than going right/low along the trail, then sidehilling through the forest. The high route also would have offered a foolproof attackspur; in the absence of a solid attack point, I came in too low and had to circle back and up a contour or two. 2:00-3:00 lost.
The organizers reset the start times for yesterday's top three F/M21 finishers into a goofy pseudo-chase thingy in order to create spectator excitement (I'm sure this somewhat silly plan failed spectacularly, for all the obvious reasons). Thus, Schirminator started 12 min ahead of me, while Mark was between us. I was able to catch Mark around 7, and did not expect to see Erin but caught him at 17 and finished 10-15s ahead.
Overall, a fun and successful weekend. We spent some time at the social/dinner discussing new BAOC jerseys. I suggested yellow and blue, like the Golden State Warriors, maybe with maroon accenting if they want a nod to tradition. However, they seem set on some bizarre combination of black plus orange/green/purple. How vulgar.
Saturday Apr 25, 2015 #
Event: BAOC: Joe Grant A-meet
10 AM
Orienteering race 1:14:59 [4] *** 5.94 mi (12:37 / mi) +390m 10:29 / mi
18c
8.2k = 9:09/k
A mostly good race; I spiked all but one or two controls, but made unfortunate route choice decisions on two legs.
5-6: A leg with 15 contours of climb along the side of a giant reentrant. I stayed low out of 5 and basically took a direct route a little left of the line, saving the climb till the end. Schirminator climbed immediately out of 5 to the yellow higher up the hillside, then contoured, and somehow was two minutes faster on a six-minute leg. Most interesting.
9-10: The longest leg of the course, with two major hill climbs. Erin and I both went left out of 9 (a bad choice) and promptly got involved in an eternal death struggle with a horrible morass of Manzanita and poison oak. Once out of that, I was able to tackle the other 95% of the leg, which involved giant hills. First down, then up, then down, then up, but on the second up, I got pulled off left by a too-convenient reentrant, then had one of those moments where things suddenly stop making sense. Confused, then figured out where I was, only to go to a different attackrock than the correct attackrock, and get confused again. I finally figured it out just on the precipice of plunging down the wrong giant hillside, and contoured over to 10. Four minutes behind Schirminator on a ~17-19 min leg, due to a combo of bad route choice and bad execution.
These two legs comprised at least half the total climb, and all of my 6:00-7:00 time loss on the course. Not coincidentally, two things I have never been good at are climbing, and executing long legs.
Black Magic is undefeated!
A mostly good race; I spiked all but one or two controls, but made unfortunate route choice decisions on two legs.
5-6: A leg with 15 contours of climb along the side of a giant reentrant. I stayed low out of 5 and basically took a direct route a little left of the line, saving the climb till the end. Schirminator climbed immediately out of 5 to the yellow higher up the hillside, then contoured, and somehow was two minutes faster on a six-minute leg. Most interesting.
9-10: The longest leg of the course, with two major hill climbs. Erin and I both went left out of 9 (a bad choice) and promptly got involved in an eternal death struggle with a horrible morass of Manzanita and poison oak. Once out of that, I was able to tackle the other 95% of the leg, which involved giant hills. First down, then up, then down, then up, but on the second up, I got pulled off left by a too-convenient reentrant, then had one of those moments where things suddenly stop making sense. Confused, then figured out where I was, only to go to a different attackrock than the correct attackrock, and get confused again. I finally figured it out just on the precipice of plunging down the wrong giant hillside, and contoured over to 10. Four minutes behind Schirminator on a ~17-19 min leg, due to a combo of bad route choice and bad execution.
These two legs comprised at least half the total climb, and all of my 6:00-7:00 time loss on the course. Not coincidentally, two things I have never been good at are climbing, and executing long legs.
Black Magic is undefeated!
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015 #
Note
Does anyone know if an American can board an airplane in Canada, for a Canadian domestic flight, without a passport (AKA, using an American driver's license as ID)?
Tuesday Apr 21, 2015 #
Note
Follow Cascade on Twitter @CascadeOC! If you are slightly entertained by my logging shenanigans, chances are you'll be even more slightly entertained by my (our) Twitter shenanigans.
UPDATE: We already have TWICE as many followers as we did yesterday! WATCH OUT KATY PERRY
UPDATE: We already have TWICE as many followers as we did yesterday! WATCH OUT KATY PERRY
Note
I look at my faves and see lots of numbers shaded in red right now, no bueno :(
Monday Apr 20, 2015 #
5 PM
Running 1:04:41 [3] 9.05 mi (7:09 / mi) +150m 6:48 / mi
A banner day for Bridle Trails wildlife. In addition to a record number of horses, I spied the elusive coyote from afar, and almost stepped on a dead squirrel. The coyote is my second-best local sighting ever, after the time I spied the elusive lynx in Watershed. The lynx was not very afraid of me, so we regarded each other for a while, each no doubt transfixed by the other's grandeur, until he eventually lynxed away. It was a sublime two or three minutes, and I flatter myself we understood each other. Perhaps one day we will meet again, the lynx and I.
There was also an unusual number of wolves among the usual sheep today. One of them appeared at a junction just ahead of me and was going about my speed, so I caught up and paced him for awhile, which pushed me to go faster than I probably otherwise would have been troubled to go, which goes to show the value of the training partners I do not have.
A strong, encouraging run. This weekend I will don Black Magic in anger for the first time, and confront once again the sunny yet capricious hills of California. I am sure she will be equal to the challenge; will I?
There was also an unusual number of wolves among the usual sheep today. One of them appeared at a junction just ahead of me and was going about my speed, so I caught up and paced him for awhile, which pushed me to go faster than I probably otherwise would have been troubled to go, which goes to show the value of the training partners I do not have.
A strong, encouraging run. This weekend I will don Black Magic in anger for the first time, and confront once again the sunny yet capricious hills of California. I am sure she will be equal to the challenge; will I?