Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Out for a run from the hotel. Garmin is useless in the Loop. Didn't find satellites, then once it did was just super bouncy. Not worth it, just use the watch for time and figure out the route later. Not a bad run; the thunderstorm which had menaced ORD all day was a shower by the time it hit, so I just got wet.

After gobbling advil, I awoke to my neck feeling a good deal better. Certainly not perfect by any means, but I could move my head without excruciating pain. 800mg more with some food and I was feeling good enough for a trail run in the afternoon before my flight. Lovely run in Boulder as the sun went in and out of the clouds, and a light sprinkle. A little wet going downhill. Some new (to me) trails which were nice, and good views of the mountains. Flagstaff-Bear would be a very nice run. Next time.

Out to Colo for a bachelor party. Lots of travel, lots of drinking, not much training. Went gravity skiing on Sunday (pond skimming is lots of fun) and had one minor yard sale fall, but no worse for wear.

Until I woke up on Monday with a very sore neck. Lots of ibuprofen is being had.

Turns out a bachelor party after a crazy week of meetings and moving and packing for the summer and a 4:15 wake up is not a great way to get much training in. Did get a short hangover run in before more beer and skiing. Gravity skiing.

Finally did an afternoon on the ridge. Left Boston at 2:10, after looking for my microspikes which it turned out a) were already in my car and b) I didn't need. So I hit traffic, because 2:00 is rush hour now, although I perfectly timed getting to the breakdown lane when it opened at 3 so I-93 moved at least.

Didn't make the parking lot until 4:45, but luckily it's light until damn near 9:00 these days. Lincoln and Jess joined, and we took off running. In the parking lot we'd seen a pair of other runners head out before us; we passed them at the big waterfall. I struggled to keep up on the hill a bit, legs remembering yesterday, but we made it to Haystack in a bit over an hour and then took off across the ridge, running some, taking pictures, on an absolutely perfect day. A few lenticular clouds in an otherwise cerulean (sp?) sky. Trail wasn't empty, but we saw many a dozen other people. Not bad for a weekday afternoon.

Down to the hut, where I went and did some of my daily pull up regimen on the pull up bar there (confusing the caretaker by knowing where it was until I said that yes, I had lived there) and then running down in the late sunlight, which was perfect. Finished in well under 3 hours, my fastest time around the Loop, right at 8:00, so I was home by 10:30.

Perfect. Missed the park-O but I think it was worth it. I need to do this kind of escape more often.

(I know how to spell cerulean. This is an inside joke that probably no one reading this will get.)

C • loop 1

Not too warm at NP today, but in the hot sun, which meant that I was drinking a lot of water and going slow. Finished 40 sections and felt pretty terrible. Any more like this and I'll be off in the shade.

River run. Beautiful day. Upstream sidewalk closed so I got to loop the loop. Longfellow is getting close.

One of days where I realize I biked 20 miles over the course of the day … and didn't find the time to get out for a run.

Cleaning my bedroom for sublettors. Took the long way to Target to go and buy organization things.

Over to JP to look for bike parts. T home. Legs still doggin'.

Fun course set up at North Point park. Lots of features, route choice between the islands. Not technically hard, but fast enough you have to pay attention. Of course, my legs were still screaming from yesterday's fun …

No warm/cool except for biking to and from events. Triple-booked Wednesday at 6, quadruple-booked Thursday. O takes precedence, of course. Ah, the last week of classes …

Sprint - Splits

I had so much fun running a vertical mile of stadium stairs last year I decided to do it again.

It was muggy to start, and I ran a faster split than any time last year (<15) but probably because there were other people. Then I overheated, had to drink a lot of water, and slowed down. Finished about 1:30 behind last year, not bad given the warmer weather.

Didn't go hard, but L2 pushing in to L3 whenever I ran.

Then ran the last two sections with someone else finishing. Total of 6 of us, more vert than Everest.

Run around in the morning before a long day. Legs feel pretty okay!

Event: 2018 Billygoat XL
 

The sum of my woods orienteering this year has been … Franklin Park. So, as usual, I get dropped in to Billygoat Land!

Clown car of orienteers from the US O epicenter (Cambridgeport). Boris was running the race—the Billygoat—with his daughter in a backpack carrier. This was most impressive. Alex was running.

Off we went! I took a trail to 1, which was slightly longer it turned out, running behind some fast guys, and was in a big pack. I slowly but surely got dropped off the pack—these high schoolers are fast and know how to orienteer—through the first lap and the skip (no great skips today). Through the feed, then got very lost to 14, saw Vilppu, who hadn't skipped and spent some time in the john. Punched, followed him for a minute, lost sight of him but found a stone wall, followed it to the junction with another—no, it ended. It's not supposed to end. Where am I. It's going north-south. Lost contact. Found contact. Okay, down to a road, now back over to find 15, slowing down now having lost all confidence.

There was some spiking going on. But not a lot.

In for the third loop, running a trail and passing Balter, then not following Balter when I should have, forgetting there was a fork, taking a trail to 23 (pretty nice) and realizing too late (earlier, but after my skip) that 24 would have been a nice skip.

But finished 15th. Well behind the juniors. But definitely on the map for next year. And before the rains.

Speaking of: for the first time ever I got to punch my own (damn) control. 2013 Mureau: didn't make the map. 2014: Made the map for 2015. 2015: marathon weekend Billygoat. 2016: Not on map, made the map for 2017. 2017: SKIPPED MY OWN DAMN CONTROL. 2018: finally punched AO.

I had a moment.

Quick warm-up before the Goat.

Billy Goat - Splits

Off to O at Franklin Park where I never orienteer well. Greenbriar everywhere, trails are not mapped that well, just not my game. This week was no exception. Had some of the dumb look controls (where I stand near the control with a dumb look), ran to one, thought it was the next because it was numbered out of order, backtrackted, etc. Well, practice for Sunday.

Busy week. Not much training.

Park-O - Splits

This week has become a busy one (end of semester! research!) and I wanted to get more than a just "run around the river" run in so I ignored the end of DOMS and went to track. Saw an Alex biking in and made it for some strides.

Drills!

Terry loves to confuse us, or something, so he had us do 800-2x1000-3x600-3x400. 1 minute rest between the same distance interval, 2 minute between different lengths. Clarifications were asked for.

I felt pretty good for the 800, running with the pack. 2:57.
1000 3:34
1000 3:39 (less rest)
Felt okay
Then the 600s. The first one was 2:15. That's 15 seconds per mile slower. The next one slower still. My legs were cooked from Sisters. I went and lay on the grass.

The 1000s were nice, though.

Interstitials

Running around slowly, and then to Whole Paycheck. No good deals this week.

Run across the road to pee, and get Garmin reception

Out to WESTMASS for 7 Sisters, I wouldn't miss this for anything (except the Billygoat). Not enough sleep, too rich food (and not carby enough) last night, so I didn't feel great at the start, but lined up ready to go. Went out and redlined up the climb, got passed some it seemed and felt like I was at the back of the front wave. Leah and Kelsey passed pretty quickly (Leah was leading near the last downhill but took a wrong turn, we need to get that sorted out!) and I wasn't feeling great. Alex wasn't racing because knee (probably a good idea) and criticized my downhill running technique, which is valid, but I had just hauled up the hill.

But it was beautiful. Warm but dry, breezy, trail was mostly dry but tacky, only wet in one short section. In to the turn under 1:10, drinking more, starting to feel better. I probably passed more people than I was passed by on the way back, running for a time on my own. Again, just beautiful out, probably the best sisters conditions I've had (2014 may have been cooler, actually, but my legs were shot from running the day before). I was passed by the third woman about two miles from the finish, then passed her back on the uphill with the drums which is just painfully steep, but really so much fun. 22% grade over 1/3 mile, with the steep bit at 40%, just straight up.

The woman passed me on the scree and I didn't want to sprain my ankles. Well under 2:30, best 7S time yet (and the new turnaround probably adds a minute to the course), and pretty happy with that. Even though I hadn't felt great, I guess I moved pretty well. I definitely have some time to gain on downhills. And uphills. And flats.

Then, gosh, 7 Sisters has the bestest post-race environment. Tents in trees, lots and lots of food, pizza, and this year Amy outdid herself by having someone donate a keg of beer which found its way behind a rock. Stoneface IPA, and she'd already given us mugs.

The ice cream was well-earned.

O at 6. Meeting at 6. Will be late for meeting. Controls were probably set, I went around waking most of them up. No real mistakes, but pretty hot, so I was sweaty at least.

Bike ride since it was too hot for running. Nice day for a ride, though. Out to Arlington, up Eastern Ave, back through Belmont. One lady in a minivan tried to squeeze me passing when there was a construction single lane ahead and slow traffic, I held my line and asked through the open window "what good is it going to do you anyway?" She didn't get it. People driving cars are monsters.

C • desperation 2

Quick run.