Training Log Archive: the kempster

Running to the start and then back partways while waiting for my start time.

Really really didn't want to mess up on the first control (again) so I took it so slowly and made sure I knew where I was the whole time. And sure enough, I spiked it no problemo. But then I decided to throw all of that caution into the wind and just start running to 2 with no plan whatsoever. Well, bombed that one completely spending 25min running up and down the ridge through the green trying to relocate. Amazingly, I did relocate, but only because I was in a series of re-entrants that were all green, and the control was supposed to be in a wide white open part of the ridge. Blasted back across the ridge for maybe the 3rd time paying no heed to all of the prickly vines and bushes until things finally started to fit in with the map and I found the blasted control. The rest of the race was just a mess and I felt like a total wreck out there just barely being in contact with the map. Found 3, 4, 5, and 6 alright and 7 was almost great except that as I was heading up the re-entrant looking for the ditch that was supposed to branch off, I couldn't find it and thought I was in the wrong one. Continued to run all over the place until I came back to a spot where I knew I had just come from and then ran right over the hill and into the control. Somehow, the area around the control seemed rather familiar so I think that I was within 20m of it the first time and just couldn't see it. 8 to 9 was the really long leg that pretty much went straight through the green, and by then I was pretty experienced at getting through the stuff, I just slogged my way through it all trying my best to stay on a bearing. Totally messed up 12 and even now I'm not sure what happened. Came out at the road which wasn't supposed to happen but it was quickly corrected and I got a nice break from crawling through the green to do some road running! Took the long way around to 14 instead of cutting through all of the camps and trails only because I knew that I would've had to slow down considerably just to read all the fine detail so as not to head off in the wrong direction so close to the end. Felt like a terrible race for me, but I guess that I should be positive and say...I finished the race and in under 2hrs too...woohoo!!! ;-)

Day 1 Red Y - Splits

Event: US Champs
 

Doing a quick run through of the sprint model map and then the warm-up run to the start.

Excellent race...except for the fist control. At the start, I kinda knew which way to go, so when I actually got my map, I just started running not really knowing where I was supposed to go after I got into the woods. Found my second control first without realizing it, then spent about 1min running from one parallel trail to another until I finally got my act together and found the control and then continued on from there. Thankfully, making that big mistake at the beginning didn't affect the rest of my race. Went around on the trail to 10 which was a mistake although when I first glanced at the map, it seemed like the best route from where I had come out on the trail from 9. The rest of the course was a piece of cake and I'm happy with where I placed (if only it wasn't for #1 :P)

Checked out the model map for the classic event with my dad .

Sprint Red - Splits

Did a little bit of bike shopping in Syracuse and picked up 2 bikes, a pump, armour, a bike rack, and a spare tube all in one sweet deal! Then, within an hour, my dad and I were on the trails! Felt like I was going to some war though with my glasses, shin and knee armour, helmet, and gloves, though I must say that now I feel much safer rocketing over jumps and such. The first 2hrs were mostly on skate ski trails which wasn't too exciting and uber muddy! Even on the flats, it felt like we were slugging up a big slippery hill, but thankfully, the hills were pretty dry and we could manage on them alright. For the last little bit, we found this random single track with ramps and jumps and everything! It was like a mountain biking paradise in the middle of nowhere! Am very proud of myself for sticking it through the whole trail since parts of it were pretty challenging and I've never done anything like that before. Note: going backwards down a ramp is never a very good idea!

Leaving for US Champs tomorrow morning and stopping in Syracuse for a city-wide search for mountain bikes!

Biking to and from the house of my new tutee...(hmm, not sure if that's right, maybe it's just student.)

According to Dr. Dad, I should stay off my heel for this week so that it was a chance to un-inflammate for the US Champs. He also says to ice it a lot and to take twice as much Advil as the bottle prescribes, but I'm not so sure if the latter is a good idea...
So, true to the not running on my heel, I side-stepped ski practice which just happened to be running Carlington Hill which I'm sure would not have been very good on it! Biking seems to be ok since there's virtually no impact, so hoping to explore more of the trails up on the hill, I biked over at about the time that I hoped the ski team would be leaving as to avoid an awkward situation. Got there just as they were stepping out of the parking lot, so I booked it down the road past the arena and into a parking lot where I did a few loops until the coast was clear. Found a whole network of trails which was really hard to keep track of. Some of them come at in backyards or driveways, while others go absolutely nowhere or just fade into nothing. Could definitely spend a very long time exploring around in there!

Event: OOC Adventure Run Nakkertok Nordic Ski Centre
 

Missed the mass start since we were really late, so my dad and i had our own little mass start at 12:25. :P Had a 4 control scramble first which wasn't timed, and surprisingly we both went different ways, but we came back within seconds of eachother. I started first with loop 1 which was about 6km with my dad about 5min behind me since he had to go to the bathroom. Lots and lots of trail running, so when I could, even if it didn't quite seem like the fastest route, I cut through the woods just to change it up a little bit. Some superb woods at the far end of Nakkertok though! Most of it is just as fast as running on the trails, and it was definitely a lot more fun! Cut through to 8 which worked out really well, and then again on 9 and again on 10 on the second map (which unfortunately didn't work out too well...) Ran right past 10 on the first map which is really pathetic since it was literally about 2m off the trail! The first map took about 54min and then the second was just under an hour as well. Was a lot more tired on the second loop though and my heel was really getting sore! Kind of had to hobble-run for the last few controls cause it was so painful. Actually started snowing which was quite a surprise and a bit chilly, but all the same really cool! First snow of the year, but it didn't last more then 10sec on the ground since it's not below freezing yet. Only saw my dad once when he was on the way to 5 and me on the way to 9, and I finished just 6min a head of him which is exactly the amount of mistakes that he made on control 8 on the first map...hehe, what a shame!! :P