Training Log Archive: BorisGr

To/from gym

Stairs at Payne Whitney. Felt like crap - probably a mix of lack of sleep and a weekend of eating and drinking (mmmmmmm, mojitos.) Motivation to get out and train today was definitely driven by the thought that Sam would be out there, doing a 3 hour run followed by a 2 hour bike ride. Well, I was almost right.

2:09
2:08
2:07
2:09
2:09
2:06

Felt dead after the last one. Sat down and sat on the top step for a little while.

C • almost right 8

Warm-up and cool-down for the stairs, on an elliptical and a weird bike machine.

Most of the usual stuff. Forearms really sore from climbing on Saturday.

Event: NEOC - Mt. Tom
 

Jogging around after the orienteering.

C • You got me this week! 2

After a late night in the city, Kat and I drove up to Harriman for an easy training on this gorgeous fall day. I ran around a course on Pole Brook, with the goal being to stay in control the whole time and read the map on the run. I almost managed to stay in control the whole time, but sort of lost it on the long leg going west-east towards the end of the course. Knew where I was the whole time, but just wasn't focusing properly to pick good lines through terrain and kept running off my route. Shook it off on the next leg and finished well.
QuickRoute: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

C • Course 2

Event: HVO Local Event - Blue Mountain
 

Warm-up

HVO Local Meet, Blue Mountain

A really nice area to orienteer, and a really nice course by Dave Webber. Having to pre-copy maps was slightly annoying, as were the missing punches on about a third of the controls, but the most important things were excellent (map and courses.)
As I started, Joe appeared out of nowhere and announced he was starting right after me. I am pretty certain he was hanging out in his car waiting for me to start just so he could go after me and bug me out on the course. Sure enough, I took a bad route to #1 (there was construction on the hillside by the lodge east of the pond, and that slowed me down a bunch), and Joe punched just ahead of me. I was feeling pretty bad physically and could not get ahead of Joe for several controls. He was quite smooth and precise in his orienteering, and my attempts to take better micro-routes kept failing. Finally, my route to 7 was slightly better (he went straight over the second hill, while I went around to the south), and I got just ahead. I then went straight on the line to 8, while Joe took the trail, and I thought I was finally alone. However, the time I wasted searching for the punch at 8 was enough for him to catch up, and we were together again. I was slightly ahead to 9 and 10, but then veered right off the line (+0:30) going to 11, and Joe got back ahead. I again tried something different to 12, going to the trail, but Joe popped out on the trail right with me. I was a bit faster and got in front, and then took a better route to 13: I went through the gap between the two green hills, while Joe took the trail that ran to the west of the hills and then had to climb up to the control. Seeing that I had a bit of a gap, I decided to go straight over the top to 14, rather than around the hill to the north, so that Joe wouldn't be able to see me as he approached 13. This seemed to work, as I never saw him again. Fast and clean to 15, a very satisfying leg that involved running along narrow valleys between ridges - this is somehow pleasing. Then ran too far to the south going to 16, but recovered quickly at the stone wall (+0:30). Trail around to 17, and then waiting for Joe. Pleased to get him by about a minute. Even though I was annoyed at him at first for starting right after me, it actually made for a really fun back-and-forth that probably made both of us run harder than we would have otherwise.

QuickRoute: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...
Results: http://hvo.us.orienteering.org/News/article/sid=22...
Joe's version of events, slightly different from mine: http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_25/per...

C • race simulation 1

Headed out on the orange course a few minutes after finishing the red, but really wasn't into it. Started tripping over branches and whacked my ankle hard on a rock and decide to just run on trails after getting halfway through the course.

Got back to Kat's place in Manhattan, showered, ate some chicken soup, and headed to Brooklyn to meet up with JesseAH and go to Brooklyn Boulders for some climbing, an activity at which I am pretty terrible. It was a lot of fun, however, so we might try to hit the Connecticut Rock Gym in New Haven when we have some time.
Two hours at the gym, but most of it was standing around.

C • Woo climbing! 1

Red - Splits

Thanksgiving Day tempo run at West Rock while my parents walked around Wintergreen Lake. Ran up the flat red trail going north from the lake and back. Started a bit conservatively, but felt good in the second half: 9:41, 9:25.

Morning run from home through the ghetto to West Rock, up the red trail to Mountain Rd., and back just in time to see my parents pull into the parking lot.
Butt and hamstrings hurt tremendously today. If not for needing to get my $2$ back from Sam, I would have cut the run short.

C • $2$ 1

East Rock.

To and from the gym

The usual.

I found a nice replacement for a hill: Payne Whitney Gymnasium, supposedly the second-tallest athletic facility in the world. 26 flights, 300 stairs, take the elevator down, repeat. Still don't know how tall the building is, though. Anyone know?

209
211
208
208
207
206

C • running stairs 10

Event: WCOC Wooster Mountain
 

Warm-up

Red course at Wooster Mountain. Nice area, beautiful day.
Map: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

C • Shame 1

Orange course at Wooster Mountain after doing the red. Hungry the whole way, but ok otherwise.
Map: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

Red course - Splits

A morning tour of East Rock, part of the way with Becky. Taking it easy this week, so no intervals. Ran up a new (for me) hill - Indian Head, which had a sketchy-looking lady sitting on the top, brewing something in what looked like a cauldron.

C • Wooster 12

C • That's a new one on me, but... 1

Easy night run with Becky at West Rock. It sure seems like we are getting one more orienteer in New Haven starting next spring, and a damn good one at that.

Drove to Ansonia to run an old course with Becks, who is in town for a few days. Beautiful day, fast woods. Ran without a compass as I could not actually put the compass on my thumb, which is swollen from the bee sting.

Starting to actually worry about the bee sting now. Could barely take off my glove tonight.

To/from gym

Gym. Strength. As usual. Ankle large and sore from crunching it at the Traverse. Hand large and sore from being attacked by an angry bee while tutoring last night.

Event: Blue Hills Traverse
 

Warm-up

Blue Hills Traverse. organized by Jeff, course set by Ross.
After a fun evening of Boggle with the CSU crowd and a morning spent massaging my bruised (or plantar fasciitis-ed) foot, I was ready to take a third crack at the Traverse, which I had never finished before. Looking around at the starting line, I figured I could win if my body held up and if I managed to hold off the young speedsters Nate and Carl, the Swede Henrik Wiklund, and a few others like Peter Grollmann, Ernst, Dancho, Andis, Samantha and Mr.Balter himself.

Start-1: Listening to Jeff's warning at the start about the map being sketchy in parts, I figured I should just drop down to the road using the trail going south from the "field" (actually, parking lot) we were starting from. Instead, I did not understand the map at all and ended up leading a large pack nearly off the map and nearly 180 degrees away from the control. I realized where we were when I saw a line of houses below me and corrected, angry and cursing, to get out on the road. Then came the long slog on the road. Nate passed me and got away instantly, and I was left alone to pass people first walking, then shuffling, then even some jogging, eventually catching up to PG, who was surely amused to see me come by. Found #1 ok, though Nate disappeared far up the hill, overshooting the control. I was about 2:30 behind the leaders here, though I had no idea who was ahead of me and how far.

1-2: Went straight, which is a bad route. Then misinterpreted the map again when attacking the control from the trail junction and ran around trying to relocated. Ali, Erin, and Balter appeared. Finally found the control after convincing myself that I had stopped short. Another 2:30 lost, now 5 minutes behind the lead.

2-3: Hesitated at first, but then dropped down to the indistinct trail with Ali and Erin, and saw Marie well ahead of me. Gradually caught her, then was again confused by the mapping around the stone wall bend, and finally went up the right hill with Ernst now joining us.

3-4: Happy to be done with this map and onto the newer Blue Hills West.

4-5: Some nice woods here and an easy control, so I picked it up again, trying to get away. Saw Kristoffer as I came into 5.

5-6: Ran hard on the trails to 6 and was happy to see the tail end of the next pack on their way to 7 as I was turning towards 6 at the last trail junction. Figured I was about 2 minutes back of this pack which included Peter Grollmann (PG2), Andis, Henrik, Carl, Dancho, and a few more I didn't recognize.

6-7: Clean and fast, but saw no sign of anyone ahead of me.

7-8: Rushed leaving 7 and ended up cutting down to the road down a stony reentrant instead of the nice trail. Lost 30 seconds here - angry at myself. Ate a gu on the road and dropped down to the beautiful piece of woods around 8.

8-9: Trail to the road, then up the dirt/gravel road along the stream. At the very bottom of the hil, I saw one of the guys from the pack ahead of me walking up near the top, and that gave me encouragement. Ran hard up the hill, and was happy to see PG2, Henrik, and Dancho leaving 9 after taking some refreshments as I was coming in. The gap down to less than a minute.

9-10: Decide to go left and attack the control from the bottom, as I figure it's much easier. Along the way am surprised to pass Phil Bricker. Push hard again on the climb towards 10, and punch the control with PG2 and Dancho.

10-11: Follow PG2 through the green just to catch my breath, then take a better line down the hill towards 11 and get there first, with Andis and Carl coming in just ahead of me from a different direction.

11-12: We all slog up the muddy trail, with Andis and Carl just ahead of me, PG2 just behind. At the top, Carl goes left on the Skyline trail, Andis goes right on the big trail, I decide to go straight down the hill through the white forest. I run fast down the hill and come out to the trail alone, with no sign of Carl or Andis. PG2 appears soon, and from here on, it's just me and Peter.

12-13: I thought I pulled away a bit leaving 12, but Peter catches up on the trails and takes a better line towards the control, punching first.

13-14: He is very fast down the hill from 13, getting away from me, but I am more precise attacking 14, and so I am ahead.

14-15: We are both tired here and walk/jog up the small hill to the trail junction. Again, I am just ahead.

15-16: I take a slightly meandering route along the hillside here, and Peter runs straighter and catches up again.

16-17: I consider the left route for a second, but decide right must be better at this point (less climb), so I do that. Peter is with me, maybe 5-10 meters behind the whole time. I can tell that he is tired, so I assume he will make a move by trying a different route coming into 17. I choose to stay on the big trail until the last junction, and then cut up through the woods towards the water tower. Peter leaves the trail earlier, but has to climb through the woods longer. No sign of Peter when I see the control on top of the cliff.

17-18: Some hesitation as I hit the ski slope and see Jeff taking pictures. I see on the map that the cliff is facing away from the ski slope, so I dive into the stony woods in order to be able to see it. I am lucky enough to see it just ahead of me, crunch my ankle on a rock, and punch.

18-F: Limp down the ski slope to the finish. I am surprised to learn that I am first, as I assumed that Henrik Wiklund had stayed ahead of me and that Sam was also ahead, since I never saw her.

I had a good time, especially once we got onto the West map. I really do not think the East map is suitable for orienteering and should be remade from scratch. The course was fun, and Judy's chicken noodle soup at the finish really hit the spot. Thanks to NEOC and Ross for their hard work on the Traverse!

QuickRoute: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

C • haha. No Sam had some major... 3

Traverse - Splits

Started going for a morning run, but turned back because of a really painful bruise on the inside of my right foot. I think I got it during the long run on Wednesday. Hope it feels better by tomorrow.

A short ride on Kat's bike in the living room. Gotta get my own bike.

Some flexibility exercises at home.

To the gym and back

Felt pretty bad most of the day, so skipped running intervals. Instead, tried to do rowing intervals at the gym. Managed just 6x2 minutes with 1 minute rest. Not very impressive, but sweated a lot anyway.

Arm strength plus calves after the cross-training. Really not feeling motivated today.

C • Even unmotivated you still ... 1

Running to West Rock through the ghetto and then at West Rock on the red trail with Mike and Marie. A lot of fun, nice night, nice pace, good company.

Tour of East Rock on a ridiculously warm November day. Short sleeves and shorts in November - this sure ain't Uppsala!

C • request 3

To the gym and back

C • NYC 9

The usual strength stuff. Very sore from soccer. My inflexibility has gotten me think about the idea of trying out yoga, as a lot of people seem to swear by it. Anybody out there know what type of yoga i should try and how to get started?

C • yoga 6

Event: WCOC Pond Mountain
 

Not going to Pond Mountain because Kat hurt her knee at Ansonia yesterday. I hope it's nothing serious...

Showed up to play for the Yale Math Department in the grad student intramurals. First time playing soccer, especially on a real field with goals, in a very long time. It was so much fun!! I was very, very rusty and also lacked a lot of the agility I used to have when I played more soccer. Managed not to hurt too many people, so that's a plus. Would love to play some more, it's just such a fun game.

C • Hurting people... 1

Event: CSU Orienteering Weekend
 

Training at Ansonia on a course designed by Jagge. I started by shadowing Kat for the first half hour, but her knee was hurting a lot, so she stopped and went back. I picked up the pace a bit and cruised around the rest of the course. Ansonia was a lot of fun, as usual. Nice to have it as the closest map to me.
Course: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/index.php?u...

C • I hope you liked it. Was le... 1

Read on Kim Fagerudd's webpage today that he was selected to be on the Finnish Standing Team for the first time in a few years. What caught my attention was that he adds in the end that he thinks he was selected at least partly because he is taking a leave from work for the next ten months, making it easier for him to focus on training. Interesting that the leadership of the national team notices such things.

C • not surprised 1

Drove to West Rock and ran a loop around Wintergreen Lake and then north on the red trail all the way to the end at Farm Brook Reservoir and back. Saw a turkey, blissfully unaware of the upcoming slaughter of its kind.

C • It may have been aware 5

Biking a little on Kat's bike (on a stand) at home to warm up for stretching. Is there an actual danger to biking on a bike that is too small for me?

C • Danger 5

Short uphill intervals on the road up to the top of East Rock at sundown. 12x1 minute with 1 minute rest. Almost collided with a deer.

Nice training idea from Albin's website. A direction test, running first without a compass and then with. He did slightly better without: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph... .

Also, looking at the summary of his training year:
450 training hours
3058 controls found (of which 2795 spiked!)
53 races
and 3303 hours of sleep!

In 2007, my best training year, I was at about 2500 controls found over 165 sessions with a map, and my results were the best they've ever been. How many controls do US team members find in a year, and how do we increase that number without increasing the number of hours?

C • number of controls 9

A circuit around the perimeter of East Rock with Kat after going to a junkyard to look for some car parts. Sunny and cool, nice day. Almost all the leaves are down.

To and from the gym

Strength at the gym. Very tired and sore hamstrings and butt, but ok otherwise.

Event: WCOC Trout Brook Valley
 

Warm-up

WCOC local event at Trout Brook, a long mass-start course set by Joe. I arrived at the start in less than tip-top form after a night of partying in Philadelphia, but it was fun to run around and see how far behind Will I would end up. Right from the beginning I could tell that my butt and hamstrings could not handle any fast running, so I focused on the navigation, but even that failed, as I made a huge error on #7. After going between an uncrossable cliff and an uncrossable swamp, I did not curve around the hill enough and climbed a reentrant thinking I was headed straight for the control. Relocation took a really long time, as I could not make myself believe that I was that far off. My worst mistake of the fall, I think. Clean the rest of the way, except for a questionable route to 10.
Not only did Will kick my butt, but he rubbed it in by going back along the course and then shadowing me for the last three controls. I miss the Will of old who would make 15-minute mistakes while leading the Billygoat. :)

Thanks Joe for a great course!
Map: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

Today's mistake wasn't quite mistake of the year for me, but definitely worst mistake during the day this year. Still, it doesn't quite compare to my fantastic boom from the last control to the finish on Lunsen on January 14: http://www.dxdeluxe.se/linnekartparmen/show_map.ph...

Traverse - Splits