Training Log Archive: BorisGr

Disappointed.

C • Understandable. 6

Warm-up

Team Trials Middle - Blue Mountain

941/2000

Blue - Splits

Haven't been sleeping well all week, and today was the culmination: couldn't fall asleep until 3, up again at 5. Weird.

Warm-up and a slow shuffle of a cool-down

US Team Trials Long - Blue Mountain

A great course by Neil. There were plenty of technical and physical challenges, and the high humidity didn't do us any favors. The expected winning times were off by about 10+ minutes, so we were suffering out there.

My performance was, once again, mediocre. I started out calm, at a moderate pace, knowing that we were in for a long day. Fairly clean through 5, and was happy to see Clem (-3) as I came into #5. I stayed higher than him to 6 and was sure I spiked the control except that there was no flag. It looks like there was a very similar group of cliffs with a reentrant just above #6 that didn't make it onto the map. Clem, who was lower, saw the control first and was gone by the time I got to it, losing a minute. I then took a bad route to 7, drifting was too far left off the line and being surprised to catch Clem again before the fire break. After 7 I was by myself for the rest of the race. A lot of other blue runners seem to have had company over the course of the race, which surely would have helped the pace a bit, but such is the luck of the draw.

I took a long time choosing the route to 8, but was happy with my plan of using the mountain bike trails and then doing some climbing up the big mountain, but contouring a big chunk of it before dropping down to the trail that leads to the control. I executed well and had a nice section of 8-9-10. I am pretty sure my route to 8 was good, as both Jordan and Sergei went around to the right and did not gain much time on me, despite running faster.

To 11 I was again considering all the way right versus straighter, choosing right in the end, as I was looking forward to some flat running on a big trail. Like an idiot, I missed a turn-off and ended up having to bash through green and swamp to get to my trail. I lost 2 minutes here, probably most of it due to the mistake and maybe some due to my route.

Definitely thinking about water on the way to 12 and 13, and feeling tired as I started the final big loop. I planned and executed 14 and 15 well, and was feeling pretty good about my race when I blew 16. I was a bit low on the slope and found a big cliff that wasn't mapped. It took two attempts at relocation before I climbed higher and found it. Loss of another 2 minutes.

After this I managed to hold it together, and was particularly pleased with the route and execution to 19. The last couple of controls were a struggle, and my orienteering was very much stop and go, but never to the point where I felt completely dead.

In the end, I was the 6th Team Trialer, which isn't great. The good thing to take away from this was that I didn't bonk and felt stronger than I would have even a couple of weeks ago, and much stronger than I struggled through the US Classic Champs at Moreau - that was a definite low point.

Looking forward to the decisive middle distance tomorrow.

Route Gadget: http://www.vmeyer.net/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?ac...

Blue - Splits

Event: US Team Trials for WOC '11
 

Warm-up/cool-down

US Team Trials Sprint - SUNY Purchase

The map and the course were great. Neil did a great job getting everything and everyone together to make sure this sprint could happen. I have no idea what we would have done without his efforts. If only he wasn't sick too... Becky, too, is a star for taking over all the vetting duties at the last moment and doing a great job.

My race preparation started off pretty strangely. As I bit into a granola bar in the shady quarantine zone, I heard a crunching sound and saw a crown from one of my teeth fall out and land in the grass. Hmm, strange.

Otherwise, things went ok and I was ready for the race, though perhaps not for the heat. I started pretty well, though took the slower (south) route to 2, losing 5 seconds or so. The next few were going well, and I was planning routes in advance. On the long leg to 7, though, I got confused when I reached the long east-west overhang and could not understand the shapes of buildings there. I stopped, took a few steps in the wrong direction, got a bit frazzled by the yelling spectators (I was told I looked like a wounded animal), and then finally figured out where to go. Perhaps 15 seconds lost there, maybe 20. Ok for the next couple, but then got confused by the trucks at 12, as they were obscuring the building my control was on. Hesitated and stopped short - another 15 seconds left. Not a disaster, but the difference between a possible 3rd place in the Trials and 8th. Not good, though not all as lost, as many of the usual suspects had times withing the 14:45-15:05 range.

C • Good job! 2

Blue - Splits

Easy run around East Rock with Kat (at the beginning) and Will. Then a few strides with Will.

Alex called in the morning and convinced me to go to Harriman. We got there after some sitting in traffic and questionable route choices. First, I ran a memory exercise with Mike Sandstrom on Polebrook. This went well, and I felt like I was moving well through terrain.

Then, after a break, we did another pairs exercise on Surebridge. I ran with Jeff. I guess the point of the training was to run fast when you are chasing the other person, but that didn't really happen, as the terrain was tough, and we were tired. Still, a good training, and running at Harriman is always a pleasure. Thanks Becky!

890/2000

C • Broken link 4

Around this time of year, there is a lot of buzz around selections for WOC and JWOC teams in various countries. Once again this year, I am thankful for the objective system we have in the US, so that we don't have the endless complaints, like in Sweden or Russia

C • amazing 8

Training at Ansonia. First, hanging (never-used) streamers for Becky's boulder exercise, then shadowing Alex around the slope course. Felt better as the day went on.

Event: Saxon Woods
 

HVO local event at Saxon Woods, set by Jeremy. I really like Saxon Woods and think it's a nice area. Today's courses had a lot of trail running and did not make much use of the fairly complex rock and contour detail in the north part of the map, but it was good to force myself to run fast on the trails and be smooth into and out of controls. Pretty clean race, except for some parts of being tentative through dense vegetation. Sergei had about 52 minutes without going to the last control, and was running significantly faster than me.

Sprint as Saxon Woods after finishing the red course. This was a really half-assed effort as I didn't feel like being out there and revisiting a number of controls from the red course. It was a very nice stand-alone sprint, but my mind just wasn't in it.

852/2000

Event: Informal Training Week pre Team Trials
 

Lunch in Indiana - Dinner in DC - Breakfast in Hartford - Lunch/Dinner in Boston.
Flew into Hartford, stayed at George and Lyn's (thanks Georg and Lyn!), and drove to Lynn Woods to meet Giovanni, Ed, Katia, Ross, and a surprise visitor in the shape of Eric Weyman to look at the area for the middle distance US Champs. Then Ross and I did a long control picking course, checking out the new part of the map, which is definitely nicer than the first part we had gotten. Running with Ross was a lot of fun, and the sunshine contributed to the enjoyment. A nice afternoon. Then drove back to New Haven. Tomorrow - Saxon Woods.

Threshold intervals on the hotel treadmill in the morning. Worked hard, but didn't go particularly fast. Not a great sign.

C • easy boy 1

Running from the Indiana University campus north to Griffy Woods and then several loops on the trails there. Nice woods, a bit steep, but would make good orienteering terrain. Perfect weather, and everything was very green. Lots of chipmunks and rabbits about.

East Rock perimeter loop in the morning. Wet. Going through the Billygoat in my mind and searching for things I could have done differently during the race to get a better result. Couldn't really come up with any, except for maybe navigating on my own to 17 and 18.

Event: Billygoat Run
 

We really have some great people in orienteering, and I am grateful and proud to count them among my friends.

Ok, I should write down how the race went no matter how disappointed I am.

Start-7: Saw from the start that Ross-Jordan-Sergei were going to be too fast, so I thought of it as a battle for 4th. Knew this would be difficult as Wyatt, Robert, Ali, Sam, Carl, Giacomo, Andrew, Ethan, Sergei G, Vadim, Balter, Marie, Nate, Alexei, Andis and some others were up front right from the beginning.
I was with Wyatt for the first few controls, thinking that the pace was pretty quick. Going to 7, the pack split a bit, and I went left, which I think was the best route. I executed it nicely, and was suddenly alone with Robert, ahead of the chasing pack.

8-14: At that moment I decided to gamble and skip 8, hoping to leave the pack behind for good. I convinced Robert to go with me, and things were going well at first. We woke up 8, and orienteered quite well all the way through 12, me in front the entire time. Coming out of 12, we saw Ross coming in, and I realized that we were already caught by the yet-to-skip leaders. This rattled me going to 13, and I executed it poorly, meaning that Ross was now with us. I kept wanting to do my own thing, so I took the road to 14, while Ross and Robert went straight. This let me stay with that, even though they were running faster.

15-17: Then the hills to 15 and 16 came, and I had nothing. Walking the uphills, even as Robert shouted encouragement and Ross stayed within sight by taking a bad angle to 16. Then Jordan came by. On the way to 17 it was downhill again, and I made a rookie mistake. Tried hard to make up ground and regain contact with Ross, Jordan, and Robert, and I just ran without reading the map. Made a stupid error that cost about a minute. Coming into 17, I saw the whole massive pack appear from my right, and I was completely dejected.

17-18: I was stumbling along here, feeling weak and defeated. Again, did not bother looking for the best route, but just followed Ali, Sergei G, Vadim, Carl, Giacomo, and Marie. We took a bad route and climbed an unnecessary, very steep, hill.

18-31: In the butterfly loops, the running got easier, and I just cruised along with the pack, navigating again and starting to enjoy myself more because of the great woods and fun orienteering. The pack stayed pretty much together through the butterflies, though after 27, I read the 18/23 control as 28 and headed to it while everyone else took the straight route to 28. Realizing my mistake, I ran hard to catch them, which tired me out a bit, but I caught the pack (sans Ali). We stayed together through 30. Then, going to 31, I made a mistake attacking the control, and took Carl, Giacomo, and Marie with me. By the time we recovered (45 seconds later), Ali, Sergei, and Vadim were gone.

32-F: I ran the rest of the way with Carl and Giacomo, with Marie a bit behind but hanging on the entire way. I looked for ways to get away, but the juniors were impressive and orienteered perfectly. They were both stronger than me at the finish, and I didn't give much of a fight, limping to a 10th place after last year's victory.

I was really disappointed with the result, but I think I would still have chosen the same approach if I had to do the race over again. I did not want to be in a big pack, but rather wanted to see if I could hold them off by independent navigation, thus skipping early to get away. It didn't work.

I should also say that everyone around me in that chasing pack orienteered really well and avoided major mistakes, while maintaining a good pace the whole time. Very impressive.

Also, a great win for Ross! He deserves it, and I hope we will see many more battles between him and Jordan in the future.

781/2000

C • Different plans for 4th... 1

Collecting controls, first in the nice woods up in the northern butterfly, then the last four controls.

Billygoat - Splits

Event: Speedy Goat Sprint Relay
 

Jogging before, after and between races.

Speedy Goat Sprint Relay - Leg 2
Tarrywile Park, CT

I ran in a team with Marie, and she handed over to me around 7th place, just behind a spread-out pack of PG, Ethan, Sergei Gnatiouk, and Katia. I ran very hard from the start to get closer to Sergei and then took the trail up to the butterfly control, getting by Ethan. Had some hesitations on the first loop, where Jordan went flying by, but ran well after that and handed over in 3rd, behind Jordan and Vadim, and just ahead of Sam.

Speedy Goat Relay - Leg 4

Marie had another solid run, and I went out just behind another pack. This one contained Sergei, Ethan, and Sam, with Vadim over a minute ahead in 2nd, and Jordan another minute in front with the lead. I chose to cut through the green going to 2, and gained some time on Sergei and Sam, getting ahead of them. Then climbed slowly up to my next control and passed Ethan along the way. After contouring along to #4, I was surprised to see Vadim come in from the opposite direction. I had slight bobbles on 5 and 6, but then ran well to get in front of the pack, with only Ethan right on my back. I took a safer route to the last control, #9, and Ethan got a couple of steps in front. I pushed hard on the long uphill run-in and managed to get ahead of him for 2nd place, far behind the impressive team of Jordan and Giacomo.
This was really fun! Thanks to everyone who helped organize!

Picking up a few flags after the event

A-2 - Splits

B-2 - Splits

Event: Cemetery Hill Inaugural Sprint
 

East Rock, first with Kat, then by myself on the usual perimeter loop. Everything is green and lovely.

Had to go by Becky's place to drop off some Harriman maps, so I took that opportunity to run her sprint course on the Yale map in reverse. Feeling tired, so I only ran until the control that was conveniently place on my house.

Weighed in at 174 lbs this morning - about 15 less than in November.

C • Weight 10

Back in civilization after an amazing trip.

Inbox is jammed, so sorry if you need something from me. I'll try to unjam everything tomorrow.

C • welcome home! 3

Training! Went for an easy run with Becky around East Rock. Beautiful afternoon, beautiful company.