Training Log Archive: hamlet

Event: QOC Patuxent
 

Kicking ass (including my own)
First window went fine. I went to the farthest out one first to get it over with. I had a hard time getting my mind to work, it felt really foggy. It was like my stuffy nose was making my brain stuffy, too. Messed up the attack to I a little bit, I was following the foot of the slope and thought I was readin the contours correctly but apparently I wasn't.

Second window was hell. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown (maybe in the middle of one, I can't even tell anymore). I was really getting in my head about not being as good of an orienteer as I should be and all that jazz, and it didn't help that I was so sure I was doing the controls in the worst order possible because I couldn't think clearly enough to come up with a cohesive plan. Messed up K because the indistinct trail led a bit differently than the map shows, so I wasn't certain where I was when I left the trail, and since it was well hidden in a little reentrant, I didn't see it and thought I was one reentrant over, but I noticed fairly quickly that I was right the first time.

Third window was a smaller one, and at that point I had finally settled on a solid plan, so it was pretty good. Running wasn't really working anymore, and I was really struggling up the slopes getting out of the big reentrants, but I was able to fully focus on orienteering.

Fourth window went okay, too. I messed up going to W because I thought I was an intersection further but I recovered fairly well. I felt pretty good because I knew it was finally the end of the course.

The run in across the field sucked, every fiber of my being wanted to stop.

I was surprised that I ended up placing so well, and even my time is not bad. At least my HR is starting to look more normal again. As far as pace goes, this is a pretty good pace for me when orienteering, but I think the only reason is because there were so many trails and very little climb. I'm proud of this result, but I've still got a whole lot to improve. Hopefully soon-ish I'll be able to actually recover from all the races and stuff I've been doing and get back to training.

C • running with confidence 2

Meant to do 40 minutes but I started getting really sluggish, like moving my legs didn't work too great and breathing was getting harder and harder. Dunno if this is just cuz I was going uphill or that I didn't have time for breakfast or if my cold is still holding me back, but I just know that I really felt like I should stop and not push it. HR looks more normal today though, which is a plus.

gotta get back to the car somehow

should I have gone climbing? absolutely not. Should I have been trying 11ds? hell no. But of course I did anyways, swung out pretty badly at one point cuz my arm got caught on the rope and slammed by back on a hold and probably strained my neck, but other than that I was just climbing way harder than I should've.

Started with two quick boulders, a V1 and V2. Warmed up properly on a 10a (top rope), then tried an 11a. Finished, just fell a few times in one spot because one of the holds was really smoothed out so it was so hard to keep my hand on it. Tried an 11d, got up to about 3/4 (by falling on every move) before my strength fully gave out. Did an 11a no problem, but I might've climbed it before, dunno. Tried another 11d, got up like 2 moves and got stuck, so I climbed a 10b instead.

C • :) 2

trying to get my legs to work.
Weird how I'm still this sore 2 days after that workout. It wasn't even a super difficult or long workout, I've done worse after longer periods of not doing strength and it wasn't nearly this bad. Maybe it's just the combination of the cold + vaccine + recovering from the weekend. I hope.

Legs and pecs are still suuuuuper sore, but after moving a little bit I was able to actually walk (and even run). Somehow running is less painful than walking. But it was fine, I kept it short (maybe I pushed the speed a lil too much), and I'm glad I did it.

you can definitely see from my hr that I'm not fully healthy yet, the cold is still lingering, and I could feel it on the moderate uphill in the second half, but it wasn't too bad.

C • YUH 7

trying to avoid my legs cramping up

Looking at my Gatineau Loppet 50km times from 2020 (aka the first and last time I did those ski races). The races are in less than 2 weeks, and I'm quite nervous. My classic time was around 5:45:00 and my skate time was around 4:52:00. I really hope to improve those times a lot this year, but I'm not sure I'll be able to, based on the few times I went skiing this year. Also, that year I had dome at least 100km on skis before those races, and probably even more. And I actually went classic skiing beforehand, too. So this year it'll be interesting. My goal times are 5 hours for classic and 4:15 hours for the skate. I don't know how close I'll be to making those times, and realistically probably not close at all. I don't want to stress myself out about those times, I just would like to have improved since then (but honestly covid and global warming have not been on my side when it comes to skiing). I just seriously hope I finish, because if I don't, I'm not sure if I'd be able to forgive myself.

just slightly stressed about this.

C • Hi 4

Hoped I'd get a run in today, but I'm extremely sore today- like, more sore than I think I should be after yesterday.

Also had a doc appointment this morning and got my blood drawn + a vaccine (I didn't pass out this time! just nearly crushed my mom's hand), and came home completely drained. I have no energy for anything, and moving at all is excruciating. I might try to go for a walk later to get the blood flowing, if I get all my work done.

Feeling a bit better than yesterday, mostly just a stuffy nose now. I was worried this'd be another week of being sick but it looks like it'll be okay. I'm definitely not up to running yet, but I think this short workout was fine.

4 sets of (10x 95lb squat, 10x 10lb lateral raises, 10x 10lb front raises)
^ I was going to do 5 sets but I was feeling a bit lightheaded towards the end of my squat sets and my leg muscles were seizing up so I didn't want to pull something
5 sets of 10x decline situps
3 sets of 10x 30lb/arm db bench press
^ How does one get up from a db bench press without looking like a flopping fish

stairmaster 10:30, 800 steps

my legs nearly buckled under me when I went down stairs after this
leg days suck

got a cold. Probably from the fact that was getting overwhelmed by things around my neck so I had my jacket slightly unzipped and only one light buff on Saturday. At least I was fine for the race yesterday, although I could feel the cold coming during the drive home.

testing out what it's like to ski when the snow actually glides. Also giving Tori and Anna a quick rundown of some skate ski tips.

writeup coming later after I recover a bit because ouch

C • “alex did amazing” 3

Long Red - Splits