Training Log Archive: hkleafIn the 7 days ending Sep 18, 2006:
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Monday Sep 18, 2006 #
Note
(rest day)
Legs are okay (not sore), but overall pretty exhausted from all the sprinting and then the long drive back, so taking the day off to recover.
Sunday Sep 17, 2006 #
Event: 2006 Sprint Series Finals
Orienteering race (Sprints) 13:14 [4] **** 2.56 km (5:10 / km) +40m 4:48 / km
spiked:14/14c slept:6.25 shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Sprint Finals, Heat 2 Round 1 - Hickory Run, Sand Spring Lake
Rather cool morning (low 60s?) but sunny.
Short Course: 2.4km, 14c, 40m
First sprint of the day. I was in the second start group with Patrick Shannon, Jeff Saeger, Phil Bricker, and Valeriy Doverof.
This was by far my best sprint race to-date (about as fast as I could run while navigating with map). Just like the Eaton sprint #2 earlier in August, I ran smoothly in and out of the controls, and was able to keep in contact with the map while also reading ahead slightly. A good portion of the course was in a park-like setting in and around an open field (disc-golf course), with plenty of features to aid my navigation. Of course, the head-to-head format also helped push my pace much faster than I would’ve run alone.
I started out slow, so others led me to #1. From there, I was playing catch-up with Patrick and Jeff, jockeying for the top 2 positions. My terrain running wasn’t as fast as the others, so I pushed the pace in the open field trying to make up grounds. Jeff and I traded positions on and off, while Patrick led most of the way. I stumbled going into #4 and bang my L knee on something hard, but managed to maintain my place somehow. Then going into #13, Patrick drifted left. I had already spotted the flag on a knoll to the right, so I seized the chance and took the lead for the first time. Jeff punched right behind me. From this point onwards, it was pretty much a foot race to the GO control and finish chute. I was fortunate enough to hold off both of them and clinch a spot to advance onto the A-bracket.
Later at the download table, I had learned that my run was good enough for 1st place among the Men in Heat 2, and was only 13 seconds behind Samantha who had the fastest time on the same course. A very satisfying accomplishment and a moment of glory perhaps, but only short-lived…
route | leg comments
Rather cool morning (low 60s?) but sunny.
Short Course: 2.4km, 14c, 40m
First sprint of the day. I was in the second start group with Patrick Shannon, Jeff Saeger, Phil Bricker, and Valeriy Doverof.
This was by far my best sprint race to-date (about as fast as I could run while navigating with map). Just like the Eaton sprint #2 earlier in August, I ran smoothly in and out of the controls, and was able to keep in contact with the map while also reading ahead slightly. A good portion of the course was in a park-like setting in and around an open field (disc-golf course), with plenty of features to aid my navigation. Of course, the head-to-head format also helped push my pace much faster than I would’ve run alone.
I started out slow, so others led me to #1. From there, I was playing catch-up with Patrick and Jeff, jockeying for the top 2 positions. My terrain running wasn’t as fast as the others, so I pushed the pace in the open field trying to make up grounds. Jeff and I traded positions on and off, while Patrick led most of the way. I stumbled going into #4 and bang my L knee on something hard, but managed to maintain my place somehow. Then going into #13, Patrick drifted left. I had already spotted the flag on a knoll to the right, so I seized the chance and took the lead for the first time. Jeff punched right behind me. From this point onwards, it was pretty much a foot race to the GO control and finish chute. I was fortunate enough to hold off both of them and clinch a spot to advance onto the A-bracket.
Later at the download table, I had learned that my run was good enough for 1st place among the Men in Heat 2, and was only 13 seconds behind Samantha who had the fastest time on the same course. A very satisfying accomplishment and a moment of glory perhaps, but only short-lived…
route | leg comments
Orienteering race (Sprint) 25:16 [4] ***** 3.88 km (6:31 / km) +85m 5:52 / km
spiked:11/14c shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Sprint Finals, Heat 2 Round 2 - Hickory Run, Sand Spring Lake
Still comfortable (mid 60s?) and sunny.
Short Course: 2.32km, 14c, 55m
Second sprint (A-Bracket, Section 1). This time my group mates include Greg Ahlswede, Michael Eglinski, Jeff and Patrick.
I was pretty tired already after the first sprint. My inexperience in strategizing for this type of race may have been the culprit for my downfall in this sprint. The good results from earlier gave my confidence a boost, but I didn’t really put in the time to think about my plan of attack for sprint #2. As a result, I made several dumb mistakes, failed to recover in time, and went from best to worst sprint race to-date.
The group started well together. We all had comparable speed so nobody was able to break away in the early going. Then things started falling apart at #5. Michael, Greg, and Jeff ran by the control while Patrick spotted it. I observed this peculiar development, checked the description (marsh, north edge), determined that said control wasn’t quite on the northern edge of the marsh, and decided to keep on running with the group rather than stop to check the code (stupid idea!). I suppose the “alarm bell” was dysfunctional at the time because I kept on rounding the marsh some 100m N of the control. Michael saw his catching feature and turned back for it while Greg, Jeff, and I continued on the wrong way (both fooled by me, no doubt). Eventually, we made the correction and located the control, but the damage was already done – Patrick was nowhere to be seen (en-route to #7 already) and Michael some 80s ahead. Internally, I was kicking myself for not running those extra 10 steps over to check the code. Back on the course, the chase for Michael began. This was perhaps my second big mistake (trying to speed up when I should have slowed down and be careful). Greg pushed the pace up ahead, leading me into #6 & #7, but then disaster struck once again on the way to #8. In my haste to catch up, the map-reading/navigation part of my brain went to shut-off mode. I saw Greg making a mistake of getting off the wrong side of the trail and way over-running #8, yet was slow to react and adjust. Consequently, I went from #7 to #9 via trail, confirmed where I was, and then headed to #8 on a bearing. Problem was, my bearing was way off to the L. I also got turned around a bit in the green, and unknowingly wandered over to #11 in the process. At this point, I crossed path with Michael (which he later admitted gave him a scare that I had somehow caught up to him), relocated, and ran the road back to #8. Then I met Jeff at #9, only to lose him quickly at #10. I wasn’t reading the map correctly and WAY overran the control, in fact all the way to #12!!! After this last mistake, my brain seemed to have woken up finally, as I finished the rest of the course without another glitch. I came in last in the group, of course.
It was very disappointing to have done so poorly. The L groin was hurting some during the run, but it wasn’t the reason I sucked. The course was more of a forest-sprint, with some long legs and more technically challenging compared to the first. I just didn’t make the adjustment well and lost my chance to advance onto the A-Final.
route | leg comments
Still comfortable (mid 60s?) and sunny.
Short Course: 2.32km, 14c, 55m
Second sprint (A-Bracket, Section 1). This time my group mates include Greg Ahlswede, Michael Eglinski, Jeff and Patrick.
I was pretty tired already after the first sprint. My inexperience in strategizing for this type of race may have been the culprit for my downfall in this sprint. The good results from earlier gave my confidence a boost, but I didn’t really put in the time to think about my plan of attack for sprint #2. As a result, I made several dumb mistakes, failed to recover in time, and went from best to worst sprint race to-date.
The group started well together. We all had comparable speed so nobody was able to break away in the early going. Then things started falling apart at #5. Michael, Greg, and Jeff ran by the control while Patrick spotted it. I observed this peculiar development, checked the description (marsh, north edge), determined that said control wasn’t quite on the northern edge of the marsh, and decided to keep on running with the group rather than stop to check the code (stupid idea!). I suppose the “alarm bell” was dysfunctional at the time because I kept on rounding the marsh some 100m N of the control. Michael saw his catching feature and turned back for it while Greg, Jeff, and I continued on the wrong way (both fooled by me, no doubt). Eventually, we made the correction and located the control, but the damage was already done – Patrick was nowhere to be seen (en-route to #7 already) and Michael some 80s ahead. Internally, I was kicking myself for not running those extra 10 steps over to check the code. Back on the course, the chase for Michael began. This was perhaps my second big mistake (trying to speed up when I should have slowed down and be careful). Greg pushed the pace up ahead, leading me into #6 & #7, but then disaster struck once again on the way to #8. In my haste to catch up, the map-reading/navigation part of my brain went to shut-off mode. I saw Greg making a mistake of getting off the wrong side of the trail and way over-running #8, yet was slow to react and adjust. Consequently, I went from #7 to #9 via trail, confirmed where I was, and then headed to #8 on a bearing. Problem was, my bearing was way off to the L. I also got turned around a bit in the green, and unknowingly wandered over to #11 in the process. At this point, I crossed path with Michael (which he later admitted gave him a scare that I had somehow caught up to him), relocated, and ran the road back to #8. Then I met Jeff at #9, only to lose him quickly at #10. I wasn’t reading the map correctly and WAY overran the control, in fact all the way to #12!!! After this last mistake, my brain seemed to have woken up finally, as I finished the rest of the course without another glitch. I came in last in the group, of course.
It was very disappointing to have done so poorly. The L groin was hurting some during the run, but it wasn’t the reason I sucked. The course was more of a forest-sprint, with some long legs and more technically challenging compared to the first. I just didn’t make the adjustment well and lost my chance to advance onto the A-Final.
route | leg comments
Orienteering race (Sprint) 20:02 [4] ***** 3.2 km (6:16 / km) +85m 5:32 / km
spiked:10/15c shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Sprint Finals, Heat 2 Round 3 - Hickory Run, Camp Daddy Allen
Very warm and sunny afternoon (mid 70s?)
Short Course: 2.55km, 15c, 80m (with map exchange after #6)
Final sprint (A-Consolation). Running again with Jeff and Greg, plus Rick Dewitt, Glen Tryson, and Wyatt Riley.
Legs seemed to have recovered a bit after the lunch break. The sprint also moved into the campground area where I have some familiarity from yesterday’s Night-O.
Not a clean race by any means (lots of small bobbles), but I managed to avoid the big blow ups and somehow come up victorious in my group. The race itself was interesting that the lead changed multiple times. The dense and complicated trail network in the campground naturally yielded many route choice decisions. This led to less following (I think) and more self navigating. It’s fun to see people split up after a control only to converge again at a later one.
Being somewhat more confident with the map, I went out blazing and maintained the lead into 4. A route choice error to 2 and hesitation en-route to 3 prevented me from creating a bigger gap with the rest of the group. Then another bad route to 5 cost me the lead and into 3rd as we headed in for the map exchange.
On the second loop, I pushed the pace in the open field to catch up to leader (Jeff) by 1, and actually led again to 2 & 3. But then, three straight mistakes in the middle of the course made the race much more interesting, not to mention killing my time. The errors at 4 & 5 were similar – neglected to read clue sheet carefully. At 4, I blindly ran to a Night-O control 25m SW of the correct one. At 5, I saw the Heat 1 men running in one direction and voluntarily followed along to a control (#3, loop 1) 50m E of mine (sorry Jeff and Greg!). The last mistake, en-route to 6, was a case of me compounding the problem by trying to make up for lost time. Luckily, this time it was a short leg, and I caught myself just in time. But by now, Rick had taken over the lead, and I had dropped back to 4th in the group. With some fast running on the road to 7, as well as a good route to 8, somehow I found myself alone heading to the go control. Since I wasn’t sure if I had the lead or not, I kept up the pace. I then sneaked past George Walker (who started 4’ ahead) at the finish line. Though I didn’t know at the time, it’s a good thing I gave it my all at the end there because WinSplits tells me I barely hung on to beat Greg!
Overall, this was the most fun of the 3 courses. The trail network and numerous cabins were hard to distinguish from the map at speed, but they also provided opportunities for some fast-pace running – just the perfect mixture for a sprint. Maybe because there’re 2 loops, or that the course crisscrossed itself a bit, there seemed to be runners everywhere. This added to the challenge as well as the excitement. Of course, getting to see the Finals Men and Women race against each other was something else. I was bummed to have missed the Saeger sisters battle to the finish chute as the men’s map exchange was happening simultaneously on opposite side of the field.
route | leg comments
Very warm and sunny afternoon (mid 70s?)
Short Course: 2.55km, 15c, 80m (with map exchange after #6)
Final sprint (A-Consolation). Running again with Jeff and Greg, plus Rick Dewitt, Glen Tryson, and Wyatt Riley.
Legs seemed to have recovered a bit after the lunch break. The sprint also moved into the campground area where I have some familiarity from yesterday’s Night-O.
Not a clean race by any means (lots of small bobbles), but I managed to avoid the big blow ups and somehow come up victorious in my group. The race itself was interesting that the lead changed multiple times. The dense and complicated trail network in the campground naturally yielded many route choice decisions. This led to less following (I think) and more self navigating. It’s fun to see people split up after a control only to converge again at a later one.
Being somewhat more confident with the map, I went out blazing and maintained the lead into 4. A route choice error to 2 and hesitation en-route to 3 prevented me from creating a bigger gap with the rest of the group. Then another bad route to 5 cost me the lead and into 3rd as we headed in for the map exchange.
On the second loop, I pushed the pace in the open field to catch up to leader (Jeff) by 1, and actually led again to 2 & 3. But then, three straight mistakes in the middle of the course made the race much more interesting, not to mention killing my time. The errors at 4 & 5 were similar – neglected to read clue sheet carefully. At 4, I blindly ran to a Night-O control 25m SW of the correct one. At 5, I saw the Heat 1 men running in one direction and voluntarily followed along to a control (#3, loop 1) 50m E of mine (sorry Jeff and Greg!). The last mistake, en-route to 6, was a case of me compounding the problem by trying to make up for lost time. Luckily, this time it was a short leg, and I caught myself just in time. But by now, Rick had taken over the lead, and I had dropped back to 4th in the group. With some fast running on the road to 7, as well as a good route to 8, somehow I found myself alone heading to the go control. Since I wasn’t sure if I had the lead or not, I kept up the pace. I then sneaked past George Walker (who started 4’ ahead) at the finish line. Though I didn’t know at the time, it’s a good thing I gave it my all at the end there because WinSplits tells me I barely hung on to beat Greg!
Overall, this was the most fun of the 3 courses. The trail network and numerous cabins were hard to distinguish from the map at speed, but they also provided opportunities for some fast-pace running – just the perfect mixture for a sprint. Maybe because there’re 2 loops, or that the course crisscrossed itself a bit, there seemed to be runners everywhere. This added to the challenge as well as the excitement. Of course, getting to see the Finals Men and Women race against each other was something else. I was bummed to have missed the Saeger sisters battle to the finish chute as the men’s map exchange was happening simultaneously on opposite side of the field.
route | leg comments
Running warm up/down (Mixed Trail/Grass/Terrain) 20:00 [2] 2.5 mi (8:00 / mi)
shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Warm up jogs for each sprint, distance is an estimate based on pace.
Stretching warm up/down 15:00 [1]
Biref stretches before and after each sprint. L groin a bit sore at times throughout the day, but not nearly as bad as expected given the amount of sprinting I'm putting it through.
Note
What a great weekend! Despite the long drive (9.5hrs each way), I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The event organization was first class. It's amazing how efficient and smooth everything went. I thought the courses were excellent with variety, and the competition was great. So thank you DVOA, Peter, and all those who put in the hard work in order to make this weekend happen!!!
The only thing I saw that could've been taken better advantage of was mixing the training and sprints together more. Maybe logistically it would be a nightmare or nearly impossible, but I just thought that sprints (short technical courses) could be an excellent way to introduce someone to orienteering. If nothing else, it would've been great for those training camp participants to spectate on such exciting competitions! As it was, most if not all campers had fled the park by the time the Finals came around.
Anyway, I had accomplished everything I set out to do for myself, and more - get in some technical training, try out night-o, and keep pace with the good orienteers in the sprints. Winning the A-Consolation was certainly icing on the cake. This should serve as a real confidence booster for me. Hopefully I can continue improving. Next big goal: compete well on an A-meet red course!
The only thing I saw that could've been taken better advantage of was mixing the training and sprints together more. Maybe logistically it would be a nightmare or nearly impossible, but I just thought that sprints (short technical courses) could be an excellent way to introduce someone to orienteering. If nothing else, it would've been great for those training camp participants to spectate on such exciting competitions! As it was, most if not all campers had fled the park by the time the Finals came around.
Anyway, I had accomplished everything I set out to do for myself, and more - get in some technical training, try out night-o, and keep pace with the good orienteers in the sprints. Winning the A-Consolation was certainly icing on the cake. This should serve as a real confidence booster for me. Hopefully I can continue improving. Next big goal: compete well on an A-meet red course!
Saturday Sep 16, 2006 #
Note
Bad to the Bone Duathlon
Did not run this because of the training weekend. However, I hope to go over to Big Bone and test run that 5k course some time soon.
Did not run this because of the training weekend. However, I hope to go over to Big Bone and test run that 5k course some time soon.
Orienteering (Technique Training) 53:02 [2] *** 3.69 km (14:22 / km) +65m 13:13 / km
spiked:5/8c slept:6.0 shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
DVOA annual training weekend - Hickory Run State Park, White Haven, PA.
~60F, damp and misty morning.
Woke up early to have a nice big breakfast at Denny's before heading into the park. I'd need all the energy I could muster for the 2 training sessions plus the night O' today. It took a little while to find the Camp, check-in, and then drop off cedarcreek for the farsta, but I made it just in time for the start of the morning training session.
I signed up for the advanced training, hoping to refine my o' skills. The group met in the dining hall for review of the Red Day1 course from the US Champs at Buena Vista in August. We had a good discussion about route choices before splitting into 2 groups for the on-field training.
I went with John's group and did the "Skills Course." This gave me a chance to utilize different O' techniques - handrail, corridor, precision compass, collecting features, aiming off, catching feature, window / rough compass, pace & compass, contouring, etc.
I had problems with my aiming off and compass work. Going to 3, I had planned to aim off to the R (to the marsh) but ended up L. I then compounded the mistake by going further L when I hit the stream (catching feature). Interesting thing was both Alison and Sandy had the same problem! We eventually relocated and found the control, but I definitely need more practice on aiming off.
A couple of times, I noticed I have a tendency to veer L when running on a bearing. I wonder if this has something to do with my strides, or if I'm just not used to running w/ a thumb compass yet. Will have to try this out more in future trainings.
On the 2 contour legs, I did fine from 6 to 9 (we skipped 7 & 8 due to shortage of time), but was about 2 lines too high going into 10.
Overall, it was a wonderful session. I made more mistakes than I'd like, but that's what this training is for, right?
~60F, damp and misty morning.
Woke up early to have a nice big breakfast at Denny's before heading into the park. I'd need all the energy I could muster for the 2 training sessions plus the night O' today. It took a little while to find the Camp, check-in, and then drop off cedarcreek for the farsta, but I made it just in time for the start of the morning training session.
I signed up for the advanced training, hoping to refine my o' skills. The group met in the dining hall for review of the Red Day1 course from the US Champs at Buena Vista in August. We had a good discussion about route choices before splitting into 2 groups for the on-field training.
I went with John's group and did the "Skills Course." This gave me a chance to utilize different O' techniques - handrail, corridor, precision compass, collecting features, aiming off, catching feature, window / rough compass, pace & compass, contouring, etc.
I had problems with my aiming off and compass work. Going to 3, I had planned to aim off to the R (to the marsh) but ended up L. I then compounded the mistake by going further L when I hit the stream (catching feature). Interesting thing was both Alison and Sandy had the same problem! We eventually relocated and found the control, but I definitely need more practice on aiming off.
A couple of times, I noticed I have a tendency to veer L when running on a bearing. I wonder if this has something to do with my strides, or if I'm just not used to running w/ a thumb compass yet. Will have to try this out more in future trainings.
On the 2 contour legs, I did fine from 6 to 9 (we skipped 7 & 8 due to shortage of time), but was about 2 lines too high going into 10.
Overall, it was a wonderful session. I made more mistakes than I'd like, but that's what this training is for, right?
Running (Mixed trail/terrain) 3:30 [3] 0.7 km (5:00 / km)
shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
I did the pace counting test run that was set up the the camp. 3x on the dirt road (33-37) and 4x in the terrain (37-40). Time is estimated at 30s per 100m.
Orienteering (Contours Only) 1:33:18 [1] ***** 2.45 km (38:05 / km) +82m 32:37 / km
spiked:8/10c shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Afternoon training session at Hickory Run.
My legs were a bit tired from the morning session. Even the lunch break wasn't quite enough for the recovery. I went with John's group again, this time for a contours only training.
We each got a b&w map consisted of contours, with vertical hashes hinting the area of fight (green). Since everyone was tired, we voted to do this exercise at a walking pace together. This turned out to be a great idea, as we were able to take in the finer details in the terrain - form lines, knolls, depressions, subtle spurs and reentrants. John was great in talking us through the various features in the terrain, as we experienced it first hand. This really helped me relate between the map (2D) and the terrain (3D) much better.
Even though we walked the course, I was still pretty beat by the end. A very productive session!
My legs were a bit tired from the morning session. Even the lunch break wasn't quite enough for the recovery. I went with John's group again, this time for a contours only training.
We each got a b&w map consisted of contours, with vertical hashes hinting the area of fight (green). Since everyone was tired, we voted to do this exercise at a walking pace together. This turned out to be a great idea, as we were able to take in the finer details in the terrain - form lines, knolls, depressions, subtle spurs and reentrants. John was great in talking us through the various features in the terrain, as we experienced it first hand. This really helped me relate between the map (2D) and the terrain (3D) much better.
Even though we walked the course, I was still pretty beat by the end. A very productive session!
Running warm up/down (Trail) 5:00 [2] 0.56 mi (8:56 / mi)
shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
Warm up run for Night O'. Distance is based on a pace estimate.
Orienteering race (Club Meet - Night-O) 35:18 [3] ***** 3.35 km (10:32 / km) +80m 9:25 / km
spiked:11/11c shoes: Silva O' Spikes (Rubber)
DVOA Training Weekend - HR Camp Daddy Allen
Night O' (Intermediate) - 2.55km, 11c, 55m.
My first Night O' ever! Didn't want to get totally lost out there, but also didn't want to just run trails on a White course, so Intermediate seemed like a good choice, and it was.
My strategy was to be safe and conservative, taking the paths and staying out of the thick woods as much as possible. This seemed to work out well, as I had no trouble navigating and finding any of the controls. The things that slowed me down were all the extra time I used to read the map, and punching at the controls. I don't have a very good technique down for either, and it was very difficult for my eyes to adjust between map reading (bright) and seeing the terrrain (dark).
A super fun course running around the campground, plus seeing so many others out and about all looking for controls. I even finished 3rd, behind Samantha+Hillary and Alison, by about 3 minutes! Overall, a very positive experience. Who knows, I may even try another one soon!
*For more about the course, see my leg comments.
Night O' (Intermediate) - 2.55km, 11c, 55m.
My first Night O' ever! Didn't want to get totally lost out there, but also didn't want to just run trails on a White course, so Intermediate seemed like a good choice, and it was.
My strategy was to be safe and conservative, taking the paths and staying out of the thick woods as much as possible. This seemed to work out well, as I had no trouble navigating and finding any of the controls. The things that slowed me down were all the extra time I used to read the map, and punching at the controls. I don't have a very good technique down for either, and it was very difficult for my eyes to adjust between map reading (bright) and seeing the terrrain (dark).
A super fun course running around the campground, plus seeing so many others out and about all looking for controls. I even finished 3rd, behind Samantha+Hillary and Alison, by about 3 minutes! Overall, a very positive experience. Who knows, I may even try another one soon!
*For more about the course, see my leg comments.
Stretching warm up/down 20:00 [1]
Warm up/dn stretches for the various sessions of the day.
Friday Sep 15, 2006 #
Note
(rest day)
Travel day. Still pretty congested up there (sinus?).
Thursday Sep 14, 2006 #
Running tempo (Road) 46:21 [3] 6.29 mi (7:22 / mi)
shoes: Asics Gel Landreth II
Another mild day here for running.
I was going to give it a go at the track today, just to see how much I can push the pace without hurting the groin. Well, both Norwood and 7 Hills had soccer game going on, so track workout was aborted.
Laurie, Cathy, and I ended up going back to the Spot for a tempo run. We were going at a fairly decent pace in the beginning, but it was mostly downhill so was still at a conversation pace. Made a pit stop at the UDF on Erie (2.7mi, 20:55 - 7:45/mi). After that, I made a left onto Marburg for a shorter route while the girls continued on Erie. Running by myself, I might have picked up the pace a bit, until I fizzled out somewhat around 4.3mi (~31:00). I struggled a bit up Madison to the intersection at Edwards (2.1mi, 14:25 - 6:52/mi from UDF), where I was saved by the traffic light. :) I probably waited about 2min for the WALK sign to come on, so had plenty of time to smooth out my breathing and recover. From there I pushed it up the big hill pass Withrow, then down and up one last hill for the finish back at the Spot (1.49mi, 11:01 - 7:23/mi from Edwards).
Groin is a bit sore now, but was fine during the run. Will ice it tonight and bring some anti-inflammatories along for the weekend just in case. Oh yeah, legs aren't enjoying the pounding on the road that much. Will need to be careful about shin splints as I increase the mileage gradually.
I was going to give it a go at the track today, just to see how much I can push the pace without hurting the groin. Well, both Norwood and 7 Hills had soccer game going on, so track workout was aborted.
Laurie, Cathy, and I ended up going back to the Spot for a tempo run. We were going at a fairly decent pace in the beginning, but it was mostly downhill so was still at a conversation pace. Made a pit stop at the UDF on Erie (2.7mi, 20:55 - 7:45/mi). After that, I made a left onto Marburg for a shorter route while the girls continued on Erie. Running by myself, I might have picked up the pace a bit, until I fizzled out somewhat around 4.3mi (~31:00). I struggled a bit up Madison to the intersection at Edwards (2.1mi, 14:25 - 6:52/mi from UDF), where I was saved by the traffic light. :) I probably waited about 2min for the WALK sign to come on, so had plenty of time to smooth out my breathing and recover. From there I pushed it up the big hill pass Withrow, then down and up one last hill for the finish back at the Spot (1.49mi, 11:01 - 7:23/mi from Edwards).
Groin is a bit sore now, but was fine during the run. Will ice it tonight and bring some anti-inflammatories along for the weekend just in case. Oh yeah, legs aren't enjoying the pounding on the road that much. Will need to be careful about shin splints as I increase the mileage gradually.
Stretching warm up/down 6:30 [1]
Post-run stretch.
Wednesday Sep 13, 2006 #
Running (Mixed Trail/Grass) 46:00 [2] 4.6 mi (10:00 / mi)
shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus VII
Mid 60s, overcast, but dry today.
Run at LaBoiteaux Woods trails with Sandi, Carlos, and Leslie (from the Cincinnati Trail Runners). Since none of us have run there recently/ever, there were a few backtracking while we explored the trail network. I attempted to read a map (Camp Stonybrook) unsuccessfully. First of all, it's harder to read map and run on slippery trails (yesterday I was on the road) all at the same time. Secondly, I got a bit confused reading a map that doesn't relate at all to the terrain I am experiencing. Maybe I just need more practice at it.
Anyway, I tried out the R thumb compass today. It seems I could move my thumb more freely on the map with this one. But I'm not sure if it's the function of the plate (open-ended notch for the thumb vs. oval-shaped opening) or my right hand being better at thumbing maps. I think I'm ambidextrous enough that there's not much of a difference between the L and R. Overall, I still feel slightly more comfortable with the L, no doubt a result of more practice.
As far as the terrain at LaBoiteaux, it's similar to Mt. Airy - a series of big spurs and deep reentrants. I'd say the woods are generally light green, with some areas of white along the spurs, and medium/dark green down by the creek. It'd be hard to avoid climbs while running a course here, but I'll be able to find out in-person next week.
Run at LaBoiteaux Woods trails with Sandi, Carlos, and Leslie (from the Cincinnati Trail Runners). Since none of us have run there recently/ever, there were a few backtracking while we explored the trail network. I attempted to read a map (Camp Stonybrook) unsuccessfully. First of all, it's harder to read map and run on slippery trails (yesterday I was on the road) all at the same time. Secondly, I got a bit confused reading a map that doesn't relate at all to the terrain I am experiencing. Maybe I just need more practice at it.
Anyway, I tried out the R thumb compass today. It seems I could move my thumb more freely on the map with this one. But I'm not sure if it's the function of the plate (open-ended notch for the thumb vs. oval-shaped opening) or my right hand being better at thumbing maps. I think I'm ambidextrous enough that there's not much of a difference between the L and R. Overall, I still feel slightly more comfortable with the L, no doubt a result of more practice.
As far as the terrain at LaBoiteaux, it's similar to Mt. Airy - a series of big spurs and deep reentrants. I'd say the woods are generally light green, with some areas of white along the spurs, and medium/dark green down by the creek. It'd be hard to avoid climbs while running a course here, but I'll be able to find out in-person next week.
Stretching warm up/down 8:30 [1]
Before and after.
Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 #
Running 36:41 [2] *** 4.48 mi (8:11 / mi)
shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus VII
64F and raining, but it was a pretty nice running weather overall, if only a tad bit too wet.
Group run from the Spot. A simple out and back route, nothing too strenuous. I can feel the groin a couple of times, once on a hill and then towards the end when I attempted a little pick up. Otherwise, this straight running is fine. Hopefully it'll be dry this weekend, because slippery slopes are a bad thing.
Oh, and I ran with the L thumb compass, practicing my map reading (Camp Friedlander) and folding the whole way.
Group run from the Spot. A simple out and back route, nothing too strenuous. I can feel the groin a couple of times, once on a hill and then towards the end when I attempted a little pick up. Otherwise, this straight running is fine. Hopefully it'll be dry this weekend, because slippery slopes are a bad thing.
Oh, and I ran with the L thumb compass, practicing my map reading (Camp Friedlander) and folding the whole way.