Training Log Archive: boyle

When did the battery die in the HRM?

Whelan Park

in front of MLB

Knee is too sore to run on (according to the pain while walking) so I'll have to go back on the analgesic.

...and then I went running in Greens Creek anyways.

indoor

That was a number of different outings through the forests off Fallowfield. My feet are more sore now than after last week's race.

That was my first run since the race. My left knee hurt by end of mile one. There were puddles in the track's inside lane (8°).

My knees were unhappy even with this tiny exercise. However, we did walk another 4k through the day.

Detroit half marathon

Detroit half marathon

56.1%
2531/8489 165/385 (45-49 men)

That's the first race event I've attended where the music playing as the gun went off was a song by Eminem, how appropriate. I failed in my training objective to race alongside Corey (I fell back in first 500m) but my training resulted in a great race in ugly conditions: rainy, windy and dark. I love racing in October. It was so good to turn off my (navigation) brain and just run, run, run.

Course design was unique, crossing the bridge to Windsor at 5k (watching a truck driver crash into the barricades watching us instead of the road), running past Corey's street, loving the downhill descent of the bridge and then the downhill descent in tunnel but then totally detesting the uphill climb out of and stifling heat of the tunnel in the underwater mile. With so many hills and 90° turns, this is not a course for qualifying times, IMHO.

Gatorade was available at every water station. I avoided the M&Ms station as I'd had no sleep sitting on toilet all night. I'd forgotten all about the nerves and GI torture of the night before racing. It's amazing that I had a running career at all. I didn't avoid the cookies station one mile from my finish. Tummy was no problem at all once the race started.

Spectators and entertainers were thin but then the weather was terrible and it was still night time. Hey, the post-race party didn't start 'til noon and we were in the car leaving by 09h30.

At the 15k split, I'd run my best in last four years - 1:25:36. From there, I just held on as best as I could. My 15k split was much better than my finishing time. My 10k split was an even better effort (55:25). Attempting to track Corey resulted in the expected crash-and-burn.

Another aspect of real racing that I'd forgotten: I ran by four runners in the last 60m on the ground, receiving medical attention. Don't leave anything on course!!!

The long drive home after the race (850k) was tough. I got out of the car many times and had trouble getting my knees to work. I iced the left knee often but the good knee seized up from being locked in driving position so long. Recovery will take some time and I expect be sick from a weakened immune system.

Corey did great. I did great. I'd like to feel motivated for more but the odds are very high that that was my final half-marathon.

Splits: the plan to run with Corey required 8:00/miles...8:19, 9:52 (mile sign was blown out of location), 8:27, 8:26, 9:04, 9:35, 9:22, 9:04, 10:01, 9:38, 10:37, 10:23, 11:24 (1.1mi).

control set up and take down

This was not a good morning.

At 07h00 I was assigned 11 controls to set out. Cruising through the first three controls, I noted that the faded yellow tape matched many of the beautiful leaves on the ground and on the trees. I would eventually encounter bright orange streamers used for some other event so yellow tape was a good choice.

The fourth control to find (the most distant in the event) was trail side and I let my guard down. Eventually I realized that I'd gone right past the tape and doubled back. I still couldn't see the tape and decided to head back to the second batch of control gear that I had cached along the railway and then do the distant control right after. It took so long to get back to the cache, I then realized how very very far beyond that control feature I must have run.

Now I started to panic. I'm watching my watch. There's a 9h00 start for a serious Canada vs USA relay championship and I'm not going to make it. In hindsight I'd put enormous and unnecessary pressure on myself.

I grabbed the second batch of gear, in my hands (not wasting time loading my backpack). Of course, I would eventually stumble and scatter SI units across the forest floor. It's 8h15 and this middle-aged guy is in the forest cussing, bawling and shaking in complete frustration...and I know this forest well. So many times I have crossed this forest from Second Line to Huntmarch and back (geocaching, dog walking and orienteering) with map and without map but I'd lost confidence and couldn't see yellow tape anywhere.

I knew very well how long it would take to sprint to the start and above all else I couldn't let them start with controls not up. Suck it up. Admit it. You can't do this. I ran and ran and ran with all the control gear under my arms, heading for the arena. I saw Eric before he crossed the final swamp. He graciously took my gear back out to the features and I ran in to tell Jeff to hold up the meet.

At the arena, everyone was relaxed and low key and treated me much better than I should have been treated. In the end, it ended up being a great event.

At day's end, I went out to pick up those same 11 controls (and 6 others). In the morning I had actually been in all the target circles. I'd simply folded under the stress, failing to see the tape and lacking the confidence to stop at the control features.

All's well that ends well???

While the relays were on, Ziggy joined me in the woods. He was fine with whizzing mountain bikes and racing orienteers but made me unhappy with all the lunging at other dogs.

Bring on the Detroit Marathon.

Until the morning after, I hadn't considered how I'd feel after 3.5h of running with a pack on.

Event: Ontario Orienteering Championships
 

vetting
First car parked and last to leave

course 6

Aside from the major fourteen-minute mess on the first leg, I was satisfied with my run.

control p/u

I left the farm/arena when it was full of orienteers and their cars. When I returned with control flags and stuff, there was absolutely no evidence that anybody had been there today. At first glance, I thought they'd even taken my car.

Course 6 Middle - Splits

The other 1200m were slower.

I worked on left heel footfalls.