Training Log Archive: boyle

I hung some of the controls before the night-O. Humidity was bad for me and I took my cola out on training race.

run to night-O start

After suffering with the humidity during control placement, I knew that I wouldn't be completing the course. This night, there was no way I could do 28 controls (7.57km) between 21h15 and 23h00.

However, I did not set out to skip the controls I missed. I could blame the fact that I was just prescribed my first pair of reading glasses last month (left in the car). But instead I'll blame my lamp bouncing off the map. From the get-go, I headed to control 2 as if it was the first one. Upon arrival, I decided that my race would begin with 2 (forget about 1!). In leg 5, I followed trails all the way to Robertson Road and back down in to porcupine land. I was joined by James for 5, 6 and 7. Attempting to lose James, I came out of woods on N/S concession, turned off my lamp, and ran and ran.

After I zipped off on to the trail heading for 9, I noticed there was an 8 (forget about 8!).

It was fun but SLOW navigating around swamp to 10. There seemed to be bobbing head lamps in all directions. I watched as so many racers come back off 10 heading for 11 and the cluster of controls back across the swamp. Since (Adrian and) I knew our course couldn't be cleared by 23h00, why go back through the swamp two more times (forget about 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18!)?

After a 39-second hop over 19, I dropped S to trail and turned off lamp to lose Adrian. This was a nice, long, familiar trail run that I could probably do with my eyes closed. However, by the time I opened my eyes, I had blown right by controls 20 and 21 that I had hung myself (forget about 20 and 21!).

When I got to 25, I briefly considered 28 and going straight to finish and all the glory. But then I decided to walk last three controls, hoping to be caught by speedsters and sprint home to the finish. Even walking, I couldn't find 27 (forget about 27!). It took me forever to find the final control hiding in the chest-high grass on the 40° slope. The speedsters didn't arrive until after I ran home. No sprint. No glory. Only Adrian.

Thanks to Jeff! Congrats to Eric!

66.7%
1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 12, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22

w/ handicap 75%

I ran a really good 60 minute score-O. Unfortunately, the time limit was 50 minutes. Hey, with the handicap I still cleared the map.

Immediately seeing the map, I knew which two controls I would avoid. However, the other handicappers chose differently.

The first two controls were SLOW queues for punching. That was probably a good thing for me, to be slowed right down at the start. I followed the train through green to control 3 and should have made my own path. Leaving the train, I ran straight over the hill to 5. I took the streets past 6 so I could just peer over my shoulder for the silly pencil-O thing.

Approaching 15, two of us went E into the wrong field.

At 12 I realised there wasn't enough time to get them all but by going for two more controls my handicap made it four more controls. I really had no choice but to clear the map.

LONG running!

I went past 16 on the parkway and then backed up, on purpose. I messed up 17 and had to look for control descriptions...exhausted. Blew past 18 and I should have known better from my own course creations in the spring. For the control 20 pencil-O, I again just peered forward a block and turned early.

En route to the event, I had left time to seek three geocaches but found none.

Most of this time was spent running from mosquitoes.

I checked on my hides.