Training Log Archive: Tundra/Desert

Warming up before Leg 10 of the 2003 Providian Relay, waiting for Werner Haag to arrive.

This year's Relay felt quite different from 2001 and 2002. The team was much faster (the BAOC gang was DanSH, Bruce Wolfe, Werner, me, djrawman and SteveGregg; the Moose Chasers had two fast people). So, there was not much time to sit around, contemplate, down margaritas, etc.; the runner finishes, tags off, gets changed, and the van goes full speed ahead, sometimes catching the next leg runner before the finish to hand off a water bottle—and then mad speed to the next exchange, with only a few minutes to spare there before the runner's arrival.

The Relay Leg 10. No fog this time. The goal was 68 and I just about made it; knew that I was in better shape than in 2001, but worse than 2002. Splits: 8:20 8:35 11:23 8:36 7:15 5:05 6:13 6:19 7:02. Roadkills: 3 (+5/−2). +1/−2 were the same person. I started out with another dude in sight; his teammates warned him to take the first mile easy, so I almost caught up with him by Mile 2. But he gradually disappeared from sight on the uphill. Towards Mile 3, another guy passed me, with not a large speed differential. However, it is my tradition to tank on Mile 3, so by the ranch gate I could not see him anymore. The gate (the crest point) came at 33:01. I passed the guy back after Mile 5, and he passed me back towards the end of Mile 8. I tried to hold on but only managed about 200 m. Eased off on the last 0.9. Was quite dehydrated (took little time to drink at the ranch gate, and the humidity was very low), got stuff accumulating in my throat, so threw up at the finish line.

I explained cleats and taping ankles to my companion after the finish. I could feel that this was the first fast run in a long while. The afterwards felt like a low-level inflammation in the whole body.

The Relay Leg 22. Goal was 27. 6:04 7:10 6:51 7:22 0:59. Got shot at! Apparently not the only one—nobody got hurt but some vans' windows were broken. Let's see, we're going to shoot at passing runners and hope they don't remember which house that came from... must have been on some chemicals.

Roadkills: 3 (+3/−0). Bruce was doing the best on easy roadkills, though; as we were waiting for him to arrive from Leg 20, not one but three teams came in within a few minutes, one after another, and could not find the next leg runner to tag off. Weird.

26:36 27:15.

The Providian is tomorrow. I am not ready at all but I think I will beat the times from two years ago (same legs). We are doing the Relay half-BAOC, half-some dudes from Jackson Hole. Last time I ran at intensity 4 was on 13 August.

Feeeling slowly better. Maybe that's what getting old is like: no motivation, wasting time, tired as soon as I start out on a run. Or maybe it was all too much running in July/August.

Baylands: 26:18 26:57. Sluggish as almost always; core unstable.

Raced from Mtn View light rail up Castro with a bunch of stuff.

Did the Highlander at easy intensity; no compass. Tried to stay away from people, as I knew they woudln't necessarily going at the proper intensity for me. Felt fine until the last loop, when Erin made good company at the right pace.

Blew one control by about 10 minutes, all scared in the cliffs (should have never been there). Otherwise, a decent easy run with navigation.

- Splits