Sunday Nov 4 |
 | Orienteering 1:04:27 [4] 5.96 km (10:49 / km) | |
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| Day 2, Green. Woods a bit more open, though I was also slower, especially on the ups. Really, I don't think the orienteering is that hard here: I can read the map OK on the move, and lots of features (i.e. reentrants and spurs) are large and clear. One just has to remain focused, have a decent compass when crossing a vague area between large features, and keep track of where one is. But not always easy for me to do when I'm trying to run hard the whole way, as I was the last two days.
I had a decent run going through the first 11 controls with only one 3-4 minute mistake. But on the way to 12, the last leg of any substance, I tripped and did a face plant into a log: smashed the right side of my face, with a nice cut and bruise next to the right eye. The orienteering was all downhill from there. When I finally got moving again, I apparently headed off about 45 degree from the angle I was aiming, and lost 4 minutes on the leg, taking way too long to figure out where I was. Then I lost another minute on the next trivial control where I just had to head straight down to the big river. So in the end, it wasn't much better than day 1, with 10 minutes or so lost. I moved up a couple places to eighth eligible M50, since a couple in front of me bombed.
Overall, a bit of a disappointing weekend, in spite of the well-organized event and well-designed courses. I suppose my times weren't much worse than usual (no disasters); but I'm not happy with the usual. |
| Trail Run 15:00 [2] 1.5 mi (10:00 / mi) | |
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| Some jogging to warm-up. |
| Note | |
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| But I wasn't disappointed in Adam! He took US sprint champion in M14 on Friday, then won the M14 US champs classic with a total time 10 minutes ahead of the next US eligible for the two day. (He was second overall, beaten by a fast Canadian.) He ran three yellow courses, all in under 8 m/k, and (from examining the splits), with no mistakes over a minute. And he only started doing yellow courses on his own this spring! He's psyched to move up to orange. |
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Day 2 Green X - Splits |
Saturday Nov 3 |
| Orienteering race 1:00:16 [4] 5.08 km (11:52 / km) | |
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| Day 1 of US champs. Woods pretty thick, including lots of green briar. I was moving pretty well but a couple of bonehead mistakes, on 1 and the yellow level 10, cost about 4 minutes each. Both times, there was a split-second decision not to follow the planned route and to instead just head for the flag; both times I wasn't secure in my attack. I wish there was something I could implant in my brain that would give me an electrical shock every time I do that. Lost about 12 minutes total, so the best times of around 51 were very doable. Instead I was way out of the money, 10th eligible M50. |
| Orienteering 30:00 [2] 2.0 mi (14:59 / mi) | |
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| Did about half of the classic model with Adam. Also includes jogging to the model, back to the parking, and then to the start. |
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Day 1 Green X - Splits |
Friday Nov 2 |
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| Event: US Champs
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| Orienteering race 20:06 [5] 2.5 km (8:02 / km) | |
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| US Sprint Championships, Prince William Forest, VA. An OK run, good enough for third M50 of those US eligible, fourth overall. I had good energy, but mistakes on three controls totalled a bit over two minutes. Just lapses in concentration: too much of the absent-minded professor in me to excel at this sport. |
| Orienteering 30:00 [2] 2.0 mi (14:59 / mi) | |
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| Jogged the model event with Adam. Then some running to warm up. |
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Sprint Green - Splits |
Wednesday Oct 31 |
| Road Run 35:36 [2] 4.1 mi (8:41 / mi) | |
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| Short UMass loop, a slow jog after dark to do something. Lots of work to do before I can head down to the US champs. |
Tuesday Oct 30 |
| grass 27:34 [3] 3.6 mi (7:38 / mi) | |
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| 4 laps around UMass fields. A good run, pushing pretty hard by the end, but without feeling too much strain in my legs. 7:13, 7:02, 6:47, 6:32. |
| grass 8:07 [2] 0.9 mi (9:00 / mi) | |
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| Cooldown lap, very easy. |
Monday Oct 29 |
| Track 12:55 [5] 2.0 mi (6:27 / mi) | |
| weight:141lbs |
| After a long day of work where I couldn't (or just didn't) get away during daylight for a run, I found myself at Smith, after lifting, deciding whether to do the elliptical or the indoor track. Strange, the machines were mobbed, even all the treadmills, but the gorgeous indoor track (blue surface, like running on water) was totally empty; I'd guess the TV attached to every machine has something to do with it. Anyway, it was no contest, I needed to start getting serious about training, so I planned to do 4 800's with 2-3 minute rests between, after a good sub-8:00 mile warm-up. But the first 800 was awful: I felt very stiff, and out of shape. I almost bagged it, but I'm glad I didn't since by the last two my legs had loosened up and the splits were OK. But hard work. I have a long way to go. 3:21, 3:16, 3:10, 3:08. |
| Track 16:30 [3] 2.0 mi (8:15 / mi) | |
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| A 7:57 mile before; about an 8:30 mile after. |