Hiking1:28:58 [2] 5.42 km (16:25 / km) +293m12:55 / km
Up and down Mt. Wachusett with Nancy and Stephen, to watch the finish of the bike race (where my brother was doing the announcing). Absolutely beautiful day.
Pull-ups11 [5]
Note
Let's do a mid-year "how's it going?", yes?
I've kept up the daily calisthenics routine far beyond what I've ever managed in previous years. Managed to maintain the -ups almost without any breaks until recently, and managed to ramp them up on a monthly basis to the point where I'm doing respectable numbers. As far as aerobic exercise, that was going well until recently as well, initially doing something every other day, and later moving to a SunTueThuSat schedule. Seems to have had a decent effect on my fitness, such that I was able to turn in not entirely embarrassing performances on Blue at three A-meets.
Also, in terms of goals, Stephen, Nancy, and I succeeded in getting Stephen tuned up enough to do a terrific job at the Billygoat.
Unfortunately, I've now been sick for about three weeks. I haven't just forgotten to check the "Recovered" box, I really am still sick. It's varying digestive issues, enough to keep me from eating very much, and consequently not energetic enough to really do any training. Among other things, I have a low-grade stomachache that never really goes away. I've ruled out the obvious diagnoses, such as cholera, poilo, beriberi, scrofula, pregnancy, scabies, etc., and I think that leaves only one more possibility. The regimen of 100 situps per day, besides having undoubtedly driven away all readers of my log out of boredom, has by now given me a stunning set of abs, which I'm afraid are now crushing all of my internal organs.
Hang gliding! (Morningside) 30:032.07 km (14:31 / km) +274m8:44 / km
shoes: Wal*Mart Carson
I accomplished a couple of interestings things today. First, in anticipation of the idea that I might in the future fly someplace else, someplace where I might have to carry the glider some distance to the launch area, I carried it in the bag up the hill to the 450' and assembled it up there. Then I carried all the bags back down, and sat in the hangar with Steve, and with his guidance stowed all of the bags in the various harness pockets. Then, after hanging in the simulator for a few minutes, I carried the harness back up the hill, and did my first flight with all of that additional stuff. No problem. But as I expected, people thought I was kinda nuts to do this.
Nine flights, none of them particularly long. On the next to last one, since conditions were nice and smooth, I did my practice stall. Flew straight out, went over the target, then eased the bar out gradually until the wing decided that it wasn't a wing any more. And... then I was heading straight down toward my car. That's what it felt like, anyway. But the glider recovered easily, just as I knew it would. There were some other minor details that made this interesting, but the bottom line is that I'm sure there are some of you out there who are glad I didn't make a video of this one for YouTube. Trust me on that.
Pretty wiped when I got home, so no exercises.
Wednesday Jun 27
Canoeing race 51:50 [4] 5.0 mi (10:21 / mi)
Norumbega Wednesday night series, with Aims in the C-2 Cruiser. I was delayed by traffic and stepped out of my car just as the race started, but Aims had the boat all set up, so we grabbed it, headed for the water, and got started just as the back of the pack was about to disappear around the first bend. We made pretty good time, overtaking one K-1 at about three miles, and steadily closing in on Wes in a C-1 the whole way, until the brutal battle at the end where we couldn't quite catch him. Andy Hall and Larry Bravo were about 4 minutes faster than us, I think. Very hot and humid evening, regretted having worn a shirt.
Following Stephen around Sprint B at the WCOC BBQ. He was influenced now and then by other orienteers in his vicinity, but I dd,'nt need togive him very much assistance, other than one place where he was just too short to see over the vegetation.
Shadowing13:27 [2] 1.7 km (7:55 / km)
shoes: VJ Falcons #1
Following Stephen around Yellow course at WCOC BBQ. No help from me whatsoever, and he did a terrific job.
Pull-ups11 [5]
On the rock trainer in Charlie's barn.
Thursday Jun 21
Pull-ups11 [5]
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Wednesday Jun 20
Pull-ups11 [5]
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Tuesday Jun 19
Pull-ups11 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Note
No sit-ups today. Giving the sore spot on my lower spine a break.
Monday Jun 18
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Pull-ups11 [5]
Unicycling32:19 [3] 2.77 mi (11:40 / mi)
Highland St. loop. I haven't been riding lately, and I'm noticeably rusty. Took several tries to mount in the driveway, more places where it feels like a challenge to keep my balance, and made five stops. At least I got out and did something.
[This somehow disappeared between last night and now, so I had to re-enter it. Odd. maybe related to the move to a new server?]
Sunday Jun 17
Hang gliding! (Morningside) 6:00 [4] +46m
shoes: Wal*Mart Carson
One carry plus three rides. A weird and unsettled day, and I packed up the glider quickly when it became clear that we were about to get a little rain. Didn't do the stall training (not strictly required for this level), but Stevie signed me off for my H-2 rating anyway.
Road running11:54 [4] 1.37 km (8:41 / km) +137m5:47 / km
shoes: Wal*Mart Carson
Morningside 450 x 1.
Note
Had various places to go after flying, and I was beat by the time I finally got home, so I crawled into bed without doing my daily -ups. I've also been feeling a bit under the weather for the better part of a week, not really recovered from the brief illness of several days ago, and the exercises have felt a bit difficult during that time, so maybe a day off ain't such a bad idea.
Saturday Jun 16
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Pull-ups11 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Friday Jun 15
Note
A round of microgaine training with Stephen at Max's. I haven't managed to get in much training lately, but I'm not desperate enough to log this as exercise. Pretty good round, though, I think I was something like +3.
Pull-ups11 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Thursday Jun 14
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Pull-ups11 [5]
Wednesday Jun 13
Pull-ups11 [5]
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Note
Was planning to do the Norumbega canoe race tonight, but work intervened — some circuit boards came in a day earlier than expected, and the wise move was to deal with them immediately, so I worked late.
Tuesday Jun 12
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Pull-ups11 [5]
Note
(sick)
Monday Jun 11
Note
(sick)
Started feeling not very good around the time I needed to drive home from work, shaky and weak and achy, with minor digestive troubles, and I was pretty pleased to reach the house and crash on the couch. And I remained crashed until morning (eventually crawling into bed). That translated to no -ups at all today, for the first time this year.
Orienteering race 20:42 [3] *** 2.51 km (8:15 / km)
spiked:7/10c shoes: VJ Falcons #1
Crandall Park Sprint A. Ran in my O-veralls, because they were the only pair of pants that weren't in either the dirty laundry pile or the to-be-sewed pile, although shorts would probably have been perfectly fine (and suitably cooler). Wore the long pants all day, which was maybe not too bright. Not a complete sprint effort here, because I was tired from various goings-on yesterday.
Orienteering race 22:21 [3] *** 2.62 km (8:32 / km)
spiked:8/8c shoes: VJ Falcons #1
Crandall Park Sprint B. Didn't boom any controls, although a couple of my routes may not have been as clean as possible.
Orienteering race 44:23 [3] *** 4.4 km (10:05 / km)
Flew a buncha times, carried the glider up to the 150' for the first one, then rode the ATV. Also jogged up to the 150' to retrieve an ATV that the paraglider instructor had driven up there and basically abandoned.
By request of Boris, here's what it looks like:
[Oh boy, I've posted something on YouTube!]
Also passed the bulk of the requirements to get my H-2 rating (Novice, a step up from Beginner). Just need to do a couple of things next time I go. Like an intentional stall at 500 feet altitude.
Road running11:00 [4] 1.37 km (8:02 / km) +137m5:21 / km
shoes: Wal*Mart Carson
Morningside 450' x 1. Don't actually know how long this took, the time is just a guess because I hit the wrong button on my watch.
Pull-ups11 [5]
Sit-ups1:40 [5]
Push-ups50 [5]
Wednesday Jun 6
Course setting52:47 [2] ***
spiked:13/13c shoes: Converse low-tops
Hanging controls (actually envelopes with puzzle pieces in them) for the orienteering field trip that Barb is putting on at Boojum for David's school class today, while she hung other envelopes and some regular controls. She did not show up sporting her new shoes. Maybe they're strictly for Capitol Hill.
Another nighttime fiasco run. Started out to do the Mystery Blazes loop at twilight, and for around the first 20 minutes, it wasn't too dark, kind of like what I think I once heard Boris describe as, "too dark to see, but not dark enough for your headlamp to do any good". We had clearly gotten some serious thunderstorm activity, because there were puddles everywhere, ringed with yellow pollen from the pines. When I got to the Christmas bridge, it had that fine teflon-like property that damp/wet wood gets, and my feet went out from under me and I landed on my butt, almost sliding off the edge into the raging Mulpus Brook. The next bridge was washed out (displaced by about eight feet and sitting at a weird angle). I walked carefuly across it, and all the other bridges. I think this kind of dim-light training is particularly useful for orienteering, because you have to run without being able to see your footing well, never knowing whether the next step will be level, or a hole, or mud, or a rock, or a root, or a snake, or whatever. You have to just be ready for it by feel. People who run primarily on pavement would hate this. Anyway, when I got to the low area in Hickory Hills, I encountered the Quality Muck that this region is famous for. I did better on the Mystery Blazes themselves than I have in the past, backing up each time I lost them, and using the high-beam to look for the paint spots and ribbons. Finally lost contact near the bottom of the hill, and failed to regain it when I backed up, so I just forged ahead. Things got ugly pretty fast (it was pitch black outside by this point) as I ran into some laurel, but I pressed on and the situation got progressively worse, with more laurel, and eventually marshes. I knew I'd hit something familiar eventually, but with no compass I was a bit concerned about getting turned around in the green and just doing circles in there. I finally reached one of the lowest tiers of desperation, the one that involves finding a stream and just following it downhill no matter what. And that worked, of course, taking me back to the Quality Muck (I had evidentally turned pretty far to the left in there). The jog home was mostly uneventful, except for the parts where it got so foggy and/or polleny that I had to carry the hatlamp in my hand at thigh level because of the retroreflective glare. A fine time was had. At least I got some exercise.
Orienteering race 1:37:59 [3] *** 6.54 km (14:58 / km)
spiked:11/14c
Joe English Conservation Area, Red. This is an UNO map that I had never been to before. Pretty nice piece of terrain, although the map is pretty old-school and sketchy in a few places. Course-setting was appropriate for the situation though. Screwed up three controls, all of them really my fault, although the map wasn't excellent in those spots. Should have recovered quicker in all three cases. Had to leave as soon as I finished, so I have no idea how I did, or whether anybody else even ran the course.
To Stephen's soccer game, on the Incubus. I do enjoy riding, and it's particularly nice when I can do it instead of driving to a place where I'm going to go anyway. Google Maps estimates 26 minutes for this trip by car, so this isn't too bad. Perhaps someday I will again have a situation where I can ride to work. I didn't see too many other cyclists out, although it was a nice day. I don't realy fit in with that crowd very well, because instead of brightly colored lycra I wear a T-shirt and a ratty old pair of shorts that Charlie gave me back in the early 90s. And I probaly ride faster than a lot of the people with the fancy clothes.
Now doing these as two sets of 25, which is considerably easier and also allows for much better form. I was dreading these in May, but now I think they won't be bad at all.
