Training Log Archive: maprunner

Another cold and rainy day, my least favorite conditions. However, I learned some lessons from the last few days, and did something different. First, I started earlier. Second, I ate before I went, and I brought some CliffBloc with me. Third, I wore neoprene socks so I could laugh at the icy cold water in the streams and low lying areas. As a result, today went very well.

Mike set me another course (thank you!) and I went out on my own. I didn't push the pace, but I concentrated well and made no mistakes. A good way to end the weekend.





Besides all this orienteering, I spent the weekend in my sewing room, making a dress to wear to Summer and Silas's wedding. I had planned the dress months ago, and had the fabric for a few weeks, but didn't start until Thursday. The wedding is Saturday, Dec 5. Finished it tonight :) It's red lace, with a red fabric lining. I'm really looking forward to the weekend in Lexington.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4r_VBg_qODCejZ4M...

C • fabric 6

We got more ice overnight, but by afternoon, the precipitation had mostly stopped and the roads were clear. So we headed out to Rockcrusher.

The woods were terrible. Lots of downed trees and plenty of tall vegetation. Plus, everything was coated with ice. It was about 1 degree out, and still misting. I started first, and Mike came a few minutes after me. I started out OK, but I soon crashed. I was tired and hungry (again!) and the thick woods did not help my mood. It was also scary going down the icy rocks.

I decided to just walk as much as I could. I also thought it would be an interesting experiment to see what thoughts went through my mind when I was having a bad day.

I remember one leg along a trail. My next decision point was a trail junction just after a stream bed. I must have stopped to look at the map 3 or 4 times, and each time I said to myself: just keep running until you cross the stream. But a few seconds later I would forget and stop to look again. Ugh!

Totally missed 7 (did not go far enough) and hence I was confused as I approached 8. Decided to go from 10 to 15, to get back to the car sooner. My feet were getting cold (since I was walking and had dressed for running). I was very happy to stop.

Mixed precipitation today, of rain, freezing rain and ice. Which meant that driving anywhere was not a smart idea. Which meant I had to train on a map close to home, so I could run to it. Which meant campus, an area I know well. I was not looking forward to another campus sprint.

Mike to the rescue!!

He set a 100 control course on west campus, with lots of changes in direction. It was lots of fun! The hardest part was reading the map, to see which control to go to next.

I also had fun following Mike's footsteps in the icy grass (he ran the course before me), and trying to find the correct spot for "missing" control locations (usually trees, but one notable change to a parking lot design).

I messed up right away on 2, but I realized it as I was heading towards 3.
After I climbed the hill, I started to get hungry and tired, so I decided to cut the course short. I made a few more mistakes at the end, when I was really tired and hungry. I ended up doing 75 controls.

This was challanging, and a great way to practice on a map I knew well. It was much less physical than JJ's 100+ control course at Pawtuckaway in '04(?).

I say this every year, but I love Thanksgiving weekend. It's my favorite weekend. Besides the good food and company, it means four days off from work, and four opportunities to get back into the woods (the leaves have finally all come down). I started today by running the Half Possum course from last weekend.

I had some advantages compared to the people who raced last weekend:
1. I knew about the map issues at 1 and 11
2. I knew that 4 was the best skip
3. I did not have other folks around to distract me
4. I knew the winning time
5. It was a few degrees warmer

I had some disadvantages compared to the people who raced last weekend:
1. I had no markers, and only a few tapes were still up
2. I had no other people to follow or help me find a control location
3. it was raining

It was fun. I walked with purpose through the woods, and tried to keep running on roads and through fields, as much as I could. As I was approaching 10, I realized that I was moving fairly well and I had a shot at the winning time. That was good to motivate me and push me to move faster. After the last control, I ran out to the road and tried to run fast, but my legs were dead. I ended up one minute slower than Gina's winning time. I was pretty excited about that time, but my first thought afterwards was: did I miss a control (other than the one I was allowed to skip)? As soon as I stopped, though, I realized how tired I was and knew that I had put in a solid effort. Yeah for me!

C • Half a possum 3

Half Possum - Splits

Really quiet in the gym tonight; Eric and I were the only ones there.

Possum Trot returned! Such fun. Lots more running around today, setting up, registration, results, etc. But not as much work as the competitors.

OK (and OK relatives :) had a very strong showing: Gina won the Half outright; Marv came in third. Patrick was third, Mike was 4th and Fritz was 9th on the full Possum.

Hope to see more of you at next year's event!

Event: Possum Trot Weekend
 

Logging some time on my feet at our JCCC event as part of the Possum trot weekend. Put out a few controls, ran registration and results. Then had to get home and load the results quickly for all those folks who love that kind of thing :)

Lots of fun, as always. And very nice to have an indoor space for registration.

Great evening hosting iamstillhungry and Lisa. Good company and good conversation.

Took the day off of work to prep for Possum Trot weekend. Printing maps, loading competitors into computer,etc. Also, cleaning the house for Tom and Lisa. I might have to make Tom sign a "No Cowboys" clause before I let him into the house!

Got a little bit of exercise done in the basement.

Looking forward to this weekend!

Putting out markers for Geo Awareness Week on campus. We got a decent turn out this year, and we even got a surprise visit from George McCleary! I hadn't seen him since he retired. He said he's busier now than when he was teaching.

Thanks to MeanGene, Dick, Paul, Mike and Sandy for helping with instruction and epunch.

Nice warm day, so Mike and I went out to Rockcrusher. I ran the course that he did yesterday. Stayed on the trails a lot, but cut through the woods once or twice.

Scary moment on the way to 3, when I heard a loud crack and looked up to see a big branch breaking off. It ended up hanging by a thread, and would have missed me, but it was close enough to get my heart racing.

Messed up 5, because I always get confused in that area. Must remember to be more careful there.

Skipped 10 because I was afraid I would be late to meet Mike.

Felt pretty good, and I pushed the pace a fair bit. A good day.

Checking out the JCCC courses one last time. It was weird to go orienteering in 14 degree weather in November. It was also weird that I had just had a big lunch (with the Girls), including wine. But the course looks good, and ready to go next weekend.

Sandy and I have started our Sunday Series of O practices. Woods are still a bit too thick, so I set up a course that used mostly trails. Sandy is a faster runner, I'm a better navigator. So for today's practice, she started first and I had to try to keep up with her. We met up at every other control. I was breathing hard. After the first set, I gave her a one minute lead before I followed. I totally missed the trail junction at 7, but otherwise, I know these trails so well, it was easy.

We added on some trail running at the end to get in some more time on our feet. My legs were tired from yesterday and working hard to keep up with Sandy.

PTOC event at Kill Creek. I decided to do the red course, to see if I could concentrate for that long (navigation is pretty easy here). Lost track of where I was along the stream to 5, and did a 180 from 9 to 10. Was bored on the long trail run to 12. Got very tired and hungry at the end, so I was not happy with the gratuitous climb from 17. Overall, though, it was an interesting course with lots of direction changes. It was also fun to have a bunch of controls in the trail area (8-9-10)

GPS wasn't charged (despite being plugged in for days) so no track today.

Beautiful day out at Clinton. My original goal was 2 hours (with 8 min run/2 min walk reps) but I knew I was pressed for time. So I turned around at 50 minutes. On the way back, my legs started getting tired and I was tripping over my own feet. So, I jumped out to the road near the end and came in on the nice flat surface.

Off to St Louis for two days of non-stop work meetings. Ugh! I hate when they schedule our day from 7 am to 9 pm. No time for exercise, or breaks to maintain your sanity....