Training Log Archive: maprunner

Easy shuffle around the high school. The new stadium and track look nice, but I can't figure out what building is going up on the east side.

We leave tomorrow for the US Champs. I'm proud of what I have accomplished so far: losing weight, starting to run, prudent recovery from injury, improved orienteering. But now, after two years of planning and training, it's time to step up to the plate. I have to put together two good days in a row, at the right time. At the beginning of the year, I was hoping to have 75 (ranking) point runs; I think the best I can hope for now is 70. But if I have two good runs this weekend, I will have accomplished my goal. I'm nervous and excited; it will be an interesting weekend!

C • Have a safe trip! 5

nice and easy at SMP

Re-ran a PTOC course at Fleming Park. I ran it backwards, since I vaguely remembered some of the legs from last year. Goal was to practice reading a map that I don't know so well, and to move steadily through the woods. Walked a lot of the course, and once deliberately chose a woods route instead of the obvious road run. I feel good about my map reading, and relocation. So-so on maintaining concentration. The woods were really crappy in some areas; I should feel right at home next weekend!

A beautiful fall day; wonderful to be out in the woods (which is one of the main reasons that I'm passionate about orienteering).

Red - Splits

Spent a nice day taking classes at the sewing expo. It's so inspirational. Now if I only had unlimited time and money to create all the garments I have imagined...

at SMP after work.

I had planned to train after work (even taped by knees at lunch time). But in the afternoon I started to feel very tired, achy, and got a headache (a rare occurance). I kept saying to myself "I am not getting sick, I am not getting sick, I am not getting sick", which should work :)

Just in case, I went straight home after work, drank three large glasses of water, some took Vitamin C and went to bed early.

C • You are not getting sick... 2

at SMP after work. I had planned to orienteer, but I forgot the tape for my knees, so I decided "better safe than sorry". I did an easy jog/walk on the trails, reading an older version of the map along the way. Knees never hurt while I was out, but they are a bit achy now. Time for some vitamin I.

Day two in Chicago. My legs were dead tired from day one; I was concerned about my ability to perform well today. So I was determined to follow my plan. Overall, I give myself a B-. I warmed up well, walked to the first control, then proceeded to wander all around 2 for an extra 8 minutes or so. But I did eventually STOP and figure out what was going on. After that, the rest of the course went fairly well. Some minor errors on route choice and execution, but not bad.

I finally felt like I was reading the map as well as I should; not just the big features, but everything. Much improved over yesterday. And hopefully I got all my bad habits out of my system in time for the champs :)

One final good note: not one tweak, bobble or twinge out of either knee all weekend !!!! They felt perfectly normal for the first time in months .

C • Good News 4

Long (Green) - Splits

Event: Big Blues Ramble 2007
 

Day one in Chicago. I've always wanted to return to this map. I ran my first green course at Busse Woods (maybe 18 years ago?) After a disasterous run, I dropped back to the orange course for a while. Now it was time to conquer this map, which has only one or two (2 meter) contour lines.

This was an important practice meet for me. I wanted to get all the kinks out before the US Champs. So, I had a written plan to warm up well, walk to the first control, take it slow and easy on Saturday, and to STOP when I needed to relocate. Turns out that a written plan was not enough; I needed someone running next to me in the woods to knock some sense into me. I didn't follow the plan at all.

Messed up the first control, wandered a bit, relocated off a field, and moved onto the second control. Wandered quite a bit, found 3 first, still wandered, still wandered, finally slowed down enough to think this through, and headed off (in the correct direction this time) to 2. Wasted eight minutes on 2, but had a fast split to 3, since I had already been there.

After that I calmed down a bit, and navigated fairly well. Bob W joined me at 5, and we were together through 12. I worked hard to keep up with him, jogging throught the woods more than I thought I could (or should). Of course, I got tired.

Thirteen was a short leg, with an attack right off a big bike trail. Tired brain, mis-read where I was on the trail, wandered around the woods. Back to the bike trail twice, with lots of wandering in between, before I finally told myself to STAND STILL and let the brain get some oxygen. Figured out that I had repeatedly attacked off the wrong trail bend. Wasted more than 10 minutes here. Ugh!

Overall, I was incredibly disappointed in myself. Back to the car, to get lots of food, water and ibuprofen. Passed on the sprint, since I knew I had already over done it.

Nice dinner with good company helped salvage the day.

C • This was my first time on B... 4

Shower update: I went back to Lowe's and they contacted the manufacturer (Kohler). They agreed to give us a refund.

C • Yeah! 1

at SMP after work (I'm so jealous of peggyd's training schedule!) I re-did the yellow course I tried last week. Much better. I finally feel like I'm orienteering: reading the map, moving at a steady (slow) pace, knowing what to expect. Yeah! It was also a perfect fall evening, great to be out in the woods.

C • training schedule 2

Shower update: Mike stayed home this morning to meet the handyman. He never showed up.

C • What is PT? 5

Tested Mike's long course for the up-coming PTOC training camp at the Heartland Center. It's a good course, plenty of route choice, and it avoids most of the worst woods. Still too many spiderwebs and thorns, but I pushed through. Once or twice, I felt like I was orienteering well, with good flow. Good news. Other times, I was completely baffled. I have discovered that armchair O over the summer doesn't help where I need it most: relating terrain and map. If only had three more months to practice in the woods, before the US Champs. Ah, well, I knew this would be an issue. Some day, the US champs will be in the spring again...

Control picking at Knob Noster. Pouring rain, but at least the lightening and thunder had stopped. Practiced reading ahead, knowing what to expect. I had mixed results; was mentally slow at the beginning, but got better in the middle, then worse near the end, when I began to get tired. Walked most of the way; still out of shape, in terms of physical fitness and orienteering practice. Not good. Must practice more.

There are days when I dislike being a home owner. Long story: One day this spring, Mike interrupted my shower because the water (from the second-story master bath) was now dripping through the kitchen ceiling below. #%%&%. So, we stopped using the master shower, and procrastinated for several months (We are not handyman types).

After a few months, I finally decided to get a plumber or two to take a look and give an estimate. Took major efforts to get two plumbers to even return phone calls, or be available, let alone give an estimate. Both told me it wasn't plumbing, just a lousy shower door that leaked. Whew!!

Then another few months of procrastinating, mixed in with multiple trips to the hardware store to look at vinyl and shower doors, then order, then pick-up when available.

Then, more major efforts to find a handyman to do the work (everyone was booked for months, or never bothered to return calls). Finally, had arrangements for "Ken" to do the work. A week ago Friday, he was finished. He advised waiting a day or two for the caulk to dry, then use the shower.

So last Sunday, I jumped in our beautiful new shower (it does look a lot better). Few minutes later, Mike is knocking on the door: the water is dripping into the kitchen again. &^^%$#@%&

So, Ken comes back this Tuesday, and says it's really fixed now. Mike takes the first shower on Wednesday, and viola! no kitchen ceiling leaks! I am overjoyed!

Last night, Mike and I were jolted awake by an incredibly loud sound. Adrenaline pumping, we both jump out of bed to see what it was. Eventually trace the noise to the bathroom, where the shower door has complete imploded and shattered into a thousand small fragments!
Totally scary, to think it could have happened while we were using the shower; we would have been sliced up all over. How will I ever feel safe in a glass shower again?

Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing????? Totally unbelievable. If I can figure out how to post a picture to my AP log, I will; otherwise, Mike may post it on his blog.

C • Ahhhhhh. The rest of the story. 1

Plan was to run a short course at race pace today. Went to SMP, and had the Yellow course map from this weekend (2.8K). Since this is my "easy" week, I thought this would be a perfect 35 minute workout. If only my body and mind agreed. I went out too fast; made mistakes, couldn't think, etc., etc. Stopped at thirty minutes and jogged back to the car. I'm really depressed that I can't even handle a yellow course at this point...

On the other hand, it was a particuarly bad day at work, and I was in a pissy mood. Probably affected my mindset, right from the beginning. I'll try again on the weekend.

Control picking at Wyandotte. I was tired, physically and mentally, at the start (was there a reason I delayed training until 4:30 pm???) Very depressing, to see how my fitness has disappeared. On the bright side, I did eventually "warm up" and had fun doing the course Mike drew. Based on yesterday's mistakes, I asked for legs that were along a trail, and then a short distance into the woods to find the control. Excellent practice.

I will continue to do my full PT exercise routine, but I don't want to add it to my weekly training total any more.

PTOC meet at SMP. Dick N's courses kept us on trails for a lot of the course. Unfortunately, when we weren't on trails, the woods were gross. What a surprise :( It was a hot day, which took a lot out of everyone, I think.

I tried to make this a real practice event, which is hard in a suburban park that I know so well. Worked on taking it slow, reading ahead, "blowing up" the control circle. I ignored my own plan to start slow, and made the rookie runner's mistake of running too far on the trail to 3. After that, I settled down and stuck with my plan. In the end, I jogged about a third of the course. Knees always hurt a bit during warm up, but are fine once I start.

Enjoyed a relaxing night at home tonight, which gave me time to upload Mike's fabulous photos from Iceland:
http://picasaweb.google.com/maprunner

C • Photos 3

at SMP after work. Four 8/2 repeats.

at SMP after work. Three 7 X 3 repeats.