Training Log Archive: maprunner

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...