Training Log Archive: maprunner

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