Training Log Archive: RLShadow

Medved Madness Mendon "15 mile" trail race. Was somewhat shorter than 15 miles, but way closer than in the first couple of runnings when it was more like 13.5 miles, by my estimate.

We expected the course to be muddy, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The first major continuous muddy stretch was at the 1 mile mark, and it persisted (on and off, mainly on) for quite a while, maybe a quarter mile? I was being careful not to lose a shoe in the mud, which I did in an O meet once.

Overall, I was pretty happy with how I did. For each of the three loops, I averaged under 11 min/mile which doesn't sound real impressive, but with the hills and the mud, I'm OK with it.

I wasn't exactly pouring it on during the last loop, but I tried to maintain a steady pace, and I wound up passing four people (with no one passing me). That doesn't sound like many, but with a sparse field, people were quite a ways apart, so this is about as many as I realistically could pass.

Since it was a small field, I thought I had a decent chance to win my age group, but they announced someone else. When I saw the person who was announced to be the winner, I mentioned to trailsnail that I'm fairly certain I watched him finish, well after I finished. I obviously didn't want to disrupt the awards by claiming they were incorrect (esp. since I wasn't 100% positive), so I'll wait to see the official results on line and determine if I should appeal to get a prize ($15 gift certificate to Medved, I believe it is). In any event, there were so few people in my age group, it's hardly anything to brag about.

Addendum: I figured out why I wasn't first in my age group. Looking at the information printed out on my bib number, they had me down as 31 years old. Don't I wish. I entered on-line, so I'm baffled as to how that could have happened. I can't imagine I entered "31" when I meant to enter "62" but I guess it is possible.

C • congrats! 10

Event: West Point A-meet
 

Trial to see how the GPS does in a lawn-mowing outing. After a few minutes, I concluded that the distance it was tracking seemed kind of fluky, so I took a break and let the GPS do a better job of capturing satellites (presumably). This was from before the break.

After the GPS had more time to possibly lock in to satellites.

Did not do the back yard at all (too wet in many places, and it really didn't need it yet), and only did around 75% of the front yard, because the rest of it wasn't long enough to see where I had mowed and where I hadn't. So therefore, why mow.

The distance recorded by the GPS seems reasonable; I could probably make an independent measurement by estimating how many passes I make, and how long each pass it. Maybe I'll do that step, but most likely not ...

C • why mow? 2

Starting the mapping of Highland Park. Mapping session cut short because it was nippier than I had expected (temperature in the upper 40's, but wind gusts up to 30 mph), and my hands can't quite take being exposed to those conditions for very long, and still be able to write.

C • Highland 4

Whiting Rd trail run, with trailsnail. One loop around, only. Not surprisingly, the trails were very muddy in the usual wet spots. They were probably 95%+ dry with good footing, though.

Finally, a chance to do some hot-weather training! And to NOT do any rain training! Upper 70's, fairly humid. Decided to do a faster run than I usually do (but a short run). Included in the run were two half-mile "intervals" (although it's tough to call the speed I was doing them at anything close to interval speed). I'm sure I'll grow to dislike upper 70's and humid, but it felt very good for a change to be wet at the end, from sweat rather than from rainfall and running through puddles and mud.

C • 70's 1

Late morning run. Not raining when I started, but was hit with some moderately heavy rain for around 10 minutes in the middle of the run, so I was pretty soaked when I finished. Then it started raining again right after I finished, so I just missed being even wetter. I would be quite happy if this rainy weather would end.

C • Rain 4

Afternoon rainy run in the Highland Park area (and a little bit through the park). Had planned on starting field checking of the park for the updated map, but it was too rainy to do that. Fortunately I had come prepared to run instead of (or more hopefully, in addition to) field checking. I really dislike running in the rain, though -- no doubt partly because of foggy glasses.