Training Log Archive: Sandy

morning stuff

I decided a while ago that if I could get my weight under 130 then my knees might be able to handle a little jogging. So this morning I did the meadow loop, jogging randomly when I felt like it. Only saw a few other people (2 groups of 2) and everyone was good about getting off the trail for each other so I'm thinking I can go back to using the regular trails when I want. I went early since there are supposed to be thunderstorms again this afternoon - yesterday's were pretty intense. It wasn't very hot yet and the loop is almost all shaded, but pretty humid.

C • Congrats 7

The afternoon thunderstorms never materialized so I went for a walk around the neighborhood. Track is a bit wonky though.

An hour or so of yard work spreading woodchips. So humid that I'm counting it as training; mental toughness to keep going if nothing else.

Classfit. Forgot to start my watch until the mid-class water break.

The first half of the class.

Twice around the neighborhood. It might be a little hotter in the late afternoon but there's a lot more shade.

morning stuff

Classfit workout. Struggled at first - it just seemed really hard - but I think I was just stiff from yesterday's outing and the driving. It was 4 times through 7 different exercises and by the middle of the 2nd set it seemed better.

The killer move (there always seems to be one) was doing one-arm tricep kickbacks from a plank. I had to alternate doing one on each arm from a plank with one on each arm from kneeling.

My wireless headphones won't charge anymore but I didn't realize it when I started out. About 10 minutes in, they died. So I focused on moving my arms and trying to push off my feet more. It was a lot harder than my normal effort.

And my watch did something funky near the end just sort of stopping. It ended with about the right distance though so no idea what happened. Might be time for a new watch.

Lost Lakes UsynligO course that Greg Ahlswede put up. This was so much fun. I had several not so great legs but nailed several others and it was just such a blast being in new terrain that was challenging and tricky but perfect orienteering terrain. More details later.

Later:
Took a while to find the start. I started the app and put the start on automatic and headed off down the trail not really paying attention figuring the app would let me know when I was there. But there must be a timer on it since I blew past the start, eventually realized I had gone too far down the trail and checked my phone to see that it was no longer looking for the start. So futzed around a bit trying to figure out exactly where I was, reset the app to automatic start and went back to the start.

Headed to #1 on what I thought was a good bearing and it probably was, but I wasn't really understanding the terrain and pulled up short wondering what I had done. I was actually heading pretty much to the control but nothing I was seeing was giving me confidence so I circled around for a bit until I found something I was sure of and then went right to it. If I had taken a safer route I would have nailed it. Nailed 2 and tried to be careful to 3 seeing features on the way but then really wasn't sure what I was seeing and was sort of wandering when the app said I was there. The control was a distinct tree - coniferous - but I couldn't see one anywhere near where I was.

I then learned that the light green was rhododendron and/or mountain laurel and had to hunt a while to find a passage through it, backracking to where the map showed a gap. 4, 5, 6 and 7 were okay although the spurs on 5 and 6 weren't particularly distinct.

Crossed back across the creek with the rhodo/laurel and decided to be careful and attack 8 from a stream bend, but I missed. I found lots of small marshes but not mine and eventually made myself head back to the stream bend and found it.

Long leg to 9, but nailed it and 10 and 11. Another longish leg to 12 and I thought I knew where I was, but again stopped a bit short. Wandered around for a while thinking well this must be that reentrant and this must be that bit of green but never really felt like I understood what was what. I headed in what I thought was the right direction but there was no reentrant that matched what the map showed but suddenly the app signaled I was there. Good enough for me!

I think that rattled me a bit though since 13 should have been easy but again I misread things, backtracked and tried again and again found myself saying this must be that so I need to go here but then the app said I was there when I didn't really see what the feature the map showed.

When to 14 strictly on a compass bearing sort of seeing the series of spurs but wondering if I was fooling myself when the app again said you found it. And then to the finish finding a swamp that was definitely not on the map.

Despite the less than stellar navigating, this was just so much fun. It's been so long since I've been in new terrain and these woods were great so I had a fabulous time. Perhaps I just need to do more of these KP maps that Greg makes to get used to the mapping standards. But I am so grateful to him for posting them and making the courses available.

C • Kudos! 2

I was liking the Classfit workouts a lot and feeling guilty for getting them for free, especially knowing that they had decided to close their gym, so contacted Kelly and set up once a week personal training over zoom. Today was the first session. It was great; I worked hard and felt motivated to push through everything.

LA Fitness, the gym I was going to, is opening next week but it will be a while before I will feel comfortable going there so this is a great alternative.