Training Log Archive: wwk

More field checking, and control hanging, at Camp Pinnacle/Thacher. Phil and Sue H-T came out to vet, too. So if something is mishung, you can blame multiple people. Better yet, thank multiple people for a nice event!

Bonus: got to drive my SUV/truck on roads it was intended to handle better than my scion would...

Combined 30km orienteering in the last three days.

Field checking the map and control locations at Camp Pinnacle/Thacher SP. The Camp Pinnacle map needs some minor updates and the trail network is overgrown, not hard to fix but I need a new plan for white/yellow. The Thacher map is still pretty awesome.

Event: Hickory Hop: DVOA Hickory Run Mini Rogaine
 

Hickory Hop Mini-Rogaine, 6 hour event with two successive copies of the same "Shades of Death" area of Hickory Run. When I flipped the maps over I was in awe of all the green, and all the controls in the middle of the green.

I didn't try to maximize points -- I tried to minimize my chances of cramping up and dying in a mountain laurel thicket. So I avoided the controls surrounded by 300m of medium green.. (note: DVOA has some severe masochists) Though now that I've been through it, I'd like to give some of those a shot.

My goal was to spend about 3 hours on each map. On Map A, don't walk so far but do some of the more technical controls, then on Map B I would go farther but stay on trails more, in case I no longer had the mental ability to find anything.

1113 points out of about 2700, not a high score. I was walking the whole way and not really thinking too much about points, but more about making a reasonable circuit with controls I wanted to find and staying comfortably inside the time limit.

Map A, my route was: 51, 31, 73, 55, 79, 69, 77, 65(miss), 75, 63, then finish at about 2:45...

I was happy with doing the 73-55-79-69 circuit, with no trail contact, with no significant problems, perhaps some wandering to find 55 which was in a very minor feature. The stony ground and vegetation made for excellent handrails. I missed 65, I was probably within 50m but was not thinking straight at all, I just kept walking in the correct direction and wound up stumbling on control 56, on a boulder 200m beyond 65! At least that gave me a good attack on 75...

Map B, my route was 80, 44, 52, 72, 64, 70, 66, 32, 60, F at 5:48

I probably underestimated my capabilities, I could have done less trail routes/longer distance and gone for more technical ones. Part-way in I was feeling pretty good so I opted to get 72,64 which were in the same area as I went to on map A. I probably could have easily gotten some of the other high point controls on this part of the map. Instead I went out to the corner for 70, then walked along the "Jeras Corporation" trail out towards the Gorge and then back.

Note: Jeras Corp. appears to operate this: http://www.graystonespreserve.com/

This was a really, really fun event. I'm sure they won't do anything like this again for 20 billion years. The map is detailed, almost intimidating, but its very accurate. We also lucked out with the weather -- low 60s F and clear, sunny. This could have been miserable if 80F and humid.

Event: DVOA Hickory Run Sand Spring Lake Night-O
 

Night-O at Hickory Run, Intermediate course. Planned to go out with Stacey and Zoe, and then my brother Ben showed up at the last minute, so invited him to.

A really nice course -- and no complaints from the 9 year-old either; she really liked it! The first 5 controls were definitely 'orange' level with a good ramp-up in difficulty. We probably wouldn't have found the first 4 without all the 'help' nearby. Since we were then behind (we were one of the last starts anyway) we did spike 5 which was a success! After that the rest of the controls were beginner level around the lake/picnic areas, which was a lot of fun -- we swung on the swingset at ~10:30 PM, and the last leg was right across the beach; very pretty!

What started as a tenuous flashlight situation became a mess--we had one good headlamp, one good 'spotter' light, and 4 random maglights with batteries of unknown provenance. Zoe had to have the good headlamp. The spotter needed a battery change partway through. The maglights were all fading by the end. Fun!

Pinebush-water tower, still under the "Week 2" plan, 5 min warmup, 1:30/1:30 run/walk intervals, then walk it in, though I always run one trail leg near the end.

Event: EMPO - Camp Wakpominee
 

Setting up the Rec course at Wakpominee. It was white-level navigation and yellow-level control hanging.

Control pick-up for Rec course. Winning time was about 28 minutes, though I had to untie knots and carry stuff. I only almost missed one of them! First time running a course in jeans and sneakers since I was 12.

Hike up.

Middle distance champs at Moreau; ran Red Y. Since this is my first year in the M35 age bracket theoretically I have the advantage over everyone else.

Great course, very challenging and the bags were hung viciously perfectly. This is my first course up on top of the plateau after always helping with stuff at prior events.

(GPS started ~3min into 1st leg--but time adjusted so flag locations match split times)
1: No major mistakes but went really slow, just getting used to the map. Didn't feel like I had good contact till near the end.
2: Went off-line to the right. Genuinely surprised to see a trail; on the map it looked like a squiggly series of cliffs. Huh.
3: Totally messed up my awesome plan to use the trail. Left the trail to early, parallel error on another marsh/ridge area. Once I figured it out I headed over to the right place but still took some time to locate myself.

After this I calmed down and did a lot better, a few minor mistakes, but I seriously though I would be OVT at this point (two hour limit).

4 and 5: pretty easy
6: long leg over nondescript terrain. Tried to go right and stay up on the ridge but within sight of the large marsh. That worked alright but I did get distracted by another control (not even on a cliff, duh) and then went to far before going up into the cliffs.
7: Meant to go straight but started off wrong direction. After crossing the trail and into the woods, 3 fast dudes likely on blue punched at a boulder flag and I think that helped me relocate. Kept going straight and found myself on a ROOTSTOCK! yay! The only one with 200m or so. That was great.
8: Cut straight across (didn't cross the marsh) then followed the trail till due north of the flag, and followed the reentrant and marshes right to it, easy.
9: Meant to go straight but inspected the wrong little hilltop with a cliff. Found it right away after that.
10: went straight , then followed trail over the ridge with the big boulders, then followed the marshes on the left and spiked it. The marshes were so distinct and accurately mapped, quite lovely.
11: short, no problem
12: just straight
13: around the hilltop to the left, easy
14: thought it would be easy but wound up too far left and inspected a bag on a cliff to the northeast, easy to recover
15: went around marsh and followed the white course streamers, but inspected a bag in a reentrant just southwest of mine. Yay, another parallel error, but easy to recover.
16: followed the herd

Hike down, started off carrying down 4 gallons of water. Met up and chatted with Yakir from Israel, who carried one for me. Extra intensity (2 vs. 1) is for the arm workout.

Middle Red Y - Splits

Event: 2013 U.S. Individual Championships/Team Trials
 

Run/walk intervals at Pinebush-Watertower. Week 2 of the 5K plan, now doing 5 min walk warmup, then 7 1:30/1:30 run/walk intervals, then 5 more minutes walk. Seemed liked I was always running the uphills.

Saw a pine bush maintenance guy blowing leaves off the side of the power line ride. This was about 15 feet from the actual trail. Perhaps there is some good reason for this, but I can't see it. Maybe they can set up a taco stand next. Also, later on my way back around the loop, the guy was driving this huge tracked vehicle -- like a tank -- crawling right over all the scraggly bushes along the power line ride.

BRIDGE UPDATE
Bridge complete, toll booth in operation. 50 cents, but only going eastbound. You can not pay in butterflies. I REPEAT do not pay in butterflies.

C • Bridge update 1

Pinebush Watertower - same plan, 5 min warmup, 1/1:30 run/walk intervals. Started the tracker a bit late so the time is lower than usual, not for reasons of being super faster.

BRIDGE UPDATE
When I ran by two guys were installing the last railing.

Run/walk at Pinebush-Watertower, same route and intervals as Friday. 5 min warmup, 1 min run/1:30 min walk, then walked it back. Not hard, just need to get back into some semblance of physical activity.

BRIDGE UPDATE! Most of the rails are now up. There is a large green tractor/dozer and a small pile of lumber still there. I somehow avoided a perilous plunge into the depths.

At Pinebush Watertower. Just using the preset "5K training" option on the RunMeter app. I think it was walk 5 min, 1min/1:30 run/walk intervals for a while, then walk it in. Not too bad for having been sloth-like for so long. No excuses now that classes are over.

The new bridge that they hadn't built yet as of last ~halloween is now built but not finished. All the warning signs are still up -- DO NOT CROSS!! DANGER!!! BRIDGE NOT FINISHED!!!... its a wide, solid wood beam bridge that can probably carry a 3-ton truck. In fact as I was walking uphill from the bridge a Pine Bush pick-up was driving down towards it.

C • bridge 6