Training Log Archive: iansmith

Today I went bowling. Attackpoint seems a suitable way to log and evaluate this, though I didn't want to create a new training category.

My scores were (in temporal order):
120
106
116
132
101
93

As you can tell, I'm not a very good bowler. I had intended to get a printout of my results and run an analysis, but I forgot to obtain said printout before leaving the bowling alley.

My observations were that I did not have sufficient precision to make an effective strategy. My precision was high enough to consistently knock down 6+ pins on my first pass, but not sufficiently high to aim for strikes. I also struggled with hitting spares, even when as few as one or two pins remained.

I have relatively large hands, and my fingers are well proportioned - they are both long and thick. My thumb knuckle is particularly large; I find it difficult to obtain a bowling ball with holes sufficiently wide to accommodate my fingers. For instance, the smallest ball I found that I could grip at the bowling alley, of perhaps 50 sampled, was 14 lbs. I used a 16 lb ball throughout the day. I suspect that a lighter ball would have given me better control, though I did not struggle with the weight.

Anyway, I will undoubtedly need to collect more data in the near future, so please let me know if you're interested in running some experiments (i.e. going bowling).

C • Too many games... 2

Warmup; five laps around the track at very low intensity.

Mile time trial at my high school track. I approached this time trial with a different strategy to correct the errors of my previous attempts. I was determined to start gradually and try to sustain a constant pace. I only approximately achieved that, but it was an improvement over the wide range of lap times from my late December effort.

Lap times:
1:24 (forgot to hit split button, but glanced at watch)
1:30
1:28
1:24

Breathing was 3/3 for the first two laps, then 2/2 for the last two. I believe my limiting factor was available oxygen, but that was my expectation, so I could have deceived myself. Muscles felt ok at the end.

I had an improvement of 6 seconds over my previous attempt in Cambridge. It is my hope that upon returning to Boston, I will have another improvement of ~ 10 seconds with the higher oxygen pressure. Apart from this experiment (variation of mile time trial with elevation, some other factors not effectively standardized), I will cut my time trial frequency to less than once per two weeks.

Cool down and some stretching (not timed).

Linear distance is a guess informed by google pedometer estimates. A high school friend of mine - Erin Carrick - and I ascended North Franklin, the tallest peak in the Franklins. We started from a parking lot with an elevation of about 5,000 feet and ascended via Cottonwood Springs and the ridgeline south of Mundy's Gap to the summit. The climb was of moderate intensity compared with the physical exertion of running training. The ascent along the ridgeline had gradients of approximately 30%.

The average gradient of the ascent was 668 m /3.5 k ~= 19%. The view was magnificent; we were able to make out peaks over 100 miles away.

Long distance run today, from my home almost to the Santa Teresa airport. I chose this route in particular because of the low traffic, long legs, and non-trivial climb at the end. The actual distance from my house to the halfway point is 10.4 km, but I decided to stop at a convenience store to go to the bathroom and drink some water. I stopped for about ten minutes, walked a few hundred meters, and concluded my run. Without delving into the details, I analyzed my run by partitioning it into 3 segments each way. This component of the run had the first five, and my pace (time/km) was:

1. 5.06
2. 5:24 (some rolling hills)
3. 6:09 (basically all the climb was here, an ascent to a plateau)
4. 5:30 (descent down the plateau)
5. 5:36

My hamstrings and back feel sore, and the arch of my left foot is tight. Apart from that, I felt strong throughout the run. I had hoped to run up the road that crosses the mountain in El Paso (creatively named "Transmountain road") with a run of about 10 km and over 500 meters of climb, but that may be unwise. I will decide based on how I feel later in the week (I currently expect not to run).

The run home from the convenience store (leg six of my run). I slowed near the end to cool down.