Training Log Archive: iansmith

Event: Boston Park Series: Menotomy Rocks
 

Menotomy Rocks Park-O. The original plan was to run from my apartment to the park and return, but happily Lori arrived in her Renaissance garb after graduation, and we drove over. Because driving in Somerville and Arlington is slow, we arrived at about 7:10 and scampered to avoid holding people up. Consequently, I ran completely cold, with about 30s of warmup.

I felt a little sluggish for the first few controls - the legs just weren't responding that well. Magnus exhorted me to run faster when I saw him at 4. I ran into Lori at 7, where she made a funny squawk after tripping or something.

I really started to suffer shortly after 7, as my body responded with a physiological "wtf" to the sudden impulse of intensity without a happy fun gentle warmup. I bobbled 12 by a few seconds and unwisely cut and ran through the woods to 10 rather than staying on the trail. There were some small hesitations on 9 and 13, too. I started a trio - possibly a family - gently descending the main hill into 18 when I leapt down the hillside, goat style with a quick audible apology for disturbing them.

I'm a bit disappointed; given the distance, sub 15 was very attainable. Still, it was a pleasant outing. ISSOM map looked great at first glance, though I think a few additional features could be mapped.

Control pickup. I grabbed 7.

Menotomy - Splits

Skyline run with Lori and Brendan. We escaped Kendall Sq at around 4 pm, then fought through the hordes of vehicles to the Sheepfold. Lori had never run a complete Skyline loop, though she's run lengths of the trail on numerous occasions. Conditions were excellent - around 13 C, clear skies, and we chitted and chatted for the duration.

Quick warmup jaunt. Since I was starting a control pick exercise, I figured I could ease into the course without too much warmup.

Control pick course at Bear Brook, designed by Alex. I struggled with this part of Bear Brook at the 2013 Classic Champs, especially on Day 2. Bear Brook is interesting terrain - the contour features have much finer detail than the map can realistically show.

I started with two poor controls in the vague area, though the features were questionably distinct. I wasn't overly aggressive - I focused on good exits, maintaining steady flow, and visualizing and understanding the leg. I still made a few errors in the technical area, but my run was much better than previous efforts.

I caught up to Brendan at control 16, and we sparred a little over the rest of the course. He observed that the lines I would ran - the miniroutes, I suppose - were often suboptimal. I think the solution is better vision at ranges of 25-50m.

Ran back from the start via controls 7-1 backwards. Slowed down to read as much as possible. That particular section of the terrain is sparse.

After a lunch break and cake to celebrate Giovanni and Anne's birthdays, we marched to the start of the mass-start butterfly that Alex designed. I didn't want to go out too fast, so I hung with Brendan, Dancho and Kevin through the first few controls. I took a small lead on the route to 4, then pushed my advantage on the climb into 4 and 5-6. I made a 1 and 1.5 error at 13 and 15; Brendan caught up to me at 15. We ran together through 18, where he pulled ahead, but I caught up at the start/finish (19). Control 20 was a long leg across a marsh and through the linear clearings - where I figured I would have the advantage, so I put the hammer down to try to pull away. It seemed to work, as I never saw him again. I took controls 21-24 deliberately and carefully, as they were tricky and I wanted no errors. My worst mistake was about 20s at 23, though I did slow down a lot. The rest of the course was uneventful, though I was tired and thirsty by the end.

I picked up three streamers and ran back via the trail.

Event: CSU Memorial Day training camp
 

I felt very tired today, probably from insufficient sleep this week.

I watched a TED-esque presentation by Matthew Inman, the author of the Oatmeal. The presentation, titled "How to get a buttcrapload of people read what you write" explains his approach to writing and how he attains a wide audience for his comics and content. Understanding how people consume information is fantastically useful even if you aren't a webcomic. I think the Walker Bros have some of the best insights into this subject from the O-community, and it is evidenced by the impact of attackpoint, Shopping Cart Hero, and Catching Features.

Some of my favorite examples of the Oatmeal's creative works:
Why I run Long Distances (aka the "Blerch")
The Tesla Model S
My Dog, the Paradox