Training Log Archive: W

A nice cruise-y spin on my usual loop that I've [kind of] sorely missed. I was pleasantly surprised that I had basically no run-ins with any off-leash dogs, even despite not being logo-d to the gills so that I could mouth them off if necessary. Maybe something happened since I was last about that made them all decide to follow the rules. Ha.

So, that article about the Canadian team in Scotland in the newspaper up there, I didn't actually read it until today, and was mildly bemused/eyerolled about the fact that the simply lifted most of the text from the blog. Its... 'sort of' attributed to us, in that they quoted us as having "said it", but the picture has no credit, and all of it is compounded by getting the names wrong. I'm all for any publicity is good publicity, but... yikes.

I took a full four days off after coming back from Europe, not necessarily because I was tired, but because this was the perfect time to get sick if I wasn't careful. So, I got all lazy for three whole days before getting back into it today at the shop workout. I was partly motivated by the offer of a pancake breakfast afterwards, which is apparently something we do now. (its a one time thing)

So, did an upward ladder from 30 seconds to 4:30 in 30 second increments with 3 minutes rest at 10k pace, which is actually a fairly easy workout. The 4 minute and 4:30 were probably the toughest because they were predominantly uphill, but I can't say I was really blasting and felt quite comfortable hovering between about 3:20 and 3:35. I can't say for sure because I took too many laps and my Garmin ate my workout, but the total time and distance is about right, after Graham and I did an extended cool-down. I think he's a better runner than he leads on, but that's why he's on the national team, and... I'm not.

Also, I saw Eve6 and Everclear on Friday, which reminded me how old I am. They didn't play my fave song, though.

C • 90s rock 7

Yet another nice map in another nice location. This one reminded me most of Lewes Lake in Whitehorse. Hills, depressions, and ridgelines. I felt like this really brought to light the difficulties I have when it comes to contouring around things. I find that I've been spending so much time thinking about just going straight, that in these cases where its a big hole that I could go around, I have a lot of difficulty knowing where I am once I've gone around. Have you gone farther enough around? What feature do I spot after going around? Am I still going in the same direction? I had difficulties with it today and frequently would just go straight through, but I don't really have a great solution. Add it to the list of thinks that need some thought.

I should write these things down.

Also of note, some of these depressions had amazingly manicured grass at the bottom. It was like a soccer pitch down there. Incredible.

One last session north of Aberdeen on what was unquestionably my least favorite map of this entire training camp. Don't get me wrong, very scenic, but crazy tall bracken, or rocky underfoot heather covered opened bits made for a desperately slow, mildly dangerous, highly unpleasant area. This is unfortunate because I think this map is fairly relevant.

I mean, I'm always cool with very physical courses, but I'm really not a fan of the unseen rocks under long grass situation. I encountered that in Hong Kong and found it very tough. I think I have fairly strong ankles, but it doesn't make me any less nervous, and if I trip its a really long way from where my face is to the ground and I can usually generate quite a bit of vertical velocity in that time (e.g. face-smashing).

Again, though, wonderful views.