Training Log Archive: Charlie

Nice walk around the property with Larry Rousseau, the state forester. He was here as part of a study of property that is managed under the Stewardship Incentive Program. I always like to see Larry, and he seemed pleased with the forestry that has been done here and the general state of the wildlife habitat, especially inside the deer fences, where the regeneration is going very well, lots of good habitat for a variety of species.

C • Stewardship Incentive Program 5

miscellaneous warmups, then rounds of 21-15-9 of toes to bar, box pushups (feet on the box, butt in the air), standing long jumps. Except I strained my stomach a bit on the set of 15 and stopped after that.

I ran into our neighbor Candace, who was there for her first time. It's a small world, and I have had several points of connection with Candace, although we have only actually met a few times. Most recently, it turns out, Candace did the inscription on my mother's gravestone, which is one of Candace's many talents. Candace is a freelance engraver for the memorials company down in Norwich, where my mother is buried.

7 or 8 years ago I was listening to car talk as I was driving to NYC, and heard this piece where Click and Clack were giving advice to a woman looking to buy a car that would meet her needs. As her needs got explained, the brothers were having more and more fun. She needed a car that she could put large canvases in, because she is a painter. She also needs to carry gravestones around because she etches. She needs to be able to carry wedding cakes, because she bakes. She needs to be able to carry a deer carcass or two, because she hunts, and she also butchers game for others. As the story progresses, it is all sounding more and more familiar to me. Finally she says, oh, and I have two dogs. I turn to Rhonda and I say, "the Brittany spaniels." And the lady says, "they're Brittany spaniels." Well of course it was Candace. Bob and Ray recommended she get a Honda Element. She got something else. However, when I saw her today and reminded her about car talk, she showed me her Honda Element, which she finally got two years ago.

woke up with a lot of foot pain. Calf raises and lowers on the stairs at the hotel loosened it up. Same as last night, not much strength on the right.

C • Good Morning, Charlie 2

US champs day 2. Generally a much more favorable effort than day 1, maintaining better pace and generally navigating better. Substantial hook on #3, but not a real big loss of time because I figured it out quickly. Stopped short on #5 and then just couldn't relocate. Kept finding a bend in the trail to the N that I didn't see on the map, and so confused it with a different one, tried to relocate off hills on the other side of the marsh, but that wasn't working either. 7 minutes lost. Otherwise uneventful until running in across the field at the end. Saw the finish and stopped looking at the map. Forgot entirely there was another control to punch, and went by the control on the fence corner near the finish thinking it was a white control. Didn't realize until after I donwloaded. Went back which took another 2 minutes, but pretty sure I was DQ'd. I was just really tired by about halfway from 8 to 9, not thinking very clearly. Started having trouble following a compass line and lost some time when all I was trying to do is run a straight line to the road. Frustrating. Calf held up better than yesterday.

Day 2 - Green Y - Splits

Event: 2011 US Classic Championships
 

Day 1 US champs, Green Y. Reasonably hot, but a little breeze and comfortable in the woods. Blue tape and bug spray available at the start, but didn't seem necessary and bugs were actually no problem in the woods. Got off to a preposterously bad start. First leg was only 100 m, but nothing looked right to me, and I just couldn't find the control. Kept relocating off the start, the three little ponds in the area and the stone walls, all to no avail. Things were difficult enough that the 9 minute error didn't even cost me a place. Otherwise uneventful, but slow. Not spiking them, but in close enough contact that there were no more serious problems. Little hiccups getting into 2, 4, 8 and 9. FR battery died between 8 and 9, as did I when my achilles started hurting. Slowed down considerably by sore and weak R calf. Here is the map and my route.

A set of calf raises and lowers on the stairs at the hotel. Remarkable how weak the R calf is. Raises and lowers easy and bouncy on the left, but can only get part way up on the right. Still, seems helpful.

Day 1 Green Y - Splits

Calves still sore, esp R. Dog walk with Sassy and Rhonda. Loosens up a bit walking, tightens up again when I get back. Vitamin I application.

Easy ride from PV with Rhonda. My calves are in serious DOMS, I think mostly because of jump rope, but I compounded it by running 5 miles yesterday, and this morning I could barely make it down stairs. Need to rest. Some ice this evening, I think.

At McLean, with Rhonda. We thought about a number of activities for today. Although it was hot, this was a good choice, because a thunderstorm came in just as we finished with a serious downpour by the time we got in the car. Blue hats today, but only got about 6 on each. Not that many FDFs in McLean. Calves were stiff and sore, presumably from yesterday's jump roping. Stiffer and sorer after I was done.