Training Log Archive: Charlie

Map 1 from yesterday's Hudson Highlander. Just one control, but a doozy. I'll post the others when I can figure out how to cut the track. The cut track tool in QR is just removing the whole track when I try to cut it. Annoying. Seems I've had that problem before, but not in a while. Can't remember what I did to solve it.

Also, Joe brought me my long lost WMOC long final map.

Southern part of HH map 2. Still trying to cut route on the rest of the course. All of a sudden it worked on this map. How did I get it to work? No idea.

OK. Got it now.

Map 2 northern part..

Map 3 - trail run.

Map 4.

And the story:

1. Headed off up the rocky stream bed behind a large crowd, which disappeared pretty quickly. Didn't even think about the trail off to the right, but I suppose many people did. Took only a couple of running steps and then settled down to walk. Last folks I saw were Hilly and Jeff, and then alone, mostly through thigh-high blueberry. After about 25 minutes popped out on the trail about 40% of the way there, meeting up with Earl, and a moment later, Barb. Jolly company as we picked up the small trail across the blueberry thick mountain. Jogged a fair amount of it at a very gentle pace, staying on trails looking for the small trail that cuts off 200 M before the clearing along the road at the S. end of the map. Didn't see the trail, but did see Francis, and the four of us generally headed off in the direction of the marsh N of the control. Hit the hill W of the marsh, down and up the saddle and more or less right into it. Earl and I together, Barb a little back, Francis not to be seen again. Over an hour and only one control down.
2. more or less along the line, first marsh not particularly wet, so right across it, saw a bunch of cadets milling around before the stream crossing, hugged L side of broad E facing re-entrant, and contoured around the S facing reentrant. Saw Glen around here, quite a few folks at the control when we got there, probably mostly lowlanders. Barb had caught back up with us.
3. Lots of cadets running fast, a little left of the line, saw the first spur and headed ok, got caught in some mountain laurel and had a hard fall. No problem.
4. Joined forces with Sam Levitin on this leg. Lots of cadets heading N on the trail. We perhaps crossed too soon, getting bogged down in the very rocky area with all the streams, three mapped, but really lots in there. So we drifted a bit, but then headed N to get around the marshes. Saw Jeff and Hilly again headed to 5 as we were going over the hill. Did not see anybody going from 5 to 6 there, which was kind of surprising. Saw Glen again coming out of 4 a minute or two ahead of us. No problem.
5. This was fine, and headed right to it, but Sam thought it was higher and we climbed a line too high. Earl then saw it from the top, exactly where we had been heading.
6. Follow the ridge. Lots of blueberry.
7. Three of us still together, saw the stone wall W of 4, aiming for the reentrant with the marsh, hit it right on.
8. Trail, still the three of us together. Having quite a nice chat when we decided we should look for the control. Aimed off boulder next to trail, checking the height of the ridge on the R for confirmation, went right to the mapped boulder, but it wasn't even 1M high. Now what? Look around, check off the very distinctive marsh. I'm thinking it must be on the bigger mapped boulder 100M north, but Sam and Earl wanted to scour the circle some more, and then eventually I just went N and they followed.
9. Lost Sam here for a while, as he went left around the ridge, and Earl and I went up and over. No problem.
10. Going along ok, then headed a little too soon toward the road, but could tell where we were. Saw that the boulder was supposed to be on top of the cliff, but took a while to get there, including scrambling up the last pitch. Earl had wanted to go higher earlier, which would have been a better plan.
11. Not moving fast. Had our last water at the rest stop. If we'd realized, could have brought some with us, or at least drunk some more.
12. Trail walk. I hadn't figured out that the ribbons that showed up intermittently were for us. At one point the ribbons led to the left, while the broader trail went what appeared to be straight. I went straight, until we came to a funny looking junction and tried to figure it out. Earl got it first, sent us back to the ribbons and the rest was ok. A little anxious about how long it took to get to the control, since it wasn't mapped. Caught back up to Sam, who had passed us while we were on walkabout. Only lost about 5 minutes.
13, Hard to follow streamers in the non-trail portion, glad to get back on an o-map again, except no water! Just 4 dead gallon jugs laying on their sides.
14. Long trail walk. Didn't see the intermittent trail off the marsh, maybe not there anymore, but the knoll was certainly there, so easy enough.
15. A little discussion about going left (slightly more direct) or right (flatter) resolved right, and walked off determinedly. Sam falling a bit back.
16. KotM. Our best leg placing (26). I guess a lot of other folks were walking. Would have been fun to be able to run. Just straight up the spur. Didn't see Sam anymore.
17. Losing our zip a bit. Trying to find a route with less blueberry, not too rocky, so on and off the ridge. Between the marshes, under the big curved cliff and right in. Nice orienteering in this section.
18. Just find and follow the stream. Not all that marshy.
19. Same, find and follow the stream. There were actually two small reentrants on the S end of that hill. Flag was in the second and smaller one.
20. Contouring, got a line too high, but big boulder unmistakeable, especially as it sat on the s end of a knoll.
21. Bland terrain and thick saplings on the first part, so a bit on faith, but saw the rocky knoll just before and went right into it.
F. Down toward the corner of Silvermine Lake, looking for crossing. I think something was streamered a bit down the stream, but we went across the dam. Fine until we got to the end where we had to climb the wall. Took us each a couple of tries. Good we weren't cramping. Then jogging and walking toward the finish. Nice! A bit sorry it was over, the orienteering so nice, particularly in the last 5 controls.

C • WMOC FIinal Map 4

dog loop with Sassy. A little more spry than when I got up this morning.

Event: Hudson Highlander XVII
 

Hudson Highlander. Awesome day, good company. J-J for the ride down and back, Earl on the course. Earl is a great partner. Pretty much always in good contact with the map, very congenial, strong enough that he could go faster, but doesn't push the pace. Physically this was very hard for me. Sore back meant that I could do almost no running and that at a very slow pace, so might as well walk. No water the last 3:25 was a real problem. Otherwise fine. I was walking quite comfortably. I give myself 21 spikes, although I stopped a tad short on 2 and consulted the map again before pressing on to it, and lost a bit of time staring at the boulder in the circle at 8 before deciding it must be the next one along. Lost some time on the trail walk, going straight like the map, instead of left where the streamers went. Silvermine is still a great, great map. A bit over-run with blueberry, but very legible, very accurate, beautiful woods.

Highlander - Splits

Late night last night. Got home about 1:30 from Fenway Park. First time I have been to a Sox game in 35 years. I used to go several times a year, and went a lot in '78, when they lost every game that September to the Yankees and faced the dreaded Bucky Dent game.

I went with my friend David, sat in the bleachers. Lots of college kids there. Quite a party. Red Sox did well, winning 3-1, clinching a playoff spot, not that there was much doubt.

Traffic was pretty awful, both directions. Not sure I want to do that again - almost 4 hours travel each way.

C • 4 hours ea way 11

Hard, but not particularly stressful on my back. Instead just lack of wind, arms feel wobbly. So I can just keep this up and maybe there will be some improvement.

Just to see what running feels like. Better on the back by the end, but not much strength or wind.

Dog walk. Working through some Garmin issues. No track this morning, but at least it downloaded. Doesn't seem to know what day it is.

around the neighborhood. No Rhonda to push the pace, but moving along pretty well. Back still stiff and sore, as is L hamstring, but much better than a few days ago. Got my 310XT issues resolved. Reset, re-paired and downloaded new firmware.

Quick stop at sessions to check some white controls. Good that I did. On my way to Litchfield to see Heather, so pretty efficient.

Dog walk with Sassy, after taking Rhonda to the airport. She is in CA, visiting Kathy.

Vetting a few spots at Sessions. Walking, a little jogging. Can't go fast.