Training Log Archive: Charlie

Poison Oak report:

Surprisingly benign. Only one patch in the vicinity of my left knee, maybe 1 sq. in. Even that didn't show up until Thursday evening, so not a very severe exposure, and by now I would think I am out of the woods, so to speak. I had taken a branch across the face early in the race on Sunday and I was pretty concerned about what might ensue, but maybe it wasn't PO. I didn't go back to check it. Anyway, there was certainly a lot out there, although judicious navigation would have kept a runner in the open almost exclusively.

I seem to have successfully dodged the entire month of the Concept II March challenge, hadn't done 5K since Feb 22 and only rowed a total of 5K in the whole month, but it's a new month. No particular challenge, but try to get back to it, and try to put up at least one lightweight piece before the season is over, as I am floating near the cusp.

Splits:
2:18.5
2:15.3
2:13.3
2:11.5
2:07.7
total 22:12.7

Not bad.

C • Not bad indeed! 2

5 rounds, 5 exercises, with Rhonda; 45 seconds on, 15 seconds to switch.

Pull downs
GH raises and lowers
Dumbbell straight leg DLs and upright Rows (25# dumbbells)
Goblet squats (25#)
Pushups

In that order, the exercises seem to me to be of increasing degree of difficulty.

Not a good sleeping night. Things to do.

with Eric in the gym, more or less the usual. Stretching, bands, squats, some dumbbell deadlifts and upright rows.

With Rhonda from PV to Rte 8 and back. She is a creature of habit.

Rhonda's morning class, well attended. Jackie, Karen, Laurann, Sheryl

From PV with Rhonda, the route she has been comfortable with lately. Pretty brisk headwind on the way out, sailing along on the way back.

C • Perchance were you wearing ... 2

Back home after a red-eye. Not likely to do anything much other than catch up on some work.

Morning tour of the Berkeley hills with George and Leslie, partly by car and partly on foot, including visiting several of the rock parks with views out over Oakland, San Francisco the bay and the bridges. Then lunch at Gather, near the University.

Neighborhood walk with Rhonda, uphill by streets and pathways, and then back down the switchbacking Coventry Street and eventually back to the house. Very nice.

walk to the start, and some standing around before I turned the watch off.

US Ultra long at Briones Park. Very steep, wet. Somehow I ended up first in M70, despite running almost none of it.

Not the best routes, but kept moving and didn't have too many outright errors (well, maybe 1).

1. Started to contour, but things were further away than I realized, and it would have been better to stay on the road past the big spur. Also, I cut through a bit of woods and took a branch in the face, and put a lot of energy over the next couple of hours into wondering whether it was poison oak, and what could I do about it.

2. I guess this was a reasonable way to go, and there were quite a few folks strung out in front of me, contour to the trail, Maybe better to cross the big hill further south, save some distance and a bit of climb, but no problem executing.

3. Got near 3 and saw some folks doubling back, and foolishly thought I had gone by it. They were just making the better route choice from 3 to 4 to climb back up to the trail.

4. Really unpleasant route choice, dropping down the steep hill to cut under the spur, then a ridiculously steep climb on the hill, barely moving, steep enough to make it hard to keep my balance, never mind make progress. Sure wished I had gone to the trail either immediately, or even when I crossed it. No trouble with the control, and there was a small crowd there. Used a cup of water to rinse my face in case there was P.O. on it. Left the control behind Bob Huebner and a couple of women.

5. Another unfortunate route choice. Heading NE to the trail would have been really pleasant. Instead went southeast down an impossibly steep slope, very gingerly, heading for the circuitous trail to the E. Caught up to Bob at the trail junction, where he was surprised we were there. Then the curving trail was also a lot of up and down. Bummer. I had thought I would be contouring. I was getting ahead on the uphills, walking with some purpose, but Bob was catching and passing on the downhills, as I couldn't run comfortably, both because my back was tied up and because the steep downhills made my knee hurt a lot. Cut in before it was too steep, and worked my way down the long spur with Bob, passed by a couple of younger guys along the way. Hard to get down the spur because it was so steep.

6. Down to the trail and looking for a place to cross. Only significant error. I was following Bob into the wrong reentrant, realized it and called to him, but he kept going and I didn't see him again. Saw the flag from the small ditch, and came back out the same way, as it didn't look too friendly otherwise.

7. More bushes than I was expecting, and a little worried about the control, but just stuck with going around the spur and up the reentrant and the flag was easy to see. Left the control aiming for the gap in the green and hit it with no problem.

8. Out to the trail, getting passed by a lot of red and green runners, including Rick Breseman, Tapio, Francois, maybe some others. Not running with any kind of comfort.

9. Bogged down a bit by the spring, but otherwise ok. Keeping moving in case anybody on my course was coming up on me.

F. Easy enough.


Map and Route

UltraLong by Courses - Ultra Brown X - Splits

UltraLong by Classes - M70+ - Splits