Training Log Archive: Cristina

US Champs Long
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I knew that I had to kill it today if I wanted a chance at the team. I didn't. I lost 9-10 minutes on 2 and 3, with a few bobbles later on. After 3/4 things were better, not awesome but fine, and I just tried to push myself for the best possible race I could from that point on. Disappointing not to have 3 decent runs in a row.

At the start I flipped over the map and all kinds of funny words streamed through my head. I was expecting some rocks, but this map was like rock with a bit of white sprinkled in. I'm not sure if that shock is what threw me off, or whether I basically just refused to acknowledge that I was going to have to run through this stuff, but the first few controls were just a mental fight. I took the safe/wide/left route to the first control because I didn't know what the rocks were going to be like. Turns out the woods are pretty deadfally, and the rocky ground really isn't the main impediment. But the left route to 1 doesn't seem to be that terrible, and it was good for me to have a safe spike on the first control.

To 2 there was a nice line to the control, through the saddle, down the stream, through the clearing. And I did it just fine. I really don't know what happened after that, it seems like I thought I *hadn't* done what I planned, and for some reason I went down the slope instead of contour and then at the stream nothing made sense (there were more streams, it was wet) and it took me a bit to determine I was too low and head back up stream. Louise had just punched when I got there. ouch!

For 3 I was still skerd of the rocks (dude, get over it) so wanted to head left a bit to avoid a lot of them and hit the giant, totally unmissable marsh. With the way that I ended up going I should have really gone faster. Going doing the rocky gully/stream would also have been better, but at least if I am going to aim for the giant marsh I should have thrown myself downhill a lot faster. Once I got to the marsh and ran around, I didn't pay attention to the transition between yellow marsh/white marsh and then forest, so I confused the root stocks and attacked incorrectly, doing a loop on the hillside. Oof.

Okay, deep breath. Now that there was a break from the rocks I was able to get myself into O mode. Third fastest split to 4, so that worked okay.

Approach to 5 went well, contouring around the hill to the control, hit it right on. Now I felt more confident and orienteered more properly for the rest of the course. I got tired by the end, as evidenced by my route choice to 18. :-)

Done, disappointed, tired.

Long Red X - Splits

US Champs Middle
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This went pretty well, technically. I just felt like I was being really cautious and conservative and thus not moving very fast. I guess that shows in the splits - almost clean (biggest mistake was at 12, arguing with my compass and getting confused off line, ~30s) but still a bit back in the results.

This is a huge improvement over the last time I ran here. I was terrified of repeating the disasters, and I wanted to feel like the map was familiar, so over the past two months I've had Purple Pen open on my computer at all times, with a Moreau map for some practice course setting. I set courses for myself and mentally ran them, printing occasionally to run with while warming up/jogging. This was great, because the map was familiar when I flipped it over, and I felt comfortable with my approaches, but I think to do it at speed you need to have made a lot of connections between eyes and brain in that kind of terrain. Replaying mentally helps a lot, but the more experience you have actually seeing similar stuff the better the mental review.

Middle Red X - Splits

Event: 2013 U.S. Individual Championships/Team Trials
 

Planned for a 40 minute warm up routine. Arrived late. Got a stitch as soon as I started running. Tried to rest it out, unsuccessfully but also unnecessarily. Bummer about the warm up, but now I know some new things.

US Champs Sprint.

This went fine. Physically a bit rough. As soon as I started running I felt totally spent, and that's just how I felt the whole time. I think the inadequate warmup is a major contributing factor, but the warm/humid temps (relative to Norway) and the recent lack of sleep/jet lag could also be a factor. Splits seem to show I went out fast, but it didn't seem like it was too fast -- it just seemed like I wasn't able to do what I am used to doing. It's too bad, especially since it was a straightforward sprint, so it's not like there's time to make up by being crafty. Technically it was better, very little goofiness, except face-planting on the way to 14 and missing the Go control (!).

S-1 Had watched Hannah cruise up the road then cut into the woods, so I knew I would start running and counting right away, to know where to jump in. Safe but unnecessary, since you could see the buildings from the road.

1-2 Took the right route on the roads/trails, attacked from just past the open area.

2-3 Straight shot but also needed to evaluate whether the woods were clean enough to go straight to 4. I decided they weren't.

3-4 Back out to the trail, trail-route until I crossed the stream, hand-railed up the stream to the boulder.

4-5 Out to the trail, attacked from the corner.

5-6 Straight, and it startled me how close it was!

6-7 Starting to get delirious. Ran down the white ridge to the trail intersection, then up through the white woods just after the reentrant to the buildings.

7-8 Straight to the second building.

8-9 Straight, to the right of the first building and on some trails part of the way, but just aiming for all the buildings and headed to the last one on the right.

9-10 Trail, trail, trail...

10-11 Went straight up to the bigger trail, then jumped off to run through the clearing. Ali passed me somewhere in here. Missed slightly left, I feel like it was 5 seconds but these things tend to be worse than you think.

11-12 Cut a little sharper to the big trail, then just straight from the intersection to the buildings.

12-13 Straight shot, you could see it right away.

13-14 Decided to go straight on this one, trail just seemed too far around. Aimed to hit the big trail just above the highest buildings so I would know exactly where I was. Tripped on the rocks and fell on my knee in the rocky bit. Yowled, got up, hobbled off to the trail. Confused by the tower being a huge building-like tower, but hobbled to the control okay anyway.

14-15 More or less done hobbling, took the trails to the right.

15-16 Just tried to scream-hobble down the hill, missed the Go control a bit to the left, had to climb back up to it. Between 5 and 10 seconds lost.

16-F 3 seconds?! I've lost my finish chute magic. ;-)

So, it's okay.

Running in I knew it hadn't been a medal-worthy race, so 4th USian is actually better than I thought it would be. However, I was definitely farther back than I should be given my shape, I think.

The area was nice, including the arena and the results displays, etc. Very cool.

Tomorrow will be fun!

Sprint Red - Splits

I requested a family outing to Nobscot but was overruled by the dog. We went to Heard Farm instead and ran around until it was dentist time.

Legs felt really heavy and it was a real chore to run. Mostly probably tired from travel and jetlag, but it was also ridiculously humid. Which is kind of gross. Also, the dog was with us. Also gross.

After dinner easy run around Sognsvann. We had a series of delays and detours last night on the trip back from Tiomila, and it's not exactly a restful trip, and Mondays are pretty busy for me at work, especially when I'm about to leave for a week. Basically, I felt like poop and didn't want to run. But it felt delightful to run. In shorts! Sogsnvann still has 90% ice cover.

Thought it was strange that I didn't see almost anyone else out there until I realized that even though it was still light out, 10pm is not a normal running time around here. Sorry, Ian.

AOWN: 6 frogs, all in need of remedial hopping class.