Training Log Archive: JanetT

Hiked on Moreau base map with Glen to check out some trails and terrain. Good day for it -- low 60s and mostly cloudy. Rain held off until we were back to the car and getting changed.

Sushi (actually maki) dinner in Albany, followed by a trip to the mall where kids were trick-or-treating (and a few older kids were dressed up too). Only things I bought were some more soccer socks for orienteering (okay, and a Blizzard from the Orange Julius/DQ counter which Glen and I shared).

Forerunner is wonky. The display says 2.54 mi; the graph on Garmin TC says 3.2; and SportTracks shows 4.24. I don't know which to believe. Maybe I need to measure it with a string. :-)

[edited to add: technical intensity *** because we used a base map; Glen's Forerunner's SportTrack lists 4.1 mi and more climb than I calculated.]

Run at Powell Bird Sanctuary. Took it slow and careful in places because of wet downed leaves and puddles from yesterday's all-day rain.

I couldn't not run outside today because it was so gorgeous, esp. compared to yesterday.

58 and sunny when I started called for a short sleeved shirt. :-)

Maps from the weekend with my routes:

Hepcat (training map, 4.4 km course) -- FR--5.71km, ST--5.99km

Cat's Meow (US Champs map, Brown course, 3.5 km) -- FR--4.63km, ST--5.13km

Cat's Agenda (Brown course, day 2, 4.1 km) -- FR--5.16km, ST--5.58km

At the Y. Modified some exercises because of bruised knees (how many times did I fall this past weekend?). I'm glad they're just bruises!

Before and after walking/hiking on the treadmill. I was thinking of running today but I'm still tired from the weekend (haven't gotten a really good night's sleep yet either), so this was the compromise.

Incline from 3-6%, speed 3.8-4.2 mph. (14:53 / 15:35 for 1st and 2nd miles).

A slightly better day, as my single-leg errors were "only" 6 and 4 minutes, respectively (plus one or two other 'minor' -- as in <1min -- errors), but still should have been better than it was. Good enough for 2nd for the weekend, as MJC moved to Green for the 2nd day.

Brown Day 2 - Splits

US Classic Champs at Kettle Moraine State Forest. Warmed up 5 minutes or so running around fields near parking lot to loosen things up (and to stay warm), and arrived at the start tent 3 minutes before my call-up -- good timing.

Fine to 1, 3-8, and 10, keeping in good contact. I wasn't doing a good job keeping track of distance covered on the way to 2, though I was checking off features, and I started looking too early* and ended up well SW of where the control actually was. Confused, standing still, finally decided to relocate by heading south to hit the clearing (or at least something distinct I could verify). I relocated from the N-S part of the esker (sinuous ridge) a good 300-350m SW of the control location, and was able to follow the esker to the point. Careful to 3-4-5-6-7-8, enjoying the contours. Intended to head N-NW to the trail for 9 but never hit it. Instead I hit the trail to the south but relocated on the parking area near the road that I'd passed on the way to 1! Ugh. Finished up 3rd in F55.

FR showed 4.63 km covered. 1.5 on the 750m leg to 2, 700 on the 375m leg to 9. The rest were good.

*Need to work on pacing a whole lot more.

Estimate 15 min error on 2, and 3-4 on 9.

C • looking too early 2

Brown Day 1 US Champs - Splits

Event: US Individual Champs 2009
 

"Model course" for US Champs at Kettle Moraine State Forest, Greenbush, WI. Mid 40s and cloudy with rain towards the end.

More later after I have a chance to look at my map again. Big mess-up at 10, smaller one at 13.

FR measured 5.71, and I took 650 m on 10 (300 m leg), so that gives you some idea.

In Chatham. One of the students brought little Russian tea cakes that she had baked -- Yummy!

Some stiffness from yesterday's Pilates class, but nothing hurts which is good. Looking forward to this weekend's races.

I think (hope!) that I have everything (files and images) downloaded from my Yahoo/Geocities sites. Monday is the drop-dead date for Geocities sites; after that they'll be gone...

At the Y.

Incline of 5%

In Chatham. Got to be a nice day outside, too, better/warmer than the weekend.

Alex & Emily's wedding / St. Louis, MO

At the Y. Weights were used for a few exercises. Lots of inner thigh work.

Cross-country course on the treadmill, involving incline changes from 1-9%. Kept speed at consistent 3.7 mph.

Followed by 5 min cooldown, 0.25 mi.

In Chatham. Back to normal schedule.

To the post office and back.

AOWN sighting -- a red-tailed hawk flying away from a front yard with either a chipmunk or a red squirrel (I didn't see stripes so it could have been a red squirrel, but it was fairly small, more chipmunk-sized).

Maps from Sunday (no routes)

Lowlander map 1 -- Fingerboard Mountain (part of Surebridge) --

From Track jpg files

Lowlander map 2 -- Tiorati Circle (part of Silvermine) --

From Track jpg files

In Chatham. Had lots of things to do and didn't have time to drive up to the Y, exercise, and drive back (and then go out again). Chatham is a bit less than 1/2 the distance to the Y.

Tuesday/Thursday morning aerobics classes are rated for "beginners" and usually draw an older crowd. [Floor exercise only, no stepping.] I did, however, recognize about half the ladies there who also come to the M/W classes.

Event: EMPO - local (Columbus Day meet)
 

Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, NY

Wasn't sure I'd run, but after hanging around start a little and helping with a bit of compass instruction, I went out on Green (Red was longer and involved a map exchange), in a park I was relatively familiar with. Went to at least one area of the map I'd never been to. (I had digitized this map in 2002 from the original hand-drawn version done by Heather W. with 3m contours.)

Interesting course set by a fairly novice setter who's turning out to be a club stalwart (having also volunteered as club VP this year). Everything was hung where circled. One control caused me pause as it was inside a fenced area that is off limits during the summer (around Saratoga Performing Arts Center) but is open at other times. Turned out I guessed right which side of the fence it was on (but then I exited the wrong way and had to backtrack). A good tour-de-parc. :-)

Forerunner hadn't charged correctly from yesterday, so I took splits on my Timex watch. SI was used but no printed splits available (no printer); they'll likely be up on the EMPO page later this week.

My splits: 301 - 523 - 237 - 315 - 527 - 714 - 610 - 318 - 311 - 648 - 343 - 426 - 732 - 126

AOWP (politics, instead of nature) --

On the way home from the EMPO meet, we saw Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings at a local shopping center entering a home entertainment store. Then on the drive home, passed a car with license Congressional District 21; Glen looked and it was the 21st district Rep Paul Tonko driving.

Didn't see any snakes or even birds (but lots of chipmunks and squirrels, and people filling bottles of Saratoga Spring water), but did see WCOC members George and Lyn on their way back home from a wedding in Burlington VT. Nice to have them stop in. :-)

Event: Hudson Highlander
 

[Note -- edited distance 10/12 based on leg lengths posted by Charlie for the HH]

Beautiful day for a run in Harriman. I ran the Lowlander (last two O loops of the Highlander, this year), estimated around 14.4 km based on aid station info. It was sunny and ~50 or so when we started, warming up to maybe mid 50s in the afternoon. Thanks to Paul, Daniel, HVO and all other volunteers!

Highlander started at 9 after a walk from parking. Lowlander started at the parking lot at 9:30. I was among the last to the 1st LL control which was #8 on the HH (it was ~12 contours up from the start around a hilll), but picked it up from there. With Donna and Steve for the first 4 controls. Too high on #10 (3rd control) but Lori Huberman spotted it down a contour or so. Saw George Hawes and Bill Shannon coming back to that one--they overshot it.

Led D, S, & L to #12, a little dot rocky "dot knoll" on a broad hilltop. Ahead of the crowd through the next 3 short legs (including 1st aid station, where I didn't stop because I had a pack with 2 Camelbak bladders, one Vitalyte, one water). Attacked 16 from near the long cliff to the SE and punched... and heard footsteps just behind me. Thierry Georgieu (eventual winner of the Highlander at around 2 hours 43 min!) quickly punched and took off and was soon out of sight!

Through the 2nd aid station/map exchange/parking lot at about 1 hour 40 min., then off to the Silvermine map. Took a line too low to #20 and was caught in the laurel for a bit but recovered. Then decided to take a mental break by descending to the road and running that around the hills to the AT which brought me within 360 m (20-21 was just over 1.5 km). I don't think it took any longer except I didn't find the trail junction marked as distinct on this old map and went an extra 100 m out and back before correcting. George & Bill were punching at 21 when I got there.

Paralleled them on the leg to 22 but I got too high (I scared a sunbathing black snake on the way -- it must have been over a yard long but it quickly moved away from me) so they (there was a group with them too) punched ahead of me. Navigated on my own to 23 and saw them on the way to the next control as I approached. Never saw them again until after I finished.

Third female finisher on Lowlander course, a ways behind Kat and less than 10 min behind Lori H. 16th overall out of ~33 starters (28 finishers/5 DNFs when I left). I think Sergei Zhyk finished 1st. Some faster female starters DNF'd.

Garmin TC shows 18.2 km covered (SportTracks was confused with the lost satellite reception after control 21 and registered 29 km! -- I don't think so).

C • Nice job! 2

Lowlander - Splits

At the Y, using exercise balls. Did some exercises without, including side leg lifts (some of the balls are inflated extra big, and if you don't get to class early enough to get a small one, you're out of luck). Went easy on the weights (upper back, mostly) because I've done weights the past three days too.

Next two days are rest days -- Lowlander on Sunday!

In Chatham. Typical routine; no surpirses. Nothing much new except for the little pecan tarts someone brought in (forgot to bring an extra home for G -- sorry!).

At the Y; mostly core plus some light weights for back and shoulders.

Since it had been awhile I thought I'd try the elliptical again. Had to keep adjusting the crossramp and incline so that my knees didn't complain. Think I'll go back to the treadmill next time.

Forgot to add our AOWN exprerience from yesterday. On our ride to the Sargent Center from Peterborough, driving up Windy row, a bobcat crossed the road (west to east); it was a bit south of the start and road-crossing areas.

This is the second bobcat I've seen this year -- the first was in our back yard (field)!

In Chatham. I'm surprised my muscles weren't more tight, like usual on Mondays after orienteering, especially with all the trail running yesterday, but everything felt good (minor knee tweaks notwithstanding).

Boulder Dash Day 2 at Sargent Center, Hancock, NH (near Peterborough). A MUCH better outing today. I guess that talking-to I gave my self worked. And the weather was nicer (rainy and low 50's Saturday, partly sunny and mid-60's today).

Clean run; at the most I could have been a minute to minute-and-a-half faster (more direct to 5, western trail to 8) but I was very pleased with how I stayed on track today. I used trails between 6 and 7 (between the bends), 7-8 (the northern, more-visible-on-the-map, trail, and 9-10, as well as the run-in. I enjoyed the detailed contour leg from 5-6.

George H and Lyn W punched just behind me at 7; I think they both took the western trail to 8 (through the light green) which is slightly shorter than the northeastern one. George was punching at 8 as I approached; I saw Lyn later leaving 9. Since I was having trouble seeing details at that point (glasses fogged up again! though they were worse yesterday) I went for the trail that was easier to pick out on the map though it was a bit longer. I know Lyn can run faster than me on trails and suspect George can too, so maybe the trail route I took wasn't as slow as I thought.

I pushed as hard as I could on the run-in from the go control but was still probably among the slower runners...1:09.

Splits:
1 -- 0:39
2 -- 4:48
3 -- 3:24
4 -- 6:29
5 -- 5:33
6 -- 5:27
7 -- 5:24
8 -- 7:53
9 -- 2:56
10 -- 4:03
11 -- 3:46
F -- 1:09

Garmin FR measured 4.62 km traveled with few jagged spikes (like yesterday's track); SportTracks 4.79.

Fastest on the brown course today (!); 2nd overall on F55 for the weekend. Thank you to J-J, Peter Goodwin, and UNO and their helpers for a great weekend of O.

Brown Day 2 - Splits

Fox Forest, Hillsborough, NH. Light rain throughout the event with temps in the low to mid 50s -- ideal conditions for fogged glasses.

The good news -- I didn't fall and bash my knee again. The bad news was my extremely sloppy routes to 4 and 7 plus poor map reading to 8, costing me close to 19 minutes overall -- ugh. I can do better than that. I knew I was in trouble around 4 when I noticed the song going through my head (which should not have been there at all) -- Carole King's "You're no good" (how appropriate, though). Once I realized it I switched to a different song, but should have switched to an orienteering mantra instead... Both major errors attributable to poor attackpoint selection/usage and inadequate relocation.

11th overall on Brown, out of about 30 (more or less). A good 15 minutes behind Sandy, and even 10 minutes behind Gail. I need to get more on the ball.

Forerunner lists 4.46 covered on the 4.19 course but I might have gone farther; but SportTracks lists 8.08 and I know I didn't go that far. They don't always agree well especially in conifers...

Splits:

1 -- 0:46
2 -- 2:42 (straight compass)
3 -- 8:28 (trail west; skirted logged area then angled off stone wall corner)
4 -- 12:27 (fine out to the trail, but then didn't confirm AP; wandered a bit south of the control)
5 -- 4:39 (better compass work, plus the reentrant was noticeable and helpful)
6 -- 8:13 (N from 5; hit stream near another control, I believe on the cliff, but I knew it couldn't be a stream jct)
7 -- 19:12 (sloppy and poor relocating! I must have passed it without seeing it)
8 -- 11:35 (slow and sloppy; hit road near jct heading to 9)
9 -- 1:01
10 -- 6:11
11 -- 5:07
12 -- 3:36 (sloppy; caught in light green, I think)
F -- 1:09 (same run-in time as Sunday; I hate uphill finishes)

Brown Day 1 - Splits

Event: UNO Boulder Dash
 

At the Y, using rings. More core, less outer thigh. Quads still tight from Tuesday!

Inclines from 2.5 to 12% (highest these treadmills will go), varying speed with incline.

Followed by 1/2 mile cooldown, 8:46.