Training Log Archive: bl

Ontario Champs, long O course @ Hilton Falls Conservation Area. Did M55-64 which was only 4.4k - would have expected say 6.4k or more. Maybe being escarpment terrain explained shorter distance but actually footing was reasonably good. Perfect temp around 48F. Might give this an "A", close anyway. No misses, a lot of "pedantism", some luck (one makes some of that though) & more than once an orienteer near or leaving the CP. Never noted the 2.5m contour interval (just expected 5) although I questioned what it was.... Open some places, leafy with not much vis in others. Didn't do any running in circles tho there was a "where is it" oncoming mentality on 2,3 & 5. Was in first when I left, Tom Straat having made one c. 4' error. Visited with Tom, Rick Worner & Linda Kohn, Mike Minium as well as a few familiar Ontario runners.

Map, course & route

Review:
1. made a trail run out of most of this - needed an intermediate point
2. did not see rt-hand RF and arrived in area w/o a lot of confidence but saw a runner & flag about same time
3. expected more terrain relief but was not aware of 2.5m interval - what reentrant...?
4. trail around to right, low point as pt of departure
5. could/did not see reentrant in circle center
6. found little path; control description blank but obviously a boulder
7. out same little path
8. lots of care - an elite came bursting thru as though the woods were completely open, which they weren't
9. straight, hard to see distinct veg boundaries in near full leaf
10. found indistinct tr-ride jct which was necessary at that point in time
11. SE to tr to right (considered swamp but was wary of surprises), noted all the bldrs except last on left, the AP. Went a bit too far, saw flag on jct & went back maybe 20m & in - never saw AP bldr but flag obediently appeared.
12. st to what map shows as a reentrant. In vicinity, see a flag in approx right place. Look at descriptions, see "rootstock" - there is an unmapped RS 15m away and a flag nearly 10m beyond that. Had the correct # so no time lost.
13. st & nicely open woods
14. had walked by #249 on way to start thinking it was likely a W/Y flag.

Walk/jog/run to start & back from finish.

Long 5 - Splits

Event: 2012 Ontario Orienteering Championships
 

Toronto waterfront tour on WIND WOMAN, a NW windy day it was. Went over to the power line in the late pm for a jog/stretch with Mocha.

From Jenn's in Leddy Park with Mocha. Crisp west wind livening up the shoreline, rustling through the trees. Ran some laps in the woodland park-type area next to the hockey rink. Noted bare feet in the wet sand as well as a fellow in swim suit with towel over shoulders, a brisk start to the day.

Drive to Toronto area but came up 3.5 hours short when we realized passports were at home, 160 away. I let Beth do the 320 mi rectification while I busied myself in Burlington. Started out from Burlington some 7 hours later than planned....

Huge, graceful wind power generators by Route 11 in upstate NY: windfarms the extent to which I was unfamiliar with. There were several hundred over a multi-mile stretch.

Slough & back, gray, drizzle, still.

Car smells awful inside...like rotten milk or dead animal: don't think the heater
(been there), don't see a milk stain (missing ? milk on recent trip to Maine?),
don't see dead animal. Beth noted how miserably it failed the whiff test. I've become inured. Have removed dogs' blanket (suspicious but no cure), next their foam beds (give them a whiff, too).

Figure 8 with Mocha. Zero energy, stayed up late, went out after a nap.
Noted a pickup well into woods, no hunting yet I think.

Still raining, seems like a week. Splendid October in any event.

Looking for an O opportunity but it ain't easy way things have been panning out.

Kind of a make-or-break pm O visit to BB on a rainy, miserable day. O meet this Sunday (long O of Ontario champs) without recent training opportunity - so had to make something happen. Covered 14 of Marcello's 22 controls from the UNO training/testing opportunity last weekend. Goal was to be accurate, not spend wasted time, if any. Ran thru the camp and around the end of a misty Bear Hill pond thinking of remote Maine similarity 2 days before. Did fine thru 14 but lost focus enroute 15, across the numerous rides. Map as printed (print the pdf...) was about 1/13 and not 1/10 which made for too-small detail for the job at hand. Got chillier and darker as last part approached. When I did not find 15, I bailed north. BB was a lonesome place around then. It passed thru my mind: had my compass 'somehow disappeared', I'd been up a creek w/o a paddle (yrs ago, would not have given it a second thought). Bailed to north along the ride branches til I found the trunk, a portion of which I finally recognized. Came home to find Marcello's car in drive (fm earlier invite). Had a fine dinner visit and a dose of professional map making insight some of which was beyond me. Then brief visit to the Obama-Romney rancorous debate and some organizing before driving to Toronto tomorrow pm.

Test course - Splits

Used Beth's bike from Cushing to Rockland - nice gearing etc. Haven't been on a bike in years so to speak. Rolling route, seemed almost all down going & seemed exactly the same in returning in the car - which constitutes rolling. Nice to feel breeze, smell the earth, be aware of roadside sights etc. Cushing is indeed a lovely Wyeth watercolor. Noted numerous green fields full of new dandelions. Also observed more than 20 Wooley Bears, all crossing from right to left. Question: why did the WB's cross from R>L only? My conclusion was that those crossing from left to right didn't make it. After the river, rode on River Road and avoided any significant hills. Hit 4 lights, all turning green in time. Rte 1 was much better than I thought it would be - wide shoulder being the reason (as well as bit of a tailwind). Saw blue Penobscot Bay ahead & ride was over. Did same about 10 years ago. 15mph feels fairly fast to me - so a 4' mile running pace is moving right along.