Training Log Archive: PG

Race course to the gate, down to the river, back via Gunn Farm and Gunn Mt. Good steady pace, same run I did with Phil last spring in 1:17, but there was no snow then, and we were younger....

Up to the power line and back. Traction was much better, worked a little harder too.

Up to the power line and back. A couple of inches of snow on the ground made the tracton rather poor, especially where there was ice underneath. Took one header, though that wasn't due to the traction, just clipped a rock while I was looking at my watch and went sprawling.

With George and Lyn and Charlie in Mcleans. Nice run, real nice company, but best part of run was something that didn't occur to me until afterwards -- calf didn't hurt. The first pain-free day after time off for an injjury is always sweet.

With Charlie in McLeans Game Refuge. Calf started to get me worried after about 10 minutes, but then it settled down and wasn't bad the rest of the way. Really nice run, good conversation. Tried to get George to join us, but he was about to sit down to Xmas dinner with his family and seemed to think that took precedence....

Little did I know, when the phone rang Thursday evening, that I would spend the next 24 hours driving 840 miles and stealing my mother's car.

The call was from a state trooper who said he was from Buffalo and he had my mother with him. It seems he had found her sitting in her car in the breakdown lane of the NY Thruway. She seemed a bit confused, so he had taken her to the station. My name was in her address book, so he called me.

Buffalo? She was driving that day, as she does every Thursday, from New York City up to her house in NW Connecticut. Somehow she ended up in Buffalo. Parallel error, I guess. Also, she clearly needs some pacing practice as she drove for about 8 hours instead of the normal 2. An O' error that certainly surpasses any I can claim credit for. And, in the best orienteering fashion, she had no idea how it had happened.

So Gail and I were off at 4 am, got to Buffalo about 10:15, retrieved her car from the towing company, retrieved my mother from the hospital (prison, she called it, and it took a bit of patience with the system to get her out) where they had taken her to be checked, and headed back to her home in Connecticut.

At some point I had to resume the inevitable conversation, the one we have been having for the past few months about the state of her driving (she is 86). This little journey (thank goodness she ran out of gas or who knows where she might have ended up), plus several fender benders in the past few months, seemd to make it clear that she shouldn't be driving. I got her to agree, but knowing that what's said one day may not be what's done the next, it seemed necessary to do a bit more. So the car is now locked away in my sister's garage. Various arrangements have been made to get her driven whereever and whenever she needs. And she somewhat accepts that.

A very stressful day. Numerous consultations with my brother and sister about what to do and how to do it. And hoping we have done the right thing.

We finally crashed at Charlie and Rhonda's, a haven for the needy if there ever was one.

If I ever manage to overrun a control by an hour (though Charlie disagrees and says I ought to allow at least a couple hours, you just never know...), or miss my destination on the roads by 400 miles, I hope some friend will have the sense to take my O' gear or my car keys. And I hope I will have the sense to thank them.

Up to Gunn Mt. road and back, mix of snow and ice. Calf still a bit sore.

A short outing behind the house to see how the leg feels (felt good enough to do what I did, but no more...). Cold and a few inches of snow on the ground.
Have been packing on a few pounds the last month or two, now carrying an extra 5-pound bag of sugar (or whatever) that will need to be dispensed with by spring.

With Walter and Gary in Conway. Lots of fun, and hard work at times. Calf is still bothering me, not so bad but still too sore to think of running.

Stopped at Pound Ridge on the way home, one of the classic O' areas in the USA (site of the 1972 U.S. Champs, and the 1974 and 1983 team trials), Started to re-run a red course from 1995, but right calf seized up after just a few minutes and that was that. Hobbled back to the car, seems like some time off is called for. Guess I'd been pushing my luck....

Sprint at Iron Hill in DVOA-land. Manged to combine this with an early Xmas visit to Gail's relatives in Wilmington. Very good run, beat a few folks (Wyatt, Randy, Eddie) probably for the last time. Routes/comments.

Right calf was a bit sorer afterwards. Also scratched left cornea pretty badly.

Red course at Iron Hill. Tired from the start, really beat after about #10. Routes/comments. Right calf sore, but tolerable. Eye was ok while orienteering, but then very irritated for the next 24 hours, Gail had to drive most of the way home.

Took a short detour after the meet to try out the Iron Hill brew-pub in Newark on Eric's suggestion -- a beer and a sandwich and then a nap on the ride back to Wilmington, just what the doctor ordered.

Reasonably vigorous warm-up before the sprint.

Red - Splits

SPRINT - Splits

With Phil, exploring the mostly public but some private trails/fields/woods north of Amherst, maybe 15 minutes off trail. Didn't get shot at or yelled at, and only barked at once, so a great success. Legs not too bad.

At Mt. Tom from next to the park HQ, along the ridge paralleling Rt. 91 (nice woods there, and not many rocks, so very good just for running training). Speed was not much, but I was working hard. 5:53 to the NE end, 5:35 back, 12:21 SW to the high point, 8:15 back. Right calf still a little sore.

Flat but windy, mid 40s.

UNO local meet at Sergeant Center near Dublin, NH. Not a good run, either physically or technically. Upper outside part of right calf started hurting after about 25 minutes and bothered me the rest of the way. It never got real bad, but I wasn't moving well, and also was worrying about what was happening. Not too bad afterwards, a little sore, but we will probanly skip the WCOC meet tomorrow. First calf problem since January. Routes/comments.

Ran blue course (which I'd set) from day 2 of the New England Champs in 1979 at Quabbin Hill. Good steady effort, working a few times on relaxing to keep my pace sustainable. Seemed to help. Routes/comments.

Getting to the start and back from the finish (cars haven't been allowed on or below the dam since 9/11).