Training Log Archive: PG

Despite a pint of Ben & Jerry's at bedtime, the G is 137. Not bad!

The bad news is (1) my left leg is very unhappy, and (2) this is what I see out the window....

C • Welcome Home! 3

C • What flavor? 5

C • Well here is what I see in ... 1

Aerial view of yesterday's run, right on 29 miles. And my log of my just concluded rogaine practice tour.

C • Last day of rogaine practice tour 4

Event: Valley Forge Battle to the End O' Marathon
 

Here are the maps from today's marathon at Valley Forge:

1. Mt. Joy (controls 1-4, 24-26, and 47-49, plus the S/F).
2. Mount Misery (controls 5, 19-24, and 26-27).
3. Chesterbrook (controls 6-18)
4. Mill Grove (controls 28 and 35-41)
5. Fatlands (controls 29-34 and 42-46)

C • DQ? 8

The Valley Forge Orienteering Marathon, a brilliant event conceived by Wyatt and Angelica, mapped by Wyatt, and produced by a few DVOA stalwarts. It was definitely an event not to be missed.

I had a great race. Absolutely. Except for the run-in from the last control, when about 600 meters from the finish something happened in the region of my upper inside left calf and lower inside left hamstrings, the tendons not the muscles, which had twinged a couple times earlier, and all of a sudden they just hurt something awful. Jogged/limped in, very glad the race wasn't any longer, but not at all happy with how the leg felt. May be a while getting better.

But until then, I felt great. No blisters, no foot problems, no cramping, no chafing, no stomach problems. And my energy was excellent almost to the end -- only on the last couple of legs did I walk a couple of times where it wasn't significantly uphill. I kept being surprised -- 2 hours and the legs felt strong, 3 hours and the legs felt strong, 4 hours and the legs felt strong. Must be all the golf?

I had company almost all the time, which was nice. First from Phil and Mike Lyons, then Randy, then they fell back a little but I caught Hillary. Stayed with her until crossing the bridge on the way to 47, when she took off to try and catch Iliana.

Mentally, my orienteering was fine, my concentration was fine, but I made two mistakes that would have been fatal but for the kindness of others. First, my control card and clues dropped out of their holder somewhere near the first control. A hundred meters later I hear someone yelling at me, it's Corinne, also I think Cristina, they have my card. Thank you C and C!

And then, worse, on the way from 33 to 34 I dropped my little map, the one that had controls 35 to 41 on it. I sure didn't want to go back to look for it, so I asked Hillary if I could hang with her through 41. She was gracious enough to humor me, I think she liked having some company too. Thank you Hilly!

But it was still just a great race physically. The same feeling as some of my ultras, that you can just keep going for a long time. One of those days when the legs feel good. And at age 63, very fine.

If my leg just wasn't killing me now....

C • map 7

Remarkably easy drive home, at most moderate traffic on the NJ Turnpike, Garden State, Merritt, and 91. Just took 4:40, plus an hour's stop for dinner at a chain I can actually recommend, Ruby Tuesday, has a really fine salad bar, really, really fine. Don't need to get much else. Though I did get a little ice cream when we got home, first in quite a while, just to celebrate.

Nice to be home, but what's all this white stuff. And cold!

C • The drive 4

Marathon - Splits

One last bit of speedwork with a local....

Pre-breakfast run just off the pavement, warmer than expected, did not need the long-sleeved shirt, and definitely hillier than expected, see the elevation profile.

Had a nice visit to Nags Head, including a stop at Jockey's Ridge State Park, where the following sign caught our eye....



... especially since it seemed to indicate that after some hang gliding you might be interested in a picnic for the handicapped.

But we went to investigate anyway....



... but they were closed up, out on the dunes giving a lesson, so we headed off that way, with a slight detour so Gail could climb the highest dune on the East Coast (seriously!), part of her new get back in shape routine, so what if the knee hurts....



... from where we could see all the hang gliding excitement, which seemed to be mostly standing around and waiting (is this what JJ does?)....



... so after a while we wandered off to watch the pelicans....



A fine late afternoon of preparation for Valley Forge!

Sign seen while doing my final tune-ups for Valley Forge --

Another dusk run, this time a full circuit of the CCCH, ignoring quite a few "No Trespassing" signs and having quite a nice time. Very warm, still in the low 70s late in the day. Scared up a heron, a bunch of geese, and a couple of killdeer.

The route.

C • All these reports of killde... 20