Training Log Archive: PG

Event: Ratlum Holiday International Night O
 

Went shopping for pants. Seems like I need about a 31.5 waist. Seems like they come in 30 or 32. Evaluated the situation from a big-picture perspective. Got a couple pair at 30. They are definitely too tight now, hopefully less so in a month, hopefully comfortable in 2 or 3 months. I have been getting to be quite the blob.

C • pants 4

Night-O at Ratlum Mountain. My technique left a lot to be desired (even though I did have the fastest split on one leg!), as did my speed, but at least I managed to get around with doing any substantial damage to myself. And did enjoy it.

RHINO - Splits

Exploring an area on the north side of the Holyoke Range west of the Mt. Norwottuck map, never been back there much but there are a bunch of bike trails been built in the last few years, so I thought I'd go have a look (without my bike). Lots of long steep slopes, but the bikes trails do a nice job of meandering their way up and down, so things are quite runnable even for me.

Looked around a little down low, then gradually worked my way up. Coming down was certainly quicker.

Still deer season, but I had on lots of very bright clothing and didn't worry about it.

Lots more trails out there to explore, here's a map put out by the bikers with their version of where the trails went a few years ago. The single-tracks have many more turns than shown, but the map gives a general idea.

Legs weren't too spry, but a nice outing. Starting to get quite a bit of hoar frost, but not so much it's a problem.

C • trails 6

Finally got my butt out to do just a little training. It's prime deer hunting season, so over to Mt. Tom to run in the nice section of woods just west of I-91. Except after about 15 minutes I'd run out of gas, or at least run out of gas as far as any uphill running in the woods was concerned. So changed plans, over to the nearest trail, and finished up on that. Working way too hard for the pace, but I guess that's what happens when you're fat and out of shape.

Route.

Here's a map of all the controls for the orienteering at Quabbin yesterday afternoon (and a larger version).



Every course went up the east side and had #13, then went to some of 14-17. The shorter versions south towards the last two common controls (34 and 35). Meanwhile, the faster/stronger folks did 18, and then there were various longer or shorter permutations on the west side of the road, all of which ended with 26 before heading to the negative terrain at 29-33.

It was quite good fun setting the courses once I decided on the concept and the general flow. Just head out, keep marking points with the main requirement being that they be distinct and visible since we were only using streamers. The hassle was that the vegetation had thickened up substantially in some places, especially east of the N/S road.

And then drawing the individual courses was both tedious and amusing, the latter because I could think for each person where I did or did not want to send them -- like for Boris, better not send him up the hill to 18, he's too weak, but Sam and Ali sure can go up there. As JJ said, everyone was running against their reputation.

C • drawing courses 6

For historical reference, here's the map for the Billygoat at Quabbin in 1987. Course was 14.3 km, no skips allowed. And here is the race report and results -- page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4.

And here's the route for yesterday's sprint at UMass. Interesting that I carried a compass, never used it, and just now noticed there are no north lines on the map. Folks seemed to have trouble at 9 (going off the map) and 11 (ending up on the south side of the wall). My only problem was a few meters off at 8.

Very brisk Sunday morning. Seemed like there were more orienteers out and about than students.

And here's the route for yesterday's sprint at UMass. Interesting that I carried a compass, never used it, and just now noticed there are no north lines on the map. Folks seemed to have trouble at 9 (going off the map) and 11 (ending up on the south side of the wall). My only problem was a few meters off at 8.

Very brisk Sunday morning. Seemed like there were more orienteers out and about than students.

And here is my route hanging streamers at Quabbin last Friday. QR lined up very nicely this time (sometimes it takes lots of adjusting).

A careful look will show a couple of diversions, both to hang streamers that were not used. They were intended for a course for Alex's mom Kitty, but then she was heading home to Rochester and didn't run. Which simplified things greatly, as I was having a hard time get a course for her as in a couple of places the trails had major obstacles. Not sure what i would have ended up doing, but fortunately didn't have to deal with it.

The other concern was dogs. One was Kitty's, but it was also on the way back to Rochester. The other was Presto. Lori was under instructions to deny any connection to O' if approached by a cop, but thankfully they were nowhere to be seen.

One more map to add from the weekend -- the ski-O' map (and the map holder, very sturdy and quite inseparable from the map). The map was perfect, hand-drawn too, no point in OCAD as we didn't have a printer that would handle 1 x 12" boards.

C • controls 3

Alex's sprint at UMass. Really fun, although like pretty much any orienteering I've ever done, there was a sizable element of just plain hard work. My 305 was DOA, so no heart rate data, but it was pumping away quite vigorously.

Surprised that the fast guys weren't faster (best time was 20 minutes), but I think they all had a problem or two.

I'll put the map up in a while, but I'm moving in super slow motion this evening, just no energy and can't get anything down. A bit of stress getting things set for the weekend and also dealing with Litchfield matters, and I think the gas tank is a bit low.

Cold (about 30F), but Alex had her office open for refuge and toilets, for which she gets many gold stars.

C • Thanks! 5

Over to Quabbin for the final event of the weekend, mass start relay training (or just training with other people around who are maybe going to the same control, or maybe not). Different courses for all 19 starters. Seemed to work out well, mass start, didn't get the mass finish I'd hoped for, but everyone was in within a 20-minute window, and on a cold day with no shelter that is a very good thing.

First orienteering at Quabbin in 15-20 years (other than a few solo training runs). Way back when it was the site of the 1979 Team Trials, a New England Champs, a couple of Billygoats, and a number of local meets. But they really didn't like us. If we'd had any sense, we'd have made a nice donation to their "Friends" organization and I'm sure that would have greased the necessary wheels.

The contours are still good but the vegetation has changed a lot -- still a lot of really nice forest but also now more thick areas. And in the growing season there are quite a lot of ferns. But for what we were doing today it seemed to work real well.

Again, map (with all the controls) coming....

C • last time 2

UMass Sprint - Splits