Training Log Archive: PG

Event: WCOC Sessions Woods
 

WCOC meet at Sessions Woods, expertly produced by Charlie. I did the Brown course, 3.3 km. Well, I did the first 7 controls of the Brown course, and then my hamstring said that was enough and I took a slow walk back to the finish.

Which leads me to ask -- so, how are the mice doing? Because it's way better thinking about them than about my hamstring.

And the answer is that the mouse are doing great, at least from my perspective. Though I'll be the first to say the JAWS deserves all the credit, as it took care #'s 16 and 17 in the last couple of days.

JAWS really is the best!

Phil and I had planned to help pick up controls afterwards, and it seemed that a slow walk backward around the White course was something I could manage. (Isn't English an ambiguous language sometimes.)

After that we sat around for a bit. There was one more guy out on Red, and then there was Lyn doing Orange backwards (much harder than doing White backwards). Lyn was worried about George, so she had gone off to look for him. George had come in just after she left, and by now Lyn had been gone for quite a while.

So I said I'd go pick up 4 more controls, and Phil went to get some too.

I got back about the same time as Phil, but still no sign of Lyn. Was she lost? Was she hurt? Was she lost and hurt? We were starting to get concerned, especially George.

It was, however, a beautiful afternoon, bright sun, no wind, low 60s. More time passed, still no Lyn. My mind wandered back to the 1982 Billygoat at Brainard, the 4th, a beautiful afternoon a long time ago, sitting around the finish, 3 folks still out in the woods, growing concern, and also no idea what should be done. And we drew up what became NEOC's highly praised Search and Rescue Plan.

I mentioned this, and I think Charlie was familiar with it, but not Phil and George. The problem was, the plan had 5 phases, and I could remember but two of them -- an early phase where conversation turned to things far away from the matter at hand, the goal being to remove any psychological pressure on those still out in the woods that might be transmitted by ESP, and so make it easier for the missing ones to find their way back. And then a later phase where we all went off to get ice cream. I guess I will have to look up the rest.

But, to get to the point, now 40 years later the plan still works! With a minute of it being mentioned, there came Lyn out of the woods. I kid you not.

I suppose there are new ways of doing search and rescue, but sometimes the old ways are still the best.

C • Search and Rescue 13

Brown - Splits

With Gail, to the north. Into a stiff breeze until we got to 8 miles, and then it was really nice. Sunny, low 60s, really nice except for the wind. And that was only a problem some of the time.

Another couple of days at this rate and I'll be calling it quits in 30 seconds. I guess at this age decline comes pretty quickly.

Impressed by Gail's report on her recent planking, somehow I found myself planking away just before dinner, for some reason aiming for 5 minutes. Stopping a little before that showed remarkably good judgement.

C • planking 11

North Silver Lane.

Test #2, down to the corner of the driveway and back. Felt OK.

And another session of pulling bittersweet. Making good progress after slacking off the past couple of years because of Covid. Still a bunch to do, maybe half a dozen sessions.

I think it's the first time I've had a decent look at a mink (really had no idea what one looked like). And this guy didn't give me long; in a few seconds it was underwater.

C • Love the mink! 14

Jogged the whole way, actually. Time and distance estimated. No discomfort.

Mouse count is now 15.