Training Log Archive: piutepro

West Point A-meet, red, day 2. A tough, long course. I have a late start time, so late that nobody is in the woods anymore, I have the constant sense that I am the only one out there. I have some mistakes early on. The climb in the middle is brutal. I end up having the win in M45, since PG graciously stayed in M40, where they put him. His real age, as some agents from a foreign nation told me. Now we know.

I was in good physical shape this weekend. On both days I could and can do much better. Much to improve, route choices, adjusting to the map, attacking controls in complex rock features, build the focus from beginning on and keeping it while going to the threshold of my running capacity. In a way it is good not be perfect, it gives room to experiment and develop.

Warm-up run before race. It is nice and sunny, the start is deserted, Spike starts 10 minutes before me, I have the last start time for some reason. I can start whenever I want, but I want to warm up well.

I found this news article in the local Poughkeepsie Journal. I faintly remember talking to a journalist last week. I swear I didn't write the article myself. See Sport of Orienteering requires dedication. For the record, my tempo runs are great fun and not 'hellish' at all. I feel like a flying Kenyan lion when I run them.
I am glad that orienteering is portrayed in the article as a physical challenge and real sport, not just a few weird guys stumbling around and starring at some paper with printed spaghetti plus green spinach splotches.

Red-2X - Splits

West Point Red X, day one. Many hills, not much choice of how to get around it, rather how to get on top of them in a decent, no cliff and boulder clustered way. Over to #1 it's greener and rockier than mapped. Well, got to get used to it. Go around hill, can't figure #2 and drop five minutes in a non-exisiting yellow open on non existing rock. I aim back to the big cliff and there is sits, nicely tucked away.

After this map exploration my navigation is alright, somewhat slow until I switch to the WP help mode: Ignore the details and read the contours. After the race I secretly wonder, if Swampfox never intended for us to be in this area. It is at the edge of the previous Round Pound and Popolopen maps, now joined to one map. Maybe he knew that nobody would go within 100 or 200 m of the edge of the map. But now we do.

Anyway. Kept moving around hills or at least spread the climb. Drop down on #9 somewhat low, recover and go back. Have nice route across the rattlesnake cliffs to #12. Downhill to finish some less direct route respectively the road would be faster.

I estimate about 8 minute possible improvement with better routes and a more precise approach to #2.

West Point Sprint. Nice sprint in the afternoon. Find a good flow. I hesitate before #6, see too much rock, hit trail, bypass #6 and see #7. They are only 50m apart, so it the adventure adds a mere 30 seconds. 9-10 I am reluctant to cross the field, go through gate on SW corner, find the fence on the other side crossable. Could be maybe 1-2 minutes faster, or with fresh legs even more.

A good sprint, with the fresh commentaries by the commissioner minus 10 pounds of sugar. Among the advanced and mature population of the sprint I did fine, some of the young guns ruthlessly displayed their speed.

Run the start, warm-up before regular course and sprint course.

West Point Sprint (Team fundraiser) - Splits

Red-1X - Splits

The Happy Monkey loop down on the river. No frozen turkeys on the trees, only tenderly jubilating spring birds getting ready for another day of cajoling over the river and sucking in juicy bugs before tending to their egg wrapped birdlings.

I spent the day e-mailing as HVO president du jour (or de la semaine, how ever long my tour of duty will go on before a popular movement will end the kingship). Late in the afternoon I finally get back to real work and move through a part of my book with a vengeance. I guess decisiveness is contagious.

The toe is still staging its own revolution. Running went fine, but now it is buzzing the bad way again. Hope it comes to its senses and runs with me tomorrow. People need toes to run, not only brains.

Easy map run, work on the contours, cliffs and rock features. It is more a map walk, I am sluggish and feel the 82 degree heat. So I figure I spend time on detailed map reading and not wasting any energy to get me going fast.

No trails, all hillsides, climb or drop. Guess I want to get ready for the WP mountain climbing courses.

Beautiful fresh green, young fern backlight by the sun, fresh leaves popping out, changing the perception of the woods completely.

My right toe hurts after I return. Must have hit a rock or something. Weird. Need ice, cold, ice. Maybe Wyoming snow?

Relax, breathe, stretch back and the legs. Leave the toe alone, pack it in a chunk of fresh imported polar ice.

Easy run in light rain, with the western horizon in red glow like yesterday. Swampfox's turkey BBQ seems to continue. Maybe the turkeys are really tough and need to be grilled for 48 hours.

8x 3 min. (or less) tempo run with one minute of easy running in between. Spike probably would call that young man intervals, fine with me. I felt a considerable improvement on the weekend, so I continue doing them. It is still fun to do.

The sky is burning in evanescent deep red. It is in the west, which means it is not Brooklyn burning, but Swampfox roasting a turkey. As it is well known, Wyoming is in the extreme western, therefor the southern hemisphere, so Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

Run to and from Dennings Point, the peninsula at the Hudson River plus running between tempo runs. There used to be a brick factory right at the neck of the island. Now the island is overgrown with second growth forest/jungle. They are building the Hudson river research center in the old factory. I don't know how long it will be quiet to run there.

Relaxing and rebuilding after the intense run. I felt good and get used to the speed. Still, some stretching and loosening up helps after the tempo runs.

Easy run at sunset, the Hudson River is absolutely calm, a silver mirror in the crisp Spring light. I stretch and breathe and relax for some time before running back up home.

Relax and shake out the stiff muscles from yesterday. I enjoy the view across the river towards Newburgh. A peaceful after race day, I take it easy and run to recover.