Training Log Archive: richf

Was thinking some form of active recovery and stretch but with solo parent wife is traveling responsibility and an 11 hour split shift work day schedule won't allow. That sentence is an ultra concise illustration of my situation.

The question at hand now is whether to try to translate the newfound base fitness to competitive levels after a decade of competitive retirement or shoot for some balanced middle ground, a target I have never been good at hitting. Tough call at 45. No complaints though as these are clearly first world problems and it was a good time this weekend.

Event: VentureQuest Adventure Race
 

start and first control group

first bike loop

second control group

2nd bike leg

final group plus the transition runs

paddle board

post race comments-

First off super well organized race. Not sure how much this is state of the world today (my last outing 10 years back) or how much of it is attributable to EX2 but a fun course, a really smoothly run affair, and great people on a beautiful day. My only complaint would be no post race beer.

Finished 11 of 59 on the elite course. Overall 1.2x winner time/one hour ten min behind. Maybe 30 minutes of error/mechanicals and the rest fitness. To be fair probably more on fitness as no one runs these totally clean. splits above are approximate.

Start-CP 1 was 5 of 7 optional controls. 1.4x top split. Since this represented my first AR in a decade and Paul's second and we had no familiarity with the park whatsoever we went out slower by design, almost cruise control. Did have two short O events as tune ups but really that's not much to work with. One bobble corrected soon enough but not spiking. Post race I note not a single elite participant chose our routing. Admittedly we picked so as to minimize possibility of disaster but 0 out of 58 and 1.4X suggests we need to look at the map again.

CP1-2 Bike loop with some optional hike a bike short cut available. 1.2 X top split which was a swing and a miss given our team. Seem to have lost a lot in between b2 and b3. Must have been an opportunity there we didn't exploit. Besides that my chain skip, which had been subdued after recent repairs, showed up with a vengeance in every single high torque situation. Several drops and some sucking also thrown in for good measure. Frustrating for Paul who literally took to riding logs off trail to pass the time while waiting for me. For the record fun trail design and enjoyable riding when we are rolling.

CP 2-3 was 4 of 6 optional. We chose same as top teams. Really surprising in retrospect that we were dead even with the winning teams moving through those common optional controls purple-blue-red-green. That's not where I thought we'd be competitive. We dropped a bunch of time getting to the general zone though CP2-purple so clearly we weren't pushing it on the longer road/trail run as much as everyone else or maybe we were lounging too much in the pits. Also we overshot Cp3 by virtue of running right through an open land "road" we had intended to use as a catching feature and then as a highway. A map update might be in order but we could have seen the miss from the terrain and a run along shore would have been much better choice.

CP 3-4 straightforward paddling on a lake 1.1X.

CP 4-5 more bike. Perhaps the funniest moment of truth when getting the splits and seeing 1.3X. Unbelievable. Thought for sure despite my starting to cramp we had improved on this lap based on my figuring out gearing choices with less chain skip and knowing some trail shortcut but ... not so much. Could be partially explained by one potential disaster averted when I noticed my rear brake lever suddenly moving the whole way to the bars. Pull over and discover I again threw the same brake pad insert I had lost a week ago for want of a retention pin (which I never replaced). Faced with having one brake I opted to run back down the trail and search while Paul mocks me and suggests I spend too much time on the brakes anyway. FOUND THE PAD! Reinsert and re-engaged without further incident. Another fun loop but this is a combined clown result on the bike legs where we should have been killing it comparatively. There were easily 10-15 minutes/lap available for us if I had a couple more weeks to regain form long lost and no mechs.

CP 5-6 on foot. 1.1x. All spikes and I was able to dig way back into the memory banks to remember how to run right at the edge of full cramping up. Better than I would have guessed here and last leg 20 minutes of trail on par with top groups. A real surprise we are finishing strong and apparently performed more as a "running" team for the day.

CP6-finish paddleboard uneventful except for the final run up the hill. For grins there we pushed the solo just ahead, John Miller who we had seen off and on all day, to pick it up to a full run. After beating him back to the finish Paul can't find the control for many seconds while at the finish tent allowing John to catch up. When Paul does see the box John snipes him from behind with a reach through. Well done sir!

Kristin out of town so I'm doubled up on kids soccer, chores, etc. all day killing any pre-race ride/run as well as optimal race prep. Best I can manage is kicking the ball with kids and stretching on the sidelines and organizing everything after they go to bed. Even just playing half still sore from sprinting.

No time for the planned bike cruise with work requirements and soccer. I'd call it a taper but that implies there was sufficient prior phase for there to be a taper. Friday night sprints also probably don't meet the definition but good omens on soccer anyway. A shutout while in goal for first half and finally notching one in the second.

10 pm on the way home from the airport just to stay in the habit.

Mid-day break in advance of another work dinner on road

Stationary

A.m. Session in norcal for work. Last speed checks 120/150 8:41/6:31.

Right off run

Right off erg

Pm

PM at the hotel
Long day w/ too much food/wine at the work dinner

Event: QOC Lake Accotink
 

qoc accotink red +some warm-up and cool down

Not pushing and mostly stopped or walking while reading map in deference to primary objective of not injuring self. Apparently more of that slow going than I would have guessed as avg HR was only 119 for time on course. Opened the throttle only for a portion of the final leg just to put some space between me and the other two converging on control 20 behind me. Seemed safe enough to try with smooth surface underneath and no need to read the map.

Overall definitely better than last week's clown outing. Besides the early injury and poor choices I discovered this week that in addition to containing the water for the course the pack I had run with also contained multiple bike tools, a pump, tube, spare gloves, etc.

Singletrack mtb from home just before dark.

Knowing I won't be able to ride this week I had planned to just log some time and roll easy. Avg HR 126 suggests I was going a bit harder or that there is some residual drift from the earlier running.

Legs feel good and skip now under control appearing only in smallest cogs and middle ring which is a combo I almost never ride.

Too bad I don't have another month or two between now and VQ as the bike is starting to come back.

Red - Splits

Easy run and skip the ride in effort to freshen the legs

soccer
trying to stay in formation more
again can't finish either of my two chances

lunch run
ankles ok but legs still feeling the recent miles

post lunch run

Commute in-sworks-street wheels

Return

Mtb mostly singletrack. Best ride in a long time, maybe years.

Home to and around lake fairfax and back. Found some more interesting trail. Being able to single track from home since the move and having the time shows. Improving lines and starting to flow again even on sections never seen.

Maintenance- cleaned the whole drivtrain thoroughly, went to new cable and housings for the rear derailleur, and replaced the missing screw on the hanger. Much, much smoother but still skip in 2 and 3. Probably cost myself $100 of cassette for not rotating the chain a bit sooner. Also a new to me mechanical. Re-riding some low speed technical section I didn't clear first time i suddenly get no resistance when rear braking. Pull over and discover one pad is missing (v-brake). trying to resolve how this could have happened conclude it must have been sucked out while rolling the bike backwards with light brake pressure when I hopped off to reverse course in a rocky section I could't clear the first time. After walking back 50 yards and only 2 minutes of looking and I FIND THE PAD IN THE ROCKS. it reinstalls cleanly. Lucky- this is at the most distant point from home. Need to check retention pins around.

Also of note on the bike itself despite all the technolgy improvements available in the industry over the last 11 years it is clear when the rider form is smooth the sworks is still a really sweet ride. I'm limiting the bike's performance not the other way around.

Both lower legs improving from yesterday but still sore. Interestingly the right, non trauma side is more sore today.

no running at all today.

At lunch testing the left ankle in the gym. Laterally sore but probably below the threshold of what I'd consider an injury.

Split of the some reps at the gym during lunch and the fitness trail loop at the playground with the boys.

Need the discipline here. Always seem to have fewer injuries when maintaining strength routines.

Testing the sworks adjustments while waiting for the schoolbus. Not squared away. Needs some new parts.

besides the left side issues right lower leg muscles and connective tissue generally sore too. Presumably from trying to lighten the gate on the left and intro of terrain. In retrospect soccer and limited trail running not adequate prep for terrain at speed. Need some light days of running to compensate and to get back to strengthening exercises/stretching.

Event: QOC Lake Needwood
 

QOC needwood blue

the Bad- Not having tried to run and look at a map simultaneously in a while I roll the left ankle in between start and 1 while trying to do both. Seems well enough to continue but I back way off and stick to trail heavy routing with some walking. The side hill 9-10 really stresses it and mostly focused on staying healthy an exit opted when passing by the cars after 14. MAy also have something to do with piling on the miles lately.

the good- no problems navigating or staying in contact with the map

Had planned to ride this PM but opt to rest the ankle and look after some maintenance of house and bikes. On the bike front lot of chain skip on the Sworks during climbs of last rides. Check the chain stretch and it's way past the replacement guideline. Swap for new chain but cluster looks iffy too. No time to test under load today see whether or not the whole drivetrain is shot. Also discover i'm missing one of the allen bolts holding the rear hanger in the drop-out creating some slight play.

Blue - Splits

trail running with kirby
walk last mile on account of insufficient light

6 pm soccer plus warm up better than last week but missed two easy goals.

Using the field lighting to allow jogging on the grass periphery of the park post game.Tried to log a good bit of time on sidehills in an effort to help strengthen ankles. Also breaking in a pair of speedcross 3s I impulse bought at REI while shopping for shoes with the kids.

Had considered playing a second game but good not to as now that I'm off the legs the hamstrings feel unbelievably tight. Looking at the log now it's clear why. I need to make sure I stay really easy tomorrow and don't push too much on Sunday.

11pm gym

Easy spin in on lemond

Thought it would be good to do a test brick at work gym since i haven't done any in years. Easy warm up accelerate to 6:30 and cool down. No problems.

Lost track of time and no lights. Sprint while the daylight lasted. Really regretting that run. Legs dead anyway just from the recent volume jumps.

Balance into the night

a.m. on the hase trike tooling around and to pick up the car

needs a smaller ring, a better tensioner, and some SPDs

still blowing snot

late pm watching world cup qualification news

trying to stay mostly zone 1

some long slow uphills for variety

post illness checks 7:03 which isn't too much loss given second shift

Declarign myself well.

Back from dropping the car off with barely enough time to make a conference call.

Running with a pack with some weight and MIles on the bike.

Lots of pause for street crossing and pushing MIles uphill./

Way too much zone 3-5 last few days.

Singletrack excusively

Better lines but insufficient time between now and racing to really ecover any form. Gloves make some difference.

Still sore from soccer friday.

Head clearing a bit.

towing reid on the BD

sore from last night and still a bit sick

adding low grade fever to my symptoms rest day seems in order

To town on bd with Miles
Minor cold

late am
hot and humid more like july than september

Seem to starting a cold

Cub run pm with kids