Training Log Archive: CaptainControl

Well, I came into the race with the strategy of going out slow, and finishing strong. I jogged the road run in the begining, as a warm up and then was staying with the pack pretty well through the first couple of controls, but was feeling like the pace was too high for the distance of the event. I backed off and ran behind the pack. I was feeling great in something like 10th place until I twisted my ankle running down the hill to control 7. I was hobbled and quite unnerved. Boris G then caught me with the same problem, a lame ankle, so we ran together to 8 and then seperated on the way to 9 and the map exchange.

I was now getting passed readily and wasn't too happy with my ankle. I just kept trudging along, until the 11th control where my ankle seemed to feel fit for a bit of running. I picked up the pace and started to pass the orienteers that had been passing me. I was orienteering well and lost very small amounts of time on each leg. I criused into the second map exchange feeling strong and not tired in the legs or the mind. I had been using Gus to keep me fueled, and they really seemed to help. I saw the first leg on Sebago and was in awe, it was quite epic but a trail run. I started out and began to pick people off. I was cruising into the 24th control when I tripped at the bottom of a cliff and hit my knee on a rock. I was quite stunned and even a bit nauseated, but I didn't feel too bad, so I kept moving. Proptly I saw Randy Hall ahead of me and in turn the pain in my knee to fade. I hit the 24th and then cruised until just after the 27th control when I torked my ankle even more than the last time. I was not happy :o(. I jsut walked it off, and since the nerve damage was probably quite bad by this point it went away fairly quickly and I continued to run. Then at the begining of the long trail run to 28 I saw Randy ahead of me again and once again a surge of energy shot through me. I passed him as well as Francis Falardeau on the trail run, and then tried use my speed to build a larger lead over the last leg. Well I came into the finish and was quite suprised to find that I had finished in second! I didn't feel all that tired in the legs or mentally, but the wear of running the forest had hurt me. My ankle didn't seem too bad then but it really wasn't in great shape the next day.

Overall, I was happy with my navigation with no large error in my navigation, I just missed a trail on one leg, and the a small parrallel error that cost my a minute or so. In the physical aspect I didn't feel too bad either, my only problem occured with the physical injuries associated with running in the forest, something that I hadn't though about before the race. I am now looking for an ankle brace to hold my ankle together for the US Champs.

I like the idea of passing people at the end of the race and I feel like my orienteering style reflects that. I like to start out slow and continue to gain confidence throughout a course. It was a great race and a great time. I look forward to running many more.

Highlander - Splits

Jogging around Sebago before the sprint qualification with map. A nice day for orienteering.

I had an alright run, with some errors in the green and also in a detailed boulder field. Still need to work on having good plans as well as planning ahead. My legs were a bit tired from a large volume of training earlier in the week. Didn't look good for the upcoming highlander.

Felt good going out, and was cruising through the terrain, I had a strong run and tried to slow down in the terrain transition but apparently didn't make the adjustment and had a couple of stupid errors involved in the lack of planning and the inability to follow my control taking plan. Cost me first by twenty seconds. I felt like I could have run a couple of minutes faster if I would have made the transition better. I believe that this showed a major aspect of my orienteering that needs improvement. I have made mistakes in speed transitions before, and I feel like I can improve greatly in my execution of the transition. Will definetly work on the transition in the coming months. Begining to wonder if I should have gone to school out here in the first place. I guess that is nothing to think about now, I can always work to get around going to school in Montana, i.e. exchanges galore!

I have been quite excited about the improvement in my orienteering abilities, even in the short time that I have spent in the East. I will continue to train and learn as much as possible.

Slow walk/ jog control pick up/ map walk. Looked/ analyzed the legs during the sprint final. There were some portions of the map that I felt could be improved, but overall had a nice walk in the woods.

I went out for a short o session in Harriman before the sprint meet on Saturday. My legs felt tired as usual, I am begining to wonder what my speed would be like if I ran with fresh legs? Prehaps I would be a worse orienteer because I would want to run too fast, or prehaps I have improved enough to know when I am running too fast. Anyway, I ran a couple of middle length legs and then went into some technical terrain and ran some short legs. I then ran back to the car. but forgot my keys at the start triangle so I had to run back, but I was reading my map the whole way, so there was no problem with that!

Running the Billygoat short (blue) at Mount Tom 10:000. Peter most kindly set streamers. I ran pretty well, but was a bit slow on the first couple of controls which seems to be a pattern, and then I blew #15 by running too far to the terrace below the control. Other than that I felt pretty good. A nice course. Overall I am tired from the week of training, and I am looking to not overdo the training as I have in the past. This is accentuated in mind, with the Highlander and the US Champs in the near future. I am a bit concerned about running the Highlander so close to the US Champs.

Jogging in the woods before the training run and also running to class in order to avoid tartiness.

Medium intensity running through the woods for 30 min and then on grass to the track for 20 min. A bit dark in the woods, because I go out to run to late in the evening. I will make an effort to get out and train earlier. A nice run through the woods, I can already feel my increased speed in the woods even with the short time I have spent consitently running in the forest.

6x400m on track, with jogging and physical activities in between. Felt pretty good at 80 sec each. A nice balance of endurance and speed during this workout.

Jogging in between intervals, along with physical activities. A nice continuous pace throughout the workout.

Running back from the track. My body feels a bit tired and in need of some rest. I'll get a good amount of sleep tonight.

Running on the hillside above my dorm.

A tempo run at threshold pace, Mostly in the forest, until it got too dark to run hard in the woods. I then ran on the grassy trails behind the hill that lies beyond my dorm. Anyway, a good quick paced run. I felt faster than usual.

Cool Down before running my 100m sprints.

7x100m sprints with 30 second rests. Felt great to run and feel fast!

Jogging around campus as cool down.

A nice run through the woods just above my dorm. I contoured and worked on running straight through the woods. It is really great fun to just run through the woods even without a map. I felt a little tired from the weekend, but overall I am feel great and ready for more training!