Training Log Archive: dlevine

Run to the Y after dropping off the car. Time includes being hit by a car by the high school. Driver and passenger waved me through the intersection (they had stopped) then started to accelerate right into me. Kid realized his mistake instantly and I got my hands on his hood and he only pushed me a bit on the snow. Nice cacaphony of horns, though. No harm, no foul, but a definite increase in heart rate. (Chose to walk back after the Y via a different route.)

C • Jeez, think of all the haza... 3

Very abbreviated class as no instructor meant late start followed by loss of a life guard (for five minutes) which meant everyone had to get out and there was no enthusiasm to continue.

Played against Tim, a younger, faster and more powerful player than me, but one whom I can out-strategize. Was feeling a bit ill as I fight this oncoming illness...

First game I led 11-9 before coming back to lose 15-21.
Second game, we had an amazing (and exhausting) point at 9-9 that Tim won to take the lead. I was so winded/wiped, I almost quit there. I did decide at that point that I needed to hit my deep shots a bit slower; this proved to be the turning point. We battled to a tie at 12 before I went on a serving binge and won 21-12.
Third game, I had Tim's head in my hands. It was an ugly 21-2 win that, in Tim's words, "wasn't as close as the score made it look".

The local soup kitchen (The Warming House) received its annual delivery of canned/boxed goods. As computer geek, my job is to route cartons around the kitchen so that after everything is placed and stacked, each kind of good is still accessible. (In other words, not all the pasta is in cartons that are buried or otherwise unreachable.) Combine that with the need to move things around so that other workers don't build unstable stacks by placing full cartons on half-full ones, and you have my toughest weight workout of the year. It's Monday as I write this and my biceps are still sore...

C • geek 3

First time in a long time doing laps. Pool was empty today. I was the only lap swimmer the entire time I swam and the only person in the entire pool area (except the guard) for the first fifteen minutes.

Late start to class as there was discussion about the continuation of class next year (dubious).

Cuttrhoat (discounted) with an experienced, but not very good player and the most strategic player in our group. I hadn't played Steve in almost a year and he is the player most like me, so it was quite interesting.

First game... Some serious volleys, but I won 15-11
Second game... I got on a hot serving binge and jumped out 13-2 before winning 15-9.
Third game... Some titanic volleys, including three at 8-9 - all of which I lost. I was then so exhausted that he served six in a row for an 8-15 win.
Fourth game... Still tired, but I came on strong at the end as Steve flagged, 21-13.

Cutthroat, discounted...

One weak player and one strong one. Weak player never factored in. I was "debilitated" after sustaining an impact in a "sensitive" area during warmups (my own fault).

15-11 in first after trailing 9-11.
1-15 in second, scoring only at 0-14
15-8 in third, led 14-4
12-15 in fourth, after losing 0-7
11-13 in capped fifth game; let 11-6 when cap went into effect - server served 7 straight points including two aces to me...

Small class, but since I missed lap swimming, I tried to work extra hard.

Cutthroat with a newbie and an experienced novice. Led the first game 10-5, but felt a bit stiff and ended up stretching some as I lost 11-15. Won all four of the remaining games - only one of them close...

Finishing the Map Hike in Chestnut Ridge Park

This time around, I found 11 of 14 markers by slowing down well before the site and really scanning the trees. Only one site really "stumped" me. The park was hosting a very popular Christmas gathering with hayrides, Santa, etc., so there was a nice fire while I was getting ready to go out.

Casino - #1 1:14 Looked for the marker on a tree near the fence only to find it on the fence - go figure.
#1 - #2 2:25 A bit of trouble scrambling down into and out of the stream
#2 - #8 4:02 The first of many wet fields. After keeping my feet dry crossing the stream, I soaked them running across open land.
#8 - #9 4:23 Green woods were actually gnarly as the "greenness"
relates to deadfall
#9 - #18 20:48 long road run followed by scramble up bank after stream. Cut off the trail too soon to get on line with the control. Went through all the thick green before almost giving up within site of the knoll
#18 - #17 3:52 nice gentle downhill run on unmapped trail
#17 - #16 6:00
#16 - #11 9:40 Got there and searched the area of the stream bend in 4:12, but took another five minutes to find the marker quite a bit (in my opinion) downstream from the bend
#11 - #10 4:49 Again lost time (though only about half a minute) after getting to the site.
#10 - #5 6:11 Down the road until the stream and then in. Third straight time I found the feature and was doing a "geocaching search" for the marker.
#5 - #4 5:36 Getting my feet totally soaked again by crossing the athletic field. Passed four guys grilling at the picnic area just south of the circle. They seemed not to know what to make of someone in shorts running by and heading right into the woods while barely stopping and then stopping just a bit in (at the marker)
#4 - #6 4:58 The trail junction confused me and I ended up taking the long (NE) way around to the marker.
#6 - #3 10:02 Dog leg back, but I took the central trail this time; poor choice, it was all wet. Saw some folks walking their dog on the disc golf course - they asked if I was okay. (Hmmm I sometimes wonder myself)
#3 - #7 5:38 All on roads until the end; had a bit of trouble recognizing the hill
#7 - car 1:23 The parking pattern had changed, making even this simple leg a bit challenging!

When I went into the casino to change, I couldn't get my shoes off. My laces had gotten soaked and then froze in place! I had to thaw them off before I could swap shoes and socks!

Having more daylight, a contact lens for distance, and easier controls definitely paid off as my pace was 35% faster...

Payne

15-8 (led 12-1)
15-10 (gave up seven in a row in the middle)
11-5

Class has been changing. For a long time, half the class really worked out and half was going through the motions and doing a lot of talking. More recently, it was 1/3 vs. 2/3. Today attendance was very poor and I was the sole "work out" person vs. 5 social folks. The instructor is feeling burned out and will probably cut back to once/week (or to nothing!) at the first of the year. Sad, as I really believe this class has helped with flexibility. [I know that I could do it all on my own, but the structure of the class helps immensely.]

Two rounds of singles with a medium quality (by local standards) player. I worked a lot on my lob shots even though that kept the pace (and workout) pretty low. 15-4, 15-8.

Then another good player showed up early for the next shift. He joined us for a more rigorous game of cutthroat, but had the disadvantage that he wasn't really warmed up. 15-9-7. But I hope he had the advantage in the "second shift".