Training Log Archive: jtorranc

Home by way of the aquatic center.

Flutterkicking. Tried out new goggles that just about match my eyeglasses prescription - nice to be able to see clearly.

Event: QOC Oregon Ridge
 

Sprint Series Finals, Hares heat - this was indeed excellent head-to-head racing with difficulty keeping up with both the competition and the map reading while making several non-trivial macro and micro route choices. This first major macro choice to control 6 split our pack of four into three groups with Magnus' high left route clearly slightly superior and Eric losing, IIRC, 33 seconds with his route that began by dropping down to a trail right of the line. Ben and I, on a fairly direct slightly dropping then climbing route, reached 6 just behind Magnus and we three stayed together through 10 and the passage through the registration area. Magnus, leading, went right to approach the control through the white woods, Ben went well left, duplicating the poor route of the whole Greyhound heat and I, having seen each of their choices, responded to some combination of memory of the first leg of the sprint yesterday using it, the visible trailhead in the terrain and what evidence of the thin clearing then trail leading most of the way almost directly to 11 wasn't covered by the line between controls on the map with the optimal route choice, possibly barring a better micro-route through the last 10 to 15 meters of green. In any case, that got me enough of a lead on Magnus for not letting up on the running intensity while avoiding any stupid mistakes to suffice to win the heat. Given the Greyhounds' collective error, it was also good enough for the third fastest time on the course, 14 seconds off the lead time. Far better than I had any expectation of managing going into the weekend - I'd been prepared to declare success if I merely managed to run all the races without re-injuring my left hamstring. Which felt almost indistinguishable from my right one after this race - weird but far be it from me to complain.

First SFSU sprint - easily won heat, no surprise given that the seeding was designed to ensure this and I finished the race without coming up lame. Didn't run quite full out as I gingerly tested the limits of what my left hamstring could do but apparently, going by the results, I can't have left all that much speed in reserve.

Second SFSU sprint - running felt better than in the first sprint, just as well since the competition was tougher. Spent virtually all of this race tailing Magnus, only significantly diverging in route when we split to go around opposite sides of a building heading to control 9 - I think I caught up a couple of seconds on that leg. Given the terms governing advancement, it seemed worth trying to outsprint Magnus to the go control, which fortunately proved to be possible. I'm not completely sure of this but I think whichever of us came second would have ended up the fastest deer rather than the slowest cheetah in the next round if Will C. hadn't punched another course's nearby control instead of control 8.

First MacLaren Park sprint - in a heat with Jarkko, Jonas and Clem. Clem and I managed to stay in contact, barely, until the big route choice leg around the uncrossable fence but I'm pretty sure both of us were running unsustainably to do so and slowed down somewhat thereafter in consequence. Though I'm not sure what happened to Clem thereafter - he may, going by things he said, have been psyched out by a mistaken conviction that the injunctions no to cross the fence along the ridgeline applied to the crossable section along the edge of the parking lot that we both hopped. I was with Jonas again briefly on the second and third controls thereafter since his route choice around the fence was apparently inferior but couldn't stick with him. Struggled to the finish eventually and then fumbled my first couple of stabs at the finish punch to end up tied with Ben Legg in 5th.

After all the races, drove south to Palo Alto through maddening congestion on 101 to join Dan, her friend Ema and Ema's paramour James for dinner. Left hamstring felt kind of tight/knotted/sore but still structurally sound.

Event: North American Sprint Series Finals
 

Cycling to work.

More sodden cycling to work. Bless fenders and neoprene cycling booties. Home by way of PCRM.

Wet cycling commute.

Cycling commute.