Training Log Archive: expresso

Run that I didn't log from last week. Gotta scrape for everything these days.

Early morning run on the plowed but somewhat icy paths. Great that it is getting light early enough for these runs. First time in my 2010 Mizunos outdoors.

300s, 200p, 4*50s e/h, 3*200s e/h, 300pwp, 4*150s e/h, 300pwp, 5*100s e/h, 100.
Arms still tired from pushing my car our of ditch but loosened-up eventually.

I blame ice dancing for boring me off the treadmill.

Event: CAOC Snowgaine!
 

Great turnout for the Snowgaine! ...lots of AR teams from Chicago, Minneapolis, IA & WI. Treated to a light dusting of snow in the early morning to give the Palisades its fresh snow beauty. What a place !!
MNOC arrived with the crucial map cases as all our 11x17 maps cases went to Badger for USC. Thanks!!
After the start, I went to set up the water & food areas but immediately slid off a remote campground road and got stuck in a ditch. Grrrrr. Borrowed Kathy's car to finish the job. By the time I got to the southern food stop, I saw that Justin, Jason & Andrei had already bagged the far southern controls and were moving like a freight train through the woods back north. Hmmm.... perhaps I would be eating my words about the "unsweepable" course.
Finished schlepping the water out and headed back to take care of my car. AAA came through for me perfectly and it only cost me the tip for the nice guy and his boy who dragged me out with their wrecker. Was a bit annoyed with my car for doing that but it's otherwise been almost perfect for 215K miles so I'll give it a break (this time).
Time crept closer and closer to the 6 hours mark with a few teams coming in early but most arrived in the last 15 minutes after getting what they could in the north after sweeping the south. With 12 minutes to go, Wedali came in with their sweep... not only had they accomplished this but they had done so while blazing fresh tracks in the lead for most of the controls. Grats!!
Kathy had cooked-up a ton of spaghetti and other hot food for the finish. This was a great wrap-up for the event where everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. But there was one amazing thing yet to happen... tons of teams offered to help fetch the 48 controls out of the woods. We divided up the work so everyone got 1 or 2. Before 5 p.m., all the gear was packed and we were driving out of there... "leaving only footprints behind."

P.S. Kathy has the punch cards and is tallying results for the other teams.

C • Good job! 4

Running around checking controls on the periphery before the event & control pickup.

300s,200p,2x300s e/h,300pwp,2x200s e/h,300pwp,4x100s e/h,200s
Fine.

Felt fine, took it easy so I can swim harder on Thursday:
300s,200p,400s,300pwp,500s,300pwp,200s

Spin class. I guess they let Natalie go and replace her with a tattooed, ex-Army muscle-head. His workout was ok and he was fine with my adjustments. Felt surprisingly good, even after the weekend. Hopped in the jacuzzi with my sore legs. Ahhhhh.

Hung the last 5 controls and trimphantly stood atop the final bluff and thought of the acres & acres of hills around me dotted with controls. Can anyone get them all in 6 hours?? I really don't know but I predict not... even though the past record is a sweep in 3:08.

C • I'd love to try.. 2

Fieldchecking & control hanging @ Palisades.
Started from the camp site (race start location) and planned a long route to hang the controls on the interior of the park. By mid-afternoon the snow was melting, especially on the southern slopes. Another long day and I worked until it was dark but could not finish. Back to hotel for hot tub, pizza & olympics.

Fieldchecking & control hanging @ Palisades.
Early drive to Palisades and my concerns about deep snow abated as I got further west. Clearly the bulk of the Chicago storm missed them and they got only about 4-6 inches on top of the open ground there two weeks ago. With the higher temperatures this week, I expect conditions to be a perfect 1-3 in. with the sunny slopes bare.
Out in the field by 8:30 a.m. hanging controls around the perimeter of the park and making some map updates around the control sites. It took me a while but I finished the perimeter by late afternoon. Met a local who seemed overly curious about what I was doing in the park across from his house. He was not particularly polite and I feared he might mess with my controls but he didn't look like he was built to climb those hills to make mischief. I will still check the ones near his house on race day morning.

C • Did you check if he still h... 1

Morning spin class at the club.
Good to do this again, even with poor instructor.

Looks like a great turnout for the Snowgaine!
Just looked and there are already 12 teams registered and most encouraging is that only 4 of them are from CAOC... they are a last minute bunch.
With the addition of some particular teams, Jimmy the Greek has changed the odds on the former runaway favorite "Romanian Soup." In fact, it's a dead heat now.

Felt good, stroke returning already.
300s, 200pwp, 400s, 300pwp, 500s, 400pwp, 400s, 300pwp, 300s, 200pwp

I got the absolute coolest gift from Charlie today... an orienteering trivet. It's an orange and white orienteering mosaic of tiles for use in our kitchen. That's not all because it says "Scottish 6-Day 2009" on the back in remembrance of our awesome trip there together. It will be in my kitchen forever and will bring back great memories every time I see it.
You rock Charlie !! Thanks.

Walking on treadmill watching the 3rd quarter. Very funny commercials this year.
Did some running but not worth counting. Couldn't bring myself to make a new "Walk" category.

300s, 200p, 100s, 100pwp, 150s, 150pwp, 200s, 200pwp, 150s, 150pwp, 100s, 100pwp
Felt decent.