Training Log Archive: bishop22

I was supposed to get a long run in this weekend, but I had to put out the controls yesterday, which took a while, but was not a "long run". So, I figured I could just go kind of long today and have it work out.

Here is the loop that I ran. Decided to try to hit marathon pace the last mile, and I overachieved with a 7:18.

Splits:
State/Shoe 2.63 0:22:19 (8:28)
Hard/104 4.63 0:38:59 (8:20)
104/Five 5.34 0:45:03 (8:33)
104/Gravel 6.16 0:52:07 (8:37)
104/Maple 6.86 0:58:15 (8:53)
104/Bay 7.49 1:03:45 (8:36)
Bay/Old Ridge 8.12 1:09:09 (8:41)
Bay/Empire 9.30 1:19:27 (8:41)
Creek/Plank 9.83 1:24:02 (8:40)
Home 10.84 1:31:23 (7:18)

Event: ROC - Ellison Park Score-O [2011 Sprint Series #4]
 

Nate and I set the courses for today's ROC meet, but nate was in Poland, on his way to Finland, via Sweden today, so I had to set the 39 controls. Started at 7:40 and didn't finish until close to 10:30 (had Sprint and White done before 10). Actual running time is a conservative estimate, as is the overall pace.

I was successful with the Score-O - setting just well enough that no one quite got all of the controls in 60 minutes (actually, I gave them 61 so that people could be a little careful crossing Blossom).

A second unplanned rest day because work got in the way again. Left just in time to pick up Luke from his baseball practice - supposed to end at 7, but went to 7:30. Then got a call that suggested I had better pick up the flags and SI units for the meet tomorrow. By that time, there was no way I could run, since I was also without lunch (but I could make Z run).

I expect to get enough running done tomorrow...

w/up from the northern Hunter's Creek parking lot, up the hill on the road and back.

BFLO Sprint at Hunter's Creek

It's been a while since I've run a decent Sprint and I almost did it here. Stayed focused and pushed it a bit. Unfortunately, I had one bad control (lost about 90 seconds). I think it was C3. I left C2 and blindly ran the trail, thinking that I just had to cross the main trail and continue, but there were actually two trails and I was supposed to zig-zag just a bit at the main trail. So, when I left the trail at the curve, on a bearing, it led me to the trail I was supposed to be on. Of course, I did not realize this and ran back and forth a bit until I found the intersection to the right of the control and went back.

I did manage to get the win over Zach by about 3 minutes.

C • Blown control 1

BFLO Score-O at Hunter's Creek.

Pace is a guess to estimate a distance.

There was only one control to go to first, so everyone was headed there. Zach beat me, but I held off the others to get there second. 2nd control was also obvious. Zach distracted me by staying on the trail too long, even after I cut in, so I ended up going a bit past it. I decided to go left thru the woods and save the controls on the trail for the way in. Got pushed farther left than I wanted by the thick stuff, so I wasn't sure how far to go to get to the first control near the gas line. Zach ended up beating me there, even though he had taken the trail and picked up the two extra controls. He and I traded the lead a bit during the next few controls. When I crossed N of the gas line to get the control by the creek, he was not around - he had gotten the control to the S, that I planned on grabbing on the way back.

Crossed the creek and headed up the other side. The next control was on a plateau before the true top, and I recognized it and cut right in. Got overconfident leaving the control and thought I followed the contours properly, but when I finally looked at my compass, I was off almost 90 degrees. By the time I corrected, Zach was also coming into the control. I stayed ahead of him down the hill and back across the creek.

Up the hill, I ended up cutting in too early when I saw a huge root stock, so Zach got ahead of me again. I went farther left to the next control, but he was right (and correct) and beat me there. I closed the gap going up the stream to the next control, then passed him in the terrain near the property corner - not sure why he couldn't stay ahead. Got the 2 controls in that area and tried to go straight N to the gas line. The going was OK for a bit, but got nasty - no sign of Zach, he smartly went around on the trail.

Crossed the gas line and got the next 2 controls, realizing that time was getting tight (and now I realized how much time I lost by not being able to read the control codes on the map in the woods - I had to see the code on the flag, then open the map to look at the clue sheet for which box to punch, losing several seconds per control in the process). So, I ran hard down the hill (harder still when Brian Thomas let me pass, then stayed close behind). I could not make sense of the trails (and lack thereof) to the right and there are no other features on the map in this area, but I realized there was a big ditch for a catching feature. When I got there, I couldn't see a flag, so I looked at the clue sheet and saw that it was stream junction, so I could safely climb down, and it was right below me. Got the next one fairly cleanly and realized there wasn't quite enough time for the last one, but thought I could be less than a minute OT and break even while getting them all. Good line to the final control and just a small hesitation while I determined whether I had to go down again (I did, of course).

I had just over 3 minutes to get back and thought I could make it close - it was less than 700m straight line. Set a rough bearing and really went after it up the hill. Too much up the hill, in fact - I made it just about to the reentrant with Sprint C6, and had to run back down. I had seen the lower trail earlier but didn't think I could be there already. Shoot! So, I was a second minute over, but that was good enough to win by 2 controls, as Dave managed to get 21 of the 25 controls. Zach also touched them all, but was about 2 minutes behind me, as he went too far east on the wrong trails when heading back north.

It really sucks to be back at work. Especially dealing with people that need a life.

Jogged around nate's original Sprint course (plus a bit) for this weekend's meet. Two problems: one area that has been mapped as open, is now a drying marsh covered with big, dead fish, so I had to eliminate that as a route choice. Another leg was a major dogleg, so I added a control to avoid that. I think he did a decent job with this, given the constraints of the park.

C • The wet portions... 1

More jogging around Ellison, making the final checks and adjustments for the Score-O.

Ran around before, during and after the Brighton 5K. The Schroeder turnout was lighter than expected. I think I counted 5 alumni (plus 2 parents) but only 5 runners from the 2011 XC team.

Got 6 minutes in before the race, then ran 18 minutes during the race, including 0.6 miles with Zach.

Finished up with a real easy 15 minutes with Zach, before he collected his award for 2nd in the M-14 category (or whatever they call it at road races ;-) ).

Spent about an hour walking around Ellison Park with Chris, finalizing some specific control placements for Saturday's Score-O.