Training Log Archive: tdgood

Event: QOC Lake Needwood
 

U.S. Champs Red Rocks Canyon, California. Running M55 Green.

Did the model which was very informative of running in the desert.
I was looking forward to the runners course, not that I am in great shape and didn't expect to be real fast but being to run unencumbered is always nice. Temperature was perfect, cool but not windy. The wind started as soon as we got over the ridge at the start and was noticeable when running into it.

For the course itself. I made several really big bonehead mistakes and lost all sorts of time. I was running well but that doesn't help if you run the wrong way.

Course should have been less than 5 miles but I ran 6.11 miles.

#1: Screwed up. I started fine but as I was getting close I expected to see the lone joshua tree but there wasn't one. the only one I could see was way off to the side. I figured I must have been off and ran to that tree that did have a control. Unfortunately it wasn't my control. So I ran back to where I was. The tree was small and tucked into low spot so not visible from very far away. Several other people also went to the wrong control first.

#2: I cut east to the mail wash area intending to run along it to the control. I was having tough time reading the contours (looked to me like the subtle stuff was missing but I was running fast to it may just have been me. Suffice to say I over ran the control by a lot. I saw a control but knew it wasn't mine and kept going. I shortly pulled up tryiing to figure out what was what. The control I had passed was control #8. Once I figured this out I ran back to it then back to number 2. As I got there Rick Bressman was there (he caught up to me).

#3: Ran right back by control #8, across the flat lands. I could see people leaving the crevice where the control was so didn't have any hesitation. Unfair that I got this advantage but later others got to use me. Rick still just behind me.

#4: Straight. Ran across the marsh by the big cliff and up the reentrant. Up the stream to the control.

#5: back across the wash area. This time I couldn't see ahead of time where the control was. I was off to the left and had to wander a bit. Others behind me saw where it was.

#6: Straight. in the control circle, I approached from the back side to avoid climb. Unfortunately the control circle hid some of the key contours. I didn't realize there were extra hills east so I was low. took me a while to figure this out and climb up. Someone else was following me and made the same mistake.

#7: I went part way around the hill, across the marsh and up the hill. I was at depression due north of the control and was confused. The depression I was in is a contour blip instead of a depression. Lost time figuring this out. Turned around but didn't see depression or control. Both were obscured.

#8: Long run. Off I went. Down stream to the road. Road to the fence. The fence didn't look right on the map (not correct thickness I don't think). Anyway, I was at a gate area with no way through the fence. I didn't want to crawl under so I finally stepped over. Continued my Having already been at 8 (twice before) I knew exactly where I was going. No time lost.

#9: Straight. Biggins in front of me. Through saddle to marsh to control.

#10: Took one look at straight and said i am not doing the side hill running. Down the road. Plan was to run to end of cliffs and cut in. Which is exactly what I did. The problem was I didn't run past the second cliff but cut in after the first major one. I was in the entirely wrong reentrant and spent a long time looking for a non-existent control. It took me way too long to figure this out. When I finally did I went right to the control which was visible from long away.

#11: I went most of the way around the hill. Ran by the wrong control #1 that I went to initially. Could see the control from long way off. I had to walk up the hill.

fin: I didn't want to follow the reentrant so I intended to go more straight. Instead I drifted way left and came down the hill by the trees. Great, more time losts.

Overall, I was fast but lost so much time in mistakes.

Green X - Long - Splits

distance travelled 2.77 miles.
my left glut was really stiff/sore. It didn't bother me yesterday but really tightened up over night. I was worried how this would affect my run. My left knee was also not feeling great. Fortunately once I got going on the couse neither gave me much problem.
I did the model first which definitely helped. Don't trust the trails, rely on the big rock features, and use the contours where you can (although they are very hard to see in the rocky area. I enjoyed the model event so knew I would go home happy even if I did poorly in the middle.

#1: Took a long time to find the start triangle. Ran along the field the second tree and followed the "water" to the what I though was the junction. Went a littler farther and looked for rock. Saw the control. Phew, I was worried I would start off poorly but getting one control under my belt felt good. Time lost 10 seconds.

#2: I decided to play it safe and not go direct. I went back to field and got onto the trail heading towards #2. I went about 20 steps and the trail disappeared. I just kept going, up over the first hill and down to the first set of rocks. I got confused thinking these were the rocks where the control was. I went to the gap in the cliff and expected o see a control. It wasn't there. I did see the "hole" in the rock which several people crawled through. I lost time figuring out what was what then realized I was at the first set of rocks. I climbed over the cliffs and went directly to the control. Time lost: 30 seconds.

#3: followed the cliff initially then cut up to the eastern trail. Ran the trail to where it crossed the stream. Down the stream past the first set of cliffs where there were a bunch of people looking around. Right to the control. I read the map perfectly for this let which really boosted my confidence. No time lost.

#4: Should have been a short leg but I screwed up. The cliffs forced me left and I ended up in the reentrant southwest of the control. Tory was coming down the reebtrabt so this help confirmed I was in the right one. Wrong. I went further south. Finally I could see where control 3 was. I took a bearing and realized I was way south. I then went directly to the control. Time lost : 5 minutes. So much for my confidence.

#5: Down reentrant over to the trail. I could see Tory way up ahead. north on trail. I was expecting to run until the bare rock ran out but there was a break in the rock 1/2 up which caused me to hesitate. I should have been pace counting but wasn't. Realized I still had a long way to go. Continue running along edge of bare rock. Saw where Tory left the rock, which was the correct spot. Cut up the hill and almost missed the control. From the west it was hidden behind a boulder. I got lucky and just barely saw the top of the control over the boulder. Time Lost: 10 seconds.

#6: I could stiill see Tory way up ahead. Followed the bare rock. I thought I was passing the big rock but then I got to the big rock. Attacked from there. No problems, no time lost.

#7: Could still see Tory in the distance. I am gaining on here. went straight. Control circle hid the first reentrant so I pulled up short but only for a moment. Kept going right to the control. Time Lost: 10 seconds.

#8: Contoured around. Read map perfectly and cut over one cliff right to the control. Tory was high and I beat her to the control.

#9: i was confused on up/down on this one. I got into the rocks east of the control and had to climb over then. Tory took a much better route staying in the rough open and beat me to the control. Bad route but I will call it no time lost.

#10: Angled east to the trail, then the trail to the open area, across the road. No time lost.

#11: I wondered why they had the line bending in the rocks but I decided it was better t go north around them all. Unfortunately I was heading to 12 and not 11. The #11 circle was cut up to the point you cant see it. Once I realized I wanted #11, I came back into the slots between the cliffs. Tory right behind me. I cut up too early and was in a box canyon with no way out. I had to go back down and around. More time lost. This time up to the correct area. Guestimate I lost 2 minutes.

#12: I wasn't sure how to get out of the rocks but just headed up. Found a gap through and was off to the races. Initally I was trying to read the detail but then I realized this was the area you could see from the start with everyone running to the big boulder. I ran to the boulder and down into the reetrant. No time lost.

#13: very rough bearing just heading towards the trail. down trail to control. No time lost.

#fiinish: ran. Not sure I had to best line but I got there.

Total time lost: 8 minutes.

Green - Middle - Splits

Event: LAOC: Orienteering USA Nationals
 

Travelled 2.14 miles

My left glut was still sore but I was confident it wouldn't bother me while racing.

Before I get into the details of my run, lets talk the map first.
* The circles and lines were not cut and hid several key features.
* There was at least one spot where the north line wasn't cut and went directly over a critical junction.
* The control codes didn't have the option white border around them and were very hard to see when they put them overtop of buildings.
* I am not convinced the building were the correct color. I believe they are darker than they should be. I can barely see anything over top the building (like contours and the control circle/number. They had some purple hash overtop a building which I didn't even see until someone else pointed it out to me (i.e. it was too hard to see).
* I do not believe the map was checked for legality. I believe they have several features which are too small or to close together to be legible. This is especially true of the canopy areas which they used extensively but you can't see them becuase they are too small.
* The dual level was used improperly. The dual level areas were so small that the symbol couldn't be seen on the printed map, it just made things look confusing.
* There are trail junctions that have the trail edging directly through them so the junction doesn't look like a junction but more like a badly mapped overpass.
* The Start was a remote start (which was ok) but the problem was that a change of direction was required immediately. While this isn't technically illegal it is a bad practice as you have people moving in one direction and then expected to change. The better fix would have to have the remote start just be a control for people to punch so everyone has to slowdown and the change of direction is unfair.
* The first control on my course was used by many other courses (not their first) so there was an unfair advantage if you got there when someone else go there.
* The First set of controls for the advanced courses were in a building area which may the area very congested. Not only was it hazardous becuase of people sprinting around blind corners, it was slow if you got stuck behind someone moving slower.
* The spectator control was unfair to the first runners as they didn't get the advantage of seeing people go to it like later starters.

A combination of these things all conspired to make my life difficult and lose time.
* The course line goes directly through out of bounds area which I believe is a no-no. I.E. having a purple line through a purple hash????

Start: i had trouble finding the start triangle.
1: I had to make an immediate right which I almost missed. from the call up line to number one meant making a uturn which isn't a good way to start. I couldn't read the gaps (to small but successfully navigated them guessing they were all cut throughs. I was about 30 meters from #2 when I realized I was running to #2 and not number 1. The number 1 circle was very hard to see in the buildings and the #1 was totally off to the side and hidden in the building. Once I saw where it was on the map I went right to it. I had the advantage of other people going to it so didn't lose time knowing it was up the stairs. It was bad control description. They should have used top of stairs so it was clear it was up and not down. time lost: 40 seconds.

#2: since I had already been here I was able to make quick time navigationally but I was slow going down the stairs and there were people in my way in the final cut through (which you can't see because the control circle hides it).

#3: several people got burned by the canopy on the second floor which looked like it was on the main floor. I didn't. Ran out building to the control.

#4: before the start I had already seen that the spectator control was #4 so there was no hesitation on where to go for this control. I did have to yell at a kid who (not a competitor) who was blocking my access to the control. So much for an unobstructed spectator control. Time lost: 1 seconds and some concentration.

#5: Due east out of #4 and around that way. No time lost.

#6: Around the buildineng th to the steps and up the steps. by the top of the steps I was tired. No Time Lost.

#7: Due north around everything. no time lost.

#8: Around the construction then I got turned around in the trails. I still can't make sense of them. I was in font of the wrong building. Took me a few seconds to figure it out, then ran around the building but missed the cut through I intended and went to the one west of the control which added extra distance to get around the olive green. Time lost 25 seconds.

#9: Trails, cut through building, aruond building to the left. No time lost but getting tired.

#10: as I was approaching the area with the control, I could see everyone cutting back around the bushes to get to the canopy. I saw the control was under the bridge so did the same thing. It was very congested with people. I had to pass a slow person running along the building edge. Time lost: 1 second.

#11: I couldn't find #11 on the map. With the line 9-10 going through the building I couldn't see it. The only line was the one to 11 but I thought that was the control I had just been from. I started off in the wrong direction and finally just had to stop and search. I lost 10 seconds just standing there. When I finally found the control I was suprised to see it was a dogleg and right back the way I came around the buildings with multiple eople in the way.No problems getting to 11 but I did have to walk some up the hill. Total time lost 15 seconds.

#12: Walk up the steps. no problems to control. Just slow.

#13: Becuase of the north line couldn't see gap but guessed it was there. Slow but no problems. No time lost.

#14: I couldn't tell what we were allowed to cross so I went back down the steps to #11 where I knew there was a legal gap. No problems getting to the control.

#15: along the small buildings, around the big building to the main sidewalk alley. What the???? I was heading to #16. Where was number 15? I had to hunt for it again on the map as it was hidden in the buildings again. It was back behind me. Ran back to it. Time lost: 35 seconds

#16: to the control. No time lost.
Total estimated time lost: 2 minutes.

After the sprint, I drove down to the beach since I hadn't seen the pacific ocean in a few years. Drive down was slow but I got there. After paying $9 for parking I wanted to get my money worth, so after wading in the water for a while (the water was very cold) I walked up the beach and back.

Green - Sprint - Splits

Flew into Los Angeles early this morning. After sight seeing at La Braia Tar pits, I went to the Griffith Park Observatory. I parked part way up for free and hiked the 1 mile trail up and back. It was a nice view from up there.