Training Log Archive: Timato

Aubrey's first orienteering race and she did awesome.

Aubrey and I did the 5 k at peak to peak with her in the backpack and me acting as the Sherpa. She did really well the whole time we were out and even took a brief 20 min nap in the middle of the course. My nav was really good, which makes sense considering we were just walking the whole time. There were a few up hills that were tough given I had her on my back (from 4 to 5 was a real slog to get up the slope). Overall she had a good time, I think, although we lost our snow boots twice near the end and that forced me to double back and loose a few minutes to find them.

C • Does she use a thumb compass? 1

I signed up for the 6-hour Horror Hill race in Waterloo to give me some mileage leading up to Lookout Mountain. I figured this was going to be pretty tough mentally since the race is run on a 2.5km loop. The hardest part was that it snowed for the first 3 hours and the trail was just a terrible mess. At around the 25km mark I was already starting to loose interest in the loops and the trail had become just a big slop fest with no traction at all. I committed to run 40 km and see how it was at that point. At the 40 km mark the snow had stopped, but the trail was still terrible. Also my hip flexors were really tight now trying to stabilize myself the whole time to avoid going down (which I did at least once). So I finished the loop for 40 km and decided to just head home.

Not a great race for me, but still a good long run that is helping to build up my distance. I'm satisfied with the run given the conditions and the course.

C • 2.5km? 2