Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Event: SMOC Yankee Springs
 

I did not plan to escort my wife on a run this weekend, but I did so. I should've grabbed a jacket - normally when I head out into sub 40° weather I am being pretty active, but the trike was too efficient at 5 mph so I was freezing and struggled to get warm afterwards, until I jumped in the car to head to Yankee Springs - heated seats warmed me up.

I forgot to start my watch until the 3rd control. I need to ingrain that better!

1 - missed a bit east so probably lost a minute once I realized the terrain didn't match up (creek helped)

2 - awesome creek jump - worth the drive right there.

4 - was on track anyway, but saw Lew leaving which was a minor assist

5 - too many route choices to 5, I chose one to the west and then ended up on the trail to the east - whoops. Minor help by seeing the guy from the Traverse City who was exiting the depression

6 - wisely checked up a little crossing the final trail, and was happy with the terrain

7 - took the trail around for a solid attack, and followed the reentrants up. had to walk a bit - I need more hill training

8 - not quite sure how I did that one yet. I thought I hit the trail which was faint, but it must've been a game trail. I checked the terrain and decided to scout the depression, which was the right one, got lucky there

10 - ended up following the large ravine to the east, but recognized it and popped up the ridge just in time

11 - nice long leg. I am happy with my route, little meandering but okay I think

12 - wasn't sure how to avoid climb, so I gave up elevation and cut up later

13 - overwhelmed by choice, I lost time exiting 12 as I changed my mind a couple times

Didn't have much speed heading to the finish, not sure how it will fare in the ranking

I am very satisfied with that run, no matter how the placing worked out. I jogged almost the entire thing slow and steady, checked up early to verify when needed, and had no truly awful mistakes, just a few near misses. A good start to the season and nice redemption from the spring meet.

Terrific course by Mike - he used almost all nice woods, just fantastic terrain.

C • Practice makes progress! 1

Red - Splits

4th place at the SmartBlast race. 2nd in the two male division, behind the perennial winners in Team Jeep. Very satisfied. Detailed version to follow when I get the track from Jeff.

Opening micro trek - two CPs to spread the field. We jogged it, and were not above mid pack. Jeff had to puff an inhaler and I got nervous.

Straightforward bike from Depot Park in Clarkston up to Holly Recreation Area. First AR leg on clipless, but my no crash performance doesn't count because dirt roads were as frisky as the terrain ever got.

I used my extensive gravel grinder to set our two man paceline, and Jeff sat in the draft. We reeled in several teams with this technique, plus the less experienced teams hesitated more at the CPs.

Jeff's GPS log. Heart rate is his too.

Nice paddle o course. We seemed to be within site of most of the lead pack. I put us around 10th place, which was what I was hoping for - I really wanted 9th or better at the end of the day.

I think I need to be able to paddle stronger. We passed some teams, but should've been able to knock off a few minutes. I think revising our punch technique would also shave off a couple minutes, especially with the queues at all of these points.

Nice thing about not being in first is no wasted energy - just look for people exiting a CP and head for that spot.

Some straightforward, almost all orange level o course. We opted for the clockwise route, as it seemed to have the easiest first point.

We were good to 13, got passed en route to 14 but punched it first since the passer overshot, then meandered a bit to 15, lots of traffic there. 16 was by far the most difficult. I originally intended to attack off a hill, but Jeff was dragging a bit so I thought we could save elevation and go around the hill.

Unfortunately, I was not reading the terrain wall. I didn't see my catching swamp, and had pushed too far east. We saw Drake charging due east, which meant he had punched it, so that pushed us west, and I finally found the shallow reentrant north and then went down to the bag. We had passed our friend, but he would pass back to 17, never to be seen again.

17 was straightforward, although I'm not 100% it was in the circle. Thankfully, just continue down the reentrant, no big deal.

We chatted a bit about 18, and Jeff constructed a safe line using the park road and some contouring, and we executed it very well and just about ran into it.

19 looked easy, but when you got into the peninsula, it was thicker and heavier. We had picked up Mike Li but he pushed east to follow a ridge. We were content to find a game trail, and when Scanlan and Drake were coming back on the game trail, we knew we had a good thing going, so we went right to it.

Back at the TA, I was surprised to hear Marcia say we were currently in 5th, behind three solos and a male/male team. AWESOME!

Humorously, the optional point involved the nicest dirt road of the day, so teams that skipped it can kick themselves. Maybe a little, since the route from 21-22 was also much hillier than the ride from 20-22.

Sitting in fifth, we planned to just finish strong. No one was visible in front of us, no one was in sight to the rear, so it looked like we were just locked.

Then, approaching 21, we saw Scanlan coming back towards us. He overshot it?? Jeff, what's the house number?! Jeff relayed it after Scanlan passed, and we continued to watch the numbers go by, but we were swayed by "left side of drive" to mean "left side of road", so we weren't looking right and lost a minute or two right by the 705 mailbox. We punched, no sign of Scanlan, so we continued to 22, nervously checking back.

Jeff thought we had 4th locked up and I think was interested in reducing intensity, but I hoped for maybe more people, or was worried that the triathlete we just jumped past would reel us in.

No drama though - punch 22 and beeline back to Depot Park in 4th overall. Drake, our mystery friend who could jog a bit, and Team Jeep, perennial AR winners - not bad company.

Nice post Rage redemption. Nothing fancy, just mostly clean racing with a gift at 16.

Token single day taper for the SmartBlast 6 hour race tomorrow. I'll need the rest just because of scheduling, thanks to shuttling the family tonight and the bonus fun of spending 40 minutes round trip to drop off the canoe at the secret location that will only be revealed at 6:30 am tomorrow at the start. Hopefully I can get my junk packed by 10 pm tonight for some sleep.

BB seems to be making noise. After just 800 miles? :|

Dixboro was the roughest. Not quite to the halfway mark, but struggling to make progress on recently fluffed no rolling gravel.

Great ride, because I made it back by my target time, and because the cat I saw which turned out to be a skunk did not manage to spray me when I came really close by accident.

I originally planned to get up earlier and row first, but the dogs got me up way earlier, which messed me up. Really, I should've packed it in earlier last night and it wouldn't have been an issue. At least I will jog this evening so not a grand loss.

Poor man's clean and jerk, several sets of pushups, situps, bicycle situps, lunges, curls, box squats, bench press, flies.

I was too lazy to craft and elaborate an exact mostly dirt loop, so we did a winding out and back.

1 mile paved @ 3.9 mph
3 miles mostly dirt @ 5.3 mph
1 mile paved @ 3.9 mph

I stopped to get my pedometer watch calibrating, and running ~8:00/mile to catch up to dear wife felt great. So perhaps fitness is improving.

I should study maps and distances more before departure. I got a little nervous when I hadn't yet passed Brighton High School, which iirc is 11 miles from my house, and I only had an hour left. Thankfully it all worked out.

Felt kind of sluggish off the start, warmed up a bit more towards the end.

0-1

I started calorie tracking today. If nothing else, laziness should prevent me eating a late night snack I would have to log.

Tried to put a bit more oomph in it. I need to be able to sustain ~130 bpm for hours while paddling, instead of defaulting to a pathetic 100.

Estimated, as Garmin is completely non responsive.

EDIT: Seems the reset procedure (power, mode, reset at same time) restored it to life. Hooray! I had grand plans for tomorrow's bike ride; now they may proceed.