Training Log Archive: Kseniya

Ultralong Champs at Fountainhead (is it named after Ayn Rand's novel?) Park, VA
This was tough! Glad I ran it and happy with my result. Started out somewhat slow, running with Rachel and Galina to #1, mostly straight. Iliana caught up to us going into the control (she started a little late) and left us in the dust. Took the rightmost reentrant to the trail going to #2 and approached it from the top. Galina took the deeper reentrant and we met at the control. Running together next few controls; Jeff appeared with us as well. I didn't feel super energetic today but I'm proud of my execution and aggressiveness of #5. Then I got tired and #6 was rough; I took the lower lake route and approached the control from below. Spacing out to #7. Had an energy gel on my way to #8 and decided I will take the left reentrant-to-trail route to #9. Galina went straight and that was the last time I saw her. This was a good route it turns out. 10-13 were kind of spacy, Joe caught up to Jeff and I dragging a few cadets with him. #14 was a difficult long leg. I admit I did not have a good plan at all and the mountain bike trails seemed to overwhelm my ability to read the contours properly. I also twisted my right ankle on one of those trails and that distracted me enough that I lost contact with the map. Thankfully, Jeff not only helped me out of a stream but also led me until I realized our location. From there I was mostly back on track, had another energy gel at #15 and started speeding up primarily to avoid running behind some super smelly (like really bad) cadets. Rest of the course went by swiftly, and I was happy to finish racing some older gentleman.
I wish there was some hot food and beverages after the finish because I was dying for something warm in my stomach considering all the water on the course was almost freezing.
Nice course by Nadim on this awesomely open and hilly terrain.

routegadget

C • Super smelly 2

C • Kind of you 2

UltraLong Championships - Red - Splits

Middle course at Hemlock Overlook Park. Plan was to be focused, in constant contact with map and compass, not pushing hard physically. Navigation was not complicated, the woods being so open, but I did make a silly mistake on #7. Coming out of #6 (which was slightly misplaced btw) I thought to myself, "Now, keep concentrating, don't get distracted", and it was precisely during this moment that I lost contact and made a parallel error. A bit ironic. So I thought I was already on my way to #8, going down the stream, seeing some "unmapped" rocks, then realizing based on control codes that I am supposed to be going to #7. Argh.. Up the hill. Joe caught up to me at #11 and I tried to keep up with him but could not :(. Need more speed in this super runnable terrain.

routegadget

Middle - Red - Splits

Event: QOC Long Day's Night
 

Night-O Champs. Took this fairly easy, had fun for the most part, but when my light battery started dying it became increasingly difficult to enjoy the course. I could barely see 15 m ahead, and the second crappy flashlight did not help. Straps broke off on both lights, not due to my large head but due to branches and clumsiness. Clearly the universe did not want my world to be illuminated; I must stay in the dark. It was nice to be running in such open woods though. Sickness almost gone.

routegadget
It seems much easier to upload a gpx file into routegadget instead of scanning the map and doing quickroute.

Night Championships - Red - Splits

C • Feel better soon! Take car... 2

Have a cold; massive headache, sore throat and coughing, sinuses surprisingly Ok. Overdosing on vitamin c, tea and nap time.