Training Log Archive: ccsteve

Event: HVO A-Meet
 

Unplanned warmup. Standing around at the start and I looked over and saw the clear / check punches - gads - had left the rented fob in my pack... Able to get down and back with several minutes before the start, but this was a foreshadow for the day...

Where to begin on this event...

First distance and climb - I'm certain I went way over the numbers (given for race), but don't have a good way to track my path or really the inclination. I counted 7 specific climbs 10+ meters that I shouldn't have made for one reason or another...

Humbling experience from the start. Given the instructions to avoid heading off on a direction, I looked and thought I'd head along the edge of the first rise and cut up to get #1. Being excited and ready, I blew by the spot to do that by 100+ meters and spent several minutes figuring that out. (and the other controls right there didn't help;-)

Settled in and had decent paths and splits to 2 - 4.

For 5 I made the decision to cross the mountain on the trail, but lost my position on the way down. It's not the worst split but should have been ten minutes less. (Think I got fully 100 meters away from the drop before heading back)

For 6 I tried contouring around to avoid the top of the hill, but ended up all the way down the hill on the other side close to the stream...-(

Felt good, but tired about 7, and had a "great" plan for 8 that went awry. Looking to avoid climb again, I thought I'd take the path and then stream / path up to the smaller swamp on the right - then follow the backside of the hill to get in. Unfortunately, I veered right to far closing after the swamp and ended up down at the end of the surebridge swamp and had to cut back north. Probably spent more energy walking along the enge of those...

Believe this is where one of my contacts popped out, and while my sunglasses caught it, I subsequently flubbed it on my dry grubby hands and dropped it. It had to go back in though... (and thankfully was good for the rest of the time)

Trip to nine felt ok, but tired. Kept contact, but couldn't find the control - several crevasses in there, and I'd swear I was 30' from where that ended up being...

Ten by comparison was a piece of cake, and 11 started well..

Tired as I was by now I saw the trail but saw all the contour lines down and up... I thought I could contour around the hill and avoid it - and do ok. Painful lesson on that;-) On a less complex course, I might have been able to get away with that...

I believe I ended up halfway between 12 and 13 off to the East. I spent a very long time wandering and trying to re-orient myself (58 minutes for the leg in total) At one time I almost got it right - heading South to reach the green, but that was the green 100m East of 11, and wasn't right... ugh;-)

I had some energy left for 12 and 13 as I hadn't been dashing around much, but more wandering in a stupor, and they went ok.

Trip to 14 seemed to be going well until I heard cheering and saw the roof of the finish area - realized I went down the wrong rocky valley... Course that made it easier to get back...

Legs tired from the work, feet sore from the terrain, it's an experience I will not soon forget;-) I'm happy about having done it, would have liked to have done better.

One word summary - ouch;-)

- Splits

Arrived at the ETA camp for Surebridge quite early. Able to walk around the pond next to the camp - mostly off trail. Got a feel for the terrain and vegetation.

Light run on the road to work out the shoes and my after-race legs... (and still pretty slushy today) Interesting to watch the levels of the stream that crosses my path in a couple places.

Event: ROC - Mendon Ponds Park
 

First foot-O of the year and I felt good on the Red course. Conditions were wet with an inch of slush in places. Early I slipped a bit, but got used to it. Slid down several of the hills (somewhat intentionally on my feet), and no injuries. One face plant on a rise of grass across one of the fields... (that would not be as easy to run across in the fall...)

Wasn't "on" as much as I would have liked, but I had a good strategy the entire race. Reaching control 12 I took the easy way out for my biggest error. I took the trail to the left approaching the control and overran it. Didn't realize the error until I saw the cross trail in the field ahead. Probably a 2 minute error there. Other controls were not necessarily perfect, but close enough to correct without much loss.

Legs kept up the whole way, and I should be able to push more next weekend. (snow conditions limited things somewhat - you didn't want to lose footing...)

Several minutes behind Mike, but that is a big improvement over past years - I remember times 50% over the leaders and now I'm more like 10-20%. Have to believe that I'm in a much better condition to run now.

C • Sub-10 1

Red - Splits