Training Log Archive: bill_l

Event: SLOC - Meramec State Park
 

3AM: No training today, well, yesterday at this point... :(
Been sitting at my computer for close to 19 hours now.
Orienteering on < 4 hours sleep will be good practice for adventure racing...

Wake-up

Finally got to bed at 3 and then couldn't go to sleep. Benjamin came in at 8. Better than nothing, and actually felt pretty good after a shower.

Some stretching, some easy jogging. Heel still a touch sore but feels much better.

Checking out the maps for Green (6.6k) and Red (8.0) courses. Since I haven't been running for 4 weeks, I thought maybe I should do the Green. But, I really wanted to do the Red so....

Red course.... of course. Good: Nav & a red course PR. Not happy with: Physical performance. How can you have a PR and problems with physical performance at the same time? Read on....

Course: First 4ish K (controls 1-6) was pretty flat, but a lot of light green. Mapped trails were very difficult to find. Virtually all of the 300m of climb were in the next 3ish K (controls 7-13). Lots of loose volcanic? rock covered with downed branches, treees and leaves. Last 1k was basically all down hill (that was a relief!). Eric has the map posted.

The details....

I was very pleased with my navigation today.

Managed good contact with the map, better reading while moving, good advance leg planning while moving, good choice of attack points, good route choices, no big errors, and no bad route choices. A couple of small near-the-circle bobbles. Nailed most of the tougher controls.

I didn't use vegetation boundaries for nav since they've changed some since the map was made in '96. But the open areas are still there and recognizable. There is a lot of rock that's not mapped, but I didn't have the trouble today that I had at St. Francois a couple weeks ago. I made an effort to choose attack points that would give me a good view of the control. I also made sure that I aimed off on the controls where there were multiple similar features and no handrails, or to make use of handrails that led directly to the control.

I noticed that my map memory is getting better, (I'm not looking at the map less frequently, but I think better map memory allows for shorter glances) and that I'm recognizing more features.

While I did better at reading the map while on the move, I still had to stop to match up features in some of the areas where I out ran my ability to nav.


However, I was not as pleased with my physical performance even, though I think I had a PR for a red course.

Contributing factors: 1. I haven't been running for 4 weeks. 2. After 3 really good leg workouts (weights and bike) this week, I was having trouble on Wed and Thursday with cramps in the calves and hams and they were still really tight this morning.

So, on the way to number 11, about 150m from the control, going down a large hill, my feet and calves started to cramp.... eased up the pace, but by the time I got to 12, I could only manage a walk through the rock and limb strewn woods. By the time I got to 14, I was down to a walk on all surfaces.

Leg comments. If I'd been able to maintain pace, I think I'd have finished in about 90 minutes. With improved running endurance I should be able to hit mid 80's. Better at reading while moving, llow 80s. Is upper 70's unthinkable??? Something to shoot for.

C • Whew. somebodys nav is on. ... 8

Walk with Laura & Cleo.

Red - Splits

Speed circuit while Benjamin was at his swim lesson. He wanted me to watch the whole thing but said it would be ok for me to lift weights for 20 minutes. I made it around to all the machines. 1x12, normal form, no rest between machines.

A perfect evening. 53F.

164???? I think that's a new low morning weight for me.?.?.?

I think the only difference is that I haven't been eating prior to some of the morning workouts.

Weather.com says it's 23F, thermometer says 30.

Ride out to Castlewood. Meeting Rudy @ 10. Got tied up with work and left at 9:10 so had to hurry (it takes about an hour at a reasonable intensity). Forgot water bottles on porch so had to stop and buy some. Without counting the time at the 7/11, it took 55 minutes to get from home to the boat ramp.

Started off in midweight windproof gloves, balaclava, thermal l/s shirt, fleece jacket, windshirt, and tights. Exchanged the windshirt for a N2S vest at the 7/11. Exchanged the gloves for full fingered biking gloves at the trail.

Route: D. Ferry - BB - Sulpher Springs - residential to Reis.

This was actually a good compromise route that avoids the construction section on BB. And it avoids going up the hill on Carmen. The sidewalks on BB are not too bad from D. Ferry up to SS.

Cedar Bluff + Love's trail on the way out.

I haven't flatted since '05. I made up for it today. Not once, but twice.... And of course, I lost my mini-pump a couple of weeks ago.... I borrowed a pump, but I can't figure out how to convert it from schroeder to presta. First flat, a major gash in the tread of the tire at the top of the final major descent (clockwise), another cyclist came to the rescue and lent me his pump. Second flat, a bad tube, or maybe a casualty of to many miles carried around as a spare.?.? On the way up Love's trail. Used Rudy's CO2 inflator.

Ride back from Castlewood. Rudy tried to kill me on the hills with some out-of-the-saddle 'competition'. So there were some sections with intensity 4 or 5.

Came back via last weeks route N of Big Bend.

C • woof ! 2

Wake-up and pre workout.

2x12 with 30 seconds rest for lower body.
1.5x12 with 30 seconds rest for upper body.

Had planned to stretch more, but forgot.

Kirkwood hill tour.

Went out at 6:30 expecting low 40's for temp. It was 59! Where'd that come from? Not complaining. Stripped off a layer and headed out.

Saw a bunch of tree/lawn service guys getting high before work in Kirkwood park. See them there all the time and always wondered what they were doing there at 8 AM. Today the direction of the wind made it quite obvious. Don't think I'll be using that company any time soon.

Grants Trail. The west wind made the outbound trip on the downhill grade very fast. The return uphill grade into the wind was painful.

Evening walk. Shortened version, Laura wasn't feeling 100%.

Should have gotten up early and done a ride..... but I didn't.

Apparrently, I ate too much yesterday. Big lunch, several choc-chip cookies for snacks, and then tried a new restaurant in Glendale last night. Caitos. Italian. Food was good. Large servings. Service was a bit spotty. Prices middle of the road. Will give it another try.

Another perfect fall day. Went to Laumeier Sculpture Park with Laura, Benj, and Cleo.