Training Log Archive: AliC

Event: Skyline Trail Race
 

Event: NEOC: Houghton's Pond
 

Good morning, time to set 2 green controls on the way to the skyline race. We'll count that as a warm-up. =)

1734/2000

Blue Hill Skyline Race

Woo, trail race time! Haven't done one of those in awhile, maybe 1.5 years with the last Fells Skyline race? Unsure, but this was good fun, and I raced well, 3rd overall, first woman, and nabbed the women's record by a bit.

Was maybe 8th or so after the start, with Ian right in front and Giacomo just a bit up. Kinda in a group/train of us plus two other guys (one who was really, obnoxiously loud, cheering for the whole group, commenting) up to the top of Big Blue. At the top, a flat zone for a bit before descent. And on the descent I took off, and expected some of the guys to follow, but nope, sounds of them just kinda faded away...

Then hilly, rocky running for first quarter, no one made contact, just on my own, following blue blazes, one misstep at the top of a bump somewhere, to a viewpoint instead of the trail. Through the first water stop, then the second quarter featured some much easier road then trail running, go cruise gear!

Haflway was super happy to have the water, said hi to Tim P and son, who directed me to take the trail heading up up up again, ok, here goes! Walked most of the steeps on the way back, legs were well tired. Was very surprised to make contact with a guy in a grey shirt at the 3rd waterstop- just saw him in the distance there, I guess he had made a wrong turn around halfway and the fight had gone out of him, fairly swiftly pulled past on an uphill.

Was very happy on one of the climbs to see the radio mast of Big Blue sticking up behind some nearby trees- alright! Nearly there!
Some flat running on top, then spilt down the delightfully runnable ski slope, past photographer Jeff and into the finish. Woo!

C • Awesome! 8

Green course with Izzy! Again some alternating legs (she seemed to always get the hard ones, suppose that's good but I felt bad), 1 route choice, 4 where she'd planned the route and attack beforehand. Good to do, hope it was helpful!

Yellow sprint

Legs a bit tired for attempting a true sprint. But I got up some momentum of the start, and then panic! Couldn't figure out the trails, as all the stuff alongside the lake is just trodden, trails not so distinct...

Also found a few other controls a bit hard, but no mistakes to them. Good to do, but sprinting yellow is a better exercise with some measure of zip in the legs.

1744/2000

Control pickup!

1750/2000

Met up with Ethan and Carl Childs at Oak Hill, amidst sister graduation events up at Dartmouth. I was excited to try out running on the map and to just be back at Oak Hill, where I have spent many, many hours of my life, both training for skiing and for forestry competitions, chopping with, splitting with, and throwing axes.

But, I didn't orienteer that well. A bit not confident through the woods as I forgot the Active Ankle and was getting some evil back-outside-of-ankle pain, but still, should have been pushing harder than level 2. Despite not really working that hard though, I also didn't orienteer fantastically, messing up really badly on trails, more than once. In my defense, the trails are a bit tricky, being ski trails that aren't necessarily much used in the summer. So some have evident junctions, but sometimes not, as there isn't an associated footpath and a lot of lowish vegetation. Still, I should have focused more while on the gosh-darn things!!

So I need to try to figure out what I was doing, here goes write up...

Map A
1 - Down trail, came off at marsh/bend on bearing, to hill top, down spur. No TP, but I was sure I was in the right place.
2 - Around L side of marsh, up along stream.
3 - Mmm, not good. Tried to diagonal up through light green, which I think I did, but then crossing 2nd trail, I thought I saw another trail, meaning I should be right onto the hill. But didn't see it... probably then went to far... but let myself be lazy since I hadn't found the TP at 1 either, when I did know I was definitely there.
4 - Fine
Finish - Missed a trail, I wanted the second one, but I didn't see the first

Map B
1 - Harder control than I was expecting, I was well hesitant on the way in, greenish veg, low vis, and hard to understand what the linear nasty features were. But did just go for the reentrant, and when I was there, put things together and found a cliff!
2 - Up and fine
3 - Hesitanty, out to rail and back in, should have just busted a move straight....
4 - Fine
5 - Fine, this time

Map C
1 - Immediately horrible! Didn't catch turn-off of trail to the left in the marsh (was too busy dealing with marsh), and then continued on, then cut lower because I realized, but then I was already past the junction I wanted to follow, so ended up higher and had to meander back down a indistinct trail, which means there are huge tree trunks across it and it's very undergrowth-y and then I still couldn't really find the control, thought I was in the right place, but cliff? No cliff? I guess QR will tell me whether I was too high or low... Disappointed!
2 - Kinda-sorta ok, had been on what is indistinct trail only thinking it was a deer path, but hey, it worked
3 - Eh. Picked my way there, I would have been more confident had I realized at this point that the contours were essentially 2.5m.... height gain or lack thereof was kinda freaking me out...
4 - Lost part 2. Was on an indistinct trail and then pouf! was on a different indistinct trail I didn't really want to be on and ended up way, way confused. Must look more at compass while on these pesky trail-like things.
5 - Went up from the trail a bit, didn't really find a cliff, didn't find the TP either, fiddled around in the green a bit, retreated.
6 - Fine
7 - Fine, ski jump!
8 - Fine, hey this bit wasn't so bad...
9 - Fine
10 - Eep, route choice, think I should have just gone for the trail and a bit more climb, tried to go along steep slope on the side of the lake, was too steep to be fast. Then ended up not senseing the trail near 10, which confused me for awhile, until I was actually able to put the contours together- should have been putting features better together lower before leaving trail.
11 - Fine, contours-only exercise
12 - Across slope! Tried to be good on bearing, and hey presto! Arrived at boulders, awesome.
13 - Took the low route, ropes course, down to stream, back up. Perhaps better from the top.
14 - Straight.
Finish - Ski jump again!

1732/2000

C • chopping with axes 5

Set myself a little course at the North side of Norwottuck. Was ok, wasn't super spry, but was giving the Active Ankle a first whirl, seemed to work, no evil back-outside-of-ankle pain! Encouraging!

1714/2000

C • evil back-outside of ankle pain 2

Core, except SJJs on the right side, since elbow bruise really isn't going away quickly...

Hammies! A bit tired from yesterday's run.

Then, Noho dinner with the 5-day 5, mmm mmmm!

Wahoo, new PR by a whole bunch (28 seconds), psyched!!

Was really a perfect day for it, coolish weather, but solid surface because of recent rain + dry today (too many days of dry and things get loose). And good competition, I didn't win by a long shot- 5th! The guy who won was definitely sub-17. And I guess I did take yesterday easy and actually warmed up properly, instead of having control vetting as pre-race ritual...

I think I paced pretty well, felt strong from the start and knew when I came through halfway in 8.30ish that the race was going well. That's the only time I looked at it, otherwise just tried to keep it going, not lose to much to the guys in front of me. Up the steep hill at the beginning of the last mile, my vision started to go, hazy towards the edges, kinda funny-colored. It used to do that a lot in ski races, so a familiar thing, but don't often get it in running, never really in orienteering, I think if there isn't enough oxygen for your eyes, probably not for a decision-making brain either...

Kept it up across the never-ending top of the course, and then did a power 20 up the last tiny, but remarkably life-sapping hill. Yeah rowing moves... =)
I was super-duper surprised to hear a guy tell me it was 17.10 with just the final sprint left to go- uh, really? I doubted. Thought maybe he meant 18.10, but sprinted on in to 17.34, yeah!

That puts me 3rd on the all-time women's list and finally got my age group record for age 27, sweet! I'll only have two chances at the age 28 after my birthday, but that's something right around 17 flat, so doubtful...

C • next up? 13

Hah, and that's what we'll call an easy run, almost all L1, and I knew I was going slow, but I 1) wasn't feeling super spry to start (headache) and 2) wanted to have a real easy day so maybe I can run a fast 5k tomorrow...

Really chilly out for June, was in tights and a longsleeve!

Also, grabbed one of my mountain marathon maps (OMM Lowther Hills) to read while running. Was hoping it had some good route choice legs, but it didn't really. Scariest thing is deciding how in the world to approach some of the features, with the expectation that you are trying to navigate in impenetrable fog...

Core times. 30s short because a bruised elbow from bike crash is still bruised. Huh, wonder what's up with it? Bone bruise?