Training Log Archive: JonD

ouch. my feet are raw on the bottom.

my race report:
Although I had discussed joining Alex from Pittsburgh, the registrar informs me that there is another guy at the start area there looking for a partner - also named Jon. Since my other prospective team already has 2 members, I decide to join up w/ Jon B and team ?J2? is formed.

1100 - The weather is warm, humid and cloudy. team J2 is issued maps but opts to study only the topo map, eschewing the O maps on the basis of rogaine purity. This leads J2 to decide to start on the NW corner, where all the high value targets seem to be. This has some interesting effects later, because there are many easier though lower value targets on the NE part, and the O maps would have shown the routes. But that is unknown to J2.

Mass start at 1200. Team J2 heads up the road for #21. J2 hits the intersection OK then makes the right turn on what should be the road. Unfortunately the road does not match the map, confusing J2 and leading to some wandering. J2 eventually relocates at the original road intersection and follows a bearing to the stream, the cliff, and up to the control. A slow start.

Team J2 makes a long climb but then nails 32. Then uses a compass bearing and a long pace count (600 m) to reach 71 and hits it spot on. J2 is now gaining steam. Later, one half of J2 (me) crossed the path of a black, white and yellow snake that rears its head and silently stares at us while flattening itself to the ground. We move on. Things slow down a bit when J2 misses both an ATV and unimproved road marked on the map, and seems to miss a large mapped ?open? area which was probably now an area overgrown w/ young trees.

J2 turns south, hits the road and spikes 45 then 55, which was down in an interesting boulder strewn mini canyon. We run into Sam L. along the way who is on the 6 hour.

Late afternoon, around 1600 or so. Here J2 turns north toward 84, a difficult navigation and gets off track. After wandering and climbing a very steep hill, we relocate on the road/county intersection and try walking a bearing to the control area - up another very steep hill. This does not work because J2 misconstrues the distance of the control (a small hill) from the edge of the steep slope, and becomes confused by a series of similar small hills in the general area. We relocate on a prominent stream/knoll, attack again and finally get it, but much time (around 2 hours) has been spent.

Later afternoon. J2 is now tired and out of water, and makes another critical race-affecting decision to skip the relatively easier-found #70,, and go for the water stop at 61. The route involves a long tiring trip up, down, up, with the final up following a long ridge. J2 finds 61 and refills but doesn?t rest long because the gnats are swarming in a thick annoying cloud on the rocky hill where 61 is placed.

Early evening. J2 takes a long winding route along a stream to 73, which avoids the steeper climbs. The bugs have stopped, which is a relief. 73 is found after attacking once too soon from the road. The other half of J2 (Jon B) nearly steps on a rattle snake which freezes and does a warning rattle. J2 turns and walks briskly in the opposite direction, then heads for the road.

Later evening - getting dark, starting to rain/thunder. Now getting hungry, J2 decides to skip the high value and very distant controls at 62/80/74 and makes a long and relatively fast-paced hike south up the a steep road toward 52, w/ the intention to get some points in the SW corner then go back to eat. Unfortunately there are no points to gather along this southerly trek so we?re expending much energy w/out the point reward. The forest along this road has beautiful spruce trees.

Late evening - dark, still raining. 52 is an interesting charcoal furnace ruin. J2 reaches 52 after some wandering a bit SW away from it, but corrects soon enough to avoid too much time lost. We then follow the power line cut to 65, reload on water again, and pause for a rest and sock change. Everything is saturated and many toads, frogs worms and slugs are now out and about. A shiny black salamander with yellow spots actually crawls up my leg under my pants cuff. Eat another cliff bar, change sox and we?re off again down to 42 and then 81. Jon B nails 81 by perfectly estimating the distance traveled along a dark gravel path. We follow a winding rocky road up to 63 and nail that no problem. The rain has stopped and a fresh cooling breeze blows over the ridge from the north. Now for a quick trip down the mountain to the road, and back to camp to eat. But the forest has other plans - because J2 intends to cross the stream north to the road, but wanders into the rhododendron thicket growing all along the stream bottom. J2 is completely stuck in this damp, slightly stinky, green hell, before deciding to turn around 180 degrees and literally crawl on hands and knees back out (south). This works fortunately and J2 wisely stays to the higher slopes and moves east until a trail heading north presents itself leading back to the road.

Late, late evening. J2 walks, walks and walks back to camp, declining to stop for more controls due to hunger, and reaches camp at about 0400. A food refuel, clothes change, and water refill and J2 is out again by 0510.

Early, early morning. A nice (still dark) morning and J2 is bleary eyed and heading to 41. Small problems finding the reentrant, but after relocating on the road above, nails it. On to 43/30 but J2 misses the expected trail intersection and proceeds to 51, which we do find after some false starts on parallel features.

Early morning. Sun is up and warming, but J2 is really getting tired now. A long trek along the ridge road on Piney Mountain, and J2 misses a turn, but realizes it in time and corrects using a different route down to 83. Intending to be headed back by 1000, J2 moves fast toward 50 and makes it in 30 minutes. Then it is down to 20, and out to Pine Furnace road again by 1000 - for a very very long hike along the road, w/out stopping for controls dues to fatigue. We are back to base by 1110. All in all J2 collected 990 points and almost won a pie but for 8 more points.

Some important lessons:
- an alternative strategy to going for high-value controls, is going for more controls, even if lower value. We could have had more controls, w/ less energy cost on the NE part of the map
- trekking poles would have saved a lot of wear on my feet and lower legs
- work the food stop into the overall plan; if you go till you are too hungry you will waste time just trying to get back to base w/out gathering points.

Event: SVO Michaux Memorial Day ROGAINE
 

800 cal

pace 758 - 730 - 700 - 800.

830 cal. I think my workouts are getting too routine - I need to do some more extreme work - some speed and weights.