Training Log Archive: Charlie

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

sprint course at West Pt. Bobbled the first two in the rocky area, after that ok. I had the interesting experience of starting near the same time as a couple of teenaged BAOC boys. I suspect they passed me 8 times each during the course of the race. Pretty interesting to see them zooming around on various unlikely errands.

Middle distance race at West Pt. Pretty tired after the sprint, and then much more tired after the walk up to the start. Careful, though, and no serious errors - just one crisis of confidence on the way to #4 that caused we to wander back and forth on the way and hesitate a bit, but ended up hitting it right on. On the way to #8 I had the same experience as several others: being surprised by the fence. However, I got very lucky because I had been drifting left and ended up right at the left opening.

Small route choice problem between #12 and the finish: ran through a mud puddle that sucked off my shoe, so I finished without it, then went back to dig it out.

Sprint: Orange Brown Green - Splits

Middle: Green Y - Splits

AOWN #1 This morning around 6 Hazel alerted us to the passage of a rather large bear who was ambling up the driveway. She gave full throated chase and Sassy was prepared to join in, all of which was too much for Rhonda. So pretty soon the whole house was awake and Rhonda was calling Hazel and catching Sassy and then she and Zack found themselves between Hazel and the bear. The bear then turned back to see what was going on and I was none too pleased. If the bear had eaten my dog I would have been sad, but if the bear had eaten my wife and son, the survival of my dog would have done little to console me. Anyway, the bear decided he had enough and trotted off into the woods. Hazel eventually was too worn out from chasing and barking to eat the piece of roast beef I was trying to tempt her with, and everyone was back in the house again.

Zack remarked that it was pretty stupid of Hazel to confront the bear, and I thought about the cleverness of the people who had intervened. Erik woke up a bit too late to see any of this and was disappointed. I hope we can raise another bear for him before he has to return to Sweden.

AOWN #2

There has been a great blue heron rookery at the Big Down Marsh for many years, and two years ago it was at its largest, with 15 active nests, all of which fledged young. Last year, the dead trees in the marsh were falling more and more and there were only five nests. This year, March came and went with no herons, and we mourned the end of the rookery. Yesterday was the first day we saw herons, and today Rhonda and I watched two herons on one nest and one on another as they prepared the nests. The two were bringing sticks from a third nest to shore up the one they had chosen, and perhaps we will see one more season of herons fledge. There are now very few dead trees standing in the marsh, and they won't nest along the shoreline. Too vulnerable to raccoons, I assume. However, the Little Down Marsh across the way was flooded by beavers five years ago, and trees are dying in there, so perhaps that can take over the job some time in the future.

working on my recalcitrant shoulder. I was planning on an hour, but made the mistake of bringing my cell phone out to the gym. I have not been doing well with this and need to make it a daily routine. Progress has been very slow, but perhaps would be better with more consistent effort.

Same course, took a little off because I was tired, but made it up in route choice.

C • I assume these are all nigh... 2

RHINO course again. A bit faster, particularly over the last half. Lost about 25 seconds on two controls with inferior micro routes, but otherwise went well. Will have to get fitter to get under 30. This is a good distance for me now. Much more and I start to slog. Although the casual observer may think it is already evident at this distance, too.

RHINO course again, this time with streamers already in place. Ticks are certainly out. It's a good training course. Some climb, some thick stuff, some trails. I feel quite sluggish, particularly on the longer legs. It should be a good barometer of progress, and certainly it's convenient enough.

On the spinning bikes with Per and Rhonda. I peek over at Per's cycle computer and he is going much faster, while I am sweating profusely. He seems pretty fit to me.

RHINO course, setting out streamers for Haltochlytt to have a training run tomorrow. Not much zip. I did collect two ticks on my face and neck on the way. Glad to get them off before they got too comfortable.

150 second graders here today for Earth Day field trips. Quite a lot of logistics on Rhonda's part. I had some duties of a very general nature, including giving a presentation on bears at the bear den. Dogs a bit grumpy at being locked in all morning.

Oskar and Per are here from Sweden to visit Erik, and Oskar got some practice at driving the Polaris.

Art Sweeton loop. Nice and easy.