Training Log Archive: Charlie

Event: WCOC Ansonia Nature Center
 

Red Course at Ansonia, courtesy of Jim and Rich. Beautiful day, beautiful woods, challenging control points. I rode down with Bill Duncan, so very nice company as well.

However, an annoying back spasm to start out, and a very difficult time moving through the woods.

1. Through the small saddle R of the line, right of the hill before the trail, crossed the trail near the creek, R of the creek not getting too far away from it, contouring and on compass and banged right into it.
2. More or less trying to hew to the line, maybe a bit L, contouring, hit the EW trail by the walls and left at the corner to the small pond, then tried to head in the direction of the control, counting spurs, thinking I was getting close, and all of a sudden I was at the bend in the trail around the pond 200M SSE. Huh? But went downhill on compass from there, and must have been close, but a lot of up and down and side to side before stumbling on the correct reentrant. Probably a good 8-10 min lost in this foolishness, or near to it.
3. In control all the way, down the spur, through a little more marsh than I was expecting, caught the right side of the hill and slogged along until I got to it. Saw Mike Southam leaving as I got there.
4. Another ugly one, under the cliff, more or less on compass, and getting down there I ran into the unmapped bike trails and an unmapped biker, but no control, so some up and down, eventually headed the right way and ran into Bill, who had found this one but was looking for another.
5. Drifted a little low, mostly because it was easier on my foot, and then struggled to convince myself how high I needed to go to find it, so checked a few other big rocks, and got there about the same time as Bill.
6. Seemed straightforward, and thought I was more or less on compass, but I had drifted left and ran into the cliff and rocky ground 100 M left of where I wanted to be, but couldn't quite imagine that was where I was, so thought I was at the rocky ground and cliffs to the right. So climbed up, and figured out pretty quick that it was way too rocky, and what I must have done, so down the spur and right to it after all. Not much lost, a minute or so.
7. Pretty straight, followed the stone wall for a bit, left of the marsh area, saw the end of the transverse stone wall, up and around/over the hill and spiked it. Picked up Craig W there.
8. With Craig, mostly behind him as he was moving much better than I was able. R of the marsh, a little left, then up the reentrant, finding reentrants and saddles, skirting the cliffs and right in, although the bag was 15 M or so further right than I expected.
9. More or less straight, still with Craig, a little right to avoid cliffs and climb, went what seemed far enough and it was another 30 M to the left, visible.
10. Same deal, winding around the cliffs, counting the hills, right into it.
11. Craig got well ahead here, crossed the marsh and followed the trail for a bit, angled up the hill and in. Craig was just ahead. He had stayed low and came up, so I caught up a bit.
12. Along the line, crossed the trail and the stone wall and saw all the green, so went left around the green until I got on the hillside N of the control. Crossed the stream there and it was nice and open, could see the spur from a distance, although the rocks were over the side and out of sight. Got ahead of Craig here, because he had climbed a bit more before crossing the stream.
F. Sergiy Gnatiouk came by very fast. I was thinking that I used to be a guy who could sprint in at the finish.

With Rhonda, easy loop from PV in the nice weather.

Red - Splits

Nothing like a few days away from the rower to spark me up. Didn't really push until the last 1200, but came away with what is for me a pretty good time.

Split pace:

2:09.5
2:08.5
2:08.7
2:06.4
2:02.0

21:10.3

Good enough to beat my best time from last season of 21:12.9 on Jan 30. Feeling a little strain in the forearm now, so perhaps a little too much.

C • Excellent! 2

Wednesday training at Mt Tom, set by PG. Very nice. Still having a hard time moving, but the navigation was fine. A few places I stopped a bit short to consult the map, but didn't go by any or get too distracted.

Now that I look at the map, only problems were at 7, where I stopped short and read the area pretty hard before continuing, and at 11 where I checked a few likely looking spots on the way. Other than that, just slow, particularly having a hard time going uphill.

Pleasant dinner afterward with the gang at the Northampton brewpub.

About as nice a day for biking as it gets, part way up Sandy Brook Rd.

A lot of yard work today, and generally a busy day, so no training per se. Roto-tilled the garden, moved a bunch of compost around, cut a tree that had fallen on the trail.

C • Training alternatives 2