Training Log Archive: bl

Event: NEOC: Pine Bluffs Night-O
 

What the watch did not get etc.

Long day! Started between 1 and 3a with Beth’s baking in the kitchen (for a valid enough reason ) which, in this house, is just about at the foot of the bed, over the balcony - lights on, cooking timer alarm etc. Read from c. 3:20 to 3:50am. Up around 0715, to rounds, home and then to Mattapoisett. There around noon to 5p to work on Rhodora post haulout. Then to Stow on the way home to Aims Cooney’s place for his night O. Had no idea it was at his place or that it was his 61st birthday - nice surprise. Perfect eve, 50F, nice fire at S/F, well-lit garage with loads of interesting stuff for some distraction.

2 maps, 1-13 & 14-19. Had 1/5000 scale in mind per NEOC meet info, the 1/4000 tripped me a bit on distance. I was fine thru #10, don’t think any lost time, except RC to #8 (should have used field). On the way to #11, got a bit too far right (thick stuff) and then a encountered a downed tree (mapped, in retrospect) that took me more to the right. Finally, I was at the end of the tree, could see leafy forest floor w/o obstruction (in a big depression ) and returned to compass - but in just a few steps, I was just about mid-thigh in leaf-covered, camoflauged muck - mapped as marsh but not visible.

It took close to a minute to extricate, with about 2-3 more above-the-knee- steps & some flailing. By that time, my map was unreadable. Who would have guessed a map case might have been a good idea. Don’t think anyone used one. Prior to this, was annoyed by the 305's querying me with "are you indoors?" (after having started out ok) and ceased with route/split etc.. Made my way back to the finish, had some birthday cake & proceeded onward toward home. 260 mi in car, about 12h. away.

SPS wander after work, hi 60s temp, breezy. Trees generally bare. Tired, either some hypoglycemia or hangover from Wed run, maybe both. First 1.3 mi was namely leaf-covered rocks & roots. Stopped at Audubon to visit the raptors & stopped to watch girls’ field hockey.

Black Brook/Purgatory loop, first time since 11/8/14 to my considerable surprise (very first time 11/27/2010). Was’t sure if I was up to it - little more than 5.5 mi in quite a while. Perfect morning, calm, 50F or a bit better. Started CCW but then decided to go CW toward the sun to warm up. I think CW is a tad slower. Legs never really gave out tho I got tired of running. Walked briefly on the first hill - otherwise able to go up them which hasn’t always been the case in the past. Review of past runs reveals slowest yet, not surprising.

I can picture just about every upcoming sight on this nice rural run. Black Brook was closed for paving with some young guys standing in front of traffic barriers & signs stating that. I pointed out they’d made me a fresh route and a red carpet of a black ribbon which at least got me a smile. Saw a long white-bearded fellow coming from the woods to a small, leaf-covered road and then to the hardtop with a 22-4”, 10” diam log, soft on the outside. I commented he must like to work. It appeared to be for burning - he appeared to be carrying it maybe even as far as 80m - just one. We talked for nearly 10’. He was a hired hand, wood supply was nearly gone, the nonresident owner was in fear of cords being stolen etc. He had about 6 such logs already. Friendly/garrulous. I had to get on. Right first metatarsal has been fairly sore and this was irritating. Need new shoes, too. Convertible day, 62F as late as 4p.

Interesting to look at the split comparison. #6 was fine, #11 embarrassing. "Pedantic, Bob - it's that simple". Focus & energy come with pent up adrenalin. Can't get rid of one these, see no delete button.

Had a nice visit with three folks at the office yesterday. Admired their setup, forests and 33,000 acres of potential. They seemed surprised to see the O map, ie, all the black dots.

C • Deleting splits 2

C • 1

Possibly no one here has seen a copy of the original (stuck, post-flood, in a map case). The scale is 1/15 as were most of our maps in those days. Upton was made from 2 base maps as I was not happy with the Kart Janst version & we had the undone portion redone by Bakken & Helgesen. There's an extensive 1980 trail network. I liked Dean Pond and to the NE of it felt remote back then. Luke’s Hill (NW of Dean Pond) was named after my girlfriend’s puppy that I gave her for a birthday. One day he escaped from her house in Concord, MA and was killed on nearby Rt. 2. She had a new chocolate lab puppy before sunset the same day. Maybe Luke’s Hill will continue to live on on future maps.

The A meet was 35 years and one month ago, put on by a fading generation:-).

Saturday - Day 1 - Brown - Splits

Went to Harris center with Beth & Mocha for a woods/map walk & then a course for me. We walked from start to 1, 2 & 3 on Sunday’s course. It was the third time I’ve been to #2 - this time we went straight from the intersection - a hard way to go. We missed at the end, mistaking a reentrant/hill combination for another, 50m apart. So much attention to compass & contour called for. Easily some of the hardest terrain in the US. An hour was Mocha’s limit.

After, I ran day 1 from the Boulder Dash. Was ok except for #11, even stopped the watch & relocated...not allowed at A meets…. So be it. Was careful on #6, saw every boulder on the straight line. On #9, took the last 200m direct for a change - made it a bit harder. #11, got way off to right - allowed map contact to slip away.

We photographed cp #3 as well as a “boulder blob” nearby. The “blob” is the biggest boulder I’ve been so far & certainly one of the biggest there.

Revel in nature


The biggest boulder (could only get a side view considering sunlight and tree interference)

Half of the control location description for #3 Sunday brown.

SPS track at end of day & after Y. Had considered the UNO meet in Wolfeboro but it was grey/rainy & I didn't care for the prospect of 2 hrs in the car etc. Had also decided I was not interested in the NEOC meet, good as the map is, for reasons of distance, direction & fact I've driven that way a bunch recently. Then I see Baldwin Hill is next week anyway.

A nice evening walk on the track, 2 ladies with 2 yellow labs and a black one as well as 2 students running laps, one so hot he took his shirt off. 50F didn't seem all that warm to me at the time. Heart of darkness is around the corner with last night's quantum shift.

Morning light...now we have a little more. But this was a warm, warm humid morning about 3 days ago. It also offered "Take warning", on such a fine morning.