Training Log Archive: Bash

NAOC Long Distance

This was the type of race I was expecting yesterday: only 9 controls and I had to do serious relocation exercises on 3 of them. I got off to a bad start by running directly toward #1 cross-country since it was close, but I hadn't counted on the nastiness of the terrain. If I'd stayed on trails, I could have saved about 5 minutes. I redeemed myself with the 2nd fastest split on the short leg to #2. (I specialize in short legs now, apparently.)

On #3, I had a split of almost half an hour, and it would have been worse if I hadn't run into Etoile, who was looking for the same control and politely pointed out that I'd turned my map upside down! Although we went our separate ways after that, we eventually met each other at the control. [Looking at my GPS track, I see that I was heading straight for the control and only 120 m away from it when I turned onto a trail that fit with my upside down map. If I had continued on my bearing and ignored the stupid trail, I was on track for the best split in my category at #3. Oops.]

It was a spectacular day to be in the woods, and it felt great to run. Although I was messing up like crazy, I was still having fun and trying to do a better job each time I approached a new control. I've seldom had to do that much relocation in one race, and I think I'm getting better at figuring things out - although it would be nicer if I didn't have to do that. I was 19th of 32 in my age group - not good but I didn't deserve better.

Huge congrats to AdventureGirl! on her silver medal in F-20, Wilsmith for his silver in M-Elite, Hammer for his win in M45 and Kissy for her podium finish in F45!

Fun to hang out with C-Bass and Revy this weekend on an all-too-rare visit to the East.

Long - Course 6 - Splits

I left a little late for the 1.8 km warm-up run from the NAOC arena to the start. After 200 m, I noticed that I didn't have my SI card - sigh. Back to the van, then I ran a little faster to get to the start on time. I forgot to turn on my GPS for part of this. There were so many great people around that I wanted to talk to! It wasn't conducive to focusing on a difficult race but it was a good problem to have.

This was my first run in my new Fellcross 2 shoes and my first time using a brand new compass that didn't work when it first arrived in the mail two days ago. I always used to say, "Nothing new in a race" but now I'm all about living on the edge.

North American Orienteering Champs Middle Distance

The flat, rocky, complex terrain around Carp is humbling. It's similar to Rocky Ridge and the north end of Hilton Falls - very difficult to relocate if you don't hit a control right on. It makes my head hurt to concentrate that hard!

This was an interesting, challenging, well-set course with difficult footing in a beautiful autumn forest. I haven't done much navigation this year so I expected to get completely lost at least once. I cautiously counted my paces and followed precise bearings, never relying on features alone.

I messed up a few times when I got sucked in by a flag from another course. "Oh, there's a flag in a ditch well off my bearing. I'd better veer off my line to read the control code in case it's the hilltop I'm looking for." But my control was never too far away. So my navigation was a little ragged at times but things never got stressful - although it was getting close with #12, the 2nd last control. :)

10th of 34 in my category, which was better than expected. There were two splits where I came 2nd to Pavlina but other than that, my best split was 10th. It looks like I excel at legs where I run 100 m south between two controls. This skill will not be terribly useful tomorrow in the Long Distance event.

So nice to see so many friends - Revy, C-Bass, Arthurd, Cristina (with apple cider donuts), Kissy (who knocked it out of the park again), Sid & Trudy, Ken, DLevine, Hammer, Starr, AdventureGirl!, Backwoods, Mr. & Mrs. GHOSLO, Anvil, Blairtrewin, Mark A, Sudden & family, Wilsmith & family, Nick, Dale, Mr. & Mrs. Dobos, Smoke, Barb, Izzy (North American Champ), Benoit L, Nick DsC, James and a whole bunch more. That's the best part of a NAOC!

(Straight line course distance: 2.9 km, 40 m elevation gain.)

The DontGetLost crew has taken over all the cottages at Bayview Lodge west of Arnprior. Nice place!



Mocha continues to feel great, and we were happy to have another chance to take her paddling. She is so thrilled when she sees us carrying the canoe to the water. My sweet girl. :)

Middle - Course 6a - Splits

Event: NAOC2014 (North American Champs/Ottawa O-Fest)
 

Congratulations to Orienteering Ottawa on putting together an exciting, fun opening ceremony for the North American Champs! Live band, parade of clubs and nations, hockey orienteering, torch lighting, wild cheering and stomping from the packed bleachers... Nice.

NAOC road trip with pooches

Sneezing today and exhausted - nooo!!! Bring on the ColdFX, Vitamin C, zinc lozenges, oil of oregano, eye of newt...

In the last two days:
- 8 hours of driving
- 7 hours of sitting at the hospital waiting for Mom's pacemaker to be replaced (with both of us expecting it to be more like 3-4 hours)
- 1 hour of fixing (or attempting to fix) technology at my parents' house.
- Less than 4 hours of sleeping
- 0 hours of exercise

Being an 80-year-old involves more endurance and mental toughness than anything I do.

Max HR test... I needed to do a quick check for the MTBO map but was delayed a couple of hours so I drove to Albion Hills. On the way back, as I came down the hill into Palgrave on Highway 50, I saw a black dog playing in the middle of the highway. "Boy, that dog owner will be glad it's me slowing down on the hill instead of some transport truck whipping around the blind curve in the other direction, like it usually is. I'll have to stop and help."

And - oh my God - it was BazingaDog. He didn't seem to notice my car at all, as he has had no traffic training since he's not trustworthy off-leash. As I got close, he seemed to notice an interesting smell on the side road heading toward 'Bent's dental office parking lot. I pulled over and left my car unlocked and running at the side of Highway 50 - purse and phone on the front seat - and dashed for him. Luckily, he came to me meekly instead of playing his usual game of keep-away.

I may have stormed into the dental office and used a word that one would not normally say in a business in front of your husband's employees and customers. A plumber was there, and I suspect he let BazingaDog out the 3 doors and gates that are supposed to keep him from escaping the back of the building. I threw all 90 pounds of him (dog, not the plumber) into my car and took him home. Heart is still racing. Office security needs to be improved. On a positive note, it appears that I may have a guardian angel. I only drive past 'Bent's office 3-4 times a week so the odds of me being at that place at that time to save him were really, really low.

So much going on these days that I'm turning into a sloth. I got caught up on a bunch of things (but not everything) after my parents left this morning, then snuck out for a chilly autumn forest tour before the electrician arrived.

I'm certainly not light on my feet but running feels OK so I can probably start building up again. Although... I still don't have any idea what kind of thing I might be training for. Enjoying XC ski season is my current training goal, I suppose.