Training Log Archive: Traut

A day off was in order, but I had a field trip to the Johnstown Flood Memorial and wanted to take advantage of being in the highlands. downhill was out of the question. When one wants to run only flat and uphill in Johnstown.... One parks in Westmont and rides the incline (http://www.inclinedplane.org/) down runs a little around the floodplain and runs back up. I wanted a short run and thats what I did. I even finished at the Flagpole... My knees were feeling it at times, but no damage. My pace was slower then it felt and I was not able to hold a pace I thought was reasonable at the start of the climb... I suffered and drove a nasty heart and breathing rate on the climb. I haven't pushed like that on a training run in a long time... I haven't been able to. Thank goodness for a climb to enable me to. I really wasn't pressing as much as trying to maintain and use my form. I was using my form because my left glute itself was struggling and starting to fail. As a result my knees took some abuse at the top and in to the finish. Again though- no damage.

strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/94599121

Event: Mid-Atlantic Championships
 

Mid-Atlantic Championships at Col. Denning State Park (hosted by SVO)

Andy, Dave, Alex and I headed out to represent WPOC. Col. Denning is only 3 hours away. Running a blue course and then getting a chance to run my first (and WPOC's first) relay made it well worth the trip. It was a really nice park, very runable and well mapped. Great courses. The blue course was really nice and the really was an absolute blast. We were actually the first team to cross the line in the relay! After the points were worked out we were actually 7th, but what matters to me is head to head racing and it was a blast to be competitive.

results: http://www.furlong47.com/svo/results/2013/111013.h...

winsplits: http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...

routegadget: http://qocweb.org/routes/cgi-bin/reitti.pl?act=map...


Blue course: Sure, I got crushed- but this was probably the most competitive I have ever been in a competitive situation like this type of meet. I was slow on the first 4 controls for no other reason then the fact that my calf and hamstring were so tight (especially after the drive). . I could barely run during the warm-up. I was stepping very gingerly on the terrain. Alex beat me on most of those legs and he said he barely ran due to shortness of breath. So I was not going fast. As I moved into the 5th control two people started to catch me from behind. I could sense them catching me. It ended up being Zac Barker on Red (we shared the next several controls and Michael Stasiowski on Blue. As I started competing with them, my calf began loosening up and I found a bit more ability to run a little bit. I was faster then they were uphill on ay terrain and faster on a decent surface. They were faster on rougher terrain. They bot passed me around #5, and as it has at times i responded to the competition and everything improved for me- even the navigation.

We battled with slightly different route choices to 6 and 7. Heading to #8 they cut in on through the marshier areas and used the road- which didn't work for me because I hit all sorts of private property signs (no marked as out of bounds but I got out of there anyway). I found myself still beating them to the control as they struggled on the hills and looking for the control too early. We We got ahead of Staslowski on #9. I battled with Zac #10 and took a good lead on him into #11. I pulled all of these controls on route choice also. This course did not have a lot of trail usage. My map reading and use of contours has so improved since I started doing armchair map reading. This course produced some of my fastest open woods navigation. Zac was well high on #11 and I stayed on course. I blasted out to #12 using trail, where I could actually be faster then him. Until I see the quickroute, I do not know exactly what happened on #12. I used the bend in the trail as an attack point. I hit a field of rocks and fond no rootstock... I looked and looked. Looking at my GPS I was clearly too high and then extended out even further up seeing if I had missed it. I could see the reenetrant below me and should have realized the reentrant was becoming too shallow. I trusted the rocks feature completely instead of using teh contours. that is a mistake I make too often. Instead of wasting more time in what was clearly a mistake, I went back to my attack point and went down the trail to the reentrant and used that as an attack point (as I should have done first) and zipped right too it. I never saw either of them pass me, but I lost probably 8 minutes and I was off enough to never even see them go by.

I regained my composure and was happy with 13, 14, 15. I felt myself physically struggling more with the terrain though. This got worse and worse. I caught Staslowski heading up to #16. The uphill was still an advantage for me and this was a nice long one. Going into #7 Andy caught me from behind and was so much faster over the terrain that it gave me a good reference for how I was struggling. Staslowski out-navigated me, taking better route choices for #17 and #18, but we were close. I did pull away form him heading to #19. Andy was out of sight by the time I hit the road. I was navigationally scared of #19 so I took it slow . I did not get caught from behind, so that was good. I contoured and used trail to go to #20. The navigation was good, but I wasn't handling the rocky terrain well at all. Staslowski went down to the road and popped up to #20right when I did! I got beat there... #21 he choose a really high attackpoint off of the trail and I shot in way ahead of him. I totally screwed up #22 (Attackpoint was right on with that control and #12 as my lost time controls) as I got very sloppy and got on the upper trail thinking it was the lower trail. Didn't check the compass... I figured out where I was relative to the campground and redirected. He did not catch me from behind though and I got in a bit ahead of him.

The last 5 controls or so there was a definite physical and navigational loss. Given my state of physical being- I can not complain with that performance. It would be nice to have my physical tools though.I would also equate this day to the Shamrock Shuffle from last year (http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...) but the half marathon instead. I was broken going in and got through but had to baby and focus on form and really didn't think I would. In that manner teh relay fits the 5k in that I had to come back and do a double on a day I had no business doing a single race. In between the races you feel like it isn't going to be anything but a disaster.. but you do get through and somehow the competition finds a way to let you in and have a chance... at least the relay did here.

Winsplits has the ability to generate a new results taking out everyone's mistakes. The results had me move up to 10th with a 1:29.29. Even though y mistakes were much less then previous, I was the only one who moved up around me. Everyone else had so much smaller mistakes that didn't effect them nearly as much as my 10:00 (almost all on #12, but some on number 22 as well).

QuickRoute: http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1086363...




Now that I am looking at the Quickroute, I really botched 12 and I am not sure how I came to do what I did. I hit the rocks that I thought I hit, but instead of contouring to the control- I appear to have blatantly climbed pretty sharply. I did not remember it that way at all... I was obviously very sloppy in staying in touch with the map.

Another thing I noticed in that I am very sloppy coming into and out of re-entrants. Whether it is not thinking of where the control in a re-entrant will be (which side in relation to steep slopes) or changing direction coming out of them when a route choice crosses one, I do not seem to be handling them with grace. I have really improved my map reading as it pertains to contours, but I still have a long way to go. I need to keep reading maps as often as can (armchair O it is called I guess) and I need to spend the time focusing on the contour detail in competition.

Relay. Me-Dave- Andy. Mass start and no forking. I had a blast and handed off in second place due to some luck.

My calf and hamstring were a mess. I hobbled through a jog in between the blue and the relay. I had no expectation sand that worked out fine. The start was just weird and crazy. Everyone apparently recognized the control number on the course description and knew where to run without even flipping over the map. I didn't even have the map oriented at the first control... The 1-5000 scale and just trying to get the numbers into focus was a disaster. I was so confused that I was trailing young girls half way there. I recovered and moved up to maybe 6th or 7th at the first control. I saw Zac from earlier up there. Ted fro QOC was right in front of me. He an dI battled for the next 4 -5 controls. He cut up earlier to #2 and I used the trail to cross the reentrant to make up ground and we go there the same time. We both ended up high on the way to #3 and both redirected. We were 3rd and 4th going into the spectator control #4. I tried to go by him coming into #5 by using the campground further up to slide onto the trail a few steps ahead. That worked, but then I misread how much I would need to go dow an dup to the control in the reentrant and he attacked from lower on the trail and beat me to the control.

We battled to #6 and we could see Speedy (Vadim Masalkov) and Zac ahead of us. We all ended up in the rootstocks above the control. We were all thinking we should be right on it. I noticed the contouring put us too far removed from the steeper gradient and I headed lower. Vadim and Ted did not follow me (Zac must have figured it out because he got out of there ahead of us and I did not see him). I got the jump on them and hit #7 and the finish clear of them handing off in second.

Dave ran the yellow/orange leg and passed one team but got passed by another (Greg Baltar) with another team on his heals (Wyatt Riley' son who used his running speed to stick to Baltar). Andy started with Clem McGraf right in front of him and Wyatt Riley right behind- a pretty great race to watch! Andy busted down the hill to take the lead after the last control. We crossed first... sure we were 7th after all the points but we'll take it.

Calves and hamstrings were cramping really good on the ride home.

Quickroute: http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1086344...



Looking at the Quickroute, #5 makes more sense. It seemed that the control was a lot further from the trail then I anticipated. It appears I, or the trail was further south then the map. I still should have entered the re-entrant sooner as Ted did.

Blue - Splits

Relay Leg 1 - Splits

Event: Quail Hollow SP
 

I know I shouldn't do this, but Let's Get Dirty is one of those little races in Western PA that everyone knows and has stirred my curiosity.

http://www.rockathletics.com/documents/2013/9/11/2...

I thought, at the least, I could test my knee a little bit on the terrain and get some feedback for the Mid-Atlantic Champs tomorrow.

All in all, I was really disappointed with the event. 4 laps in a 5k is ridiculous. It is a mud race and they changed it form an older two-lap race to spend more time in the muddiest places. I suppose it is less a race now and more of a mud run mentality- just without the obstacles. It just isn't designed with competition in mind anymore. On the second lap you are already getting mixed up with lapped runners. It is almost impossible to pass on the trails- too narrow. I am also not any faster then anyone else in terrain as rough as this. this course was more like orienteering as far as footing and terrain. I do not have the specific strength for rough footing. Another reason I get beat so badly on the orienteering course. I could only pass people on the short grassy strips maybe 50 yards long.

On my warm-up, my knee was OK I guess. The thing was it was a really short warm-up. I did not plan to run hard. I was doing this purely for fun. I can not over-emphasize how much of a mess I am right now. Knee, calf, hamstring etc.... I arrived very shortly before the race. I went to bed still think I probably wouldn't do the race at all. I couldn't sleep and I wanted to have a little fun and wanted to test my legs on terrain a little bit. all signs were that I was a mess though, including my back being really sore getting out of bed....

After my short warm-up I planned to go out and just have fun. The start was a short dip and a run up hill and then into the mud trails. I wasn't even thinking about my calf at the start, but my right calf absolutely exploded on the first step. I was basically limping up the hill and was pretty far back (following girls with tu-tus...). I ran as controlled as I could as the calf got to the point I could at least run. I focused on form as best I could. I struggled through the terrain even more so with my calf being so sensitive. I could pass multiple people on the grassy strips without hammering, but just couldn't overcome my terrain strength deficiencies and the lapped runners on the narrow trails in that terrain (briars and fight on the edges of the trails) to pass anyone at all on the trails. The deep mud holes wreaked havoc on my calves but I did get through.

The best way to describe this day is the 5k at the Shamrock Shuffle last year. I competed in something I had no business doing given my body being completely broken. After 'surviving', for lack of a better term, the half-marathon- I ran the 5k. My calf absolutely blew up for the first half mile. It recovered enough to run by about a mile and I worked my way back up toward other people struggling from going out too fast. No business being competitive, but end up there anyway. I ended up 4th today. I got as much enjoyment as I will get out of this event. I doubt I will do it again.

Here is the Shamrock shuffle for reference: http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...

Spent the rest of the day with Gail. We took Claire and Gail's Mom to the Harmony Christmas Market. After I raked and cleared off the deck (since I will be gone tomorrow), Gail and I put Claire to bed, and Gail's mom stayed with her while I met my old college roommate at the ND/ Pitt game at Heinz Field. A night game meant little sleep before I had to get up to head out to meet up with Dave, Andy, and Alex to head out to the Mid-Atlantic Championships out near Harrisburg i the morning. But we needed some fun after Gail has had to work so so much these last months.

So so tight. Quads feel like a typical day after work. Tight. Feeling knee just walking down stairs. After a lot of work yesterday (at least a lot for where I am at now) I did decide to be smart. I want to orienteer on Sunday and not damage my knee further. Wet for a 45 minute walk. Just stretching and rolling for PT again. I am just to messed up right now.

I saw a sign for a spinning class designed to generate power threshold information. The training methodology geek in me has always been interested in looking more specifically into cycling training and the potential of the ability to measure actual power output. I have never had a power meter or the time to really dive into training methodology the way I did back in the day. A spin class designated to look at power numbers is a great way to cross train and stir up some curiosity.

Anyway, that meant I cut back the aqua-jogging to 30 minutes. There were times I feel like I had a stride. Right calf and hamstring were really really tight.

The first day of the power-spin class was a pre-test. Instead of a hour time trail, it is a 20 minute time trial, but that comes after a 25-minute warm-up and 3 -15 second max power attempts on a 5-minute cycle. Then a cool down. I was hoping that since my new-found glute strength- I might not have some of the same problems that kept me not-doing much cycling cross-training this year. At least I am not seeing evidence of that now... My back was a mess as was that feeling of a pinched nerve in my butt. All of that the same, but my right calf was by far the biggest problem. I feel like I am spiraling down this week. All that being said, I generated some decent power and goth through it but had to make adjustments for my calf...

Really felt tight and a mess... did do active warmup, which I struggled with, and added leg press. I hoped to get back on track with PT tomorrow. Stretched and rolled at home.

GPS was acting up pretty good today, so it was recording a bit faster then reality. I linked strava because it does have a segment (going up the ridge on the alternate red trail) which is the time it took me to get from the start of the segment to the end, so as long as the GPS was accurate at those two points, it is accurate. I also feel that that split corresponds to how I felt much more.

Wanted to try to get on trails, but reduce chance of causing more swelling by going downhill. Was wiling to keep it short and did. I planned on going about 4 miles, but stopped short as my knee started to feel more irritated.

I did not feel a real natural flow in my stride, especially at the beginning, but I did OK on the trails going uphill. My flow did get better and I was engaging my glutes. My left knee was irritable, but my right knee was doing well. I jumped on the road at the top to avoid downhill and then hit the little buried connector trail to avoid the harsh downhill. I was definitely feeling the downhills, but they did get better as I found more flow. I am definitely inhibited by swelling and want to avoid more.

Oddly enough, the road is where I have felt good lately, but that is where my right knee had finally had enough and started to get agitated. I planned to stop and walk don the hill on the road. I ended up stopping at least a half-mile short of that. I was happy to do that and avoid causing more inflammatory response.


strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/93641987

Stretching, rolling, and active warmup only. No squat motions at all.

went to Y for 45 minute aqua-jog. My back was extremely sore and tight at work all day. Chain up my right leg is definitely tight an bothered. Was hoping some time in the pool will help me loosen up. Felt a good stride toward end, but didn't feel great a-lot. Actually felt irritation on my left IT upper IT band condyle irritation point early on and even my right knee yelled a few times early. Got through it and did feel better toward end.

very tight in right calf and up the entire chain, like I said. My right knee is definitely vulnerable and sensitive and correlated. Is the swelling in my right knee causing tightness or is the tightness causing the stress dissipation affected by the tightness and resulting in swelling? Both concurrently causing a downward spiral of death? Hopefully the water helped today.

Right knee was very vulnerable to squat motions. On a good note, my left leg had better control and strength and balance then I have felt yet!

Did all of PT at Y and at home in evening.