Training Log Archive: oxensd

Long distance US championships at Trap Creek, Stanley, ID. After a glorious drive from Boise up ID-21 around the Sawtooth Mountains, Alexandra and I arrived in Stanley. We are staying at the Mountain Village Lodge, which is nice enough. Stanley is on the plain, surrounded by gorgeously undulating hills, the Salmon River (very full with snowmelt water), and with the snowclad Sawtooths in the background. What a treat!

The long distance championships were at Trap Creek, about 12 miles north of Stanley on ID-21. The terrain is beautiful with Ponderosa and other pines, sandy/gravelly hills, and dry terrain generally (except for marshy areas which were quite wet due to the huge amount of snow this past winter). In some ways the terrain reminded me of Gotland, minus the hills, and (unfortunately) plus a huge number of fallen logs just about everywhere, which seriously slowed down running. It was very difficult to get into a good running pace most of the time, unfortunately.

As this is a real wilderness area, there are virtually no roads, paths, or other man-made objects. Just lots of complex contour lines, which made it a fun and somewhat challenging race. The lack of paths etc meant there were almost no route choices to be made; just careful navigation to almost every control. Second time I am using my new thumb compass in terrain, and the results from last weekend repeated. It is really remarkable how much better I am staying on course using it, compared to a traditional compass. I would never have guessed it.

Few mistakes, on pretty much every control I went straight. The long #3 leg (about 1km) was too easy, if I were the course setter I would have swapped #3 with #4 which would have made it more challenging. #3 involved simply aiming for Trap Creek, whose roaring waters could be heard in the distance, and following it along with detailed navigation necessary only for the last 100 meters.

On #4 I made the only mistake, somehow lost track of distance and ended up in the ditch 100m past the control, I even passed the ditch before I realized where I was and climbed back up the hill. Cost probably 2 minutes.

#5 involved fun contour navigation for about 800m, but low risk as there was a path immediately behind it. Again too easy in my opinion.

#6 I ended up slightly W of the control, just sloppy, attackpoint reports about 30s lost.

#7 was also about 1km, again too easy as a lake was right in the way only 200m before the control. But here I am thankful for the course setter, as when I crested the hill about half way, the Sawtooths appeared right in front in their full glory. Beautiful!

#8 and #9 presented no issues. #10 was long, almost 1.5km, but again far too easy since Trap Creek provided a huge handle from half way and until 100m before the control, just like #3. #10 and #11 could have been swapped which would have made it much more interesting.

#12 presented probably the most challenging navigation, I came right on the big hill half way through, then ended up in a mess of fallen logs which was slow to get through (lost 30s there) but well marked on the map, then used the small clearing just E of the control as an attack point, probably lost 30s by going a little too far east.

#13 was fun contour line navigation, spiked it. Same with #14.

#15 presented pretty much the only route choice on the whole course; go down the very steep hill immediately after #14, or stay at the top of the hill, take the path down, and then skirt the bottom of the hill to #15. I choose the latter which was almost certainly faster; several other orienteers (two ladies from BAOC, and someone else) whom I had more or less been neck and neck with since #7 went down the hill, and I gained about a minute on them through route choice.

#16 was just a very fast sprint across mostly open ground.

Great fun course, I loved the terrain and the contour navigation. However the course could have been more challenging. Running was slow and pretty frustrating because of the huge number of fallen trees in many places. But regardless, very fun. Came in #7 in green (out of about 56), and #4 in M50.

Alexandra won gold in F-14, and came in second in Yellow/White. The winner followed her for a full 75% of the course, which she reported to the organizers, but they couldn't do anything.

Green long - Splits

Event: 2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships
 

My first sprint race ever, at Boise State University campus. Novel experience! Legs felt heavy and clearly my running wasn't very fast. Minor mistakes on 1 (almost missed it on the map and was almost due south of it before I realized and came back); and 11 (started going to the left of the building instead of right where the control was). Lost about 30s in total, so another 2-3 minutes was down to running speed. Could have pushed myself a little harder but held back in the first half of the course. Fun event, beautiful weather.

To my delight Alexandra won gold in F-14.

Green-Orange sprint - Splits

Event: HVO Eagle Rock
 

Nice HVO club race at Eagle Rock Reservation, NJ. Ran red, good course.
Warm (90 degrees) and very humid. I really slowed down around half way (10), and from 16 pretty much walked the whole way except for 17 to 18. Just exhausted, the heat and humidity really got to me.

On the bright side, tried a thumb compass for the first time in my o-life, what a revelation. I consistently spiked controls (until I got very tired), with much better direction control than before. Why didn't I tried this before?

Started fast, went around the path on the long leg to 2. Spiked all controls until 17, going straight to all. Walked up the steep hill towards 17 (in hindsight should have gone around the path to the right in my state of exhaustion), and then lost concentration and went to the right, lost 2 mins. 19 may have been misplaced 40m north, met Alexandra on the way who had been looking for 10 minutes. Looped around and found it after a minute. Walked slowly with Alexandra to 20, and walked to 21.

Haven't been this tired in a very long time, probably slowed down by at least 15 minutes from 10 onwards.