Training Log Archive: Gswede

Getting a head start on this finally : )

I'm going to start a fall race series in NEPA on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Anyone is welcome to join, but I expect I'll be alone.

Tomorrow is at Campbell's Ledge and my start time is at 3:33pm ET (21:33 CET). Live tracking below thanks to Raphaël.

https://eco.routechoices.com/eco-fall-race-series-...

Started off on the ride and noticed a wobble in the rear wheel. Turns out it's another broken spoke. Two broken spokes within a month means the other spokes probably have enough fatigue that they'll be going soon also. So I ordered a new rear wheel and must now wait to bike again.

There has been a nagging pain on the outside of my R foot for the past week. So I'm going to cancel the scheduled long run and rest today with a bike ride tomorrow.

Event: OUSA 2023 Masters Nationals
 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6NCneDLNMdKGV7V58

Training goal: focus on flow

Absolutely gorgeous day down at Nescopeck with Kswede. It's been a while since I've been here and I forgot how difficult it is to move with the ferns out and the wet rocky ground. My R foot and heel were bothering me, which slowed me down a lot on the downhills since I was nervous about taking them hard.

But I also had a really rough start. I did my breathing exercise and visualization routine, but I still felt a bit scatterbrained at the start, and it showed. Marshes around here tend to be a bit thornier. So I stayed high to avoid that, but I didn't need to go that high. 2-3 was when I lost all semblance of flow as I didn't have a good bearing leaving the control and let myself get pulled off by another marsh.

I assumed the hill after the marsh was the one I was looking for a and could drop into the control after that. It wasn't and then I had to jog myself down to 3. Once there I took a few seconds to refocus.

This held decently until 5 when I came up against a clearcut area about 60m or so from the control. Once again, the flow was broken up and I went to 6 and tried to refocus.

After that things started to come together, but I still wasn't running fast because of the blueberry, ferns, and wet rocky ground. It was more challenging than most times I've come to Nescopeck because the oak forest is open, but the leaves cut down visibilty enough to make the contour details trickier to read.

I would still consider this training to be successful after having two large wrenches thrown in the works. But the goal is for flow to last the entire course : )

I also think I was struggling to focus because the blueberry with leaves out continues to make my mind think there are snakes hidden underneath. That's pretty crazy because if there were any snakes out at that temperature 50F/10C, they're most likely dead or close to it. Some snake protective socks could put my mind at ease. Until then I just keep doubling up on orienteering socks with hockey socks.

Thresholding at the Ledge

The Coxton Rd segment remains out of reach for now.

Absolutely beautiful fall morning. Crisp air. Some leaves starting to change. No bugs, no one else out there. Just me pushing myself up the mountain.

20 more at threshold to round out the day.

Really enjoying this cycle. Very excited for upcoming competitions.

2x20 at threshold. Stayed a bit more relaxed for the first 20. Pushed harder for the second 20. Feeling great. Pretty cool to run a 17:30 5k in a workout and feel relaxed, especially when I think back to freshman year of high school when breaking 20 seemed like an unachievable goal.