Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

PLRA scouting with Mike, John, and Tony.

Some very nice legs. And even the slightly less open woods aren't too bad - I hiked with 7 lbs kitty litter and my paddle and all was passable whilst upright.

Might need to tone down Orange a bit, or the field will be destroyed early and often.

Nice to mix up the directors if for nothing else than Mike picked a spot I wouldn't have, but even though it looks easy I think people might make a few mistakes if they let their guard down and there are lots of small choices along the way and it's just a fun place to go.

C • I have never started from t... 2

Ugh, one clipless crash and two nearly so. One of the nearly so incidents (that "hard" option with the really steep drop and then steep climb near a marsh or something), I ended up stepping on the front d and bent it into the tire a bit.

I think I am more of an Island Lake / gravel road kinda guy. I don't have the chops for that. And my AR configured bike rattles too much over all the roots and rocks.

Good practice though.

w/ 10 lbs kitty litter.

Raccoongaine finally claims one of possibly two toenails. On the upside, when I accidentally pitched my gaiters, my too-small-after-too-much-AR shoes went with 'em.

I'm not intending to be so weekend warrior in training, but if you get home, do some laundry, change some tires, change some oil, hose your bike off, suddenly it's the end of the day.

C • Man, I need to change those... 2

Either poison {something} is in the woods now, or I have some sort of medical issue.

Also, about 80% sure I accidentally pitched my gaiters. :(

C • Ok, me too!! 7

Left late, tried to hammer to make up time so I wouldn't be late to Cooper's AR training group, but couldn't get the full five minutes off last week that I wanted. Dragging a bit today.

We all agreed that if this was each other's race pace, we were going to be crushed by the other guy.

Includes 3-4 minutes of chilling on the bridge over the Huron by Kensington Road.

Jeff is looking really strong. He's going to tear it up at the Rage.

Some power hiking in the Badlands. Lost some time climbing a very overgrown ridge and then bushwhacking along the top. Shorts and short sleeves were probably not the best choice! But great scouting for my eventual o meet in this terrain. I think it would be sweet to do night o here; the MD could go up on top one of the big hills and watch 1/2 of the action from afar, just a great view.

Leisurely return home. I thought I would be cold as the temperature was dropping a bit, but it was fine. I got home warm, but then got chilled after a few minutes in the house, so I could enjoy the sensation of being chilled while also being itchy and warm from whatever I ran into.

Event: SMOC - 2013 Spring Hi-Land Lake O Meet
 

I should really get in 10k shape so I don't die halfway through!

1 - bobbled, not sure why I didn't continue around, accidentally found #2, then an easy fix.
2. - easy spike, since I was familiar with the terrain.
3. - around the depression, then cut up the hill. Slightly sluggish trying to get a feel for contours and scale, hesitated a couple times
4. - bobbled the exit, should have pushed straight west for trail, lots of fight.
5. - not too bad through the clearings
6 - biggest error, missed low, thought the first pass through the actual reentrant was just undulations. Not sure how I didn't see the diagonal trail and ended up back at the other trail, argh. Oh well, time to fix the mistake and hope it works out in the end.
7. - I love these erosion gullies!
8. - Slightly bobble before I realized 8, not 10, comes after 7. Saw Rick exiting #9
9. - straightforward. Shallow depressions south of line had water, but there's been a lot of rain!
10. Thought about the the small pass through the swamp, but avoided climb
11 - Thought I would be able to see it better, but there was just a bit of green. High line would be better.
12. Used pines, then followed the hill around.
13. Finally caught Rick.
14. Happy with line (except should have swamp crossed at start of leg); fight bearable to #14, no crawling
15. Green shortcut not too bad.
16 - Not sure why I exited 15 so poorly, also was confused by the orange control in the dot ditch. Tried to turn in, but fight was too much. Finally realized I should watch for end of pines and turn in there.
17. Used pines to guide me.
18. Nice GO control. My exit was slightly poor, but tolerable.

C • Lots of people having troub... 4

Control pickup. Nice section of controls. Tried different line to Red #10, wasn't great, may have trespassed a little. :-)