Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Event: SMOC - Mich Two Day Part 2 - Park Lyndon
 

Again, how much warm up can I handle? Then I caught the tail end of a rush, so I started to cool off a bit. Happy to see more participants though, s'all good.

Very fun middle distance type course from Joe. Lots of quick direction changes, felt like the middle from Canadian Nationals or the all-middle Pig of a couple years ago. I enjoyed it.

I took my compass off to copy controls, so I put it on the table. Then, without noticing, I moved it to my pocket. So when I charged off to 1, I realized "no compass!" Fudge! It's on the table! It was really in my pocket, but I didn't notice until after 12.

I think this was sort of a good thing - it got me off beelines a bit and back to more reliable feature-to-feature routes that are at my level. If I could strike that balance, woo hoo.

I really noticed on this course a fitness limitation. I just do not have the aerobic capacity to run fast enough when I know where I'm going. Hopefully I can do a sensible build up and get into half shape this winter without getting injured.

Minor mistakes at #4 - didn't notice which swamp, took indistinct trail into northern marsh area before popping back up onto the higher ground.

Miscounted hills to #5, but the long way around wasn't terrible, just slightly inefficient.

Green after 12 was awful - tried to beeline a bit but couldn't punch through - eventually I just crawled. Should have gone north out of 12 and cut across the flat, although Igor said that wasn't perfect, it was hopefully better!

Then 18, just got too aggressive, should have trailed it up a bit. At least my spidey sense activated quickly.

Left trail to F, let's see if it paid off.....

C • Yep it paid off =) 7

Speed setting a streamer course at Peach Mountain for visiting U of I o club members. Only one mistake, tried to beeline to a small depression, ended up in wrong one, easily noticed since it lacked an accompanying reentrant. Double checked position once or twice. Probably my cleanest run in that park. Not much zip though. Against, fitness!

Some of the legs are absolutely gorgeous, notable 9-10 through the pines and 13-14 in that really open forest.

Event: SMOC - Mich Two Day Part 1 - Univ of Mich Scramble at the Arb
 

Woo hoo! I found the sprint start.

A little warmup. I can never decide how much to warmup, because I don't feel fit enough to waste too much energy screwing around. I'll be tired soon!

Very fun sprint, thanks Joe!

Did well 1-2. Overshot 3, misread white vs. clearing. I could pretend that dodging mud on the trail kept my head down rather than scanning.

Rattled by 3, I charged off to a spur for 4, then noticed that it should be a white spur, so I cut over.

Then was pretty clean, a little hesitation descending to #8 looking around rather than running to the middle of the circle.

I think going around the grass in my many cases was faster to 10 and 12.

Screwed up #14, ran through medium green and hit the big trail, but should have had a better approached and noticed the slope change.

Can't find my map or I would QR.

May have the fast finish split, but not by much. Alex was gunning for it!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Punch didn't beep, but unbeknownst to me my stick recorded a time, I restuck the stick, got a beep, and the splits credited that two second leg to the 15-F rather than 14-15. Let the record show I dropped 19 to beat Alex. Ali was 21, but it did not look like she was trying. :)

Picked up the two easiest controls

Nearly orienteering, as I tried to escape the Arb and end up near my car. Nice chat with w4j up the hill to Geddes.

Dear wife wishes to do another Mackinac run.

This one does not have a companion longer race, so all of the faster runners are lumped into the 10k, which has all off the climb of my recent 5.7 miler plus a bit more, as it starts from ~lake level and not 1/3rd of the way up the hill.

The open M35-39 is thus much faster than the 5.7 - both 1st and 2nd were sub seven (6:36 to win!), despite the tougher course than the 5.7.

However, there are three Clydesdale categories. At my current weight I would be in the middle one, and first in that slows to 7:05/mile. Even if I dropped 3-18 pounds, I would still be eligible for the lightest of Clydes categories, where first was faster than me at 6:48, but 3rd was already down to an easy peasy 8:40. Or I could bulk up. 220+ is 7:36 to win. I could do that with an extra 17 lbs, eh?

C • definitely bulk up. 6

Also I should suck it up and start riding in the rain, or get a trainer. :|

C • rain 6

Chilson was well above the number of starts of other meets this season, landing it third place in starts for 2012-present, just four out of first. Besides Barbara and Ali being wonderful, why? Is Sunday a better day in our market? Is Brighton a better location? IFFAC as a marketing tour de force?

C • Yes it's probably Barbara a... 18

C • Barbara and the Fragiles sounds like a rock band 22

Another foray into greater Dixboro nature preserves. Some gorgeous looking woods. Tempting to set a few streamers for Igor, just using a 2' Washtenaw GIS screen shot.

Event: SMOC Chilson Impoundment
 

Goodbye island hike. Only minimal accidental trespassing.