Here is the Stuckey Pond '07, M21 map, and here are my routes.

Stuckey Pond Race (PEEC/Water Gap)

I had a disastrous race. Spiked only 1 of the first 8 controls. Most mistakes were under 30 seconds but control #1 was a train wreck as I made a parallel error in the trail network. #6 was probably 2 or 3 minutes -- I've never felt that area was mapped exactly right (or the veg as changed), and I've never been convinced that it is possible to put a fair control in there, and my opinion remains unchanged (tho I understand some smart people were involved in setting and vetting this course). I did settle down and knock down the rest of the controls pretty much, but it is tough to have the killer instinct after having such a horrible start.

It was tough out there. The veg was thick just about everywhere. I seem to remember it being a bit more open, but the course setter didn't treat us to more than a K out of 12 K to the open stuff. The viz was horrible. It was hot. The lines seemed stacked. I had stinging sweat in my eyes and blurry vision. The worst problem, however, was being incessantly tormented by swarms of horse flies. We have horse flies at French Creek in the summer, but I can usually outrun them. Here it was too thick and physical to do so. I couldn't read the map due to the blurry vision -- at least it served a purpose as a fly swatter.

I was cursing the course setter, but on reflection it was a good and seemingly appropriate M21 course. I just too out of shape, and not used to anything challenging. My only complaint really is that there are beautiful open woods in the north part of the map; a bit more in there would have been more fun.

Injuries

Last week was my first week since last September of doing my full weekly daytime running program. That is encouraging. I still have the injuries, but at least I can train thru them. On more week on the full daytime program, and I will try to add my second training back in gradually. I feel the pain just below the surface; lets keep our fingers crossed that it stays there. I'm still scared of doing a 2 hour run, tho.

Team Trials 08 Course Setting

Spent 3 hours walking around the sprint venue for the 08 trials with the fieldwork, taking pictures, and looking at stuff, but purposely doing no course setting other than checking possible start and finish areas. I excited about the potential for a really really good sprint on a pretty site, but nervous about under-achieving as a course setter. There are so many possibilities, including the remote possibility of realizing my vision of what a sprint should be like. Good sprint legs kept leaping out at me. Its going to take a ton of work, tho.

I was going to post some of the pictures, but they may end up being control features, areas, or routes, so I thought better of it. This one, however, will definitely not be a control location (and is not necessarily representative of the terrain), but will be filed in the "how did they do that department".