Now that all the fun 'n' games are over expect to see OK's relay teams going full bore in their preparations for the '00 relays. Expect Spike to introduce a web-based system to track team members training. Expect Mary to hit the sewing machine and crank out fleece pullovers like sausages at the sausage factory. Expect Fritz to commit sometime in January and begin weekly training runs exceeding 3 hours in duration. We'll soon see Gene doing hill intervals below the Campanile. Dan will be doing a lot of training at night now, perhaps "two-a-days" from now 'til April. Mook will work on fast intervals and map-reading skills. Peggy, well, we don't exactly know what Peggy will be doing. We have been out of contact with Pegs for a while now but will check in to see where her preparations are. She will, in any case, be in charge of acquiring maps of the relays terrain. Her training will be tailored to running a fast yellow course. That means a lot of short, fast runs.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), December 26, 1999

Answers

Mook is close, but not quite.

I am committing now, but I'm not sure for what team. I know I'll need to practice orienteering much more than running and than 3 hour runs won't be the best for me to train as I won't need that kind of endurance. Instead, while training for the rowing ergometer competition at KU in mid February, I will be reading maps while I row, sending out copies of maps to those who are interested in helping out (will need snail mail addresses) in showing me what route choices they would take and how they would be thinking on the legs, and MOST IMPORTANT I will be training the E.F. (Embarrassment Factor) by having Bobbi and others watch me read the maps while I row! I know I've got to practice choosing and following a route despite what others who are watching may think.

Oh, and I could practice some mental imagery of winning. I was on a winning O' team once. No doubt I can repeat that feat.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.

Good news for homeland based OK members. I was running at Shawnee Mission park last Thursday night and the park does not close until 8pm. We can still do after work runs on Tuesday nights.

-- Dan (daniel.meenehan@umb.com), December 28, 1999.

Expect Spike to introduce a web-based system to track team members training.

That sounds like a good idea. I have, in fact, been thinking about some ways to use the Internet to help people train. Stay tuned to the OK forum for further developments. If anyone has any specific ideas -- please let me know.

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), December 28, 1999.

Mook writes: ....Expect Mary to hit the sewing machine and crank out fleece pullovers like sausages at the sausage factory....

If I make fleeces, but neglect training, is that alright? Will being warm and looking cool cover for a bad O run??? :)

Mary

PS Mook, how many more posts do I need before the end of the millenium?

-- Mary (maprunner@juno.com), December 29, 1999.

The main reason I obtained a headlamp was because it was getting too dark to train when I arrived in Columbia on my way to St. Louis. Last night was the first time I stopped to train on my way through at Rock Bridge State Park. When I was coming up the last hill there was a bright light shining at me. My first thought was, "wow someone else has a headlamp too, and is coming toward me". This thought was much like the infamous "look Dan there are two other idiots out here" quote. It turns out there were two police officers "investigating" the reason someone on the edge of the park had called the police and said someone was shining a light in their house!!! They informed me the park closed at sunset. I had looked around for a sign with park hours on it when I entered the park and saw nothing, so figured it would be ok to go ahead and run. It turns out the guy who called the police was also there. He left after I explained myself and the cops said he had called (911 I presume at 6:30 pm on new years eve) the police and reported someone was shining a light in his house from the park. The house was at least 200m through the woods from the trail I was running on, so the cops were very nice to me and seemed a little miffed at the homeowner. I apologized and was on my way. I guess I will have to find a little more remote area of the park to run in from now on. Maybe we need a thread on run-ins with the law and headlamps.

-- Dan (daniel.meenehan@umb.com), January 01, 2000.