The spring is showing it's first real signs here in Lampinsaari as well. Due to a certain misfortune I had to stay here for a extra month. My operated arm became inflamed some ten days after the successful operation and I had to postpone my trip to Spain. It took one week to survive from big pains and some fever, and I had to visit hospital every now and then to clean up the opened wound and see how the progress proceeds. At first the healing process was slow, but I have got used to live with problems during the last year. After I was able to start training again, it felt surprisingly good and I figured out that February was just so good training month, that even this kind of setback didn't affect too much physics or the mental side (even if it was severely tested once again). A new hobby - related to maps of course - helped me pretty much during the healing process.
Namely it's called playing with LIDAR data and making use of it's possibilities with OCAD Pro. It was so interesting that I've done some 100h of studying and work with it during the last two weeks. I reasoned that it is wise to produce some new maps for the summer trainings already now, so that I would have time to forget them during April ;-). Some examples can be seen below with the diary from last week. Basic job of a Bachelor Boy!
Monday 18.3
I woke at 5 AM once again and started to work with the maps. The main focus has been on producing nice and exact base material for my father. And when those have been done, I've been concentrating on my own maps and trainings. Days have been simply long and loaded with work. But I have done some real training as well:
8.01 AM morning run 21min + circuit 14min. 4km. The basic morning session.
12.47 PM classic skiing 101min. 21km. I skied all the tracks in Alpuanharju with GPS. My idea was to check how much all the features imported from the database of NLS of Finland are erroneous compared to GPS & LIDAR. Much.
Tuesday 19.3
You don't need to guess my doings at the morning. Some three to four hours go really fast when playing with this kind of material... It's really liberating to get some time without worrying things too much, even if I recognize my situation too well also when doing trainings and for example working with this map project. But the progress towards more relaxed thinking has been started, in fact most likely already some time ago.
8.50 AM morning run 16min + circuit 24min. 3km. Morning run was planned to be longer, but the cold weather forced me to return home. I have still some slime in my throat and I wanted to play it safe by adding some aerobic circuit again.
15.26 PM skiing 114min + running 17min. 21 + 4km. Easy skiing with my father on the small tracks in the woods and after that some faster running, including 1,5km at 3.15min/km -pace. Not too easy feeling after the training because of that "cool-down" run.
After the training I took the daily cold-hot -treatment in the bathtub. This maneuver starts to be quite ready now: if the legs feel "hot" after the session (like after the previous session), it is wise to wash yourself first and then - even if it hurts - make the legs cold by showering them with ice-cold water. After that I add some hot water at the bottom of the tub, so that my jammed back gets some relaxation meanwhie the legs rest at the wall.
At this point you can here a sound from the legs - the sound of recovery. During the treatment I usually read the local newspaper and reading it takes the time my back usually needs. In the end I shower my legs again with ice-cold water for some minutes or sit in the water. And actually the real ending phase is putting the recovery socks on and solving the sudokus of the local newspapers.
Wednesday 20.3
You can now really guess what I did in the morning...
8.29 AM running 66min. 12km. I ran a longer morning run for a change on skimobile tracks and beside the minor roads. Training included about 20 x 50-100m with quite fast speed. And after the training this tub-ritual followed again. I have to admit that this treatment is not se beatific as I previously described. But at least you get a good feeling for some hours. During those hours I produced new map from Haapovuori without any field work ;-). The best piece of it:
15.24 PM skiing 30min + running/walking in snow 66min. 6 + 10km. My plan was to ski longer on the snowmobile tracks with the GPS, but now I got a small inflammation in my healthy hand. So I had to go home directly and change the running shoes on. In the end of the training legs felt pretty heavy after running on soft surface, but this is how the strength is gained!
Thursday 21.3
8.38 AM circuit 20min + running 12min. 2km. In total coma. Quickly back to home to rest and treat the muscles.
14.26 PM running 136min. 21km. After some hours of treatment, rest and work I can feel that a miracle has happened and I am ready for a long training. Training is almost too long since I got lost in the southern part of the old Alpuanjärvi -lake (it's nothing special, because I am there for the first time, and of course without map...). After ending up to two dead ends, I had to follow my steps back to center of the old lake. The wind was heavy and there was 15-20cm of snow on tracks and it made me to think how wise this training really is. If someone would have shooted some videomaterial from that kind of running, it should be forbidden for people under age of 18yrs.
After crossing the road to Alpua I had an idea that if the sun doesn't show up, I won't walk before I am at the top of the old mine's waste area. Well, it didn't show up and at the top of the small waste hill legs were like concrete. I kept my promise to myself, but after the session I also promised to myself that this session will not be repeated tomorrow.
Friday 22.3
9.44 AM skiing 60min. 12km. Skiing as morning training for a change, again without ski poles.
After the session I was wondering why the literature or other kind of relaxing freetime activities doesn't interest me during the day, but only in the evening before falling asleep. Then I have the only longer phase of the day without sport or orienteering related issues. The news, sport news and 20-50 pages of Ulkona -book (by Hannu Raittila) has been this week's evening program. Only exeption was yesterday and the reason was the TV-series Mentalist. The best thing about using so much time for these maps is that I don't get any money from it. But I and couple of other people get a smile on our face. And it is just so damn funny!
16.31 PM running 84min + walking in snow. 7km. I had an idea to make a map from the best (and only...) "open rock terrain" of Lampinsaari. At least my sisters' kids can use it some day for a treasure hunt activities? I wandered in woods with the GPS for a while and the aim was to find some rocks, cliffs etc. It was especially funny to find rock in pairs and make "eights" around them. Pleasures of a weirdo are this cheap!
Saturday 23.3
8.07 AM running 23min + circuit 17min. 4,5km. This time I ran a bit faster on the snowmobile tracks and my stride starts to feel strong again.
11.25 AM skiing 158min. 35km. Visiting Kalajoki with my father. I skied all the tracks there, weather was incredible and man had lots of power left in the end. Below you can see piece of Kalajoki-terrain with 50cm contour interval and vegetation image made from the LIDAR data. It looks almost as great in real life as well.
Sunday 24.3
8.03 AM running 47min + circuit 13min. 10km. I got more stupid from yesterday and prolonged & added speed-play approach into it. 30s fast (2.50-3.30min/km) and 30s easy running (5.30-6.00min/km) is a simple system, which I didn't plan or execute practically very carefully. But something like that it was. Basic treatments after session so that I can have a good skiing exercise during the day. Weather is very beautiful.
11.43 AM skiing 150min. 27km. Skiing in the woods in Rasvakoski-hiihto. As I said, again an incredible weather and easy skiing on varying track had also similar effect you get from massage. At least for the legs, because my mom had to massage my back in the evening. It worked, because in the Monday morning's skiing (6.25 AM, 31km) the feeling was great. Obviously this long morning session without having a proper breakfast before was too long, since in the afternoon's running session (15.09 PM, 9km) the legs were lazy. Towards the end the feeling got better and I felt strong again. Now I will knock the wood.
At some point I would have to take it easy, but I don't know when I will have the time ;-). In any case it needs to happen before Saturday, when I will finally travel to Spain for the remaining 2 ½ wks. Second gear will be put on there. My competition season starts when the wound is safe. Properly.