Training Log Archive: Funderstormin

The brewer from Grand River is training for his first ultra and asked if I could take him out running on some local trails. I chose Puslinch as it's one of my favorite places to run. Was still hot at 5:00 p.m. but not nearly as bad as earlier in the day and in the trees it wasn't too bad. Nice run with a pushed pace for me.

First real CrossFit class and the last one of the package that Allison and I had purchased. We were both a bit intimidated about the group environment but the coach, who we had worked with during one of our Elements classes, made sure we knew what we were doing and helped us to modify the exercises we weren't ready for yet.

The gym offers 10 class packages so I'm going to purchase one of those and go from there. I'm still on the fence about this. I really like the workout part, but I could care less how well or how heavy of a barbell I can lift over my head. I'm also still not crazy about the atmosphere and we didn't find that everyone was super welcoming to us. That said, I do notice a bit of a difference already and I felt really strong at RockstAR on the weekend. So we'll see...!

C • Lifts 2

Stopped at Balsam Lake Provincial Park for to check out some trails on my way home from RockstAR. Hiked the Plantation loop which was lovely and quiet but very hot and buggy.

Event: RockstAR
 

RockstAR with Eco and Amber. This is my favourite adventure race in Ontario and for various reasons I have missed it the past few years. I really wanted to do it this year and asked Eco and Amber if they would mind having a third wheel along when I saw that they were already signed up.

Got up to Bark Lake on Friday evening and Eco and I enjoyed a late happy hour from the porch of our awesome cabin. Amber got a up a bit later and we had a catch up before bed. Felt like we had lots of time in the morning to get organized and plan our route, which consisted of a trek loop which we intended to do first and then a paddle loop.

As with all of STORM's races, the logistics were dialed and the race started on time. The bike went smoothly for us and we got back to Bark Lake about 2.5 hours in. We had been warned of thunderstorms later in the day and could see dark clouds as we were finishing up the bike, so decided to do our paddle loop first before the weather got too bad as we really wanted to paddle! We got our first paddle CP (54) and then just as we were heading across the lake for the next one (30), the skies opened up. We got to the shore and hauled our boat up and reconsidered our plan as the safety boat was clearing the water. We realized that from where we were, there were three high point value trekking CPs that we could get but hadn't intended to, so we did an out and back from CP30 picking up a 60, 70 and 80 pointer along the way. By the time we got back to the boat, the skies were clear again, so we hopped back in our boat and picked up CP35 then went around the corner to get CP45. From there, we paddled over to the island for CP64, where a bin of Rice Krispie treats was waiting for us! We stopped in at the underwater CP on the way back to the Hub - we were planning to leave this until the end but were already soaking wet from the rain at this point so it didn't really matter and we thought it would be more efficient than backtracking later on.

We got back to the Hub with just over 2 hours left in the race, so set off to complete the trek loop we'd intended to do first, starting with the SUP CP, then two others that were just off the Counn trail. When we had about an hour left to go and as the skies opened up a second time, we looked at our options and decided to head out for CP61 and try to get the audio CP (44) on our way back to the finish. The rain was insane and we were so glad it was July and not cold! We found 61 and 44 but got stung by some angry ground wasps on our way back to the trail from 44 - ouch! As we came out on the road, we had just enough time to spare to try the slingshot CP where Eco nailed the target and we avoided the 10 minute time penalty that resulted if you missed. We contemplated one more CP (32) before heading in but saw a team coming out that said it would take us longer than that. We decided not to risk it and headed in with 10 minutes to spare but no CPs that were reasonable to go after in that time.

We finished with 1040 points, good enough for our category win and behind just one other 2-person female team. Amber and I navigated well together and Eco was game for whatever we were proposing. They were both awesome teammates and we had a blast out there!

C • Nice 7

C • Dude... 2

10 minutes of deadlifts, ring rows, kettlebell swings and V-ups.

Actually my V-ups are more like L-ups at this point but I'm trying!

Went out for a morning run but my left ankle, which I rolled slightly on Sunday, was giving me a bit of grief so I cut it short and did some strength instead. The ankle might have loosened up with a bit more time but I didn't think it was worth pushing it with another race this weekend.

The yoga part. Was a lovely night for it!

SUP Yoga in Caledon. It was very windy on the water which made for a fun paddle out but a challenging one back!

Nice road and trail tour from my house.

CrossFit elements class. Worked on a few moves then did a workout consisting of cleans, ring dips, front rack lunges and jackknifes. Thought this would feel tough after the race yesterday but was pleasantly surprised. Secretly glad the workout didn't include running today though...

Half-marathon on the North Face course in Collingwood. Had such a fun weekend at Hermes and G-stix's LOVELY new place in Thornbury. Friday a big group of us had dinner at the Dam Pub, whose whisky menu was incredibly impressive! Saturday was an early wake-up call for everyone. Greg was out pre-running the course at 3:30 and I reported for volunteer duty at 4:15. I was stationed for most of the day at the the top of the Grind climb where the runners faces showed me what was to come the next day. I really enjoyed seeing all the races come through and cheering on some familiar faces. Once my shift was done I rushed back to the village to see Hermes finish the 50K, which she did in an amazing time and as the 4th female. After a bit of shopping, we had a tasty lunch in the village with Los Dobos and Benoit before visiting "the secret beach" with Ursula. Pizza and a scrabble party rounded out a very fun but full day.

Knew from spending most of Saturday out on the course that this wasn't going to be an easy race for me, and it wasn't, but I still really enjoyed (most of) the course. Having seen runner's faces at the top of the Grind, I vowed to be conservative on that climb to save energy for later. I started in the third wave, which was definitely the right one for me. Even at 8:00 a.m., it was hot hot hot and I was feeling the heat pretty early on but kept Hermes' advice of "just take care of yourself" in my head. Had 1.5L of Tailwind with me which was gone by the halfway point in the course. The climb up 12th was a grind but I didn't mind it. Loved the section through Scenic Caves where I met a very nice woman named Kristen who had chosen this as her first trail race. She was struggling in road shoes and I wasn't sure what to tell her when she asked, "it doesn't get any worse than this, does it?" We ran together for awhile which made the kms fly by. I was still a happy camper the first time through Southern Comfort but found the loop back to that aid station mentally tough as we could often see runners below and I knew that everytime we lost elevation it meant we were going to gain it again! That said, I found I was passing a lot of people on this loop which reinforced my strategy to start a bit easier. Felt okay in the shade but not great anytime we were out in the open sun - I'd feel cold and tingly which I know is not a good sign. Carried a buff with me that I used to douse with water and try to cool myself down. Was happy to arrive back at Southern Comfort and know there was just the downhill down the Cascade trail left to go.

My time was slower than I would have guessed but given my full day the day before and the heat, I'm not that disappointed. Came away feeling like I could have pushed a bit more, which is common for me. Had another lovely village lunch before heading home.

Such a fun weekend with fabulous company and a great, challenging course! Congrats to everyone who toughed out the longer races on Saturday in that heat. The one thing I was sure of is that I didn't want to run any longer than I did in those temperatures!

C • Such a great weekend and we... 8

Event: North Face Endurance Challenge
 

CrossFit class #2. We spent some time at the beginning learning presses and deadlifts and then did a workout of 3 rounds of 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings and 15 deadlifts. Had a different coach today and liked how he explained things. Workout was fun!

The learning bit...

On the August long weekend, Mrs. Tiny, Allison and I are doing the LaCloche Silhouette Trail. I have wanted to do this for so long and am so excited to finally have made it a priority this year! We wanted to balance some good time on feet with time to enjoy the scenery so are doing it over 2.5-3 days. We had a planning meeting (i.e. who brings the wine?) at Mrs. Tiny's a couple of weeks ago, and last night Mrs. Tiny and I went out to Hilton Falls for a gear test and some time on feet, as it had been awhile since either of us had done much with a bigger pack. We both had most of what we hope to bring in 30L packs (including the wine and a bottle of Fireball) and were pleasantly surprised that the packs were more comfortable than we had thought they might be. The evening was gorgeous and it was a good test run as we both found things that we'd do differently in a couple of weeks. Mosquitos were very hungry though, which inspired continued forward movement!

Words of wisdom from anyone who has done the loop are welcome!

C • Exciting! 1

Ran over to Chicopee and did some hill repeats. Got a race coming up in Colorado that I am *pretty* sure will not be flat! Rain started just as I was running home which felt great and helped with the cool down!

C • Race 2

With Mrs. Tiny at Guelph Lake. Gorgeous summer day and we had lots of fun taking our boats down random outlets to see where they went!

Had a microadventure at Rockwood CA last night. I'm getting pretty good at making fires! Decided to try cooking my dinner in it last night - roasted vegetables and stone fruits with lemon and herbs that turned out super yummy and paired delightfully with an Oast House Farmhouse Ale.

Set my alarm for 5:30 so that I could check out the trails but then felt like staying in my cozy tent a bit longer...a hot coffee inspired me to get my bum in gear and I was so, so glad that I did. Put together a loop of two trails which were absolutely magical and felt like I was way further than 45 minutes from home. Wish I'd had a bit more time but this was without a doubt one of those runs I was so glad not to miss!

C • Smile 4

Mrs. Tiny and I met up for a ride at the Hydrocut. What a beautiful evening to be outdoors! Followed it up with a trip to the patio at Failte.

Pre-race warm-up.

Summer's Night 5K in Guelph. Thought it would be fun to run a midweek race and this one featured live classical music at each KM. Allison joined me as well to have one last opportunity to run in the 20-29 age category. Fun, flat course (ambit showed a whopping elevation gain of 14m!) and enjoyed pushing myself a bit. Also really enjoyed post-race beer at the Woolwich Arrow!

Morning leg stretch...should have taken the time to have coffee first as I was a bit sleepy. The Grand River Trail looked like a snail superhighway this morning!

Introductory CrossFit class. I will admit to be supremely skeptical about CrossFit but have been enjoying trying new things and CrossFit Waterloo had an appealing four class introductory package that Allison (my roommate) and I both purchased. Last night was the first one, which featured (understandably) lots of explaining, focusing on form for three moves, then a short workout. As I see it thus far...

Pros: like the focus on balancing out muscles that don't get used as much running, the emphasis on proper form, and working at your own pace to ensure everything is being done correctly. We also had a coach to ourselves for an hour which we thought was impressive.

Cons: kind of douchey atmosphere and there was no discussion of post-workout stretching.

Have booked our next two "Elements" classes and then package includes one real class. Will reserve final judgment until after that!

C • From what I hear (never hav... 8

Drove up to Turkey Point to explore the trails there...I had been once before and remembered loving them and feeling like there were tons we hadn't ridden. Was not disappointed!

Used this great map: http://www.tpmbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tp... and started from the parking lot at Turkey Point Rd. and Concession Rd. 1. Stuck with blue and green trails as I wasn't looking for anything particularly epic today since I was on my own and my legs were a bit tired from yesterday. Trails are windy and flow-y with lots of little obstacles but nothing particularly terrifying. The temperature and the trail conditions were just perfect! Rode for just over an hour, found a lovely tree to have a snack under then checked out some of the trails in the NE section that I was pretty sure I hadn't been on. All of the main trails are well-marked and signed appropriately and only once did I find myself scratching my head and wondering where I was...which is pretty typical for me!

Would have liked to have finish the day with a swim in the Lake but my latest tattoo is being slow to heal so decided to give it a pass as I didn't think lake water would help. Did check out a really nice little beach in Port Ryerse on the way home.

Laura Secord 25K in Niagara Falls. I did this race last year when it was held at the start of the season and despite the trail conditions thought it was a really fun event and an enjoyable route. This year the race was moved to July which I can understand but I was disappointed (yet optimistic) when I heard that the course would be entirely different.

Aside from all of the army tents (there is an army run and march going on at the same time), the race had a very small, low-key feel to it and all of the races (25, 50 and 100K) were pretty tiny. Forecast was for a hot day so was glad we started early.

Ran from the start to 6km with a group of three runners whose pace was slightly faster than mine, which I reasoned was a good thing. The first part of the course was an out and almost all the way back through some famous tunnel. The challenge of the out and back on single track was lots of jostling with the faster runners who were on their way back. At the 6km aid station two of the group stuck around to refuel so I kept going.

From 6-16.5km I ran with a really nice girl named Jenn who was from Waterloo. It was her first trail race and she was eager for the company so we ran together and the time flew as we swapped stories. At the beginning, she was pushing the pace, which I was happy to have someone do but I was a bit concerned that she had no water or fuel with her. I offered her a gel but she was worried about her stomach. We ran together to the 14.5km aid station where she started to feel not so great so we walked a bit. This section was a 1km out and back through an urban park. There were a couple of sections like this where we had to run down to something, run around a circle and then head straight back which didn't make a lot of sense to me. Jenn was starting to fade but I was hoping a gel at the 16.5km aid station would perk her up. She took a spill on the "back" section of the Bruce Trail that we had been running and wanted to walk to recover. I was really torn as I was enjoying her company and know she was happy to have it as well, but I was also feeling really good still at this point and wanted to press on. She gave me the go ahead to keep running and I told her I'd wait for her at the finish.

From 17-22km I tried to make up a bit of time and (looking back) probably pushed a bit too hard. I passed 4-5 people in this section which I don't care about from a competition standpoint, but it did make me happy that I was still feeling good enough to do this as I am often waiting for the moment where the wheels fell off the bus...

...which they did around 23km! We were running back through a section we'd already run and I was fading quickly, although I am sure this was more mental than physical. I got annoyed when I saw my Ambit was already reading over 25km and I wanted to be done! The finish line eventually arrived and I found Jenn's mom and told her she'd be done soon. Had an applesauce and grabbed some water and waited for her to come through.

In my last long trail race (Trail Marathon at the end of April with Bash) I felt terrible both mentally and physically, but this race felt great. I felt mentally in control (okay...maybe until the last 2km) and like I was running consistently. After a successful experiment using only Tailwind on a Hockley loop the previous Sunday, I decided to make this race test #2 and only use Tailwind again. Always hard to tell if the effect was real, the wind was blowing in the right direction or I just had the right hair elastic in, but I felt like my energy was really consistent. Because all of my fuel is in my bottle, I was encouraged to drink more (I went through four bottles) which was good on a hot day. This was also my first long race using just a handheld instead of a pack which was I was also happy with until the nozzle on my handheld ripped at about 12km which made for some strategic sipping the rest of the race!

I had a great day but don't think I'd do this race again because I didn't enjoy the multiple out-and-back structure of the course. Most of it was on single track and despite the fact that the field was small, with three races going on, there was a lot of trying to figure out who was going to move to the side with other runners. There was one nice section (3-4km) of the Bruce Trail which we did twice, but other than that, the route wasn't particularly memorable and I didn't enjoy it as much as last year. It was fun to be part of the bigger military event (we started and finished between two big trucks) and got dog tags instead of finisher's medals.

So all and all a great day and one that made me look forward to the half-marathon at the North Face race in a couple of weeks!

C • Woooo! So great to read. Al... 10

Easy spin around my house.

Post-work run with a friend in Bechtel Park.

Morning run on the trails at Point Farms Provincial Park. Trails are pancake flat but it's always fun to explore somewhere new!