Training Log Archive: andrea balakova

Event: Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) - Burnaby
 

First stage of the MOMAR.
start at 9, drop off of the bikes at 7 Am, maps at 7:30.
Really excited at the start line, did not want to wait, just go....
massive pack of kayaks, mostly double kayaks.
Barnet Marine Park to Jug Island around and back. It felt far, but great conditions made it enjoyable. Kept with my small group (2 women in double, 1 solo woman, 1 solo man) Were for sure not the last ones on the water. at least 10 more kayaks behind us.

Orienteering as 3rd stage of MOmar.
Score-O at SFU, walked a part while trying to put some calories in. Couple of men followed me to some controls:) Fun!

Biking stages of the MOmar, up the mountain from 0 to 340 first, some single tracks (pretty good ones) down the mountain, up up up the power line and the Cardiac hill (100 to 350 m) more single tracks down and more up up up and down after the trekking part to Barnet Park.
Some of the trails say it all with their names : Gear Jammer, Dead Moped, Lower snake...
Crazy uphill parts !!! Good I live where I live.
Was often alone, joined a few teams on the uphill parts. Did not push the bike in any big chunk, kept jumping off for some steep parts. Pretty happy!
"Crazy mud" layer on the last trails made my chain fall a few times.

Trekking with some navigation on the way.
up, up, up and down, down, down.
My leg started to complain about elevation. Lost my motivation a bit. Felt tired. Some more biking after that and down to the ocean.

Score-O in Barnet Marine Park -last stage
O.k. now, it came, a solo woman just passed me on the bike, I am not going to lose the race on my map!
She is just ahead, Traffic light across the HWY, planning the route, Running the route, trying to run as fast as the legs allow, hoping I have the best route choice... Met her a few times, smiled at her, but kept competing, realized I am one control ahead, she is lost... Passing another woman (who teamed up with other team -I had no idea she is solo, met them many times on the whole course), passing them too...
Coming to the finish before both !!!
Placing 2nd SOLO Female
(1st - 5:27, 2nd (me)- 6:49, 3rd -6:50, 4th -6:52).
The winner is some famous adventure racer, but the others are close!!!
Took 6:49 overall, my watch says 6:05 - moving time, not sure what I did the rest of the time....
So much fun!
A lot of self navigation, even on the bike parts.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/88762211

C • Congratulations! 1

Biked to the Momar Registration site in Burnaby to get my bike checked and pick up the package.
4

Bike ride to our High School and then to the junior session at Cleveland Dam. Getting used to the hills (the few days before Momar).
3

C • Good Luck and Have Fun!!!! 2

Picking up flags after the junior session with Magnus.
Warm-up course.

Placing flags on the bike.

The junior session went well. Slower pace, less children this time and no one got "really lost" as they say.

One boy is probably in love with orienteering and said a few times:
I love that! (during the theory session)
Two boys came on bikes and talked me over to bike the course. At least they helped to pick up a few flags after and finished with: "Have to make a map holder"
Did not really listen to the comments maybe because the usual commentators were missing tonight.
The lesson of the day "South does not mean downhill, even if on the North Shore, it is usually true!"

Bike ride to the bike service, school and back home. Trying to avoid the hill did not really work out.

Short run with Anina to the Rice Lake, Varley trail and back home before the school concert.
6

Some random biking on the single tracks and gravel trails of the Burnaby Mountain when Magnus was test running the orienteering course. Mill's trail, Power line, trails close to the Power line and Cardiac hill (biked almost all the way up, 90% of it - Yuck!). Some of them are actually nice or at least parts of them.
no idea about distance, lots of climb...

Bike ride from our house to Deep Cove to do some kayaking, mostly on the trails, went around Rice lake down to Seymour and up the Bridle Path, surprised myself staying on the bike on the uphill part all the way to the intersection with BP. Then the technical part came and I had to push the bike some chunks of the middle part of the trail. The End close to the Old Buck trail was really pleasant again. Ended up going down the Old Buck and joining the Seymour Parkway to Deep Cove for last two k. Took some trails on our map in Deep Cove.
13*?=5

Recharged by two slices of pizza! Rented a kayak and decided to do 10 k as a training for Momar, did not do kayaking this year yet.
Deep Cove towards Cates Park, crossing to Admiralty Point (4 k - 34 min), Balcarra, back following the shore to Jug Island (7 k - 1 hour) and crossing to Deep Cove.
Lots of motor boats today. The waves made a bit difficult to follow the shore. Some wind as well.
Some zigzag at the End to make it exactly 10 k.
Pretty pleased with my pace (the same as last year's Momar kayak stage in double kayak). Should do one more training session this week. The arms felt sore first but gave it up after 20 minutes, let's see tomorrow.
My Garmin is telling me that I did 600 m elevation gain, must go some waterfall up or crossed 600 1 meter tall waves.....
10 -water

Core/massage with the Grid.

Sage Stomp - Long and hilly, Started well and surprised myself running the leg to number 3, slow on the long leg to 5 (lost 6 minutes on Abbi and 3 on Erica), my route choice was slower, changed the idea on the way as well...
Then the climb came, mistake on number 6, o.k. after that, went down to the road to number 9, made small mistake on 10 being 1 small hill to the side.
Quite hilly and long, but fun (sometimes at least).
Ended up third after Abbi and Erica.
8*1.5=12

C • Sage stomp sounds like fun 2