Training Log Archive: BashIn the 31 days ending Dec 31, 2013:
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Tuesday Dec 31, 2013 #
Note
Wishing all the best to you and your family for a happy, healthy, fun-filled 2014!
12 PM
Snowshoeing 45:00 [1]
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
Myka and Amik came up to Palgrave to play in the snow. It was Amik's first time on snowshoes, and he is a natural! We were out for much longer than this and also did some trail clearing, tobogganing, hill climbing, dog chasing, kid hauling and snowboard-less snowboarding. Myka also learned how to split wood and haul a log-filled sled so she may be logging some logging today.
Monday Dec 30, 2013 #
Other (Figure Skating) 20:00 [1]
While 'Bent, VO2Max, Coach LD and Goose played hockey in the dark on the Wheelies' big pond, I stayed at the far end of the ice and tried to remember figure skating moves from my childhood. It's been years since I've skated so it took awhile just to get the skates to stop hurting my feet. Then I did a bunch of spins and crossovers, which worked well, plus some unimpressive Figure 8s, spirals, half-rotation jumps and pathetic shoot-the-duck attempts. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Goose was the best at Shoot the Duck. Great to hang out with everyone on a crisp, cold night - and especially to catch up on VO2Max's latest adventures beyond the world of competitive skiing. (Logged @50%.)
12 PM
Snowshoeing 1:00:22 [1] 4.57 km (13:12 / km) +99m 11:55 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
'Bent, BazingaDog and I went snowshoeing in open areas (mostly) at Albion Hills on a beautiful, cold day.
Most of the ice has fallen down but there are still some large deciduous trees that will drop heavy ice chunks over the next few days.
It's also a good idea to stay away from sloped roofs, including the one on our house. Ice avalanche zone!
(Btw this is not our house...)
We're looking forward to getting back on the trails but that means trail work, not trail use. It's going to be messy.
Most of the ice has fallen down but there are still some large deciduous trees that will drop heavy ice chunks over the next few days.
It's also a good idea to stay away from sloped roofs, including the one on our house. Ice avalanche zone!
(Btw this is not our house...)
We're looking forward to getting back on the trails but that means trail work, not trail use. It's going to be messy.
2 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Getting back at it - about 50 minutes worth but I don't log it all. I lost interest in physio when we were dealing with all the power failure stuff but it's time to start training for UTMB.
Sunday Dec 29, 2013 #
Snowshoeing (Logging logged @ 50%) 20:00 [2] 1.2 km (16:40 / km)
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
It's been 36 hours since the ice started to melt so 'Bent and I thought it should be safe in the forest today. About 80% of the time, it was - but then some big ice chunks started falling near us in a pine plantation so we cut our trail work session short. The safety in a particular area depends on vegetation (deciduous generally safer than coniferous) and recent sun exposure.
We wore helmets and snowshoes with cleats. We've heard several additional reports of local people with head injuries from ice and branches so there's no point messing around. Gusty winds are forecast for tonight which will be helpful in clearing things up, although it will also get very cold again.
In many places, we could clear the trail with hand tools.
Other places will require someone with a chainsaw. (We don't have one.)
Other places will require someone with a chainsaw and a lot of time. This is 'Bent's commuting route. This is the only trail access to the Palgrave conservation land so this is going to be a problem.
Although this was also a strength workout, I hate to risk offending JayXC so I will just call it "snowshoeing". ;)
We wore helmets and snowshoes with cleats. We've heard several additional reports of local people with head injuries from ice and branches so there's no point messing around. Gusty winds are forecast for tonight which will be helpful in clearing things up, although it will also get very cold again.
In many places, we could clear the trail with hand tools.
Other places will require someone with a chainsaw. (We don't have one.)
Other places will require someone with a chainsaw and a lot of time. This is 'Bent's commuting route. This is the only trail access to the Palgrave conservation land so this is going to be a problem.
Although this was also a strength workout, I hate to risk offending JayXC so I will just call it "snowshoeing". ;)
Saturday Dec 28, 2013 #
Note
Fans of Stuart McLean's "Vinyl Cafe" may enjoy reading about the walk Coach LD logged on Christmas Day. I think it would make a perfect Dave and Morley story, especially if she included some missing details. (Think "urgent need for a nature break" and "fancy neighbourhood full of security cameras".) She could submit her adventure to the Vinyl Cafe Story Exchange for sure!
http://ar.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_9846/pe...
http://ar.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_9846/pe...
2 PM
XC Skiing - Classic 1:19:32 [3] 14.1 km (10.6 kph) +209m
After a full week with everything outdoors encased in hard ice, the temperature finally rose. Starting around 11 p.m., ice chunks crashed against the house and from our trees for the next 12 hours. It's not finished yet, and an ice avalanche from our roof could still kill someone if they stood in the wrong spot, but the worst is over. We've only had 8 hours of power outages today, which isn't bad considering that 1200 homes in our area are still without power. We should be able to go safely into the forest tomorrow and start the big trail clean-up.
We've just learned that a neighbour (not sure who) was found unconscious with extensive injuries beside a fallen tree on our road 6 days ago, and she is still in serious condition in a trauma unit. Yikes. And Coach LD saw an injured hydro worker in Bolton today. Not good.
We had great plans for a snowshoe excursion with Myka, Amik, Eco and Coach LD but the rapidly changing ice conditions and power outages threw us for a loop. In the end, 'Bent and I decided to head up to Mansfield this afternoon for a short ski.
I let Bazinga-Idiot-Dog out the side door on leash for a quick nature break, as I often do. Terrible timing - he leapt out the door and turned on his full power to sprint toward a squirrel off to the right. My hand and lower arm were smashed against the corner of the brick wall; I lost my grip on the leash and yelled for 'Bent. To my horror, B-Dog ran through a tangled pile of fallen branches from the ice storm and emerged from the other side without his collar - and then he entered the forest. It was like the Monty Python Black Knight scene as I threw on my coat and ran outside with blood spurting from several cuts, my hand swelling and my little finger completely numb. Fortunately, he returned within 2 minutes looking very guilty and submissive as 'Bent put his collar back on. (The steel Fastex buckle had opened when it got squeezed against the branches.)
My engineering iron ring was stuck on my swollen little finger, which explained the numbness. After finally forcing it off with the help of some lubrication, the feeling started to return. Coach LD phoned as I was bandaging myself up and came to join us for the trip to Mansfield. My hand and lower arm are swollen, bruised and cut but I will survive.
The skiing at Mansfield was fine, considering the conditions - icy with lots of small debris but they'd worked hard to clear the big fallen branches and trees. 'Bent, Coach LD and I skied the blue and yellow trails. Coach was handicapped by using slow skis so we were able to stay fairly close together as long as I didn't slack off. Lots of fun!
We've just learned that a neighbour (not sure who) was found unconscious with extensive injuries beside a fallen tree on our road 6 days ago, and she is still in serious condition in a trauma unit. Yikes. And Coach LD saw an injured hydro worker in Bolton today. Not good.
We had great plans for a snowshoe excursion with Myka, Amik, Eco and Coach LD but the rapidly changing ice conditions and power outages threw us for a loop. In the end, 'Bent and I decided to head up to Mansfield this afternoon for a short ski.
I let Bazinga-Idiot-Dog out the side door on leash for a quick nature break, as I often do. Terrible timing - he leapt out the door and turned on his full power to sprint toward a squirrel off to the right. My hand and lower arm were smashed against the corner of the brick wall; I lost my grip on the leash and yelled for 'Bent. To my horror, B-Dog ran through a tangled pile of fallen branches from the ice storm and emerged from the other side without his collar - and then he entered the forest. It was like the Monty Python Black Knight scene as I threw on my coat and ran outside with blood spurting from several cuts, my hand swelling and my little finger completely numb. Fortunately, he returned within 2 minutes looking very guilty and submissive as 'Bent put his collar back on. (The steel Fastex buckle had opened when it got squeezed against the branches.)
My engineering iron ring was stuck on my swollen little finger, which explained the numbness. After finally forcing it off with the help of some lubrication, the feeling started to return. Coach LD phoned as I was bandaging myself up and came to join us for the trip to Mansfield. My hand and lower arm are swollen, bruised and cut but I will survive.
The skiing at Mansfield was fine, considering the conditions - icy with lots of small debris but they'd worked hard to clear the big fallen branches and trees. 'Bent, Coach LD and I skied the blue and yellow trails. Coach was handicapped by using slow skis so we were able to stay fairly close together as long as I didn't slack off. Lots of fun!
Friday Dec 27, 2013 #
9 AM
XC Skiing - Classic (Groomed tracks) 1:36:47 [3] 15.88 km (9.8 kph) +318m
'Bent and I want to get back to cross-country skiing now that our house has electricity and doesn't need babysitting. It's still too dangerous to go into the woods here while tree branches and ice chunks are falling, and last night we discovered that for much of the next 3 days, our ski club, Highlands Nordic, will be closed for O Cup races. (Official Motto: "O Cups. They're not just for orienteers anymore.")
So we made a quick trip up to Highlands this morning, even though I had to be home by 1 p.m. So glad we went! They got more snow than freezing rain up there so the skiing was fantastic and the scenery was breathtaking. I did the red trail including the 3 black diamond side loops and the upper orange loop, so I saw most of the trail network.
There weren't many people doing the outer red loop, and when I stopped to re-wax, a speedy skate skier slowed down to ask if I needed anything. I thanked him, then Tarno and I recognized each other and spent a few minutes catching up. :)
Brilliant way to start the day! My heel, which had been sore last night for no apparent reason, felt much better today in spite of all that classic skiing. What a huge relief. I don't want to contemplate the possibility of losing another sport.
So we made a quick trip up to Highlands this morning, even though I had to be home by 1 p.m. So glad we went! They got more snow than freezing rain up there so the skiing was fantastic and the scenery was breathtaking. I did the red trail including the 3 black diamond side loops and the upper orange loop, so I saw most of the trail network.
There weren't many people doing the outer red loop, and when I stopped to re-wax, a speedy skate skier slowed down to ask if I needed anything. I thanked him, then Tarno and I recognized each other and spent a few minutes catching up. :)
Brilliant way to start the day! My heel, which had been sore last night for no apparent reason, felt much better today in spite of all that classic skiing. What a huge relief. I don't want to contemplate the possibility of losing another sport.
Thursday Dec 26, 2013 #
Note
There is now a layer of snow on the ice that began to coat everything a week ago. The trees are bending lower now, a few more of them resting heavily on power lines. Our power returned at 5:30 p.m. but we're ready for the next blackout.
7 AM
Note
Ice storm outage began on Sat. Dec. 21 after dinner.
Some brownouts and brief periods with power on Sunday but mostly blackout.
Blackout continued until lunchtime on Christmas Day, although we were away with my family for the day getting spoiled with heat, running water, hot meals and much more.
Power went back out at 7:30 am on Thurs. Dec. 26. Only 85 households in the outage this time so we won't be as high a priority. It's warming up so our focus has switched from frozen pipes to frozen food, which is less expensive if we get it wrong. The trees are hanging lower with a layer of new snow over the ice so this isn't a surprise.
The adventure continues!
Some brownouts and brief periods with power on Sunday but mostly blackout.
Blackout continued until lunchtime on Christmas Day, although we were away with my family for the day getting spoiled with heat, running water, hot meals and much more.
Power went back out at 7:30 am on Thurs. Dec. 26. Only 85 households in the outage this time so we won't be as high a priority. It's warming up so our focus has switched from frozen pipes to frozen food, which is less expensive if we get it wrong. The trees are hanging lower with a layer of new snow over the ice so this isn't a surprise.
The adventure continues!
2 PM
Snowshoeing 40:00 [1]
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
Took the dogs for a hike on the Reddington golf course. We went out today to buy a second backup power supply. I think that was my first-ever visit to a Boxing Day sale. We'd planned to go up to Highlands for an afternoon ski but by the time we got everything else done, it was too late.
Three firefighters just came here to see if we were OK. They're going door to door to check on everyone without power - probably checking out the folks with generators too, since there have been cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in Ontario. Most of the local firefighters are volunteers so that is extra nice. We stopped to thank the hydro crew working nearby. Probably all of those people missed Christmas with their families, and some of them are a long way from home. Really, we've got it easy by comparison.
Three firefighters just came here to see if we were OK. They're going door to door to check on everyone without power - probably checking out the folks with generators too, since there have been cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in Ontario. Most of the local firefighters are volunteers so that is extra nice. We stopped to thank the hydro crew working nearby. Probably all of those people missed Christmas with their families, and some of them are a long way from home. Really, we've got it easy by comparison.
Wednesday Dec 25, 2013 #
Note
Merry Christmas, Attackpoint friends!
Tuesday Dec 24, 2013 #
Note
Although ice storms are annoying when they interfere with Christmas plans, they can be very pretty.
The sun dog doesn't show up too well.
The sun dog doesn't show up too well.
5 PM
Note
And *still* no power. Going down to -17C tonight. Decided to drain all the water lines as much as possible. (No running water in a blackout but pipes could still freeze.) It's been 3 days so far, with a couple of brownouts on Sunday for variety. If we could ski, this would be more fun but we really can't complain. It is useful that we own way too much outdoor gear!
Eugenius kindly checked in on us on his way by. It is nice to see other humans! We are making a break for it to get hot food and warm company at my parents' place but we'll be back to tend the fires soon.
Hope everyone else is OK!
Eugenius kindly checked in on us on his way by. It is nice to see other humans! We are making a break for it to get hot food and warm company at my parents' place but we'll be back to tend the fires soon.
Hope everyone else is OK!
Monday Dec 23, 2013 #
Note
Still no power. Keeping two fires burning now.
Sunday Dec 22, 2013 #
Note
Internet and laptop time are precious in a blackout, especially right before Christmas, so that's why I've been uncharacterically quiet! Oh, and I haven't been training because there's a lot to do during a power outage. Gotta go stoke the fire in a minute but first...
Here's what the ice looked like in our yard on Saturday afternoon.
And here's the same shrub 24 hours later on Sunday.
We've been hearing crashing trees and ice chunks in the forest. It's not safe to go in there yet, and we're not looking forward to seeing what has happened. On our property, the only tree with major damage so far is the big white pine we planted 12 years ago in memory of Richard's Dad.
Here's what the ice looked like in our yard on Saturday afternoon.
And here's the same shrub 24 hours later on Sunday.
We've been hearing crashing trees and ice chunks in the forest. It's not safe to go in there yet, and we're not looking forward to seeing what has happened. On our property, the only tree with major damage so far is the big white pine we planted 12 years ago in memory of Richard's Dad.
Friday Dec 20, 2013 #
3 PM
Snowshoeing 34:07 [2] 2.75 km (12:24 / km) +51m 11:21 / km
6 PM
Snowshoeing 30:22 [2] 2.41 km (12:36 / km) +80m 10:48 / km
7 PM
Snowshoe Running 20:00 2.45 km (8:10 / km)
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
We had ice pellets and freezing rain all day; supposedly there is an ice Stormageddon on its way tomorrow evening. It was quite slippery around here, and I wasn't sure if it would be safe to take 'Bent's van on our driveway or country road. I had some Christmas errands in Bolton, and my car was in Palgrave getting snow tires put on so I snowshoed 4 km through the freezing rain to the car since it was already at the main highway.
The tree branches in the forest were coated with ice, and I had to stomp through a thick ice crust in some places. If this is the small storm, the big storm is going to wreak havoc on our poor trees! It was bad enough that I decided that even if I could get the car home, it would be better to leave it in the village to give us an escape option if we couldn't get out of our driveway this weekend. So I stopped by the dental office to borrow a BentBlaster since I'd be coming home in the dark.
After a few stops in town (including receiving a wonderful Christmas cookie platter from Coach LD - thank you!), I drove back to Palgrave, left my car at 'Bent's office and snowshoed home in the rainy darkness. It probably sounds awful but it was energizing. In each direction, I included a 5 mins run/5 walk/5 run segment. I've subtracted the running and logged it separately. I had a fairly big pack, especially after shopping, so it was a good workout in the crusty snow.
Here's the drowned rat arriving.
The tree branches in the forest were coated with ice, and I had to stomp through a thick ice crust in some places. If this is the small storm, the big storm is going to wreak havoc on our poor trees! It was bad enough that I decided that even if I could get the car home, it would be better to leave it in the village to give us an escape option if we couldn't get out of our driveway this weekend. So I stopped by the dental office to borrow a BentBlaster since I'd be coming home in the dark.
After a few stops in town (including receiving a wonderful Christmas cookie platter from Coach LD - thank you!), I drove back to Palgrave, left my car at 'Bent's office and snowshoed home in the rainy darkness. It probably sounds awful but it was energizing. In each direction, I included a 5 mins run/5 walk/5 run segment. I've subtracted the running and logged it separately. I had a fairly big pack, especially after shopping, so it was a good workout in the crusty snow.
Here's the drowned rat arriving.
Thursday Dec 19, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Core) 18:00 [2]
Abbreviated core class with Caron tonight before moving to the larger room upstairs for our Christmas yoga class.
Power Yoga 45:00 [1]
My favourite yoga class of the year. Live piano music performed by the talented Patrick Dilkie, lights dimmed, lots of guests, Caron leading the class wearing a Santa hat, no cost - just donations to charity. Such a relaxing way to head into the holidays. :)
10 AM
Note
All signed up for the 2014 UTMB lottery. Although I did the 2013 race on behalf of a charity (i.e. by making a big donation), they still consider me unsuccessful in last year's lottery so I have 2 tickets this time, which is a surprise. In last year's lottery, this would have translated to a 65% chance of being selected. Fingers crossed! Who else is in? :)
http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/197/Enrolment.htm...
http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/197/Enrolment.htm...
Wednesday Dec 18, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
slept:7.75
Logged @ 50% as usual.
11 AM
Snowshoeing 23:08 1.74 km (13:18 / km) +50m 11:37 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
Snowshoe Running 20:00 2.34 km (8:33 / km) +50m 7:43 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro GTX - Black
Snowshoeing in Palgrave West, mostly breaking trail in fluffy snow, accompanied by an enthusiastic BulletDog. I included two 10-minute runs, which felt awesome even though I was working hard due to loss of fitness and lots of snow. I was a very happy camper.
12 PM
XC Skiing - Classic (Ungroomed) 43:48 [3] 5.0 km (6.8 kph) +97m
Charlevoix Loop in Palgrave West, breaking trail for about half of it.
So much fun to play in the snow. :)
So much fun to play in the snow. :)
Tuesday Dec 17, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
slept:5.25
Last of 7 weekly visits to Dr. Bell and the kinesiologists at Back to Function in Orillia. I'll be continuing the physio at home, eventually reducing the frequency from daily to several times weekly, and gradually increasing the level of difficulty in a few exercises. There's a lot of balance involved so I've asked for a slackline for Christmas to make it more fun. :)
I can resume running gradually if my foot continues to feel OK. When I asked about it hopefully, he agreed that snowshoe running would probably be easier on my foot so I could do more of that. Yay. I'll go back to see the doc in a month to see how things are going.
Near the end of the appointment, I had a surprise consultation with a second doc who then took me out for a lovely lunch to celebrate *her* birthday. Welcome home for Christmas, Leanimal and Weeanimal! :)
I can resume running gradually if my foot continues to feel OK. When I asked about it hopefully, he agreed that snowshoe running would probably be easier on my foot so I could do more of that. Yay. I'll go back to see the doc in a month to see how things are going.
Near the end of the appointment, I had a surprise consultation with a second doc who then took me out for a lovely lunch to celebrate *her* birthday. Welcome home for Christmas, Leanimal and Weeanimal! :)
Monday Dec 16, 2013 #
XC Skiing - Classic (Ungroomed) 50:00 [3] 5.1 km (6.1 kph)
slept:6.5
Toto, we're not in Georgia anymore!
Chilly ski around Palgrave West, mostly breaking trail through powder. I stopped to chat with a neighbour, then it took a loooong time to warm up my fingertips again. The forest was magical.
Chilly ski around Palgrave West, mostly breaking trail through powder. I stopped to chat with a neighbour, then it took a loooong time to warm up my fingertips again. The forest was magical.
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Sunday Dec 15, 2013 #
Note
slept:6.0
Travel home to Winter Wonderland.
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Foot feeling pretty good after 90 minutes of run-walking on soggy, uneven terrain yesterday. Yay.
Saturday Dec 14, 2013 #
8 AM
Running race (Trail) 1:27:53 [3] 10.0 km (8:47 / km) +382m 7:23 / km
slept:3.0 shoes: Salomon SpeedCross Black&Pink
Lookout Mountain 10K near Chattanooga, Tennessee (but actually in Georgia).
I'd originally planned to do the 50-miler at this event but I ended up with doctor's permission to do a 10K run/walk with more emphasis on the "walk".
First we had to get the 50-milers to the starting line for 7:30 a.m. I was travelling with Tiny and 'Bent. Mrs. Gally and WandAR were in the crowd somewhere with Dee, who was also running the 10K. Here is the "Before" photo of the boys.
The weather was *nasty* for the first few hours of the 50-miler (and the 10K) - torrential rain at times, fog and low single digit temperatures.
In order to remind myself to slow down and walk a lot, I kept my camera in hand. Unfortunately, with the rain and fog, the photos aren't the best but they convey what it was like to be out there.
Here's a close-up of the runner in front of me. Yes, the weather was that bad.
In addition to single and double track through hilly forest, there was an ATV trail running along a hilly hydro corridor. This section had some of the most impressive mud.
After crossing a creek at the low point on our course, there was a big climb to the finish line. I passed half a dozen people here in spite of myself because I could walk up the centre of the steep, muddy trail in Speedcross while some others came up through the vegetation to avoid slipping.
Doing a run/walk in a competitive event is not terribly satisfying but it was nice to experience a little of the race course. I was excited to be running at all and thrilled that my injured foot felt fine (and still does, more than 36 hours later). With all the slop, tree roots, holes and rocks, this wasn't a gentle re-introduction to the sport. I didn't come last - yay. In fact, I finished about 2/3 of the way down the list of women, which came as a bit of a shock on a day when I was only aiming not to finish last of almost 200 runners.
I'd originally planned to do the 50-miler at this event but I ended up with doctor's permission to do a 10K run/walk with more emphasis on the "walk".
First we had to get the 50-milers to the starting line for 7:30 a.m. I was travelling with Tiny and 'Bent. Mrs. Gally and WandAR were in the crowd somewhere with Dee, who was also running the 10K. Here is the "Before" photo of the boys.
The weather was *nasty* for the first few hours of the 50-miler (and the 10K) - torrential rain at times, fog and low single digit temperatures.
In order to remind myself to slow down and walk a lot, I kept my camera in hand. Unfortunately, with the rain and fog, the photos aren't the best but they convey what it was like to be out there.
Here's a close-up of the runner in front of me. Yes, the weather was that bad.
In addition to single and double track through hilly forest, there was an ATV trail running along a hilly hydro corridor. This section had some of the most impressive mud.
After crossing a creek at the low point on our course, there was a big climb to the finish line. I passed half a dozen people here in spite of myself because I could walk up the centre of the steep, muddy trail in Speedcross while some others came up through the vegetation to avoid slipping.
Doing a run/walk in a competitive event is not terribly satisfying but it was nice to experience a little of the race course. I was excited to be running at all and thrilled that my injured foot felt fine (and still does, more than 36 hours later). With all the slop, tree roots, holes and rocks, this wasn't a gentle re-introduction to the sport. I didn't come last - yay. In fact, I finished about 2/3 of the way down the list of women, which came as a bit of a shock on a day when I was only aiming not to finish last of almost 200 runners.
10 AM
Note
For the rest of the day, Dee (who just missed winning her age group in the 10K) and I hung out and supported the 50-mile runners.
Fortunately, the rain mostly stopped after a few hours but at this point, we had just returned from an emergency Starbucks mission to warm ourselves up with hot drinks.
The runners passed through the start/finish at the 22.5 mile mark, and that was the first time we saw them. They were all doing well. 'Bent was a few minutes ahead of Tiny who was a few minutes ahead of Mrs. Gally. WandAR was a little further back but doing well.
We met them at a road crossing around the 27.5 mile mark, then saw them twice at the start and finish of a loop at 34 and 38.2 miles. With the dim light and foggy weather, I didn't get any photos that do them justice. Tim went blurry whenever I aimed a camera at him.
Dee joined Mrs. Gally as a safety runner from 34 to 42 miles, then she ran back toward WandAR so they could finish the rest of the course together. Dee ran over 25 miles today, mostly in support of friends!
I waited at a later road crossing to give 'Bent Advil since his knee was hurting, and his pills had fallen out of his pack. Then I waited awhile longer in hopes of seeing Mrs. Gally but finally bailed since I knew Tiny had passed 'Bent but had no other details, and it was only 5.5 miles to the finish. Unfortunately, I blew it and missed his strong finish but Tiny was smiling anyway after running a personal best 9:22!
Of course he wasn't dressed that well nor smiling quite that big when I first arrived since he was standing by the fire in wet running clothes waiting for me to show up. Oops! :(
'Bent came in at 9:49 so alas, I no longer hold the 50-mile record in our family! His knee was quite sore but his stomach - while a little unhappy - hadn't gotten as bad as it sometimes does. He was 2nd in his age group.
Mrs. Gally arrived awhile later and explained the mystery of why I hadn't seen her at the road crossing where I'd waited too long. She'd taken a wrong turn and gone exploring. Fortunately, she met some nice guys who brought her back to civilization. :)
Here's the boys' "After" picture.
WandAR and Dee arrived a little later with WandAR setting a new personal best for 50 miles. I think all 4 runners set PBs.
Fun day - especially going out for a huge post-race dinner without any of the sore muscles normally associated with a 50-mile race. :)
Fortunately, the rain mostly stopped after a few hours but at this point, we had just returned from an emergency Starbucks mission to warm ourselves up with hot drinks.
The runners passed through the start/finish at the 22.5 mile mark, and that was the first time we saw them. They were all doing well. 'Bent was a few minutes ahead of Tiny who was a few minutes ahead of Mrs. Gally. WandAR was a little further back but doing well.
We met them at a road crossing around the 27.5 mile mark, then saw them twice at the start and finish of a loop at 34 and 38.2 miles. With the dim light and foggy weather, I didn't get any photos that do them justice. Tim went blurry whenever I aimed a camera at him.
Dee joined Mrs. Gally as a safety runner from 34 to 42 miles, then she ran back toward WandAR so they could finish the rest of the course together. Dee ran over 25 miles today, mostly in support of friends!
I waited at a later road crossing to give 'Bent Advil since his knee was hurting, and his pills had fallen out of his pack. Then I waited awhile longer in hopes of seeing Mrs. Gally but finally bailed since I knew Tiny had passed 'Bent but had no other details, and it was only 5.5 miles to the finish. Unfortunately, I blew it and missed his strong finish but Tiny was smiling anyway after running a personal best 9:22!
Of course he wasn't dressed that well nor smiling quite that big when I first arrived since he was standing by the fire in wet running clothes waiting for me to show up. Oops! :(
'Bent came in at 9:49 so alas, I no longer hold the 50-mile record in our family! His knee was quite sore but his stomach - while a little unhappy - hadn't gotten as bad as it sometimes does. He was 2nd in his age group.
Mrs. Gally arrived awhile later and explained the mystery of why I hadn't seen her at the road crossing where I'd waited too long. She'd taken a wrong turn and gone exploring. Fortunately, she met some nice guys who brought her back to civilization. :)
Here's the boys' "After" picture.
WandAR and Dee arrived a little later with WandAR setting a new personal best for 50 miles. I think all 4 runners set PBs.
Fun day - especially going out for a huge post-race dinner without any of the sore muscles normally associated with a 50-mile race. :)
Friday Dec 13, 2013 #
Note
slept:6.5
Travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Thursday Dec 12, 2013 #
Note
Just discovered proof that my foothab and chiro treatments are making a difference. The running shoes I'd packed for this weekend no longer fit my feet. Good thing I decided to test which socks I wanted to wear! Not sure if this makes me a better runner - or even able to run - but it was interesting to see that the shape of my foot is changing.
8 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
I had a little balance beam accident last night. I realize that sounds like another one of those things I shouldn't be doing while recovering from injury but it's actually part of my physio - and 'Bent's too. The beam sits right on the floor, and you go back and forth on it using different types of movements without looking at your feet.
While sidestepping - the hardest level I've reached so far - my gimpy foot hit the beam at the wrong angle and I tweaked my heel the wrong way. Argghh. It's nothing serious and it's mostly better tonight but I'd been enjoying the feeling of not feeling my heel. I'd say, "Two steps forward, one step back", except that's just another way to fall off a balance beam. ;)
While sidestepping - the hardest level I've reached so far - my gimpy foot hit the beam at the wrong angle and I tweaked my heel the wrong way. Argghh. It's nothing serious and it's mostly better tonight but I'd been enjoying the feeling of not feeling my heel. I'd say, "Two steps forward, one step back", except that's just another way to fall off a balance beam. ;)
10 PM
Note
slept:7.75
In case anyone is missing Rob Ford lately (!!!)... here is a fun Tumblr.
http://rob-ford-fiesta.tumblr.com
http://rob-ford-fiesta.tumblr.com
Note
Since it's the holiday season, might as well post a little more fun stuff - a great song parody by Harvard Medical students, "What Does The Spleen Do?" (courtesy of LosDobos)
http://mashable.com/2013/12/09/what-does-the-splee...
http://mashable.com/2013/12/09/what-does-the-splee...
Wednesday Dec 11, 2013 #
Note
Every year 'Bent and I look forward to one Christmas card in particular - from an older woman we haven't seen since we paddled the Nahanni River with her 20 years ago. One year her card didn't come, and we were heartbroken. I googled but couldn't find any information. Then the next year, her letter arrived and briefly mentioned some time in hospital. I cried.
Some excerpts from this year's incredible handwritten letter:
-- So you are in your prime, and I will be 90 in July! Not in my prime for sure but I still hike three times a week for up to four hours. So that should help as I slide down the slippery slope. :) Now I ask the leader if I can come because I'm about 20 paces behind going up steep places. So things are still OK. Mostly, I go.
-- I love reading about everything you both do. You make me proud to be Canadian. (blush)
-- I spent all my money travelling this year so now I'll have to try the drug trade - or rob a bank. But I'm a coward! I dug a vegetable patch for next spring and will save that way.
She went on a cruise in the Canadian Arctic to 80 degrees north between Ellesmere Island and Greenland. "FABULOUS. BEST TRIP EVER." Then she travelled around with a boat that delivers things to remote Arctic communities.
Then she went on a hiking trip in the Bugaboos. "When I win the lottery, I'd go again."
Then she went to Indonesia with a family friend. "27 hours in the air!!!!! Wonderful but next time I'll go by canoe."
I say this every year but when I grow up, I want to be Joy. :)
Some excerpts from this year's incredible handwritten letter:
-- So you are in your prime, and I will be 90 in July! Not in my prime for sure but I still hike three times a week for up to four hours. So that should help as I slide down the slippery slope. :) Now I ask the leader if I can come because I'm about 20 paces behind going up steep places. So things are still OK. Mostly, I go.
-- I love reading about everything you both do. You make me proud to be Canadian. (blush)
-- I spent all my money travelling this year so now I'll have to try the drug trade - or rob a bank. But I'm a coward! I dug a vegetable patch for next spring and will save that way.
She went on a cruise in the Canadian Arctic to 80 degrees north between Ellesmere Island and Greenland. "FABULOUS. BEST TRIP EVER." Then she travelled around with a boat that delivers things to remote Arctic communities.
Then she went on a hiking trip in the Bugaboos. "When I win the lottery, I'd go again."
Then she went to Indonesia with a family friend. "27 hours in the air!!!!! Wonderful but next time I'll go by canoe."
I say this every year but when I grow up, I want to be Joy. :)
3 PM
Running (Treadmill) 40:00 4.0 km (10:00 / km)
slept:7.25
Another run/walk session, this time attempting different 1:1 combinations, e.g. 4 minutes run, 4 minutes walk. In total, it was 20 minutes of running at 6.8 kph and 20 minutes of walking at 5.3 kph.
I'll admit it, I'm pushing a little beyond the boundaries of what I'm supposed to do in my return to running but I've got a 10K trail race in Tennessee on Saturday that I entered a long time ago - the one that was supposed to be a 50-miler. The doc has given me permission to do it as a run/walk. I wanted to test my foot a little more on the treadmill before running on a trail, and there isn't much time left. I know that 75 minutes of hiking up and down hills off-trail was no problem at Sunday's orienteering event, which was a good sign.
I'll admit it, I'm pushing a little beyond the boundaries of what I'm supposed to do in my return to running but I've got a 10K trail race in Tennessee on Saturday that I entered a long time ago - the one that was supposed to be a 50-miler. The doc has given me permission to do it as a run/walk. I wanted to test my foot a little more on the treadmill before running on a trail, and there isn't much time left. I know that 75 minutes of hiking up and down hills off-trail was no problem at Sunday's orienteering event, which was a good sign.
4 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Tuesday Dec 10, 2013 #
Running (Treadmill) 20:00 [1] 1.7 km (11:46 / km)
That's right, I said RUNNING, baby! Dr. Bell has given me permission to test run-walking. Today I alternated 1 minute of slow running with 2 minutes of brisk walking on the treadmill. No pain yet but I think if there is going to be pain, it will happen later. I was probably as happy as this when I finished my first 50K. :)
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Another trip to Orillia. Only one more week left in the 7-visit program where I get treated by Dr. Bell and work with a kinesiologist. I wish this place were local since I'd love to keep going but it's a little crazy to drive 2.5 hours return for an appointment every week. My feet are getting stronger, and my body is getting more mobile. I'll keep doing the physio exercises, maybe not daily though.
7 AM
Note
slept:5.0
Looking forward to getting some good post-race sleep - unless a major holiday is coming up or something...
Monday Dec 9, 2013 #
Note
slept:5.5
Most amazing Adventure Race World Championship *ever*. The Attackpoint discussion thread is over 2,000 posts - more than triple the previous record.
HUGE congrats to Tecnu and Adidas Terrex Prunesco on their tie for 3rd place in the WORLD. I've been watching Bob race for over a decade and am just so proud and excited for my friend tonight.
Hope I didn't lose *all* my fitness over the past week. :)
HUGE congrats to Tecnu and Adidas Terrex Prunesco on their tie for 3rd place in the WORLD. I've been watching Bob race for over a decade and am just so proud and excited for my friend tonight.
Hope I didn't lose *all* my fitness over the past week. :)
Sunday Dec 8, 2013 #
Event: O-Cup #2 (The Chase)
Note
Hmm, I look pretty refreshed at the end of races where I only walk. Even though it's driving me nuts, maybe there's something to this. No recovery time. Probably no taper...
10 AM
Orienteering (O Cup) 1:18:00 6.5 km (12:00 / km)
slept:5.5 shoes: Salomon S-LAB FellCross
O Cup #2 The Chase
Tyandaga Hills
Another "walking wounded" orienteering event. Other than the frustration I felt because I couldn't run, I had lots of fun on a crisp winter day. So nice to see so many friends out for the race, including TheMinister and his "kids".
I had one nav bobble when I zoned out while allowing a very experienced orienteer to lead me into... not the control. At the pace I was going, I should have been able to keep it error-free but oh well.
The good news is that I'm not feeling any soreness in my foot almost 7 hours after the race, which was quite hilly. I had to ice it after the O Cup two weeks ago - although the snowy terrain in that race made the footing less predictable. In any case, I'm going to take this as a sign of improvement.
The bad news is that 'Bent has been fighting a GI bug that we assumed was from his trip to the tropics but I've also been feeling off for about 10 days. Now I'm wondering if we caught something or ate something here in Canada. Just stomach pains and bloating for both of us but still annoying, especially when we're supposed to go to Tennessee for a race this weekend (where I will probably be walking - sigh).
(Distance extrapolated from the 45-minute mark when I accidentally turned off my Ambit.)
Anyway, back to compulsive ARWC spectating. Winners should cross the finish line tomorrow morning!
Tyandaga Hills
Another "walking wounded" orienteering event. Other than the frustration I felt because I couldn't run, I had lots of fun on a crisp winter day. So nice to see so many friends out for the race, including TheMinister and his "kids".
I had one nav bobble when I zoned out while allowing a very experienced orienteer to lead me into... not the control. At the pace I was going, I should have been able to keep it error-free but oh well.
The good news is that I'm not feeling any soreness in my foot almost 7 hours after the race, which was quite hilly. I had to ice it after the O Cup two weeks ago - although the snowy terrain in that race made the footing less predictable. In any case, I'm going to take this as a sign of improvement.
The bad news is that 'Bent has been fighting a GI bug that we assumed was from his trip to the tropics but I've also been feeling off for about 10 days. Now I'm wondering if we caught something or ate something here in Canada. Just stomach pains and bloating for both of us but still annoying, especially when we're supposed to go to Tennessee for a race this weekend (where I will probably be walking - sigh).
(Distance extrapolated from the 45-minute mark when I accidentally turned off my Ambit.)
Anyway, back to compulsive ARWC spectating. Winners should cross the finish line tomorrow morning!
9 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
Saturday Dec 7, 2013 #
Road Biking (Trainer) 30:00
slept:7.0
While listening to part of an Endurance Planet podcast.
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
9 AM
Note
Yahoo, medical justification for buying more running shoes!
Researchers in Luxembourg gathered information on training volume, injury rate, cross-training, shoe usage and other variables from 264 adult recreational runners. During the 22-week study, 87 of the 264 runners suffered at least one running-related injury, which the researchers defined as "a physical pain or complaint located at the lower limbs or lower back region, sustained during or as a result of running practice and impeding planned running activity for at least one day."
Of the 264 runners, 116 were classified as single-shoe wearers; runners in this group did 91% of their mileage in the same shoe, and ran in an average of 1.3 pairs of shoes during the study. The other 148 were classified as multiple-shoe wearers; runners in this group tended to have a main shoe, which they wore for an average of 58% of their mileage, but they rotated among an average of 3.6 pairs of shoes for their training during the study.
Once they crunched the numbers, the researchers found that the multiple-shoe wearers had a 39% lower risk of injury during the study period than the single-shoe wearers.
The researchers wrote that this could well be because different shoes distribute the impact forces of running differently, thereby lessening the strain on any given tissue. Previous research has shown, and runners have long intuitively felt, that factors such as midsole height and midsole firmness create differences in gait components such as stride length and ground reaction time.
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-reco...
Researchers in Luxembourg gathered information on training volume, injury rate, cross-training, shoe usage and other variables from 264 adult recreational runners. During the 22-week study, 87 of the 264 runners suffered at least one running-related injury, which the researchers defined as "a physical pain or complaint located at the lower limbs or lower back region, sustained during or as a result of running practice and impeding planned running activity for at least one day."
Of the 264 runners, 116 were classified as single-shoe wearers; runners in this group did 91% of their mileage in the same shoe, and ran in an average of 1.3 pairs of shoes during the study. The other 148 were classified as multiple-shoe wearers; runners in this group tended to have a main shoe, which they wore for an average of 58% of their mileage, but they rotated among an average of 3.6 pairs of shoes for their training during the study.
Once they crunched the numbers, the researchers found that the multiple-shoe wearers had a 39% lower risk of injury during the study period than the single-shoe wearers.
The researchers wrote that this could well be because different shoes distribute the impact forces of running differently, thereby lessening the strain on any given tissue. Previous research has shown, and runners have long intuitively felt, that factors such as midsole height and midsole firmness create differences in gait components such as stride length and ground reaction time.
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-reco...
10 AM
Note
And in other good news, Ang has just informed Carbon's Offset and me that we were *not* chosen in today's Western States 100 Lottery. Phew! I'd only entered to have the chance for extra tickets in future years. If I'd been "successful", I would have been out $400 because I definitely couldn't do WS100 in 2014.
Friday Dec 6, 2013 #
Road Biking (Trainer) 30:00 [2]
slept:7.0
Death Race DVD and a bit of the 2006 Tour de Flanders. Not overly inspiring.
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
It now takes 40-45 minutes to do all the exercises. I'd hoped to attempt my first wonton spoon treatment today but my foot still hurts from Tuesday's Graston treatment so it seemed like a bad idea. Maybe tomorrow.
Thursday Dec 5, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Core) 21:00 [2]
slept:7.0
Hard Core Live with Caron.
Power Yoga 46:00 [1]
A "crunchy" kind of yoga class tonight. (As in lots of crunch-type moves.) So glad I went since I almost blew it off. I haven't felt great all week, and I'm starting to lose motivation because it's discouraging to be injured. I try to push that thought out of my head because I know I'm damned lucky in so many ways, my problems are insignificant, and I have no right to feel sorry for myself. So I try to be stoic about that but then I cry too easily over silly unrelated things.
Wednesday Dec 4, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
So much new stuff added yesterday. Hope it works!
9 AM
Note
slept:7.5
Happy Holidays from Captain Picard. (Plus an ad at the end.)
Tuesday Dec 3, 2013 #
Note
slept:6.0
Back to Dr. Bell and the kinesiologists in Orillia. He'd planned to let me start run-walking this week but decided I should wait a little longer due to some mystery pain on the outside of the foot. I'm going to be starting wonton soup spoon therapy along with my kinesiology program. Remember that, Carbon? :)
Then down to Toronto where FB and I attended a symposium with Ray Zahab and several U of T scientists talking about extreme environments and extraordinary feats. Very cool!
Then down to Toronto where FB and I attended a symposium with Ray Zahab and several U of T scientists talking about extreme environments and extraordinary feats. Very cool!
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
9 AM
Note
Tired of hitting the refresh button on the AR World Champs? Take a break to improve your geography with these map quizzes.
http://online.seterra.net/en
http://online.seterra.net/en
Monday Dec 2, 2013 #
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 15:00 [1]
slept:7.25
3 PM
Note
And they're off! The Adventure Racing World Championship has started in Costa Rica. Good luck and safe journey to all.
4 PM
Note
Our little doofus is so tired after his long solo run yesterday that he can't even make the effort to get into his dog bed. That'll teach him to run away. (No, it won't. But it's a nice thought.)
Sunday Dec 1, 2013 #
Running (Trail) 10:00 [3] 1.0 km (10:00 / km)
slept:8.0
No, I'm not supposed to be running but my darned dog isn't supposed to run away either. Because he took off so quickly, there wasn't much point in me doing too much running. 'Bent headed after him, and I was mostly patrolling within 5-10 minutes of home so I could keep going back to check whether he had arrived. As it turned out, neither one of us saw BazingaDog after the first 2 minutes of his disappearance so we were mostly hiking in the snow, looking for tracks, calling and whistling. 'Bent skied part of the time but eventually dumped his skis.
So it was only a little running but I was wearing hiking boots. Yikes, I can guarantee the doc would be displeased.
So it was only a little running but I was wearing hiking boots. Yikes, I can guarantee the doc would be displeased.
Strength & Mobility (Physio) 20:00 [1]
4 PM
Note
I can't hear a damned thing. BazingaDog escaped for 75 minutes of fun, frolic and deer tracking in Palgrave West. 'Bent and I went in separate directions in anguished Dogtracker mode, sending each other texts with clues and ideas. Fortunately, we've been through so many crises together in 24 years that we stay calm as long as there are useful things we can do. This has helped in adventure racing as well as real life.
I set a trap at our front door - a peanut butter bone tied to the house and dog food scattered in the snow. I blew a Fox 40 whistle about 100 times during the search, hence the near deafness, hopefully temporary. Based on the tracks 'Bent found in the snow, he travelled 2 km off-trail through the forest to a property he's never visited before, maybe visited a deer carcass beside Duffy's Lane, then fortunately somehow made his way back to the front patio when he'd had enough freedom. This was after a 1-hour hike in a fenced property where he was perfectly obedient and so exhausted that he lay down in the snow several times to pant and cool off. We love him but he is hopeless. I am now drinking my 2nd glass of wine and feel like I've run a marathon. I just want to cry.
I set a trap at our front door - a peanut butter bone tied to the house and dog food scattered in the snow. I blew a Fox 40 whistle about 100 times during the search, hence the near deafness, hopefully temporary. Based on the tracks 'Bent found in the snow, he travelled 2 km off-trail through the forest to a property he's never visited before, maybe visited a deer carcass beside Duffy's Lane, then fortunately somehow made his way back to the front patio when he'd had enough freedom. This was after a 1-hour hike in a fenced property where he was perfectly obedient and so exhausted that he lay down in the snow several times to pant and cool off. We love him but he is hopeless. I am now drinking my 2nd glass of wine and feel like I've run a marathon. I just want to cry.