Training Log Archive: BashIn the 7 days ending Aug 31, 2008:
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Sunday Aug 31, 2008 #
Note
Mountain Biking (Trails & Road) 1:44:00 27.2 km (15.7 kph)
Rode from Inglewood to The Shed Coffee Bar in Belfountain. Without our usual wilderness guides, Knobless and Gorgeous, we made a wrong turn in the maze of trails west of Inglewood. No problem, we figured that we'd just keep going in the right direction, and eventually we'd hook up with the correct route. Wrong. The trail ran out at a big new fence with "No Trespassing" signs on it. After 4.5 km of riding, we were back at our car ready to give it another go. We made a more foolproof route choice the 2nd time, and our iced mocha lattes tasted that much sweeter!
I'm a wimp about taking my bike apart because things always seem to go wrong. I buy a car that fits my bike in the back without removing the front wheel. Today I was telling 'Bent that my bike felt slower after being reassembled from the bike box. Then the bike stopped dead. Turns out the derailleur cable had wrapped itself around my front gears. Yikes. I think I've avoided permanent damage. If not, it would be good timing - my rebuilt Gary Fisher bike (with the new frame to replace the cracked one) should finally be ready by the end of this week.
I'm a wimp about taking my bike apart because things always seem to go wrong. I buy a car that fits my bike in the back without removing the front wheel. Today I was telling 'Bent that my bike felt slower after being reassembled from the bike box. Then the bike stopped dead. Turns out the derailleur cable had wrapped itself around my front gears. Yikes. I think I've avoided permanent damage. If not, it would be good timing - my rebuilt Gary Fisher bike (with the new frame to replace the cracked one) should finally be ready by the end of this week.
Saturday Aug 30, 2008 #
Mountain Biking (Road & Trail) 1:14:00 [2]
Easy ride to Albion and around the trails to test our bikes after re-assembly from the bike boxes. 'Bent tried a clever new way of carrying his drinking bladder and managed to slice the tube neatly in half. Gorgeous summer day.
Friday Aug 29, 2008 #
Note
Changing topics... as a birthday present to myself, I sent in a "cross-section of my photographic work" (?!) with an application for the Banff Centre Adventure Photography Workshop.
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/programs...
Given that I assembled my "portfolio" hurriedly at 3 a.m. before our Coast Raid flight, I wouldn't have been disappointed to be turned down this year, but I was accepted and am going there for a 3-day workshop Sept. 12-15. A lot of our work will involve outdoor photo sessions with models doing things like kayaking or climbing. Instructors include two National Geographic photographers and another local award-winning photographer. Fun!
My red-eye flight leaves Calgary on Mon. Sept. 15 at midnight. Any westerners interested in going for coffee - or maybe dinner - that evening? Not certain yet what time I'll make it to Calgary from Banff, but it should be in the 6-8 p.m. range. Won't have a car.
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/programs...
Given that I assembled my "portfolio" hurriedly at 3 a.m. before our Coast Raid flight, I wouldn't have been disappointed to be turned down this year, but I was accepted and am going there for a 3-day workshop Sept. 12-15. A lot of our work will involve outdoor photo sessions with models doing things like kayaking or climbing. Instructors include two National Geographic photographers and another local award-winning photographer. Fun!
My red-eye flight leaves Calgary on Mon. Sept. 15 at midnight. Any westerners interested in going for coffee - or maybe dinner - that evening? Not certain yet what time I'll make it to Calgary from Banff, but it should be in the 6-8 p.m. range. Won't have a car.
Thursday Aug 28, 2008 #
Note
Running 30:25 5.0 km (6:05 / km)
5K trail loop in Palgrave. I felt slow but relatively strong after climbing so many hills recently. In the end, it was an average time for me on this hilly loop.
Power Yoga 23:00 [1]
Rodney Yee Yoga for Flexibility. Oooh, that felt good.
Tuesday Aug 26, 2008 #
Note
Some final thoughts about the Coast Raid. We're really glad we did this event, and it was fun to do it as an adventure vacation. Daniel Poirier, Jean-Thomas Boily and everyone involved in the event did an excellent job.
They took care of the big things - the race course was interesting, challenging and beautiful. It really felt like an accomplishment to make it to the end. Safety was a major consideration, and we frequently saw rescue boats as we paddled. The organizers also took care of many smaller details - getting a large flag for every country represented, laminating the maps, setting up start and finish lines with music and emcee for each race leg, ensuring that bags and bikes always arrived on time, etc. The volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable and most seemed to be having fun themselves. The only suggestion for improvement would be to spell out the race rules in more detail, as there were a couple of cases of confusion where top teams interpreted things differently from one another.
It was interesting to explore this little-known corner of Canada - that's the main reason we went. But it turned out to be more scenic than we'd expected, and the warm welcome of the Lower North Shore residents was absolutely unbelievable - something I may never experience again. It was more special because we shared it with good friends from Ontario - and with new friends we made during the event.
Bottom line - the Coast Raid was much more than a race. It showed that our sport can make a difference to communities and regions, and we felt proud and privileged to be part of it. Thanks to Endurance Aventure!
They took care of the big things - the race course was interesting, challenging and beautiful. It really felt like an accomplishment to make it to the end. Safety was a major consideration, and we frequently saw rescue boats as we paddled. The organizers also took care of many smaller details - getting a large flag for every country represented, laminating the maps, setting up start and finish lines with music and emcee for each race leg, ensuring that bags and bikes always arrived on time, etc. The volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable and most seemed to be having fun themselves. The only suggestion for improvement would be to spell out the race rules in more detail, as there were a couple of cases of confusion where top teams interpreted things differently from one another.
It was interesting to explore this little-known corner of Canada - that's the main reason we went. But it turned out to be more scenic than we'd expected, and the warm welcome of the Lower North Shore residents was absolutely unbelievable - something I may never experience again. It was more special because we shared it with good friends from Ontario - and with new friends we made during the event.
Bottom line - the Coast Raid was much more than a race. It showed that our sport can make a difference to communities and regions, and we felt proud and privileged to be part of it. Thanks to Endurance Aventure!
Monday Aug 25, 2008 #
Note
Here are our excellent teammates, Pixie and Tiny, after the race.
And here are 'Bent and myself.
Post-race was the only time we looked better than Team Salomon Suunto. I guess that's the advantage of doing the event as an adventure vacation!
And here are 'Bent and myself.
Post-race was the only time we looked better than Team Salomon Suunto. I guess that's the advantage of doing the event as an adventure vacation!