Training Log Archive: Bash

Around Copeland Forest with Leanimal and 'Bent, both of whom had more zip in their legs than I did today. Some fun single track, speedy double track, steep climbing and equestrian dodging plus occasional breaks for mosquito slapping and spousal "commentary" while 'Bent analyzed the orienteering map at trail junctions. (Time deducted for stops.) I should be reviewing this map too as Lee, 'Bent and I will all be navigating here for different teams at ESAR in a couple of weeks but my mind is still recovering from APEX so I can't get into it yet.

Great to meet Dee, FB and Urthbuoy for lunch at the Crazy Horse pub afterward. The boys had done a long run over from Midhurst and Dee was playing hooky while Logie did the Canada Cup bike race at Hardwood. It's so nice to get these all too rare opportunities to just relax and share stories with AR friends.

Around Palgrave West with 'Bent. We'd planned to go further afield but decided to make loops close to home in case the distant rumbles of thunder and small bursts of rain turned into something more. The thunderstorms earlier today were crazy!

Out with 'Bent for a Tour de Island Lake in my JKK Eclipse kayak which made the long journey from NZ and just emerged from bubble wrap this afternoon. "Jake" is super light, fast but not surf ski fast, and designed for much rougher conditions than Island Lake will ever see. I'll need to do some work to feel more comfortable but it's going to be great to have a boat I can lift onto the car easily on my own. I've bought a season's pass to Island Lake with the plan of getting out more often.

Great news: Even though Frankenjack's well-worn shoes travelled from NZ in the kayak cockpit and spent 15 weeks in there, it was possible to paddle without a gas mask.

While we were in a kayak frame of mind, who should arrive in the driveway but Urthbuoy and FB! Awesome to catch up with the boys of Team Spirit.

First ever visit to the Apple Store to get help with my troubled iPhone. The guy there was a Genius.

Recovery ride. I would have stayed out longer but the wind in the forest was crazy and I saw a couple of big branches down. I decided it would be more fun to go to town to visit Leanimal and Weeanimal.

My teammate Hingo has put together an awesome 5-minute slide show of our race and posted it on YouTube. It includes photos from Hingo, T. Rex and myself so you'll get a good idea of what our race was like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmA01lA6lx0