Training Log Archive: Bash

Salomon Raid The Hammer

This was an anniversary race for Hingo, 'Bent and me. Ten years ago, we raced our first Raid The Hammer together - the first nav race we ever finished. We had a great time, didn't run very much, wrote bearings and distance on the map for every single control, finished 44th of 82 teams and were absolutely thrilled with our debut performance.

Since then the Tree Huggers have attended most of the Raids over the years, racing with our original 3-member line-up whenever circumstances allow.

We have our routine standardized after all these years. We each work on our maps independently, and unless there is a particularly complex route choice, it's my responsibility to understand the instructions and plan our routes. I don't plan many legs in detail, and I rarely mark anything on the map other than control descriptions and route details that aren't obvious from the map. Hingo plans our Matrix strategy and assigns us our control(s). We may briefly discuss things like the sequence of scrambles (score-O sections). As we're running, all three of us follow the map and watch for controls and key features. We constantly remind each other about the instructions and our routes. 'Bent wields the SI card and carries the tow rope.

Today we started in Mount Nemo in warm weather. First we had a scramble where I messed up a little by starting to lead the team toward one of the Matrix controls by mistake. Then we spit up for the Matrix, and I ended up running to B with BugsinTeeth. This gave me a nice rest at CP1 as I waited for 'Bent and Hingo to return from their tougher assignments.Then we headed off to the controls at the south end of the map and out to the road toward the Brant Hills map. 'Bent towed me for much of the road section.

There was potential to get mixed up on the Brant Hills map so I was very cautious - counting creeks, aiming off, watching contours more than trails. We spent much of our time on this map with Topo Girlz and Boy (Ang, Arthurd and Matt). Our route choices weren't always the same but we kept ending up together. More surprising was the fact that we were passed by Team Salomon in this section - twice! We didn't expect to see them until the Meatball Truck.

Finally we snuck past Topo Girlz and Boy on the trail run to the final map. It was somewhere around this time (the 15K mark) that the top of my left foot started to hurt badly - the same thing that happened near the end of Oil Creek. I think it's a repetitive strain thing and hope it just needs some time away from long runs. After this weekend, I'm officially declaring it ski season, and I plan to stop running if this pain ever pops up. Today, however, I pushed through it and was gritting my teeth sometimes toward the end. I'm wondering if it may be related to the ankle bracing and taping I do for long events. In restricting the movement of my foot, I may be aggravating parts of it.

We were efficient on the final scramble, and when we went up to the aid station, we learned we were 2nd Coed which was unexpected and motivating. The rest of the forest controls went well, then we had another Bruce Trail run into Waterdown. After CP8 we lost some time when I was freaking out because I couldn't see the little park we were supposed to run through to get to Main St., and the map didn't have that much detail. In the end, we followed the other teams who took Union St. across. (Every GPS track I have seen, including for top teams, did the same thing.) Unfortunately, my obsession over detail meant that we just missed a slow light change that the teams around us made so in the end, we finished about a minute behind two other teams (luckily not in our category).

It was an incredible, sunny day - perfect for a run in the woods. It was great to see so many friends and to race with longtime teammates. This year's course had more trail and road sections that favoured speedy runners so on paper, I would have expected us to get crushed. We had a respectable result though - 2nd of 19 Coed teams (although the preliminary results show us in Masters). This was a great year for Female teams with Team Giggles (including two U.S. national team members) just a few minutes off the overall podium, and Dee, M&M and Morgan beating us nicely. Frankenjack's team took the overall win - congrats!

Thanks to all the people involved in putting on these major events for us. It's a huge job performed almost entirely by volunteers, and we are incredibly lucky to have people doing this for us.

Trav took this finish line photo. I'd forgotten to bring a brimmed hat and it was too hot for my Buff, so instead I went with the "fright wig" look! :) Thanks to Funderstorm who set me up with a much-needed ponytail elastic.

In case you haven't seen it on 'Bent's log yet, he is still working on the Festival Fall 50 movie but the trailer is now ready. :)

Final test run before Salomon Raid The Hammer. For the past month, I've been taking it easy on my gimpy foot - getting treatment from Thumbs-of-Death, doing strength exercises and limiting my running. It meant losing a little fitness before the Raid but I think the break was needed. Everything felt good today, and I would have been happy to run a lot longer - but I'll save that for Sunday.

Starting Monday, 'tis the season for XC ski training!

Want to orienteer for a living? GHO has openings for a Program Manager for the Adventure Running Kids Expansion 2013, and for a Mapper in Residence. The two job openings may be combined into a full time position. The Program Manager of our ARK Expansion would join Patrick Saile (aka Pat-hectic), our Adventure Running manager, and over 75 other coaches in the Hamilton, KW, and Niagara regions that are currently involved in the delivery of the Adventure Running Kids and Adventure Running X programs.
http://dontgetlost.ca/index.php?option=com_content...

Just finished Day 5 with my friends at the Subaru Service dept. The check engine code says I need my 3rd replacement catalytic converter in 3 months. Seriously?!

This was all the time I had left after taking care of a few snafus. First I realized that I'd forgotten to wire up the monitor and cadence sensor when I set up the trainer. No *wonder* it seemed so easy. Then when I tried to do the brake calibration, which you do by pedalling over 30 kph, the trainer refused to measure me going that fast even though I pedalled my heart out again and again. Then, as I was gasping for oxygen, I noticed a funny smell and checked the roller. It was burning hot. The tire also was hot - and soft. Oh... Yup, my painstaking tire change that took 25 minutes left me with a flat tire. For today I just pumped it up again but there may be another road bike tire change in my future. Oh joy.

In the midst of all this, I listened to part of an Endurance Planet podcast. They were talking about strength training for ultrarunners - always useful.

When I finally got to ride:
- Watts ave 151
- Cadence ave 79

This just in: Apple Maps projects Obama to win in Chile.
[ via George Takei ]

While getting increasingly nervous about the U.S. election. Canada's feds are going to be messed up for the next few years so we can only hope for good things to happen south of the border. After all the rhetoric, I'm afraid that anti-science, anti-woman, anti-gay politicians may gain power. I feel physically sick. :(

Photos are now posted in the entry for Sunday's Festival Fall Fifty.

Wishing all the best to our American friends today.

Hard to categorize tonight's training session with Coach LD's Bounding Babes. It's a mix of running and strength so that's how I'll log it. Crash, TP, Liz and I were treated to a Tour de Bolton with various stations along the way:
- Run to Dick's Dam Park in the dark
- Dynamic stretching on the bridge (different leg swings)
- Sidesteps, grapevine, 1 and 2-footed hops in the sand. Surprisingly tiring by the 3rd or 4th time across the volleyball court. I think this is where it would help to have a few fast-twitch fibres.
- Skate and classic ski bounding repeats on Deer Valley hill, then run up
- Dips from benches in Foundry Park
- Playground equipment race where I came last - *but* other than Coach LD (the overall winner, of course), I was the only one who did the monkey bars so it's OK.
- Run over Sackville hill to the Anglican church where Coach LD had a meeting at 7. Coordination exercises with balls, balance exercises (including teapots! At last I know what they are!), core strength and stretching.
- Run back over Sackville hill to our cars, leaving Coach LD at her meeting. As we said goodbye, we sang "Happy Birthday" to her in loud voices. We were pretty sure that would make her meeting more interesting. :)

Fun times - thanks, Coach LD!

In many parts of southern Ontario, today is the opening day of gun hunting season for deer. This includes areas around Collingwood, Milton, Barrie/Orillia, Waterloo and Ancaster where many of our friends play regularly. Many more areas have deer bow hunting seasons for most of Oct-Dec, including the areas that have one or two gun hunting weeks. Having had some bad experiences, my compromise is to dress brightly around bow hunters but try to steer clear of areas while gun hunting is going on. (Unless a good race or important course test is involved!) If you choose to venture into areas with gun hunters, it is safest to stay on major trails. Note that the Bruce Trail and other "public" trails pass through private land so there can be gunfire across the trail in places.

To find out hunting seasons in your area:

1) Find your 'Wildlife Management Unit' number on a map.

2) Go to the list of hunting seasons and search for your WMU#. Note that there are three separate lists for Deer:
- Deer Hunting
- Deer Bows Only
- Deer Controlled Hunts

A lot of southern Ontario areas are "controlled" hunts, i.e. tags must be purchased. Your WMU# may be on multiple lists so check them all to make sure you've got all the info.

Once you know whether it is hunting season, you need to find out whether specific landowners permit hunting on their land. It's not always what you might think. Simcoe County Forest usually *does* permit hunting on their land but the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority does not. Some of our neighbours allow deer hunters on their land while others do not. And we also have the neighbour who has hunted on the TRCA land between our houses - sigh...

Several locals have met hunters walking along the edges of their property or trespassing, sometimes because they honestly didn't know the property boundaries of the landowner who gave them permission.

There are hunters who break the rules, and you may find someone trespassing, hunting out of season or using weapons that are not permitted. However, most hunters follow the regulations so the best we can do is get familiar with them. Don't forget to put a bright T-shirt or hunting vest on your dogs too, if you're in an area where you could encounter hunters.