Training Log Archive: BashIn the 7 days ending May 10, 2015:
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Sunday May 10, 2015 #
Note
I've just learned that Tuesday, May 12, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., will be the Salomon Toronto Friends and Family VIP Sale. This is one of two days a year when Salomon Toronto offers 40% off all Salomon products in their store (trail running shoes, running gear, active clothing, hiking shoes, etc.). There are usually deals (although not 40%) on Suunto Ambits, Petzl headlamps and their other non-Salomon products.
If you plan to attend - or even if you'd like to keep your options open - you need to RSVP to get on the list. To do this, just send an email to Shop.Toronto@Salomon.com and let them know that Barb invited you.
Salomon Toronto, Shops at Don Mills, 10 Aggie Hogg Gardens, Toronto, On, Canada, M3C 0G6
Store: 416-384-1661, shop.toronto@salomon.com
Some cool gear to check out, aside from all the great trail shoes:
S-Lab Sense Ultra Set pack - ultra-lightweight vest
Bonatti waterproof/breathable jacket
Fashionable and super-comfortable women's "Elevate" line of clothing, e.g. this tank top
If you plan to attend - or even if you'd like to keep your options open - you need to RSVP to get on the list. To do this, just send an email to Shop.Toronto@Salomon.com and let them know that Barb invited you.
Salomon Toronto, Shops at Don Mills, 10 Aggie Hogg Gardens, Toronto, On, Canada, M3C 0G6
Store: 416-384-1661, shop.toronto@salomon.com
Some cool gear to check out, aside from all the great trail shoes:
S-Lab Sense Ultra Set pack - ultra-lightweight vest
Bonatti waterproof/breathable jacket
Fashionable and super-comfortable women's "Elevate" line of clothing, e.g. this tank top
Saturday May 9, 2015 #
Event: Storm the Trent
9 AM
Adventure Racing race 7:56:00 85.81 km (5:33 / km) +704m 5:20 / km
slept:5.75
Storm The Trent
Trek Elite
Always a fun, well-organized event!
The forecast promised the hottest day of 2015 so far; in fact, a number of temperature records were broken. This was worrisome after my dizziness last Sunday on the *previous* hottest day of the year, however, it was a non-issue for some reason. I tried to stay well hydrated and fuelled with plain water, gels, chews and nut butters. I had cool eLoad in my PFD bladder for the final paddle leg, which went down well. I didn't push out of my comfort zone very often, which helped later on when I saw many racers taking breaks.
The course was Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Paddle with some CPs to find on and off-trail along the final bike ride. I wore bike shoes (Pearl Izumi X-Alps with tread) for everything but the paddle, where I used sock feet on my kayak rudder pedals.
I realized today that it had been almost 2 years since my last AR, which is funny since I still think of myself as an adventure racer first. I expected to walk more than usual after WT course testing with Bob on Wed. and Thurs. - over 43 km on foot, a lot of it bushwhacking - but speed is never my forte anyway. I would need to navigate perfectly, especially with Arthurd racing.
Alas, that is not how things went. After running with the crowd to CP20 (the only logical control to do first, although 'Bent and Gally thought otherwise), I saw Arthurd, Meredythe and others turning off the road to do CP22. I decided to bushwhack first over to CP21 on the other side of the road to avoid crowds and nav on my own - a race-ending decision in the first 16 minutes!
After finding CP21 without trouble, I bushwhacked in toward the trail to CP22 but hit a different, unmarked trail first. I found the correct trail quickly but a major wetland combined with the unexpected trail junction convinced me that I was elsewhere, which led to a series of relocation errors and general silliness. If I'd come in from the road on the trail, I wouldn't have questioned the extra features in the terrain. Lesson learned. The GPS track says I lost 15 minutes, and I was one of the last to get back to the bikes.
We did 60 km of biking today, a mix of country roads and ATV trails. Although I usually don't like road riding because of cars, the roads today were so quiet, hilly, curvy and gravelly that I really enjoyed them.
Our next stop was Vanderwater Conservation Area - the longest trek nav leg. I wasted a few minutes looking for CP30 on the wrong shoreline since I wasn't tracking my distance but otherwise all went well.
A short bike ride later, we stopped at a cool little farm where mountain bike trails are being built. 'Bent was leaving as I was riding in, and he seemed cheerful. Browner ran with me to my first control, holding a GoPro. Nice to have a quick mid-race chat! When I arrived back at CP3, I offered $100 to any volunteer who might have a cold Coke. The racer behind me quickly said that he would outbid me! We were both unsuccessful. ;(
By the end of this final trek, I'd accumulated around 20 minutes of nav errors - ugh. Soon afterward, we left the road and started riding some fun ATV trails including a lovely shady section along a hillside covered with trilliums. I was riding well after our early season practice on the rocks in Sedona.
As we emerged onto Deroche Rd., a big truck was backing into our trail to turn around. I saw 'Bent in the passenger seat - aacckk! Amid the noise and confusion, we had a quick chat where I learned that a medic had pulled him off the course for low blood pressure and pallor. I really wish I hadn't seen him since it was a big blow to my morale. I felt worried and disappointed for him and wondered if I should have stopped too. Maybe he was going off in an ambulance?
Around this time, teams around me remembered the checkpoints we needed to find along the marked bike route, on and off-trail. These CPs were very effective in keeping racers on course and forcing them to focus on the map as they rode. I passed a number of riders who had stopped and were scratching their heads. I tracked distance and compass bearing while watching the map and had no trouble. My new Miry bike map holder worked well in its first outing.
Enroute to CP4 on a gravel road, a bunch of ATVs roared past. Then they stopped and roared past again. Shortly after that, I saw two bikes lying in my lane of the road with two bodies lying on their backs beside them. Yikes! I rode up and asked if they were OK. Yup, just taking a break. "OK, you know this is a road, right? With cars and stuff?" Grrr, I could just imagine the damage to the reputation and insurance risks of the sport if adventure racers got run over while resting on a road!
At CP4, I asked if they'd heard anything on the radio about ambulances. They only knew about one guy and it didn't sound like 'Bent so I stopped worrying quite so much. About half a km into the final ATV trail section, my chain broke.
Now, I know a lot of *theory* about bike repair. I can confidently say stuff like, "He sheared off his derailleur so he had to convert his bike into a single speed". But when it comes to the actual repair of bikes, (a) I have people for that, and (b) I've been extremely lucky to have very few issues in more than 20 years of mountain biking.
So... I wondered about running forward on the course with my bike - 18 km in the heat. Or I could go back to CP4 and drop out - much closer but obviously sadder. Then there was the third choice. I considered pulling out my emergency cell phone and googling a Youtube video. But first, I opened my bike bag and stared curiously at the multi-tool until I identified a thingmajigger where I could stick the end of my broken chain. Cool! There was a screw that would push out the pin but finger tightening wasn't enough, and my only Allen keys were on the same multi-tool that had the chain tool. So I needed another Allen key. Strange... (I later learned that the chain tool probably comes off the multi-tool.)
I didn't want to bother other racers passing by but then I saw RLindzon coming up the trail. Last fall he flatted before a race, and I gave him a tube and refused his offer of payment. I didn't feel bad asking him for an Allen key. Karma!! It worked and now I just needed to figure out the quick link. As I fussed with the chain, half of the tiny link fell into 10 cm of leaf debris. I thought that was game over but I sifted carefully through the leaves and eventually found it. The quick link clicked in but it seemed too easy. Miraculously, it got me through the rest of the ride. Although I lost 15 minutes here, I was so chuffed at my unexpected success that I didn't really mind.
A short while later, I found a racer lying in the woods near one of the off-trail CPs. He was also just resting!
Back at Trudeau Resort, I sought out Storm to confirm that 'Bent hadn't gone to hospital. He said no, so I headed to the paddle put-in, where I found 'Bent looking surprisingly chipper. Unfortunately, I'd missed a cut-off so I would have to skip CPs 63 and 64. My kayak is faster than a canoe so I was tempted to go for them anyway just for fun but I didn't want to break the rules. It had been 9 months since I'd last paddled a kayak so it was a little uncomfortable but it was so awesome to be on the water in the breeze with my cool eLoad!
It was great to catch up with friends afterward, enjoy a yummy post-race meal and drink a frosty beer. Arthurd was a worthy champion in her first Female Masters outing. Thanks to Storm, Browner and their fantastic team for another fun event!
Trek Elite
Always a fun, well-organized event!
The forecast promised the hottest day of 2015 so far; in fact, a number of temperature records were broken. This was worrisome after my dizziness last Sunday on the *previous* hottest day of the year, however, it was a non-issue for some reason. I tried to stay well hydrated and fuelled with plain water, gels, chews and nut butters. I had cool eLoad in my PFD bladder for the final paddle leg, which went down well. I didn't push out of my comfort zone very often, which helped later on when I saw many racers taking breaks.
The course was Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Paddle with some CPs to find on and off-trail along the final bike ride. I wore bike shoes (Pearl Izumi X-Alps with tread) for everything but the paddle, where I used sock feet on my kayak rudder pedals.
I realized today that it had been almost 2 years since my last AR, which is funny since I still think of myself as an adventure racer first. I expected to walk more than usual after WT course testing with Bob on Wed. and Thurs. - over 43 km on foot, a lot of it bushwhacking - but speed is never my forte anyway. I would need to navigate perfectly, especially with Arthurd racing.
Alas, that is not how things went. After running with the crowd to CP20 (the only logical control to do first, although 'Bent and Gally thought otherwise), I saw Arthurd, Meredythe and others turning off the road to do CP22. I decided to bushwhack first over to CP21 on the other side of the road to avoid crowds and nav on my own - a race-ending decision in the first 16 minutes!
After finding CP21 without trouble, I bushwhacked in toward the trail to CP22 but hit a different, unmarked trail first. I found the correct trail quickly but a major wetland combined with the unexpected trail junction convinced me that I was elsewhere, which led to a series of relocation errors and general silliness. If I'd come in from the road on the trail, I wouldn't have questioned the extra features in the terrain. Lesson learned. The GPS track says I lost 15 minutes, and I was one of the last to get back to the bikes.
We did 60 km of biking today, a mix of country roads and ATV trails. Although I usually don't like road riding because of cars, the roads today were so quiet, hilly, curvy and gravelly that I really enjoyed them.
Our next stop was Vanderwater Conservation Area - the longest trek nav leg. I wasted a few minutes looking for CP30 on the wrong shoreline since I wasn't tracking my distance but otherwise all went well.
A short bike ride later, we stopped at a cool little farm where mountain bike trails are being built. 'Bent was leaving as I was riding in, and he seemed cheerful. Browner ran with me to my first control, holding a GoPro. Nice to have a quick mid-race chat! When I arrived back at CP3, I offered $100 to any volunteer who might have a cold Coke. The racer behind me quickly said that he would outbid me! We were both unsuccessful. ;(
By the end of this final trek, I'd accumulated around 20 minutes of nav errors - ugh. Soon afterward, we left the road and started riding some fun ATV trails including a lovely shady section along a hillside covered with trilliums. I was riding well after our early season practice on the rocks in Sedona.
As we emerged onto Deroche Rd., a big truck was backing into our trail to turn around. I saw 'Bent in the passenger seat - aacckk! Amid the noise and confusion, we had a quick chat where I learned that a medic had pulled him off the course for low blood pressure and pallor. I really wish I hadn't seen him since it was a big blow to my morale. I felt worried and disappointed for him and wondered if I should have stopped too. Maybe he was going off in an ambulance?
Around this time, teams around me remembered the checkpoints we needed to find along the marked bike route, on and off-trail. These CPs were very effective in keeping racers on course and forcing them to focus on the map as they rode. I passed a number of riders who had stopped and were scratching their heads. I tracked distance and compass bearing while watching the map and had no trouble. My new Miry bike map holder worked well in its first outing.
Enroute to CP4 on a gravel road, a bunch of ATVs roared past. Then they stopped and roared past again. Shortly after that, I saw two bikes lying in my lane of the road with two bodies lying on their backs beside them. Yikes! I rode up and asked if they were OK. Yup, just taking a break. "OK, you know this is a road, right? With cars and stuff?" Grrr, I could just imagine the damage to the reputation and insurance risks of the sport if adventure racers got run over while resting on a road!
At CP4, I asked if they'd heard anything on the radio about ambulances. They only knew about one guy and it didn't sound like 'Bent so I stopped worrying quite so much. About half a km into the final ATV trail section, my chain broke.
Now, I know a lot of *theory* about bike repair. I can confidently say stuff like, "He sheared off his derailleur so he had to convert his bike into a single speed". But when it comes to the actual repair of bikes, (a) I have people for that, and (b) I've been extremely lucky to have very few issues in more than 20 years of mountain biking.
So... I wondered about running forward on the course with my bike - 18 km in the heat. Or I could go back to CP4 and drop out - much closer but obviously sadder. Then there was the third choice. I considered pulling out my emergency cell phone and googling a Youtube video. But first, I opened my bike bag and stared curiously at the multi-tool until I identified a thingmajigger where I could stick the end of my broken chain. Cool! There was a screw that would push out the pin but finger tightening wasn't enough, and my only Allen keys were on the same multi-tool that had the chain tool. So I needed another Allen key. Strange... (I later learned that the chain tool probably comes off the multi-tool.)
I didn't want to bother other racers passing by but then I saw RLindzon coming up the trail. Last fall he flatted before a race, and I gave him a tube and refused his offer of payment. I didn't feel bad asking him for an Allen key. Karma!! It worked and now I just needed to figure out the quick link. As I fussed with the chain, half of the tiny link fell into 10 cm of leaf debris. I thought that was game over but I sifted carefully through the leaves and eventually found it. The quick link clicked in but it seemed too easy. Miraculously, it got me through the rest of the ride. Although I lost 15 minutes here, I was so chuffed at my unexpected success that I didn't really mind.
A short while later, I found a racer lying in the woods near one of the off-trail CPs. He was also just resting!
Back at Trudeau Resort, I sought out Storm to confirm that 'Bent hadn't gone to hospital. He said no, so I headed to the paddle put-in, where I found 'Bent looking surprisingly chipper. Unfortunately, I'd missed a cut-off so I would have to skip CPs 63 and 64. My kayak is faster than a canoe so I was tempted to go for them anyway just for fun but I didn't want to break the rules. It had been 9 months since I'd last paddled a kayak so it was a little uncomfortable but it was so awesome to be on the water in the breeze with my cool eLoad!
It was great to catch up with friends afterward, enjoy a yummy post-race meal and drink a frosty beer. Arthurd was a worthy champion in her first Female Masters outing. Thanks to Storm, Browner and their fantastic team for another fun event!
Friday May 8, 2015 #
Note
slept:6.0
Thursday May 7, 2015 #
3 PM
Trekking (Bushwhacking & Trail) 6:58:38 [3] 23.54 km (17:47 / km) +509m 16:03 / km
slept:6.75 shoes: Salomon XA Pro Blue-green
More WT course testing up in North Ontar-eye-o.
Wednesday May 6, 2015 #
Note
slept:3.0
WT course testing. Details to come - but not too many. :)
Running (Trail) 1:08:00 [3] 8.7 km (7:49 / km) +25m 7:42 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro Blue-green
Trekking (Bushwhacking) 2:16:00 [3] 6.9 km (19:43 / km) +209m 17:07 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro Blue-green
Trekking (Trail) 58:00 [1] 4.0 km (14:30 / km) +71m 13:19 / km
shoes: Salomon XA Pro Blue-green
5 PM
Running 3:24:06 [2] 15.56 km (13:07 / km) +236m 12:11 / km
May 6, 2015
15.56 km
Climb 236 m
Time 32400
15.56 km
Climb 236 m
Time 32400
Tuesday May 5, 2015 #
Note
slept:8.25
Monday May 4, 2015 #
Note
slept:7.5 (rest day)
My friend who rescued AdventureDog - the one who manages the Northern Dogs Project for the International Fund for Animal Welfare - rescues dozens of dogs each year from northern Québec communities. So she meets lots of dogs, owns a few herself and can't afford to fall too much in love with every one she meets. So when she thinks a dog is extra special, I'm sure he is!
She wrote: "Know anyone? This boy is staying with us and is the most gentle loving soul. He deserves an awesome person. He's about 8 months. 45 pounds but will put on weight. I think under all that coat he's going to be a lab. Lab tail, lab head. Asian eyes. Has a big smile on his face. Housetrained. Great with dogs and cats. Submissive. Was kept tied up so he is building his energy."
Anyone interested in a puppy with a nice personality who is already housetrained? Looks like a good running companion once he loses his Arctic fur. Write me if you'd like to get more info from my friend.
She wrote: "Know anyone? This boy is staying with us and is the most gentle loving soul. He deserves an awesome person. He's about 8 months. 45 pounds but will put on weight. I think under all that coat he's going to be a lab. Lab tail, lab head. Asian eyes. Has a big smile on his face. Housetrained. Great with dogs and cats. Submissive. Was kept tied up so he is building his energy."
Anyone interested in a puppy with a nice personality who is already housetrained? Looks like a good running companion once he loses his Arctic fur. Write me if you'd like to get more info from my friend.