Training Log Archive: Bash

Conditions aren't perfect for anything right now but it was a crisp, sunny day in the low single digits, which was nice. 'Bent and the pooches went for a Fast Boyz run. I ran to the Glen Haffy stile on the Oak Ridges Trail, did the 2 km loop, which included scrambles through mud and over fallen trees, then returned home. The trails had a few sections with ice or goopy mud but were mostly an equal mix of snow (up to 10 cm) and damp ground, usually blanketed in wet leaves or pine needles. The rocks and roots were hidden but not well-covered so I was super cautious. I don't want to wreck my ankle at the start of ski season - or any other time, really. I ran into Don Coats (Caledon Hills Cycling owner) and friends.

Aww, C3 gave me their Female Run of the Year award for CCC, shared with Susan Anderson for her New York Marathon performance. Even though they’re a triathlon club, they’ve always supported our off-road sports. The Female Bike of the Year went to former adventure racer Kelly Cadeau for a multi-day mountain bike race. (Every award had the same photo from the Beijing Olympics since we had those two Olympians in attendance - so even the swimming award had cyclists on it!)

Short run before the C3 end-of-year banquet with Simon Whitfield and Colin Jenkins as this year’s special guests.

Since we like maps here, you might find this Canadian Climate Opinion Map interesting. Not too many surprises.
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizatio...

Well, it’s the end of an era. This was my 11th season of sponsorship by Salomon in various forms. For the first 5 years, I was a member of the national Salomon Flight Crew, back when they wanted a mix of elites and runners “connected within their community”. We got some product training and helped at local events. I got a big box of free stuff each spring and supplemented it with purchases of additional Salomon gear. After all, a brand ambassador had to be loyal from head to toe in all weather.

After the national team became an elites-only group, the Toronto Salomon store manager gave me 40% off and continued to involve me in occasional store events. Last year he left the store, and all the staff members I knew had also moved on. Unsure of what to do with me, the new store manager generously continued to extend the discount since it was in their computer system. When I offered to come in to give an ultrarunning presentation that I’d planned with the previous store manager, it didn’t sound like she was all that interested. It’s been 2+ years since I’ve been asked to do anything in exchange for my discount.

Today the manager told me that they’ll be making a fresh start with new store ambassadors in 2020. I thanked her and said it’s been a really good run. I’m so grateful for Salomon’s longtime support. I honestly like a lot of their clothing, shoes and gear very much, and I’ll still be buying it. It’s not the worst thing that I will no longer feel like I need to represent the brand in public photos, etc. If I prefer shorts from another company, I can wear them in a major race without guilt. I’ll have more choices now.

So it’s all good. Big thanks to Phatty (Pete Cameron) for getting me into this. As a very average runner, it’s been way more than I ever could have expected.

Running May Reduce The Risk Of Death, But It Won’t Work Forever

2 sets of Weight Workout #1 from Strength Training for Runners, plus some foothab and balance.

AdventureDog and I went snowshoeing in Palgrave West, trudging through the heavy, wet snow that fell today. It didn't look like it would have been much fun for skiing. We scrambled up a few hills and avoided a few others that were covered in those tiny, annoying burrs. (I was *almost* successful with that.) I got clocked on the back of my head by what was probably a big blob of snow that melted off a tall tree. Either that or the guilty squirrel ran away really quickly.