Training Log Archive: 'Bent

(28hrs total but lots of breaks and relaxed TAs)
Wilderness Traverse on team Long Time Running with Hammer, Tarno and Browner. The goal was WTF- wilderness traverse finish full course without making me or Hammer sick. Given that we lost Laurel a month ago, and Hammer's knee was so bad 4 days pre-race that he wasn't sure he could race, the plan was no hammering, just steady progress, and keeping dry and warm where possible.



Hammer and Tarno had the maps dialed pre-race while Browner and I were in charge of logistics/ equipment etc. We got to bed by 11:30, before the 5AM alarm.



Leg 1 was a trek. We'd looked at a dry option, but with the sun out Hammer chose a route with 4 swims- 3 small crossings and one sizeable lake swim. Even without running we had moved up into 9th or so, but I took the time to drybag my top before every swim. Tarno had warned us that he's a Viszla- fast on land but hates water. He had a hard time with the swims, and he hung ont to Hammer's foot while Browner and I tried to push him along a bit. He froze after, but we took care of him and got him sorted.





We could have run the dry option, but the cold water and less running helped Preserve The Hammer more. We finished the trek in reasonable position, around 12th.

Leg 2 was biking, almost all on ATV and hydrocut trails. Bob tested in a dry summer, but after all the rain this was hundreds of deep AR-type puddles. We saw Long Sault with their amazing 13 year old kid racing, but nobody else.



I think I had an easier time than my teammates as I could ride a lot more with my 'bent. They tended to send me out to scout the puddles and pick the route. Tarno was in running shoes and got off a lot, but was strong enough to run the bike up technical stuff he couldn't ride- as advertised,. We dealt with a couple of mechanicals, and the incessant slogs were wearing Hammer's stomach down a bit. Browner was rock solid, and kept spirits up for the team. The ferry across the river was a welcome respite, and we got Tarno's brakes tuned by a volunteer during the boat ride! Cookies too!



We finished the bike just as the sun set, as planned more or less. 7 hours for 60km, and we moved up 1 spot. We took a long TA while Hammer came back to life slowly as we got him in warm dry clothes and we got hot soup from the amazing TA staff. I was feeling good, and Hammer and I both were able to keep soup down.





Leg 3 was a night paddle. We layered up well, and Tarno and Hammer made good progress. We found the first few portages OK, but struggled with the third one. I got a brief catnap while the boys tried to confirm the portage, but we ended up all getting out to scout it. It took us maybe 45 min to find it, and meanwhile 3 other teams who were well back followed our lights and passed us at the portage. We had a bit of a low point after that, but things worked out.

I found the portaging easy with the boats we had, even though my knee was acting up after the bike ride, and Hammer and Tarno took turns with their boat. One portage on the Moon river was a very rough rocky take-out, but part way through we came upon Iris and Amber with a fire and cookies. So good to be racing at a pace where we could sit by a fire for a few minutes, eat cookies with our friends and even get in another catnap. We also took a break to have some noodles by the fire later in the night at Moon Falls with the nice volunteers, and I even got another 6 minute powernap while the rest warmed up by a fire at a later portage. Luxury!

Browner and I enjoyed paddling together, and it was magical when the moon came up, but Browner got a bit quieter later on. I was shocked when she told me near the end of the paddle section that she couldn't carry on as she was very cold and also sick. At the TA to trek we took a long time by the fire and got us all in dry clothes with some more soup- and a cold brew for me and Tarno- but we couldn't convince her to continue.
That was very sad, especially as we'd expected Hammer or me to get sick, not rock-solid, cheerful Browner. Our mission was WTF with everyone healthy.

We ended up deciding to continue as a team of 3. The trek seemed to go well as Tarno and Hammer worked well together fighting through lots of Juniper. At one point Hammer showed me his compass, as it suddenly veered as we moved in a straight line. We tried it with Tarno's compass, and it did the same thing. Team Soul was following us, and had the same problem. We had hit one of the fabled magnetic anomalies, but this one was proven real.
Suddenly we encountered a swamp that shouldn't be there, and Hammer wa stumped. Tarno got a stick in the eye and tore a contact lens, which didn't help. It took nearly an hour of sitting, thinking, going here and there, to sort out that we had doubled back around while following a " bearing", and apparently did an hourglass-shaped route. Once we got that figured out it was light out, and we had a solid and accurate advanced trek despite Hammer's knee being very sore, and mine wasn't great either. My other ankle was sore too- I must have clobbered it somewhere as it was swollen and purple later. Tarno was going strong, taking point. We were all in good spirits though as we hit the trail and road to the TA.

We finally hit the final TA and short bike ride back with some time to spare before cutoff, but after a couple of km realized that Hammer had forgotten his pack while trying to arrange for Browner's bike to be transported, so we had to go back. Tarno was feeling good, so he dashed back as we followed. Finally we could ride an easy paceline to the finish full course before cut-off as planned.




Sad that Browner didn't make it- we started the trek pretty fast but were down to an easy pace she could have done even feeling a bit sick.

This was probably the most comfortable and fun WT I've done, since we weren't hammering for a high result. Everyone worked well together. The slightly easier pace, frequent changes into warm dry clothes, stops by fires to warm up and some powernaps saved my stomach too.

Great to see Stoked Oats pull off the win in a strong field.

Kudos to Bash and Bob, and the whole team of excellent volunteers.

C • So many cookies! 12

C • Pics added 1

Easy ride on a cool day with a frisky Bazingadog. Saw 6 deer on the way home.

Quick spin to wear-in a new rear rotor and brake pads. (I pranged it Sunday and got a replacement).

Final trot with the heavy boat. Felt pretty good.

Easy trot to work with AD.
Even easier night run home. Hiked the hills.

Charlevoix run with the big boy, who demanded an outing and enjoyed 5c, turkeys and deer.

Lumpy doubletrack around Inglewood and Grange. I was looking for the elusive 3rd trail up top. I did find it but it’s grown over.