Training Log Archive: Bash

RIP and thank you, Paul Sherwen - gone too soon. :( We won’t forget your suitcase of courage.

Tour de Halton Forest - Browner, Scout and AdventureDog encouraged me on my longest run in awhile. I went without an ankle brace and used a healthy amount of Leukotape to keep my left foot in the correct position.

Before we started, a dog walker started a pleasant conversation as he was returning to his car. I blinked a couple of times then asked, "Doug Innes?" It was! I hadn't seen him in a few years and he hadn't recognized me either. We talked a bit more. He seems to be doing well.

Browner and I had a good catch-up as we did a nice route through Halton Forest. It was a nice mix of double and single track, and the rocks were a good test for my ankle. If I can get through a 2-hour run there, I can probably try running anywhere - if I tape up, anyway.

The dogs had a fantastic time, which only got better when we returned to Browner and Storm's place for coffee and snacks, which allowed Contour and AdventureDog to play too.

[I turned off my Ambit for 2 km and 13 mins so I've used Browner's info.]

I'd hoped to buy a Christmas tree at Albion Orchards on my way home. My friend Scott Lunau owns the farm, and we've talked daily for the past 3 days about his problems getting his order of pre-cut trees delivered before the weekend. When I arrived, there was a crowd of eager families and a fairly small pile of trees. He caught my eye and said sadly, "They shorted me. Look - there are hardly any."

He also grows trees so I took pity on him and decided to take a saw, head out to the back field and cut down a Christmas tree for the first time in my life. Naturally, I chose a fairly large tree that was near the back of the field. It took me awhile to cut it down as I lay in the mud in my (formerly) clean down jacket. Then I had to carry the heavy tree back, scrambling up and down hills and getting sap all over myself. It was awesome.

At home, I carried it into the back yard, levelled off the bottom, trimmed a bunch of branches, heaved it into the stand, and added half a dozen strings of lights. All this Christmas lumberjack (lumberjill?) work made our 2-hour run seem easy!

Tomorrow we celebrate Hanukkah with 'Bent's family. It will not be loggable on Attackpoint.

It's been cold but we've had no snow in the last couple of days so today's gravel road run (Finnerty, Humber Station) was mostly on ice with some mud for variety. I wanted to wear my Spikecross but was horrified to find them buried in my car, where they have apparently been hiding since Raid The Hammer three weeks ago. They are still wet and strangely odour-free but we'll see if that continues now that I've brought them indoors.

So I reluctantly wore my Snowcross, which I'm trying to use only when necessary in hopes they will last as long as possible. Salomon's 2018/19 Snowcross model has no metal spikes, and I've looked everywhere for last year's model in my size without success. I was so miffed that I wrote Salomon's head shoe designer guy in France - the one who has Phatty's old job - and asked him what gives. He said there are different preferences in different countries, and they'll have two different models for 2019/20, with and without spikes.

In the meantime, I need to take very good care of my favourite winter shoes. Seinfeld fans will remember Elaine's word "spongeworthy". I'll be evaluating each run to decide if it's Snowcross-worthy. :)

Hard Core Live with Caron.

C3 Yoga with triathletes.

This felt great - outside in cold air and sunshine! To be kind to my gimpy foot and avoid another ankle sprain, I ran on rolling gravel roads (Finnerty, Duffy's Lane). They were covered with ice, snow, slush and mud so it felt like a trail run except for the exciting risk of being hit by a car on a blind hill. Luckily, I only saw about a dozen vehicles. I tried to run down the section of Duffy's Lane that is closed in winter but it was coated in glare ice with a skiff of snow so I turned back. Next time I'll wear spikes. Can't wait to get back on trails when my foot is strong enough!

He's a little wacky but he's my one and only. Happy Birthday, Richard! :)

Btw this is what he looks like when he walks in the door from work!

Foot was much less sore by the end of the day. Time to get back to it - if I can even remember what "it" is.