Training Log Archive: Bash

Firenze

Spectacular views in Cinque Terre

Art and architecture from the past couple of millennia in Lucca, Tuscany

Cortina to Venice to Florence to Lucca

While in transit from Cortina to Venice to Florence to Lucca, we did a lot of walking with heavy backpacks and carry-ons (probably 40 kg for me), including a bunch of stairs. It was a serious workout, especially after an ultra, so I'm logging it.

Finished LUT at 3:57 a.m.

Lavaredo Ultra Trail, Part 2

Event: The North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail
 

Dee, Mrs. Gally, Timato and I start racing the 119 km Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Cortina, Italy at 11 p.m. (5 p.m. Toronto time). If I'm able to finish, I expect to come in close to the 30-hr cut-off, Sunday at 5 a.m. local time. The weather forecast has been very warm and now there is a 30-50% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon that could be "very intense". After my scary high mountain lightning experience at Eiger Ultra Trail, my fingers are tightly crossed. I won't take chances.

'Bent, Storm and Browner will start the 47 km Cortina Trail Race tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8 a.m. local time. The cut-off is 12 hours so they'll all get dinner and a good sleep! Hopefully, they'll miss the lightning.

I'm going to nap before getting ready. I had a real sleep last night but I'd like more. Unfortunately, we're now having a thunderstorm so I probably will lie awake.

UPDATE: 'Bent has posted everyone's bib numbers on his log with some info on tracking. There is a Youtube channel with live video coverage of some kind.
http://ar.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_921/per...

Here's the race website. They link to their Twitter, Facebook, etc. where there may be more info.
http://www.ultratrail.it/en/

I welcome texts from friends during the race. I just glance at them quickly at aid stations, and it's a nice boost in the middle of the night when I'm surrounded by strangers who don't speak much English.

The cut-offs are going to be tight for me, as is always the case in Ultra Trail World Tour races. For some reason, the first cut-off is really tight. I hope I won't be out after 6 hrs.

Lavaredo Ultra Trail, Part 1

Stupid body won't sleep. I'm exhausted and headache-y.

In happier news, Mrs. Tiny crushed the 20K Cortina Skyrace tonight! And it was a treat to meet up with Dee, Mrs. Gally and Aud, who just arrived.

Trek around the summit of Lagazuoi with Storm, Browner, Timato, Mrs. Tiny, Teeny Tiny and 'Bent. Elapsed time longer, plus I forgot to GPS the part after lunch where we took sketchier trails down to see the tunnel built by the Italians in World War I. (Not that I *really* consider any of it training but it's fun to look at our route on a satellite map.) Photos later - one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. 'Bent and I backpacked through here 10 summers ago.

Short run in the flattest terrain I could find around here - mostly a paved rail trail. It was ridiculously hot at 5:30 p.m. I'd rather have heat than thunderstorms for Saturday's race - but I'd rather have rain than heat. According to the latest forecast, it's going to be warm so we'll have to be careful.

Logged @ 50%. Timato, Mrs. Tiny, Teeny Tiny, Browner, Storm, 'Bent and I hiked from the Funavia Faloria (cable car) in Cortina, Italy and stopped for a picnic at our high point. At 4 years old, Teeny Tiny is an awesome hiker! Photos to follow. (They're already on Facebook.)

Finally! A night when my brain would have been willing to sleep longer but it wasn't possible because I had somewhere to be. (Venice.) (Not complaining.)

Mountain biker with GoPro hits bear - yikes.
http://adventure-journal.com/2016/06/mountain-bike...

The first of four identical 1K-ish loops on rolling, curvy, forested trail. I was testing a few things:

(i) A new Ambit. For long ultras with drop bags in the middle, I switch Ambits at the halfway point to allow me to use a more accurate recording interval without worrying about battery life. My old Ambit2 is in the Suunto Hospital and may not survive so we found a cheapo replacement Ambit2 on eBay. (The cool kids buy Ambit3.)

(ii) On each watch, I'd set up a custom "20 Hr Ultra" mode so I wanted to be sure it was working properly and the same way on both watches. I've set up a 10-second GPS recording interval for this mode, as opposed to the 1-second interval I normally use for Running mode.

(iii) While I was at it, I've been wavering on whether to use Speedcross or Speedcross Pro so I switched shoes after each lap.

Loop #1 - Old Ambit, Running Mode, Speedcross

Loop #2 - New Ambit, Running Mode, Speedcross Pro

Loop #3 - Old Ambit, 20 Hr Ultra Mode, Speedcross

Loop #4 - New Ambit, 20 Hr Ultra Mode, Speedcross Pro

Shoe decision made: I'm going with the Speedcross. Big surprise - I always use them for ultras! If it ain't broke...

It looks like both Ambits are working fine and returning similar data. The 10-second GPS interval never seems much different compared to a 1-second GPS interval, even on curvy forest trails. Nice.

I'm still doing last-minute stuff but Timato, Mrs. Tiny and Aubrey are in the air on their way to Venice tonight. Yay!!

Celebrity news corner: My brother just sent a photo of him standing beside a smiling Kiefer Sutherland, who shopped at my bro's Gravenhurst antique store this afternoon.

*Update*: I wasn't sure it if was appropriate to post the photo of Kiefer but the store (The Market Mews, Gravenhurst) just shared it on Facebook. My brother Dave is on the right as you look at the photo. The guy on the left is the guitarist in Kiefer's band.

AdventureDog and I did a short run around Palgrave West to get me moving and use up some of his boundless energy. We hit two stealth patches of poison ivy. (If Harps lived around here, we might be able to sell him on the advantages of winter.) A-Dog showed his gratitude by tearing a cloth shopping bag to pieces while I was out this evening.

SUP paddling at the C3 Quarry - I arrived a few minutes late.

Yay, SUP yoga is back for the summer! It was raining steadily, which doesn't really matter when you're on the water. So much fun.

Cyclist forgets Garmin, realizes he doesn't enjoy biking.
http://www.lavelocita.cc/opinion-page/data-disconn...

Bought a new MacBook today to replace a 2011 model that has been hanging on by a thread. It had a 17" display, which made it a rare treasure now that Apple has decided 15" is enough, so I put up with problems for months.

When I got that Mac five years ago, I was a happy PC user curious to see what all the fuss was about. Many people told me I would never go back to a PC. That's not true; I would. But I didn't - not this time.

As an IT professional, I really didn't expect the new Mac to just load my 500 GB backup in an hour and run a wide variety of non-Apple applications normally - but that's what it did. So far the only issue is that my Microsoft Office licence only covers one machine so I'll have to get another licence if I want to keep the old Mac around for occasional use - and I can't really blame Apple for that. Seriously impressed.

On a day overshadowed by tragedy in the U.S., it's hard to think about much else. Our family was fortunate to spend a few hours surrounded by friends, relatives and wider community as Dad was inducted posthumously into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. He would have been so touched by this honour. It's bittersweet but we're very proud.



As Mom sat down after accepting the award on Dad's behalf, a group of his Aggie classmates from the University of Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College Class of '55 gave their class cheer from the back of the crowded hall. Both Mom and Dad have attended or hosted annual reunions for their respective classes at U of G for the past 61 years. They went to alumni curling bonspiels, banquets and cottage weekends. Unlike my university class, many members of their classes have stayed in touch for their entire lives - without the help of Facebook or email for the first four decades. Even Dad's roommate from residence was with us today.

I asked some of Dad's classmates to do the class cheer for me on video (I missed the first part). I imagined Dad there with them, heartily shouting the words they learned together in their late teens in 1951. For a moment, I could see the mischievous young men still hiding within these distinguished gentlemen with their grey hair, wrinkles and aching joints. Imagine what it would be like to have 65-year-old friendships! Friendships that still matter even after someone is gone. It was beautiful.

'Bent and I went to Pretty River for a final long-ish hill session before Lavaredo. I had most of the gear I expect to be carrying in the race plus almost 2L of water. We both used poles.

An intense storm swept through before dawn so it was wet, mucky and humid when we first started. It felt like a rain forest and was even a bit foggy at times. The rocks, roots and slopes were slick so it was a great test for the Speedcross Pros, which are supposed to have excellent grip. They certainly worked better than 'Bent's shoes; I didn't have any slips on wooden bridges, steep slopes or slimy rocks.

After going up to the high point of the entire Bruce Trail network on the John Haight Side Trail, I'd thought we could go down and up the road allowance to the west. I remembered scrambling up a really steep slope with Dee in the Snowshoe Raid, both of us extremely grateful for our snowshoe cleats. The map showed the trail going down to the road so it looked like an efficient way to get in a big climb. Nope - not a summer trail; some stretches were overgrown and flooded. Rather than continue to feed the healthy mosquito and FDF populations, we bailed about halfway down and scrambled back up the escarpment. Bad choice.

Back at the Bruce Trail high point, we headed down on the main BT, throwing in a few hill repeats on our way back to the car. Pretty River is a great place to get in some extended climbs on trail - at least by Southern Ontario standards.

We went for Chicken Lessons last night. Some neighbours are away for the weekend and wondered if we would care for their chickens in exchange for the eggs. Although we buy free range eggs from another neighbour, this was educational. We picked up seven eggs on the way home from our run and ate five of them almost immediately! I might have had more if I hadn't had a DQ Peanut Buster Parfait as my lunch.

I put this on Facebook earlier this week; it turns out I can share it here through SmugMug. BazingaDog was distraught when 'Bent took AdventureDog biking instead of him. Poor sad boy!

Until we take more old rugs and tarps into the woods, there is too much poison ivy around here to run with AdventureDog off leash. It's a really healthy crop this year. Thank you, climate change.

A-Dog and I drove to Innis Lake Rd. and ran an out-and-back on the Bruce Trail in Glen Haffy.



We threw in a few hill repeats along the way and AdventureDog splashed in the creeks. This spring he has decided it's OK to drink from them, which makes things much easier.





We had a scare coming out of the woods about 100 m north of Coolihan's Sideroad. A large doe strolled over the rise and calmly watched us. It was too much for AdventureDog who took off at top speed to play with the big funny-looking dog. She dashed away with him right behind. I yelled, convinced they were both going to end up on the road. Luckily, his desire to be a good dog trumped the fun of chasing the deer so nobody got hit by a car. Phew.

Tour de Palgrave West forest on a crisp, cool day - perfect for running. I ran into Crash and her pooches and took a short hike break with them around the 7K mark.

Some of the trails on private land are overgrown; I hope we're not going to lose them. (Not that we can complain when the land isn't ours.) Poison ivy is thriving this year and I noticed some patches along 'Bent's commute where it's almost certain that the dogs are running through it. I've had small poison ivy rashes in each of the last two weeks and I suspect my favourite canines are responsible.

Foot strength & mobility, hip mobility, core while watching "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee". Jon Stewart had a brief cameo where he took a shot at Trump.

Great catch-up ride on the Caledon Rail with original Tree Hugger teammate Ming (aka The Minister on AP, although he hasn't logged for awhile). Then we ate more lunch calories than we had burned.

Next we went to Caledon Hills Cycling to see and ride some nice mountain bikes - Scott Spark 27.5 and 29, Rocky Mountain Element 29 and Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 27.5. Hmm...

Rodney Yee Power Yoga for Flexibility preceded by a brief visit from Harps, who was in the neighbourhood.

Watch your feet and listen carefully - the Massasauga Rattlesnakes are unusually active this spring.
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/six-rattlesnake...

Poor BazingaDog had his leg X-rayed today. Arthritis in his knee at only 5 years old. :( We will see the surgeon Monday for advice.

PIA Law Strides for Change
5K Race, 5K Walk, 1K Walk
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Fundraiser

Quite different from our usual events and a very fun morning! 'Bent and I were convinced to try this 5K race by Coach Jeff, who is very persuasive. We've lost a close family member to an impaired driver so it was a cause we were happy to support.

I'm not sure I've ever been to a small event with so much volunteer and sponsor support. We were given huge swag bags full of products ranging from Panera potato chips to hair defrizzer (yay!) to laundry detergent to two water bottles - stainless steel and Brita-filtered. There were a dozen booths for different companies and organizations, free BBQ meal from Maple Lodge, free baked goods from COBS Bakery, fruit, drinks and more. There was a silent auction with great stuff for the right person (not us) - autographed baseball, spa days, Maple Leafs jerseys, Hunger Games trilogy etc. There was a live auction to sell the biggest sponsor gifts. I came within $50 of winning the $2,000 Via Rail package (for $650).

As a race, it was casual. There was an inflatable finish line but we didn't have race bibs or results except for the top three men and women. We mostly ran on the paved Waterfront Trail where we were advised to take it easy when we ran through the boat show at the marina. There were other users on the trail, including other racers since it was an out-and-back-in-two-directions format. It was nice and breezy by the lake.

A major difference between longer races and a 5K is that I probably should have warmed up for 20-30 minutes - which I didn't. I thought about Coach Super's advice that I should feel like dying at 3.5 km but I'm not sure I have enough fast twitch muscles to do that to myself. I could feel my Central Governor kicking in, "Whoa, Nellie, you need to pace yourself to do this all day!" - even though I didn't. I wasn't too successful at overriding it.

I haven't done a relatively flat, paved 5K in a long time - and only as the first 5K of a 10K race. Based on that comparison, I was about 3 minutes slower than 4-5 years ago and about the same as 2 years ago. As a masters runner, I'll have to take that as a win. :)

Speaking of winning, 'Bent was on the podium as 3rd Male with his 22 minute run, 2 minutes behind the winner. He was also beaten by two speedy young women - one of them racing in an OFSAA T-shirt. The 3rd place female was 24-something; that was her time, not her age, which was 12. (!!) Congrats to 'Bent! This was obviously not a serious 5K race but there were some excellent runners at the front and it was good to see him race without feeling pain or nausea. Maybe this is his new distance? :)

We visited Gears Mississauga, where I bought my current Specialized MTB eight years ago. I'd expected to see a big selection of good bikes there to help kickstart my shopping. However, they had virtually no MTBs over $1500 and many were under $1,000. We tried to find a polite way to ask the clerk if they had any real mountain bikes. He found one in the right price range but "thought" it looked like a downhill bike, which indeed it did. We decided not to burden him with any more questions. So I guess I'll just be shopping in Caledon and Barrie.

While watching a movie

'Bent and I went to Hockley for 7:30 a.m. so he could run the Loop with Timato and Goose. I ran on my own through Hockley Provincial Park and, for a change, headed up to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (10K) for a 6-ish km loop before returning. On the way out, I took a technical stretch of Bruce Trail west of Third Line. Too slow to be worth it! On the way back, I stuck to the road, which is gravel with a big climb.

The plan was for Timato to run toward me post-Loop so he could get in a few extra kms and we could run back together when he was tired and moving more slowly. The plan wasn't perfect since I was tired by that time too! He met WandAR in the parking lot so they ran out together and she continued on her way to do two Loops while Timato and I ran back. 'Bent met us by the river, just under 3 km from the finish. He'd tried to wait for us in the sunny parking lot but decided that running an extra 5+ km was the lesser of two evils.

I wondered if I would feel leftover fatigue from last week's toasty Sulphur Springs 50K but this run felt relatively short and easy in comparison - exactly what I'd hoped.

After Timato headed for K-W, 'Bent and I went to Orangeville for lunch and a stroll down the main street, which had been turned into a pedestrian zone for the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival. There were different bands playing on each block, food vendors and an open air market. Nice!

Mobility, foot strength, core, dips

Three weeks from now, I will have just started the Lavaredo Ultra Trail. It begins on Friday night at 11 p.m. - the most convenient time to start a 30-hour ultra.

I'm committing to a minimum 15-minute workout each day until we leave - a little core, balance, stretching and mobilizing tight areas, foot strength, running drills and a few dips to help with the trekking poles. Nothing too intense; the time for building strength is over so this will just be maintenance. I had time to do a longer session today and my Achilles feels happier already. :)

Reassembling our main floor after painting takes a lot longer than tearing it apart did. Fortunately, I like the new colour so it's rewarding.

Early afternoon run on the Oak Ridges Trail to the Glen Haffy stile, then north on the Bruce Trail to Coolihan's, back south on the BT to Innis Lake Road, then home via the hilly gravel of Finnerty Sideroad. It was too warm in the sunshine but deliciously cool and lush in the forest. Such a great time of year!

I'd planned to do an out-and-back on the Oak Ridges Trail but between Humber Station Rd. and Gore Rd., I met a very angry grouse who must be friends with the famous Canmore Grouse. I shrieked when he first flew at me, and I figured that would be enough to deter him but he chased me for another 20 seconds. I decided to take another route home. :)

In other news, I'm following Cristina's new trend of expressing confidence for upcoming races. You heard it here first: I *will* set a PB in a 5K race this Sunday. The odds are very much in my favour because it will be my first 5K race - and 'Bent's too! Coach Jeff, whom we worked with this spring, is one of the organizers, and it benefits MADD, a cause that touches our hearts.

I haven't a clue how to run a 5K. Should be interesting!