Training Log Archive: BashIn the 31 days ending Mar 31, 2014:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday Mar 31, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 10:00 [1]
(rest day)
Foothab
2 PM
Note
slept:4.75
From the Friends of Algonquin Park:
1) Lake Opeongo Access Point yesterday
2) Same place, same weekend, 2012 (record early ice out)
Average ice out day is April 23. Additional info here on snow and ice up north:
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/news/ice-out.php
Sunday Mar 30, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility 1:00:00
Running-specific circuit training. Mostly from the General Conditioning and Plyo workouts in Strength Training for Runners plus some extras inspired by Sheldon and Dr. Bell's kinesiologists.
My balance is so different from day to day. I did the balance beam exercises at the end of this session on fatigued legs, and it went much better than it did on a recent rest day.
I'm starting to believe that I may be able to complete the Pick Your Poison 50K in 4 weeks. I've been entered for awhile but am fully prepared to drop out if my foot acts up. I've been juggling two training progressions - my recovery from injury and the necessary build-up to UTMB - and they are about to come together. If I can't run 50 km at the end of April, it seems unlikely that I can run 168 km at the end of August. So we will see.
Looks like PYP will take me about 7 hours based on last year's results and this year's snow. @People who were there: what were conditions like last year?
My balance is so different from day to day. I did the balance beam exercises at the end of this session on fatigued legs, and it went much better than it did on a recent rest day.
I'm starting to believe that I may be able to complete the Pick Your Poison 50K in 4 weeks. I've been entered for awhile but am fully prepared to drop out if my foot acts up. I've been juggling two training progressions - my recovery from injury and the necessary build-up to UTMB - and they are about to come together. If I can't run 50 km at the end of April, it seems unlikely that I can run 168 km at the end of August. So we will see.
Looks like PYP will take me about 7 hours based on last year's results and this year's snow. @People who were there: what were conditions like last year?
11 AM
Running (Snowy Trail) 1:15:09 10.08 km (7:27 / km) +165m 6:54 / km
slept:7.75 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
The day didn't get off to a great start. My stupid brain kept me awake from 4-5 a.m. (which happens way too often now that I'm going to bed earlier), and 'Bent has been feeling a little off since Friday night. But it was a beautiful sunny day so I convinced 'Bent to join me for a Bash-paced snowy trail run, and we both came home feeling much more cheerful. We followed in the footsteps of BGY - literally - on the Bruce Side Trail to Centreville Creek Rd. Most of the trail was reasonably runnable snow with occasional ice patches and post holing. Slower than a summer run but not a slog. Blue sky, sunshine, crisp air, forest smells - wonderful!
Saturday Mar 29, 2014 #
Note
slept:6.5 (rest day)
10th Day of Spring: Dog hike with some postholing in knee-deep snow.
Friday Mar 28, 2014 #
10 AM
Running (Snowy Trail) 3:51:42 [3] 22.78 km (10:10 / km) +827m 8:36 / km
slept:7.25 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
My first Hockley Loop of the year! It's also the first time I've run the full re-routed Loop since the south side main trail was moved onto the old side trail, making the route a little longer and hillier between 3rd and 4th Line. So this is my current Loop PB - and I hope it will stand as my Personal Worst for awhile too!
'Bent and Mrs. Gally were running as well. In order to even things out, I took a head start before Mrs. Gally arrived. It was chilly, rainy and windy when I headed out - good UTMB practice. Most of the main trail in Hockley Provincial Park was packed pretty well but there was some postholing at the north end approaching Dunby Road. The forest on the east side, including the b*tches, was mostly soft-packed snow with stretches of treacherous ice on a couple of ridges. I was glad to have spikes and trekking poles but even so, I was hanging on to trees for safety a few times.
I heard 'Bent and Mrs. Gally chatting in the northeast forest but we didn't meet up until Hockley Road. They'd taken a side trail at the start to avoid the first section of hills - cheaters! ;) Unfortunately, Mrs. Gally had to head back so we had a quick hug and said goodbye; she is looking *so* fit!
'Bent joined me and we finished the Loop. Conditions got worse as we went on - a combination of rising temperature and trails that see less use. There were a number of surprise post hole moments, sometimes above our knees! The last section behind Hockley Resort was a slog with occasional token attempts at running.
I lacked energy and had fatigued legs today - probably not surprising after leg strength work in last night's yoga class. Also, it was hard to feel a spring in my step in the soft snow. But the good news is that my foot feels great.
Over the next while, running at Hockley should remain good in the provincial park because of all the hikers packing the trail down, and the Loop should be fine on cold days, with spikes and poles recommended. When it warms up, all that deep snow will turn to soft mashed potato snow - perfect for a strength workout, not so much for running.
[Note: Small adjustments due to some GPS weirdness and my forgetting to turn it off/on right away a couple of times.]
'Bent and Mrs. Gally were running as well. In order to even things out, I took a head start before Mrs. Gally arrived. It was chilly, rainy and windy when I headed out - good UTMB practice. Most of the main trail in Hockley Provincial Park was packed pretty well but there was some postholing at the north end approaching Dunby Road. The forest on the east side, including the b*tches, was mostly soft-packed snow with stretches of treacherous ice on a couple of ridges. I was glad to have spikes and trekking poles but even so, I was hanging on to trees for safety a few times.
I heard 'Bent and Mrs. Gally chatting in the northeast forest but we didn't meet up until Hockley Road. They'd taken a side trail at the start to avoid the first section of hills - cheaters! ;) Unfortunately, Mrs. Gally had to head back so we had a quick hug and said goodbye; she is looking *so* fit!
'Bent joined me and we finished the Loop. Conditions got worse as we went on - a combination of rising temperature and trails that see less use. There were a number of surprise post hole moments, sometimes above our knees! The last section behind Hockley Resort was a slog with occasional token attempts at running.
I lacked energy and had fatigued legs today - probably not surprising after leg strength work in last night's yoga class. Also, it was hard to feel a spring in my step in the soft snow. But the good news is that my foot feels great.
Over the next while, running at Hockley should remain good in the provincial park because of all the hikers packing the trail down, and the Loop should be fine on cold days, with spikes and poles recommended. When it warms up, all that deep snow will turn to soft mashed potato snow - perfect for a strength workout, not so much for running.
[Note: Small adjustments due to some GPS weirdness and my forgetting to turn it off/on right away a couple of times.]
Thursday Mar 27, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility (Core) 19:00 [2]
slept:4.0
Hard Core Live with Caron. She's off tomorrow to lead her Tucson Yoga Week - nice!
Power Yoga 50:00 [1]
We have a pet-friendly yoga class, and since it was the last class of this session, 'Bent and I brought BulletDog. At first she tried to help us with our exercises like she does at home, then she fell asleep between our mats. A nice evening out for her and lots of new friends after the class.
12 PM
Note
Spring 2014, Day 8
Both garage doors froze shut with the cars inside. That's a new one!
Both garage doors froze shut with the cars inside. That's a new one!
Wednesday Mar 26, 2014 #
Note
slept:6.25
The Ad... The one that will make you want to buy that thing... whatever it may be.
10 AM
Running (Trail) 1:25:21 [3] 11.34 km (7:32 / km) +210m 6:53 / km
shoes: Salomon Snowcross
Beautiful sunny morning with windchill around -20C, also known as Day 7 of Spring. I ran mostly in Palgrave East, mostly on single track. The chilly temperature allowed me to run on crust most of the time, which was great. There were some frozen footprints and hidden ice patches but it was the best trail running of the year so far. I saw Myka's snowshoe tracks and 'Bent's Snowcross tracks but the only person I saw was a skier.
There is still a *lot* of snow around here, and the trails will get sloppy when the higher temperatures and rain arrive on Friday. Naturally, that is when I am attempting my first Hockley Loop of the year.
There is still a *lot* of snow around here, and the trails will get sloppy when the higher temperatures and rain arrive on Friday. Naturally, that is when I am attempting my first Hockley Loop of the year.
Tuesday Mar 25, 2014 #
Note
Spring 2014, Day 6
5 PM
Strength & Mobility 40:00 [2]
slept:7.0
2 X General Running Conditioning Circuits #1 and 2 from Chapter 8 of Running Strength for Runners.
Monday Mar 24, 2014 #
4 PM
Snowshoeing (Bushwhacking) 35:00 [1]
slept:10.0 shoes: Speedcross 3 Climashield - pur
BulletDog and I went for a short, sunny snowshoe hike through the forest. After our visit to the Big City on the weekend, I realize it may be hard to believe that we're still using snowshoes up here but...
6 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 25:00 [1]
Today marked the end of the Personal Best 2014 weight loss challenge. I earned $100 for the C3 High Performance triathlon team, thanks to Kinetico Home Water Systems' generous donation of $10 per pound lost for all who entered the challenge.
In further good news, check out today's record-setting sleep! :)
The bad news is that it only increases my weekly average to 6.7 hours. :(
In further good news, check out today's record-setting sleep! :)
The bad news is that it only increases my weekly average to 6.7 hours. :(
7 PM
Note
Looks like the new Pearl Izumi X-Project hike-a-bike shoes might be worth looking at the next time I need to replace my X-Alps. I've done some AR trek/run sections in X-Alps when I didn't want to bother changing shoes. It sounds like that may not work as well with the X-Projects so it will be interesting to see how they feel.
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/gear-she...
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/gear-she...
Sunday Mar 23, 2014 #
1 PM
XC Skiing - Classic (Groomed tracks) 2:04:23 [3] 20.1 km (9.7 kph) +373m
slept:5.5
It's the 4th day of spring, and Highlands Nordic got 20 cm of fresh powder yesterday on top of a good base. 'Bent and I headed up there on a bluebird day to enjoy excellent mid-winter-like snow conditions for what may be our last ski of the year. But the way the weather has been going, who knows?!
Highlands was surprisingly busy although it wasn't the regular crowd - quite a few inexperienced skiers and very few skaters. Once I got a few kilometers from the lodge, the trails were quiet. I got the wax wrong so I did as much double poling as I could. Fantastic views today!
We arrived home to an excited greeting from Hoka Mocha. :)
Highlands was surprisingly busy although it wasn't the regular crowd - quite a few inexperienced skiers and very few skaters. Once I got a few kilometers from the lodge, the trails were quiet. I got the wax wrong so I did as much double poling as I could. Fantastic views today!
We arrived home to an excited greeting from Hoka Mocha. :)
6 PM
Note
Time to Move! Courtesy of Will Gadd.
Saturday Mar 22, 2014 #
10 AM
Running (Snow) 3:00:53 [3] 25.2 km (7:11 / km) +380m 6:40 / km
slept:5.25 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
We got 10-12 cm of new snow last night - surprise! 'Bent went running with the group in Hockley Provincial Park (not the loop, although that had been the plan). I figured that Hockley in the snow with strong runners would be too much while I'm still being careful with my foot so I ran around Palgrave and Albion Hills. Most of the time, I was on trails or unploughed roads but there was some mud, ice and even a little pavement. Like Carbon's Offset, my run was interrupted by a few chats - oh well.
Albion Hills is closed for skiing now so the trails weren't trackset, and I figured it would be OK to run at the edge of the packed snow. That was good running until the very last steep downhill when I hit hard glare ice under the powder and had a nasty forward wipeout. Hard to describe but it felt like all my insides got yanked from the lower left to upper right of my abdomen. Given that I don't feel any worse 10 hours later, I assume it was just muscles rather than any of the nastier scenarios that might arise when you rearrange your internal organs. Someone outside our sport might have found it strange to see someone continuing to run while checking for signs of internal bleeding every 5 minutes or so!
When I got home, Coach LD dropped by with a nice gift for 'Bent, then we headed to the Toronto edition of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, where we ran into Myka and Amik. Those films always make me dream... :)
Albion Hills is closed for skiing now so the trails weren't trackset, and I figured it would be OK to run at the edge of the packed snow. That was good running until the very last steep downhill when I hit hard glare ice under the powder and had a nasty forward wipeout. Hard to describe but it felt like all my insides got yanked from the lower left to upper right of my abdomen. Given that I don't feel any worse 10 hours later, I assume it was just muscles rather than any of the nastier scenarios that might arise when you rearrange your internal organs. Someone outside our sport might have found it strange to see someone continuing to run while checking for signs of internal bleeding every 5 minutes or so!
When I got home, Coach LD dropped by with a nice gift for 'Bent, then we headed to the Toronto edition of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, where we ran into Myka and Amik. Those films always make me dream... :)
6 PM
Note
I don't usually play computer games but Arthurd helped me waste some time over the past few days. Luckily, I can stop now!
Friday Mar 21, 2014 #
Note
slept:5.25 (rest day)
Thursday Mar 20, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility (Core) 21:00 [2]
slept:6.5
Hard Core Live with Caron.
Power Yoga 53:00 [1]
Lots of arm/shoulder/back twisty business added to every pose.
3 PM
Running (Country Road) 29:22 5.0 km (5:52 / km) +74m 5:28 / km
shoes: Salomon SpikeCross - black
In honour of the first day of Spring, I set aside my Snowcross shoes (temporarily) and wore my Spikecross to make my way down the sea of ice that is our driveway. Once I got out to our gravel road, it was mostly mud, loose dirt and gravel with just a bit of ice. Springlike indeed! :) Today was about running on fatigued legs, something I tried to avoid in the early stages of recovering from my injury. For me in these conditions, this was a good pace.
Here's one view from our house showing the spring conditions. For example, we can finally see the lawn chair that 'Bent forgot outside last fall.
Here's some vintage spring satire from university professor and musician, Tom Lehrer. (Note: If you're easily offended, don't watch it!) GHOSLO must be familiar with him, and I know 'Bent is. Are there any other closet Tom Lehrer fans? I imagine most people haven't heard of him. Some of his material is really dated now but he's one of the most intelligent musical comedians ever.
Here's one view from our house showing the spring conditions. For example, we can finally see the lawn chair that 'Bent forgot outside last fall.
Here's some vintage spring satire from university professor and musician, Tom Lehrer. (Note: If you're easily offended, don't watch it!) GHOSLO must be familiar with him, and I know 'Bent is. Are there any other closet Tom Lehrer fans? I imagine most people haven't heard of him. Some of his material is really dated now but he's one of the most intelligent musical comedians ever.
Wednesday Mar 19, 2014 #
4 PM
Running hills (Trail) 1:50:39 13.04 km (8:29 / km) +597m 6:54 / km
slept:7.25 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
I was inspired by Browner and DoubleDown's Half Pipe expedition last weekend where they crammed a ton of vertical into a relatively short distance - something that's hard to do in southern Ontario.
I've been planning to use 5th Line Hockley for hill repeats so I drove over and discovered that it's not maintained in winter. Good thing I brought a selection of footwear! Snowmobiles have used it so it's somewhat packed down in the middle although still soft on top. My foot sank in 5-15 cm on each step and the snow became softer and more uneven during my repeats. That made it harder but it earned me some extra cake and was probably easier on the body too. I did 5 repeats using poles and made a small additional descent to the Nottawasaga River on the 3rd repeat. Descents were running; ascents were running/hiking. I was aiming for 600 m of vertical and only did 597. Fail!
I know several people are planning to run the Hockley Loop over the next few days so I checked the trail at the two places where it crosses 5th Line. It was surprisingly solid in the middle - similar snow to the unmaintained road I was running on. However, if it warms up too much, it will turn into mashed potatoes - *deep* mashed potatoes. As I stood on the narrow, packed-down portion of the trail, it was easy to slide my poles more than 30 cm into the snow on either side. The one section I'd wonder about would be the northeast block of land where the b*tches are. It's only a side trail and may not see as much use. But it's probably worth trying the Loop soon if it stays cold. You can always bail to the road if necessary.
I've been planning to use 5th Line Hockley for hill repeats so I drove over and discovered that it's not maintained in winter. Good thing I brought a selection of footwear! Snowmobiles have used it so it's somewhat packed down in the middle although still soft on top. My foot sank in 5-15 cm on each step and the snow became softer and more uneven during my repeats. That made it harder but it earned me some extra cake and was probably easier on the body too. I did 5 repeats using poles and made a small additional descent to the Nottawasaga River on the 3rd repeat. Descents were running; ascents were running/hiking. I was aiming for 600 m of vertical and only did 597. Fail!
I know several people are planning to run the Hockley Loop over the next few days so I checked the trail at the two places where it crosses 5th Line. It was surprisingly solid in the middle - similar snow to the unmaintained road I was running on. However, if it warms up too much, it will turn into mashed potatoes - *deep* mashed potatoes. As I stood on the narrow, packed-down portion of the trail, it was easy to slide my poles more than 30 cm into the snow on either side. The one section I'd wonder about would be the northeast block of land where the b*tches are. It's only a side trail and may not see as much use. But it's probably worth trying the Loop soon if it stays cold. You can always bail to the road if necessary.
5 PM
Note
I almost forgot to mention that I thought of Harps while I was running since cold rain was falling and the snow was mushy. I knew that would make him happier than if the snow were packed hard with snowflakes gently falling all around.
I had to mention that because at 12:57 p.m. tomorrow local time, it will be spring. Although I'm a winter-loving Canadian, I also love that we get to enjoy different things in different seasons. So with spring arriving in just a few hours, that will be my last dig at winter-hating Harps until next winter. Well, maybe late autumn.
I had to mention that because at 12:57 p.m. tomorrow local time, it will be spring. Although I'm a winter-loving Canadian, I also love that we get to enjoy different things in different seasons. So with spring arriving in just a few hours, that will be my last dig at winter-hating Harps until next winter. Well, maybe late autumn.
6 PM
Note
Unbelievable! In a police experiment in Belarus, only 9 of 186 cars stopped to check on a mangled bike with a body (mannequin) lying beside it in the grass, set up to look like a hit and run. I wonder how much different it would be here. Surely it would be better, wouldn't it?!?
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-...
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-...
Tuesday Mar 18, 2014 #
Note
slept:7.25
I'm most of the way through Strength Training for Runners by John Shepherd. It's a good book that appears to be in synch with current science. It includes a number of exercises with photos, basic scientific background, and info on how to incorporate strength training into your program. Between this book, my physio exercises, and our classes with Sheldon, I hope to do better running-specific strength training this year.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strength-Training-Runners-...
(I picked Amazon's UK site since it has a good preview of what's inside the book.)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strength-Training-Runners-...
(I picked Amazon's UK site since it has a good preview of what's inside the book.)
Note
Such a nice day for a run but I guess I'd better respect the sore throat that woke me a few times last night. Blah.
Monday Mar 17, 2014 #
Snowshoeing hills 55:00 [2] 3.0 km (18:20 / km)
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
BulletDog and I went out on a bluebird day to wander up and down some hills in the forest in Palgrave West. A couple of my favourite hilltops only have views in winter when the leaves are down. The crust was reasonably firm most of the time but I was happy to have the cleats on the snowshoes to climb up steep, slippery slopes. BulletDog just used her claws and ran ahead like a young pup. You'd never know she had surgery five days ago. We sank into deep snow about 10% of the time, which was hard work for BulletDog. We found a large patch of bare grass on Thinker's Hill but most of the forest still has 30-60 cm of snow and ice.
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 25:00 [1]
I've discovered a secret that could make me rich. Yesterday we stopped at the Aroma Cafe by the Salomon Store. I got a big slice of coconut orange cake and a latte, neither of which I needed at 5 p.m. but I don't get to Toronto that often. When I stepped on the scales this morning, I was down 3.5 lb from yesterday and well below target again. Who'd have thunk it? And where can I get more cake?
6 PM
Note
slept:8.25
Irish blessing for all you adventure athletes:
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
the foresight to know where you're going
and the insight to know when you're going too far.
In honour of St. Patrick's Day, why not try some Irish running drills?
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
the foresight to know where you're going
and the insight to know when you're going too far.
In honour of St. Patrick's Day, why not try some Irish running drills?
Sunday Mar 16, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility (Running-specific) 50:00
slept:8.25
Running (Drills and Agility) 30:00 [1] 3.0 km (10:00 / km)
Final session of Sheldon Persad's running strength workout. Funderstorm, BugsinTeeth, WandAR, 'Bent and I all returned for more running-specific balance, agility, drills and strength training. As our season continues, Sheldon suggested a short session after a weekend long run - maybe balance and strength - then a full session midweek.
Although we'd done a snowy 1-hour hike this morning with ThreePinJim (Jamie Follas) and dogs, my foot still needed a few laps of easy jogging before it felt warmed up. Some stretching beforehand would have been helpful.
As before, I've logged this as mostly strength with a bit of running-equivalent since it is a mixed type of training and hard to categorize. Lots of fun - I'd do this again another year.
We stopped by the Salomon Store, which was crowded with people at the end of a 3-day sale. They've postponed their renovations until the fall so it will be awhile before the temporary closing.
Although we'd done a snowy 1-hour hike this morning with ThreePinJim (Jamie Follas) and dogs, my foot still needed a few laps of easy jogging before it felt warmed up. Some stretching beforehand would have been helpful.
As before, I've logged this as mostly strength with a bit of running-equivalent since it is a mixed type of training and hard to categorize. Lots of fun - I'd do this again another year.
We stopped by the Salomon Store, which was crowded with people at the end of a 3-day sale. They've postponed their renovations until the fall so it will be awhile before the temporary closing.
Saturday Mar 15, 2014 #
Note
slept:7.25
For those of us with maps to read: a $6 app to improve your eyesight...? That could be worth playing with.
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/N...
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/N...
10 AM
Running (Snowy Trail) 2:58:20 [3] 25.07 km (7:07 / km) +54m 7:02 / km
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
Funderstorm and I are both coming back from injury and getting ready for upcoming events so we wanted to try our longest run in months - but with the current winter/spring weather conditions, we had no idea where to go. The trails around here are mostly mashed potato post holing. The gravel roads are good for running but the snowbanks are so big that we have to run on the roadway and dodge cars flying over blind hills. I really wanted it to feel like a run, not "winter survival" so I didn't want to run in soft snow.
We ended up running city trails along the Humber River in northwest Toronto. Our start/finish was the Humberwood Community Centre near Hwy 427 and Finch, and our turnaround point was somewhere in Rowntree Mills Park.
http://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Parks%2...
I'd been afraid it might be boring since the snow might have melted down to pavement. Instead, it was more of a slog than we'd expected - lots of slush and soft snow with little evidence of the paved trail surface. At least it wasn't super deep so there wasn't any postholing, just uneven footing and slippery push-offs, even though we wore Yaktrax. And of course, it wasn't hilly! It was just wonderful to be running at all; we've both learned to appreciate the gift of running after being forced to take time off.
Although it's an urban area, it is quite scenic along the Humber River, and we met surprisingly few people. I wouldn't have felt comfortable running this trail alone today (security-wise) although it is probably fine 99% of the time. It was great having Funderstorm's cheery company, and it was helpful that we pushed each other in the last 5 km when the snow had softened even more and our bodies were tired of slipping and sliding. My foot was sore by then but I won't know how things went until tomorrow.
Alas, we didn't find any nice pubs in the area for our post-race lunch so we had fast food. Next time!
We ended up running city trails along the Humber River in northwest Toronto. Our start/finish was the Humberwood Community Centre near Hwy 427 and Finch, and our turnaround point was somewhere in Rowntree Mills Park.
http://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Parks%2...
I'd been afraid it might be boring since the snow might have melted down to pavement. Instead, it was more of a slog than we'd expected - lots of slush and soft snow with little evidence of the paved trail surface. At least it wasn't super deep so there wasn't any postholing, just uneven footing and slippery push-offs, even though we wore Yaktrax. And of course, it wasn't hilly! It was just wonderful to be running at all; we've both learned to appreciate the gift of running after being forced to take time off.
Although it's an urban area, it is quite scenic along the Humber River, and we met surprisingly few people. I wouldn't have felt comfortable running this trail alone today (security-wise) although it is probably fine 99% of the time. It was great having Funderstorm's cheery company, and it was helpful that we pushed each other in the last 5 km when the snow had softened even more and our bodies were tired of slipping and sliding. My foot was sore by then but I won't know how things went until tomorrow.
Alas, we didn't find any nice pubs in the area for our post-race lunch so we had fast food. Next time!
6 PM
Note
Cool! You can now check out the scenery using Google Street View as you "paddle" the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
http://www.americanrivers.org/blog/american-rivers...
http://www.americanrivers.org/blog/american-rivers...
Friday Mar 14, 2014 #
Note
slept:7.25 (rest day)
"Pi Day is a bunch of bull, made up by the big math companies just to sell more math."
--- Random Facebook comment
P.S. Happy Pi Day anyway! I'm going to have shortbread cookies instead.
6 PM
Note
:) My current answer would be "650", which is a possible n+1 idea for 2014.
Thursday Mar 13, 2014 #
Strength & Mobility (Core) 22:00
Caron was wearing orange - a sign that tonight's workout would be "high energy", i.e. painful. We started with Tabata core. Oh. My. Gosh.
Power Yoga 53:00 [2]
And then the yoga was another Hard-Harder-Hardest pose progression class. I'm going to feel this tomorrow!
2 PM
XC Skiing - Classic (Ungroomed) 1:07:32 7.05 km (6.3 kph) +139m
slept:7.25
What a treat to ski in fresh powder in brilliant sunshine on March 13! Most of this was trail breaking with a little bushwhacking just because it's still so nice. We have enough new snow that our old tracks aren't visible anymore. Even after the melting earlier this week, it's still more than knee deep in our yard.
Yesterday marked 9 years since I started logging on AP. Thank you, Ken, for giving us this platform, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping it fun.
P.S. Alert readers may notice that after 8 days below target, my weight jumped up to 1 lb above target today. Grrr. I will confess to some extra snacking yesterday.
Yesterday marked 9 years since I started logging on AP. Thank you, Ken, for giving us this platform, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping it fun.
P.S. Alert readers may notice that after 8 days below target, my weight jumped up to 1 lb above target today. Grrr. I will confess to some extra snacking yesterday.
Wednesday Mar 12, 2014 #
Note
Credit: Rutabaga Paddlesports
6 PM
Road Biking (Trainer) 1:06:00
slept:6.75
I'd hoped to ski after the blizzard but the wind was too gusty in the forest by the time I could go. Instead I dusted off my long-neglected trainer and tried one of my Christmas present DVDs - RIDES Texas. It includes two workouts; I did tempo today. The scenery wasn't as interesting as some of the other RIDES but I liked the workout - 3 X 8 minute intervals with 5 minutes rest. Each interval had variation in cadence vs. extra gears, standing vs. sitting, etc. but the heart rate was supposed to stay constant. Then there was a 12 minute strength interval at lower cadence and same HR. Lotsa sweat.
Watts - 153 ave, 269 max
Cadence - 83
Speed - 25.2 kph
I took some transition time to hang out with BulletDog, fresh from her $1700 trip to the vet. It was dental surgery but unfortunately not the kind 'Bent does! She refused to eat initially, which scared the crap out of me because she is a Lab and that's what Labs do... but then she turned ravenous. Phew. She should be a more contented canine now.
Watts - 153 ave, 269 max
Cadence - 83
Speed - 25.2 kph
I took some transition time to hang out with BulletDog, fresh from her $1700 trip to the vet. It was dental surgery but unfortunately not the kind 'Bent does! She refused to eat initially, which scared the crap out of me because she is a Lab and that's what Labs do... but then she turned ravenous. Phew. She should be a more contented canine now.
7 PM
Paddling (Kayak Erg) 30:00
I haven't been on the kayak erg recently because ski poling feels like decent training for the paddling muscles at this time of year. When skiing finishes, I'll start paddling more because it feels like good training for using poles in ultras. Everything fits together!
Fascinating podcast - NPR's Fresh Air, Feb. 11, 2014: Interview with Kevin Fong on Extreme Medicine - talking about medicine and the human body in extreme cold, underwater, outer space and so on.
The 3 seconds of Level 5 intensity was the blood curdling shriek when I spotted a pair of male legs descending the spiral staircase into the basement a full hour before 'Bent was expected home from work. With today's snowy weather, he got to come home early!
Fascinating podcast - NPR's Fresh Air, Feb. 11, 2014: Interview with Kevin Fong on Extreme Medicine - talking about medicine and the human body in extreme cold, underwater, outer space and so on.
The 3 seconds of Level 5 intensity was the blood curdling shriek when I spotted a pair of male legs descending the spiral staircase into the basement a full hour before 'Bent was expected home from work. With today's snowy weather, he got to come home early!
9 PM
Note
I love this story of a high school student's sportsmanship and maturity.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/...
Note
For Harps: Environment Canada 7-Day Forecast
(Can people outside Canada see this video?)
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/videos/clips/seven-...
(Can people outside Canada see this video?)
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/videos/clips/seven-...
Tuesday Mar 11, 2014 #
12 PM
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 25:00 [1]
slept:6.5
Did my physio with the kinesiologist today. Always good to get pointers and ideas on how to take things up a notch. I'm going once a month now.
Then I saw Dr. Bell, who was excited to try some new stuff on me from an advanced course he had just taken. It was fun. Much of it required three hands - two of his and one of mine - and it probably looked like a Twister game to his staff! It seemed to do some good things for my foot and hip mobility. He seemed very pleased with how things are going and didn't flinch noticeably when I mentioned a couple of upcoming ultras. Progress. :)
Speaking of progress, I've been below my target weight for 7 straight days. I had chocolate cake last night to celebrate!
Then I saw Dr. Bell, who was excited to try some new stuff on me from an advanced course he had just taken. It was fun. Much of it required three hands - two of his and one of mine - and it probably looked like a Twister game to his staff! It seemed to do some good things for my foot and hip mobility. He seemed very pleased with how things are going and didn't flinch noticeably when I mentioned a couple of upcoming ultras. Progress. :)
Speaking of progress, I've been below my target weight for 7 straight days. I had chocolate cake last night to celebrate!
5 PM
Running (Snow and Mud) 52:56 7.33 km (7:13 / km) +113m 6:42 / km
shoes: Salomon Snowcross
The first and last parts of this run were on goopy gravel roads, and the 5 km in the middle was on mashed potato snow where I punched down anywhere from ankle to knee deep. (Huff, puff!)
I texted 'Bent when I got onto the Bruce Side Trail in Palgrave East since I thought he might be coming home from work. About 20 seconds later, I saw an excited black Lab approaching on a side trail, followed by a man looking at his phone. :) We had a nice family run to Palgrave West. I wanted a little more distance so ran out to the road and around. Considering how hard it was to run in the soft snow, I'm happy with how things went. No foot pain and a decent pace.
Tomorrow we're back to blowing snow and gusty winds.
I texted 'Bent when I got onto the Bruce Side Trail in Palgrave East since I thought he might be coming home from work. About 20 seconds later, I saw an excited black Lab approaching on a side trail, followed by a man looking at his phone. :) We had a nice family run to Palgrave West. I wanted a little more distance so ran out to the road and around. Considering how hard it was to run in the soft snow, I'm happy with how things went. No foot pain and a decent pace.
Tomorrow we're back to blowing snow and gusty winds.
Monday Mar 10, 2014 #
Note
slept:6.5
LegendaryRandy interviewed me for his TA1 adventure racing podcast last week, and he has now posted it. Always great to chat with my friend Randy although it'll take me awhile to get my nerve up to listen to it. When I am filmed or recorded, I get nervous and say silly things and giggle a lot. I'm more comfortable with slower-moving media like writing and photography, or just talking one on one. Regardless, I appreciate Randy including me on the list of interviewees; it's so great that someone is taking the initiative to make AR podcasts!
http://ar.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/mes...
http://ar.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/mes...
Sunday Mar 9, 2014 #
Event: Stars O-Cup Finale
Note
True story: In kindergarten, I failed naptime. This week has been kind of like that. Big goal for next week: get back to sleeping more.
10 AM
Snowshoe Orienteering race (O Cup) 54:10 *** 5.2 km (10:26 / km) +129m 9:17 / km
slept:5.75 shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
Stars O Cup Finale in Natchez Woods in Kitchener. Snow conditions looked similar to Palgrave so I was one of the few racers who opted for snowshoes. They were an advantage in crossing open areas, particularly near the start and finish, and they also gave me additional options during the race, which was nice. I never expected to gain any race benefit from all my random wandering on animal trails but it came in handy today since the best way to travel off-trail was to follow deer tracks, as I often do.
Even with snowshoes, there was some serious snow slogging in places. Crossing one wetland, I plunged into snow up to the top of my legs, and one of my snowshoes got stuck. With Atlas Race snowshoes running around $300 now, there was no way I wanted to damage it by yanking it out so I loosened it up with some quick, frantic digging.
It was a nice treat to see Sherpa, Mini and Micro cheering us on from the school yard. Wish I could have stopped to say hi but my race was going too well. :) I took advantage of the snowshoes to make some off-trail route choices for the last few controls, then ran into the finish in 2nd place behind the Amazing AdventureGirl! She has the same handicap as I do, and she ran without snowshoes so it was probably just a matter of preference.
It wasn't my best O Cup season, given that I had to walk two of the four races due to my injury, but it's nice to feel reasonably strong and durable now - at least for races of this length.
Thanks to Captain Dale and Lieutenant Tiny for organizing this fun event, and thanks to Funderstorm for finding a really yummy restaurant for our end-of-season lunch. Nice to catch up with friends.
(It appears that the time on our SI printout excluded the run from the Start to #1. For me, the printout said 47:00.)
Even with snowshoes, there was some serious snow slogging in places. Crossing one wetland, I plunged into snow up to the top of my legs, and one of my snowshoes got stuck. With Atlas Race snowshoes running around $300 now, there was no way I wanted to damage it by yanking it out so I loosened it up with some quick, frantic digging.
It was a nice treat to see Sherpa, Mini and Micro cheering us on from the school yard. Wish I could have stopped to say hi but my race was going too well. :) I took advantage of the snowshoes to make some off-trail route choices for the last few controls, then ran into the finish in 2nd place behind the Amazing AdventureGirl! She has the same handicap as I do, and she ran without snowshoes so it was probably just a matter of preference.
It wasn't my best O Cup season, given that I had to walk two of the four races due to my injury, but it's nice to feel reasonably strong and durable now - at least for races of this length.
Thanks to Captain Dale and Lieutenant Tiny for organizing this fun event, and thanks to Funderstorm for finding a really yummy restaurant for our end-of-season lunch. Nice to catch up with friends.
(It appears that the time on our SI printout excluded the run from the Start to #1. For me, the printout said 47:00.)
8 PM
Note
Some different ideas for agility training.
Saturday Mar 8, 2014 #
Note
There's a new 200-mile (about 320 km) single loop ultrarun in North America - the Tahoe 200, which boasts almost 40,000' of elevation gain. In its inaugural year, 25% of entrants are female (compared with less than 10% at UTMB), and there is a huge waiting list. Wow.
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/in-s...
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/in-s...
8 AM
Snowshoeing 1:41:23 6.19 km (16:23 / km) +115m 15:00 / km
slept:6.5 shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
Myka, 'Bent, BazingaDog and I started the day with a fun, chatty snowshoe trek in Palgrave East. We spent most of our time bushwhacking, including some deep snow slogs through wetlands we can't explore in summer. We found lots of deer beds and a few deer yards so BazingaDog was in sensory heaven. He was wearing his skijoring harness, and there were a few times when he caught a scent and took off with 'Bent thrashing through the brush behind him. Although it was a warm -2C (plus some wind) and I'd dressed warmly, I got badly chilled. Not sure why but I wonder if it has something to do with a fast for a medical test yesterday. Two hours later, I'm still cold indoors.
Some of you may be able to see Myka's photos from Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/marta.kaszczyszyn/posts/1...
Some of you may be able to see Myka's photos from Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/marta.kaszczyszyn/posts/1...
2 PM
XC Skiing - Classic 1:02:42 10.18 km (9.7 kph) +185m
'Bent and I skied the Green and Red trails at Albion Hills on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon. The trails were slick and occasionally icy. The beautiful weather attracted a lot of newbies on a day when even experienced skiers had to be cautious on the bigger downhills. We couldn't get up too much speed because we might find someone splayed across the trail around the next bend. It was fun and fast but an hour was enough. It would be great to go back after the next snowfall, preferably in the morning before the March Break crowds arrive.
Our kitchen ceiling waterfall started running again yesterday but things are dry today in all four of our previous flood zones. When the temperature rises over the next few days, we may have to start wearing PFDs around the house.
Our kitchen ceiling waterfall started running again yesterday but things are dry today in all four of our previous flood zones. When the temperature rises over the next few days, we may have to start wearing PFDs around the house.
5 PM
Power Yoga 23:00 [1]
Rodney Yee Power Yoga for Flexibility.
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 25:00 [1]
Friday Mar 7, 2014 #
Note
slept:6.25
Mark your calendars... Zoolander and Turbo are back on March 31 when Season 2 of Boundless returns to the Travel and Escape channel in Canada. It will likely start a little later on the Esquire Network in the U.S., Brazil and India. (!!!)
http://www.travelandescape.ca/watch/boundless/
http://www.travelandescape.ca/watch/boundless/
Thursday Mar 6, 2014 #
Note
slept:5.25
1 PM
XC Skiing - Classic 1:08:02 8.35 km (7.4 kph) +151m
Tour de Palgrave West on a beautiful afternoon. For most of this, I was following powder-filled tracks made by 'Bent or me in the past couple of days, although there were a few herringbone climbs in deep snow when I was travelling in the opposite direction of the tracks.
It was so warm (-6C) and slick that I was knocked off my feet on flat ground in the first 5 minutes. Quelle surprise! I have no idea what happened, and it didn't hurt at all but suddenly my right arm was buried in snow up to the armpit and my head was resting comfortably, albeit slightly downhill, in a powder-filled re-entrant. My legs, skis and poles were tangled. I paid more attention to conditions after that!
Gorgeous day. Not quite spring skiing conditions yet but there was a hint of it in the air.
It was so warm (-6C) and slick that I was knocked off my feet on flat ground in the first 5 minutes. Quelle surprise! I have no idea what happened, and it didn't hurt at all but suddenly my right arm was buried in snow up to the armpit and my head was resting comfortably, albeit slightly downhill, in a powder-filled re-entrant. My legs, skis and poles were tangled. I paid more attention to conditions after that!
Gorgeous day. Not quite spring skiing conditions yet but there was a hint of it in the air.
7 PM
Note
A new toy arrived in the mail today, inspired by our running strength classes with Sheldon.
http://www.amazon.ca/SKLZ-Quick-Flat-Agility-Ladde...
http://www.amazon.ca/SKLZ-Quick-Flat-Agility-Ladde...
Wednesday Mar 5, 2014 #
Note
Vladimir Putin has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/05/putin-nob...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/05/putin-nob...
11 AM
Running (Snow) 1:18:58 12.03 km (6:34 / km) +134m 6:13 / km
slept:8.75 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
Now that UTMB is less than 6 months away, I'd like to get in the habit of doing a medium-long run mid-week. Just as my long run might be Saturday or Sunday, my mid-week run might happen anywhere between Tuesday and Thursday. Of course, even my long runs are pretty short right now since I'm trying to ramp things up gradually so my foot doesn't rebel too much.
Today's theme was "snow" since we have a lot of fluffy new powder. I started on the rail trail but quickly abandoned it as too lumpy and ankle-threatening. I'm trying to work on running form to avoid getting reinjured, and it's hard to do that when I'm fighting to stay vertical. I ran up Duffy's and did a big loop around Reddington. (I can't bring myself to call it "Legacy Pines" yet. Why do developers name subdivisions after the natural features they destroyed to build the houses?)
Next I ran down into Albion Hills and into the camping area until I met loggers with chainsaws. The new snow has covered the ice on the roads in Albion but it's best not to push off too hard since the ice isn't *that* far down. I ran into Slowrunner for the second time this week. She is also coming back from retrocalcaneal bursitis so it's encouraging to see how she's been able to build up her volume on technical trails after taking time off.
As a side note, I reached my New Year's Resolution weight loss goal this morning - down 8.5 lb. I'm now the same weight I was last September when I had to stop running as much but failed to stop eating as much. I won't check this off officially until I've spent a full week at the target weight since today might just be a lucky day.
Today's theme was "snow" since we have a lot of fluffy new powder. I started on the rail trail but quickly abandoned it as too lumpy and ankle-threatening. I'm trying to work on running form to avoid getting reinjured, and it's hard to do that when I'm fighting to stay vertical. I ran up Duffy's and did a big loop around Reddington. (I can't bring myself to call it "Legacy Pines" yet. Why do developers name subdivisions after the natural features they destroyed to build the houses?)
Next I ran down into Albion Hills and into the camping area until I met loggers with chainsaws. The new snow has covered the ice on the roads in Albion but it's best not to push off too hard since the ice isn't *that* far down. I ran into Slowrunner for the second time this week. She is also coming back from retrocalcaneal bursitis so it's encouraging to see how she's been able to build up her volume on technical trails after taking time off.
As a side note, I reached my New Year's Resolution weight loss goal this morning - down 8.5 lb. I'm now the same weight I was last September when I had to stop running as much but failed to stop eating as much. I won't check this off officially until I've spent a full week at the target weight since today might just be a lucky day.
Tuesday Mar 4, 2014 #
12 PM
XC Skiing - Classic (Ungroomed) 1:20:07 7.04 km (5.3 kph) +143m
slept:7.0
Snow has been falling lightly for hours - enough to ensure a nice layer of powder on top of the crust that coats our older snow. It was great to get another chance to ski randomly through the woods, on and off trail. Some years we can't do this at all because we need a lot of snow to do it. It's fun to explore areas we would never go in summer because of poison ivy, thorns and wetlands. Even the uphill, deep snow struggles between saplings are great practice for using poles in ultras.
I bushwhacked into some areas we explored a couple of weeks ago, and it was cool to see that animals have made heavy use of our tracks to get around more easily in the deep snow. I guess they need me to go skiing and snowshoeing more often; I'll see what I can do. :)
I bushwhacked into some areas we explored a couple of weeks ago, and it was cool to see that animals have made heavy use of our tracks to get around more easily in the deep snow. I guess they need me to go skiing and snowshoeing more often; I'll see what I can do. :)
6 PM
Strength & Mobility (Legs and Core) 40:00 [2]
Managed to tweak something in my bad foot somehow but it's feeling better now.
Monday Mar 3, 2014 #
Note
There was a bit of a scare this weekend for Salomon runner Ryan Sandes who crossed the finish line first at the prestigious 125K TransGranCanaria trail race in the Canary Islands. The next morning, as he was heading for the awards ceremony, the race organizers issued a press release saying he had been disqualified for not carrying all the mandatory gear.
It turned out that at the finish line, he showed them all his gear, and when they asked him to show his "cover", he didn't understand. Then the volunteers said everything was OK. They meant "emergency blanket", and he had one in his gear; it had been checked at one of the aid stations later in the race. He was reinstated quickly after the confusion was cleared up!
http://www.irunfar.com/2014/03/ryan-sandes-2014-tn...
It turned out that at the finish line, he showed them all his gear, and when they asked him to show his "cover", he didn't understand. Then the volunteers said everything was OK. They meant "emergency blanket", and he had one in his gear; it had been checked at one of the aid stations later in the race. He was reinstated quickly after the confusion was cleared up!
http://www.irunfar.com/2014/03/ryan-sandes-2014-tn...
6 PM
Strength & Mobility (Core) 12:00 [2]
slept:7.0
Strength & Mobility (Physio logged @50%) 25:00 [1]
Sunday Mar 2, 2014 #
Note
12 PM
XC Skiing - Classic (Groomed tracks) 2:00:13 20.59 km (10.3 kph) +355m
slept:7.25
It's been such a snowy winter that today was only the 3rd time this year that 'Bent and I have headed north to our ski club, Highlands Nordic. Although it was chilly, there was brilliant sunshine and blue sky, yet hardly anyone was there. I'm not sure why, although I noticed a poster on the bulletin board for the nearby Midland Loppet.
On a gentle downhill on one of the Fingers, a skier whizzed past me in a blur of red and black. Obviously a racer. But at the hairpin bend where the trail turns to climb the next switchback, she started shuffling slowly. Maybe, like me, she didn't have much grip on the uphills. I had almost caught up when she leaned forward to engage her core and flew up the hill, double poling with arms windmilling so fast they were a blur. Oh I get it, she's doing intervals of arms-only. And she's really good. In fact, I'll bet that's Canada's top female distance skier from Sochi. Sure enough, when I caught up during her next break, it was Brittany, home to visit her family. (I'd like to point out that I passed her but it's only fair to mention that she was completely stopped to adjust her layers during her rest interval.) Nice to have a quick chat and offer congratulations although I didn't want to mess up her workout too much. She says she had an incredible, positive experience at the Olympics.
Except on the Hawberry Loop, it was rare to see another skier. Both 'Bent and I thought we saw Goose out there at different times but the man turned out to be an impostor.
Great fun and it felt good for the glutes. As the snow starts to become less ideal in Palgrave in the coming weeks, I hope to get up to Highlands a few more times.
Btw, yes, I did an extra OCD ski loop at the end when I finished in 1 hr 57 min.
On a gentle downhill on one of the Fingers, a skier whizzed past me in a blur of red and black. Obviously a racer. But at the hairpin bend where the trail turns to climb the next switchback, she started shuffling slowly. Maybe, like me, she didn't have much grip on the uphills. I had almost caught up when she leaned forward to engage her core and flew up the hill, double poling with arms windmilling so fast they were a blur. Oh I get it, she's doing intervals of arms-only. And she's really good. In fact, I'll bet that's Canada's top female distance skier from Sochi. Sure enough, when I caught up during her next break, it was Brittany, home to visit her family. (I'd like to point out that I passed her but it's only fair to mention that she was completely stopped to adjust her layers during her rest interval.) Nice to have a quick chat and offer congratulations although I didn't want to mess up her workout too much. She says she had an incredible, positive experience at the Olympics.
Except on the Hawberry Loop, it was rare to see another skier. Both 'Bent and I thought we saw Goose out there at different times but the man turned out to be an impostor.
Great fun and it felt good for the glutes. As the snow starts to become less ideal in Palgrave in the coming weeks, I hope to get up to Highlands a few more times.
Btw, yes, I did an extra OCD ski loop at the end when I finished in 1 hr 57 min.
Saturday Mar 1, 2014 #
Note
Happy 3rd Birthday to BazingaDog! :)
12 PM
Running (Trail and Country road) 2:04:10 16.5 km (7:31 / km) +280m 6:56 / km
slept:7.25 shoes: Salomon Snowcross
This is Day 1 of my 6-month countdown to UTMB so it was time to try my first "long" run since getting injured last fall. It was a mixed bag - mostly on snow, ranging from ice to packed snow to shin-deep powder. In some places, the trail was fairly solid but pockmarked with deep, frozen foot prints. I ran on single track, double track and snowy roads in Palgrave and Albion Hills. It was the kind of run I wouldn't have thought twice about doing a year ago, and I'm thrilled to describe it as "unremarkable". No pain or fatigue while running so perhaps winter sports have been keeping me fit enough. The real test is to see how my foot feels tomorrow though. I will dare to say a small "yay" about this - but no capital letters and no exclamation mark.
6 PM
Note
Just noticed that UTMB applicants need 8 points in no more than 3 races for the 2015 event. CCC applicants need 3 points. On top of that, they've reduced or eliminated points for a number of established qualifier races. They're trying to reduce the size of their lottery, and this is going to make it tough to apply in future.
http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/17/Qualifying_rac...
http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/17/Qualifying_rac...