Training Log Archive: Bash

Bent and I did an initial loop around Palgrave West with our energetic pooches, then dropped them off at home where they rearranged the furniture in our absence. We continued to Bruce Trail - Reddington - Rail Trail - Albion Hills Red Ski Trail - Duffy's Lane - Palgrave West. Good practice for Giant's Rib Raid. Took a 15-year-old O map of Albion Hills and looked for some features while testing my new thumb compass. Stayed almost entirely on trails today - 80% snow, 15% ice, 5% bare ground or mud. Bent didn't wear spikes, so on the icy hills I cruised up like Spiderwoman while he scrambled through deep snow beside the trail, heh heh. Legs a bit tired from Saturday's O-Fest.

Happy Easter to all. I focused on carb loading - and chocolate loading - today. After all, I am preparing for an event called the PIG.

Peak-2-Peak Sprint. Since my preferred race length is about 30 hours longer than a sprint-O, I didn't go into this with expectations of great success, but it was lots of fun anyway. Made a very silly 5-minute error on the way to #3, but otherwise the nav went smoothly. Given the short race length, the routes between a few of the controls should have been fine-tuned, e.g. running around a fence on one side vs. the other. It was a fun course, but very hard work, with steep, slippery hills and heavy snow up to mid-calf depth.

Peak-2-Peak Score-O. Yahoo! Score-O is my favourite orienteering race format. Well-designed course with racers reporting widely varying route choices. When I signed up for the sprint-O beforehand, I thought it would be about 15 minutes of running - not 40 minutes - so I was pretty toasted before the Score-O began. There was plenty of snow and lots of tree grabbing on the steep, slippery hills. It was a perfect, sunny, early spring day in the woods, so it would have been hard to have anything other than an excellent time.

O-Skool course in Dundas Valley with 'Bent. Practised trying to be more smooth at passing through controls, including proper map folding and taking compass bearings at appropriate times. Got Hammer to provide compass holding lessons (yikes, I still need to learn some of the most basic stuff!). Took advantage of the non-race situation to take our time reading the map and finding features in the complex terrain. Lots more deep snow and steep hills - same as the rest of the day. We have definitely earned the right to take Easter off from training!

Warm up/cool down

Event: GHO Canada GHO Easter Training Camp
 

Miscellaneous strength and stretch exercises in my parents' home gym. Nice to be home for Easter. I even got a chocolate bunny!

Fresh powder snow! 'Bent skied to work, but I opted to run since I have foolishly signed up for my first Sprint O race on Saturday. Conditions ranged from deep, ankle-sucking snow to a light dusting of powder over glare ice. (Whoooops!!) Bruce Trail was nice running. Coyotes and rabbits were active in the forest overnight and, for a change, left no evidence that they were eating one other. Tested my Montrail Kinabalus and confirmed that winter running should only be done in my Ice Bugs (spikes) or Salomon XA Pros with Yak Trax. A girl's got to love a sport where it's acceptable to buy so many different shoes. :-)

Enforced rest day because contractors were in the house all day installing our new solar-powered, forced-air heating vent. Looks very cool, but heavy snow prevented any testing. Hoping for a sunny day and a good run tomorrow, because Good Friday will have to be another rest day.

Spent 15 min. figuring out the dummyproof "quick release" on Bent's new indoor trainer, then had 15 minutes left to actually ride. As advertised, it feels more like real cycling than any other indoor bike I've tried. But it's still pretty bo-o-oring to bike in the basement!

Lower body strength workout

Not ideal running weather, but the Giant's Rib Raid is only 19 days away! Hard work slogging through heavy snow (over my knees at one point), and occasional slush, water and goopy mud. Virtuously avoided the fading XC ski trails, which added to the challenge. Sealskinz socks and Ice Bugs worked well. Feet still got damp, but not cold.