Training Log Archive: Bash

GHO Peak-2-Peak training event at Mt. Nemo. 5K of orienteering in intricate terrain, followed by 5K of Walk The Line on a map with only limited detail. This was my first time attempting to orienteer in my new sports glasses with the little reading glass insert. I think it's going to work, but it'll take getting used to. On my way to #1, I had to cross some broken rocks, and I looked down at my feet. Naturally everything looked distorted, and within seconds I crashed onto my bad knee on a rock. Given that my top goal for the day was not to wreck the knee any worse, this was a bad start. It also distracted me enough that I ended up at the trail and had to go back to get #1.

For the most part, my orienteering was as rusty as expected, but I didn't have any big trouble. Where I had to choose between physical effort and navigational effort, I always slowed down, since today was a good chance to practise. I managed to hyper-extend my bad knee, so it's definitely less happy than it was.

The Walk The Line section was tough and went fairly well, although I was getting nervous until I saw the 4th and final flag near the end - phew!

As the Adventure Running season gets underway for another year, it was nice to see friends and to carpool with 'Bent, Phatty, Leanimal and Goose. A group of us had a good lunch at Gator Ted's afterward. Glad so many people were able to attend the adventure run brainstorming session - lots of ideas. The only bad part of the day was seeing Goose's wings clipped after he wrenched his back a few minutes into the race.

Trek or Treat 10K Night Trail Run at the Kortright Centre. This event is loads of fun - some great costumes, lots of mini-chocolate bars, nice variety of trails, and kid-friendly (5K event). It was about 5C, and luckily the heavy rain held off until after the race, so conditions were perfect.

After letting Leanimal abuse my bad knee earlier today, I felt great while running. (When I'm not running though, I can feel the places where she dug her evil thumbs into my ligaments.) At first I settled in behind a couple of women who looked like real runners in their early 30s. I was feeling good, and at the 1 km mark, I pulled out and passed half a dozen people. After that, I spent the next 7 km mostly alone (other than some *very* scary haunters leaping out of the bushes). Then a woman passed me, and she had a great pace. I was reminded of the effect that Slowrunner and Leanimal have on me, pushing me to do better. But it turned out that she *wasn't* exactly like them because on the final, HUGE hill up to finish line, she slowed right down to a plodding pace. I encouraged her, but I think her iPod was turned up too high, so I just kept going up the hill and left her well behind. That's the kind of terrain where adventure racers have an advantage over road runners, and we did the hill twice in two 5 km loops.

I was 1st in the 40-something age category with two 5 km laps that were about the same pace - exactly the pace that I need for Boston. However, I was tired in the final kilometer, so I couldn't have done that for very much longer. Still some work to do.

'Bent had expressed some concern when I reminded him of the race - it's only been five days since his first marathon, and he's supposed to be recovering. So... here's how 'Bent recovers from a marathon... He led the race for the first half-kilometer until Martin Rydlo passed him. Then he held 2nd for awhile until Bob McGrath passed him. Then he kept Bob in sight for the rest of the race and finished 3rd overall, 1st in the 40-something category. Yup, 'Bent and I RULED the old people's division!

Great event, *very* well-marked race course, scary haunters, lots of great volunteers, nice prizing (we got attractive Saucony fleece jackets), hot pizza, Starbucks coffee and Hallowe'en candy. What's not to like?

OK, it's official. I give myself less than a 50/50 chance of qualifying for Boston, but now that 'Bent is going, I have to give it a try.
http://www.tucsonmarathon.com/

Unlike natural athletes 'Bent and Goose, I'm going to do a little training for my marathon. In my case. this consists of shopping around different 36-week marathon training programs, then starting to do whatever they're doing in Week 30. So it may not work any better than B&G's technique!

Today Slowrunner kindly agreed to be my trail running pace bunny, pushing me faster than I would go on my own. She seemed to be listening to my breathing and modifying the pace accordingly. For example, if I *was* breathing, then we could go faster. (Just kidding, she was very patient, and I'm sure she had to restrain her own speed considerably - except on the hills, which she flew up as if they weren't there.) Beauty day!

Knee still hurts. Time to take it to Leanimal or Thumbs-of-Death.

Registration closes at midnight tonight for tomorrow's 5K or 10K Trek or Treat night trail run at the Kortright Centre. Come on out, walk or run, wear a costume or run naked, beware of haunters (not hunters) waiting in the woods, and bring an appetite for candy. This event is always fun!
http://www.trekortreat.ca

Oooff - tonight was Caron's toughest core class of the year so far. 'Bent has missed a few classes, so he hadn't built himself up to this, and there was a bit of whimpering coming from the mat next to me. Ha! Sure, he can do a 3:18 marathon, but can he do oblique crunches with one leg straight in the air and the other hovering horizontally an inch above the ground?

Mmmm, yoga. The only problem is that I can't do anything with weight on my right knee when it's bent back to my bum. That meant cheating on one side for several poses tonight. Off to Albion Hills Chiropractic tomorrow morning!

It snowed for the first time yesterday, and here's what it looked like today!





I went for a run all around Palgrave West, including some out-and-back sections. I got within sight of the Russells' barn before it occurred to me that running around with a white hat during white-tailed deer hunting season was probably not the best idea! (Especially since I know there were hunters in there last year.) Gorgeous, cold day. My knee still hurts from Storm The Ten. What the heck did I do to it?

After my run, ThunderDog led me on a hike, taking me to the secret place on F&M's property where the deer sleep. She was bouncing around today! When we got to Mad Dog Meadow, she determined that the snow depth was sufficient to make her first doggie snow angel of the season. She loves that! She's getting older, and every spring I make a little wish that she'll get a chance to make another snow angel next winter.

While watching the news. I'd hoped to sneak in a short treadmill run before an evening meeting, but the weird basement TV/video system defeated me (again), which took too big a chunk out of my potential running time.

Watched Rick Mercer show in hopes of seeing his visit to Gravenhurst on Thanksgiving weekend, where he was scheduled to go tubing behind the Segwun steamship. We saw him on the dock when we were passing by in my brother's motorboat. He waved, and his cameraman got a 30-second shot of us. Maybe we'll be famous! But not tonight...

I ran to the village of Palgrave and back - needed to mail some letters and visit the bakery before Leanimal's visit tonight. Our husbands (!!!!) are both away, so we're going to have dinner and look at photos.

I took different trail routes in each direction and tried to focus on quicker turnover. I tend to hit the ground pretty hard. Note to self: It was 11C and cloudy, and I was too warm in tights. I think 3/4 tights would have been perfect, and I rolled up the sleeves on my shirt.

No bears. Good.