Training Log Archive: Bash

Short ride around Palgrave West. Myka arrived halfway through, which was a nice treat. Amik and I rode at an easy pace so she could keep up with us on foot. Lots of autumn leaf hikers out today.

University of Waterloo engineering class reunion tonight. When I was in school, my classmates ranged from close friends to mere acquaintances. There were good students and bad students, athletes and bookworms, outgoing people and those who kept to themselves. But coming together after many years apart, none of that matters anymore. Everyone is happy to talk with everyone. Time is such an equalizer.

How fascinating to hear so many different life stories that branched out from the same set of classrooms. Two of my best friends from the class have passed away, and I really missed them tonight. Mostly though, there is a lot of "happily ever after" going on. It was like finally getting the sequel to a much-loved book and finding out what happened next to the characters you've gotten to know so well. Lots of fun.

Here's my class on our way in to our Iron Ring ceremony shortly before graduation. We were expected to dress up for the Super Secret Ceremony but afterward, we would immediately be taken by bus to the Iron Ring Stag where tradition dictated that our clothes would be destroyed. Some people even carried scissors to cut off their friends' ties and sleeves. So most of us bought cheap suits from the Salvation Army. If our clothing survived, we donated it back.



And here we are in 2013.

While listening to an old Adventure Racing Podcast where Mark Arnold was interviewing Geoff Langford. There may have been some subtext.

It's been another busy week of pre-event preparation for my University of Waterloo engineering class reunion today. We graduated before e-mail or Facebook existed so our class hasn't done a great job of staying in touch, and we've only had a couple of reunions over the years. I haven't seen some of these people since we graduated, and it's been a decade since I saw any of my classmates.

The funny thing is that we were very close when we were in school. We were one of the smallest engineering classes but we won the P5 participation points competition a couple of times. This should be a fun day with lots of life stories to catch up on and, sadly, a few deaths to mourn as well. It's hard to fathom that some of my classmates who married young are grandparents now! But when we get together, we all become 22 again.

Yay, I'm doing Salomon Raid The Hammer after all - but sticking to the Half Raid to be careful. Our team, "Achilles Healing" consists of three foot-challenged racers who normally do the full Raid - Funderstorm, Dlevine and me. I'm a little scared about racing head to head against Adventuregirl! and her teenaged friends - because I know who will win.

Btw late fees for RTH start at midnight so if you're planning to be there on Sun. Nov. 10, it's time to sign up. You can register "TBD TBD" if you don't know your teammates' names yet. Just let me know their real identities before registration closes.
http://dontgetlost.ca/index.php?option=com_content...

UPDATE: The fee deadline will be moved to Monday evening since the reminder e-mail from the race organization was delayed. So you've got a little longer to track down teammates with real names before you sign up.

Around our block as slowly as I've ever done it, hoping it would be OK for my foot. I had a setback yesterday, possibly because I ran in my new orthotics. (I didn't read the instructions until too late. You're supposed to wait a week before using them for sports. Oops.)

My foot felt decent, and I had a great time running in the autumn leaves. Time was deducted for scenery stops...





...and a nutrition break.

Important health information... Where are you most likely to survive a heart attack? On TV. Specifically, on ER.
http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/2013/10/18/cpr-surviva...

A volunteer firefighter once told me that he'd done CPR about 30 times. Only one person was revived - and sadly she passed away the next day from another cardiac arrest. 'Bent had to do CPR once on a passing runner but unfortunately the gentleman didn't make it. It's still worth learning how to do CPR but the odds aren't good at all.

Hard Core Live with Caron while the hurricane raged outside.

C3 Class. I had to modify the heel stretch poses (downward dogs, lunges) but it was still worth it.

From The Science of Sport: Navigating the thin ice of science translation, i.e. the way science is often "spun" when it is communicated to the public - polarized, filtered or simplified to the point where it is not the truth. Poster boy = Malcolm Gladwell.

Caron Shepley, who teaches power yoga classes to runners and triathletes, is putting "10 Minutes to Zen" workouts on Youtube. You can mix and match different 10-minute segments, or if you're pressed for time, you can warm up a little, then just do one.
http://personalbest.ca/index.php?option=com_youtub...

I couldn't use my entry at the Caledon Running Festival due to injury so I took a bunch of photos instead. This morning, iRun.ca asked permission to use one so at least I'm feeling useful now! http://www.irun.ca/blog/index.php/rob-tolman-runs-...

First run in my new orthotics after spending the afternoon walking around town in them.

I've never been a big believer in orthotics since I know a number of people who have paid a whack of money, then stopped using them. However, I'm trying to be a good patient and do (most of) what I'm told by the chiropodist - at least until I've given her treatment plan a fair chance. My foot is doing better than it was two weeks ago through some combination of factors, so I'll keep following her advice for now. (Although I *may* be a little more active than she has in mind!) I'm allowed to start doing calf and foot stretches now, which is progress.

The orthotics aren't quite as annoying as I'd feared, and they fit into my Salomon CrossMax, which I'll be using a lot over the next while. I'm hoping to spend a big chunk of my running time on easier terrain to give my heel more time to heal.

Beautiful evening light with autumn leaves glowing, purple and yellow flowers, horses wearing coats, wood smoke wafting on the breeze, and a wee nip in the air. We may not be able to get pizzas delivered out here but our neighbourhood sure has some gorgeous road runs.

This just in from the world of science:
Oreo cookies are more addictive than cocaine

Woke up this morning with the same headache I've had since Saturday night, starting about 36 hours after I banged my head hard. It's not a really bad headache but I haven't been feeling too perky. Normally I would take ibuprofen but I thought I shouldn't disguise my symptoms in case they were signalling a serious problem.

Finally today I googled head injury and learned that I could take Tylenol - which of course I couldn't find anywhere in our house. I also learned that after a head injury, it's a good idea to avoid activities with a significant physical or mental component. I guess 3 consecutive national orienteering championship races would not be highly recommended! :) I went to town for Tylenol and am headache-free after one pill. I'm hoping it was really caused by the weather change or maybe the red wine with Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, I took another day off just in case.

I just added the photos that Adrian Zissos took of me in Friday's Nationals Sprint. But because I haven't perfected the art of looking cool while I race, I am putting Mick's awesome Middle distance photo here, also taken by AZ. He looks so hard core! And don't forget, he got 4 stitches in his forehead the night before this race after he sprinted right into a wall at McMaster. It seems to have done wonders for his orienteering.

More turkey. More dressing. More pie. As if we didn't eat enough yesterday!