Training Log Archive: Nev-Monster

Long day. Flew to Fort MacMurray on the Gov of Alberta plane to have a tour of the city and oil sands so we'd have a better idea of what it's all about. It still looks about the same as last summer.
The reclaimed conservation area that the bus stops at and shows off looks pretty good, it's taken about 10 years to get to that point, forested sand dunes. But, the northern Aurora Mine that Syncrude owns is much more wetlands and will be much harder to rehab.

Then a hard run as the rain started to turn to snow, it's going down to -12 this weekend.

Here's my music pick of the night, Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend, deadly song from the mid-90s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjXsW7sY1tY

And here's a question to anyone reading: I'm going to buy a MEC puffy down jacket, but should I go vest or full jacket, which is more useful, cause that's alot of down to have both.

C • I don't know about the puffy v... 4

Muddy run with Juha on a lovely day in Edmonton. Pretty slow at times due to mega mud which added some weight to some sections.

Here's a video of one of Quebec's top bands right now, Les Dale Hawerchuk. I'm sure it's huge in Winnipeg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3JYkrXNzqQ

I have the same Jofa helmet as the drummer, except mine's blue like Mats and Kenny Jonson used to have, I probably look just like Jonson's brother when I wear it.

C • Fantastic 4

North American Middle Race
I think I was quicker than the time, but since I never went to 8 it really doesn't matter at all. I was running with Sudden the first half, he caught me at 1 due to me not having any plan to get to 1. We were a bit sloppy around a few of them and then hit 9 before 8. I quickly checked my codes and saw that I had control 228, but didn't check the control number, so it looked good to go. I wondered why Hans was heading a strange direction and I set off looking for 9, which I was standing beside. I managed to do a full circle, hit 9 from a different direction and not recognize it, then when I check the codes, it looked a-okay.
Well, if I'm dumb enough to do that... I'll take whatever time I get.

Event: 2006 North American Championships (Golden Leaf Orienteering Fest)
 

Warming up and cooling down on the Mac campus, felt okay, but not great. My body could feel the cold more than I thought.

North American Sprint Champs. I knew from the second control I wasn't very fit, but it was really fun to race on the Mac campus and the map looked awesome. Eventually there will be a course that will be in and out of the woods there which will rock as well, but this was a great course. A couple wee bobbles like 5-6, but really just not moving fast enough except for the run in.

Great atmosphere and start/finish area. Ali said I was running fast enough by the end to not let her take a picture of me.

I might re-run the course around Christmas with an empty campus.

Sprint 4 - Splits

A solid run down by the river after not doing anything for two days, fighting a sore throat that could flare up into something nasty. Felt decent out there, almost went over on an ankle which would have been truly awful.
Two good things today:

a) I think I'm going to be doing some rep work for Salomon this winter with X-C.com one of Canada's top ski racing team. Should get me lots of free gear, lots of schmoozing and great training oppertunities as well with some of the best skiers in Canada. I'll see if I can get some stuff to Orienteering in Canada if there's merit.

b) R.I.M. are buying the Pittsburgh Penguins and if there's no new arena, Sid and Malkin are coming to Hamilton. Or K/W to become the Waterloo Stars.

Sunday Soccer at Garneau. Okay game, my right foot's a wee bit sore now afterwards.