Training Log Archive: Bash

Banff Mountain Book Festival today :))



The Carbons met me at the Calgary airport.







Dinner with Zoolander then we met up with Philly Cheesesteak and Ian McNairn.

We all attended an evening presentation with Apa Sherpa, who holds the Guinness world record for the most climbs of Everest - 21. He really wanted to be a doctor but he was forced to start working as a porter when his Dad passed away when he was 12. His focus now is a foundation to help young Sherpas get an education.



Then we saw "Beyond the Edge - Everest in 3D" which blends film and photos from the first climb in 1953 with modern photos, video and re-enactment. It was absolutely spectacular and seems like it should have been impossible to create.

#OMGisthatsimonfromboundless?

#theotherfourpeopleinthisphotoarewayfasterthanIam

#dontpeoplelookattractivein3Dglasses

#lovespendingtimewithfriends

#missyoubent

#hashtagsaresilly

I had to make a tough call today between training or buying ingredients for Coach LD's birthday dinner. I made the right choice. :)

So far only one Tree Hugger teammate has made it onto Canada's Olympic team, and now I am pleased to report the first Tree Hugger to star in a short film selected for the Banff Mountain Film Festival Radical Reels. Congrats to Logan Tacoma! In all the years we did the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice, I think he was our fastest rider. But he never dressed like this when he raced with us...

Looking forward to seeing more films starting tomorrow with Carbon, Carbon's Offset, Zoolander, Slice and Flight!

I'm going to avoid running this week before Monday's appointment with Dr. Larry Bell. It was supposed to be a running assessment, not an injury assessment, although it will end up being a bit of both. I'd like to go there relatively pain-free.

In the meantime, I've been doing 90 flat floor heel drops a day, wearing my new orthotics for walking, and doing a whole bunch of alternating hot/cold foot baths. Perhaps I should also offer the leftover apple berry crisp as a sacrifice to the running gods.

Today's not-running activity was paddling on the kayak erg. I did a lot of this last winter when I was training for Tierra Viva. It drove me crazy at first then I began to look forward to the podcasts. Today it was "Under the Influence" about the effect of colour on product sales and advertising.

Little known fact: The original pink building insulation was supposed to be red - a marketing gimmick to distinguish a boring product - but the colour came out wrong. The company knew they were selling to men so they went back to the usual white insulation for the next shipment. Contractors asked if they could order more of the pink insulation instead. The rest is history; it turned out to be a highly profitable decision.

A few 1-minute planks (because I want to be like Carbon's Offset some day) and some Superman-type stuff. No time for more today, unfortunately.

I'm part of a fad! The latest fitness craze is... Sleep. The average person (American?) gets 6 hrs 40 min per night.
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/recovery/The-...

Downhill trail running technique - good article by Salomon Flight Crew member Dave McMahon.
http://www.breathemag.ca/healthy-living/fitness/ho...

Beautiful day - sunny and cold - and the single track in Palgrave is in great shape. Some of the double track is quite wet from the recent rain so it is best avoided. There have been some changes to the bike trail network since the Palgrave adventure running map was made so that might be a good project some day.

(Used bike computer data.)

Hard Core Monday had to be postponed after I made apple berry crisp and took too large a helping by "mistake". Four hours later, I still feel full.

Dontgetlost Peak-2-Peak adventure run training on the CUMIS lands in Burlington. Thanks for putting together a fun course, Pat-hectic! :)

My foot was unhappy this morning after yesterday's unexpectedly long trail run so I did the Half Enduro at a leisurely walking pace, even though I'd signed up for the longer course. I thought I was going to have to pack it in on the way to the first control, then something in my heel shifted or warmed up, and the pain was manageable after that. I took some circuitous routes to avoid climbing and descending steep slopes since that is what hurts the most.

The woods were pretty with a few colourful leaves on the trees and lots on the ground. It was a nice day to hike and cheer on kids in the ARK race. Because I had an excess of energy, I gave several impromptu navigation lessons along the way since I was travelling in a part of the pack where advice seemed to be welcomed. If I couldn't do the event for real, it was nice to have some other purpose out there.

Excellent to see Minister Jr. and his soon-to-be Mrs. They have learned so much in only a few sessions on a map, and now they're getting ready for Salomon Raid The Hammer - the full Raid!

Great lunch afterward with 'Bent, Funderstorm, Reeder, Myka and Amik. Mick and Mrs. Mick had hoped to join us but got sucked into the Ikea Vortex.

Salomon Leaves R' Down Trail Run organized by Brian Culbert, starting from the Salomon Toronto store. When my alarm went off, wet snow was blowing in a gusty wind, and it was tempting to pull the duvet up to my chin and close my eyes. After all, I needed 2 more hours of sleep! :)

But... I knew it would become fun eventually so I headed to Toronto. Great podcasts in both directions btw: Endurance Planet with Dr. Phil Maffetone on the way down, and Distance Obsessed with Ray Zahab on the return trip.

Such a nice treat to see friends on this blustery day! Simpy and Bugsinteeth had done Lap #1, which ran overtime so unfortunately they couldn't join WandAR, FunRun and me for Lap #2. You can see how tired Simpy was. ;)



Here's the full group for Lap #2.



We ran in the Don Valley and out near Pottery Road in steady rain and wind, splashing through big puddles, skidding down leaf-covered hills, sliding sideways on clay trails on hillsides, and tentatively crossing slick, rickety wooden bridges. So much fun! Great test for our layers too.

It was supposed to be a 12 km lap but it ended up being 17 km - and it would have been even longer if Sharlene and I hadn't missed a turn while chatting! We headed back to the store on a different trail and brought a little mud inside with us.



I've been limiting my running lately to humour my Achilles. This was a conscious step outside my comfort zone to see where I'm at. (A much bigger step than I'd expected!) My heel is sore but I'm not sure whether this 2-hour gnarly trail run made it feel any worse than a 30 minute gravel road run. That doesn't mean it's necessarily good for me - just an observation. Apparently the true test will be the way it feels after 24-48 hours.

As a bonus, Dee was out shopping so we caught up over a big latte after I'd changed to dry clothes. Great way to spend a rainy day! :)

The Realistic Guide to Learning How to Run
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2013/10/the-realistic-gui...

#4 isn't the whole truth but the rest of them aren't far off.

Sunday is the Dontgetlost Peak-2-Peak Enduro adventure run training event - this year on the CUMIS lands in Burlington. Good practice for Salomon Raid The Hammer! Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. tonight. There will be limited first-come, first-serve race day entries at a higher price.
http://dontgetlost.ca/index.php?option=com_content...

Note: Weight field is going to contain the number of pounds I have left to lose. Not kilograms because it is easier - and therefore more rewarding - to lose a higher number of pounds.

Hard Core Live with Caron. 'Bent joined me tonight and I could hear him groan when she asked us to lie on our backs with legs straight up in the air. Core exercises starting from that position are 'Bent's nemesis.

I didn't have to protect my sore foot as much this week. Baby steps (literally!)

Interesting news from the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run. [Edit: And I see now that several of us deemed it AP log-worthy! :) ] Starting with the 2015 race, 50-milers will no longer be accepted as qualifiers, and a lot of 100-mile races have been removed from the qualifier list, including Sulphur Springs and Haliburton. I qualified for the 2013 and 2014 lotteries but have decided not to apply for next year due to my heat princess-ish-ness. Looks like it might be hard to qualify again in future if I change my mind.
http://www.wser.org/qualifying-races/

Another foot-friendly run on the gravel roads around home. There were some heel twinges but no big flare-up. More snow flurries this morning so I've moved toques and gloves to the front hall closet. :) It looks skiable an hour north of here. Many thanks to Hermes for sending me proof!

Useful Advice: How to Be a Mountain Biker

25 Things Non-Runners Don't Get About Runners
http://www.buzzfeed.com/melaniepoloff/25-things-no...

As the song kept running through my head, "There's no bad weather, there is just bad gear". So on a breezy day with low single digit temperatures, there was no excuse to stay home - especially when the forecast rainy day turned out to be a sunny one.

I had letters to mail so I rode to the Caledon East post office. Other than occasional polite slowdowns to avoid scaring dog walkers, I put in an honest effort. I'd planned on a latte at the Trailside Cafe but they had a sign asking cyclists to put their bikes on a rack far from the front door where I wouldn't be able to watch it. So... homeward bound.

Right before this ride, I'd bought our season's pass to Highlands Nordic. Fittingly, snow started to fall on my return ride. (Sorry Harps - it was my fault.) I was practically bouncing on my bike seat, as giddy as a little kid, and decided to do a few kms of single track in Albion Hills since there was still some light. I met Caron and twin sister Jill on Duffy's Lane, then headed home through Palgrave West.

Better than the gym.

(Bike computer distance)

Wishing happy trails to Simon Whitfield, the inspirational and classy Canadian who announced his retirement from international triathlon today. I like his "quick video for the gentleman he raced against for 20 years". :)
http://simonwhitfield.com

He gave me a prize at a bike race once. I was starstruck.

It's taken more than a year to get everything changed over but I've finally closed down my old e-mail ID barbrich@ca.inter.net. If you need my current e-mail ID, it's on my AP profile. Most people made the switch in 2012 but it's easy to miss someone.

Warning: This trailer contains some "mature language" and fake violence. But it's refreshing to see people in a horror movie making smart decisions for a change.

I combined an errand in town with a visit to the Caledon Wellness Centre to try different machines to see what might work for my overly sensitive Achilles. As recommended by several people, the stair mill was a good workout, especially for someone hoping to do more mountain ultras, and it didn't aggravate my injury. I wasn't sure about gym etiquette so I stopped after 30 minutes since there is only one stair mill. I tried a few other machines afterward - elliptical, stepper, NUstep, etc. - but none appealed to me.

I'll probably use the stair mill again while my Achilles continues to bug me but I really don't like the gym experience - like being a hamster in a cage. The Wellness Centre has a lovely view of the Humber Valley, which doesn't help!

First try of our friend Caron Shepley's "10 Minutes to Zen" workouts on Youtube. Today I did Sun Salutations, Stability and Core. Nice to have a flexible workout format that fits any time window.
http://personalbest.ca/index.php?option=com_youtub...

Received an important e-mail from the Bank of Africa this morning:
"Are you Dead or Alive? If you are, then write back immediately."

Hard Core Mondays are baaaack! Except I can't find THE DVD so I'll just have to make stuff up. BazingaDog was tremendously helpful, especially during the Supermans on the exercise ball. When I lowered my head, he stepped over it so I was locked down under his tummy with two doggie feet on either side of my head. It made for a great workout when I lifted my head again! (Even though he didn't like it much.)

Toronto runner Ed Whitlock has done it again - this time while fighting a cold and "just surviving" for the last 10 km of the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. The new age 82 marathon world record is 3:41.
http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/ed-whitl...

Time to start tracking this so that chronic sleep deprivation doesn't ever again become a major factor in a race. Also, I have 6 lbs to lose.

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!

Nationals Long Distance

Things got off to a great start today. After three controls, I was 3rd on our course (40 people), and I didn't lose too much time with my slower running on the long leg to #4.

But then the wheels came off as they have been doing. I dropped down too low on the way to #5 and had a heck of a time relocating in the complex contours. After that, I aced #6 with the fastest time of 40 runners on my course! Confession time: it wasn't my *first* visit to #6 during this race. :)

Then on my way to #7, I got sucked down to a control on a different course and lost track of where I was. The correct control was less than 30 seconds away but it took me about 8 minutes to get there because I went exploring in the opposite direction. And when I left the trail for #8, I looked at features instead of my compass and ended up doing a quick loop back to the trail I had just left. Brilliant! I found that so unbelievable that it took about 30 seconds to convince myself to head back in.

Attackpoint estimates 17 minutes of errors, and I was 26 minutes behind the winning time so there is lots of room for improvement. As in the last two races, I totally blew up on a few controls and did a respectable job on the others. I look forward to reviewing the maps in more detail to see if I can figure out some of the things I did wrong. I probably overestimated my ability to read features right now and should have relied more on my compass and pace counting.

Regardless, it was a great course and lots of fun. It was nice to see so many friends today, including a few I hadn't seen on other days. My foot was a little more sore afterward but I wasn't limping like two weeks ago. So I got away with it! :)

Great job on this event by *so* many people - Hammer, GHOSLO, Griz, Pat-hectic, Backwoods, Dana, Etoile, Wilsmith and many more. I need to single out the spectacular talents of Valerie Meyer, who isn't a GHO member - nor even a Canadian - yet worked hard for weeks leading up to Nationals and never got out on a race course all weekend. Sandy did a great job supporting her at the event. We're so lucky to have generous people willing to work hard to make another club's event a success. Thank you.

Long Course 6 - Splits

Nationals Middle Distance

It's important to have a goal for each race, and mine was to get through this one without bumping my gashed face into anything. I'm not even supposed to get my forehead wet, let alone smash it into trees. And I'm proud to say I met my goal for the race!

It's fortunate that I didn't pick an orienteering-related goal because I managed to get myself lost enough to require *major* relocations twice on a race course that measured only 2.4 km straight line distance. I spent more than half my time on those two splits out of eleven and lost over 15 minutes there to the winner, Marianna, who made a 2-minute error there herself! On the bright side, I only lost 3 minutes to her on the other nine splits. So... I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that maybe I need to improve my consistency. :)

My biggest error occurred when I was trying to be clever by taking a longer route around to avoid elevation changes. Not so clever when you come back into the spaghetti contours and can't find the little hilltop you're headed for. I was actually close but was looking for a higher hill than I should have been so I wandered a bit, then bailed out to come at it again. So there's a second lesson to take away... Don't *try* to be clever. Just *be* clever.

Attackpoint says I had over 15 minutes of mistakes (and is probably generous) but I have no real complaints because I haven't put in the training to deserve better results. I'm thinking of this weekend as an orienteering baseline - like running one of my regular routes early in the season to determine base fitness level. I'm not surprised that my navigation needs work. Of *course* it does! But I'm pleasantly surprised that the physical side of the first two races has gone pretty well. When I don't lose my head, my splits are close to the top of my category. Unfortunately, I'm losing my head too much right now.

Speaking of heads, this event has been rough on them. Mick arrived today with his own forehead bandage - except he wins because he got stitches after his sprint ended early yesterday. And on the way to the start today, I saw a volunteer go over the handlebars of his bike, and that turned into a 25-minute first aid and ambulance call stop. Fortunately, he's doing OK now. We were lucky to have the help of a first aid instructor who happened by with a backpack full of dressings, two teenaged cyclists who shared their cell phone and directed the ambulance, and a nurse who was also heading to the race start.

One more race to go. I'm looking forward to a day with greater consistency and fewer knocks on heads. The Dundas Valley is gorgeous right now so it will be lots of fun no matter what!

Postscript: The GPS track reveals one of the problems with my massive error on #2. I came upon #3 (or so I thought) and tried to use it to navigate back to #2 but I failed miserably and finally bailed out to the farmer's field to relocate. I see now that I never got near #3 so I must have read the code incorrectly. No wonder things didn't make sense!

Middle Course 6 - Splits

Event: 2013 Nationals (Hamilton, CANADA)
 

For the first time ever, an orienteering injury has sent me to the hospital. At the start of a 4-hr volunteer shift at the Nationals registration table, I whirled around to put some liability waivers - including my own - into the box. I slammed my forehead hard into the edge of a metal shelf and sliced it open. Luckily, a physician who happened to be checking in for the event did some interim repair with the club first aid kit and said I will likely need stitches. After the shock wore off, I worked another few hours then drove to the Urgent Care Centre. Argghh. But even as I sit here waiting, I'm laughing at the irony of this injury.

Big thanks to Mr. Wonderful who brought us a dozen delicious apple cider doughnuts after seeing my AP comment to Cristina saying that I'd never tried them. Yum, a couple of those really helped me feel better.

Nationals Sprint on the McMaster University campus

The emerg doc said I could run as long as it didn't make me feel light headed or otherwise rotten. I was already planning to take it easy because of my foot so I went into the race quite calm for someone who hadn't used an orienteering map since June 1. I have also never mastered sprint-specific map symbols so there is always a lot of luck involved in urban or campus sprints. And of course, I came to the event site straight from the emerg department and raced with my hospital bracelet on. I was calm because I had zero expectations!

So given all that, I'm actually pretty happy with my running (although not my orienteering!) I made several huge errors mostly because I haven't been on an O map lately and just wasn't sharp. I started running from #2 back toward #1 instead of toward #3 in the opposite direction. I didn't check the code on a control I ran past because I had the description wrong, but that was my control. Attackpoint says I had 2:33 of errors but it missed a big error on #1 (as per the GPS track) and a few minor ones.


(Both photos by Adrian Zissos.)

I was 5 minutes out of first, which is much better than I deserved, and I finished around midpack. I had a couple of the best splits in our category and also the absolute worst split for any age group on our course at the go control. That is inexcusable since it was inside the spectator area, and I'd seen people punch it and run to the finish even before my race started. I guess once you've made a commitment to race stupid, you have to stay consistent. :) I should learn the damned sprint map symbols and go back to McMaster with the map some day to drill them into my head. (Hmm, perhaps that's a bad choice of words today...)



Regardless, it was quite fun, the course was interesting, my foot didn't hurt much, the weather was perfect, and I chatted with lots of friends.

(For anyone looking at the GPS track, it is incorrect between #9 and #10. I was clean and direct there - one of my best-ranked splits - and didn't go way off into that parking lot. The track does something funny on the way to #1 as well. The other parts of the GPS track that look like mistakes... are mistakes.)

Sprint Course 3a - Splits

I admit it. I'm a Glee fan. And that was sad. :(

How *not* to prepare for a national championship... I checked back in the trusty Attackpoint statistics and discovered that with the exception of the CNYO Rogaine, I've orienteered all of 14 hours this year. The last time I used an orienteering map was June 1. This weekend will not just be an experiment in terms of orienteering with an injury. It will also be an experiment to see how well orienteering goes when you don't remember how to do it. Should be interesting...

Another doctor-approved half hour run. OK, 35 minutes but who's counting? After running the soft, even, flat surface of the rail trail yesterday, I moved today to the hillier trails of Palgrave West with roots, rocks and holes hidden under leaf cover. It was a bit of a jump but tomorrow is Day 1 of Orienteering Nationals so I don't have time to ramp up gradually. At least tomorrow is a campus sprint so the footing should mostly be good. If I'm not limping after that (and it seems unlikely, given that it won't be as long or as technical as today's run), then I'll give the Middle distance race a try on Saturday. One day at a time.

Most of our sumacs are past their prime already. We still have a few fiery red/orange bushes but many have dropped the majority of their leaves. In spite of the fast progress of the autumn leaves, today was a summer day in October - perfect Harps weather. Not so perfect for BulletDog who was so hot that I brought her back home after 2 km.

Regulation half-hour run, as permitted by the chiropodist. I went on the rail trail to keep it flat and relatively low impact. It didn't affect my foot in any obvious way. If anything, the pain decreased as I ran, which is how it was until two weeks ago. Supposedly, it is better to maintain some level of one's regular athletic activities during the healing process, including running. I sure hope that is true because I would go stir crazy otherwise!

I will be breaking the rules this weekend at the Orienteering Nationals but I plan to be good after that. Luckily, the races go from shortest to longest over the 3 days so I can always bail from the rest of the event if things aren't going well.

Autumn Leaves Alert: We are getting close to peak in Caledon, which means it is probably past peak in places like Huntsville already. If someone wants a nice autumn leaves hike on Thanksgiving, it will be pretty nice around here or in Barrie - no need to go much further north. Having said that, I don't think it's a particularly spectacular year for leaves. Gusty winds blew some of our leaves down a few days ago too. But it is still beautiful.

Before the run, I went for my 4th laser treatment and was demoted to the lowest level of laser and advised not to return until after I've seen the doctor and picked up my new orthotics in a week or two. Why? Because I have this foolish penchant for statistics, science and honesty, thus I couldn't confirm that 3 laser treatments had reduced my pain. We've altered three other important variables by adding a heel lift, reducing running and eliminating exercises that stretch the heel. So maybe the laser has helped but it is impossible to know. So... the technician decided that I will get no more laser for now since we aren't sure it is helping. Of course, the experiment was designed in such a way that we never could have gotten that information.

Rodney Yee Power Yoga for Flexibility. First attempt at yoga modified so that left heel and calf aren't stretched too much. Downward dog and plank modifications load the right leg more, and I have to modify lunge position when the left leg is behind. Otherwise, most of it was OK. Definitely better than avoiding yoga because some of the poses don't work.

Some quick weights to get my upper body used to the idea of working out again. Better not overdo it given the big weekend coming up. It's a big weekend from the perspectives of volunteer work, driving time and family Thanksgiving. If all goes well, I'll spend less than 3 hours racing over 3 days! I'm also co-organizing a big event for my engineering class on the following weekend. It never gets boring around here.

Sigh... Guess I need to track this stuff. BulletDog and I hiked to Thinker's Hill and back. It's a rolling trail with a good surface and no steep hills - perfect rehab trail. It didn't seem to affect my Achilles at all. So that's a start.

I'm admitting defeat and dropping out of Salomon Raid The Hammer. The only other event I'm registered for in 2013 is Orienteering Nationals this weekend, where I can hike instead of running if it hurts too much. After all the computer hours I've put into Nationals and RTH as registrar, I'd like to enjoy at least a couple of hours in the forest. Blah.

Was promoted from Level 1 laser therapy for my heel to Level 3. I guess I'm bionic now.

It was pouring rain this morning, and the big fireplace in the lodge was awfully nice but we couldn't waste our last morning in Algonquin Park. We usually run the nearby Mizzy Lake Trail but I'm not allowed to run that far so we hiked the Track and Tower Trail, which we'd never done before. We'll definitely be doing it again! The scenery is excellent, particularly in autumn, and the lookout is one of the best views in Algonquin Park. There is even a big set of stairs where we could do repeats if we were feeling really keen.





This ended up being another historical outing. The interpretive guide pointed out all sorts of evidence of human activity. The Cache Lake area was once the bustling centre of Algonquin Park. It's impressive and encouraging to see how nature has taken over. We were walking on a lovely, leaf-covered ridge trail in the forest when we arrived at a numbered post. I checked the guide and discovered that we were walking on the old rail bed of what was formerly the busiest rail line in Canada. Wow!

I felt good for awhile and ran the short distance where we overlapped the bike rail trail. By the end, though, my heel was on fire. Too bad since it seemed to be improving with the laser treatment and rest. :((



With the steady rain, a lot of my photos ended up blurry because of droplets of water on the lens.

'Bent's GPS track (I forgot mine): http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...

'Bent and I rode the Old Railway Bike Trail from Lake of Two Rivers Store to its western terminus, then went east to explore the Pog Lake campground, which was much prettier than its name suggests, and back to the car.













We detoured to ride the Cache Lake Dam service road, which involved some steep climbing on a soft surface but was worth it for the autumn scenery. Confession: There was a "No Hiking" sign that probably implied bikes were prohibited too but it was hard to resist exploring such a pretty road.







We were cruising along at a good pace when a bull moose rose out of the wetland and stepped onto the trail about 10 m in front of us, blocking it sideways. We threw on our brakes and sat wide-eyed. He stood there for a few seconds while he made up his mind, then he started trotting away from us down the trail.

'Bent started riding in hopes of getting a better photo.

Me (in a loud whisper): "Stop!!!! Remember Survivorman saying that a bull moose is the most dangerous animal in the Ontario forest?"

'Bent: "That's only in one particular season."

Me: "Yes. THIS season!"

He didn't believe me (until Google backed me up later) but luckily he stopped and took a "that big speck is a moose" photo.



We chatted with some New Zealanders back at the lodge, and they were quite envious. In their vision of Canada, I'm sure cyclists constantly fend off moose, bear and lynx!

After about 8,000 calories at the delicious Arowhon Pines lunch buffet, 'Bent and I waddled down to the waterfront and went for a paddle to the south end of Joe Lake. We passed Gibraltar Rock where we were married but it is such a nice campsite that we rarely get to visit; it was occupied again this year. One of the other lodge guests said that hotel staff told her it was called "Wedding Rock". I guess we've made our small mark on the world. :)



I've been reading a book about the history of the settlements of Joe Lake and Canoe Lake, which were a few kilometers - and one train station - apart near the south end of Joe Lake and north end of Canoe Lake respectively. The book's author was a park ranger's daughter who grew up in Joe Lake between 1928 and the mid-1940s. She included hand-drawn maps of the settlement showing the locations of residents' cabins, Hotel Algonquin, Colson's Store, etc. I'd hoped we might find some foundations but when the Ontario government wants to destroy all evidence of a building, they do a great job.

We think we found the sites of the store and the hotel, both of which are now used mostly as parking lots for leaseholders, and we definitely found the location of the author's cabin, which was burnt to the ground by the government. Amongst other things, we found a half-buried metal bed frame in a flat section of forest in the right location. She mentioned that bed frame near the end of the book when she talked about returning to the site in later years. Cool! It's impressive to see how completely the forest takes over if you give it 60 or 70 years.



When we started paddling again, a long crack opened up in the bottom of the canoe and started flexing. It didn't go all the way through but it wouldn't take much for that to happen, and some water started pooling in the bottom of the boat. We paddled directly back to the lodge, following the shoreline and singing, "Near far, wherever you are..." No, not really! :)

I didn't turn my GPS on and off at all the right times but this is close.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Algonquin Park I go... :)

It was a beautiful drive north since the autumn leaves were at their peak in the Gravenhurst-Huntsville area. The sugar maples in Algonquin Park peaked last Tuesday, then high winds blew down a lot of the leaves in the canopy. It was still spectacular since the poplars and birches were near their colour peak, a few nice maples still had leaves, and the ground was covered with multi-coloured leaves.

We are so lucky to live in a place where we get to see this for several weeks every year. We met a number of foreign tourists who were as excited as I get when I see aurora borealis.

In case you didn't see it on Facebook, this is pure gold: Luis, Joel and Los Dobos showing us how Breathe Magazine is made.

Mind blowing fact 'Bent learned from a conservation area superintendent today... Following a recent obstacle race on their property, he estimates that participants threw out approximately 3,000 pairs of shoes - because they were dirty, I suppose? He felt so bad about it after last year's event that he set up a shoe collection for charity and got 1,000 pairs this time. But there were still 3,000 pairs in the garbage! I guess these must be the one-timers since the serious obstacle racers choose good shoes, and they know how to clean them!

After a few days of rest, ice, laser treatment, prep for orthotics and a little disappointment, I've come to terms with the fact that I'd be stupid to try another ultra in 2013. I hate to finish the year with the DNF at UTMB but getting healthy is more important so I will look ahead to 2014.

It's been awhile since I wore a heart rate monitor for mountain biking since I haven't been analytical about my bike training. I wore it today to see how my HR looks for a typical single track ride at Albion Hills. There are moments of hard work uphill but a lot more coasting than when I run so I can't push the average HR as high as for running, which is typical for most people.

It was a relatively easy ride but I wouldn't want to go a whole lot faster right now with leaves hiding the trail surface and the occasional fallen tree across the trail. It was an absolutely gorgeous, warm fall day. Although I tried to avoid it, I rode through a section with poison ivy and had to scrub my tires with soap again. While I was doing that, a mosquito bit me. In October! Sounds like everyone has been seeing them lately.

Used bike computer distance of 16.35 km vs. GPS distance of 15.45. That's pretty close for single track.

I'm turning on the injury flag to remind myself why I took off 3 days in a row. I saw a chiropodist today who agrees that I have a gimpy left foot with a few bad things going on. Until the inflammation subsides, I'm allowed to hike with a heel lift and even run (on a reduced schedule). She feels it is good to maintain the activities to which my muscles have become accustomed but I'm not going to push it. No specific stretching or strengthening until after things have calmed down but it's OK to do yoga if I don't push too hard in the foot stretches. Laser treatment today. Let's see what happens.

A last minute opportunity! For the past month, the Middle and Long distance events at the 2013 Orienteering Nationals in Hamilton have been sold out. Because of some injuries and work commitments, a few participants have been forced to drop out of the event. I have re-opened registration for the sold-out races but availability is extremely limited because the Conservation Authority asks us to respect a maximum participation limit for environmental reasons.

So if you are looking for some activity to balance out the turkey calories on Thanksgiving weekend (Canadian, that is), there is a Sprint at McMaster late on Friday afternoon (Oct. 11), a Middle distance race on Saturday morning and a Long distance race on Sunday morning.

For adventure racers looking to do just one race, I'd suggest the Long distance on Sunday, which will give you a physical and navigational workout that is well worth the drive. It's always interesting to see where you stand at the Canadian orienteering championship, and it will be great training for Salomon Raid The Hammer since the championship events are also in the Dundas Valley.

The info is here, and you can click on the Registration tab to register online - but only until midnight tonight (or earlier, if it sells out again).
http://dontgetlost.ca/index.php?option=com_content...