Training Log Archive: Bash

It took awhile to get the full story, now that Crash is no longer on AP (sniffle!) So here's a belated, but still sincere and HUGE congratulations to Crash for finishing 2nd by one short minute in the Northeastern Xterra Cup race last week. She qualified for one of two available slots in the Xterra World Champs in Hawaii this fall. Exciting! Crash, you are awesome!!

Those who have been running pseudo-barefoot with Vibram Five Fingers will be interested to know that Crash did the run portion of the Xterra in her FFs. She finds the FFs better for her back than regular shoes. This was an 11 km steep, muddy, rough trail run on a ski hill.

Rumour has it that further details may appear here at some point:
http://www.sarahcaylor.blogspot.com/

I touched my eye tonight, and it began to burn so badly that I put it under the faucet a few times over the next 10 minutes. It felt like someone had thrown acid on it. Then I tried eye drops, then I tried keeping it closed for awhile until it finally settled down. Yikes. I was thinking that it must be the chipotle peppers in the chutney we had for dinner, but they didn't taste that strong, and I didn't stick my finger in the chutney. Much later, it hit me. This afternoon I'd been cleaning out some old outdoor gear and found a little pepper spray can that had burst. I'd washed my hands after tossing it, but a drop of the spray must have stayed under that fingernail. WOW, I have sympathy for the poor bears now.

'Bent and I went for a paddle from my brother's cottage on Lake Muskoka.

Just learned that this year's Laurentian Rogaine will only have an 8 hr option. Boo, we'll have to come up with a different plan.

Yikes! People have different views on Michael Jackson, but this video of the Pepsi commercial accident shows what a truly traumatic experience it must have been. Anyone would need pain killers and cosmetic surgery after an incident like this, but obviously things got out of hand.
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/video-michael-jacks...

Easy run around Palgrave West on a day when I didn't feel like going, but was eventually glad I did. (Mostly because I need to train for an hour in order to be permitted to watch any of today's Tour stage!) I tiptoed around two patches of poison ivy and ran down Hawk Hill through weeds that were taller than I was. I was so itchy by the time I got home that I had to jump straight into the shower - I guess that was the pollen, seeds and bugs from the weeds.

While watching le Tour

Another short trek with hiking boots and a heavy backpack - went up and down the big hill at the back of our property.

'Bent and I met up with Coach LD (at last! it's been too long!) for a ride around Albion. The trails have been really wet this year, but today they were darned near perfect. Chico and volunteers have done a lot of work, and there have been some nice re-routes.

On the Sugar Shack single track, there is a short, steep, rooty climb with a tree on the left. I gave it my best shot, but my semi-slick tires just wouldn't bite, and I tipped toward the downhill side. I grabbed at the tree but couldn't hold it, and since there was a big depression beside the trail, I went down a long way, doing a reverse swan dive with my bike, landing on the pointy bit at the back of my helmet. It was a mild shock (perhaps a major one for 'Bent, who watched me do it), but it looks like I may get away with a slightly stiff neck - no blood, and if I got any new bruises, it would be impossible to distinguish them from all my old bruises. (I have stoopid hobbies!)

'Bent and Coach LD were riding well as always. I need to find at least one training partner who is slower than me. I spend 100% of my group training time chasing fast people!

First run with Slowrunner since her 146 km trail race last weekend, so I was expecting an easy day. WRONG. She, Homey, Tony and I did the hardest Crossfit run yet! We ran the HVT from the Wellness Centre to the Big Log, then returned to the newly christened Homey Shite Hill (big hill west of Duffy's Lane). We ran up the hill, then did 20 squats, 12 girlie push-ups (the others did 15 real ones) and 20 bicycles. Then halfway down the steep hill, we stopped to do 20 dips on a step, then back to the bottom. (The time and distance for this part is logged separately.) Four reps of hill climbs, then instead of coming down the 4th time, we headed back toward the Wellness Centre and repeated the strength exercises halfway up the last big hill. Great workout on a sunny day with lots of laughs. (I *think* they were laughing with me, not at me! :-) ) At the end, Slowrunner treated us to yummy popsicles that we consumed outside the Wellness Centre while chatting.

Strength/hills portion of the run. Homey Shite Hill is a 250 m return trip from bottom to top to bottom.

Well #@*$! Who would have guessed?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/that-soothing-...

Definitely could be useful for athletes...

Out with ThunderDog for another trek where I was carrying 20+ kg - this time testing a different backpack that spread the load better for this weight. (Not that I know what weight I'll be carrying on our backpacking trip yet, but I like to read so my pack is never light.) I'd been wavering on wearing hiking boots, but was glad I had them on when I just missed a seriously turned ankle on the front step. (I would definitely have needed to come up with a better story!) One time I was hiking with a woman who dislocated her ankle and broke a bone after her backpack tipped her to the downhill side while traversing a steep slope. If that absolutely has to happen to me some day, then I want the same scenic helicopter evacuation ride she had - an ambulance on our front patio just wouldn't cut it. Fortunately, the hiking boot stopped my ankle in time and reminded me that you have to be more careful when you have a load on your back.

How Urthbuoy got started...