Training Log Archive: Bash

Sending good thoughts (but not *warm* thoughts on this steamy day) to Crash and Mike in Virginia where they are trying to qualify for the World XTERRA Champs in Hawaii once again. Hope it went well, guys!

Yahoo! Crash was 2nd in her age group and 7th woman overall. If I'm reading the rules correctly, I *think* she qualified for the World Champs today - but XTERRA is a bit weird about non-U.S. citizens sometimes.

'Bent, Coach LD and I rode to The Shed Coffee Bar in Belfountain via rail trail to Inglewood then muddy, rocky escarpment trails the rest of the way, and home via slightly different single track trails and the rail trail. It was a great day to be out, which must explain why we met so many people we know!

We chatted with Caron and Trent running on the rail trail, Joe (hard working MTB trail maintenance volunteer) on the bike trail near Inglewood, Dave Corner and Bruce Day at The Shed (wearing the cool new Shed bike clothing), Nikki and Cheryl at The Shed in their tennis gear, Don & Jeff & Leigh outside Caledon Hills Cycling after their road ride, and Wayne after his MTB ride in Palgrave.

We also stopped at the first-ever Lemonade and Cherry Juice stand we've seen along the rail trail. How could anyone make that decision? I had to mix it half and half. Great day. (Yeah I know, I said that already.) 'Bent had jet engines in his legs and Coach LD is always strong, so I worked to hang onto the back!

Phatty and I took a road trip to the Why Just Run race at Morningside Park. As usual, the adventure course had a fun, creative format with some navigation twists.

I decided to use my thumb compass for the first time in an event and it was hilarious how it messed with my mind. I know it will get easier with practice but I found myself doing everything differently, even when there was no reason to. Need to run due south? Well, it shouldn't be any different with a thumb compass - except it was, at first.

I found it distracting to constantly re-orient the map and I was ignoring important things like contours because of my obsession with using the thumb compass. None of this was unexpected and I laughed at myself a lot. I made a huge blunder between #1 and #2 so I was by myself after that. There was a 90-minute maximum and I had to bail to the finish with a few controls left to go to avoid being overtime. It was still a great time and a necessary learning experience. I'll try the thumb compass again soon. (Although I have to say that it is *much* easier using it when Hammer is at my elbow coaching me. Too bad I can't hire him to shadow me.)

Congrats to Phatty on placing 3rd overall and the first finisher with no errors in the micro-O.

Caron's Hard Core DVD. Valerie was wavering about doing The DVD on Friday, so I made a deal to do it this weekend if she followed through. Her hubby is out of town so I was counting on her enjoying some nice wine and ice cream and blowing off The DVD. But she did it, darn her, so today I had to do it too!!

I made a flippant remark in my LAMM race report about the possibility of slipping down a mountain side in Scotland. I didn't realize that someone in the race had done just that. Today the LAMM website posted a chilling report written by the racers explaining why we heard a helicopter on Sunday. Very scary accident and great to know that both racers will be OK.

There was another interesting report written by a pair of repentant adventure racers who signed up for the A course because they were strong physically, but their lack of nav experience combined with Sunday's foggy weather conditions and a sore knee to mess them up. Another call for the busy Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team with lots of action by the SportIdent team trying to establish their location. Some good introspection: "The real problem is quite common among fellow Adventure Racers. We left it too late to call it a day and head for home. This was not an Adventure Race after all."

Trying to figure out a 5K time trial loop on hilly trails. There's too much poison ivy to use the loop I set up before. This one is close but not quite right. Hot day to be out!

Getting back into it!

Great to chat with FB when he dropped by, then did some upper body work. Strength training... the New Frontier!

The LAMM race director has asked if they can link my AP race report to their website - cool!

It's been over 3 weeks since my last run, so time to start building up again. I'd like to do my first 50 km trail race this year so there's a lot of building to be done. I explored Palgrave West, mostly on trail but a little off, checking the progress of this year's crops of poison ivy, stinging nettles and prickly stuff. Seems to be a great season for poison ivy and there must have been some good storms while we were away because there are medium branches down everywhere and a big tangled mess of trees down in KBash Woods. Things felt pretty good but I'm not used to warm weather yet - and it's not that warm for June!

Rodney Yee for Flexibility. Much needed!