Training Log Archive: Bash

Final session of Sheldon Persad's running strength workout. Funderstorm, BugsinTeeth, WandAR, 'Bent and I all returned for more running-specific balance, agility, drills and strength training. As our season continues, Sheldon suggested a short session after a weekend long run - maybe balance and strength - then a full session midweek.

Although we'd done a snowy 1-hour hike this morning with ThreePinJim (Jamie Follas) and dogs, my foot still needed a few laps of easy jogging before it felt warmed up. Some stretching beforehand would have been helpful.

As before, I've logged this as mostly strength with a bit of running-equivalent since it is a mixed type of training and hard to categorize. Lots of fun - I'd do this again another year.

We stopped by the Salomon Store, which was crowded with people at the end of a 3-day sale. They've postponed their renovations until the fall so it will be awhile before the temporary closing.

For those of us with maps to read: a $6 app to improve your eyesight...? That could be worth playing with.
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/N...

Funderstorm and I are both coming back from injury and getting ready for upcoming events so we wanted to try our longest run in months - but with the current winter/spring weather conditions, we had no idea where to go. The trails around here are mostly mashed potato post holing. The gravel roads are good for running but the snowbanks are so big that we have to run on the roadway and dodge cars flying over blind hills. I really wanted it to feel like a run, not "winter survival" so I didn't want to run in soft snow.

We ended up running city trails along the Humber River in northwest Toronto. Our start/finish was the Humberwood Community Centre near Hwy 427 and Finch, and our turnaround point was somewhere in Rowntree Mills Park.
http://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Parks%2...

I'd been afraid it might be boring since the snow might have melted down to pavement. Instead, it was more of a slog than we'd expected - lots of slush and soft snow with little evidence of the paved trail surface. At least it wasn't super deep so there wasn't any postholing, just uneven footing and slippery push-offs, even though we wore Yaktrax. And of course, it wasn't hilly! It was just wonderful to be running at all; we've both learned to appreciate the gift of running after being forced to take time off.

Although it's an urban area, it is quite scenic along the Humber River, and we met surprisingly few people. I wouldn't have felt comfortable running this trail alone today (security-wise) although it is probably fine 99% of the time. It was great having Funderstorm's cheery company, and it was helpful that we pushed each other in the last 5 km when the snow had softened even more and our bodies were tired of slipping and sliding. My foot was sore by then but I won't know how things went until tomorrow.

Alas, we didn't find any nice pubs in the area for our post-race lunch so we had fast food. Next time!

Cool! You can now check out the scenery using Google Street View as you "paddle" the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
http://www.americanrivers.org/blog/american-rivers...

"Pi Day is a bunch of bull, made up by the big math companies just to sell more math."
--- Random Facebook comment

P.S. Happy Pi Day anyway! I'm going to have shortbread cookies instead.

:) My current answer would be "650", which is a possible n+1 idea for 2014.

Caron was wearing orange - a sign that tonight's workout would be "high energy", i.e. painful. We started with Tabata core. Oh. My. Gosh.

And then the yoga was another Hard-Harder-Hardest pose progression class. I'm going to feel this tomorrow!

What a treat to ski in fresh powder in brilliant sunshine on March 13! Most of this was trail breaking with a little bushwhacking just because it's still so nice. We have enough new snow that our old tracks aren't visible anymore. Even after the melting earlier this week, it's still more than knee deep in our yard.

Yesterday marked 9 years since I started logging on AP. Thank you, Ken, for giving us this platform, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping it fun.

P.S. Alert readers may notice that after 8 days below target, my weight jumped up to 1 lb above target today. Grrr. I will confess to some extra snacking yesterday.

Credit: Rutabaga Paddlesports

I'd hoped to ski after the blizzard but the wind was too gusty in the forest by the time I could go. Instead I dusted off my long-neglected trainer and tried one of my Christmas present DVDs - RIDES Texas. It includes two workouts; I did tempo today. The scenery wasn't as interesting as some of the other RIDES but I liked the workout - 3 X 8 minute intervals with 5 minutes rest. Each interval had variation in cadence vs. extra gears, standing vs. sitting, etc. but the heart rate was supposed to stay constant. Then there was a 12 minute strength interval at lower cadence and same HR. Lotsa sweat.

Watts - 153 ave, 269 max
Cadence - 83
Speed - 25.2 kph

I took some transition time to hang out with BulletDog, fresh from her $1700 trip to the vet. It was dental surgery but unfortunately not the kind 'Bent does! She refused to eat initially, which scared the crap out of me because she is a Lab and that's what Labs do... but then she turned ravenous. Phew. She should be a more contented canine now.

I haven't been on the kayak erg recently because ski poling feels like decent training for the paddling muscles at this time of year. When skiing finishes, I'll start paddling more because it feels like good training for using poles in ultras. Everything fits together!

Fascinating podcast - NPR's Fresh Air, Feb. 11, 2014: Interview with Kevin Fong on Extreme Medicine - talking about medicine and the human body in extreme cold, underwater, outer space and so on.

The 3 seconds of Level 5 intensity was the blood curdling shriek when I spotted a pair of male legs descending the spiral staircase into the basement a full hour before 'Bent was expected home from work. With today's snowy weather, he got to come home early!

I love this story of a high school student's sportsmanship and maturity.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/...

For Harps: Environment Canada 7-Day Forecast
(Can people outside Canada see this video?)
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/videos/clips/seven-...

Did my physio with the kinesiologist today. Always good to get pointers and ideas on how to take things up a notch. I'm going once a month now.

Then I saw Dr. Bell, who was excited to try some new stuff on me from an advanced course he had just taken. It was fun. Much of it required three hands - two of his and one of mine - and it probably looked like a Twister game to his staff! It seemed to do some good things for my foot and hip mobility. He seemed very pleased with how things are going and didn't flinch noticeably when I mentioned a couple of upcoming ultras. Progress. :)

Speaking of progress, I've been below my target weight for 7 straight days. I had chocolate cake last night to celebrate!

The first and last parts of this run were on goopy gravel roads, and the 5 km in the middle was on mashed potato snow where I punched down anywhere from ankle to knee deep. (Huff, puff!)

I texted 'Bent when I got onto the Bruce Side Trail in Palgrave East since I thought he might be coming home from work. About 20 seconds later, I saw an excited black Lab approaching on a side trail, followed by a man looking at his phone. :) We had a nice family run to Palgrave West. I wanted a little more distance so ran out to the road and around. Considering how hard it was to run in the soft snow, I'm happy with how things went. No foot pain and a decent pace.

Tomorrow we're back to blowing snow and gusty winds.

LegendaryRandy interviewed me for his TA1 adventure racing podcast last week, and he has now posted it. Always great to chat with my friend Randy although it'll take me awhile to get my nerve up to listen to it. When I am filmed or recorded, I get nervous and say silly things and giggle a lot. I'm more comfortable with slower-moving media like writing and photography, or just talking one on one. Regardless, I appreciate Randy including me on the list of interviewees; it's so great that someone is taking the initiative to make AR podcasts!
http://ar.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/mes...