Training Log Archive: Bash

Kolapore Northwest Passage ski with 'Bent after 15+ hours of snow squalls. The snow was deep, fluffy and beautiful. The skiing was slow but on the bright side, even the scariest hills were fairly easy to ski under control. We bushwhacked a couple of kms at the end, which was a slog but worth it for the scenery. Some time deducted for videography and trail maintenance stops.

We're heading home now in case any people without Covid symptoms are able to come to their dental appointments next week. Not that 'Bent minded his unplanned 5-day weekend that much!

Kolapore Big Loop Counterclockwise

There isn't a single definition of a Big Loop but it should include the Kolapore Church Trail across the north and Southern Crossing across, well, you can probably guess. Conditions were excellent. 'Bent and I had our best ski tour of the year so far!

'Bent brought his GoPro and demonstrated his skiing talents while I expressed sympathy for his mishap as only a loving wife can do.



I used my racing crowns, thinking the trails would be hard packed but I wallowed a bit, especially when I had to herringbone. I had good speed on the downhills though.

We counted 14 other skiers in 4 hours elapsed time. For Kolapore, that's packed! Everyone had huge smiles.

The weather changed in the final hour of our ski as the leading edge of the snow squalls swept in. We headed home to sit by the fire, cuddle dogs and sip hot drinks.

'Bent skied at Castle Glen with a bevy of ladies: Dee, Mrs. Gally, Caitlin and me. We wandered a bit randomly at times but it didn't really matter. The snow was fluffy and deep, some of it unbroken and some with tracks - classic winter wonderland. We didn't meet anyone else. Nice catch-up!

'Bent, BazingaDog, AdventureDog and I went snowshoe bushwhacking from the chalet in deep snow. The dogs got an excellent workout. I stopped to make a Happy Face to take part in Veinbuster's "donation to cancer for every Happy Face he sees" challenge.

BazingaDog hasn't felt great this week but seemed good today. Fingers crossed he's OK.

Thanks to Omicron, 'Bent only worked two days this week because patients had symptoms or exposures. We haven't calculated how much longer he can afford his dentistry hobby but for now, we're happy to do more skiing.

Thanks to frigid temperatures and fresh powder, the wetland trails in southwest Kolapore opened up last week. We didn't have much time but we squeezed in a loop of Southern Crossing, Quiet Pastures and Jackrabbit west of 10th Line, with a ski back to the van along the snowy road shoulder. Time includes photography stops on a beautiful day.











Then we went to Collingwood for a back yard Happy Hour with the Gallys and Dee at -15C. Dee had electrically heated gloves - smart! In this photo, 'Bent was trying to melt his beer so he could drink it. Mrs. Gally's white wine had already frozen hard as a rock. I was drinking Cabernet slush. It was awesome. :)

Vaccine Clinic report:

Ugh, it’s getting quiet again - down about 40% from last week. Just over 40% of Peel Region children age 5-11 have their 1st shots and just under 40% of eligible people have their 3rd shots.

Some adults are waiting for Pfizer to become available again because it is widely and falsely believed that Moderna is a second rate substitute. One man turned around after being offered Moderna and waited near me while his wife went into the clinic. Without any pressure, I made a couple of comments about why I specifically requested Moderna for my 3rd shot, then I turned to help other clients. Several minutes later, he announced that he was going in after all. A small triumph!

Communication from the province has been so poor. Nobody tries to connect the dots of the big picture - how precautions, restrictions, transmission and the health care system interact. What’s happening doesn’t make sense so it’s no wonder some people just roll their eyes and give up.

I didn't think I'd ever share one of these but it looks like I should buy a lottery ticket today!

Physio

Sunset ski around Palgrave, getting home after dusk. Some trail breaking in soft snow, some skiing on footprints (sigh).



A week ago, I went down our long driveway to the mailbox and found this Happy Face by the road. Someone in hiking boots had done a nice job of stomping it in the snow.



Who did it? No idea! It seemed unlikely to be a stranger although it could be a random act of kindness. It was probably a friend who was running or driving by, although there's not much traffic on our road. It was a mystery and it gave me a happy face. :)

Today I found another Happy Face in Palgrave West! It was on a back trail that isn't used by many people but is part of 'Bent's winter commute. The Mystery Happy Face Creator hiked beside our ski tracks with impeccable trail etiquette. Most hikers feel a magnetic attraction that compels them to walk on ski tracks and ruin them. So between the two very different locations and the good manners, we have a few more clues about the artist but we still haven't figured it out! It's not Crash Caylor, who was my first guess.

Snow shovelling

First appointment with my physio in a month with shockwave treatment #6. We're both happy with the improvement in my right foot, which has insertional Achilles tendinopathy. I haven't had a super-painful morning limp in a while. The heel bone seems smaller.

Current instructions for every other day:

- 2 sets per foot X 20 reps of weighted calf raises, timed with a metronome in the low 80s. I've been doing extra reps but I shouldn't do more than 40 reps total because they don't see much benefit beyond that. Instead, I need to boost the weight. Because we don't have a heavier dumbbell than 30 lb, I'll need to put multiple dumbbells in a backpack.

- 3 sets per leg X 10 reverse lunges with dumbbells.

At least every other day:

- Foot doming - 20 per foot @ 3 secs

- One-footed balance on Bosu ball, eventually adding a small dumbbell that I pass around my body from hand to hand, around the front and back.

- Stretching my heel is OK now if it's not extreme. Downward dog, front bend and squats are fine. Heel stretches with toe up against the wall are not.

All Peel vaccine clinics were closed today so I had unexpected free time. I'd offered to pick up the control ribbons from the Toronto Orienteering Club O Cup race and I figured it would be fun to bring some friends. Caron & Barrie Shepley and Jill & Tim Bishop were all hunkering down at home in the same snowstorm so we met at the southern boundary of Palgrave East near their homes.

This was the snowshoe slog from our place to the forest edge. Even Duffy's Lane was slow going with 20 cm of snow! I bushwhacked in an attempt to get there on time but there are so many fallen trees in there now that I was 5 minutes late. The storm was a-storming. It was awesome. :)

I had the others take turns looking for controls and I offered some thoughts now and then. We chatted a lot and just enjoyed being out in the snow with friends.



Orienteering: the original social distancing sport! :)



The twins, Jill and Caron. Some of you will remember Caron's Core DVD, which was popular here on AP about 10 years ago.



The twins' husbands, Barrie and Tim.



AdventureDog and me.

The snowshoe slog home. Hard work because the snow was so deep! 'Bent's ski tracks from this morning were almost gone.