Training Log Archive: Bash

Tour de Palgrave West cut short by gusty winds that made it too scary to be in a forest with trees that sometimes drop big branches or crash to the ground.

Better late than never... My Tierra Viva race report is now posted.

Extremely disturbing events on Mount Everest. Sherpas allegedly attacked Ueli Steck's team and made death threats in a conflict over climbing etiquette. Steck is on his way home, having abandoned his climb with fear for his team's safety and a deep gash to his face.

Rotary Classic 10K, Brantford

This is the 3rd year that my Dad has run the 5K course at this charity fundraiser for his Rotary Club. He ran a little in high school, then tapered for 60 years before trying his first 5K when he was 77. This was a tough year for him as he was at the upper end of his age group. Next year he'll clean up at the bottom of the 80-89 category. :) He came in a little over 44 minutes today, slower than last year but it was the first time he'd ever run in warm weather. He'd also spent most of Wednesday at the hospital after being ill for a few days so he can probably break 40 again next year.



I've gotten 100 seconds slower per year since I started doing this 10K in 2011. Not good! I lost some time removing my earphones and fussing with my iPhone when the tunes shut off after the first song, and I had to keep adjusting the waistbelt I never use - but those excuses don't account for all the difference. On the bright side, I felt good in my first warm weather run of the season, my pace was consistent, and I was 1st of 14 in my age group so I got a nice First Nations-themed medal.

'Bent was running the second 10K of his life. Last year he ran 39:59 and I told him he should retire from the distance so he could say that he'd never run a 10K over 40 minutes. But alas, the streak ended today with a chip time of 40:59. Oh, to have the luxury of being disappointed in that! :)

The Domestic Pig, aka Goose's Big Birthday Extravaganza - Part 1

This year the Wild BOAR was replaced with an impressive celebration of Goose's 50th birthday, masterminded by Coach LD. We were asked to wear goose or bird-themed costumes.

Mother Goose, aka Coach LD, has written a terrific report on the event so I'm going to focus on photos.



'Bent came as Goose from Top Gun and won the costume portion of the competition. (Naturally, there were winners and losers at this birthday party; that's how we roll in Caledon.)



Mr. and Mrs. Biker.



Bullseye and VO2Max.



Think Galapagos Islands... I was a blue-footed booby.



And Goose came as Goose. He hadn't been informed about the need to wear a costume; some parts of the day were meant to be a surprise.



After a decadent bacon and eggs breakfast, we portaged to the Humber River.



Weather was perfect and the water was moving well.



There were clues written on flagging tape along the river, each of which involved the performance of a charade that pointed us to the next clue. Often it was a location along the river that only Goose would know, e.g. "Swimming lessons".







One of the exciting aspects of the Humber is that the obstructions change over time. We portaged around this fallen tree but a couple of teams ahead of us got tangled in it. With a current running, it can be hard to extract a boat from a mess of branche.



Goose made an impressive effort to clear the way, sending huge logs downstream. It was a terrific party trick but the portage was still the better route choice. It was right at this moment that Phatty called Goose via Facetime from France so he saw some of us in our boats, and we had the chance to wave and shout, "Bonjour!"



When we arrived at Goose Senior's place, the clue directed us to ask Goose to demonstrate his favourite canoe gymnastics move. Wow!



Until this moment, I hadn't realized what a sheltered paddling life I have led.



Next there were 50 candles by the driveway that we had to light on a breezy day, then Goose tried to blow them out with a single breath.



Then we went on an expedition in the Humber Valley where it seemed that every second clue took us to a place where Goose had come close to getting killed as a child. Until that moment, I hadn't understood what a miracle it was that he managed to reach his 50th birthday. It was fascinating to hear some wild stories we'd never heard before - like the time he flipped his kayak and got stuck in a farmer's wire fence while upside down and under water.



Then there was the time someone dared him to walk across ice on a swimming pool but he broke though. The other boys ran for their Mom, former longtime Caledon Mayor Carol Seglins, who ran across the road, dove into the pool and pulled him up just as he started to sink. You can bet that if a federal politician had done something like that, everyone across the country would hear about it. But we've known Carol for many years - and Goose too - and have never heard this story.









Then the boys and girls split up to follow different clues around the valley in Bolton. (As if Coach LD didn't have enough to do today!)



We met up with additional goose-themed friends on Bolton's main street. That's Crash on the left!



One of many reasons to be glad I was on the girls' team... we had to buy a mandatory ice cream at the local shop.



We headed back to the Doughtys' place to transition to bikes. We were going to ride to Palgrave via Caledon East with various stops and tasks along the way.

I hadn't ridden my bike much since it got banged around at Tierra Viva but I'd taken it out a couple of times. At first today, it felt like I wasn't properly in gear, then it felt like the chain had fallen off. I stopped to check it out, and since I've been learning more about bikes lately, I'm proud to say that I correctly identified my rear derailleur and knew it was a Really Bad Thing when it disintegrated in my hand.



Mr. Biker and 'Bent worked together to try to replace my SRAM XO with an X9 that 'Bent happened to have lying around. Unfortunately, a small piece was missing so I was forced to DNF. 'Bent and I took it to a bike shop so it would be ready for STORM The Trent, then we drove to Palgrave with 'Bent's bike to rejoin the party.



VO2Max and Bullseye had planned a serious competition in his back field including Feats of Strength, tug of war and a golf driving contest. I'm sure our team probably won but I can't remember the details. ;)

Then I drove a few people back to Bolton to get the dinner party started. 'Bent rode back with the group, as did Goose. Unfortunately, Goose hit a pothole and broke his wrist. (For purposes of this photo, I asked him to smile as if he had already reached the day when he would look back on this and laugh.)



Although this was not an auspicious way to mark his big birthday, he chose not to miss his own party so he didn't go to the hospital until the next morning. Luckily, one of the guests was an emergency physician so he got good advice.



The always-creative Crash baked Domestic Pig cupcakes.



Coach LD designed the Domestic Pig birthday cake.



Poems were read, advice was given for how to live the next 50 years, songs were sung, candles were blown out, hugs were exchanged and much was eaten. Coach LD always puts on a creative party but she really outdid herself this time. Happy Birthday, Goose!



Time deducted for charades, reading clues, listening to stories of Goose's startlingly frequent near-death experiences, candle lighting, watching Goose perform canoe gymnastics, golf, ice cream eating and much more.

The Domestic Pig, Part 2

The Domestic Pig, Part 3
No, that's not a mistake. My derailleur disintegrated one minute into the bike section.

The Domestic Pig, Feats of Strength and Special Challenges
- Overhead squats with heavy log
- Tug of war X 2 (losing team X 2)

Ultrarunners... which one is more like you? :)

Hockley Loop with Dee - it's in great shape. Mrs. Gally had to drop out so I invited a runner who hadn't done the Loop before: BazingaDog! Dee was a trooper to run at my slower pace and put up with dog bio-breaks and creek stops. It's not a run he'll do many times in his life since there is only a short window where trail conditions are good and the weather is cold enough for a dog to run 3 hours.

Great to catch up with Dee's busy life and nice to have some extra motivation to push up the hills since she's so light on her feet.

BZDog and I stopped at the Hockley General Store afterward. I bought him a ham and cheese sandwich: "Hold the bread". He seemed happy with that as a post-race snack. Me, I'm more of a chocolate chip shortbread cookie person. There is one very tired pooch lying on the couch now.

(Time deducted for doggie stops. I think it was 2:58-ish elapsed.)

We had heavy rain and then snow today. I wonder if we will get snow in May this year! It was a biking day but I couldn't bear to get my mountain bike all mucky on the road so I took my "Under The Influence" podcasts to the basement.

4 X 2 minute hill climbs with 2 minute rests
The rest was mid-endurance zone + warm-up and cooldown.

Ave 139W, lazy cadence (74).

More UTMB-specific training in the form of a stress echocardiogram on the treadmill.

I'm sharing this as a cautionary tale... It's been a journey of almost two years to get to Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. Long trail races around North America, lots of training, convincing 'Bent to qualify for CCC, a race lottery loss, a big donation to run with a charity bib, flights booked, apartment in Chamonix reserved and training underway.

Because I was busy with Tierra Viva, I left one little detail until last week - the UTMB medical form, which needs to be submitted by the end of May. Guess what? My doctor wouldn't sign it. Turns out a routine test showed a minor heart anomaly. It can be a normal quirk in healthy people so it's probably nothing but she needed to check it out, and it can take many months to see a cardiologist in our neck of the woods. The doc asked whether I could get my UTMB entry fee back and run it next year instead. How could I even begin to explain? :(

So... it's been a week of nervousness, phone calls, driving, lousy training, and a suite of heart tests that I was lucky enough to get quickly by shopping around.

The news so far has all been encouraging. In fact, today's technician showed me that I don't even *have* the stupid heart anomaly that triggered all this. It can appear when ECG electrodes are placed incorrectly. However, I won't get complete results for 8 more nervous days. With any luck, I will then have a signed medical form and supreme confidence in my ticker.

So, boys and girls, today's lesson is to always deal with mandatory pre-race requirements immediately like STORM did. I would never ever have imagined this!

Podcast was NPR's Fresh Air. Felt good - I'm looking forward to getting the surfski on the water.

Rodney Yee Power Yoga for Flexibility

Usually this is all it takes to make my body feel stretchy-bendy but apparently I need a longer DVD on the day after the Giant's Rib Raid.

Since our adventure racing team is called the Tree Huggers, you know that Earth Day is a special one for us. (Even though our team name was intended to reflect our mountain bike skills circa 2000.) Hug your planet today!

Mother Nature has been asserting herself over the past few days. Here are a few of the incredible pics coming out of the Muskoka floods.

Hwy #11 just north of Huntsville



Dam overflowing at Bracebridge



Inside Algonquin Outfitters' Huntsville store this morning

Event: 2013 Salomon Giant's Rib Raid
 

Salomon Giant's Rib Raid
Rocky Ridge, Milton

After last week's crazy ice storm made the woods unsafe and forced the postponement of this event, we were blessed with perfect weather today - cool and sunny. We saw the occasional sprinkling of snow and sometimes broke through thin ice as we splashed through water up to thigh-deep, but it was a beautiful day.

'Bent and I had the pleasure of teaming up with Gazelle. For those who don't know him, Wayne Cassidy was an active adventure racer on the Ontario scene until he and his family moved to Tajikistan six years ago. He raced with the Tree Huggers a number of times, and we've missed him greatly! Even though it had been years since we'd raced together, and even though we've all gone different directions in our racing, things clicked right away. Glad he could join us.

I'm always happiest when the field spreads out after the mass start, and I got my wish early when I chose the wrong trail and made a 3-4minute error on #3. Although I was annoyed to lose the time, I prefer it when our team is alone so this was fine. We saw a few other racers as we approached the butterfly section, and when our teams arrived together at the hub, I asked Escondido which loop he was doing first. It wasn't a competitive ploy; I just thought it would be more fun to do the loops on our own. We amicably headed off in different directions.

Late in the race, we found a junior team in distress who wanted to know where they were. We stopped and showed them but when we saw them in the same spot a few minutes later, one of them crying, we delegated Speedy 'Bent to run over to help and then catch up with us as we continued along the trail. They survived. :)

In the final section of trails near Rocky Ridge, evil course setter Bender had set up a section called the Controlled Blast. Flags were hung at every intersection in the complex trail network, and we had to find the two intersections marked as controls on our map. We did and it was a fun challenge to stay that focused on the map!

I wasn't sure how my body would feel three weeks after Tierra Viva. It took a long time to warm up but my endurance felt like it had gone up a notch. However, a couple of aches started earlier than they should have. I was super cautious on the rocky ground since I need to keep my ankles healthy for running this year.

It was awesome to see TheMinister out there with his son and girlfriend - the group I gave an intro orienteering session to last Sunday. For Matt and Rachel, this was only their second time orienteering, and Matt led much of the way. He even got the Controlled Blast flags correct!

We were 7th overall and won the small Masters category. (Thank you, Tarno, Logie and Untamed New England for staying away! ;) ) Congrats to Getawaystix for leading his team to victory and to Nick, Mick and Ursula for taking 2nd, and to Hammer and Sudden for taking the final spot on the podium.

Lots of fun! Thanks to the many hard working volunteers for always making these races a highlight of our spring.

Great (albeit sad) story from Kissy's log when she put out SportIdent controls for an orienteering meet in Colorado this weekend:

The most exciting part, though, was when the Park Ranger sought me out in the fields of Cherry Creek park because he had had "several" reports about someone setting out "devices" all over the park. As he approached me, he talked into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, saying "I've made contact. I've made contact." He then asked me what I was doing, and I explained, and then everything was fine. I guess everyone is a little nervous these days.

Before the positive effects of Tierra Viva wear off, I wanted to get back to paddle training. I've been making rough training plans for UTMB, and they include 2 hours of paddling per week - preferably on water - since it's fun and good for my multi-sport side, and it builds strength for using trekking poles. I'm also going to do pole-specific strength training, e.g. triceps exercises on our weight machine, rowing with free weights, etc. I skied a lot in the winter so I guess I've already started.

Today's podcast was a CBC Rewind program on Betty Friedan marking the 50th anniversary of her important book, "The Feminine Mystique". It was shocking to listen to the CBC radio panel discussion on her book from 1964. It was such a different world for women then, and that really wasn't so long ago. They also played a 1982 interview with her regarding a later book, and it was clear that society had changed a huge amount in just 18 years.

That got me thinking, as that overlapped a good chunk of my school years, and, although the biggest changes occurred when I was still too young to be affected directly, I remember how radical it used to be to take the position that women were equal human beings and could have decent careers at all, let alone any career they wanted. It's similar to the way views on same sex relationships and marriage have evolved in recent years.

As a young kid, I was good in school, and I remember being asked one time whether I was going to be a nurse or a teacher. Period. This would have been considered an enlightened viewpoint - recognition that I was likely to get higher education and work outside the home after marriage (although possibly not after kids). But that person still only saw two choices for me.

Listening to the program was a reminder of the completely different world I graduated into when I finished engineering school in the mid-1980s. I believed that all doors were open to me. And yet... 18 years is not even a generation. The world couldn't have changed as much as that - and it hadn't, as I later learned. Yet it was already seen as unfashionable by most women my age to refer to themselves as feminists since that was considered to be old school thinking. I see now how fragile things were back then and understand why older women were so frustrated with our generation.

It explains what got into the manager at my first job - the consulting structural engineer position I was so proud to land with my newly minted masters degree. The head honcho invited me to the company's Secretary's Day lunch along with "the other girls". Lucky for him, I was so shocked that I could barely squeak a "no" out of my mouth, let alone express the other thoughts swirling in my head. And that was far from the last time I encountered unequal treatment on the job.

The other thing that struck me is that you don't have to be much younger than I am to have completely missed this era where the role of women changed so much. If you're under 40 (or over!), consider listening to even the first 10-15 minutes of this podcast (also available on iTunes) so you can hear the 1964 panel discussion. Think of how old your Mom was then and try to imagine her world compared to the way things were when you were her age. Mind blowing.

It's sad when you think of how bright his future once looked - before the unfortunate Indian buffet incident. Recently, Hansel has been spotted wandering alleys in the rain and sifting through garbage.

Nasty wind and grey sky so I wasn't going into the forest today. I ended up making a rare trip to the basement treadmill for a UTMB-specific training run. ;)

I've started reading the new Maffetone book so I warmed up and cooled down a little more than usual before doing some tempo. I'm not far enough into the book to have a real game plan yet.

The buds opened on a few trees here today. I think spring *may* be here - if the snow flurries in the forecast can be ignored, that is.

In a controversial move, Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc has decided to offer 3 qualification points for training weekends where participants run the course over 4 days and learn about skills, gear and techniques needed to complete the race. To apply for the lottery, runners need 7 points and this training weekend would take the place of a 100K mountain race. There are similar, shorter training weekends for the other UTMB races, with fewer points awarded. If this had been available last year, I definitely would have taken advantage!

In response to the backlash, organizers stated that they introduced the qualification points scheme because they needed some way to select runners from the huge number of applicants. If runners had done other similar races, it was an indication that they may have learned the appropriate skills and done the right training for UTMB. Organizers do not feel that is the only way to prepare for UTMB, however, so they feel justified in awarding points for their training weekends. There is still time to get in for 2013.

Simpy and Mr. Reeder have posted the first Tierra Viva race report from our Canadian crew. Well done! MBR were rock stars at this event and it's fun to read the back story.

Yay!! The graduates of Sunday's navigation coaching session have entered the Salomon Giant's Rib Raid. TheMinister has done some navigating before but not for a few years. His son Matt and Matt's girlfriend Rachel will be doing their first-ever navigation event just one week after their only experience with navigating. I like their spirit! They considered calling their team "Two Wongs and a White" but - sadly - went with something else. :)

Salomon runner Kilian Jornet has been named one of Outside Magazine's Adventurers of the Year because of the way he blends mountaineering and mountain running, creating a new sport, in effect.

In the movie "Summits of My Life", he said that he has won all the races on his life list and is ready to move on to new challenges at the ripe old age of 25. It will be interesting to see what else he does with his talents.

A few years after reneging on the Kyoto Accord, the Harper government has withdrawn from the United Nations Convention to Combat Drought and Desertification. (Definitely a controversial topic. After all, some Canadians are *for* drought while others are against.) Canada will become the only nation on earth that is not part of this UN treaty but hey, it will save us a whopping $290,000 per year. Of course, it may cost us more to remove all those Canadian flags from our backpacks before we do any international travel.

According to Elizabeth May: "The rumour in Ottawa is that all our multilateral commitments are under review. I have heard well-connected folks express fear that we may withdraw from the United Nations Environment Programme and UNESCO."

Well, *that* sure is embarrassing.

From Wilderness Traverse: This Thursday evening, there will be a free 2-hr Adventure Racing clinic for anyone interested in learning more. The topics are geared towards longer overnight events. Discussion topics will include: Training, Nutrition, Sleep Strategies, Gear, Teamwork & Efficiency, Advanced and Night Navigation, and Skills Development.

The clinic will be led by Wilderness Traverse organizers and long-time adventure racers Bob Miller & Barb Campbell. Experienced racers willing to share their enthusiasm and advice with newcomers are always welcome. :) Bring lots of questions!

Pre-registration required. E-mail bob"at"wildernesstraverse.ca or call 416-735-4021.

Thursday April 18, 2013, 6-8pm
Hosted at:
Running Free Markham
708 Denison Street
Markham, ON

I wasn't going to run today but yesterday's events made me want to run anyway so I headed around our hilly country block. I've been alarmed by short-term, painful knee twinges during my last two trail runs so I wondered if the more even surface of a gravel road would feel better. Fortunately, it did. Go away, knee pain.

Halfway around, I realized that I was wearing a royal blue shirt with a yellow jacket without planning my outfit to have any significance. Boston had the good taste not to let me run their race so I don't have one of their shirts but 'Bent is wearing his at the dental office today as a tribute.

When I saw a woman running the other way, also wearing a royal blue shirt, I waved then saw it was Caron so I crossed the road for a hug. Three people from our small yoga class were around the finish area when the bombs went off yesterday, including a woman who finished 3 minutes earlier. ('Bent, that was Jean.)

After the block (57:52), I figured I should bushwhack up Mt. Tobler a couple of times to get my run time up to 1 hour, including once from "sea level". After that, I wondered if I should do it a few more times to get my distance up to 10K but a chocolate brownie was calling me so I decided that was enough.

Donning my Raid Registrar hat for a moment: If your team is unable to participate in the rescheduled Salomon Giant's Rib Raid this Sunday April 21, please let me know by Thursday. It's easier for us to defer your entry to Salomon Raid The Hammer on Nov. 10 but I can also ask our club treasurer to mail you a cheque for a full refund. In case the date change allows you to race when you previously weren't able to, registration has been re-opened until tomorrow at midnight. Thanks!

BazingaDog and I ran single and double track around Palgrave East - goopy mud, slick ice and dry trail with a number of dog-selected stopping points. It was 12C and I was going to label this the "Harps Must Be Happy Today" run and share some anecdotes from the trail. But then a friend texted me the tragic news from Boston and I ran home. No words can convey the gut wrenching feelings that I'm sure we all share. An attack on the Boston Marathon feels like an attack on a friend.

Richard and I were there when he ran Boston in 2009, and I've been thinking a lot about our Canadian friends who shared that amazing experience with us. Sarah, Christine, Harper and especially our fellow travellers Wes and Jenn, you're in my heart today.

The writer is over-enthusiastic about my modest achievements but it is still a tremendous honour to be featured in the 2013 Get Out There Magazine Women's Annual issue. I'm on page 13.

Sending a big shout out to my Tierra Viva teammate Hingo who did the Glacier Ridge Ultra 50K in PA on Saturday, just 11 days after getting home from Argentina. (Guess which race he registered for first!) He was in the top 10 at the half in this year's mudfest and finished in the top third at 6:20. Nice job! Guess I should have made him carry my pack. :)

The Minister, his son Matt and Matt's girlfriend Rachel had requested some orienteering instruction so 'Bent and I met them at Albion Hills. This wasn't The Minister's first time around the block, navigationally speaking, but the others were brand new to the sport and picked it up really quickly. We were out in the woods for almost 3 hours and by the end of it, I think we may have recruited a new team for next weekend's Salomon Giant's Rib Raid.

It was great fun to hang out with The Minister and his family - something we did more often when Matt was just a young 'un. Now he's a full-fledged Waterloo engineer!

Somehow we all calculated our layers incorrectly, probably because we were hiking rather than running. When we got to Caruso's Gourmet Pizza, we ordered far too much hot pizza and coffee to warm ourselves up. It was worth it, with the added bonus that I may not need to eat again until next weekend.

There is a definite trend in my life. Exercise. Eat. Exercise. Eat. Preferably with friends. I'm fine with that. J'ai la banane.

As part of my pre-UTMB French education, I'm learning some slang expressions that mean "I feel good". Gotta be optimistic, right? I know a bunch of you are doing ultras in France this year so you might want to write this one down:

J'ai la banane (*) Lit. I've got the banana.
What does the shape of a banana refer to? The shape of your lips smiling, of course.

I think that might make me laugh out loud if I say it to myself while I'm running - and that is a good thing. However, I'm leery about saying it too loudly since it sounds like one of those fake slang expressions that foreigners tell you mean something totally harmless when they actually mean something terribly embarrassing. Maybe Leanimal could try it out on some French person and let us know.

With the postponement of the Giant's Rib Raid, 'Bent, Crash, WandAR and I had unexpected free time so we went for a trail run over to Glen Haffy, around a loop and back home. It wasn't as much as we were planning to do in the race so we labelled it the Hobbit's Rib Raid.

Most of the trails were covered with 5-10 cm of snow or ice chips, with some muddy areas and a wee bit of dry trail. Quite runnable for the most part although we didn't have great traction to push off. We started on the Bruce Side Trail but 'Bent and Crash got creative west of Gore Road and decided to take us on a tour of trails they both knew years ago. Let's just say that they didn't recall them perfectly so we did some exploration, some backtracking and even a bit of bushwhacking on private property. We encountered a sign welcoming "well-behaved hikers" so I think we were OK to be there. We found a beautiful dammed pond where we could do a little paddling. Must find out who owns that.

After reaching the Glen Haffy stile, we crossed the fence and did the 2 km loop south on the main trail and back north to the stile. The ladies headed for home from there while 'Bent continued further north to get in the 3+ hour run he had promised his coach. We followed this up with carb loading at the newly re-opened Caledon Inn pub in Caledon East. Pretty good!

My right knee went kaflooey for about 20 minutes in the middle of the run - scary. I've had a twinge at the medial side of the joint since TV but it didn't seem like a big deal. I was getting ready to walk home when the problem resolved itself. I'll have to keep an eye on it. Other than that, my body felt decent considering that I haven't been doing long runs like this recently. There was a little trochanteric bursitis in my right hip, which also happened early last year while I was building volume. I'm just going to assume that will go away.

The valiant BulletDog and I toured our yard but stayed out of the scary forest where big ice chunks were falling off the trees. It was still raining and cold when we were out. BulletDog eventually went to the front door and started barking for 'Bent to let her back inside because only a crazy human would be out on a day like this.

With the Giant's Rib Raid postponed, is anyone up for a morning run and late lunch tomorrow?

UPDATE: We have a loose plan. Meet at our place at 8:45 a.m. with the plan to start running by 9 a.m. We'll head out on trails toward Glen Haffy. 'Bent plans to run at least 3 hours. Crash and I are thinking 2-ish. It's an out-and-back type route so we'll find a way to deal with people's different paces and plans.

If you'd like to do some navigation enroute, go to the Giant's Rib Raid from the 2010-2011 season and print the Foreigner's routes - Raid #1 and Raid #2. There won't be flags but you will be doing a real Giant's Rib Raid! :)

Then out for lunch so bring some dry clothes.

Best to let me know if you're coming. Hope to see a few of you! :)

Snow has been coming down pretty hard for the past hour. Will I get to log some skiing in mid-April?

Looks like we may be getting an ice storm and power outage. Time to refill the gas can for the generator plus all our emergency water containers. Then tomorrow I'll turn up the heat before it goes off (maybe).

It was 2-3 C with rain - the type of weather I need to be prepared for at UTMB so this was a terrific opportunity to test some gear. I did the hilly gravel road run along Finnerty Sideroad to the Innis Lake Rd. dead-end entrance to Glen Haffy. I toyed with the idea of adding 6 km to the run by running through the conservation area and around the loop but I saw lots of ice on the first downhill and decided to save that for another day.

I felt good running and would have been happy to go farther if that had been the plan. That part is good, but I felt like I was going at a decent clip and apparently I wasn't. So that seems to be the legacy of Tierra Viva - decent endurance and so-so speed. In the ultra world, it's debatable how much someone at my level should bother working on speed anyway. Efficiency is another matter - I definitely need to work on that. I keep borrowing ideas from the Carbons' running coaching. Today I thought about driving the knees forward, hesitating before putting the feet down, kicking back toward my bum and running low. I don't think I ever managed to do two of those things in the same stride but I felt the difference each one made.

Gear test in 2-3C, rain and light breeze: (This is for my future reference so skip it if you'd rather not be bored!)

- Salomon Speedcross shoes - Felt great but I'm still thinking of using the Goretex model for UTMB, as per Brian Culbert's recommendation

- Wool socks = warm feet

- Salomon Windstopper tights - the only tights I used at Tierra Viva (2 pairs) in weather ranging from 0-22C. Already selected to come to UTMB with me.

- Helly Hansen long sleeve base layer - not really happy with these shirts in the rain even though I like them for skiing. Will probably switch to capilene.

- Salomon half-zip base layer top as 2nd layer - nice.

- Used a cheapo sports bra and got cold when it got wet. I need to find one made of something like capilene - very smooth fabric to avoid chafing.

- Salomon lightweight Minim rainjacket - Used the hood until I warmed up and opened the "Pete-zips" halfway. Althought this worked fine, I think I will still take the slightly heavier Goretex version to the Alps where I'll be more exposed. This packable jacket will be great for spring/summer/fall runs around here though.

- Salomon active beanie toque - Warm enough but need an earband because it doesn't stay down over my earlobes.

- Sealskinz waterproof gloves - Got downright hot and had to take them off. Funny because I usually find them not warm enough in winter when it's just a few degrees colder.

While catching up on The Daily Show. I added 2 reps X each leg of single-legged hops up a flight of stairs. Feels so unnatural to train power vs. strength - which means, of course, that I need to do more of it. Ick. :)

Tour de Palgrave West with BulletDog and special guest dog walker, Hansel. Talked his ear off about Tierra Viva while getting his feet really wet and dirty before a long drive. Still lots of ice patches and mud puddles out there but it won't be long now. Beauty spring day! Logged @50%

Hilly gravel road ride around north Caledon. It started a little cooler than I expected and turned into cold, driving rain that I wasn't properly dressed for - oops! It was still a triumph since even a week ago, I couldn't have imagined ever putting my bum onto a bike seat again. I also figured that I'd ridden my quota of hilly gravel roads for 2013. However, our potholed roads here are smooth like a baby's bottom compared to Argentina, and the tiny bit of dust that used to bother me is nothing compared to the layer of fine volcanic ash on a lot of the roads we were on. It felt surprisingly good to ride, especially now that 'Bent has fixed the rubbing front disc brake that made evil noises at Tierra Viva.

One thing that was clear at TV was that my road riding needs work. If we'd had more technical terrain, it would have been better for me. So... back to the salt mines.

On Tuesday, March 26, Mr. Steve Clark, the MPP for Leeds-Grenville, introduced Bill 40, Regulated Health Professions Amendment Act (Treating Spouses), 2013. This Bill, if enacted, would amend the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 to permit spousal treatment if the regulated health professional's College deems it appropriate. Currently, if a dentist is found guilty of treating his or her spouse by a College, there is an automatic five-year revocation of the dentist's certificate to practice and a charge of sexual abuse on the public registry.

Yahoo! Maybe I'll get my dentist back after almost 3 years without one. I went to Tierra Viva with a sensitive tooth but it would have been a huge deal to make multiple appointments with a dentist in another city ('Bent is the only dentist in town) so I just took my chances. I'm glad the government is considering the possibility that 'Bent fixing a crown for his wife does not constitute "sexual abuse". The law only defined it as such in 2010. How bizarre and insulting!

The report is coming in stages. I've written up our Tierra Viva pre-race adventures. Not surprisingly, I have more photos of this part of the trip than I do of the race itself!

For some reason, I was keen to get back to this so I was a little surprised at how tired my paddling muscles felt. We didn't do *that* much paddling at Tierra Viva but I guess our upper bodies got rattled pretty hard when we biked downhill on the washboard roads.

Hingo dropped by afterward looking awesome after losing 10 lb at TV. I lost 1 lb but it's not going to last if I keep scarfing down food at my current rate. Twice this weekend we've been at a restaurant where the server has put my meal (the "boy meal") in front of 'Bent by mistake. "No, he's having the healthy grilled pickerel filet with steamed vegetables and rice. I'm having the huge slab of prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and creamy scalloped potatoes, thank you. And please set aside a slice of that flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream."

Current trail conditions are great for strength and toughness training but not so great for trying to run properly. We're lucky to live in an area of hilly gravel roads so we can get a trail-like workout when things are messy in the woods. I went around our country block (9.36 km loop from the house, 58:48) and finished with a quick climb to the summit of Mt. Tobler in front of our house, just to make it an even hour. I suppose I should finish all my runs with a few hills to get accustomed to climbing steep slopes on tired legs. Conditions were good except for the kilometer of Duffy's Lane that is closed in winter; it was mostly snow and ice.

Running felt pretty good - light and easy. After Tierra Viva, any activity where I don't have to wear a 22+ lb pack feels easy. I stopped for a chat with Crash and Peter, who were heading to the Hockley Store on their bikes. Looks like the beautiful sun is gone and rain is coming, so I hope they don't get soaked.

Highlands Nordic is open for skiing today but starting tomorrow, I will officially get on Harps' bandwagon and admit that I'm ready for spring. Winter has had a good run and skiing is over until November. It took me awhile but I'm ready to accept that now. :)

Now *this* is smart! Paris Marathon organizers plan to use some of the runners' power to generate electricity to power the event.
http://runningmagazine.ca/2013/04/sections/news/pa...

I can feel the fatigue in my legs but this still felt worthwhile. I even tried a new power drill - hopping upstairs to the 2nd floor on one foot. My one fast twitch fibre is tired now.

Rodney Yee Power Yoga for Flexibility. It feels good to move and stretch although I had a couple of coughing fits when I hit a position that aggravated my throat. The volcanic ash we inhaled while biking has left me with a few mild respiratory symptoms. From what I've read, this is not unusual and shouldn't last long - like breathing in regular road dust. I would put a Buff over my face if I were doing Tierra Viva again.

It's always like this around our place except usually it's BazingaDog pushing BulletDog out of the way. Right now, I'm the one eating everything I can find in a vain attempt to satisfy my post-expedition race appetite! Fortunately, the cupboard is nearly empty of chocolate now so I will soon be forced to make healthier choices.

UTMB waits for no one, and it's less than 5 months away so I'm a little behind on my preparation. I'll have to hope that all the climbing in the Andes had some positive impact on my fitness. My feet have a few small blisters and I'm not exactly a powerhouse right now but all things considered, this run felt pretty good. The variable trail conditions (polished hard ice, slush, mud, ankle-deep snow, cold pools of water) reduced the pace more than my state of fatigue.

Now I have to head into Toronto for a Salomon runners' meeting. They've asked me to bring my dirty shoes and race bib from Tierra Viva for the Salomon Store window display. They may be sorry! Let's hope I can stay awake for the meeting and the late night drive home.

Breakfast burrito in Dallas after our flight was rerouted. Memories of the years when Hingo and I worked for Texas Instruments. Looking forward to being home!!