Training Log Archive: Bash

Thunderstorms in the forecast, so we saw "Sex and the City", then went on a rampage through Vaughan Mills mall with a bunch of gift certificates that we've received from different sources over the past year. First stop was Basspro, where we used our gift certificates to buy our ESAR prizes. :-) It's the only store I know where you can buy everything from underwear to baby clothes in camouflage colours. I noticed that the shoppers have a higher-than-average BMI; 'Bent hoped to buy shorts for a size 30 waist, but there was more selection in size XXL. Still, we found some nice prizes to take home - thank you Basspro and ESAR!

When the alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., the rain was lashing the house like a hurricane, and thunder was rolling ominously. I'm not a morning exerciser even on the nicest of days, so I stayed in bed until the last possible moment. When it became clear that 'Bent would not be deterred, I reluctantly put on my running gear for the drive to Pete's Donuts to meet up with Slowrunner and Rocky. (A couple of others had wimped out, due to not having a spouse or teammate to shame them into going.) Rocky looked about as happy as I felt, but as soon as we got going, it was impossible not to cheer up and enjoy the woods and the excellent company.

We had light rain on and off, but the need to build an ark had passed. Slowrunner lost her water bottle in Glen Haffy north, but an hour later, Boston Rob suddenly ran up behind us with the bottle in his hand. It was great to meet him in person after interviewing him for a magazine article over the phone. He and 'Bent were decked out in identical outfits - maroon tech shirts, black shorts and black ball caps. It was a little embarrassing to be seen with them, frankly - but that was a short-lived problem, as the two of them got chatting energetically with Slowrunner, and the pace picked up to match the pace of the conversation. Rocky was kind enough to stay back with me, and at least the others didn't get out of sight!

I haven't been doing much running, and my right hip started to get tight around the 90-minute mark, which is around the time we ran through our property. I decided to run a little bit further - through Palgrave West and down Duffy's Lane most of the way to the rail trail, then I ran back home to make it 2 hrs even (including an extra 10 minutes to make up for our stops enroute). I should be doing more running, but that was about right for me today. Hopefully I'll get to some yoga later on.

Update on Team Peak Adventure at Primal Quest:
http://www.ecoprimalquest.com/wp-primal/2008/06/28...

Good news for us runners with imperfect knees:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM...

Another busy day, so I only had time to sneak the new bike out for a *very* short run on the single track behind our house, just so I could see what it feels like to change gears. I think I'm going to like it. Not exactly what I'm used to, but that's to be expected after 6 years on the same bike. It seems zippy - and that *must* be the bike because it's certainly not me in this heat and humidity.

Caledon folk... please keep your eyes open for a missing man in the Bolton area. Grey/white hair, longish sideburns - a senior with dementia who went for a walk. They had ATVs looking for him earlier today, but runners and bikers might have better odds.
http://www.caledonenterprise.com/news/article/5164...

Naturally, one of today's plans was to take my new bike for its first spin, but I had a long list of errands and "to do" items before I could go. At last... I got the most urgent stuff done, put on all my gear and headed out the door - and thunder was rumbling all around as the sky turned a deep violet-grey. Argghh - I rode for 3 minutes around the yard, then came back in to watch the lightning show with my frightened (and ironically nicknamed) ThunderDog. So far I think I like my new bike. It's certainly very, very clean. :-(

I'm returning TheMinister's bike after he generously allowed me to race on it for two events. It's the same model as my broken bike, so it wasn't hard to get comfortable on it. Last night I borrowed VO2Max Senior's bike - a Specialized Epic Pro with a medium frame - and took it on today's ride. A lot of people ride different versions of the Epic, and they mostly seem happy - including the folks writing on the mountain bike review websites. Specialized is also attractive because there are still a few high end 2008 models left in stores and at the supplier - but not many, and there's not much choice in size.

'Bent, Coach LD, Gazelle and I met at Albion Hills, and after about 10 minutes, I decided that I needed to ride double track on my own until I got better at using the fancy hand-flappy shifters. I also wanted to get a feel for how the bike handled without feeling like I had to rush to keep up with the others. It worked out well - I did a nice little tour of Albion, then headed home.

After riding Specialized Small and Medium frames, I had the feeling that I'm borderline, so the next step was to ask a professional. I went down to Gears Bike Shop where we looked at the options. I could order any size I wanted in a really high end women-specific Specialized bike (Era FSR Marathon), but it only comes in metallic hot pink. So if I ever wanted to sell it, I wouldn't just be limited to women. I'd be further limited to that subset of women who don't mind looking froo-froo after spending $5K on a bike. Hmmm.

The bike fitting guy said that people up to 5'8" normally take a small unisex Specialized frame, and I'm only 5'6". However, it's too late in the season to order any bikes I like in that size, so the bike fitter put me on a medium bike to see if it could be made to work. Much to his surprise, it turns out that I'm all arms and legs - and apparently I have no torso, otherwise how the heck am I only 5'6"? Anyway, by the time he measured distances and angles and moved the seat up, down, back and forth, I received the good news that I am miraculously lanky enough that a medium Specialized frame is the better choice. Woo hoo! My 1st choice would have been the Epic Marathon, which is sold out for the season, but they had the next model down hanging on the wall - the Epic Expert. And so I am the proud owner of a new bike!!! Looking forward to getting out on the trails.

Hope everyone is watching Primal Quest and cheering on our friends. BobTheNavigator, Hansel and the McHales are looking great in 2nd place just behind Nike - yay! Sadly, Team Archipela Kinetic is already unranked after Steve had to drop out due to a "non-life threatening medical condition".
http://www.ecoprimalquest.com

Went to Georgetown to test drive Mrs. Flatfoot's awesome bike. (Thank you!) I won't be buying anything quite that awesome, but I was curious about how the Specialized Small frame would feel. At first it felt unnatural, but it started to grow on me after awhile. I suspect that I'm close to the borderline for Small vs. Medium. Next I'm going to borrow a Medium frame Specialized bike. In short tests, a Medium has felt fine too. I like to stretch out over my bike, and I'm not sure if that leads me toward bikes that are less agile for my size.

In the end, it might come down to what's available this late in the season. Or if my replacement Sugar frame arrives anytime soon, I might be happy with the rebuilt bike. I'm not expecting it back until at least mid-July though, and I've got one or two races to do without it. Mrs. Flatfoot has generously offered her bike for the RockstAR event, which takes some of the pressure off.