Training Log Archive: BashIn the 7 days ending Apr 29, 2012:
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Sunday Apr 29, 2012 #
10 AM
Running race (Road) 51:26 10.19 km (5:03 / km) +35m 4:58 / km
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax - Bay Blue
Brantford Rotary Classic 10K - for local kids' charities
Last year my Dad, a long-time Rotarian, decided he wanted to do the 5K course as his first race since high school 60 years ago. We set up a challenge for my 10K time vs. his 5K time. We came in at 49 and 41 minutes respectively so I had to sponsor him. We also had a "bragging rights" fundraising competition but he raised close to $7,000 so there was no contest. (Same thing this year but I'd like to send a big thank you to the folks who generously sponsored me. It is going to a good cause!)
'Bent and I both did the 10K this year, in hopes that one of us might be able to beat Dad. Dad started training on Monday for a Sunday race. He had not walked 5K since last year, nor had he done any running, but he often goes for a 1-mile walk with Mom. He turns 79 later this year, btw.
It was a perfect day for running - sunny and cool. 'Bent had never done a real 10K road race before, and he snuck in with a 39:59 chip time - wow! I think he should retire now so he can say that his average 10K time is under 40 minutes.
I just broke 50 minutes last year, which was a surprise unlikely to be repeated. At 51:26, I was exactly 10 seconds/km slower this year which wasn't as bad as I'd expected since my focus on longer races has made my top gear slower. I should probably do more of these short races just to force myself to push hard once in awhile.
After I'd finished, 'Bent, Mom and I moved to the opposite side of the finish chute to get a better view of Dad. (The 5K racers had started 15 minutes later.) In the last of his three training sessions for the race, he'd speed-walked 4.5 km and he was feeling it today. He'd promised us that he would go more slowly this year so we started looking for him shortly before 41 minutes, the time he came in last year.
And we waited. And waited.
The 5K runners came in, then it was mostly the 5K walkers with their different bib colour. At 50 minutes, I sent 'Bent to run back on the course to look for him while Mom and I waited with the camera. One hour passed and still no Dad. Then 1:10. The only reason I wasn't super worried by this point was that we were a block away from the hospital so if anything had gone badly wrong, we would have heard the sirens. But he must have stopped along the course.
Then 'Bent came running back. It had occurred to him to ask a race volunteer whether he'd seen my Dad. "Oh yes, a LONG time ago." It turns out he'd finished while we were moving to the other side of the finish chute. He'd taken 2 minutes off last year's time and was waiting in a different place, wondering where everyone was!
Whoops! Great work, Dad. He came in 33 seconds faster than 'Bent at 39:26 so we both had to sponsor him.
'Bent and I also "lost" a side bet with another couple where we jointly ran at a slightly faster pace than they did, thanks to 'Bent trying too darned hard. So we had to pay an extra $50 to charity but at least we won the bragging rights.
Fun day, and Dad is already talking about how to go faster next year. I'm going to humbly suggest that he start training more than a week in advance. :)
Last year my Dad, a long-time Rotarian, decided he wanted to do the 5K course as his first race since high school 60 years ago. We set up a challenge for my 10K time vs. his 5K time. We came in at 49 and 41 minutes respectively so I had to sponsor him. We also had a "bragging rights" fundraising competition but he raised close to $7,000 so there was no contest. (Same thing this year but I'd like to send a big thank you to the folks who generously sponsored me. It is going to a good cause!)
'Bent and I both did the 10K this year, in hopes that one of us might be able to beat Dad. Dad started training on Monday for a Sunday race. He had not walked 5K since last year, nor had he done any running, but he often goes for a 1-mile walk with Mom. He turns 79 later this year, btw.
It was a perfect day for running - sunny and cool. 'Bent had never done a real 10K road race before, and he snuck in with a 39:59 chip time - wow! I think he should retire now so he can say that his average 10K time is under 40 minutes.
I just broke 50 minutes last year, which was a surprise unlikely to be repeated. At 51:26, I was exactly 10 seconds/km slower this year which wasn't as bad as I'd expected since my focus on longer races has made my top gear slower. I should probably do more of these short races just to force myself to push hard once in awhile.
After I'd finished, 'Bent, Mom and I moved to the opposite side of the finish chute to get a better view of Dad. (The 5K racers had started 15 minutes later.) In the last of his three training sessions for the race, he'd speed-walked 4.5 km and he was feeling it today. He'd promised us that he would go more slowly this year so we started looking for him shortly before 41 minutes, the time he came in last year.
And we waited. And waited.
The 5K runners came in, then it was mostly the 5K walkers with their different bib colour. At 50 minutes, I sent 'Bent to run back on the course to look for him while Mom and I waited with the camera. One hour passed and still no Dad. Then 1:10. The only reason I wasn't super worried by this point was that we were a block away from the hospital so if anything had gone badly wrong, we would have heard the sirens. But he must have stopped along the course.
Then 'Bent came running back. It had occurred to him to ask a race volunteer whether he'd seen my Dad. "Oh yes, a LONG time ago." It turns out he'd finished while we were moving to the other side of the finish chute. He'd taken 2 minutes off last year's time and was waiting in a different place, wondering where everyone was!
Whoops! Great work, Dad. He came in 33 seconds faster than 'Bent at 39:26 so we both had to sponsor him.
'Bent and I also "lost" a side bet with another couple where we jointly ran at a slightly faster pace than they did, thanks to 'Bent trying too darned hard. So we had to pay an extra $50 to charity but at least we won the bragging rights.
Fun day, and Dad is already talking about how to go faster next year. I'm going to humbly suggest that he start training more than a week in advance. :)
Saturday Apr 28, 2012 #
Note
Thanks to Double_Downon11 for posting photos of the day on his log.
I've "borrowed" a few... Here is most of the Attackpoint AR team after we'd cleaned up. Hansel and Gally had already vanished into the demands of fatherhood.
L->R: Pat-hetic, Aggosst, Super, Solo, Double_Downon11, FunRun, Bash, Funderstorm
Shortly after crossing the finish line (me, that is - these guys had all crossed 15-25 minutes earlier!)
"And *that's* how I managed to do the Crawford Lake Loop backwards!" (Concerned empathy on Super's face. FunRun appears to be choking.)
Team Attackpoint AR on the podium in 2nd place. If our team had done a better job of carpooling and provided more volunteers, we would have won. Oh, and it appears that matching shirts would help too.
Maybe we could take another crack at the podium at the Hardwood Hills 5 Peaks on Sat. June 9? Btw we didn't have a full team and it doesn't look like the same people need to participate at each race. So we could use more Attackpointers, especially people in small categories - older, younger, heavier (Clydesdale/Athena), etc.
I've "borrowed" a few... Here is most of the Attackpoint AR team after we'd cleaned up. Hansel and Gally had already vanished into the demands of fatherhood.
L->R: Pat-hetic, Aggosst, Super, Solo, Double_Downon11, FunRun, Bash, Funderstorm
Shortly after crossing the finish line (me, that is - these guys had all crossed 15-25 minutes earlier!)
"And *that's* how I managed to do the Crawford Lake Loop backwards!" (Concerned empathy on Super's face. FunRun appears to be choking.)
Team Attackpoint AR on the podium in 2nd place. If our team had done a better job of carpooling and provided more volunteers, we would have won. Oh, and it appears that matching shirts would help too.
Maybe we could take another crack at the podium at the Hardwood Hills 5 Peaks on Sat. June 9? Btw we didn't have a full team and it doesn't look like the same people need to participate at each race. So we could use more Attackpointers, especially people in small categories - older, younger, heavier (Clydesdale/Athena), etc.
10 AM
Running race (Trail) 1:13:09 [4] 11.31 km (6:28 / km) +291m 5:44 / km
shoes: Salomon SLAB-3 XT Wings
Salomon 5 Peaks Rattlesnake Point
This race was a last-minute decision after learning I'd been picked for the 2012 Salomon Flight Crew. We are encouraged to help out at some events so I asked if I could work at the Salomon demo tent today. Yes, I sure could - and I could get an entry into the sold-out race too. It seemed like a good opportunity to acquire another excuse for why tomorrow's Rotary 10K will be a lot slower than last year's!
It's probably because I don't do it in real life but I love talking about trail footwear with the 5 Peaks crowd - a mix of experienced trail racers and excited first-timers in white road shoes. Racers who stop by the booth can try on the different shoe models and even race in them if they want. (A surprising number of people do that!) Naturally, I couldn't resist trying on all the shoes too. Note to self: Get the new Fellcross shoes in men's size 7.5.
Another Salomon-related note... If you want to meet new people, just put on a Skin Pack and stand around a race start line. Every time I wear my pack in public, strangers come up to ask about it. Instead of advertising, Salomon should just get a bunch of us to put them on and mingle at cocktail parties!
Oh, and then there was the race. Alas, I can now join the ranks of experienced navigators who have taken a wrong turn on a marked course. Super even tried to warn me about course markings as he came back toward me in a 2-way section. It was around the 5K mark where the trail turns into a "gnarly limestone jungle", to quote Pat-hetic's lyrical prose. I was watching my footing and following a crowd of people in front of me. None of us saw a left turn so a train of racers ended up going the wrong way around a 1.7 km loop. There were people coming toward us but there were just as many of us going the other way, and I hadn't studied the map closely enough to know which parts of the race course were 2-way.
When we finally got to the far end of the loop, there was a "turn right" sign pointed in the other direction so I realized our error. I knew the only way to ensure that we did the full race distance was to continue around the loop the wrong way so I kept going. When I looked back, people were milling around the junction. It didn't seem that they came after me, and if they went back the way we came, it would have saved them some time.
After that, I didn't know if I was still racing or if I was going to DQ myself, so my mental focus was off. It was a super fun race course though - a nice mix of double track with a few rocks and roots, rocky single track, several decent hills and a few kms of leap-from-rock-to-rock trail. It would have been a tough first trail race for a road runner.
For the final 200 m, we ran a big loop around a grassy area - like a track with spectators. Super was on the phone when he saw me emerge from the woods, and thankfully he hung up and paced me to the finish. It was an eye opener because I had no problem speeding up to keep up with him at an average 4:30/km, which normally I believe I can't do. It showed me what a lazy racer I am!
As soon as I crossed the line, I checked my friends' Garmins and saw that I'd measured a little more distance than they had. A debrief with Super confirmed that I'd done one of the loops backwards. Maybe a volunteer placed at that junction would help, as I hear this has happened in other years. Another racer who made the same error spoke to race officials and they said not to worry about it. No one in my age group was close behind me (although a couple were ahead) so I decided to let it go.
The best thing about the day was that Solo and FunRun had the great idea of putting together Team Attackpoint AR, consisting of adventure racers and orienteers including Gally, Hansel, Double_Down, Pat-hetic, Super, Funderstorm, Aggosst, Solo, FunRun and me. We raced as individuals, then the top 6 team members based on category points counted toward our total. Also, Solo and Aggosst contributed three volunteer shifts for additional points. The extra social/competitive element was fun and gave us an excuse to hang around longer and chat. We placed 2nd to some running club with matching shirts. We could have made sure our shirts matched. Grrr. ;)
Hansel (who introduced us to his sweet dog Bunk) was our team's top runner in the race overall but Double_Down won the Clydesdale category and brought us the most points. Pathetic won the Most Photogenic Award.
This race was a last-minute decision after learning I'd been picked for the 2012 Salomon Flight Crew. We are encouraged to help out at some events so I asked if I could work at the Salomon demo tent today. Yes, I sure could - and I could get an entry into the sold-out race too. It seemed like a good opportunity to acquire another excuse for why tomorrow's Rotary 10K will be a lot slower than last year's!
It's probably because I don't do it in real life but I love talking about trail footwear with the 5 Peaks crowd - a mix of experienced trail racers and excited first-timers in white road shoes. Racers who stop by the booth can try on the different shoe models and even race in them if they want. (A surprising number of people do that!) Naturally, I couldn't resist trying on all the shoes too. Note to self: Get the new Fellcross shoes in men's size 7.5.
Another Salomon-related note... If you want to meet new people, just put on a Skin Pack and stand around a race start line. Every time I wear my pack in public, strangers come up to ask about it. Instead of advertising, Salomon should just get a bunch of us to put them on and mingle at cocktail parties!
Oh, and then there was the race. Alas, I can now join the ranks of experienced navigators who have taken a wrong turn on a marked course. Super even tried to warn me about course markings as he came back toward me in a 2-way section. It was around the 5K mark where the trail turns into a "gnarly limestone jungle", to quote Pat-hetic's lyrical prose. I was watching my footing and following a crowd of people in front of me. None of us saw a left turn so a train of racers ended up going the wrong way around a 1.7 km loop. There were people coming toward us but there were just as many of us going the other way, and I hadn't studied the map closely enough to know which parts of the race course were 2-way.
When we finally got to the far end of the loop, there was a "turn right" sign pointed in the other direction so I realized our error. I knew the only way to ensure that we did the full race distance was to continue around the loop the wrong way so I kept going. When I looked back, people were milling around the junction. It didn't seem that they came after me, and if they went back the way we came, it would have saved them some time.
After that, I didn't know if I was still racing or if I was going to DQ myself, so my mental focus was off. It was a super fun race course though - a nice mix of double track with a few rocks and roots, rocky single track, several decent hills and a few kms of leap-from-rock-to-rock trail. It would have been a tough first trail race for a road runner.
For the final 200 m, we ran a big loop around a grassy area - like a track with spectators. Super was on the phone when he saw me emerge from the woods, and thankfully he hung up and paced me to the finish. It was an eye opener because I had no problem speeding up to keep up with him at an average 4:30/km, which normally I believe I can't do. It showed me what a lazy racer I am!
As soon as I crossed the line, I checked my friends' Garmins and saw that I'd measured a little more distance than they had. A debrief with Super confirmed that I'd done one of the loops backwards. Maybe a volunteer placed at that junction would help, as I hear this has happened in other years. Another racer who made the same error spoke to race officials and they said not to worry about it. No one in my age group was close behind me (although a couple were ahead) so I decided to let it go.
The best thing about the day was that Solo and FunRun had the great idea of putting together Team Attackpoint AR, consisting of adventure racers and orienteers including Gally, Hansel, Double_Down, Pat-hetic, Super, Funderstorm, Aggosst, Solo, FunRun and me. We raced as individuals, then the top 6 team members based on category points counted toward our total. Also, Solo and Aggosst contributed three volunteer shifts for additional points. The extra social/competitive element was fun and gave us an excuse to hang around longer and chat. We placed 2nd to some running club with matching shirts. We could have made sure our shirts matched. Grrr. ;)
Hansel (who introduced us to his sweet dog Bunk) was our team's top runner in the race overall but Double_Down won the Clydesdale category and brought us the most points. Pathetic won the Most Photogenic Award.
Friday Apr 27, 2012 #
Note
Some of you will have seen this already - most amazing bear photo ever! P.S. The bear is fine.
http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20485529/cu-...
http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20485529/cu-...
Thursday Apr 26, 2012 #
Running (Trail and Country Road) 33:10 [3] 5.21 km (6:22 / km)
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
Around Palgrave West with BazingaDog, avoiding KBash and Wheelie Woods because wild turkey hunting season opened yesterday and we weren't wearing our blaze orange. Hunters sometimes sneak into the conservation area too but I know for sure that they shoot guns in Wheelie Woods. Luckily, the season only lasts till May 31 (sigh). Btw if you're in Ontario, it's very likely that people are shooting turkeys in forests near you. Wear bright colours and when you eat energy bars, do not "gobble, gobble" them!
P.S. You can get hunting season info here.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FW/Publicatio...
1) Check the Wildlife Management Unit Maps to get the WMU number of the area you're interested in.
2) Click on the Wild Turkey document to find out whether there's a spring hunting season in that area.
For bonus entertainment, read the Small Game hunting season document. Did you know Ontario has seasons for Squirrel, Raccoon, Bullfrog, Snapping Turtle and Skunk?
P.S. You can get hunting season info here.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FW/Publicatio...
1) Check the Wildlife Management Unit Maps to get the WMU number of the area you're interested in.
2) Click on the Wild Turkey document to find out whether there's a spring hunting season in that area.
For bonus entertainment, read the Small Game hunting season document. Did you know Ontario has seasons for Squirrel, Raccoon, Bullfrog, Snapping Turtle and Skunk?
9 AM
Note
Photos are now posted for the Wild B.O.A.R. adventure race last Saturday. Scroll back or use this link. Thank you, Mrs. Tiny!
http://www.ar.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_920...
http://www.ar.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_920...
11 AM
Note
Phatty is leaving us to become the Global Grand Poobah of Salomon footwear but we can learn about the latest trail shoes without him. You can see and try out the 2012 trail footwear at a number of events this spring including Rattlesnake 5 Peaks this Saturday. Free swag for people who stop by. I'll be working at the demo tent since I'm back on the Salomon Flight Crew for 2012 - yay!
You can find the demo tour schedule at the link below, and even if you're not planning to do any demos, you may as well enter the free contest to win Salomon and Suunto gear and possibly the grand prize of traveling to France to run with (i.e. behind) ultrarunning legend Kilian Jornet. As a Flight Crew member, I suspect they'll pull a different name from the hat if I win so I'm spreading the word and cheering for my friends!
http://www.salomonflightcrew.com/index.php?page=do...
Wednesday Apr 25, 2012 #
Note
Interesting map review with Crash today as she prepares for the Tour Divide. There are so many factors to consider in an unsupported 4,500 km mountain bike race along the Great Divide. There are rider needs - water sources, lodging and campgrounds, food supply and bike shops. It's not as simple as that though, since we also have to look at the map that shows the density of grizzlies along the trail using a colour coding system, and there's also an area where wilderness camping is not advised due to drug trafficking and illegal aliens.
As we look at all of this to devise a game plan, we need to estimate distances that could be travelled in a day, which means finding out what we can about the condition of the trails and roads and looking at the elevation profile. We also have a book written by one rider and a blog by another, so we know where they stayed enroute and what their finish times were.
I love problems like this; I feel an Excel spreadsheet coming on...
As we look at all of this to devise a game plan, we need to estimate distances that could be travelled in a day, which means finding out what we can about the condition of the trails and roads and looking at the elevation profile. We also have a book written by one rider and a blog by another, so we know where they stayed enroute and what their finish times were.
I love problems like this; I feel an Excel spreadsheet coming on...
11 AM
Trekking (Trail) 30:00 [1]
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
BulletDog and I went for a Humber Valley Trail trek with Mrs. Tiny, who set a surprisingly good pace for someone whose due date is in two weeks. Mrs. T is going to be one of those Moms who come back strong and faster; I'd better enjoy keeping up with her while I can! Logged @50% due to our chatting.
6 PM
Running intervals (Trail) 49:28 8.08 km (6:07 / km)
shoes: Salomon XA Pro Ultra 2 Blue
I've heard it's a good idea to do speed intervals at least once a year, and since there are two short races coming up this weekend (Rattlesnake 5 Peaks 12.7K on trail and Brantford Rotary Classic 10K on road), today was the day.
There are different schools of thought on speed intervals for ultrarunners. For sure, elite ultrarunners should work on speed but some people believe that the average ultrarunner would do better to invest that time in something else - hill intervals, strength training, longer long runs, etc. Without making a conscious decision regarding my own philosophy, I've skipped speed intervals for quite awhile and have noticed the drop in speed that has accompanied my increase in endurance. Last spring I had a 49:46 PB in the Rotary 10K but this year my only goal is to see how accurately I can guess how much slower I'll be.
Today I returned to Bash & Crash Intervals since I have lots of data on them. The interval is 500 m on the Bruce Trail between two posts. My first interval today was the worst one I've ever done but the last two were close to the best. So maybe there is hope of getting those 2 fast-twitch fibres of mine to wake up occasionally!
2:22
2:16
2:08
2:08
There are different schools of thought on speed intervals for ultrarunners. For sure, elite ultrarunners should work on speed but some people believe that the average ultrarunner would do better to invest that time in something else - hill intervals, strength training, longer long runs, etc. Without making a conscious decision regarding my own philosophy, I've skipped speed intervals for quite awhile and have noticed the drop in speed that has accompanied my increase in endurance. Last spring I had a 49:46 PB in the Rotary 10K but this year my only goal is to see how accurately I can guess how much slower I'll be.
Today I returned to Bash & Crash Intervals since I have lots of data on them. The interval is 500 m on the Bruce Trail between two posts. My first interval today was the worst one I've ever done but the last two were close to the best. So maybe there is hope of getting those 2 fast-twitch fibres of mine to wake up occasionally!
2:22
2:16
2:08
2:08
Tuesday Apr 24, 2012 #
Running (Trail) 51:00 [3] 8.06 km (6:20 / km)
shoes: Salomon XR Crossmax CS pink/gr
BazingaDog and I ran over to Palgrave East and toured the double track. We ran through sleet for awhile, as is typical on April 24 (!?!). Halfway through, I got a text from 'Bent saying that he was leaving work so we met him near the Reddington entrance and ran home with him and BulletDog. 'Bent did a few fast hill intervals along the way since he's getting ready to race with the Fast Boyz at the Sulphur Springs relay. He would come back and meet me afterwards as I chugged uphill like a normal mortal.
Happy Birthday to Goose and to my Little Brother Dave!
Happy Birthday to Goose and to my Little Brother Dave!
12 PM
Note
If you're thinking of adding a nice pooch to your family, a local friend tells me that a family is looking for a good home for their 7 month old purebred chocolate Lab. They love him but they both work and just moved to a new home; they have a baby, a toddler and another dog. They are feeling overwhelmed and guilty that Bentley is not getting the attention and exercise he needs. The owner, says "He's a great dog and it breaks my heart". He's excellent with kids and has his shots. If you want more info, I can forward the e-mail with cute pics.
BulletDog came to our family from a similar situation when she was 11 months old. It was so much fun to introduce her to the forest and see her snoozing happily after the first good run of her life.
BulletDog came to our family from a similar situation when she was 11 months old. It was so much fun to introduce her to the forest and see her snoozing happily after the first good run of her life.
Monday Apr 23, 2012 #
Note
The Father-Daughter Challenge is on again this year!
This Sunday I'm running the Brantford Rotary Classic 10K and attempting to beat my Dad's 5K time. He hasn't done any training since last year's 5K, which was his first foot race in 60 years. At age 79, he's planning a brisk hike this year instead of a walk-jog so I have a fighting chance.
We also compete on fundraising, which I lost last year by an even greater margin in spite of the terrific support I received. As a longtime Rotarian and community volunteer, Dad has a significant and unfair advantage. The funds go to programs for special needs children and the Brantford Boys and Girls Club. If perchance you feel inclined, your help would be much appreciated.
http://www.rotaryclassic.ca/user/5078/donate
This Sunday I'm running the Brantford Rotary Classic 10K and attempting to beat my Dad's 5K time. He hasn't done any training since last year's 5K, which was his first foot race in 60 years. At age 79, he's planning a brisk hike this year instead of a walk-jog so I have a fighting chance.
We also compete on fundraising, which I lost last year by an even greater margin in spite of the terrific support I received. As a longtime Rotarian and community volunteer, Dad has a significant and unfair advantage. The funds go to programs for special needs children and the Brantford Boys and Girls Club. If perchance you feel inclined, your help would be much appreciated.
http://www.rotaryclassic.ca/user/5078/donate
9 AM
Note
Weather Forecast: "Snow at times heavy, gusty winds"
Sorry, Old Man Winter, but it's too late to make it up to me now.
Sorry, Old Man Winter, but it's too late to make it up to me now.