Training Log Archive: Bash

Cool! We're going to see a near-total solar eclipse in Norway!
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/norway/oslo?...

DontGetLost Eliminator O Cup race

It was the final O Cup of the 2014/15 season and we couldn't have asked for a better event to cap off the series! The terrain on and around the Brock University campus is varied and fun - and today we had the added challenge of deep, crusted powdery snow off-trail and occasional ice patches on trail. (Yay, Salomon Snowcross!)

There were 3 mini-races, each with a handicap box at the start. The first map was a sprint around campus - a nice warm-up, nothing too complicated. Anvil met us at the finish control and counted off the first 20 runners who would continue to compete for the win.

Race #2 included snowy fields, trails, small hills and forest. It was hard work to go even a few meters in that much snow. When we got to the second finish control, Anvil was there again. How *does* he do that? ;)

The top 10 from Race #2 were now competing for the win in Race #3 - Mick, AdventureGirl!, Hammer, Elena, 'Bent, me and a bunch of ARX stars with speedy young legs. This time we were wallowing in snow and slipping on ice along the escarpment behind the university. I was grateful that my handicap allowed me to skip some of the snowiest ones. The rest of the course was a more complex campus sprint - lots of fun!

Noah Michelson was the overall O Cup Series winner this year; Eugenius was 2nd and the top adult. I was the top woman and AdventureGirl! was the top junior woman.

Challenging race! 'Bent and I went out for a great lunch afterward with Funderstorm, who has a knack for finding wonderful places with yummy food and interesting beer.

(Race time includes time between mini-races so it wasn't all running.)

Slowrunner workout + foot strength and some extras

I'm tired now. Springing Forward never agrees with me!

'Bent and I went up to Highlands for what will probably be our final ski on groomed trails in Canada this winter. I saw Coach LD as I arrived and decided to have some lunch and a chat first, which worked out well since it ended up being my second longest ski of the winter after the Gatineau Loppet. The temperature was around freezing - not my favourite weather for waxing - but I managed to hang on to a bit of grip for 30K with one re-waxing job. That's about as good as it ever gets with my mediocre warm weather waxing skills. I'm hoping to find a genuine Norwegian to wax my skis for the Birkie!

Slowrunner workout #11

Family snowshoe exploration of Palgrave West as part of BazingaDog's 4th birthday celebration. I think we tired him out. AdventureDog, not so much. Speaking of A-Dog, we need to give him a list of things he's not allowed to do on the ski trails:
#1
#2

We were mostly bushwhacking or making new tracks with our snowshoes sinking into crusted powder. Another spectacular winter day! I'm looking forward to the next part of B-Dog's birthday celebration - BBQ steak for the three of us (excluding 'Bent the non-meat eater).

"Bonne Chance!" to our friends doing the Snowgaine this weekend. Win it for Canada! :) Wish we could be there but we'll enjoy it vicariously through your race reports. Safe travels.

#ThrowbackThursday, March 2005. Relaxing at the lookout after a day of tobogganing, snow sculpture and playing with dogs - with Etoile, AdventureGirl!, Hammer, 'Bent, ThunderDog (Tobler) and BulletDog (Mocha).

Around Palgrave West with AdventureDog. It was another day that started with an Extreme Cold Warning but we managed to avoid the life threatening danger once again. After our mid-trail collision earlier this week, A-Dog was cautious to avoid skis and poles but he hasn't yet learned to anticipate the higher speed on downhills. Fortunately, he now understands a few commands: "Sit", "Down", "Come" and "LOOK OUUUT!!!!!!"

It's nice to get out right before sunset.

Hard Core Live with Caron. Tabata Night! This class was so tough that you just *know* BGY missed it on purpose.

Harder versions of most poses tonight - just because Caron felt evil, I guess.

DontGetLost X-League - a fun urban run to collect Scrabble letters at controls around the neighbourhood. At the end, we used the letters to make up a Scrabble board. With the help of X, Y and Z, and without the letter E, I got 50 points. I can't run as fast as the teenagers but I think I kicked most of their butts in Scrabble! Afterward, I attended my first DontGetLost AGM.

Maryland Child Protective Services then accused the Meitivs of neglect, saying unless they committed to a safety plan, the kids would have to go into foster homes. In Silver Spring, leaving anyone under age 18 unsupervised constitutes neglect.
<http://13wham.com/news/features/top-stories/storie...>

(If you're not familiar with the story, these parents allowed two kids aged 10 and 6 to play in the neighbourhood park and walk home on their own.)

It turns out I was severely neglected - or at least I would have been if I'd lived in Maryland. I was allowed to walk alone to and from my half-day kindergarten shortly after my 5th birthday. Most of us did. I measured it recently - about 600 m one way on three different roads. You can see how it ruined me. I'm always walking (or running, skiing, biking, snowshoeing, paddling) outdoors, often without adult supervision and sometimes buying expensive plane tickets, accommodation and meals to support my habit.

FB, you also neglected Willderness, apparently, and Hammer continues to neglect AdventureGirl!

AdventureDog and I did a fun tour of Palgrave West in an awesome snowstorm. A-Dog is still learning the ropes and made a serious error by stopping in the middle of a long downhill. It looked like I could just miss him by pushing my skis farther apart and passing right over him. But then he zigged and I... also zigged. Luckily, I didn't hurt him but my left ski stopped abruptly when I ran into him, and I did a swan dive into the powder and banged my left knee on something hard. AdventureDog rushed over to my face and licked it sympathetically. He'll learn.

Time deducted for lying face down in a big pile of snow.

Sketchy, icy drive to another great session with Slowrunner. I don't think we've done the same strength training exercise twice. She finally threw some burpees into the circuit today. I haven't been missing them!

Rest day for my legs after the February Challenge! Most ultra training programs have one or two rest days per week, often Monday and Friday. That makes a lot of sense and the past four weeks were a good reminder of what I miss out on when I don't take days off.

Regardless, the drip-drip-drip from our kitchen ceiling last night sent me outside with a snow rake to clear snow and ice from our roof and gutters in the warmest part of the day. It was a fairly intense hour of flinging weight around, mostly with hands over my head, which is always fun with an injured shoulder. Logged @ 1/3 of the time.