Training Log Archive: Bash

Event: Star Tracks - Mountain Bike Orienteering
 

Star Tracks Mountain Bike Adventure, Albion Hills

My alarm went off early since there is always lots to do on the morning of a race. Unfortunately, I didn't actually wake *up* until 40 minutes later. So things were a little rushed and I forgot some details - like giving LJ the pile of waivers *before* racers started checking in. It all worked out eventually.

I put out the final two controls and vetted one loop of the Novice course, then spent the rest of the event hanging around Race HQ while other volunteers did all the work on the race course - vetting controls, taking photos and picking up controls. Other than a few minutes giving race briefings, all I had to do was eat cookies and chat with racers - a pretty sweet gig!

At one time, the forecast hinted at up to 15 cm of snow this morning! I'd advised everyone to dress warmly and bring running shoes in case we couldn't ride. The park superintendent even mentioned that they had snowshoes! But it didn't come to that. It was clear, sunny and crisp - a gorgeous autumn day. We had a bonfire with hot apple cider (thanks to Goose for fixing the campstove) and wonderful goodies baked by Ilona and Coach LD.

The race went smoothly from our perspective. People came back in one piece, mostly smiling. There was some tough competition and great performances in every category. The overall winner was Wokitoki, just ahead of our defending champion, Tiny. ThreePinJim was a surprise 11th hour attendee and won the Masters Male category. Coach LD was the fastest woman and Top Masters; Dee and Browner joined forces to win Open Female. Wilberto Jr. was the top Junior Boy and Tarno Jr. was top Junior Girl. Team Lather Rinse Repeat won the Novice Family award (Eva and Julianne Leek). Our fastest growing age category in MTBO is Men aged 60+. The winner, Anthony Welch, was 10th overall. He is not a regular orienteer.

My awesome partner in crime for this event was Mick. He and I have exchanged dozens of emails in recent weeks. LJ, Nick, Val, Ilona and Goose also played big roles to make race day successful.



Many more photos are available on the event web page. Thanks to everyone who came out!
http://stars.whyjustrun.ca/events/view/2207

'Bent



Dee and Browner



Coach LD



The post-race lunch venue was a bit of a bust although the company was excellent. Now that Caruso's has closed, I need to find another place where a group can drop in without reservations and have good food at a reasonable price.

Goose and I met at the remote northeast parking lot at Albion Hills so we could divide up the controls for tomorrow's mountain bike O race. We had come about an hour before sunset to ensure that the park would be nearly empty when we put several thousand dollars of timing equipment out in the woods.

The place was crawling with teenagers. Not only that, there were long rows of tents so these teenagers were *not* going home. And one of our controls was going to be only 100 meters away.

Luckily, they were Cadets and seemed busy and well-supervised. We went to say hi to the leader. It turns out there are Army Cadets, Air Force Cadets and Wilderness First Aiders in Albion Hills this weekend. Boy are they going to be surprised when mountain bikers start flying by tomorrow morning - especially the ones who make the route choice that takes them right through the field with 20 tents on it!

Ironically, their main mission this weekend is to work on their navigation skills. I mentioned the Orienteering Ontario website since they thought they might enjoy more practice races to prepare for their annual event with the Gators.

Goose and I went our separate ways with our backpacks full of gear. I put out a few more controls than I'd planned since it was pitch dark by then, and it didn't seem like there would be much difference if I went at first light. The park will still be full of people.

I cranked my ankle pretty well after placing the first control - about a 6 out of 10. There are a lot of leaves obscuring bumps on the trail.

Only 2 controls left for the morning, both close to the Start. I still have to make up a first aid kit, pack the van and car with different things, get my bike in the car and, oh, get some sleep. Actually, things are in good shape so I definitely will!

(Moving time only. Lots more elapsed time.)

Throwback Thursday - October 2007

'Bent received the Bullfrog Splash Award for his early commitment to green electricity. The presenter was none other than Hansel himself! Bullfrog Power recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Not so coincidentally, it has also been 10 years since 'Bent started buying "Bullfrog green" clothing and even a green van. http://bullfrogpower.com/

Star Tracks Mountain Bike O will be easier than this - and probably not quite as hilarious.
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-videos/watch-...

Just in time for winter... Some great tips for faster kayak paddling. This was a nice reminder of our long-ago hydrospinning classes with Coach Bill Trayling - where we met Carbon.

I ran to Albion Hills to check the location of a control ribbon that Nick de St. Croix hadn't found during his test of the Star Tracks Mountain Bike O course. It was in the right place but I could see what happened; a road has been rerouted near that trail so we'll need to update the map. Good catch, Nick!

It's been awhile since I've run this far. Knock on wood, it felt fine. Maybe I'll be able to do that 50K on Oct. 31.

All but one of these photos was taken within 150 m of our house. Love this time of year!

This just in: Playboy will no longer publish photos of naked women.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/playboy...

As Oct. 19 approaches, it's nice to know that anything is possible. :)

Albion Hills - I snuck out early to hang the final few flags for the Novice Mountain Bike O course this Sunday.

Dee, Mrs. Gally and I went for a fun, chatty, hilly ride on a spectacular autumn day. Dee brought an old Albion Hills map to practise reading it while riding. It proved extra challenging without a rotating map board or compass but she managed it. The effects of my non-training schedule were quite apparent. Lunch was by far my strongest discipline today.





(Used bike computer distance. Stops included.)

Started to feel human again during the morning! My cold is almost gone and it's out of my lungs so I tried a run around Palgrave West. Over the next week, I'll make the call on whether The Bad Thing 50K is going to be possible after missing out on real training for the past month.

Someone asked about the recommendation from sports docs to avoid exercise when you have cold symptoms below the neck. Although it's rare, the most compelling reason to follow this rule is that cardiac complications like myocarditis and pericarditis may follow viral illnesses, and some research indicates that prolonged physical exercise with an upper respiratory infection significantly increases the risk of heart muscle damage. This article talks about some athletes who got myocarditis.
http://www.dw.com/en/when-sports-are-bad-and-threa...

Martin Rydlo, a strong athlete whom many of us know, had pericarditis that may have been caused by a cold.
http://domorecommunity.ca/treat-your-heart-careful...

Also, a member of my immediate family had congestive heart failure that is believed to have been caused by a virus. (No idea if it was a cold.) Thanks to amazing pharmaceuticals, my family member recovered but with significantly reduced heart function.

So that's why I'm cautious.