Training Log Archive: Bash

Oracle Trail Race - 25K snowy run

The weather forecast was accurate with temperatures hovering around -25C to -23C with estimates of -40C with wind chill. We all knew this several days ahead of time so it seemed that most people were dressed properly. 'Bent and I didn't have any significant issues with the cold. My goggles iced up frequently in the first half of the race, my Thermos froze solid (nothing like racing with a brick for no reason), and my hands got too sweaty with the hand warmers in my gloves. But when the weather is this cold, you expect stuff like that to happen.

One thing I didn't expect was that when I started at 9:30 sharp on my GPS - the scheduled race start - the other runners had already been gone for 2-3 minutes. It was my fault - I cut it too close but I *was* on the start line on time. I had no idea what the course markings looked like so I had to ask volunteers, "Um, which way did everybody go?" Smooth, real smooth. :( After a couple of kms, I started catching people - about 10 runners, then I ran alone most of the race.

I don't like to be overly critical of a first-time event. There are always a few hiccups, and the organizers had no way of knowing the weather would be so extreme. To ensure safety in these conditions, the course markings would need to be exceptionally clear, all volunteers would need to understand the different race courses, and aid stations would need to be equipped with cups and warm (or at least unfrozen) drinks. Or they could ask us to carry cups, which I almost did and regret not doing. Volunteers would need a bombproof method of communication since most runners' phones probably died like ours did.

When it comes to course markings, I understand the arguments against using occasional arrows but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I doubt any two 25K racers ran the same course today. Some people realized this but some people didn't. I stopped for a chat with Browner and Kathie, who were fully aware they'd been steered the wrong way so they were just going to have a fun run instead. (Story at 11!) But Browner is a smart navigator and a race organizer herself. It looks like some runners ran 4-5 km less than others, probably because so many people were within sight of one another and didn't always look for the ribbons since they assumed they must be on course, and the ribbons took some effort to follow.

Near the 2nd aid station, I was surprised to be caught by one of the first guys I'd passed in the early kilometres. Wow, had he really picked it up that much? He commented that this was the first aid station on the course and he'd expected one earlier. I said, "Yup, there *was* one earlier." While some runners inadvertently took shortcuts, there were a few good runners who passed me late enough in the race that they must have run extra distance in the wrong direction, then returned to the point where they left the correct route to finish legally. Bit of a gong show.

Toward the end, I saw a large group of runners ahead of me who stayed on the fire road and skipped marked single track sections. They weren't cheating; the ribbons were really easy to miss.

When I was 1 km from the finish, I turned onto a trail and saw a group coming toward me, along with a volunteer on a fat bike with a fluorescent yellow vest. As an adventure racer, I was comfortable that they were wrong. We had a brief chat, then I carried on. Then I heard them all yelling and the volunteer biker was waving. "No! We tried going that way! It takes you up a hill away from the finish line back into the forest. That's the route you took at the start of the race! You need to follow the biker!" I was grumbly because until that point, I was pretty sure I'd run the correct flagged route (plus 150 m extra when I briefly went the wrong way at a fork). Sure enough, now that I see 'Bent's GPS track, I was right and the group was wrong. In following them, I saved 150 m of running (making up for my earlier error) but wasted time in discussion. Ugh, you'd think I wouldn't be sucked in after so many years of AR and orienteering. But trail runners aren't usually navigators, and I know they meant well and sincerely thought they were saving me from disaster.

Aside from the fact that the event didn't work out as a "race", it was a beautiful trail run in the sunshine in spite of the chill. Although it didn't go smoothly this time, a winter trail race was a creative idea that could work better in a future year and on a warmer day. The volunteers were rock stars to be out there in this weather. They helped as much as they possibly could, cheered hard, baked cookies (some of them) and had big smiles even though it must have been hard to stay warm without running. Thank you!! I used Kahtoolas and probably would have been OK with just Snowcross. No traction issues at all. The hills were mostly gentle and the scenery was interesting and beautiful. However, given the confusion, it would have been more fun if 'Bent and I had just gone to Durham for a run with Simpy and Goose.

Congrats to 'Bent who had a great run of the correct course but unfortunately ran some extra distance due to sparse course markings and a volunteer who sent him on a 5-minute wrong turn. In a well-marked race, it looks like he could have been on the overall podium.

The forecast says that at the start of tomorrow's Oracle 25K trail race, it will feel like -38C including wind chill. (In Murkin, this is -36F.) I don't usually worry much about cold weather but I'm going to be out there sweating for 3.5 hours so it is probably time for extreme measures: XC ski goggles, neoprene socks, hand warmers, fleecy Buff, thick long johns, etc. Should be interesting!

Hard Core Live with Caron - a tough one.

Class. My right arm is pretty sore after the tough poling this afternoon. Hope I didn't injure it in some dumb way.

Late afternoon ski at Hockleycrest. There was just enough snow for skiing in most places but my pole tips bounced or slid off the rock hard ice beneath the snow. That made it really awkward on steep, narrow climbs!

It's almost heartbreaking to see how much work the volunteer trail manager has put into the ski network, only to be rewarded with the paltry winter of 2016. On the bright side, he has headed north for an XC ski vacation this week. There were a few tree limbs down on the trails from the wind and I cleaned up the ones that were partway down hills. It was slow going but nice anyway.

AdventureDog and I went for a midweek long-ish trail run at Glen Haffy. It's snowier there even though it's only 5 minutes away. Big fluffy flakes were coming down for awhile.

I figured the conditions would be similar to Saturday's Oracle Race - fresh snow on top of glare ice or frozen ground - and I wanted to check that Kahtoola MicroSpikes felt OK. There was 10-12 cm of fresh powder so I probably would have been fine with Snowcross but I know there's some skating rink ice under the snow, and it was nice not to have to think about it. The main risks were tree roots and rocks, which were invisible under the light layer of snow but just as risky as usual.

We decided to explore a couple of the nature trails but the coloured arrows petered out and we had to bushwhack for a bit.

I ran the first 6K, then decided to walk part of a steep uphill. AdventureDog came back and barked at me until I started running. Jerk!

Nice day in the woods.

It's a winter wonderland! We got about 7 cm of snow overnight in open areas and it remains stuck to every tree branch, fence post and rock. It looks like a Currier & Ives Christmas card.

Unfortunately, the ski conditions only rated a 2 out of 10 - although at least I was skiing, which made it good regardless. In the woods, we only got a few cms of snow on bare ground in some places. With all the TRCA's work to take down ash trees, there is a lot of woody debris so I had to bushwhack, ski over branches and steer around random logs. But it was beautiful and quiet, and I got to ski in coyote tracks for a long distance. Nice.

Physio and running-specific injury prevention exercises. AdventureDog was a great help whenever I had to lie down on the mat.

Browner and I kicked STORM and 'Bent out into the snow south of Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area, then continued up to Pretty River Provincial Park. The guys did a 24 km point-to-point run to meet us while we used our Snowshoe Raid maps to take a fun tour in Pretty River. First we took the Bruce Trail to its highest point - about 335 m of climb from our starting point since there is a descent after the first hill.

As a couple of number nerds getting ready for a mountain race, we now want to do that climb 3 times to climb 1,000 m in a training session. Today it took us 45 minutes to get up with Kahtoolas and poles so it should be possible to do 3 repeats on bare trails in less than 4 hours. There is a more direct way to get up the hill so we can try that too.

Once we got up onto the escarpment, we ran a relatively flat loop on Bruce and Bruce Side trails with one drop off the escarpment at the east end, just for the heck of it. The guys texted us when we were there so we headed back down after a scenic run along the escarpment edge. It was sad to see all the green and brown fields from the lookout.

Great workout with excellent company - thanks! It's become our tradition to replace (or exceed) any calories expended as quickly as possible, this time at the Affairs Cafe in Creemore. Best latte in a long time!