Training Log Archive: Bash

Canadian Olympic race walker Evan Dunfee just missed qualifying for Boston when he walked the Vancouver Marathon in 3:10 this morning!
http://runningmagazine.ca/evan-dunfee-2017-bmo-van...

Hockley Loop variation starting at 5th Line parking lot going clockwise. AdventureDog and I took the Isabel East, Glen Cross and Cam Snell side trails through Hockley Provincial Park instead of the main Bruce Trail in order to get more climb and distance. (To be honest, I'm not sure AdventureDog really cared as long as I found him nice creeks to drink from.) I skipped the southernmost side trail, Tom East, because it has less climb than the main Bruce.

We had a few stops to meet other dogs in addition to the creek breaks. I caught up on some podcasts and worried about how a southern Ontario resident can possibly get ready for Ultra Tour de Monte Rosa with its 40 km stages with 3,000 m elevation gain.

When I got back to the car, the elevation gain for the day was 991 m, which was obviously unacceptable so we did a quick climb to Sally's Pinnacle and thought of Funderstorm before running back down to the car. :)

The backs of my heels were hurting a bit; I think I'll need shoes with more drop for these long runs.

On a chilly, misty morning, we met up with Coach LD and Goose, who had already started paddling on the canal in the Holland Marsh. It was the kind of day when it felt tempting to curl up by the fireplace but it was great to get outside; we were toasty warm in all the gear we've collected for AR over the years.

'Bent wanted to check out a bay to the north of the canal west of Hwy 400. It kept going and going and ended up becoming our mission for the day as we made our way north toward the headwaters of the Holland River (I guess). There were a few fallen trees to maneuver around but we never had to get out of our canoes. The water levels were so high that at one point we realized we were actually paddling on a farmer's field, not the river. (The electric fence standing in the water was a strong clue, as were the large trees!) I doubt this paddle is possible very often and it was fun to explore the back yards of Holland Marsh farmers.

It was also fun to change into dry clothes and adjourn to the Grackle cafe in Schomberg. I warmed up with a latte and buttertart - a proper one with pecans, not raisins.

The trails are so soft from all the rain that I didn't want to wreck them but I couldn't let a brand new mountain bike (Pivot Mach 429SL Carbon) sit unridden! I did a bit of riding on our grass, our neighbour's double track and a short stretch of seldom-used trail at the north end of Palgrave West.

I was thinking it didn't feel like a very forgiving full suspension bike, then I remembered the shop had pumped up the tubeless tires to 40 psi to seal them and I was supposed to lower them to 25 psi before riding. Oops, I have a lot to learn. I went home and fixed that.

I remembered that 29er fans told me the big wheels just roll over everything, even going uphill. So I boldly aimed straight uphill at a wooden railway tie - and went down instantly because it was so slimy in the rain. Pro tip: it's a longer distance to the ground when you fall off a 29er.

The bike (still nameless) seems pretty good at getting up hills. I never wished for an easier granny gear on the 1X12 but I maxed out at the other end in one section of trail so it will be interesting to see how often I feel underpowered on the flats. I'm guessing it won't be too often that I can't solve the problem with higher cadence.

The cockpit needs to be stretched out since I'm too upright, which is surprising since it's a medium bike. No big deal. It was definitely fast and I think I'll learn to love it but it's really different from my Specialized 26er, and I don't have the right skills yet. Hmm, do I dare ride it for Storm The Trent on Saturday?

This bike is no Princess! Looking forward to my first real ride. :)

Watched some trail running films while the rain fell.

Mountain bike fail. I have a long history of bad luck when my front wheel is removed, ranging from little stuff like a malfunctioning bike computer or rubbing brakes to big stuff like when our support crew exchanged front wheels between a teammate and me before sending us on a long ride. (We just thought our bikes were in rough shape after all the mud; we didn't consider the clue that neither of our bike computers worked!)

The first time I touched my front brake today... nothing. I tried again - nothing. The third time, it worked a little but the disc brake was rubbing and it kept rubbing as I tried to ride. I pulled off the wheel and looked. A couple of loose parts came out of the brake too easily. For awhile, I tried to put it back together then I gave up. I could have ridden without front brakes but the rain was almost here and so is my new bike - tomorrow!

'Bent said the trails were dry in Palgrave Forest so I planned to go for a quick bike ride between monsoons.

But as I started to get ready, AdventureDog gave me this look.



So I took him running instead. The End.

Hip opening exercises

Most of you know about elite endurance athlete Danelle Ballengee's trail running accident in Moab in 2006 when she slid on black ice and fell 80 feet, banging into ledges on the way down. Her pelvis was shattered and she could barely move.

Her dog Taz stayed with her at first but on the 2nd day, he kept running off and returning. On the 3rd day, he discovered a search and rescue team at the trailhead and led them back to Danelle, saving her life. He won a National Hero Dog Award.

Meanwhile in Palgrave, I spilled some coffee today and heroic BazingaDog fled in a panic and hasn't returned to that room since. I'd better not fall off any cliffs because it looks like I'll be on my own.

Caught up on some Mountain Outpost video podcasts. Heavy rain last night and all of today. The trails are going to be messy and we may need to practise paddling an ark.

'Bent and I went to the PB Studio for a TRX class.

And then we stayed for Caron's Boot Camp. Might as well tire ourselves out fully before our rest day tomorrow.