Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Foothab, kneehab, workout 2.

2 dog rocket ride- the big boy had me going 25-30kph after his brother for the first bit, then settled in to a trot. The little guy was just flying. I didn't have to pedal much for the first 3k.
Knee about 70%.

C • And that... 3

Easy jog with AD in cushy knee friendly shoes. I walked the steep hills.
I brought poles but didn't need them. Knee is doing better.

C • Good to hear 2

Easy commute with the big boy. Glorious fall colours in daylight for the trip there, but headlamps back.
Spun little gears and knee was doing a lot better. Hopefully just irritated it at badthing, not blew it out.

C • Fingers crossed 2

Knee very sore today- worst it's been in a long time. Poles would have saved it but the RD said they weren't allowed.

Very light spin to mobilize the knee.

Paddle down the Humber for the LD50- crash and Coach LD ran in Palgrave, biked to Caledon East and picked up others then rode back, but we only joined in the festivities for the last bit. Knee still bad.
Unfortunately there was a 1k road allowance portage at the end. Ouch!
Great meal and party after.

Bad Thing 50K.
I went into this feeling undertrained since cracking my ribs and tailbone 6 weeks ago, but was interested in seeing a new trail on this brand new race.
I had a new nutrition plan for my dubious stomach- only 4 scoops of tailwind sports drink, basically running on empty.

Nice mix of doubletrack, some dicey singletrack and steep hills, and some dirt road, with excellent views of the Maitland river. Huge army of volunteers marshalling and directing at the turns.

We started in the dark, and a lead pack with Bender and Storm took off like scalded cats. I ended up leading the second pack of 6 or 7 with my strong lights, which meant I had to do the route finding in heavy fall leaves and singletrack. We missed a turn right out of CP1 in the dark and ended up having to climb the whole way back up, but other than that it went pretty well. One 18 year old track-runner girl (Red Lightning due to clothes and hair) was running with a feeble headlamp so she tended to stick with me, but was flying past me on the uphills and I'd catch up on the descents.

I was feeling good at CP3 aid station, 31K in 3:10 or so. Red Lightning took off in a blur, (and ended up winning female.) The next 10K had lots of steep slippery climbs and descents which I didn't mind. I dropped 4 of the runners following me, but made 1 wrong turn and a couple caught up before I dropped them again.

Suddenly my bad knee started acting up. After a brief stop at CP4 I could barely walk up the next hill. All road and flat trail from there, but I was hobbling until the couple caught me again and gave me an advil before dropping me like a greased anvil.

After that I managed to gradually get the pace back up and chug it in about 6 min/km. I kept waiting for my gut to pack in but it never happened! I was even able to eat a decent post-race meal of veg chilli. I'm not sure if it was running on 350 calories of Tailwind and 1 small coke, or my knee holding me back that saved my gut.

Storm took the win in an impressive FKT of 4:54 I think, with Bender about 9 min back. Only a 40 min spread between me and the winning time,with 7 min of nav errors in total, but I was 10th so it was a strong field. (First masters I think, but they don't have categories).

Great to see Batgirl Bash finish despite her cold. Very well organized and fun race with great logistics.

C • Sounds like a great event 16

C • Red Lightning 2

Bah- howling winds and falling branches = driving. Second day in a row :(