Training Log Archive: Bash

Event: Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race
 

Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race - Time estimated due to thunderstorm stoppage.

The BPMR travels the Bruce Peninsula from north to south. Last year I described the race course in detail with photos and maps so I'll keep it brief this time. Bottom line: The Bruce Peninsula is a spectacular part of Ontario and the BPMR is a well-organized event with an epic race course. Do it!

I did a little 125 km warm-up last weekend at the Canadian Death Race so I wasn't sure how I'd be feeling. As it turned out, it was a minor injury that almost kept me from the start line - a painful blister under my big toenail. I hadn't worn shoes all week but tested them out on Friday night and made the final decision to race. (Shortly after that, I dropped my bike helmet on my toe and it bled profusely - sigh.) I spent quite awhile devising an intricate toe protection system using Leukotape and Second Skin.



Yahoo - a 3:30 a.m. alarm and a 4:30 a.m. race briefing to ensure that all racers make it down the peninsula before dark.



Even after a double espresso, I looked totally spaced out.



We had a long bus ride up to the start. The weather forecast wasn't promising but the waves on Georgian Bay were reasonable so Frankenjack made the call to go ahead with the beautiful 16K Leg 3 paddle.

We started at dawn from Cabot Head Lighthouse. (Photo by Hermes)



I knew the Death Race would affect me but wasn't sure how. As we headed off on our mountain bikes, I felt as if I'd been riding for several hours, not several minutes. This wasn't terrible since I'm *used* to riding for several hours but it was strange not to feel fresh at the start. The BPMR has varied and technical riding, and my body was missing the extra "gear" I normally use to power over larger obstacles and through deep mud. I hopped off my bike more than usual but it was manageable.

I made a Good Samaritan stop for several minutes to assist a fellow whose bike pump wasn't working. Even though today was supposed to be a "tour", not a "race" for me, I felt edgy watching other racers pass by!

Thunder started late in our bike ride and we were held at TA1 for about 80 minutes. Some of the faster racers had made it onto the next running leg and were held at the next TA. This provided an all-too-rare opportunity to read and comment on Facebook coverage of the race! :)



It's hard to stop mid-race but I am appreciative of the BPMR's serious policies regarding lightning and wish all events took the same precautions. We were eventually released onto the run with a time credit from our in/out SI punches.

The Bruce Trail run around Lion's Head may be the most technical run I've done, and today it was harder because the rocks and moss were slick from the heavy rain. Gratuitous thought the run was epic - worth the flight from California all on its own! Unexpectedly, I felt great running - nimble and relatively strong, even though conditions weren't as fast as last year.

Some louder thunder and even heavier rain started up in the middle of the run and I started thinking that the organizers would have to pull the plug on the event. I let my eating and drinking slide since I figured my day was almost over.

But it wasn't! The thunder stopped and the rain kept falling, so they didn't need to remove the paddling section completely. Instead they switched to an alternate plan where we paddled three loops of Little Lake totalling 5 km. I knew it wouldn't take much to make me hypothermic so I put on my light Salomon toque and arm warmers for the paddle. It felt like cheating to be out there in the V8 surfski; it helped me make up some time.

After the paddle, I put on a warm waterproof jacket and headed out on the alternate bike route to Hope Bay and the trails beyond. The most technical riding of the race is in this section, and eventually I was warm enough to ditch the jacket. It was nice to see 'Bent volunteering as a field marshal - in an actual cow field. Amazingly, I didn't fall on foot or bike all day in the slick conditions but I did manage to bang my injured toe against the end of my bike shoes a couple of times in this section. Both times it made me gasp for breath for a minute or two. PAIN!!

A woman arrived into the final bike/run TA shortly after I did, and I took off thinking she was right behind me. This was terrific, as it kept me pushing right to the finish line but in reality, she was hurting too much to turn it into a chase. I crossed the finish line soaked to the skin in pouring rain and feeling surprisingly OK.



Gratuitous and Ursula had finished long before in 2nd and 4th places overall.



It was great to see Hodgepodge at the finish and to say hello to Nelvia and BabyHodge afterward.

The overall podium was filled with friends - Getawaystix in 1st, Gratuitous in 2nd and Logie in 3rd. Congrats, guys! :)



Mique and Tom were the relay winners but I missed that pic! The one sad note of the day was that Chief slipped in the gravel on his bike and managed to gouge his knee enough to earn a trip to the hospital to get sewn up. Get well soon!

I was 2nd woman behind Ursula and mid-pack in the solos. Now that I've done my "active recovery" from the Death Race, I think I'll get more passive for awhile. Time for a break! :)

We made a "wet trip" from the cottage to get our boats to the car, then we could make a relatively dry trip with our luggage by a combination of beach portage and motorboat. Goose soloed his whitewater canoe while 'Bent took the surfski (definitely the best boat for the rough conditions) and I paddled the Wavemaster kayak. It was an adventure making it out through the big breakers to the swells, then we paddled parallel to the shoreline. When it was time to come into shore, the waves gave us quite a ride! I really thought I was going to make it until a wave flipped me close to shore. As Urthbuoy knows, it's not one of my favourite things to bash around underwater while fumbling at a kayak skirt, and in the shallow breaking surf, there was no way I was going to succeed in a roll. But I got out and watched as 'Bent did the same thing in the surfski. Goose, whose whitewater canoe was the least well-suited for the conditions, floated over the waves and landed on the beach like a feather.

'Bent and I are on beautiful Lake Huron enjoying the excellent hospitality of Goose and Coach LD at their cottage.



After a tough weekend, it was tempting to take Coach LD up on her offer of a ride along the beach.



But foolishly, I'm entered in the Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race this Saturday so I needed some paddle training. Goose, 'Bent and I went along the lakeshore for a couple of kilometers than paddled up the Ausauble River and up the old channel into the middle of The Pinery park. It rained most of the time - pretty hard for awhile - but since we were wet from paddling anyway, it didn't matter.



The vegetation in the Pinery was so lush that I kept expecting to see alligators or boa constrictors!



On our return, Goose tested the surfski but the waves had died down so there wasn't much excitement.



If I race on Saturday, it will be the surfski's first event! The only reason I may not race is that I am still not wearing shoes due to a nasty blister on my big toe. Obviously, I'm not recovered from the Death Race yet but I feel pretty good aside from the toe.

Canadian Death race report is now posted on Sun. Aug. 5. It is long!

Arriving at Coach LD and Goose's cottage turned out to be training log-worthy. After parking the car, 'Bent and I paddled kayak and surfski to the portage while the Doughtys took our gear in their motorboat. Then as Goose walked along the beach, he *encouraged* us to go out into the big waves. I was in the surfski and it was great to get in some more paddling - until a wave broke over me and then I got to do some swimming. After that, I walked the surfski closer to shore and did some high-resistance water walking while dragging the boat through shallow water along the lakeshore until we got to the cottage.

A nice mixed training session. Always an adventure with the Doughtys!

I've won a 3-month Fitness Plus membership at Goodlife Fitness and am unable to use it. It needs to be redeemed by this Friday, Aug. 10. Anyone wanting to use it would need to make an appointment at their local club and take my letter and coupon. Depending on where you are, we'd figure out a way to get it to you.