Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Somehow, perhaps through hacking like crazy, I've injured my lower back, and have hardly been able to walk the last 2 days. Isuppose it could have been from skiing or some very easy core exercises, but I doubt it as I did both of those s-o-o-o gently. I'm hoping I've just strained something and not damaged a disk.Work was pretty tough yesterday. I had a visit with thumbs-of-death who I thought could fix it with a few adjustments, but it's no better so far.

Kind of ironic to do all that running with canoes on my head, carrying my recumbent up cliffs in the dark,160km ski marathons with a pack on, hundreds of weight workouts, and I manage to hurt my back on a week when I'm taking it very easy.

Still have the nasty cold too, and now the coughing's really painful. Not a great start to being 44, even if it does let me skip another CP in Tomass after January.

The good news is that I'm not missing out on any skiing or biking, and it's the very best time of the year to be both sick and injured. Hopefully I'll be perfectly healthy next time it's ski-able.

The other good news is that Bash can bake! Who knew? Double-chocolate oatmeal cookies! I feel better every time I eat one. Maybe if I eat the entire pile I'll be cured.

C • 11

Rather lethargic workout, but better than nothing. Definitely not up to Tomass.

My lower back's a bit stiff from yesterday's easy ski, or some feeble core exercises yesterday too.

Despite a night spent hacking away, the conditions are just too good to sit at home moping. Great ski with Bash and the beasts, even if I felt weak and slow.

No Tomass for me though! I could walk the course, but just can't get myself to plod through it and finish wa-a-ay back. I suspect I'd push too hard and really get sick.

Lets face it, I count on more speed than smarts, and I'm not even all that speedy compared to the *real* orienteers.

Heck with my hacking cold, I went skiing anway. Just took it a bit easy. OK, quite easy. You know, I love mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking and trail running, but there is nothing better than skiing under blue skies in perfect powder through snow-covered trees in rolling hardwood forest. Even better with Bash, and Bulletdog and a newly revitalized Thunderdog who made snow angels.

Sounds like tomorrow will be the last ski day before the next thaw, so I'm going if it kills me. Um, well, you know.

You know I'm feeling like crap when there's fresh snow out for the first time this season and I don't ski to work. Supposed to be even more tomorrow.

Oh well, I still have more of a voice than poor Bash, who's been in bed since the THI party.

Really nice clear morning for a ride to work, but I'm going to take a pass and not get too much worse with my cold.

Easy commute- may be one of the last bike rides before the trails get mucky or hopefully too snowy to ride.

Note- I think I'm getting Bash's cold:( Oh well, I'm due for some time off training anyway.

Ride home- a rainy dark and cold night. Lovely!
Bulletdog thought venison should be on the menu, but slammed on the brakes when I yelled at her.

Cool down after the final sprint up the last hill at the THI course.

I am the official course vetter for Bash's Tree Hugger Invitational adventure run. It's bigger, better and badder than last year. It's still score-o format, with a lot more CPs and a better map, as well as an interesting twist I'll just call the Salty Stephen challenge. 480M of vertical too.

Considering I know this area better than anywhere else, Bash still managed to get me into places I've never been before. All the CPs were in precisely the correct location, and all are reasonably obvious- no basketball sized rocks or re-entrants the size of bathtubs.
CPs were in less obvious spots than last year with the new improved map, and some light bush-bashing is needed. The SS challenge was interesting, and I think many racers will do it different ways.

The race length should be good too. The limit's 2:00. I took 2:08 to get all CPs, since I needed to check them all, but I thought I'd be cute and took a "shortcut" through a swamp- I managed to run the optimum worst route, which may well have cost me 8 minutes, so it could be do-able for me in 2 hours. Last year I got all CPs in under 2 hours, so this year's definitely longer. I got all the bonus points without studying too hard. Perhaps I should get an extra bonus for juggling a map, clue sheet, pen, compass and leash connected to a frisky dog at times, while wearing gloves.

I think Bash may be correct in that certain rather quick and smart orienteers may come in at 1:30.

Bottom line- great course, plenty of challenge for most of us, excellent use of the terrain.

I should have biked! The muck on the trails was frozen solid this morning, and it would have been a nice ride. Oh well, nice brisk morning for a hike. I hear the lucky buggers in Barrie can ski today!

A nice jog home by headlamp and moonlight with Bulletdog on leash.

Workout #2. Went a little lighter on the Quad exercises, but I seem to be almost back to normal, or as close as I get.

What a princess! I'm still moving s-l-o-w-ly after RTH, but would have been late for work if I didn't at least jog. Uphill wasn't so bad, but downhill I'd give a 4 for aching quads, even though it's a 1 for cardio. Whazzup? Why no sore muscles in the last 7 adventure runs and now this? And to add to the confusion, my lousy knee is fine.

Bulletdog and I arrived at work looking like a pair of drowned rats. Still, I'd rather run (jog? shuffle?) in pouring rain on trails in the dark than deal with summer smog.

OK, I'd rather not run home at 9PM in a thunderstorm with a high wind warning and gusts to 90kph! I drove home.

A recovery waddle home from work with T-dog, hoping to work off some very sore quads. Funny thing, mainly the downhills are killing me. What a princess! Bash's finding it quite amusing. I guess I need to train more with kamikaze-descending on steep terrain. I definitely did something different in RTH this time:(.

Event: Raid the Hammer
 

Raid the Hammer as the Crash, Bash and 'Bent Tree Huggers. See Bash's report. I switched to my Susitnas because they have screws in the soles for better traction, once I saw the map!
We had a much nicer day than forecast. The course was absolutely fantastic- hitting just about every scenic spot possible (and most of the hills). We've raced here several times, but it just keeps getting better.

I had pushed hard by myself in the first matrix and up some of the hills in the butterfly section, as I thought we'd be going pretty slow later on. Wrong. Although I towed where possible, Bash was really moving off-trail.
We were having a really good run, despite an error of at least 5 minutes I made in the second Matrix, until the infamous boo-boo at CP5D.
Still, I thought we ran well, despite Barb's knee. Crash ran a great race, her first RTH, and did some towing including up the dreaded Molson Mountain Climb. Also no penalties, thanks to our accurate Bash.

C • 7

A brisk hike with the beasts to taper for tomorrow's RTH. Really nice day!

Workout # 1 + core workout.

I was going to set up my trainer, but I got home just in time to head out in the reminants of the nice sunshine for a buzz around Palgrave. I'm enjoying my new 'bent (bike) before the rain and snow set in.

Hmm, first run in a bit of snow for the season. I forgot how much I like bundling up and running in crisp cold. Running trails with a headlamp seems so normal now!
The knee's still a bit odd, but seems better.

This was going to be a hike to work so I didn't bug my knee further after Thumbs-of-Death worked on it, but T-dog had other ideas, so it was more of a jog/hike.

I was on track to finish my run to work too early, so I took an extended loop. Despite the weird-feeling knee, the legs seem to be fairly fast.

Workout #3

Bulletdog and I felt good on this nice crisp morning, so we took a longer route. Had to move a few fallen trees after yesterday's howler.

Easy ride home by headamp, trying not to wrap bulletdog around trees.

Workout #2.

My right knee has been pretty sore recently, and yesterday's run didn't seem to help it any. A soak in Hammer's hot tub while watching his neighbour's willow tree threaten to fall on us seems to have helped.

I've been on courses downtown in a basement for the last 2 nice days, so I finally had a good solid trot to Palgrave and run around the red trail.
Bulletdog was slower than usual, given that she was running with Bash this AM, and when it started to pour she looked at me like "you've got to be kidding!".

Rode down to my environmental meeting today. The legs felt good, and I made good time, even though it was pitch black out.

Dunno if it's the new bike or the drumsticks, but I set a PB on the way home today, which is unusual considering I usually ride this in daylight. I had a straight, dark, boring rail trail, a good light and good legs, and just put the hammer down. I didn't realize how hard I was going until I downloaded today.
Took 3' less than the ride there, even though this way ends with lots of uphill.

My PB includes a slow start/warm up, but I did cool down a bit.

Workout # 1 & extra stretching for my left knee, which is getting a bit sore.

Took both beasts today. I thought T-dog would be slower after her surgery and allowed more time, but she set a farily quick pace so we went a bit longer than I expected.

Ran to work and threw in some hard intervals and hills on a longer loop than usual. Oy.

This time I got to run in the last bit of daylight, and only needed my headlamp for the last 1/3 or so. Easier to run with bulletdog on leash than to bike that way.

Wildlife for Bash- 5 deer in the same field where I saw glowing eyes yesterday evening.