Training Log Archive: 'Bent

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.

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