Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Salomon Adventure Challenge Champs - Bark Lake

SAC Champs with Bash and 3Pin. See Bash's log.

Once again, I felt sick the day before- shaky, weak and tired. I figured I'd start and bail if need be, rather than drop out first. After 4 hours of sleep I felt a little more human, and once we got started almost 3 hrs late I wasn't too bad.
We had a fairly reasonable first trek, but had to cross some marsh up to our knees, then hips, then necks- at 0C. From there we ran ridges, and met The Padre and the Hunger lads there. Once on roads, 3Pin was running hard and able to tow well. I helped on the hills a bit, but still wasn't feeling all that strong.

At TA1 Geoff told us we're about 35th. We launched behind Hunger, just ahead of Dave Zeitsma and his Women's Will, and Lo-Roe's team. At the first portage 3Pin whacked the yokeless boat on his head, where he had his glasses, so he looked pretty scary with a lot of gore running down his face. When Dave Z jogged his boat past us I somehow felt better, and took ours from 3Pin and ran past Dave and Hunger. Bash was cold but we paddled well, and passed another few teams on portages, finally catching up to LeAnimal and her Divas. The fall colours were astounding!

Next on the bikes, where Bash did some rock-solid nav through snowmobile trails of sand and muck, and some nice gravel roads. The 'Bent was a bit of a pain to bikewhack through deadfall, but fine overall. We discovered to our surprise that we were 9th at a CP, and that lit a fire under us.

We had enough warm clothes and good lights that we did the advanced trek. We saw ESAR, a co-ed team that could knock us off the podium, but they took the same wrong turn we did. After that, Bash's nav was right on. We ended up in a footrace with STORM, with 3Pin towing a reluctant Bash like a team of huskies, but they got us by 20 seconds. 5th co-ed and 9th overall. Hunger was 10th, and Lo-Roe 11. Scary story about LeAnimal getting her leg in a bear trap and her teammate mashing fingers to extract her, but that sort of trivial incident wouldn't keep the Divas from 6th.

A lot of good teams came staggering in in the dark after the course closed, including ESAR. Lots of others skipped advanced as they were cold and didn't have dry stuff, so this was a good Tree Hugger race- Come from behind with nav and attrition rather than a hammer-fest. Nice way to end the season.

Bah! Heading off to the SAC champs, and I think I've gotten a different chest cold just in time. :(
I feel pretty weak- just like the Rogaine.

Workout #1

Easy jog to work with T-dog.

I was going to jog home in the dark with T-dog, but a raging thunderstorm convinced us to hitch a ride with one of my kindly staff, who wouldn't want to see a dog out in that.

Nice fall commute. Perhaps I'll take the longer route home.

Biked home via the Red Dog and a bit of the Charlevoix trail.

Bulletdog and I took the long route home to avoid the deep woods on a very windy day.

Hard Core Monday

Running in the Don Valley

Hill intervals on the 2 minute hill coming out of the Don Valley trail South of Earl Bales.