Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Event: Storm the Trent
 

Storm the Trent Trek Elite

Paddle (42 min) We started on boats, and I was working hard in my sea kayak to keep up with the lead K1s and surf skis at my usual 9kph. Despite getting my kayak T-boned and cracked by a poorly steered canoe on the out-and-back, I finished within a minute or two of the lead boat.

Run (40 min) Next on to the run, where Logie caught up with me and we moved to the front. He pulled away gradually, but I had a good run doing 4:30s and got to the T/A in second place, leaving before the next team arrived.

Bike: I always dread bike nav on my 'bent. My map board can't be set to see the road and map at the same time so I need to tilt it, and it usually starts to fall over once I hit bumps. That doesn't exactly explain taking off on the route I'd highlighted *backwards* for a km or two before figuring out why nothing made sense. 7 minutes there allowed 3 teams to get ahead of me.

I worked hard on the bike and moved up to 3rd, but started to get a stitch in my side around the 2 hr mark, along with some leg cramps. Taking over 15 minutes to find the cp in a marsh allowed lots more teams to catch up, and I saw Bash just as I was leaving.

The rest of the bike nav went better than that, but I started to get more leg cramps and nausea, so it was a bit of a sufferfest. Couldn't get food down, but I had a Tums and e-caps. I saw Bash again a few more times as her more precise nav kept gaining a few minutes here and there, and she was riding well. My map board was misbehaving, but my special reading contacts and reading sunglasses worked OK.

At one point I had to get off the bike doubled over with cramps and tried to stretch it out and eat some cheese, which seemed to help.

The second trek section's nav went fine, but I still felt off. I moved up to third place there, but needed time to drink and take more food, tums and e-caps, so 3 teams left before me. We leapfrogged a bit on the final bike leg, but I was just running on the edge of heavy leg cramps and/or puking and they got a few minutes on me at the end.

Logie dominated, with a 35 minute lead over C-Spence's team in 2nd! Unfortunately I think Rob Miller DNF'ed with injury.

I finished about 6 minutes behind second place, 6th overall I think. I was second solo, and Bash was 5 minutes behind me, 3rd solo, looking fresh as a daisy! I almost had to wear the "My Wife Beats Me" shirt.

Even if I felt good I wouldn't have caught Logie, but with less dumb nav errors 2nd overall would have been feasible. Happy with my run and paddle, but I need to get more race-pace road biking in for sure.

As always, Sean's race runs like a Swiss watch. Fun day out, even if it was a sufferfest for me.

C • Wife beats me 4

Bike to work with bullet dog, her first ride since her minor surgery. She was completely full of beans. Maybe too much for her, so Bash had to pick her up by car and I rode home by myself.

Easy taper ride for Storm. Tough competition in the Trek Elite Solo Masters this year.

C • Tough Competition 5

Home gym workout 1, foot/kneehab, KB plus push-ups plus pull downs.

Noted that in lunges my lower core/ upper groin is still sore from a week and a half ago. Something to do with full extension when running with good form at a decent clip.

Note- this was dictated to my AttackPad.

Easy ride in with BZdog. He's so good with the bike.

*just* squeaked in between rain/ thunderstorms.

Bit soggy for my commute home BZdog. Not quite pitch dark before we got home.

Quick run to work with a remarkably well behaved Bazingadog. Slack leash!
Much better when he's not chasing a pack.

Solid run with BZdog. Extra Chalevoix hilly loop.

To work via short route then home via pond hill.
Knee is a touch sore, but my quads are really feeling the downhill braking behind BZdog Sunday.

OK, this is the best POV video ever. George Lucas has nothing on this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-_RHRAzUHM

Quick paddle on Island Lake. First time in the kayak this year.
Can't get my little sea kayak to cruise above 9kph without wrestling a moose, technique-wise.

Full on sprint bushwhack in Relax shoes and shorts after Bazingadog opened the door and escaped with his seatbelt harness on. He gave me the Armstrong Look and took off across the hills through the thick bush. Almost got him a few times but he gave me the doggy finger and took off again, then he finally came back to me. #@$%- missed his pre-run play date with Bunk.

Out with the SS gang + Harps, Hermes and G-stix. Bazingadog, Bunk and Kona's debuts. Bunk and BZdog get along perfectly, and we all carpooled from Oakville.

Even with his earlier exploits, BZdog hauled me like a machine for the first 10K unless we were out front, and had me doing 3:20 kms if I stopped to tie my shoe. So much for my plan to take it easy. It was really hard on my knee trying to brake him on the downhills, but he was better once we tired him out a bit.

Trav traded shoes for bike and chased us on the second half, when it was just the SS crew, BZ and Trix at a quicker pace. The fluffy dogs were feeling the heat more, so they went back the short route with the others.
BZdog and I were both lagging a bit on the final hill, but the big guy did well on his first long run at a respectable pace. I sure look forward to when/if he can go off leash.