Busy in the Winter?

I typically like to post once per week.  This avoids having to cover several details or events in one posting, which unfortunately, will transpire in this one...

I have this irrational image of winter in which I have little scheduled and I can spend the weekends with my feet up by the fire, reading or posting to the blog.  The reality is that I have extra chores (firewood, shovelling, blowing the laneway, minor house repairs, major house repairs), a few weekends are spent working (I help with physical inventory at Honda) and we still manage to sneak in a few races or scheduled fun runs.  The ironic aspect of this blog is that I have to leave soon, so this will be (for me) the Readers Digest version...

Creemore Snow Run

A small group came out to enjoy the mud and swollen streams.  The course is 7.5K, comprised of the first 6K of the Creemore Vertical Challenge and the final 1.5K.  I run it about twice per week as it is my short run, so I am used to the slick mud and swollen stream crossings.  Most winters, it is a taxing 7.5K, with a foot of snow on the trails and recovery on the roads.  This year, torrential rain on the day before the run converted the course into something bordering on not runnable.  Those that had weathered the 100 mile course on December 1 & 2 had this look in their eyes that indicated they were not ready to tackle unrelenting mud and treacherous stream crossings - again.  However, a key ingredient of runners is their adaptability.  Although conditions remained the same for the second loop, it seemed easier; almost fun.  I think it was all a matter of perspective!

Base Borden 50K

Base Borden hosts a free 50K run on the last Sunday of January and February.  Lee Anne and I gathered our courage (it was -15C) and headed out.  I had no intention of running 50K, but was hoping for a solid 20K - 30K.  I ended up completing 4 loops (20.8K) and was happy to stop as the course was starting to become slushy.  The course is run on roads with traffic, so it is necessary to run the shoulder when meeting traffic.  Many of the CFB Borden runners were on a cruise (Armand Leblanc, Lise Gagne, etc.) so there was a smaller group.  Ken Moon came out to see if his PF injury was getting better and was able to run 20.8K.  Hopefully he is on the road to recovery.  Get it?  On the road...  Never mind.

Lee Anne was the only one of us to complete the 50K, which took her some time in the slush.  Well done dear!

Coming soon:  Maple syrup season and the OTS/OUS Spring Warm-up

Yeah, this will have to wait for another day, but the SW will again be hosted in Dunedin, one of the most challenging areas in which to run.  I still recall someone asking a question at about 2.5K into the first hill, which happens to be about 3K long:  "Did Pierre design this course?  Oh, never mind"...

Feel the love!