Okay, I'm sick again. Last time I crewed for Lee Anne it was the stomach flu. This time, the regular flu. I've been running a fever for 2 days. I know that no one likes being sick, but I totally resent 2 days of down time. Such a waste, and I have some important tasks that should be completed before long. It is snowing heavily and I have yet to attach the snow blower to the tractor. My car still has summer tires... Not happy!
Speaking of not happy, Lee Anne's 100 mile attempt did not end well. At 100+ km, she started having problems with nausea and felt tired. Lee Anne tired? At 9:00 PM? Wow. A 20 minute nap did not wake her up and by 110K, she had lost the ability and desire to keep running. I believe the heat and humidity were a big factor. Although 82F is "cool" by Florida standards, Lee Anne has been running in 5C temps up here in Canada. I think she pushed too hard when she should have taken a few breaks. Oh well, live and learn.
The Icarus Florida Ultrafest should do very well in future years. The RD's are very accommodating, the course is ideal for PB's and the location is decent. Yes, there are improvements that can be made, but for its inaugural year, the IFU was impressive.
I am waiting to get better, then back to building the sunroom. I am painting the trim and preparing to lay the floor. Hopefully completion will be next week.
Cheers!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Lee Anne's Exercise Room
For those of you who have visited my house (if you ran Creemore Vertical Challenge, the answer is yes) you might recall an oddly shaped sunroom attached to the house. It was originally intend to be used during the warmer seasons. I know, in Creemore there is 2 weeks of hot weather during the summer (also known as the CVC) and snow. By "warmer", I mean Spring, Summer and Fall. Not winter. The room's role evolved into a combination mudroom and exercise room, 4 seasons per year. Unfortunately, it was not insulated to CWS (Creemore Winter Standards). A draining battle ensued, pitting an overtaxed Napolean wood stove against the elements. Strike II was made manifest due to a engineering oversight. If the room was heated in the winter, snow on the roof would melt and since there was only 5 inches of room for flashing above the roof and below the bedroom windows, you got it! Roof rot. When the snow was more than 2 feet high on the roof, it would back-seep (new word, please move on) above the flashing and rot the plywood. When I removed the metal roof 2 weeks ago, the plywood fell to the floor!
Which is a bit of a segue for the latest project, replacing the sunroom with an exercise room. Let's face it, I live in a small house. By Canadian standards, I have a big garage. Since the house is an A-frame, an addition is problematic. The house is big enough for the two of us, but Lee Anne suggested that we convert the sunroom into an exercise room. I love building. I'm lousy at it, but love it nonetheless. Tomorrow I am helping master carpenter Csaba with a project in Mississauga. He knows I am lousy at carpentry, but I think he enjoys my jokes. He is actually willing to pay me, so I now consider myself to be a professional comedian. Let's move on.
The conversion is simple. Tear down the sunroom and build on almost the identical footprint. One change point is that the new room's roof is built up to the roof of our bedroom on the second story. The ceiling in the exercise room is 14 feet high! This should eliminate the leaky roof. I will have pictures soon. The outside is painted (board and baton) and I have taped and applied the first coat of drywall mud on the inside.
I might have a better date for the CVC! I can't divulged further details at this point, as the date change involves changes at other races that are not finalized. I thought I should mention something as I have told many people that the decision on CVC would be made in early November. Other changes are in the works, but they should wait until the big decision (to hold the race or nay) is made.
Icarus Ultrafest
Here we go again! Lee Anne will run 100 miles once more. The venue this time is in Florida; a new multi-day event that is drawing attention from the mega-ultra runners all over. Definition: A mega-ultra is someone that considers running for 6 days to be perfectly normal behaviour. Yes, there is another description - please, let's move on. Lee Anne will start running at 07:00 Thursday November 13 and hopefully finish Friday, circa 10:00.
My running has taken a back seat to the exercise room project. I have only run once since the Canlake 50K. I was holding a sheet of plywood above my head. When I grabbed the nail gun, a gust of wind blew the plywood over my head and the edge caught my calves. Big ouch. My left calf turned yellow down to my ankle. Perhaps giving it some time to heal was a good idea.
But let's talk about hypothermia. I studied the weather charts carefully and today was the perfect day to drive the tractor up to the property. We have 92 acres near Blue Mountain, where we make maple syrup. I had bought 3 totes - large plastic containers, to hold sap. Two of the totes hold 1200 litres each, so they don't fit in my Civic, hence the tractor trip. It was supposed to be sunny with a high of 9. Wrong! It was cloudy - it actually rained at one point, and it reached 4 degrees at the property. Let's make this interesting. I replaced a 1,000 litre tote with one of the 1200 litre totes, which is taller. Problem: The 4 main lines terminating at the tote are at a specific height and I cannot re-string them without days of effort, so I dug down until the top of the new tote was at the same height as the old tote. I was standing in water (it had rained since ^$#& April in this area). The trip home, sitting on a tractor exposed to the elements was a study in hypothermia. I get home and the fire is out and someone (hint: not me) has left a window open. A balmy 15 degree inside...
That's it for now. I'll endeavor to take and post pictures of the exercise room and the Icarus Ultrafest.
Happy birthday Lee Anne (November 6)!
Which is a bit of a segue for the latest project, replacing the sunroom with an exercise room. Let's face it, I live in a small house. By Canadian standards, I have a big garage. Since the house is an A-frame, an addition is problematic. The house is big enough for the two of us, but Lee Anne suggested that we convert the sunroom into an exercise room. I love building. I'm lousy at it, but love it nonetheless. Tomorrow I am helping master carpenter Csaba with a project in Mississauga. He knows I am lousy at carpentry, but I think he enjoys my jokes. He is actually willing to pay me, so I now consider myself to be a professional comedian. Let's move on.
The conversion is simple. Tear down the sunroom and build on almost the identical footprint. One change point is that the new room's roof is built up to the roof of our bedroom on the second story. The ceiling in the exercise room is 14 feet high! This should eliminate the leaky roof. I will have pictures soon. The outside is painted (board and baton) and I have taped and applied the first coat of drywall mud on the inside.
I might have a better date for the CVC! I can't divulged further details at this point, as the date change involves changes at other races that are not finalized. I thought I should mention something as I have told many people that the decision on CVC would be made in early November. Other changes are in the works, but they should wait until the big decision (to hold the race or nay) is made.
Icarus Ultrafest
Here we go again! Lee Anne will run 100 miles once more. The venue this time is in Florida; a new multi-day event that is drawing attention from the mega-ultra runners all over. Definition: A mega-ultra is someone that considers running for 6 days to be perfectly normal behaviour. Yes, there is another description - please, let's move on. Lee Anne will start running at 07:00 Thursday November 13 and hopefully finish Friday, circa 10:00.
My running has taken a back seat to the exercise room project. I have only run once since the Canlake 50K. I was holding a sheet of plywood above my head. When I grabbed the nail gun, a gust of wind blew the plywood over my head and the edge caught my calves. Big ouch. My left calf turned yellow down to my ankle. Perhaps giving it some time to heal was a good idea.
But let's talk about hypothermia. I studied the weather charts carefully and today was the perfect day to drive the tractor up to the property. We have 92 acres near Blue Mountain, where we make maple syrup. I had bought 3 totes - large plastic containers, to hold sap. Two of the totes hold 1200 litres each, so they don't fit in my Civic, hence the tractor trip. It was supposed to be sunny with a high of 9. Wrong! It was cloudy - it actually rained at one point, and it reached 4 degrees at the property. Let's make this interesting. I replaced a 1,000 litre tote with one of the 1200 litre totes, which is taller. Problem: The 4 main lines terminating at the tote are at a specific height and I cannot re-string them without days of effort, so I dug down until the top of the new tote was at the same height as the old tote. I was standing in water (it had rained since ^$#& April in this area). The trip home, sitting on a tractor exposed to the elements was a study in hypothermia. I get home and the fire is out and someone (hint: not me) has left a window open. A balmy 15 degree inside...
That's it for now. I'll endeavor to take and post pictures of the exercise room and the Icarus Ultrafest.
Happy birthday Lee Anne (November 6)!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Canlake 50K Race Report
To start, there is a humorous side to statistics, especially when applied to a small audience blog such as mine. Currently there are almost as many people that have viewed my blog from the Ukraine, as the USA. And both countries are not far behind Canada! I have seen China be the #1 country viewing my blog, although this doesn't surprise me. Let's say that 0.01% of the Chinese search on a topical keyword that I wrote in my blog, and 10% drill down far enough to "view" my blog. That would be 13,000 hits!
I always wondered what would happen if I deliberately added keywords such as "Rob Ford party pictures" or "George Clooney wedding pictures". Hmm. I guess I just did! I'll let you know if there is some gargantuan hit. Probably Rob and George are going to phone and ask me to cease and desist, again.
One more item before the Canlake 50 RR, which is totally about running (yes, amen). There are 30,000,000,000 lady bugs (okay, the Japanese beetle thingy - whatever) outside my house as I type. It is 2:00 PM and I should be chopping wood, but I spent the morning cutting trees up at the property and I am dead tired. My excuse for delaying is that I should not open a door. Someone should write a horror novel about lady bugs.
Canandaigua Lake 50
Details:
The Canlake 50 is a 50K and 50M race. The 50M route follows paved roads around the Canandaigua Lake. I think I know where they obtained the race name. The 50K starts at about the 30K point of the 50M race. The race is very well organized and friendly to newbies, those who want pacers and/or crew. There is a pre-race pasta meal as well as a post-race sandwich.
Be warned; there are hills. Recall who is writing this! On the 50M, there are 4 major climbs, with impressively steep descents. Lee Anne's time was slower than her 50M at Sulphur Springs (a trail race), so Canlake 50 is not a good course to break your PB. The hills on the 50K are less pronounced, but expect a couple of walking breaks...
The scenery is epic, with low mountains (big hills?) surrounding the course resplendent in fall colours. The lake is charming and provides a wonderful backdrop to the mountains. The aid stations have typical food for short ultras (no cooking facilities normally found at 24/48/72 hour races) and were well stocked. I have to admit that I partook of their gels, as they were readily available at most stations and can be expensive!
Lee Anne's Race:
Not much to talk about. Her plan was to use the 50M as a training run 4 weeks before her 100 mile race. I had asked her to push medium-hard on the first 50K, then back it off for the last 30K. The idea was to train her legs to run "sore" for 30K. Her target finish time was 11 hours. At no point was Lee Anne tired or in trouble. She ran the 50M without incident in 10:44 and had "legs left" at the end. Well done dear!
Oil Creek 100 was on the same weekend and although I don't have the full story yet, it was particularly hard on many of the Canadian women! Elise MacGuire was 4th women overall and Dale Draaistra and Ken Niemimaa did very well. Although Dawn Hamel finished, her knee looks very bad after falling down a cliff. Maryka Hladki and Jodi Langely were involved in some freak accident involving a UFO. I could be wrong about this, but both had to drop. Here is hoping that everyone recovers well and the abductions stop!
Pierre's Race:
The Horror, the Horror
As might be apparent from above, I was very impressed with the race organization and execution. We received periodic emails with any and all last minute changes and information that needed reiteration. Having sad that, I don't like road races. The pavement causes me considerable grief, especially to my knees and ultimately my back.
The plan was very simple. Without adequate training, I would be running slowly and walking all hills. Little did I know how slowly I would run and that I would be forced to walk the downhills!
The first 20K was enjoyable as I ran with a fellow from France who worked for Fairmont Hotels. I just checked the results - we had talked after the race and I am sure he said he finished in 6:14, but cannot find a 50 year old male from BC on the results. Thus his name escapes me! Our pace was a bit faster than I would have liked, but slower than 6:00/K, so nothing debilitating.
At 20K, the knee that I had surgery on in 2012 starting making some very strange squeaks. For those knee surgery aficionados, it was not a "good" squeak, but a "bad" squeak. Possibly a "very very bad" squeak. One problematic outcome of knee surgery is that when the knee starts to complain, I really don't know if I should listen, or simply up the Ibuprofen. I had thoughts that finishing the race might also finish my running career. Quandary.
The running conditions were ideal. For running. I was comfortably cool in shorts and a fall running jacket. Stopping would have put me into hypothermia. Again. I decided to continue to the 25K aid station and see what transpired. I also did 2 Ibuprofen and started walking the downhills. Sadly, nothing helped. The knee continued to complain and I also noted some restriction when moving (bending or straightening) the knee. Hmm.
At 25K I decided that stopping was the more intelligent choice, then continued running. I can hear you yelling, but you are too late. Yes, I ignored the correct decision and yes, I know that you know I didn't start running last week. Here is my logic:
1. I didn't want to freeze to death. This is actually quite low on my wish list. I equated a DNF with hypothermia.
2. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if this was my last chance to run 50K. If my knee is shot, I might as well continue. Note: I have not gone for a run since the race. Although the knee is feeling better, this might still be the case.
3. I'm an optimist. If everything was fine, I would be seen as wimping out. Again.
At about 32K, I was too tired to walk the downhills, so I started running them and walking the uphills. Due to my breathtakingly slow speed, this did not adversely affect my knees. However, running on pavement for the first time since Niagara 50K, my back and left ankle injuries kicked in full bore. Yeehaa! Let's ride that Ibuprofen!
With more walking breaks, my finishing time was 7:01, 32 minutes slower than my previous PW.
Reflection items:
Experience is not a substitute for training.
Avoid long races on pavement
Avoid races on pavement
Avoid long races (this is likely...)
I should go chop some wood
I always wondered what would happen if I deliberately added keywords such as "Rob Ford party pictures" or "George Clooney wedding pictures". Hmm. I guess I just did! I'll let you know if there is some gargantuan hit. Probably Rob and George are going to phone and ask me to cease and desist, again.
One more item before the Canlake 50 RR, which is totally about running (yes, amen). There are 30,000,000,000 lady bugs (okay, the Japanese beetle thingy - whatever) outside my house as I type. It is 2:00 PM and I should be chopping wood, but I spent the morning cutting trees up at the property and I am dead tired. My excuse for delaying is that I should not open a door. Someone should write a horror novel about lady bugs.
Canandaigua Lake 50
Details:
The Canlake 50 is a 50K and 50M race. The 50M route follows paved roads around the Canandaigua Lake. I think I know where they obtained the race name. The 50K starts at about the 30K point of the 50M race. The race is very well organized and friendly to newbies, those who want pacers and/or crew. There is a pre-race pasta meal as well as a post-race sandwich.
Be warned; there are hills. Recall who is writing this! On the 50M, there are 4 major climbs, with impressively steep descents. Lee Anne's time was slower than her 50M at Sulphur Springs (a trail race), so Canlake 50 is not a good course to break your PB. The hills on the 50K are less pronounced, but expect a couple of walking breaks...
The scenery is epic, with low mountains (big hills?) surrounding the course resplendent in fall colours. The lake is charming and provides a wonderful backdrop to the mountains. The aid stations have typical food for short ultras (no cooking facilities normally found at 24/48/72 hour races) and were well stocked. I have to admit that I partook of their gels, as they were readily available at most stations and can be expensive!
Lee Anne's Race:
Not much to talk about. Her plan was to use the 50M as a training run 4 weeks before her 100 mile race. I had asked her to push medium-hard on the first 50K, then back it off for the last 30K. The idea was to train her legs to run "sore" for 30K. Her target finish time was 11 hours. At no point was Lee Anne tired or in trouble. She ran the 50M without incident in 10:44 and had "legs left" at the end. Well done dear!
Oil Creek 100 was on the same weekend and although I don't have the full story yet, it was particularly hard on many of the Canadian women! Elise MacGuire was 4th women overall and Dale Draaistra and Ken Niemimaa did very well. Although Dawn Hamel finished, her knee looks very bad after falling down a cliff. Maryka Hladki and Jodi Langely were involved in some freak accident involving a UFO. I could be wrong about this, but both had to drop. Here is hoping that everyone recovers well and the abductions stop!
Pierre's Race:
The Horror, the Horror
As might be apparent from above, I was very impressed with the race organization and execution. We received periodic emails with any and all last minute changes and information that needed reiteration. Having sad that, I don't like road races. The pavement causes me considerable grief, especially to my knees and ultimately my back.
The plan was very simple. Without adequate training, I would be running slowly and walking all hills. Little did I know how slowly I would run and that I would be forced to walk the downhills!
The first 20K was enjoyable as I ran with a fellow from France who worked for Fairmont Hotels. I just checked the results - we had talked after the race and I am sure he said he finished in 6:14, but cannot find a 50 year old male from BC on the results. Thus his name escapes me! Our pace was a bit faster than I would have liked, but slower than 6:00/K, so nothing debilitating.
At 20K, the knee that I had surgery on in 2012 starting making some very strange squeaks. For those knee surgery aficionados, it was not a "good" squeak, but a "bad" squeak. Possibly a "very very bad" squeak. One problematic outcome of knee surgery is that when the knee starts to complain, I really don't know if I should listen, or simply up the Ibuprofen. I had thoughts that finishing the race might also finish my running career. Quandary.
The running conditions were ideal. For running. I was comfortably cool in shorts and a fall running jacket. Stopping would have put me into hypothermia. Again. I decided to continue to the 25K aid station and see what transpired. I also did 2 Ibuprofen and started walking the downhills. Sadly, nothing helped. The knee continued to complain and I also noted some restriction when moving (bending or straightening) the knee. Hmm.
At 25K I decided that stopping was the more intelligent choice, then continued running. I can hear you yelling, but you are too late. Yes, I ignored the correct decision and yes, I know that you know I didn't start running last week. Here is my logic:
1. I didn't want to freeze to death. This is actually quite low on my wish list. I equated a DNF with hypothermia.
2. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if this was my last chance to run 50K. If my knee is shot, I might as well continue. Note: I have not gone for a run since the race. Although the knee is feeling better, this might still be the case.
3. I'm an optimist. If everything was fine, I would be seen as wimping out. Again.
At about 32K, I was too tired to walk the downhills, so I started running them and walking the uphills. Due to my breathtakingly slow speed, this did not adversely affect my knees. However, running on pavement for the first time since Niagara 50K, my back and left ankle injuries kicked in full bore. Yeehaa! Let's ride that Ibuprofen!
With more walking breaks, my finishing time was 7:01, 32 minutes slower than my previous PW.
Reflection items:
Experience is not a substitute for training.
Avoid long races on pavement
Avoid races on pavement
Avoid long races (this is likely...)
I should go chop some wood
Sunday, September 28, 2014
I'm not Happy with Beavers...
Before I start my rant, I should mention a bit more about Lee Anne's 100K at the Pine Creek Challenge on September 6. The scenery around Pennsylvania is spectacular! One problem with using the GPS lady in my car is that she lulls you into a mid-grade stupor. You stop paying attention to the road, because she is in fact driving the car for you. This may not be entirely accurate, so don't set cruise and lower your seat back for a quick nap...
So, I'm admiring the scenery and half-listening to the driving directions when I notice a sign ahead indicating that I am 10 miles from the Grand Canyon. Hmm. I'm fairly certain the Grand Canyon is time zones away from Pennsylvania, so I thought perhaps I would pay closer attention to where I was for a few minutes, before lapsing back into my stupor. Apparently, there is a different Grand Canyon in Pennsylvania! This came somewhat as a relief!
Lee Anne's plan for the 100K challenge (it is actually not a race!) was to treat it as a training run for her upcoming 100 mile race. She is hoping to return to Phoenix in December to address some unfinished business with an age category Canadian record. So, Lee Anne ran the 100K at what will hopefully be her 100 mile pace. Although slow, I was quite impressed by her constant pace. Lee Anne finished the 100K in 14:09, which would be about perfect for the first 100K in a 100 mile record attempt. More importantly, she still had some gas in the tank at the end. The aid station volunteers and I got a bit of a chuckle from Lee Anne when she pass us at the 95K point and loudly declared that after the race, she would like to go to Subway and get a sub. This is not the first thing I would have expected her to say! It also indicated that she was not "hurting" as most humans should be, after having run 95K!
On to the rant...
When I was young, I was a farmer. Okay, to be perfectly clear, I worked on a farm. I tossed 30,000 square bales of hay into a few barns each summer. I grew the crops and wrestled the bulls. So, it has been a little vexing that I have had continuous issues with growing vegetables in my garden. I wouldn't call the results pathetic, but definitely not bountiful.
I retired last May. I vowed to correct the gardening issues come hell or high water! (Note: I live on the Mad river, so high water is a realistic issue. The garden has been under water on several occasions) Step 1: Using the tractor, I put 3 tonnes of manure in the garden. I expected more weeds, but was pleasantly surprised at how few extra weeds showed up. The manure made a significant difference to the garden! We had tomatoes coming out the yingyang. The potatoes actually grew! Many cucumbers and peppers. This was all very nice, but I don't eat many vegetables. However, I do like carrots. I plant a lot of carrots. I spent hours (days?) weeding my 10 rows of carrots. This year, they were fantastic. Bumper crop! 4 rows were consumed over the summer and tasted sweet and wonderful. 6 rows I was holding back for the fall and over-winter storage. I have not over-wintered carrots in 30 years. I was pumped! Until the #^%@% beavers intervened...
I don't like beavers. These overweight rats are very industrious, but lack any sense of proportion. I have a 100 foot poplar tree that is 4 feet in diameter at the base. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed the beavers had been chewing it. Seriously? You are going to chew through 4 feet of tree? Get a life, buddy! Fortunately, they have abandoned their poplar quest (perhaps it was unpopular). They found something much more annoying to do. While Lee Anne and I where in Florida, the #^%^# beavers harvested all 6 rows of carrots. Normally, the deer eat the carrot greens at this time of year, which is no big deal; I can dig up the carrots. No. The beavers (there is 2 foot wide muddy trail from the carrots to the Mad river) dug up all the carrots and hauled them away. I didn't even know that beavers ate carrots! I'm calmer now, but earlier I had visions of dynamite and beaver bits flying everywhere.
I'm still not happy.
And so we are now preparing for the Run For the Toad race. Lee Anne is running the 25K, but since we have the Can Lake 50 the following week, I am relegated to being a volunteer. Even running the short race (25K) would adversely impact my 50K at Canlake. George and Peggy Sarson put so much effort into their race, it is important to be a part of their enterprise. If you are attending Canada's largest trail race, please stop to say hello. I will be handing out race kits on Friday, at registration early Saturday morning, then at the start/finish during the race.
I still remember handing Ellie Greenwood her Toad duffel bag. I think I behaved myself...
Hope to see you at the Toad!
So, I'm admiring the scenery and half-listening to the driving directions when I notice a sign ahead indicating that I am 10 miles from the Grand Canyon. Hmm. I'm fairly certain the Grand Canyon is time zones away from Pennsylvania, so I thought perhaps I would pay closer attention to where I was for a few minutes, before lapsing back into my stupor. Apparently, there is a different Grand Canyon in Pennsylvania! This came somewhat as a relief!
Lee Anne's plan for the 100K challenge (it is actually not a race!) was to treat it as a training run for her upcoming 100 mile race. She is hoping to return to Phoenix in December to address some unfinished business with an age category Canadian record. So, Lee Anne ran the 100K at what will hopefully be her 100 mile pace. Although slow, I was quite impressed by her constant pace. Lee Anne finished the 100K in 14:09, which would be about perfect for the first 100K in a 100 mile record attempt. More importantly, she still had some gas in the tank at the end. The aid station volunteers and I got a bit of a chuckle from Lee Anne when she pass us at the 95K point and loudly declared that after the race, she would like to go to Subway and get a sub. This is not the first thing I would have expected her to say! It also indicated that she was not "hurting" as most humans should be, after having run 95K!
On to the rant...
When I was young, I was a farmer. Okay, to be perfectly clear, I worked on a farm. I tossed 30,000 square bales of hay into a few barns each summer. I grew the crops and wrestled the bulls. So, it has been a little vexing that I have had continuous issues with growing vegetables in my garden. I wouldn't call the results pathetic, but definitely not bountiful.
I retired last May. I vowed to correct the gardening issues come hell or high water! (Note: I live on the Mad river, so high water is a realistic issue. The garden has been under water on several occasions) Step 1: Using the tractor, I put 3 tonnes of manure in the garden. I expected more weeds, but was pleasantly surprised at how few extra weeds showed up. The manure made a significant difference to the garden! We had tomatoes coming out the yingyang. The potatoes actually grew! Many cucumbers and peppers. This was all very nice, but I don't eat many vegetables. However, I do like carrots. I plant a lot of carrots. I spent hours (days?) weeding my 10 rows of carrots. This year, they were fantastic. Bumper crop! 4 rows were consumed over the summer and tasted sweet and wonderful. 6 rows I was holding back for the fall and over-winter storage. I have not over-wintered carrots in 30 years. I was pumped! Until the #^%@% beavers intervened...
I don't like beavers. These overweight rats are very industrious, but lack any sense of proportion. I have a 100 foot poplar tree that is 4 feet in diameter at the base. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed the beavers had been chewing it. Seriously? You are going to chew through 4 feet of tree? Get a life, buddy! Fortunately, they have abandoned their poplar quest (perhaps it was unpopular). They found something much more annoying to do. While Lee Anne and I where in Florida, the #^%^# beavers harvested all 6 rows of carrots. Normally, the deer eat the carrot greens at this time of year, which is no big deal; I can dig up the carrots. No. The beavers (there is 2 foot wide muddy trail from the carrots to the Mad river) dug up all the carrots and hauled them away. I didn't even know that beavers ate carrots! I'm calmer now, but earlier I had visions of dynamite and beaver bits flying everywhere.
I'm still not happy.
And so we are now preparing for the Run For the Toad race. Lee Anne is running the 25K, but since we have the Can Lake 50 the following week, I am relegated to being a volunteer. Even running the short race (25K) would adversely impact my 50K at Canlake. George and Peggy Sarson put so much effort into their race, it is important to be a part of their enterprise. If you are attending Canada's largest trail race, please stop to say hello. I will be handing out race kits on Friday, at registration early Saturday morning, then at the start/finish during the race.
I still remember handing Ellie Greenwood her Toad duffel bag. I think I behaved myself...
Hope to see you at the Toad!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Outrunning a Beagle
Had a successful day. It started with a slow leak in my front right tire. That was not the successful part. I plugged it (the hole is near the sidewall) but it continued to leak. I had a great idea and put in a second plug. Still leaking! I noticed at this point that the sidewall was starting to bulge. Those of you that know how I drive (it wasn't that bad Stephan - at least we where airborne over the herd of deer) will realize that a weak sidewall in one of my tires is not such a good idea. Off to Cookstown wreckers, to buy a tire!
Yes, I drive what is arguably a sports car. When I told Jack at Cookstown that I needed a 215/45 R17, he just smiled and said "good luck". So I looked through their huge tire selection. Some came close - 205/50 might do in a pinch. So much for buying a pair! Then I noticed a 215/45 R17. Hmm. A Michelin, same as on my car. Model? HX MXM4. Really? With quite good tread. I brought it to the office, where the salesperson looked at the tire and commented that it was brand new. That hurt. Perhaps I wasn't going to get such a good deal. Canadian tire sells them for $235 (tax in). My price? $90. Okay, I'm happy. Off I went to Honda's workshop, to flip the rubber and balance the wheel. For free. One perq of being a former employee!
The beagle? I am training for the Can50 50K on October 11. I have left it too late, but am hoping to cover enough ground in the next 4 weeks to appease the training gods. Good luck with that! My wife Lee Anne used to run a tricky 15K while I was working in Tokyo, which we subsequently named the Tokyo run. By substituting some epic trails for a few road sections, the syncopated Tokyo run becomes a hilly 12K with almost no cliffs. That last part is a hint to those who have run the Creemore Vertical Challenge... After 1.5K of trail and about 1K of road, I stumbled upon a beagle, who I assume was protecting his territory. There are 3 results from an encounter with a dog on a farm road. 1. (The best): It barks at you, then goes back home. 2. It attacks you, then goes back home. 3. (This is awful, so prepare yourself) It follows you. For miles. I learned several things from this encounter. It is very difficult to outrun a beagle. I suspect that the beagle in question is used for fox hunts. As in, it lives at or near the Toronto hunting club, in an upscale section of Mulmur (where, incidentally, they have a 1.5 to 3 million dollar real estate range) and is used to running for - oh, 3-4 hours? I tried the usual endeavours, such as stopping, pointing back along the road and yelling "GO HOME". It would lie down (this is good), then when I was 35 meters away, jump up and continue to follow me (not good). This went on for 8K. I tried other venues, which in retrospect do not seem overly intelligent, such as racing up the escarpment (perhaps beagles have trouble running long uphills? NO!). Eventually I resigned myself to running home, then (hopefully) finding a phone number on the beagle's tags and calling the owner.
The last part of the Tokyo trail run follows the last 2K of the CVC. There is a T intersection about 1.5K from the finish line where runners turn left and encounter 2 short cliffs. Just before the turn, I realized the beagle was not in sight. Would this be simple? I veered around the corner and brought the pace up to top speed. Into the bush I flew (okay, probably only a 5:00/K pace), up and down the cliffs and eventually home. No sign of the beagle!
Hopefully the dog finds it way home. I assume it will, as I last saw it about 1.5K from where I first encountered it. Conversely, there are many coyotes in the area around the T intersection. Ah! Such us life!
Dig Deep!
Yes, I drive what is arguably a sports car. When I told Jack at Cookstown that I needed a 215/45 R17, he just smiled and said "good luck". So I looked through their huge tire selection. Some came close - 205/50 might do in a pinch. So much for buying a pair! Then I noticed a 215/45 R17. Hmm. A Michelin, same as on my car. Model? HX MXM4. Really? With quite good tread. I brought it to the office, where the salesperson looked at the tire and commented that it was brand new. That hurt. Perhaps I wasn't going to get such a good deal. Canadian tire sells them for $235 (tax in). My price? $90. Okay, I'm happy. Off I went to Honda's workshop, to flip the rubber and balance the wheel. For free. One perq of being a former employee!
The beagle? I am training for the Can50 50K on October 11. I have left it too late, but am hoping to cover enough ground in the next 4 weeks to appease the training gods. Good luck with that! My wife Lee Anne used to run a tricky 15K while I was working in Tokyo, which we subsequently named the Tokyo run. By substituting some epic trails for a few road sections, the syncopated Tokyo run becomes a hilly 12K with almost no cliffs. That last part is a hint to those who have run the Creemore Vertical Challenge... After 1.5K of trail and about 1K of road, I stumbled upon a beagle, who I assume was protecting his territory. There are 3 results from an encounter with a dog on a farm road. 1. (The best): It barks at you, then goes back home. 2. It attacks you, then goes back home. 3. (This is awful, so prepare yourself) It follows you. For miles. I learned several things from this encounter. It is very difficult to outrun a beagle. I suspect that the beagle in question is used for fox hunts. As in, it lives at or near the Toronto hunting club, in an upscale section of Mulmur (where, incidentally, they have a 1.5 to 3 million dollar real estate range) and is used to running for - oh, 3-4 hours? I tried the usual endeavours, such as stopping, pointing back along the road and yelling "GO HOME". It would lie down (this is good), then when I was 35 meters away, jump up and continue to follow me (not good). This went on for 8K. I tried other venues, which in retrospect do not seem overly intelligent, such as racing up the escarpment (perhaps beagles have trouble running long uphills? NO!). Eventually I resigned myself to running home, then (hopefully) finding a phone number on the beagle's tags and calling the owner.
The last part of the Tokyo trail run follows the last 2K of the CVC. There is a T intersection about 1.5K from the finish line where runners turn left and encounter 2 short cliffs. Just before the turn, I realized the beagle was not in sight. Would this be simple? I veered around the corner and brought the pace up to top speed. Into the bush I flew (okay, probably only a 5:00/K pace), up and down the cliffs and eventually home. No sign of the beagle!
Hopefully the dog finds it way home. I assume it will, as I last saw it about 1.5K from where I first encountered it. Conversely, there are many coyotes in the area around the T intersection. Ah! Such us life!
Dig Deep!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Late Night Post
It is not overly late, but I was cutting firewood all day, so it FEELS late...
Running is tough when cutting firewood. The back hurts, the legs are bleeding, My upper body is stiff. Do they make an Ibuprofen inhaler? I need more power Scotty!
Lee Anne is race director for the Creemore Copper Kettle Dash, held on Saturday, August 23 in conjunction with Creemore Springs Brewery's Copper Kettle Festival. The Dash is a 5K and 10K race. It went well, but again participation was down. Although much less work than the Creemore Vertical Challenge, it is still significant effort, for only 63 runners. Holding it a fourth year is questionable.
Next Saturday (Sept. 6) I will be crewing for Lee Anne in the Pine Creek Challenge. She was originally going to run the 100 mile race, but the course is not certified, so she will run the 100K as a long training run. I hope to get a few miles in by pacing her.
On October 11 we are running the Canlake 50. Again, Lee Anne will show me up by running the 50 mile, while I attempt the baby ultra (50K). I should probably start training soon...
The Toad is a bit of a quandary, as I don't do well racing 25K the week before a 50K... This will take some thought.
Oh well, that's it for now. Bedtime!
Running is tough when cutting firewood. The back hurts, the legs are bleeding, My upper body is stiff. Do they make an Ibuprofen inhaler? I need more power Scotty!
Lee Anne is race director for the Creemore Copper Kettle Dash, held on Saturday, August 23 in conjunction with Creemore Springs Brewery's Copper Kettle Festival. The Dash is a 5K and 10K race. It went well, but again participation was down. Although much less work than the Creemore Vertical Challenge, it is still significant effort, for only 63 runners. Holding it a fourth year is questionable.
Next Saturday (Sept. 6) I will be crewing for Lee Anne in the Pine Creek Challenge. She was originally going to run the 100 mile race, but the course is not certified, so she will run the 100K as a long training run. I hope to get a few miles in by pacing her.
On October 11 we are running the Canlake 50. Again, Lee Anne will show me up by running the 50 mile, while I attempt the baby ultra (50K). I should probably start training soon...
The Toad is a bit of a quandary, as I don't do well racing 25K the week before a 50K... This will take some thought.
Oh well, that's it for now. Bedtime!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Dirty Girls: Volunteer
I almost feel guilty about volunteering at the Dirty Girls race. The Mansfield Outdoor Centre is an 8 minute drive from my house. When other volunteers are finished their shift, they have a 2 hour drive home. This is significant because DG is a 12, 24 and 48 hour race. Vollies are typically at the race site all day or all night. A 2 hour drive after helping runners for 12 hours is tricky!
Being retired, I was able to give Diane (RD) and Henri (her beautiful assistant) more of my time. I helped with course and race set-up on Thursday, had Friday off, then worked at the start/finish aid station on Friday and Saturday nights. Probably of more importance from Diane and Henri's perspective, Lee Anne and I offer them a room to store race materials and a bed to sleep, up in Creemore. I think a good night's sleep on Wednesday night, 8 minutes from the race is very key. Diane and Henri don't get much sleep from Thursday evening to Sunday evening!
As mentioned above, DG has 3 races. I like to think of them along the following lines:
12 hour: Seriously disturbed humans
24 hour: Do you really consider yourself to be human? Why?
48 hour: Avoid these people. No, really - avert your eyes!
There comes a point in the 12 hour race where each and every one of the runners questions their sanity. I hope. Almost immediately following this "anti" epiphany is the realization that there are other people out there who look at the first 12 hours of running as the warm-up. Working at the aid station, I could almost predict the point at which the 12 hour runners would look at me, stare for a few seconds, then exclaim "those 24 and 48 runners are totally whacked"! Aside from being married to one of them, I couldn't agree more...
If we suspend sanity for an instant, purely in the cause of pursuing a logical conclusion, it could be argued that running 24 hours is simply a very great challenge. People have done extraordinary things for a very long time, for various good reasons. I once participated in a 12 hour dance-a-thon. People drink alcohol for more than 24 hours. Some of them live! Running, although much harder than dancing or drinking, can be maintained for a very long time. The 24 hour runners followed a fairly typical decay. Most ran between 6 and 12 hours, then ran/walked for another 4 - 6 hours, then walked with a few running "breaks" until the 24 hours was complete. None of this is overly strange, from an academic perspective. But you might want to volunteer at a 24 hour race before you decide to run one yourself. You will soon realize that the most bizarre things will happen to you! You learn the best way to duct tape a broken orthotic. You hear cute little comments like "I just threw up 3 times. I'm feeling much better now, but will pass on the cold french fries". Joe Cleary (okay, he was in the 48 hour race) was stung by a wasp. His hand swelled impressively. It looked like medical attention was a valid option. Joe is 73, but decided that continuing with his run was "reasonable"... Really?
Running 48 hours is considered lunacy, even in ultra circles. I consider myself to be an ultra runner, although I have not yet been able to train for "true" ultra distances (50 miles or more), but even if I was completely healthy, in top shape and had no injuries, going for a run that started at sun-up, progressed until sundown, then continued through another sun-up, then another sundown, and finally another sun-up? Nope. Not going to happen! The neat thing about a 48 hour race is perspective. It makes a 24 hour race seem normal. I mean, you only see the sun go down once. How hard can it be? I know, leaning towards certifiable.
Working at an aid station is a lot of fun. You are the only person not experiencing extreme pain. You are coherent (assuming the wine is moderated) and all you need to do is provide the runners with SOMETHING that appeals to them. This can be tricky, but after working at an aid station for a few races, it becomes easier. Is the runner sweating? No? Push the cold fries dipped in salt. The runner looks good, but wants a change of menu? Suggest some soup or a grilled cheese. Runners tend to rely on gels, or a special mixture in their handheld bottle. This is important as they need to find what works for them hour after hour. But all runners eventually tire of the same old thing. That's when a volunteer can make a big difference. DG is a LONG race on an 8K loop. You see the same runners about every 90 minutes. Yes, it is a fairly tough course! You start to anticipate what they would want. I try to instill humour into the equation. Come on Kim! Only 45 hours to go - time to pick up the pace! Just a note: Runners either laugh at your joke, or they kill you...
Well, Lee Anne and I just found out that we are in the Can Lake 50. We were quite far down the waiting list, but are now in the race! Lee Anne is running the 50M and I will tackle the 50K. I don't know much about the race, aside from it takes place mostly on pavement, and the RD Egils Robs is very competent and accommodating. So we are off to Rochester NY on October 11. Looks like I am only running 25K at Run for the Toad!
Cheers!
Being retired, I was able to give Diane (RD) and Henri (her beautiful assistant) more of my time. I helped with course and race set-up on Thursday, had Friday off, then worked at the start/finish aid station on Friday and Saturday nights. Probably of more importance from Diane and Henri's perspective, Lee Anne and I offer them a room to store race materials and a bed to sleep, up in Creemore. I think a good night's sleep on Wednesday night, 8 minutes from the race is very key. Diane and Henri don't get much sleep from Thursday evening to Sunday evening!
As mentioned above, DG has 3 races. I like to think of them along the following lines:
12 hour: Seriously disturbed humans
24 hour: Do you really consider yourself to be human? Why?
48 hour: Avoid these people. No, really - avert your eyes!
There comes a point in the 12 hour race where each and every one of the runners questions their sanity. I hope. Almost immediately following this "anti" epiphany is the realization that there are other people out there who look at the first 12 hours of running as the warm-up. Working at the aid station, I could almost predict the point at which the 12 hour runners would look at me, stare for a few seconds, then exclaim "those 24 and 48 runners are totally whacked"! Aside from being married to one of them, I couldn't agree more...
If we suspend sanity for an instant, purely in the cause of pursuing a logical conclusion, it could be argued that running 24 hours is simply a very great challenge. People have done extraordinary things for a very long time, for various good reasons. I once participated in a 12 hour dance-a-thon. People drink alcohol for more than 24 hours. Some of them live! Running, although much harder than dancing or drinking, can be maintained for a very long time. The 24 hour runners followed a fairly typical decay. Most ran between 6 and 12 hours, then ran/walked for another 4 - 6 hours, then walked with a few running "breaks" until the 24 hours was complete. None of this is overly strange, from an academic perspective. But you might want to volunteer at a 24 hour race before you decide to run one yourself. You will soon realize that the most bizarre things will happen to you! You learn the best way to duct tape a broken orthotic. You hear cute little comments like "I just threw up 3 times. I'm feeling much better now, but will pass on the cold french fries". Joe Cleary (okay, he was in the 48 hour race) was stung by a wasp. His hand swelled impressively. It looked like medical attention was a valid option. Joe is 73, but decided that continuing with his run was "reasonable"... Really?
Running 48 hours is considered lunacy, even in ultra circles. I consider myself to be an ultra runner, although I have not yet been able to train for "true" ultra distances (50 miles or more), but even if I was completely healthy, in top shape and had no injuries, going for a run that started at sun-up, progressed until sundown, then continued through another sun-up, then another sundown, and finally another sun-up? Nope. Not going to happen! The neat thing about a 48 hour race is perspective. It makes a 24 hour race seem normal. I mean, you only see the sun go down once. How hard can it be? I know, leaning towards certifiable.
Working at an aid station is a lot of fun. You are the only person not experiencing extreme pain. You are coherent (assuming the wine is moderated) and all you need to do is provide the runners with SOMETHING that appeals to them. This can be tricky, but after working at an aid station for a few races, it becomes easier. Is the runner sweating? No? Push the cold fries dipped in salt. The runner looks good, but wants a change of menu? Suggest some soup or a grilled cheese. Runners tend to rely on gels, or a special mixture in their handheld bottle. This is important as they need to find what works for them hour after hour. But all runners eventually tire of the same old thing. That's when a volunteer can make a big difference. DG is a LONG race on an 8K loop. You see the same runners about every 90 minutes. Yes, it is a fairly tough course! You start to anticipate what they would want. I try to instill humour into the equation. Come on Kim! Only 45 hours to go - time to pick up the pace! Just a note: Runners either laugh at your joke, or they kill you...
Well, Lee Anne and I just found out that we are in the Can Lake 50. We were quite far down the waiting list, but are now in the race! Lee Anne is running the 50M and I will tackle the 50K. I don't know much about the race, aside from it takes place mostly on pavement, and the RD Egils Robs is very competent and accommodating. So we are off to Rochester NY on October 11. Looks like I am only running 25K at Run for the Toad!
Cheers!
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