28K LSD Today

Haven't done this distance in a couple of weeks due to the ankle injury. Warm start, 26C a bit humid and no wind... I knew I was in for a warm beginning!

My two 12 year old boys started out with me on their bikes! There is a big hill at 1/3K , I said to them if I can run up here you can at least walk your bikes ... they were up to the challenge ! At the 2K mark they were done , an turned back home , putting things into prospective I said "bye , I have 28K and 2.5 hours to go"

8K down the 2nd and I am at the park. I can always tell how the rest of the run is going to go at this point!!!! The legs were great , had lots of energy but I was a little too hot! In to the park I drop, hit the trail, nice to be in the shade but I really have to watch where I step.... no more twisted ankles. Crossed the Saugeen on the foot bridge at the first dam, water looked inviting . there were a few folks at the beach and some teens jumping off the bridge. Ran past the school , past Tim Hortons , the Beer Store followed the river to the Ball Diamonds , there was a couple of games going on. As I passed the Soccer Field I noticed the concession was open , ran over and ask of they sold Gator or Power Aid ... I was in luck! I knew I carried a bit of change with me just in case. At first I choose a Lime drink, it was a no name sports drink .... told the young girl working that it didn't have enough electrolytes and choose an Orange Gator Aid instead . I had a full bottle of water with Raspberry GU but it wasn't enough to get me back to the park for water !!!!!! The Gator aid really picked me up and off I went ... charging actually! Headed through town and off through the park again. Had a quick pit stop at the facilities in then off I went back up the second!

It was a slower pace 6:08/Km but considering the heat and the 2 weeks between LSDs it wasn't so bad. Tomorrow I want to do a 16 or 21K er !

Ron.

Little time on the "Mill" this morning!

11.5K on the treadmill at 3am, 10K run at a 4:45 pace then a 1.5K cool down, Left foot has some pain, its sensitive to pressure behind the toes. Its been a bit bothersome since I returned to running after the sprained ankle a couple of weeks ago! Probably stay off it tomorrow!

16K today

Great , great eve for a run. Headed out at 8pm, temps were
a pleasant 20C and finally low humidity. 3K on the road, 3K on a trail another 7K on a road ( 2K tar and chip 5K gravel) then 3K on a tractor trail ( kinda like a trail).

When I hit the trail I felt as though I was floating, like I just shed half my body weight! This was around the 20 or so minute mark ... too early for the "runners high". Maybe it had something to do with working mids and sleeping all day ... maybe it was the effect of the gravol I used to help me sleep today!

Anyway I did 16K at a 5:31 pace, for the most part I picked it up a little the longer I got into the run. Did a couple of stints of really hard fast running ... it was fun.

I have been working on picking up the pace. The LSDs were slowing me down , I now know that I can run 30K with out any problems. Now that I have the distance thing down I am going to work on picking up the pace a little.

Will try to get another run in tomorrow then forget about it on the weekend ... 2 12 hour mids plus is already have 64Km on the books this week , a small 10K added to that total would be good!

Next week I am going to try to get in some back to back distant runs , Tues 30K and Wed 21K. After that I will take it easy until the 6Hour Dirty Girls.

Ron.

10K today

Back to back to back runs, haven't done that in awhile! Love how fluid you feel when you put in 3 consecutive running days. Felt a wee bit tired at first but by the time I hit the 1K mark I was into it. I was surprised how quickly I got in the grove!

Actually learning to "Run" again, Garmin says 10.14K +347/-344 m at a 5:24 pace. Really picked it up the last few Ks!

Maybe , just maybe I can make it 4 in a row tomorrow .... will see!

21 Hot Ks today!

Did back to back mid distance runs. It was all about heat today
, 24C and Humid!!! Walked a couple of the really Big Hills late in the run. Discovered a really neat affect , after walking for a few minutes when I started running again there was a cool blast, almost like someone turned on the AC. It really picked me up , I think the combined walk/run had a quicker pace then if I had have just run.

Getting ready for the 6 hour solo , all about managing resources. I doubt I will ruin any significant hills until the last hour or two if at all! In the constant thirst for running knowledge and I going to start incorporating back to back long runs , similar to the past two days.

As mentioned it was all about heat, allot of sweat . Only had 800ml of a Water/Hammer Gel combo as well a a GU "Roctane" . Glad I had the GU , needed the electrolytes more then ever ! Could have used more hydration , I rationed what I had over the duration of the run. I was really thirsty when I made it home.

Ron.

Abriviated LSD today

Planned on a 30K LSD today but cut it short. At 8K I started to gt pain in my left ankle , the one I went over on last week! I sat for a few minutes and contemplated whether I should go on or turn back. I decided to return making today's run 17K. The ankle was OK on the return , if its good tomorrow I will go for mid distance run tomorrow.

Garmin said a 5:28 pace over 17.oK with +304/-349m elevation.

I passed 2 other runners on my road just South of the Bridge that goes over the Rocky Saugeen. They were more then just a guy that gets up off the couch and decides he is going for a Jog. I commented " not very often you see other runners out around here" and continued on.

Ron.

Garmin year to date totals

Easy 10 this morning

First run after the sprained left ankle Sunday. The swelling is pretty much gone, no pain when I walk so I though I would do an easy road run early before it gets too hot.

Did the 10K McCormick loop. A couple of K of big loose rocks with uneven surface otherwise level gravel. Was very cautious of my left ankle ... took it real easy on the downhills, almost all my breaking was with my right leg! Kept a real close eye on the 60 or so left foot landings / min to make sure it was even . Didn't want any surprises! All and all a good run for not being out in 4 days and with the ankle!

Temps are going to be hot today. I headed out at 8:15 with a 20C temp... it was really nice. Sun was still low in the east so I was almost entirely in the shade . It makes such a difference when you can get out of the direct sunlight.

Not running has weighed heavily on my sub conscious. Last night I dreamed I was in a 6hour trail race . I remember having a tough time following the trail markers. Part of the run was through a building , strange trail! I also remember on doing 42Ks when my goal was 50K and was really disappointed. I was wishing I was in the 12 hour event. With dirty girls a few weeks away this is one dream that I hope doesn't come true.

Don't think I will get a chance to run this weekend, picking up Robin from camp ... 16hours of drive time Sat/Sun doesn't leave a whole lot of time left. May get out tomorrow for a 10 or 16K run , will have to see how the ankle feels .

Ron

12K Trail Run...sort of !

Did 12K trial run/walk. Want concentrating and went over on my left ankle rather badly. Walked it off for a few hundred meters then ran a few Ks . Its swollen but not to bad, used Advil and Ice ... don't think it will set me back too far but I am going to have to be very guarded of it for the next while.

Ron.

28K LSD last evening

Got the long one out of the way before the weekend started. Really enjoyed the evening LSD. Temps were a little warm to start but improved as the sun got low in the sky. Did my Durham loop, going through the camp ground is always interesting but Fri Eve was even more fun. Lots of people arriving and the smell of the camp fires was really nice!

I mixed my water bottle with Hammer Gel, started drinking after a couple of Ks . Felt pretty good until I was at the Ball Park then it hit me. Turned to "Sharkies", carbs and electrolytes in a Jelly Candy...the were yummy and they really seemed to help. Refilled the water bottle at 19K , the gummies lasted until 25K!

Had a bit of an issue around 22K, right legged stiffened up.. if it was a cramp it didn't hurt ... just got stiff! Felt like the flexibility went from the Knee and Ankle , went easy for a couple of Ks and then it eased off and then went away.

Pace was good for the LSD, hit the Half Marathon mark at around 1:58 , Garmin overall pace was 5:46. Total Ks for the week approaches 80 so that's it for at least a day!

Ron.

Tired legs today

Man, was I ever not into this run, tired legs and something
passing through the system. In spite of a total lack of energy I
managed a 11+K trail run at a very slow pace 6:15.

Ron

Run in the heat !

I was hell bent on finding something big to run up , I got my wish.
Headed south on the second, down the McCormick rd. First "Big" hill was just passed the 1K mark, O2 and Heart rate were good going into and I was just getting warmed up. It was a 30m climb over 300m and I was able to go hard all the way up. At the top my legs felt like concrete! From here is was a nice downhill til about the 6K mark then another smaller hill at 6K followed by a 1K flat section then the "BIGGY" , 50m climb in 200m ... now that's a hill! Managed to run up but I was wobbly at the top ! Another 3K and I was home. I really like this run , I picked up the pace and it felt good! I will be back!

I headed out at 8:30pm, temps were around 24C with 100% Humidity . The air was so so heavy and fragrant! Near the end ground level fog was forming , the sunset was beautiful ! All and all a great run... yet another new path! Seems like my running possibilities are unlimited where I live.

Ron.

Creemore Vertical Challange, 25K

Just finished the CVC and wanted to get to the Blog while it was still fresh in my mind. It was a tough race, I knew would be but I can honestly say I did as well as I could today! I would have to say that I brought my "A-" race to the table today. For me its not so much where I finish as did I give it my 100% effort , to that I say yes!

Couldn't sleep last night , worked Eves and got home a little after 10:00 pm , in bed by 11:00 but I slept really , really light. Had three alarms set for 04:30 am and didn't need a single one as I was up at 04:00. Did my usual morning race routine, Pot of Coffee, English Muffin with Jam, Oatmeal and OJ. After eating I hit the hot tub at 04:35. The sky was just starting to get light , I saw the International Space Station fly by , thought to myself how unfortunate that the guys on board couldn't join me running today! Also saw an Iridium Flare ... very cool! Anyway it was out of the tub at 05:30 , got dressed and was heading out the drive at 05:45 . Drive temp was 7C , pretty cool for a July morning ! Drove with the windows down , heat and tunes cranked ( another on the way to the race tradition) . Watched the Sun come up just before Markdale and there was lots of misty fog!

Arrived in Creemore at around 07:00. Folks were starting to trickle in. Got talking with some guys that pulled up beside me, from Thunder Bay and NJ! The one fellow just had heart surgery 5 weeks prior. Another fellow from Fla joined us and was asking about the course! Met up with Pat Burke from Hillsburgh , last saw him in May at the Trillium 10K . He was doing the 50 K event this year. Had an interesting chat about how he got to the 50K distance and about motivating our children to run. Picked up the race kit , got ready .... more chatting and then line up for the washroom. There was only 2 Outhouses , they should double that ....very long line !

The race started with a shotgun blast ....very loud . We knew it was coming but it really startled everyone. So off we went 100+ folks single file along side the river! I was in the middle of the crowd and was quiet surprised at the 5:30 pace ! There was a couple of guys in front of me that started cracking jokes after the first couple of Ks... had everyone laughing! First few Ks were relatively flat then the climb began ! At the 2.7K mark there was the first of many hills. From 2.7K to 6.4K there was a 60m climb , managed to jog up this one this one! At 6.4 K there was a sign "Hill One" I found a ton of humor in that after a 60m climb.....that's a hill in my books! So Hill 1 was from 6.4K to 8.2K and rose 122m... guess that's a hill. I managed OK up Hill 1 , walked a couple of hundred meters while I did a Gel at 45 min. From 8.3K to 11.1K there was a couple of 40m up and downs .. manged OK! At the top of the escarpment you could see out over Georgian Bay , Wasga Beach over to Horse Show Valley. I almost missed it because I was so focused on the run!!!! 11.2K to 13.6 was a great down hill , pretty steep in parts but I was able to fly, managed a 4 min or less pace ! At 14K the second climb began , at the 14.9K mark there was a really steep section, the sign said "O2 Hill" they weren't kidding! Walked from 14.9K to 15.3K , very steep hill ...Jelled again , and recovered the heart rate a bit by the top. 15.4 to 17.1 were relatively flat , managed around a 5:20 pace until and then a 17.2K another steep hill began , from 17.2K to 17.7K there was a gain of 60m , walked this section . 17.8K to 20.2K there wasn't too many hills, ran along the top of the escarpment again, managed an average 5:30 pace. Not sure about 20.2K to 21.1 ... starting to get delirious! At 21.1K there was a great down hill that I managed to pick up the pace at a 4:30 until 22.9K. I was starting to think maybe, just maybe 2:30 finish! However at 22.9 K we entered "The Valley" , so much for a 2:30 ... ran through a swamp , used a rope to negotiate up a cliff and down a cliff. Last couple of K were Hell but I managed to muddle though the obstacles and finish with a time of 2:38:50.

After the race I recovered with water and sat in the shade for about 10 min. When I got up I started seeing stars and things started to go black and I was having a tough time standing upright. I sat back down and grabbed a couple of glasses of Heed , then some Watermelon., waited 10 min then I was OK. I didn't thinks I was overheating, temps were reasonable... not sure what the trouble was. When I was a little more stable on my feet I made my way to the Beer Tent then grabbed a piece of Pizza and sat in the shade. After the Pizza and Beer were gone I did it again . When I was done eating I sat in the river for a few minutes with yet another Beer... I am liking the Beer thing! The awards were cool , even got some swag... a 26 serving bottle of Hammer Gel!

Ron

Warm 10K today

Somewhat easy but very hot 10K today, 25C +Humidity. Didnt push it, walked the last .5K justy to ensure a good honest cool down.

Ron.

11K on the trail yesterday

Great trail run on the last day of June! Temps were amazing, 14C and a breeze. For the first time in awhile I didn't overheat and had a much faster pace!

This is the first time I have run 3 consecutive days in a row in some time. It really made for a very fluid feeling, I was able to feel comfortable from the first moments of the run.

I also found that I didn't have a need to Gel, maybe because of the time of day, late Eve I had B/L/D in ! I think I have been confusing overheating with running out of energy!