November Totals

November 2015 -    239.8 km
YTD                -  3,034.7 km

No races in November.  Logged one "long run" and increased the distance a little over Octobers 194.6 km.  I will continue to build distance in December in prep for the R4K 8 hour Jan 9 and the Sulphur 100 miler in May.   Look forward to the snow arriving and staying but I have been OK with the open trails through November.  

Nov breakdown

28 Runs in total.

1 X Track Run 28K
2 X Snow Shoe Runs 13.7K
5 X Trail Run 57.6K
16 X Treadmill 98K
4X Road 42.5K

Its hard to imagine that something so simple as putting one foot in front of the other can be done in so many unique ways.  

Lunch Run

 Ended the month with my traditional 5K lunch run this evening.     Took a rest day yesterday yesterday I was feeling a little under the weather so I thought it best to give in.    Felt a whole lot better today and after a light weekend of running I had lots of pop in my legs.  

Trail Saturday

Wasn't looking to do to much today so I did a little 5.4 K Trail Run looping my backyard trail.     No wind ,  temps just below freezing and the last little bit of Sunshine made for a rather pleasant run.  Didn't overdress tying the Shell off before I started ...it was tights ,   long sleeve tech T with a short sleeve tech T over top.  

Y Friday

 Did my first indoor track run of the season logging 28K in just a little under 3 hours today at the Owen Sound Y.    I forgot just how much I enjoy doing this sort of run it really give one an opportunity to truly transcend.     Started out a little tired and stressed but that all melted away in the first hour.   I really relaxed into the run and would have loved to tack on another hour or two but I had to work at 4pm.    I wore my HRM and was doing a mostly 6:00 pace.  HR early on was in the high 120s progressing into the mid 130s.    I didn't fuel and noticed the HR breaking into the low 140s in the last few Ks ... a sign that I was depleting Glycogen and starting to burn more body mass.   Next planned Y Run is Dec 15 ...   looking for a 3-4 hour outing covering 35-40 Ks.  

Thursday Lunch

Almost forgot to blog my "Lunch Run" today.  Just the usual 5K ... a little earlier in the eve being that I am working noon until midnight.  I weighed in thinking I had already added a few pounds this fall but I was wrong tipping the scaled at 172 lbs.   Thats the lower end of my seasonal fluctuation.  

Lunch Run

5K logged on my meal break tonight.  I was feeling tired and not so motivated but after a Run all is 100%.   I often say I don't do it for how it feels during ,  I do it for how I feel after I am done!

Two Run Tuesday

5K lunch run the usual way this evening on my meal break.  I would have rather been snow shoe running!

Snow Shoe Run #2

Had another snow shoe run this afternoon.   Took forever to suit up ... had a problem with a gator ,  figured that out then I had a pressure point on the top of my left foot.   The binding was over top of the Gators shoe lace hook... move it down one lace and I was find.   I wore the same a Saturday but it was a little warmer ,  not snowing and no wind so I got too hot.   Removed the Shell after 4 laps ... down to short sleeve tech over long sleeve tech ... still a  little warm but not too too bad.   Saturday I did 5 laps so I decided to go 2 more today building the distance in the new snow shoes slowly.   Calves hurt after Saturdays outing ... just muscle pain ,  not big deal stuff just used them in a different way!    So I logged 7 laps and a bit of a tour of the neighborhood logging 7.5Ks today.  Sadly the Snow is not going to stick around but the season is young and we usually have snow through April!

The numbers are really funny compared to "normal running" cadence is low ,  ground contact time high ,  vert osc all over the map and the HR is much higher .... a very very good workout indeed.

Rest Day

Decided that today was a rest day.  Most reset days are unplanned and usually busy...not today.   Just decided I needed to "rest".

 Thats all.  

First Snow Shoe Run

 Not a lick of snow on the trails yesterday.  Fast forward 26 hours and I am snow shoeing on my backyard trails.  This was the first time for my "Dion Running Snow Shoes" and I wasn't really sure what to expect....bottom line it was AWESOME!      I wore my Adidas Super Nova Gortex Shoes with Gators ,  Tights ,  Long Sleeve Tech T over that a Short Sleeve Tech T and to top it off a Shell.   Well I was dam near perfectly dressed.  The Gortex and Gators kept my feet toasty and dry!   Decided on looping the backyard trail.   Breaking tracks was a bit tough but quite doable.   After a few loops I started to speed up and kind of forgot I had the Snow Shoes on.   The only problem I had was that the Snow was balling up in the Cleats.  The ground wasn't anywhere near frozen and the it was quite slushy at the base of the snow.   I suspect when its colder this won't be a problem.   I was allot slower then my usual pace and was watching the HR lets just say its a really really good workout!

The #s...

The good stuff...

Allan Park Run

 Headed out for some trail time with Grant this morning.   Was planning a 90 minute 15K or so run but after Grant and I were done the first loop we bumped into Anne about to head out.  Decided to tag along and it was all I could do to keep up to Anne.  HR was up into the low 150s almost breaking through to Zone 4 ...YIKEs.   I appreciated the challenge of the faster run but when we passed 20K that was enough for me today.

 The HR Graph tells the tale ,   1st half Grant...more or less the way all my trail time goes.  2nd  half was chasing Anne!  

Logged a total of 20.6Ks today.  

12 hours = 5 Fartleks

Working 4am to 4pm today ,   12 hour shifts mean a loner lunch.   Logged a 10ker on my meal break with 5X200 meter fartleks thrown in.   I swear the treadmill is at least a half K faster then what it says.   I was soo hot when I was done and the HR was in the high 140s to low 150s.  

Thursday Lunch

5K at lunch today ....

Wednesday Wednesday

Ok it Wednesday and I ran on my meal break .... 5K ,  surprise!

Routine Lunch

5Ker done again today on my meal break.

Monday Monday

5K lunch run the almost usual way,  Tripped the safety 2.4K in ...never use to wear it but because of safety concerns we are mandated to do so!    I shortened the rope a couple of inches ... had to do that on the old treadmill too.  

Trail Sunday

 Ended up with a "Rest Day" Saturday ending a 20+ day running streak.   It was just one of those days when there just wasn't time to Run and I am OK with that it just happens.   The so called " Rest Day " was anything but rest so I am glad to be back at work today for a real " Rest " which will of course include a "Lunch Run".

 Hit the neighborhood trail Sunday morning.   It was a beautiful day ,  Sun ,  no Wind and Temps just above freezing a climbing quickly.  The theme of the day was to log 10-15K ,  some where around 90 minutes and not travel the same trail twice.   I usually don't get out that early in the day and I must admit that I really enjoyed the getting out early.   Pulled the plug at 11.4K satisfied that that I fit in the run and really really enjoyed it.  

Lots of data wearing the HRM

Same run different direction

Logged 10.2Ks today doing the McCormick loop the opposite direction of yesterday.  It was 2C much cooler then yesterday so I wore a thermal shirt which was a little too warm at first but the wind and snow and rain made cooled me down near the end so it was actually just about right.   I was a little beat running after climbing up and down a ladder for a few hours ...painting a bathroom!    I was also a little earlier today so I got my run in before it started to get dark.  A good addition to today's run was my Gortex Shoes ....it sure was soppy wet on the tractor trails and back-roads of West Grey  

Get Er Done Run

10.3Ks running the McCormick loop late this afternoon.  Almost didn't run but at about 4:15 I was free looked outside it was driving rain, wind, overcast and around 5C ...perfect for a Run.    I so enjoyed getting out ...some days are just like that!  

Lunch again ...

Last of 7 days and that means yet another 5K run on my meal break.  No  luck calibrating the treadmill yet!  

Lunch Run

5K the usual way on my meal break.  My HR told me once again that  I need to calibrate the new machine!

Classic Lunch

5K the usual way at lunch today.  I am pretty sure based on HR that the new treadmill is in need of a calibration!

Zone 3 again!

Another weekend lunch run done logging 12ks more or less the same way I did it yesterday.   HR climbed to 140 in the first few Ks and hung out 149 +/- 2 BPM for most of the run.  

Zone 3 Baby

The new treadmill seems ridiculously fast when running at a 5:00 pace.   It probably me not doing any speed work in a few weeks but I am going to check the calibration!  Working 12 hour days today I had a late lunch logging 11Ks.   Slowly ramped up from a 6:00 to 5:00 pace and then held it there for most of the run logging 5 200 meter 4:45 fartleks stating at the 4K mark through 8K .  Skipped the 9K fartlek and began a cool down at 9.3K slowing 1kmh every 300 meters until I got to a walk at teh 10.5K mark where I walked it in for the 11K.    HR pushed into Zone 3 around 140+ only a few Ks in.  The last half of the run I bobbed between 145 and 150 bpm.  

Metric today

Ran is Ks not Miles today ... better!  

5K on my meal break today.

Back on the Treadmill

Old Cybex has been replaced with a new Cybex model 625T.    Its very nice ,  very smooth but I need to change it it from Imperial measure to metric!   Logged a 3.145 miler run which I believe is about 5K .  Below is my HR at 7.3 Mph ... the graph is only the 2nd half of the run!

WOW Run

Yet another most amazing November Run yesterday.  Sun ,  temps well into the mid 20's made for a most spectacular outing.   I can honestly say that I was a little on the hot side with shorts and a tech T and wished that I had headed out earlier in the day.   The Garmin reported 20C but it was more in the mid 20's.   I took the necessary precautions again wearing hunter orange and not venturing off my property.  I addition to the attire I also wore my Blue Tooth Speaker streaming  the best darn classic rock station on the Internet .  Logged another 10Ker and followed it up with some brews.    The Hammock Man Cave has been shut down for the season so I have Man Cave #2 set up at the top of "Mount Ron".   The big ass hill is courtesy of the last Ice Age.   The Peak is 500' from the house and rises around 140'.    This video is Patrick Rose carving up my Hill.    The hill faces South West so this time of year as the Sun gets low in the Sky things really heat up.   With the leaves down and the forest floor covers ankle deep with the dark browns it acts like a micro climate.   Sitting at the top of the hill is like sitting on a Caribbean Beach because ....

• Warm Breeze caused by the heating of the leaves.  
• Full exposure to the Sun 
• The Horizon appears like a flat straight line.   

Add a some great rock and roll,  a comfy chair it like being on a vacation.  

The Green dot is the House ,  the Red dot is Man Cave #2.   

Taking It All In

 It was simply too nice not to run trails today.   I was a little hesitant to head out because its officially "gun week" and the woods are full of folks chasing Bambi.  So  as they say when in Rome do like the Romans so I headed out wearing my best hunting Orange.  

 Logged 10.2K looping away with a few detours.  Ended the day at the top of my hill to have a few Brews ,  take in the Sun  and listen to Music.  It was sooo nice ...there was a warm breeze blowing up the hill and I wasn't the least bit chilled.

I tunred the Garmin on while I was sitting there and logged .82 K in 1 hour 6 min but I barely moved off the chair LOL!

Took few pictures while I enjoyed my recovery...

Mid 7

Did my last night run until the next round of mids in 6 weeks.  Logged a 10Ker looping around the Earth  Station .

Lets Go

This should be fun...

Snow will never stand between me and my trails again.  Next up a  heated Hammock!

Misty Blowy Wet ...just the way I like it

Yet another night of somewhat nasty weather ,,, perfect for a 3 am  Run.  Logged 12Ks a good start to November.