-24C ....not to be wasted.

Cold weather made for a good test today for my upcoming Tremblant Snowshoe.

Wore....

• Thermal Wind Proof Underware
• Mid Weight Tights
• Water/Wind proof Cycling Pants
• Gators 
• Marino Wool Socks  ...mid weight
• 2/3 zip Marino Wool long sleeve top...next to skin
• My Sagoi Breath Thermal over the Wool
• My Water/Wind prof Shell
• Full Balaclava 
• Buff cover parts of the face that the Balaclava didn't 
• Mec Mits ... the warmest they sell.
• Smith Googles 
• Addidas Gortex Shoes
• Dion Snowshoes 

Its like being a kid again taking forever to suit up and head out.   Googles were OK but they fogged then froze up.    Feet were pretty good,   wiggle toes to keep em warm.   Over all was way to hot... base layer got wet!   

I need to either not sweat or bring a second dry layer when I summit the big mountain in Quebec ...I will do both.   

The trail was way way way better then the previous day and I logged 5.2 Ks is 1hr 16min...Snow Shoe Running is rather slow!!!!   

Wednesday Snowshoe

Got out for my second snow shoe of the season logging a grueling 3.6 km " Run" in 59min45sec.   It was tough going breaking trail but I managed 3 laps enough to create a good trough through some very heavy packed snow. 

Run and Lift

7K Heart Run followed by an upper body weight routine done this afternoon on my meal break. 

BAM

10K@5:30 pace  logged late this afternoon on my meal break. 

Lift and Run Friday

An easy 5K@5:30 pace followed by an upper body weight routine today on my meal break.

First Snowshoe

Finally broke trail logging a 5.3 K Snowshoe run on the backyard trail yesterday.     The snow was crunchy after a recent thaw but it still had some give to it so the first lap of 5 I walked then I ran 4 laps before running home.    Was a little overdressed for the -6C  but that was OK going short.   Used a new shell pant that I picked up at MEC ... perfect  no snow balling in the back of my knee!   I am hoping that winter is here to stay for a few months...no thaws would make for a great course! 

Y Tuesday

 Been so busy there has been no time to blog!    On Tuesday I headed to the Y for a planned 40K Run.  Felt good and was enjoying the day so I stretched it out another 2K logging one last 2017 Marathon. 

10K in I had and unplanned walk for a K bumping into an old acquaintance.   Threw in a couple of more half K walks at the 20 and 30K marks and of course as I usually do I walked the last 2K as a cool down. 

Mid 7

Much better this morning logging a 10Ker @ 5:30 pace followed by an upper body weight routine. 

Mid 6 a reluctant 10K

Mid ,  lack of sleep ,  the season and other reason made for a real slug fest this evening on the treadmill.   Did a B.A.M.  logging a 10Ker anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30 pace.

Mid 5 - 5@5

5K @ 5am on mid 5 meal break this morning followed by upper body weights. 

Mid 4

7K Heart Run done again this morning on my meal break. 

Mid 3

7K Heart Run done this morning on my meal break .... it was nice!

Getting good HR data wearing the fitbit tighter! 

Mid 2 - Run and Lift

Skipped Mid 1's run after going long at the Y.   This morning I logged an easy 5ker at a mostly 5:30 pace then I did my upper body weight routine.   Its hard to drag yourself into the gym at 2 am on 4.5 hours sleep but it sure does make you feel good afterwards...is it 8am yet????? 

Monday Y

35Ks logged on the track at the Owen Sound Y today.   I was running with Grant today so many Ks slipped away catching up!    HR started to push 150 25Ks in so I geared back the speed keeping the HR in the high 130s. 

Done!

Didn't feel like it tonight but I dragged myself into the Gym for a 5ker @ 5:30 pace followed by my upper body weight routine. 

Easier tonight

Ditto last nights run logging yet another 7Ker on my meal break.    HR was a wee bit higher! 

Heart Run

7K Heart Run done this evening on my meal break.  It felt harder and faster then usual.

Runs with elastics...again!

 Returned to the track at the Owen Sound Y today logging 30Ks.  Getting ready for 6 hours at the Stride Inside event in about 5 weeks!     Breaking in a new pair of Stinson 3's .... 4th run in them the first long one.   Right foot hurt a bit and there was a rub from the metatarsal support...no big deal!    The run went pretty well the right knee locked out a few times ... something I am familiar with ,  again no big deal.  Took in 500 ml of water every hour and every 10K I waled for 2 minutes doing an S Cap.   First 25Ks were all sub 6 min ... 5:45 ish the 720 90 degree turns slows you down a little!   Geared it bakc at the 25K mark to a 7ish pace until I hot 28K doing a 2K cool down walk.    Scheduled the Y run for a week today ,   going to go 35Ks in 3.5 hours! 

Got some decent data from the Fitbit...

Two Run Friday

5.2 Ks on the backyard trail this evening.   -1C ,  big moon and no wind made for a pleasant run.  Tried my Marino Wool long sleeve as a my base layer with my shell over top and was pretty comfortable to a bit too warm.   Ears weren't covered should have had a buff over them ...next time.  Wore my Marino Wool glove liners on their own ...toasty addition to the running / skiing arsenal. 

Friday

Had to take a couple of days off this week to recover from a little injury I suffered.   Back at it today in an easy way logging a 5Ker @ 5:30 pace followed by an upper body weight routine. 

November 2017 Totals

Run      171.3 km
YTD  2,701.6 km

November was " maintenance month" ....only did treadmill runs and lots of rest days! 

Treadmill  X 18 171.3 km
Rest Days X 12

Got two 21.1 Ks @ 5:30 pace in and lifted at least twice a week.    Planning on upping the Ks a wee bit in December but Christmas makes it a wee bit challenging. 

Tuesday Lunch

7K Heart Run done today on my meal break.   Tightened down the FB Wrist Band and got some better Heart data ....

Run and Lift

Ditto last Monday ,  5K @ 5:30 pace followed by a weight routine.

Longish Friday

21.1Ks @ 5:30 done on the treadmill at the end of my shift today. 

Metrics

HR

Thursday Lunch

7K Heart Run done on my meal break today. 

Finally got some decent Fitbit data.  HR has actually been measuring up to 10 bpm lower then reality.   Been comparing the Fitbit  9 Charge 3 Optical ) to the Garmin ( Chest Strap ) and hands down the chest strap wins.   You can't beat the Fitbit for its 24X7X365 abilities its a great tool and provides some really good insight into sleep and the heart all while keeping track of activities! 

Ditto

Same as yesterday and same as tomorrow a 7K Heart Run done on my meal break today. 

Lunch Run

7K Heart Run done today on my meal break!

Lift and Run

After 4 reset days I hot the Gym on my meal break doing a upper body weight routine and a 5Ker at 5:30 pace. 

More Maintenance Running

Yeah,  its that time of year ...not real keen on going long outside but wanting to maintain the fitness.   Laidd out the long runs leading up to January's 6 hour track run then jumped on the treadmill for a 21.1 @ 5: 30 pace.

Tuesday Ditto Monday

7K Heart Run done yesterday on my meal break.

Mixing it up!

7K Heart Run done today on my meal break.

Sunday

10K the same way as yesterday done on my meal break today!

Saturday

Forgot to post after yesterdays run.   Logged a 10Ker @ and easy 5:30 pace HR didn't get past the high 120's! 

Lunch Run

7K Heart run done today on my meal break. '

Mid 7

10K's @ 5:30 pace done on my meal break today. 

Mid 6

Skipped Mid 5's run I just didn't feel like doing it!   This morning I made up for it logging a 21.1 km run ,   the longest on a treadmill  that I have done probably this year!   Ramped up to a 5:30 pace over  the first 2Ks then held it there until I started my cool down at the 20.3 km mark. 

Garmin Metrics ....  ( the dip in the middle is a brief bathroom break )

HR was a super gradual increase ..... ( Xed out spike in the beginning is false data )

Mid 4

Mixed it up a little this morning logging a 5K run at a 5:30 pace followed by an upper body weight routine.

Mid 3

7K Heart Run done this morning on my meal break.  Brought the Garmin and HR Strap in and compared the Garmin data to the Fitbit.

First off looking at the metrics I have a higher cadence ,  lower vert osc and ground contact time then I use to!   There was the usual blip in the HR just before I start to sweat!  

Just the Garmin HR ....

and the Fitbit ...

Fitbit HR data was hit and miss the first half of the run then both HRMs were in sync the last couple of Ks!   

Mid 2

7K Heart Run done on my meal break at 3am! 

Weigh in 176 lbs.

October 2017 Totals

October   236.3 km
YTD      2530.3 km


There were two 50 km Trail Races,   Sticks and Stones and The Bad Thing.    Fall races are suppose to be somewhat cooler then the summer runs but both races were very warm fall days low to mid 20s and even humidity...YIKES! 

Once again the month was punctuated with allot of rest days mostly as a result of running the two races. 

Trail X 4 = 111.3 km
Treadmill X 18 = 120 km
Rest X 11 Days

Mid 1

Starting another round of Mids ... 5K the easy way at a mostly 5:30 pace was done this morning on my meal break.  Shortend the run a bit to fit in an upper body weight routine. 

Friday Running

Did an easy abbreviated lunch run logging 5Ks at a 6:00 pace.    Cut down the time on the treadmill to fit in an upper body weight routine. 

Endur 2017 Finish Line Videos

They posted some finish line video from this past Summers Endur Run.   I sure miss that "Summer" Running and really look forward to the 2018 Endur .... already registered for the Ultimate.  

Endur 10 Mile Hill Run Finish

Endur 30 km Cross Country Finish

Endur 1/2 Marathon Finish

Thursday Eve

More maintenance running done logging another 7K Heart Run on my meal break this evening.

Lunch Run

7K Heart Run done on my meal break this evening. 

A few more Bad Thing Pictures

Recovery Run

Still have a little bit of muscle pain after the Bad Thing Saturday.   Jumped on the treadmill on my meal break this evening and logged a 5Ker at a leisurely 6:00 pace.

The Bad Thing 50K Trail Race - October 21, 2017

 Wow ,  this is one tough event.   Did it last year 3C  / Wind / Rain with a layer of thermal gear on...this year low 20's humid ,  almost hot!    I love the layout of the course its super fun running but they way it all stung together really does live up to the name of the event. 

 This is Ontario's only point to point 50Ker.  Parked in Auburn then took a bus to Gooderich for a 7am start from the former jail .. .yeah we actually started the run in the jail and broke out ... I love a theme!   The aid stations were allot further than what I was use to so this year I cam prepared with an extra liter of water in a backpack.    I more or less stuck to my fuel and hydration plan getting 500 to 700 ml water / hour and a Gel and the odd S Cap here and there!    There was lots of easy running throughout the first half  spattered with little technical bits and climbs.   When I could I really opened up running some 6:00 Ks on the easy trail!   I was surprised at how much of the course I remembered from last year which was a good thing as there was not much in the way of signage through Benmiller...no big deal.     Getting to the third and second last aid station feeling good was my goal and I more or less was successful.    Between the  31 and 39K mark is where this run seals the deal ....it really is about the point in a 50Ker that I am really starting to fatigue.   If I have taken care of things I can usually get past 40 then like a horse to the barn push to the end.  Now the Bad Thing is just pain tough for 8Ks right when the going gets a little tougher.    On some of the climbs I was feeling rather light headed at the top and had to walk a bit to recover....it was also getting super hot with little breeze and the temps climbing to the low 20's.    The last full aid station was at 39K it also was the point where things got a whole lot easier ...many Ks of open gravel roads good you would think  but mustering up a steady pace was hard and for the last 10Ks it was a run ,  slow down or walk for a bit pick it up and try to keep the Ks under 10 mins.   About a half K from the finish there is water crossing ,  knee deep in spots and probably 100 meters across.    The current was strong and I slowly picked my foot falls to ensure I didn't go for a swim! 

Finished a little better then last year tripping the clock at 7hrs8min3sec 18th out of 34 finishers,   15th out of 25 men and 3rd out of 8 in the 50-59 age group.

I really think that I should be able to get this one under 7 hours ,  maybe 6 hours 30 minutes but I will have the give the race plan a little more thought to finish better!

After the race I felt quite nauseous and it was persistent right through the following day which was quiet odd for me.   I wasn't overheated and I wasn't dehydrated I am not sure why I had such a struggle in the last 10Ks.  This race is my new " Creemore " I know I will keep coming back for more just to try to  figure this one out! 

Fitbit HR Data

Taper time ...

 Just a wee little 6:00 5K done this eve on my meal break.   HR didn't even break into the 120's topping out at 119 bpm.   Did a weigh in and it was a whopping 177 lbs.   Now I rest in advance of The Badthing 50K Trail Race on Saturday.   Once again the weather is expected to be more Summer like then fall with temps pushing into the mid 20s!   

Tuesday Lunch

7K Heart Run again today on my meal period.

Monday

7K Heart Run done on my meal break tonight. 

Sunday Lunch

Another 10Ker done @ 5:00 pace today on my meal break.

Extra Innings

Working over the weekend so I took it indoors once again today logging a 10K at a mostly 5:00 pace today on my meal break.  

Friday Lunch

One more 7K Heart Run done on my meal break today.

Thursday Lunch

Another 7K Heart Run done on my meal break today.   It seemed a wee bit harder then yesterday's Run.

Solid Seven

7K Heart Run done at lunch today it felt really good!

5@5

5K @ 5:00 pace done on my lunch break...first run since Sticks and Stones.   Being back on the treadmill sucked! 

Sticks and Stones 50K Trail Race - October 7, 2017

 Well it was hot ,   sort of crazy hot for October.  Usually this time of year I am writing race reports about being overdressed or freezing but not this long Thanksgiving weekend ....  started at 18C and ended at 26C super humid but there was one savings grace and that was the wind at times! 

  The race started at 9:00 am ... latest one this year!   Was up 30 minutes before the alarm at 5am which bought me 30 minutes in the Hot Tub with my morning Java!   It was a little under a 2 hour drive to the Christie Lake conservation area with a brief stop at the Tims in Durham for what has become my traditionalist race day breakfast a Bacon /  English Muffin / Egg,  Hash Brown and an Orange Juice.

 The race was done on a  5 km loop around Christie Lake.    No need to carry water so I was travelling light.  The race plan was simple and that was every even loop I grab a water and 0.5 L water in a handheld ... repeat ,  repeat ,  repeat and repeat ,  race done.   Because it was so warm on the laps that I was not carrying water I grabbed it at the 2 aid stations on the loop and I also upped the S Caps as needed.   The loop was pretty easy running...too easy!  It kind of reminded me of the CTC course at Shades Mills.  Ran into trouble on the 50Ker there being the first hot run of the season so that was in the back of my mind throughout this race .... " No Death March".    As much as I like looping I found this one to be rather momentous.  It was probably just me not really being into it that day with so many other things that I wanted to do over the weekend.   Ran and chatted with Robin for the first few loops it was nice to chat away the first bunch of Ks.    I was through the half way point in 2hrs53mins or so and had by eyes on a sub 6 hour run.    The course was a wee bit long probably around 2 K longer but unfortunately they always tack the extra Ks at the end of the race LOL!    Everything was working pretty well through 7 laps then I really started to fatigue there is no doubt the conditions were starting to catch up with me.  I was a wee bit dehydrated which was no surprise I just couldn't get any more fluids in and had to gear it back a bit.     There was never a " Death March " but I did extend out the walks after the few walking hills and from time to time I walked where is was super hot  but only for a few minutes at a time.   

Wrapped it up in 6hrs24min50sec finishing 20th out of the 56 folks who laced up.   It felt like a bit of a blow out for me but when I compare my results to the others its was really and OK day... not great ,  not bad bit somewhere in between.    

Up next in two weeks its my second crack at The Bad Thing...I have some getting even to do! 

A few race pictures .....

...and now I rest

One last 7K Heart Run done and my last run before Sticks n Stones 50K Race this Saturday. 

Two Run Tuesday

Hit the backyard trail after work for a little 4.8 Ker.  Was starting to settle in after the run for a hammock session but ended up heading to Thornbury for Dinner...a better ending to a wonderful Summer day in October!

Tuesday Lunch

7K Heart Run don today on my meal break!

Two Run Monday

Super weather and a pent up desire to hit the trail after work yesterday.  Logged 4.8 Ks on the backyard trail with some quality hammock time afterwards!

Monday Lunch

7K Heart Run done today on my meal break.

October 1st at work!

Started the month with a 10 km treadmill run at a mostly
5:00 pace. 

HR was solid  136 BPM.

September 2017 Totals

September -   194.8 km
YTD         - 2,294.0 km


Wow ,  can't believe the late season races have already began!   Did one race this month " Run the Edge" ,  Tobermory to Cyprus Lake and back.   It was a fantastic race albeit super hot but I managed things well and was able to comfortably run the entire race in spite of a wee bit of dehydration in the last couple of hours.    Once again my " Mileage" is a little light punctuated with a large number of reset days...basically I am missing a couple of long ones!   It plays with the mind a bit but after 15 years of running , 10 of them running Ultras I have a pretty good idea what I am doing.  If there is one thing that I have learned this Summer its " Less is More".  I feel dam good,  really good and race ready last weekend reinforced it.   Yes I am " Run Ready" ... what I have been doing are all quality miles.  I can't say enough about my lunch runs especially when the emphasis has been on making the time count and " Heart Runs" fit the bill!  So in another week its the Sticks and Stones 50Ker ... an easy non technical 5K loop.  I am expecting it to be fast and fun and should finish closer to the 5 hour make then 6....bring it on!

September Summary

Beach 5 X = 50 km
Trail 3 X = 51.8 km
Treadmill 14 X = 93 km
Rest Days X 10

Last September 2017 Run

Can you guess....working 12s today so it was a 10Ker at a mostly 5:00 pace.  Went easy with no farteks.  The run passed quickly lots of other things on my mind so I really didn't notice that I was running which is a very good thing because the treadmill is not so much fun.   Did an upper body weight routine after the run. 

Friday Lunch

7K ditto yesterday just allot hotter in the Gym! 

Thursday Lunch

7K Heart Run today on my meal break.

Lunch Run

Back to work after a 4 day weekend at the Beach.  Didnt run Sun/Mon/Tues after Saturdays Trail Marathon temps were super hot so I had Beach Days at Sauble!  Logged a little 5Ker at a mostly 5:00 pace...it was solid.   Just a tiny bit of quad pain after the long one.   DOMs ( delayed onset muscle syndrome ) and DOTs ( delayed onset tired syndrome ) were 48 hours out... not  a big deal just a little bit of muscle pain ,  a little bit tired and a really big appitite! 

Tobermorry Trail Marathon - "Run the Edge" - Saturday September 23, 2017

Loved this race can't wait to do it again next year!

Click on this link to Relieve the Run

 Race day forecast was for super hot temps  especially being late September and it didn't disappoint.  This is the second year for this race and my first time doing it.   This was the 4th time this Summer that I had been up this way running and as it turns out I covered 90% of the technical bit which were about 80% of the race!     I had Doug Barber pick up my race kit and arrived just before the 06:30 ,  after a 90 minute drive for the  " mandatory meeting ".   Though it was a 7:30 start but it was 07:00 am so there was a bit of a scramble getting ready but it was no big deal because as is usual I was pretty organized! 

 The race started with a Bagpiper and half K walk to the start area then we were off!   The first 4K of the race were pretty easy ...something to look forward to on the way back!  The real fun started at Little Cove and more or less lasted until Cyprus Lake where we got a break running around the Campground ending up back on the Bruce Trail just before the Grotto. The race reminded me allot of the Niagara Ultra where you run to the Horseshoe falls then back to Niagara on the Lake.... strange analagy when the Niagara Race is super easy and this race was super hard.    When you get close to Cyprus Lake there are allot of folks on the trail and going through the Grotto was very busy.   Running thorough unsuspecting  Tourist is a blast...just like Niagara.  Most  are having a tough time walking some of the trails and here were are running them!    As a matter of fact I pretty much flew through the Cyprus Lake area logging some 7 min Ks!  It was allot of fun following the blazes and race flags through the Grotto area.  It reminded me of a recurring dream have follwing flages and getting lost only this time I pretty much remained on course!       I was gelling and taking in as much Water as I could but the Aid Stations were a wee bit spaced out for such a hot humid day.  Temps returning from the Grotto were in the mid to upper 20's with really high humidity.  The one savings grace was some unexpected haze/cloud so there was very little Sun exposure.    In the last couple of hours I began to dehydrate a bit ... heart rate climbs as the blood thickens and I started to get the pain across the shoulders.  Slowed down ,  chugged as much water I could get down and upped the S Caps.   I never really recovered but did make the necessary pace adjustment to maintain a little slower run.   I hadn't run long since I did Endure a month earlier so there was a little bit of doubt about how successful I would be and I have to say that I was very pleased with the run.    If it wasn't so hot I am sure I would have been a sub 6 hours and I wasn't too far off the mark at 6hrs10min. 


 So I feel pretty much set up for my remaining 3 fall 50Kers ,  Sticks and Stones Oct 7,   The Bad Thing Oct 21 and The Batawa Fat Ass Nov 12.

Finish Line Picture

Slow Run

Gearing it back in prep for Saturday long one.  Logged an easy 5K at a 6:00 pace this morning on my meal break.

Backyard Trail

  Had some issues sleeping yesterday so I rolled out of bed,  packed up all the necessities and headed for the backyard trail for a little 4.8 K Run.  Recovery was a few beers in the hammock ,  a dip in the pool then a couple of hours more sleep! 

Solid Seven

Did another 7K Heart Run on my meal break tonight.   HR was lower ,  much lower not sure if I believe the watch although this is a phenomena that I have observed on mids before.    Only one more planned run before I " Run the Edge" this weekend ...  Tobermory Trail Race .

Tuesday Treadmill

Working abbreviated mids this week starting yesterday.   Took Monday as a reset day I was just too tired to run not doing my usual shift prep in order to enjoy one more Summer Day at Sauble! 
Tonight's 7K Heart Run was a solid.... HR was much lower only hitting the " peak " during the 4:30 fartelks ... max out a 143bpm but it was mostly in the mid to high 130's.

Weekend Running

 Wow ,  what a great ending to Summer!   Logged 2 X 10K runs on the Beach at Sauble this weekend and man was it hot!   Heading out I was into a nice breeze but heading back it was behind me and with the full sun exposure it was smokin hot.   Cool down was a refreshing dip in Lake Huron.  

One more...

7K Heart Run done on my meal break this evening.

7K Heart Run

Yup ,  another Eve another 7K Heart Run done on my meal break.  

Two Run Tuesday

7K Heart Run this evening on my meal break.

Trail Tuesday

Super nice day today so I hit the backyard trail for a little 4.8 K run before going to work.  

Rest - Rest - Run

Rest days Saturday and Sunday ...sort of planned.   Solid 7K Heart Run done this evening on my meal break.  

Friday Evening

Did the same run as last night running a 7Ker on my meal break.

Fast Seven

Logged a 7Ker the old way on my meal break last night.  

August Totals

August -   242.4 km
YTD -   2,099.2 km

Another funny month of running punctuated with lots of rest days and periods of intense activity .... can you say Endur!

Only one event the Endur Ultimate....7 races in 8 days logging the majority of my monthly Ks!

Breakdown

Trail -  5 X 84 km
Tread - 6 X 54 km
Road - 5 X 104.4 km
Rest Days -   14  YIKEs ... a new record.   Last time I had that many was when I was sick with Bronchitis!


There are 4 long ones this fall so I a just starting to gear up for it now.  

Fast Five

5K the old way at a mostly 5:00 pace with a short 0.2K Fartlek to start the cool down.   Gradually building to the " Heart Run" Friday....tomorrow its a " Fast Seven".

Tuesday @ Work

Wow , its been a month since I ran treadmill.   I must admit its a good option when its -20C out but not so much fun in the Summer.   Logged a really slow 5Ker working my way up from a 7:30 pace to a 6:00 pace.   Something happened to my left foot Monday Eve ... out of the blue it became very painful on the top eventually becoming very very painful couldn't put any pressure on it.  It was suggested that I " blew a blood vessel" .  Yesterday it was a  better ,  slightly red on top and only a little painful and today its almost 100%.   I recall this sort of thing happening from time to time ... good thing its not a race day!

Windy Beach

One last beach run to wrap up the vacation.  Its super windy here at Sauble , 30 to 50 k from the SW.  Headed to the back streets heading South then jumped to the beach and let the wind push me back.

Beach again!

Another 10K done today along the beach at Sauble.   Strong offshore breezes,  cloud and comfortable temps made for a pleasant run.   Have to admit not doing much for the last couple of weeks has caught up with me but I expect to be back on track by the end of the week.  

Back at it again!

Switched to a new cottage yesterday so today's run was a 10 Ker on the beach at Sauble!    Expect to get back in the swing of things next week when I return to work after a month of vacation.    Tobermorry Trail Marathon is 3 weeks away ...looking forward to it.

Back at it!

14 trail Ks logged this morning.   Ran from Cameron Lake to the Grotto via Cyprus Lake.  Great technical trails lots of rocks and roots until I hit the park and there was a K off wide stone chip trails.  

Click here for the return run and some pictures.

Little Trail

Last week was all running ,  this week not so much busy with all the other things!   Logged a little 4.8 Ker on the backyard trail yesterday...it was nice!  

Endur Stage 7 - Road Marathon

 The "Ultimate" is over winding up with a very hot 42.2 to round out the week.  I was aiming for a slightly sub 4hrs and ended up with 4hrs18min44sec.  I was through the 1/2 in 2hrs but the second loop I was hot and exposed....no death march just had to slow down and take care of business.   I never really hated the run but I was pretty uncomfortable in the heat but again I managed OK.   Fished 33 out of 58 that started that day and ended up 20th in the ultimate logging a total time of 16hrs22min7sec.

More data to be added and I will do a summary of the week but I don't need to say much because I have already registered for the 2018 Ultimate!  

Endur Stage 5 Picture

Taken at the top of Chicopee

Endur Stage 6 - 10km Time Trail

 Stage 6 the 10 km time trial was done this morning in a surprising 48min28sec.  Once again I had no idea what to expect but I did want to more or less run to my potential today.  With the Marathon looming tomorrow I wasn't sure if this was a good strategy but 10K's have never had any long lasting affect on my ability to carry on!  It was a pretty rough first km almost like I have forgotten how to run.  Once things warmed up it felt hard but natural.  The HR crept up to 161 so I backed it off keeping it in the high 150's through most of the race.   I am pleased with my results considering all the different events I have done this week!