Running in the yuck

Well setting out today it was 5C and clearing, a refreshing change from the past few days of snow and cold. I figured that I would be running mostly on the road as the sidewalks are not as clear as one would hope. The first two kms weren't bad, I was certainly moving well but tired, you know from inactivity. The next couple of kms weren't any better as I eased into a slow rythym of just moving forward. One brightspot on this run was at 5k I found a soggy dirty $10 bill so it paid for this run indeed. I just cruised home from there, glad to be out and glad to be done. Nothing fancy just movement.

7.2km, 37:53, 5:15 pace
Sleep: 8 hrs, 9/10
Legs: 7/10

F***ing snow

So around here we don't get much snow let alone have it last for any length of time. That is part of the reason why I live here but beyond that snow just doesn't hang around. Until last Sunday, the day after the Stewart Mtn race, we got some snow. Not too much but definitely enough to be annoying. Then couple days later we get more, then more. Fast forward to today, ten days later and guess what, we still have snow. It is warmer and it is starting to melt in the city but elsewhere it is still everywhere. So I thought it would be fun to head out to Elk Lake and take a trip around the lake knowing it would be snowy but just not how much. I choose the far end of the lake to launch from but found that the parking lot was still under a foot of snow so I ended up at Beaver Lake parking lot and decided to go from there. In the first half kilometer, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. At the first km I had had branches falling around me, been pelted with snow from above and had to be super careful with where I was putting my feet. I turned back at about 3k because the trail was disappearing into deeper snow and it was sucking. The route back was marginal and I was super glad to be done. I'll stick to the roads until the snow is gone unless I have snowshoes.

Stewart Mtn XC

Well as we lined up at the start Bob was tellling us that this was going to be tough with considerable water and a climb that you would be walking. So with that warning we set out to see just how bad it was going to be. I started off faster than normal but well within myself, strange how the group changes your perspective. We all stayed pretty bunched up for the first 4km or so until the "puddle". Christ, it was a river that was 50 metres across and over two feet deep, plus you had to climb over a fallen tree halfway across. There was certainly alot of water. I was suffering by 7k knowing that the mountain was getting to me.

As we climbed up the fire road it continued to get worse, steep and relentless. Once the road ended it was a hike up another 600 metres at least to the summit. Going down with calves shot, my quads did all the work and it was rough, slippery moss and exposed rock, lots of super steep drainage, some with more water down for over a km. Once back on the main trail I got my second wind and was able to run again pretty well. Back into the single track I moved well but the final two km I really worked hard, pushing the hills as best I could. Upon seeing the finish I reallly hauled ass. It was so good finish, cold wet and spent. It was super good today, I finished faster than I thought I would which was cool.

16 km, 1:33:23, 5:51 pace
Sleep: 8 hr, 9/10
Legs: 9/10

Back at it

Decided that I would add some serious distance this week and try to keep it going till we go away in a few weeks. I ran home from the roost via the Lochside trail, the weather was perfect, a cool 6C and no wind. The sky was threatening rain but it didn't materialize. I started off well but too quick and got over that by 6k then just eased into a good pace. I held that pace for most of the run, walking by design as I felt it necessary. It was a really good run, comfortable and smart.

26.3 km, 2:24:37, 5:30 pace
Sleep: 6.5 hr, 8/10
Legs: 9/10

Haven't blogged in a bit

Been busy, been running but not keeping up the data entry portion of the job, I suppose. Ran a good trail run and a good 12km road run last week but was deathly ill on Friday which led to me missing the Gunner Shaw race which sucked but I couldn't get out of bed with a fever like that. I'm seriously considering now doing the BCUTS series, 7 races over 7 months, mostly 50k trail races with a 50 miler in there for good times. I've got 93 days till the first race so I suppose I really should get my ass in gear. Stewart Mountain XC 10 miler is in 9 days. Yikes!!!!