Going Long (again) in 2024

Easy run at a 9:16 pace.  A very light dusting of snow on the ground.  Getting a bit colder though at -12C/11F.

Easy run in a brisk wind. 9:26 pace

Freezing rain this morning, and the roads were really slick, so I took to the treadmill instead.  Two days in a row with no pain or tightness in the knee.  Hurray!  9:31 pace.

My headlamp went out at mile 2 (forgot to charge it), and so the next 2 miles were run in the dark.  The last 2 were in twilight, so not too bad.  Not much traffic yet, with school still out, so I managed.  We had a few centimeters of snow the other day, and the traffic packing it made it pretty slippery, so I had to watch.  9:09 pace.

Cold morning with a stiff wind.  -10C/14F, but the windchill made it -18C/0F.  A stoat ran across the road just in front of me at around mile 4 on Goodwill Drive.  Hips really tightened up on the last mile.  I'm really looking forward to a hot shower!  9:25 pace.

Snow covered roads. Packed in places, and loose in others. Big storm coming tomorrow, so we may finally get our heavy snow. Registration for the Haliburton 100 Trail Ultra opened yesterday. Yes. I am registered. So 50 miles in May and 100 miles in September. 9:10 pace today. I had a massage first thing, so a late morning run.

Got it done before the coming storm hit. Stiff East wind. 9:22 pace.

We got hit pretty hard with our first major snow storm of the season.  It started yesterday early afternoon and is still going.  So, hit the treadmill today.  9:31 pace.

I have a funeral Mass tomorrow, so decided to run my 16 miler today.  That, plus another big storm will hit us tonight, and I didn't want to run 16 miles on the treadmill if it was avoidable.  I was up early anyway, and so was out the door at 5:30 this morning.

Cold.  It was -18C/0F and it snowed lightly the whole time.  I was dressed for it, but was still chilled by the end after being out there for 2 1/2 hours.  Every facial hair was covered with thick frost when I was done; my eyes were blocked by little icicles hanging from my lashes.  

The road was well packed and traffic was relatively light; I managed a pretty decent 9:10 pace.  

Big storm outside; I ran inside.  5 treadmill miles at 9:22 pace.  Left shin a bit sore today; will have to work that out.

Cold morning, but bright once the sun rose. 9:03 pace. Ski trails opened yesterday, so I bought my season pass and skied 5K. Will go for another 10K today.

Cold,and a touch windy early this morning. 9:19 pace. Skied 5K later in the morning.

Going to be doing speedwork on the treadmill on Wednesdays from now on.  Today was 4 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

The good news is, no pain.  Shin cleared up, as did the knee, and no further hamstring issues.  The only lingering 'thing' is the numbness under my toes from the plank plate rupture, but my doctor told me that is just nerve damage.  I can live with that, if need be.

Long run on the treadmill early this morning.  9:31 pace throughout.  

At mile 12, a couple toes on my left foot were screaming at me.  Too much pressure, I think, from the orthotics.  So, I switched to the Hokas and didn't bother with the orthotics.  Instant relief.  

Back to the treadmill; 9:31 pace.  It's warming up a bit next week, so am hoping to take it back outside.

Warmed up a bit, so took it outside. Roads in decent shape, with a bit of slushy snow in places. 9:06 pace for a 91 minute run.

Easy 9:52 pace today. Stiff North wind.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

5 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

Back to the treadmill for this long run.  Even 9:31 pace.  Nothing hurting, so things look hopeful in that regard.  I think running 3 hours on the treadmill is good training for the mind more than anything.  You really have to push through that urge to stop.

Relaxed run at 9:30 pace. Warm weather means closed ski trails, but also bare roads. Just below the freezing mark this morning with no wind.

Mileage cut back week. Hovering just below freezing and no wind.

9:07 pace.

Easy run on a slush covered road. 9:05 pace.

Speedwork Wednesdays on the treadmill.  2 miles Tempo pace 7:35.

Just over 2 hours on the treadmill.  9:31 pace.  

Apparently, the big maple syrup producers are already seeing the sap run.  Amazing.  That being said, it was brisk enough this morning at -11C/12F.  The sun is out in full force, however.  We haven't seen much of it this winter so far.  9:10 pace.  That finishes the first third of my training program.  The next 16 weeks will see back to back long runs most weekends.

Beautiful morning. Just a bit below freezing and no wind. Ran a touch faster than planned. 9:00/mile pace.

A feel good 8:49 pace. Felt easy. A cool -9C/14F, but little wind and the sun was bright.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  2.5 miles @ 7:35 pace.  

Easy 10 on the treadmill; 9:31 pace.  If the rain/snow holds off tomorrow, I will try taking my 20 miler outside.

Was able to take it outside today.  It rained a bit last night, and it was hovering around the freezing mark for the entire run (3 hours).  I ran 3 'laps' of Goodwill Drive, plus another half mile at the end.

The first lap was icy, as the rain had frozen to the pavement.  By the time I ran the second lap, it had all thawed.  It was snowing lightly for the third lap.

Ran a pretty steady 9:07 pace.  Stopped to refill my handheld after the first and second laps.  SO nice to be able to get off the treadmill, especially for these longer runs.

Nice morning for a run, and I took to the trails for 8 miles of it. Just a light dusting of snow, but enough to see a lot of animal tracks. Mostly fox, rabbit and weasel. -5C/22F. Even with walking the steeper hills, I averaged a 9:12 pace.

Easy recovery run. 9:10 pace. Winter is back. Stiff North wind, so tough first mile. Easy after that. A fair bit of snow over night, but not nearly enough to justify cancelling the school buses today, at least in my opinion. What a coddled culture we've become!

Speedwork on the treadmill.  6 x 800m repeats at 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

Heavy snowfall yesterday.  Good news - ski trails are open again.  Hopefully will get out on Sunday.  Long run on the treadmill; 9:31 pace.

Very cold, with a North wind to make it feel colder.  -20C/-4F.  It was clear, at least, and once the sun came up, it felt good on my face - at least when I was running East.  8:53 pace, with the second half about 10 seconds/mile faster than the first.

Icy cold again. About the same as on Saturday, but without the sun shining. 9 miles on a trail. It's actually a mining road that is kept open in the winter for exploration. I counted 27 hills that were steep enough to require walking, so pretty comparable to a trail. 9:17 pace.

Still super cold outside, at least for another day or two. 9:04 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

6 x 800 with 400 recoveries.

I've been splitting the distances between the 50 mile/week and the 70 mile/week peak training programs, but if I hit the 34 mile back to back this weekend, then I'll be right on track for the 70 mile/week program.  My goal - we'll see.

It's turning frigid again, at least for a few days.  Even during this 90 minute run, the temperature was steadily dropping and the North wind was picking up.  I am still debating whether to hit the treadmill tomorrow for my 24 miler, or brave one of the coldest days of winter.  I'll decide in the morning.  Today, 8:52 pace.

I decided to take it outside; glad I did.  It didn't get quite as cold as predicted, so I started off with temperatures at -22C/-7F and a barely noticeable wind, and finished just over 3 1/2 hours later with temps at -14C/7F.  It helped that it was clear, and whenever I was facing the sun, it felt great on my face.  I also had a hand warmer in each mitten and that was a huge help.  

I ran a 6 mile loop four times, so stopped three times to refill my handheld.  I used hot water, and it still was freezing up on me.  My pace was steady throughout and averaged 9:00/mile; a bit on the faster side.  

So, I've fully transitioned to the program that peaks out at 70 miles/week - the same one I used 5 years ago.  My body seems to be holding up so far.

Very easy run. Full sun and beginning to warm. 9:30 pace.

Gorgeous morning for running. Sunshine and hovering around the freezing mark with little wind. 9:25 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Crazy weather today.  Thunderstorm and heavy rain when I put the blue box out, and a flash freeze coming this afternoon with a lot of snow.  Temperatures to drop to -21C/-6F, then back to above seasonal for the weekend.  No more skiing.  I only got out 6 times this winter.

I tap the two maple trees in front of my house.  I already have over 2 gallons of sap - everything is early this year.  It looks like the season might end by the middle of March, if not sooner, which is when it usually begins.

Treadmill; 9:05 pace.

So, the power went out last night sometime before 2am - that's when I noticed it.  It came back on at 5:30am.  I'm usually out of bed before 5am, but with no power, just stayed the extra.

Had 3 thoughts: 

How will I make coffee?

How will I run on the treadmill?

It's COLD!!!   It was 14C/57F.  Enough to keep me under the blankets.

It was actually nice running on the treadmill with the cooler temps in the house.

Hovered just around the freezing mark and just a slight wind.  The sun was in and out.  Pretty nice for running.  9:01 pace.  Rubber legs towards the end, especially on the hills.

Tried to take it to the trails today, but 2 miles was as much as I could manage in the mud and ice. A bit of rain fell at the 7 mile mark, but overall a very nice running morning. 9:34 pace.

Heavy downpour this morning. I waited for it to end, but finally decided to hit the treadmill. 9:50 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

6 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.  No problems, and feeling strong.

Early morning run, most of it in the dark.  Just a touch below freezing, with clear skies and little wind.  8:48 pace.

Steady (at times heavy) rain for the entire run, with a stiff North wind to boot.   Temperature held steady at 1C/34F throughout.  So, cold, wet and challenging.  Still, SO much better than on the treadmill.  9:04 pace.

A bit of a setback today.  Scheduled for 14, but felt some tightening in my right groin area at around mile 6.5, and by mile 7 there was some slight pain.  So, I walked the final mile home.  It felt better as I walked.  So, I stretched out and foam rolled for a half hour, and then tried to run at a very slow pace.  Still tight after a half mile, so I decided taking time off was far better than risking an injury.  That's the wisdom of experience - not that long ago, I would have run through it, got injured, and been off running for a couple of weeks or more.

Pretty sure it's the psoas muscle, and likely from tightening up during that cold, wet 24 mile run on Saturday.  This was supposed to be one of my peak mileage weeks at 68 miles, but I'm okay taking it all off if I need to.  It won't affect my overall training.  

I'm scheduled for an easy 6 tomorrow, so I'll see how I feel then.

I decided to err on the side of caution, and took 4 days off running.  Today was a short and easy run 'just to see'.  A very casual 10:31 pace.  There is still some tightness in the right groin area, but no pain.  And the tightness did not increase during the run.  I'll take tomorrow off, as planned, and then see if I can get back to my regular training starting on Monday.

I had a massage on Tuesday, and I've been stretching the psoas out all week.  I'll so some Ultrasound and TENs on it tonight; hopefully things will continue to improve.

Easy 9:55 pace. On the cold side with a stiff North wind. Good news ... No pain or tightness in the groin/psoas. So glad I rested last week. Hopefully, will not see a relapse as I ramp up my mileage.

Easy 9:50 pace. No issues. First day of Spring and Winter is back. Fairly heavy snow, driven by a stiff wind.

Today is my Conception Day, so I'm now 59 years old.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

2 1/2" of snow fell yesterday.  It may not sound like much, but in a winter that didn't see much snow at all, having that much fall on the 1st day of Spring seemed remarkable.

Dark and cold morning, so I chose the treadmill.  9:05 pace.

I planned on road running today, but woke up to a significant blizzard.  Low visibility, with huge, fluffy flakes of snow.  One of the nicest snowfalls this year, but I opted for the safety of the treadmill.  9:31 pace.

9 weeks to Sulphur Springs 50 and 24 weeks to Haliburton 100.

Back on the road today. On the cool side, but ok for running. 9:17 pace. I may have a fracture in my middle toe on the left foot. It has been hurting for a few weeks, but I really felt it today. Not affecting my running form, so will continue running through it. Hopefully doesn't get any worse.

Very easy 9:25 pace.

On the treadmill for today's speed workout.

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Everything feels great.

Overcast and cool, at -3C/26F; good for running.  8:57 even pace.

I ran this in 3 loops so I was able to make my home a 'rest stop'.  8 miles for the first loop, then I picked up a flask of Tailwind.  By then, it was 'warm' enough for it not to freeze.  Then I ran a 10 mile loop, stopping after that to eat a banana and add more Tailwind to my flask.  Also ditched the mitts and neck warmer, and put on gloves.  The final 6 loops had the sun shining, and I finished with no aches or pains; just heavy legs.  Averaged a 9:38 pace, so 9 minutes shy of 4 hours.

Gorgeous running morning. Hovering just around freezing, with a warm sun once it rose. A stiff North wind which I ran 3 of the miles into. 8:55 pace. It just felt good to run a bit faster.

Bright and cool early morning run. 9:04 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Late snow storm on Wednesday. Over a foot of very wet snow. I had to start really early this morning to get my mileage in, so ran on the treadmill. Mostly at a 9:31 pace, but I slowed it down after mile 11 because of some tightness in my psoas. I got off a few times to stretch it, and it seems to be ok. I'll find out tomorrow when I run 22 miles to complete my back to back.

Second half of my 'back to back'.  Full sun.  Just at the freezing mark to start, and then up to 4C/40F at the finish.  Heavy legs toward the end, but kept a pretty even pace throughout, which averaged 9:41/mile.  No issues with the psoas today, but I stopped to stretch it out twice just in case.

Eclipse day. Cloudy. Of course. Slight soreness in my left iguinal ligament, but was ok for running. Pancake flat road, which helped. 9:46 easy pace.

9:32 easy pace.  Everything feels great, so no soreness after last week's back to back.  And that is after a long drive home today.  Well, 6 hours, so not TOO bad.

Was in beautiful Dunnville, on the North shore of Lake Erie, for yesterday's total eclipse.  I drove down Sunday and just returned today.  This was a redemption trip, after my very long 1600km (1000 mile) motorcycle ride to Bloomsdale, MO in 2017 to watch the eclipse there.  Then, it was a very hot day with very clear skies.  Just a few minutes before totality, one stupid cloud floated in front of the sun and totatally blocked the view.  It drifted away a few minutes after totality.  The man next to me summed up everyone's feelings when he said sarcastically "Well, ain't that just sweet!  Thank you Jesus!"  That sentence made it all worth while for me!  Especially afterwards, when I was stuck in the biggest traffic jam in American history.

This time, it was cloudy for most of the morning and the afternoon.  You could catch glimpses of the partial eclipse every so often when the clouds parted.  Then, for most of the 3 1/2 minutes of totality, the clouds right at that point cleared, and I had my first view of the sun's aurora.  It was awesome!  Made it all worth while once again.  A trip well worth taking.  Thank you Jesus! (and no sarcasm) :)

Speedwork on the treadmill.

7 x 800 @ 6:53 pace with 400 recoveries.

Nasty morning.  Cold.  Windy.  Wet.  Treadmill run.  9:31 pace.

It rained 2 inches over the past 2 days.  A little snow thrown in there too.  And lots of wind.  Today, it's just the wind.  35-55 km/h, which is 20-35 mph.  Great when it's at your back, but not so nice in your face.

Anyway, other than that, it was hovering around 2C/35F, so not too bad for running.  Pace was 9:15/mile, so just shy of 2 1/2 hours of running.

Next Saturday will be my longest "long" run (31 miles) before my Ultra at the end of May.

Easy run in the rising sun. 9:00/mile pace.

Ran in my Boston Marathon jacket yesterday and today in honour of the big day. I see an Ethiopian won. I stayed with an Ethiopian family in 2017. Wonderful people, but should not have eaten their food the night before my marathon. 9:33 pace today.

Early morning run; 9:01 pace.  

Easy run in a light, cold rain.  9:05 pace.

Long run today, with half on the Capreol Ski Trails.  I ran 8 road, 15 trail, 8 road.  5:20:38.  Average pace was 10:21.  It started off around the freezing mark, and got as high as 4C/40F.  There was some gusty wind, but the forest nullified that for the most part.

Was startled by a big moose in the woods just off the trail, about 30 feet away.  It's amazing how big those things are.  You don't appreciate that until you are up close.  Of course, I startled it too.  Also stirred up a partridge at one point.

There was rain/sleet at one point.  Then some snow.  A bit of rain.  And the sun, finally, came out toward the end.

Easy run at 9:13 pace. No ill effects from Saturday's 50K run.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

7 x 800 @ 6:53 pace with 400 recoveries.

Steady 8:53 pace for this early morning run.  I think I'll hit the ski trails tomorrow morning.

Back to the Capreol Cross Country Ski Trails.  Three loops of the 10K trail (which is really only 8K), plus another mile.  I figured I would get soaked, based on the rain forecast.  However, it didn't start to rain until around mile 15, and I was finished when the heavy stuff began to fall.

Last week, there were a lot of branches and trees fallen across the trail, which made it more challenging.  This week, to my delight, I see someone had gone through with a chainsaw and cleaned it all up.  Nice.

4 weeks to Sulphur Springs.

Hovering just around the freezing mark, but the predicted rain held off, mostly. 9:17 pace.

Easy 9:16 pace in a foggy, light rain.

Heavy fog and chilly.  Ran 6 x 800m segments at speed.  Mile paces varied from 6:47 - 6:59/mile.

Didn't need the jacket or the gloves today.  Even the wind was on the warm side, if a bit stiff.  8:52 pace.  Will hit the trails tomorrow for my big 25 miler.  Peak week, and then the taper.

25 miles done on the Capreol ski trails.  I got an early start in a heavy fog, which didn't lift until mile 17.  After that, it was hot.  A few partridge.  A fox.  Lots of birds.  No blackflies (yet).  I figure they will start in a week or two.  And the odd person with their (off leash) dog or dogs.  I'll take a black bear over that any day.  Pace averaged out to 10:46/mile.

Gorgeous morning. 11C/52F. First time in shorts this year. 9:22 pace. Thought I'd be sore after Saturday's run, but all is good.

A bit late in the morning for my run. On the warm side. 9:03 pace.

Pouring rain, so decided to run my speedwork on the treadmill this morning.

6 x 800 repeats @ 6:53 pace with 800 recoveries.

Early start to this nearly 3 hour run, as I have a funeral this morning.  On the cool side, but great for running.  Not much wind.  8:43 pace, so a little faster than ideal.

A short, quick run in the rain.  8:43 pace.

On the road; 8:47 pace.

9:02 pace. Tapering.

Last of the speedwork.  5 x 800 with 800 recoveries.  Pace was between 6:38 - 6:49/mile.

Easy; 8:49 pace.

Last time on the Capreol ski trails before next Saturday's race.  I thought the blackflies would be a lot worse than they were ... not too bad.  10:17 pace.

Easy shakeout run; 9:38 pace.

Easy run; 8:39 pace. 

Today I pack for my race.  Will be making my nutrition powder for the first time.

2 mile shakeout run; 9:00/mile pace.

Leaving around Noon for Ancaster/Burlington.  It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive.   Possible rain/thunderstorm tomorrow afternoon, so maybe a repeat of the mud fest I experienced at this event 5 years ago.  The difference this year is I'll be wearing mud capable shoes.  My goal is to break 10 hours tomorrow.

Finally home.  I placed 9th overall for the 50 mile event, and came in first in my age group for those over 50.

Drove down on Friday night; race for the 50 and 100 milers started at 6am Saturday.  There were also 50k and 100k racers on the course, who started a little bit later.  So, lots of runners on the course, which is a 20km loop, with 1500 feet of elevation change/loop (6,000 feet for my event).  Most of it is double track and either packed earth or grass.  Great when it's dry.  It was not dry.

I read my notes from when I ran this race exactly 5 years ago, when it poured rain and turned the course into a flowing river of mud.  It wasn't pretty, but it forced me to buy some decent trail shoes, and I used them this time around with great success.

The rain started right at the beginning of my second loop, and it continued for almost 5 hours.  A thunderstorm was a part of it.   Again, mud, mud and more mud.  This time, however, I didn't fall, my feet did not slip to the side, and I didn't have to pick my way downhill, but was able to charge the downhills.  People with poor shoes were slipping and falling all around me, and when I ran past they were amazed.  I heard a lot of "wows", but it was just the difference in the shoe.  No injuries because of slipping and falling this time around.

My 20k splits were:

2:01:45 (dry ground, fresh, and no aid station stops)

2:13:29 (switch in gear at the transition point)

2:31:36 (lingered too long at a couple of aid stations and dead legs)

2:34:37 (more lingering and still dead legs)

My finish time of 9:21:26 puts me 1 hour and 16 minutes faster than 5 years ago.  My goal was to break 10 hours, so I'm ecstatic about that.

Average pace was 11:12, compared to 12:44 last time around.

Some of the problems I had to overcome or still need to figure out:

I'm supposed to take in about 200 calories/hour in the form of Tailwind.  I carried two bottles in my vest and an extra 2 containers of mix to make up along the way.  I ended up taking in only about half that, as my stomach just could not take it.  Then, with only 8 miles complete, my vest was rubbing my shoulder raw.  So, I took off the vest at the transition point and put on a belt to hold my mix, and ran the rest of the race with just one bottle held in my hand.  It actually felt really good to ditch the vest.

I still could not stomach the Tailwind well, so took to eating potatoes, chips, watermelon and cookies at the aid stations.  That helped, but on my third lap my legs were dead and I wondered if I'd even be able to finish.  Before my fourth lap, I ditched the belt completely and ran with just the bottle.  I used the on course beverage (Skratch) to refill it once.  Even still, I found it too sicky sweet and so dumped it with 4 miles to go and ran with just water.  

I'll need to figure this out before my 100 miler in September, since the loops there are 25 miles and the aid stations are a lot further apart.  On the positive side, I had no GI distress, and I didn't need to take any immodium or pepto bismol this year.  I'm guessing that had something to do with taking in a lot less sugar/calories.  But I don't think I can run 100 miles without taking in more.

Going back to the third loop, I really had to battle my brain.  There was a lot of negativity at the aid stations that I listened to, as well as on the course, and the water/mud didn't help, as didn't the lack of pep in my legs.  At one point, I gave up on the idea of finishing in under 10 hours, and even decided to give up running Ultras completely.  Back to marathons or less, I decided.  My brain had a field day with me.  Fortunately, a rack of ribs and a cold beer for dinner that night helped put things in their proper perspective.

Five years ago, I was really hurting and did not run for 6 days after my race.  This year, today is my 3rd day off, and I'm planning a short run tomorrow.  Maybe it helped that on Sunday, the day after the race, I installed a laminate floor for my sister on the second floor of her house (table saw in the driveway).  LOTS of walking up and down stairs.  It had to have helped my quads, despite their protest to the contrary.  I just got back from a massage and I think I might be good to go tomorrow.

Thought I'd attempt a short run, just to see.  Legs are still heavy, and I'm glad I turned around after 1 mile.  There is no way I could have gone further today.  9:40 pace, and really slowing down at the end.  No injuries, though, and no significant aches, so that is all good.

The legs are still a bit sluggish, but far better today than on Wednesday; 9:15 pace.

8:58 pace.  Legs are still a bit heavy, but I was reading through my notes from this time 5 years ago, and I see I'm way ahead of where I was then.  No injuries this time to work through.

Very humid today. Heavy legs still, especially at the end, but no pain and feeling stronger. 9:10 pace.

Another very humid day. 9:05 pace.

Felt my knee tweak at 1/4 mile.  Thought I could work it out by slowing down and keep going, but when I got to 3/4 miles I thought it best to cut the run short and turned for home.  It felt like more in the muscles around the knee than the knee itself.  Maybe the lower quads.  I'll try again tomorrow.

Much better today; 8:53 pace.  I'm thinking my issue yesterday was the sciatic nerve.  I did some stretching and had no problems with the knee today.

I did have my first black bear encounter of the year.  It stepped out on Goodwill Drive from the woods, just in front of me, right at the end of my run (last half mile).  It gave no indication of having seen me, as it walked slowly ahead of me, so I cleared my throat and said "excuse me".  It stopped, turned, and took 2 steps toward me, so I stopped.  It then turned and continued on in front of me.  

We were just a stone's throw from Falconbridge Road, which is always busy with the commuter traffic in the morning.  It didn't seem to bother the bear.  It just kept walking towards it.  So, I just kept on behind it, talking to it the whole time:

"So, if you don't mind, I'll just follow you."  "Don't mind me".  "Think you can walk a little faster?"  "Passing on your right".

By now, it was at Falconbridge Road and I needed to get past it.  There is a broad turnaround there, so I managed to give the bear a wide berth, but by the time I got to the shoulder of Falconbridge, it was also there, still about 30 feet in front of me.  It stopped and just looked at all the traffic.  Not sure if it planned on crossing, but I had to cross to get home.  At this point, the cars were stopping to let me by.  One guy asked me if I wanted to jump in.  I told him "maybe - let's see what happens".  Others made jokes that were variations on the theme that I wasn't running fast enough.

Anyway, with all the cars stopping, I was able to get across and the bear turned and went back into the woods.  It was neat being so close to a full sized black bear, and it reminded me that as unsettling as these encounters might be, they are not nearly as unpredictable as those with unleashed dogs.  I'll take the bear any day.

Same route as yesterday.  No bears.  8:54 pace.

Was ambitiously hoping for a 12 miler.  Ended up running 2.5 and then walking 2.5 to get home.  My left hamstring seized up and I chose to walk rather than risk any further injury.  I think I then overstretched it when I got home, as I felt a pop.  Hurts more now.  Tomorrow rest, then we'll see.

Not the week I wanted, but at least I managed a run today.  Well, a run/walk, with most of it running.  Combined, a pace of 11:18.

After I pulled my left hamstring last Saturday, I was hurting pretty good.  I tried a brisk walk on Monday, and ended up limping home after just a quarter mile.  So, I rested, stretched and took lots of ibuprofin.  It was still tight this morning, but not sore, so I tried a walk which turned into a very slow jog.  The last mile or two, I picked it up to a slow run and felt pretty good.  The hammie loosened up as I went and I finished with it feeling about the same or a bit better than when I started. 

I'm hopeful I can keep it up on Monday, after tomorrow's rest.  I looked back over my notes, and it has always been my right hammie that has been a problem, so the left one is new.  Hopefully, that means the recovery will be quick.

The other challenge is my allergies.  They have gone into overdrive ever since my 50 miler.  I've been on reactine for over 30 years, and I'm thinking the effect of it has diminished to the point of not helping.  So, I've switched to Claritin; today is the first day I've felt some improvement in that area.

I was aiming for a two hour slow run - about 14 miles. I was doing ok, despite the tightness in my left hammie, until mile 6.5. At that point, I had to slow to a very easy jog. Ended up with just under 90 minutes on my feet. 9:20 pace until I had to ease back.

Left hammie still hurts, and I think I made it worse yesterday doing some heavy lifting.  Still, I was able to run today at a very slow 10:53 pace (a little bit of walking in there, but not much).

Tried to run yesterday, but the left hammie was way too sore to let me.  So, did lots of stretching instead.  Today, headed to the track across the street to try again.  I didn't want to get far from home, and the track gave me a softer run on a flat surface.  Was able to run 6.5 miles at an average pace of 10:20/mile.  The hamstring held up, even though it was tight the whole time.  It was some sciatic issues that stopped me - that has been an on again/off again issue lately.  Today, it was doing some wonky things in my left foot and calf.

Hamstring is feeling better, although I had to watch my speed and I still felt tightness throughout the entire run.  Kept it at a 9:40 pace; hoping to up my mileage tomorrow - maybe 15 miles if all goes well.

Feeling stronger, although I need to watch the downhills; my hammie is still not 100% and it let me know it when I pushed a little too hard.  Still a few sciatic issues as well.  Still, I ran 17 miles at a steady 9:23 pace.  I'll take it.

Feeling better; 9:08 pace.  Massage later this morning.

Pushed it a bit harder today; 9:04 pace.  Second half faster than the first by 18 seconds/mile.  No pain or tightness in my hamstring, and my sciatic issues didn't seem to bother me.  My massage therapist really worked hard yesterday on my back, glutes, hamstrings, hips and calves.  It was almost painful, but a good painful!  I felt a lot better afterwards, and I think it made a huge difference in how I felt today.  I might even have time to get in decent enough shape to run my 100 miler in 11 weeks.

Comfortable 9:08 pace.  Black bear on the road about 300 meters ahead.  Picking through the garbage bags at the curb (garbage day).  Took off in the woods when it saw me.

9:04 pace.  Was going to run 12, but my left knee felt a little off, so decided to save it for tomorrow's long run.

A soaker rain that didn't let up the entire 3 hours of running.  Temperature was a comfortable 16C/60F, and there was little wind.  Humidity was 100%.  So, wet through and through.  My hamstring and knee held up well.  I kept it slow and steady, running a fairly even 9:26 pace.

Even 9:15 pace. No pain or tightness anywhere. Gorgeous morning for a run.

Pretty much the same as yesterday. 9:12 pace.

Easy 9:14 pace.

Short shakeout run at an easy 9:10 pace.  I'll be leaving later this afternoon, once I've wrapped up my work.  Race is a 3 hour drive from here.  It looks like I'll be setting up my tent in the rain, and running in rain tomorrow.  First time at Limberlost, so I don't know what that might mean for the trails.  Today, my legs feel heavy.  Hopefully they will have more pep tomorrow.

I just got home.  This was a tough course, but I figure it is comparable to the Haliburton 100 in terms of elevation and terraine.  So, a good rehearsal run, which is what I wanted.

I drove the 3 hours on Friday to race site and slept in my tent.  Not much sleep in a rather noisy group campground, but that is expected.  It rained during the night.

The course is 4 loops of 14km each, so about 8.7 miles/loop.  It has 1100 feet of elevation gain/drop per loop, so a total of 4400 feet.  It is mostly single track and quite technical.  Close to 100% is on trails.  On the course at the same time were also runners in shorter distances of 1, 2 or 3 loops.  They started after we did, but the faster ones in the shorter distances caught up with us in no time.

It was hot and humid, and rained off and on all day, so the trail was muddy and slippery.  The sun would come out briefly to steam things up, and then it would either drizzle or pour, depending on the hour.

For most of the first lap, we were a long line of runners (which I found irritating).  I could not run as fast as I would have liked on the downhills, and had to walk harder than I wanted on the uphills.  Plus, you constantly had to adjust your pace to the runner in front of you.  I think most people would enjoy the company, but I much preferred the last 3 laps, and especially the final lap when the only people I saw were at the aid stations.

On lap 3, the humidity really hit me hard, and I overheated a couple of times.  Heart rate shot up, and I had to walk even the (rare) level sections in order to get it under control.  Most times, you were either going up or going down, and even then you often had to pick your way over rocks, logs, etc.  Technical, as I said.

My lap times were:

1:45:45 (12:10 pace)   1:59:31 (13:45 pace)  2:11:48 (15:09 pace)   2:16:04 (15:40 pace).   Overall average pace was 14:11.  I didn't stop at all on the first lap, so the subsequent laps show not just a slower pace, but also reflect my lingering a bit at the 3 aid stations.

I carried one bottle of Tailwind, and one of water.  That combination worked well.  I ate at the aid stations - mostly M&Ms, watermelon and chips.  Oh, one gingerbread cookie too, which I appreciated!

Since this was a 'training run', I had no taper leading into it (so, a large mileage week) and I didn't push myself terribly hard.  My right hammie is sore today, and the long drive home didn't help.  I drove 2 hours after the race to Madonna House for 2 nights, and then 5 hours home today.

So, overall, I'm pleased with the results.  Middle of the pack for the most part:

27th overall of 67, 26th man of 55 and 3rd of 8 in the 50-59 age group.

Took it slow and easy. 9:50 pace. Just wanted to see how things felt after the Ultra. Right hammie has been tight since the race, but no problem running on it today. Left knee a little wonky, but nothing serious. I'll push a little further tomorrow.

Was hoping for 9 miles, but had to cut it short just past mile 3 when my left iguinal ligament suddenly hurt.  No suggestion of a problem, and no mistep of any sort.  It just suddenly hurt and I had to stop.  I tried to stretch it out to no avail, so ended up having to limp home.  I'll have to try stretching it today and see if it is okay for running either tomorrow or Friday.  9:22 pace before I had to stop.

Had a massage yesterday to work out some issues.  Figure the iguinal issue is simply a spasm.   Still hurts, so ran a very slow 3 mile distance today at an 11:34 pace.  I'm going to take tomorrow and Sunday off.  Hopefully, the rest will let me run a fit further on Monday.

Very easy 10:10 pace. Inguinal still tight, but it didn't stop me.

A bit faster today at 9:47 pace. Still some soreness in the inguinal, but maybe not as bad, and it didn't get worse when I ran. 100 percent humidity, so wet no matter how slow you run.

A bit cooler this morning, but still close to 100% humidity.  Ended up being an unintentional (unplanned) progression run, with an average pace of 8:56.  Final mile was 7:42.  Everything seems to be healing up ok.  I hope so, because I only have 7 1/2 weeks of training left before the Haliburton 100.

This run felt great. All the pain is gone. Ran an even 9:11 pace. It didn't hurt that it was cool and very low humidity.

Steady 9:08 pace for this long run.  Felt great - not terribly hot or humid, which helped a lot.

Plan was to run a new trail route today, which was a 17 mile loop. At mile 4, I had to turn around, as beavers had turned the trail into a lake. It was impassable. Ah well. I ran back and then finished on the road. 9:21 pace.

9:28 pace to complete my second back to back in 5 days. About 6 miles run on trails. Deer flies were pesky.

Monsoon rain this morning, then a late lunch with parishioners, so a late afternoon run on a full stomach. Felt awful. 9:18 pace.

20 miles on the Capreol ski trails. 10:47 pace. 4 laps of the 5 mile trail. A few deer flies, but manageable. I fell at mile 9 and again at mile 18. Tripped over a root both times. I wasn't hurt, but was covered in dirt.

Recovery run.  9:42 pace.

Tomorrow, I'll drive the 4 hours to the Haliburton Forest Preserve where I'll camp for 2 nights, running one loop (25 miles) of the race course on Monday.  This will be my dress rehearsal for race day in 6 weeks.

One loop of the Haliburton trail, plus a bit.  I drove the 4 hours on Sunday, and set up camp at the same site I'll be using in September.  

It was very hot.  It started off at 17C/63F and peaked at 31C/88F by the time I was done.

One loop is 25 miles, but I ran an extra .75 (there and back) to get to the Lookout.  After climbing 1,000 feet, I wasn't about to miss it.  Then, later on, one of my handhelds fell out of my running vest, and I backtracked to get it - that added an extra .75 again.  I ended up running out of hydration 2 miles before I was done, so instead of running to my car to finish, I ran to my campsite where I had water.  I really needed it at that point.  Then I ran to my car.  That added the extra half mile.

Average pace was 14:57.  I was quite overheated by the time I was done.

The course is a challenge for sure.  3,600 feet of elevation and mostly technical.  Running 4 loops, and especially at night, will be something else.

I repeated two sections of the trail this morning before I packed up camp and drove home.  Ended up running about the same pace - 14:52.  At mile 8, I took a refreshing swim.  The deer flies were just as bad as yesterday.  I don't think they will be quite as bad in September.

If it rains, this course will change quite dramatically.  Most of the mud was dried, but a good downpour would turn large sections into serious mud flats.  

Originally was aiming for 6 miles, but the last half mile of Goodwill Drive has been ground up and layered with aggregate in preparation for resurfacing, and it was really dusty when a car went by.  So I turned and figured I'd add a mile on somewhere else, but when I got home my legs were quite dead, so I just left it at the 5 miles.  9:29 pace.

Yesterday's off day was a real help.  So was the massage in the afternoon.  Felt much better today.  9:08 pace.

6 of the miles on hills.  Average pace of 9:48/mile.  Today is the last day of the big heat wave that has made running an extra challenge this week.

20 miles on the Capreol ski trails. 10:45 pace.

Easy recovery run; 9:12 pace.

Mixed in some fartleks with this run; haven't done much speedwork in this training cycle.  Nice to let the legs go a little bit.  8:46 pace.

Back to the Capreol Ski Trails, giving me 35 miles on them this week.  10:50 pace.

Easy paced 9:30 run.  Saw a female deer on the road just in front of me.  Yesterday, on the trails, it was a large buck.  Lots of partridge around too.

Capreol ski trails. It rained overnight, so some standing water and more mud than usual. I should have eaten something before; I was pretty depleted at the end.

Easy 9:22 run.

A few sprints up the hills, but overall an easy run; 9:10 pace.

Easy run; 9:45 pace.

9:39 pace for this back to back.  Tomorrow, I'll take the next 20 miles to the trails.

Back to the Capreol Ski Trails to complete the back to back.  A very slow 12:07 pace on very heavy legs.  A black bear ran out in front of me at mile 4 - I yelled at it and it ran off.  Came across it again on my second loop - this time off in the woods a bit. 

It rained a bit overnight, so everything was wet.  It started raining again for 45 minutes around mile 12.  It actually felt good.  Although it was not hot at 20C/68F, it was near 99% humidity.

There was some kind of big dirtbike event going on - quite a crowd there at the end of my second lap.  I heard them riding, but it looks like they were on the snowshoe trails, and I never saw a bike on the ski trail.

End of peak mileage.  Haliburton 100 is three weeks from today.  Now I taper.

Quite a bit cooler today, at just 10C/50F and a brisk Northern wind. Ran a very hilly road, and 2 miles on an old rail bed. That's where I tripped over a rock and fell at mile four. Nasty. Scrapped my right hand, knee and shoulder. Finished with a 9:22 pace.

Easy run; 9:20 pace.

Easy 9:25 paced run, just before sunrise.  It was cool, at just 7C/45F.  I wore gloves and I was fine.

Capreol Ski Trails.  Averaged an 11:25 pace.  Would have been closer to an 11:15 pace, but I lost time when I encountered a skunk at mile 4.  It was huge - a beautiful specimen - and was trotting down the trail towards me.  We both stopped and eyed each other warily.  Then it started to trot towards me.  I think it was thinking there was enough room for us to pass each other, but I didn't want to take the chance.  So, I yelled at it and it stopped, and then reluctantly turned back the way it had come - up the trail I was on.

I trotted behind it, hoping it would go off the trail.  It didn't.  A full quarter mile before it finally stepped off and I was able to safely pass.

Then, there was a huge backhoe dredging the sewage pond at mile 4.5.  I couldn't pass, as it was sitting on the trail, so had to detour on another trail.  Then, just past mile 5, I encountered a fox.  After that, just a whole lot of partridge on the trails.

Easy recovery run; 9:34 pace.  Two weeks to race day.

Easy tapering week run; 9:28 pace.

Easy 5; 9:30 pace.

Easy run on a very cool morning; 9:12 pace.

Easy tapering run; 9:25 pace.

Easy tapering run; 9:22 pace.  A man in a truck stopped me to say a big bear with two cubs walked out of the woods just behind me.  I said 'lots of bears around - I don't bother them and they don't bother me".

Tapering run; 9:21 pace. Heavy rooftop frost this morning.

Tapering run; 9:23 pace.

Have been packing this week; laying out my 4 aid station kits and trying to plan when I'll be at each of them and what I'll need in them.

A bit under the weather these last days.  Head achy.  I'm hoping it's just nerves.

Nutrition planning took a hit, as I was preparing my own "Tailwind" mix (since I can't buy Tailwind in Canada anymore).  Ran out of glucose, so tried to buy some at the Bulk Barn where I got it this summer.  They don't sell it anymore.  Amazon was my next option, but delivery would be next week.  So, about 2/3 of my "Tailwind" for this race will have a 25/75 glucose/sugar mix instead of 50/50.  We'll see how that goes.

My crew bailed earlier this summer, so I'm alone (again) for the race.  Then, this week, I lost the use of a second Garmin watch that I planned on having.  The battery on mine won't last much beyond 50 miles, so I was planning on having one in reserve.  Ah well - I'll wing it and problem solve along the way.  Garmin for the first 50 miles, then just a regular watch for the next 25 at night, and then back to the recharged Garmin for the final push.  

The weather is shaping up to be a major suck.  Raining when I arrive and set up my tent.  Raining all Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night and likely Sunday.  A temperature of 14C/57F to start Saturday morning, and only going to 16C/61F that day, then dropping to 8C/46F that night.  So, cold, wet, muddy and miserable.  And everyone is telling me to have a good time.

Shakeout run; 9:39 pace.

I'll be leaving later this morning; hoping to get away by 11:30 when I wrap up work related things.  That should get me to race site by around 4:30 this afternoon.

Current weather forecast is cold and wet.  Thunderstorms this afternoon, just to make sure there is a LOT of mud on the course.  The rain is then forecast to fall all weekend, along with a stiff wind and temperartures that never rise above 12C/54F.  All Saturday night it will hover around 2C/36F.  It's going to be nasty.

This was my first DNF (100 mile race/I ran just 65 miles), so a dose of humility in my running 'career'.  I got home just minutes ago, so wanted to write this while it was fresh in my mind, and before I had a chance to second guess my decision to tap out with rosier colored glasses.

The Haliburton 100 is a tough course, no matter what.  Very technical, with 14,400 feet of knarly elevation.  I ran it (won the Master's division) 5 years ago on the 'old course' in a time of 26:46:27 when the cutoff was 30 hours.  They changed the course since then, taking out a significant number of lumber roads and exchanging them for a rather technical and difficult trail section.  They also increased the cutoff time to 33 hours.

The course is four 25 mile loops, with 4 aid stations.  The longest section between aid stations is the new technical section, and is 10 miles.  After complaints in previous years, they added a 'water only' section in there at the 6 mile (give or take) mark.  My "A" goal was to finish in under 30 hours by running the loops in 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours and 9 hours.  My "B" goal was to just finish in the 33 hour cutoff.

So, as predicted, it was cold, wet, and muddy.  And miserable.  When I arrived on Friday afternoon, there was a torrential downpour.  I had to wait an hour or more to set up my tent.  Very messy out there.  It continued to rain all night Friday, and it was still raining Saturday morning when we started at 6am.  It was 10C/50F when we started, which was the high for the day (and night).

The first 2 miles are non-technical trail.  They end at Aid Station 4 (weird, and I don't know why, but the Aid Stations go from 4 to 1).  After that is the 10 mile knarly technical section.  At that point, my headlamp died.  I don't know why.  I had tested it, and it should have lasted 3 hours.  Maybe the cold and rain?  But it was dead, and it was still dark.  This was not the headlamp to get me through the night, but a cheaper one that should have done the job that morning.  So, I basically followed a pack of three other runners who (fortunately) were running about my speed.  Not ideal, but by 7am, I was okay without them.  That was my first problem solving situation.

The second situation happend on a steep downhill after Aid Station 3 - still just 3 hours into the race - when I felt liquid all over my chest.  The nipple on one of my soft water flasks had fallen off in the bouncing, and I could not find it, despite looking for a minute or two.  So, I figured I'd just have to deal, although it really threw a wrench into my nutrition and hydration plans.  Basically, I filled that one with water at every Aid Station, and drank it down immediately.  At the end of my second loop at Aid Station 1, while this was happening, someone overheard my (repeated) explanation of why there was no nipple and offered me his flask.  It was brand new.  He had just finished the 50km race and had not used it.  That was amazing and made a huge difference in my planning.  Thank you - whoever you are!

A third 'situation' was my timing.  I knew the charge on my Garmin would not last the entire race, and so had arranged for a second one from a friend.  My plan was to run each 25 mile loop, and then put my Garmin on a charger and run the next loop with the fresh one.  Well, my friend reneged at the last minute and I was stuck.  I ended up buying a cheap (waterproof) watch at Canadian Tire enroute to the race.  Better than nothing.  My Garmin lasted until mile 40.5.  After that, I had to rely on my knowledge of the course and my estimates of where I should be, until mile 75 when I would be able to use my recharged watch.  Never got there.

Lap one went fairly well, despite the challenges.  There are 5 races going on here:  the 100 mile, 50 mile, 50km, 26km and 12km.  600 runners in all.  The 50 milers run the course twice, but the others run it differently.  They go in the opposite direction - sort of an out and back, and it meant having to dodge a significant number of runners on a mostly single track and technical trail.  Not an issue after the first lap.  I finished that first lap in just under 6 hours (5:50:30), so all went according to plan.

The second lap I finished in 6:37:22 - a combined time of just under 12 and a half hours, so I was comfortably ahead of where I wanted to be.  I ran the first lap with a 14 minute/mile pace, and the second in a 15:30 minute/mile pace (not sure exactly, due to not having the Garmin for the last 10 miles.  I could almost walk the last 2 laps to finish in 33 hours, and was fairly confident at that point of reaching my "A" goal.

I reached Aid Station 4 on my third lap at 7pm, helped myself to a selection of food that was offered, and headed out for that long technical section.  I held off turning on my headlamp for as long as I could.  It should last 12 hours (as tested), but after the incident in the morning, I wanted to preserve the battery as long as possible.  I was forced to turn it on at 7:45pm.  At this point, I had no way of tracking speed, so I just figued I'd be good if I arrived at Aid Station 3 by 11pm.  (I did, by the way.  I should have been right on pace to start my final lap at 3am.)

So, it was somewhere in here that the wheels fell off.  And it seemed to have happened quickly.  The rain never stopped.  Just a mist at times, and a bit heavier at others.  And it was getting colder, although I felt overheated on my second lap and had taken off my rain jacket and my hat.  Without them, I was comfortable.  I was eating and drinking according to plan, and had zero GI issues.  The only people I encountered on my second lap, mostly, were at the Aid Stations.  Same for the third lap.  But on that knarly section on my third lap, I caught up with Ron and his pacer.  He is a 77 year old man running the 50 mile race, on his second lap.  I am so happy to see that he finished his race in a time of 25:33:40.  Way to go Ron!

After that, Owen caught up with me.  Turns out he is a 61 year old (basically my age) who ran this race some 9 years ago (I think he said) and just wants to get his buckle.  He is also on his 3rd lap.  I could keep up with him on the uphills, but he really was handling the downhills way better than I could.  He passed me.  I caught up with him at the water station, and had a chance to chat with him on that very long uphill section that follows.  On the downhill after that, I lost him and never saw him again.  SO happy to see that he came in 4th today, in a time of 28:06:48.  Way to go Owen!  Can you believe that in a field of 64 racers, a 61 year old runner came in fourth?  Wow.

Anyway, it was around that time that things went south.  My quads were trashed.  I was in agony running downhill.  Initially, I thought it was the challenge of running in the dark on a very muddy and technical trail, but there is a 1 mile road section leading up to Aid Station 3.  I ran it my first two laps at a pretty decent pace.  This one, I mostly walked it.  Walking was fine (hammies were great), but the quads were trashed.

I did all the Aid Station things, and then set off.  At this point, my timing was good.  This was the 'easiest' section of the course.  Not this time.  Walking uphill was okay, but I just could not run the downhills.  I was forced to walk them.  When I got to the short section of road that leads from the steep hills to the swampy section, I realized I was shivering.  My hands had been numb for some time, but now I felt chilled to the bone.  So, I put my hat and rain jacket back on and kept walking, but it was here that I realized a DNF was inevitable.  Once my brain went in that direction, I think it was done.  I walked to the nearest Aid Station, arriving there about midnight, and tapped out.

Tough decision, but the right one.  I wanted to write this before I started to second guess my decision.  I had dry clothes stashed at the Aid Stations, but I would have needed something heavier to get me through the night, and even then I would have been walking the final 35 miles.  Yes, I could have done that in the 15 hours remaining to the 33 hour cutoff, but given the shivering muscles, and the fact that I was stumbling even on the road section, told me I could not do it safely.  It rained all night, and the temperature dropped to 4C/39F, and the wind was stiff.

They were great at the Aid Station.  Gave me a foil blanket and hand warmers.    Drove me to Base Camp.  Gave me no choice re: seeing the doctor.  That took a while, as he piled electric blankets on me and kept taking my temperature, blood pressure, and a few other things.  Finally released me, and I drove to my tent and was out for the night.

Although I was not planning on coming home until Monday, there seemed to be no sense in staying in a cold, wet tent another night, so drove home.  Drinking Scotch, and looking forward to a warm bed tonight.  

70 registered, and 64 showed up.  17 finished. About 1/4, which seems expected for this course under these conditions.  Bummed that I had my first DNF, but respectful of the circumstances, and not questioning my decision to tap out.   Even with a parka, at that point, I think I was just too chilled to the bone and too sore to finish.

EDIT ONE WEEK LATER:  

Never should have tapped out.  Should have toughed it out.  What a mistake that was, after all that training.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.  (I KNEW I'd second guess my decision!!!).  I left a part of myself out on that course.  I'll have to go back to find it.  Either next year or the year after, I'll be back.

Two very easy miles 'just to see'.  11:27 pace.  Full explanation in tomorrow's blog.

5 easy at 10:17 pace.  Three weeks since my Ultra DNF.

After getting home the Sunday night after the race, I ended up with Covid by Tuesday night.  It wasn't the worst Covid I had, but still wasn't pleasant.  I figure I must have picked it up just before or during the race.

Additionally, my right lower leg and foot had swelled up quite a bit in the days following the race, and remained that way for over a week.  As the swelling started to subside, I noticed significant pain in the tibia.  Shin splints, I suppose, in one form or another.

So, between those 2 things, I ended up with no running for three weeks.  On Monday of this week, I went on retreat.  That gave me some free time, and I was able to walk quite a bit.  So, I walked 3 1/2 miles on Monday, and then 5 miles on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  I took Thursday off, but that gave me the confidence to run slowly on Friday (yesterday) and today.

No pain in the shin, which is great.  I'm still going to take it slowly so as not to reinjure it.  My breathing is still off from the Covid, and even at this very slow pace, my heart rate was a very high 150.

So, I'm back to running and will aim to hit maintenance mileage of about 35 miles/week before the end of October.  If all goes well, that should allow me to ease into training mileage before the end of the year.

Easy run at 10:22 pace. No pain.

Easy run; 9:38 pace. No pain.

A bit faster this morning; 9:22 pace.  Getting cold.  Just 3C/37F.

Early morning run in the the dark.  9:44 pace.  

Cold and dark run; 9:32 pace.

A bit further and a bit faster today.  No issues.  9:10 pace. 

Northern Ontario's first Backyard took place on the weekend.  Started with 69 runners.  I watched the hourly results.  Three remaining after 21 laps; the winner ran 25 laps.  I'm pretty sure I could run longer - hoping to find out next year.

Afternoon run, as my morning got busy. 9:15 pace.

Early morning run with the headlamp.  9:21 pace.  Picked it up a little for the last mile at 8:48 pace.

Early morning darkness coupled with a heavy fog.  9:02 pace.

Easy run; 9:25 pace.

Picking up the mileage a bit.  Cold and wet morning.  Just above freezing with a stiff North wind.  9:33 pace.

9:28 pace; conditions identical to yesterday.  That North wind is fierce.

Very early morning run.  Just 1C/34F, but the wind wasn't as bad as previous mornings, and so didn't feel so cold.  9:31 pace.

Early run in the dark, with a full moon and heavy fog.  2C/36F, but no wind and it didn't feel that bad.  Just numb hands when I was done.  9:18 pace.

Just before sunrise in a heavy fog.  Had an eerie effect when the sun was trying to pierce the fog.  9:19 pace.

Early morning run in the fog and the dark. 9:27 pace.

Easy morning run. A bit later than normal to take advantage of this little heat wave. 9:35 pace.

Still on the warm side, but the rain started after mile 1 and it started to turn cold.  9:15 pace; I ran the last mile fast.

Early morning run.  Foggy and cold - just above freezing.  9:30 pace.

Easy run; 9:25 pace.  Gorgeous sunrise.  Temperature was -1C/30F, but except for semi-numb fingers, it didn't feel too bad because there was no wind.

Very sore muscles from above the knees to the hips.  Glutes, quads, hammies and groin.  After taking 8 weeks off, yesterday I re-started my thrice weekly routine of 120 plyometric jump squats (8 sets of 15).  One advantage of taking the time off is now I can see exactly what muscles benefit from this exercise.  Ouch.

It snowed a bit yesterday and again over night, so a light layer on the ground. 9:19 pace.

Warmed up. All the snow melted. Great running weather. 9:10 pace.

A mini warm wave starts today.  13C/56F.  Foggy.  Ran in shorts and t-shirt.  That won't last long, as we'll be back to seasonal temps by Friday.  9:25 pace.

All Saints Day.  The warm spell has ended.  Snow.  A North wind driven sort of snow, so hard on the eyes when running North.  And hard to see through with the light from my headlamp reflecting off it.  9:20 pace.

Easy paced 9:30 run.

9:27 pace. With the time change, I had light for the last 4 miles.

Way over dressed for this run. I should have checked the temperature before I started. It was 14C/58F. Too warm for gloves, jacket and long pants. 9:30 pace.

Picked up the pace a bit this morning, with the last 4 miles hitting around the 8:00 mark.  Averaged an 8:30 pace.

Still on the warm side, at 6C/42F; 9:10 pace.

Frosty morning at -5C/24F; 9:17 pace.

9:08 pace. A very light rain, but on the warm side.

9:07 pace.

Clear sky - lots of bright stars.  8:59 pace.

9:15 pace.

Long run; 9:03 pace.  Right big toe was aching for some reason; will have to keep a watch on that. 

I tweaked my left knee on a walk yesterday, and it was still a bit sore this morning, so wasn't sure if I would be able to run. No problem, however. 9:05 pace. Knee seems ok.

A bit more zippy on my feet this morning; 8:40 pace.

Light rain, but on the warm side and little wind; 9:11 pace.

Light rain throughout; 9:00/mile pace.

Started off in a light rain, which turned to sleet after a couple miles, and then to snow.  Wet flakes that melted as they hit the ground, and which continued for the last 9 miles of the run.  9:03 pace.

A brisk 8:47 pace on a brisk -5C/23F morning.

First big snow storm of the season.  Started last night and was still coming down when I started running.  Maybe 4 inches total.  Roads not plowed when I set out, but a plow went by soon after, and it made for easier running.  8:55 pace.

8:36 pace for this early morning run.  Roads are mostly clear after the snowfall; just a few icy patches to watch out for.

Light snow falling.  A quick 8:38 pace.

Brisk morning at -8C/18F.  Clipped comfortably along at an 8:42 pace.

Day One of my 24 week training plan, leading up to Coach D's Backyard Ultra in May.  It's an interesting Backyard, in that it only goes for 24 hours, while following the Backyard format.  So, everyone who finishes the 100 miles 'wins'.

I figure it will be a good training exercise for the Bush Bitches Backyard here in Sudbury in October.  In that one, I really do want to push myself to see how far I can go.

I'm signed up for the 30K Around The Bay in Hamilton in March.  It's the oldest race in North America (older than Boston) and I've always wanted to run it.  It will give me an excuse to do a bit more speedwork this winter.

And last night, I signed up for the 50K Pick Your Poison trail run in April.  It sells out quickly.  Registration opened last night at 8pm, and all the events are already sold out this morning.

So, that's my racing plans for next year.  All are basically focussed on the October Backyard, which is my main goal.

9:03 pace today in a light snowfall.

Light snow, and getting cooler at -9C/15F; 8:47 pace.

This morning we are being hit with some significant snow.  That, coupled with the fact that I'm doing my speedwork on Wednesdays, led me to choose the treadmill today.  It's hard to get a good speed workout done in these types of conditions.  And it would be very unsafe running the roads today, as the drivers have yet to adjust to winter conditions.

4 x 800 @ 7:03 pace with 800 recoveries.

A cold morning at -13C/8F.  Good thing the wind was light.  Tomorrow's long run is predicted to be even colder.  I may have to wear a face covering.  9:25 pace.

Another cold morning at -12C/11F; fortunately, not as cold as initially predicted.  A light snow falling.  The roads are all snow packed and rutted.  9:14 pace.

Nasty out there. Frigid cold, snow and driving wind. Near zero visibility at times. Lots of snow on the roads, and trying to run in the tire ruts not terribly helpful. My right calf has been sore from my strength training, and running in these conditions was not helpful. 9:48 pace.

Quite mild today. Just above the freezing mark. Very sore right calf. Had to really slow down and almost walked at one point. Will have to work on that today. 9:39 pace.

Was scheduled to run 7 miles with speedwork, so hit the treadmill for it.  However, that right calf is really screaming at me, and I ended up going just 5 miles with a run/walk routine.  Frustrating.  But I have tomorrow scheduled off, and I'm hoping the rest day will make a difference.