Going Long (again) in 2024

An afternoon run, because my morning was full.  On the treadmill.  I just figured it would be easier to monitor my legs.  Plus a good way to listen to blogcasts.

Set the speed at 10:00/mile.  That right calf was fine until around mile 5 when I could feel it tightening.  I stopped to stretch it every so often and it didn't seem to get worse.

My back is still tight/sore, but not nearly as bad as the last few days have been.  I think it's going to be fine by the weekend (hopefully).  

The cold is back after a week or so of mild weather.  -15C/5F with a wind chill of -24C/-11F.

Took it easy, but the right calf still tightened up on me - quite suddenly at mile 2.45; I had to stop a few times to stretch it out, and then cut my run short.  I don't think I'm going to be able to do my long run tomorrow.  I really need to figure this out.

The good news is my back/sciatic.  At about 85% health now.  At least there is that.

Almost didn't run, as that right calf is still very tight.  Decided to go one mile at a time on the treadmill, and ended up with 12.  Still tight, but it never really got worse, so I kept on going, with short walking breaks to stretch it out.

Kept it slow and under control, and walked the hills.  9:42 pace.  Then went for a massage.  She really worked that right calf.  It is very knotted, but let go as she worked on it.  It's just throbbing now.  Hopefully, this torture session helps.  I had to clench my fists all the way through it.

9:27 pace. Still that uncomfortable pressure in the right calf, but I managed to run non-stop.

Even 10:00/mile pace on the treadmill.  Was able to run throughout; maybe the calf is better - it sure felt like it may be.

Steady 10:00/mile pace on the treadmill, increasing to 9:40 for the last 2 miles.

Low back pain is still there, but doesn't affect my running.  The right calf is still tight, but I would say less so.  I'm optimistically hopeful that it is on the verge of releasing for good.  Still stretching and rolling it daily.

Steady 10:00/mile pace on the treadmill.  Able to run non-stop with very little tightness remaining in my right calf.  Lower back pain nearly gone as well - I'm able to sleep through the night again, finally.

I'm not exactly where I should be in terms of my training, having lost 4 weeks or so, but I'm okay with 40 miles this week and see that as a base for going forward.

A road run today in a steadily falling snow. Lots of accumulation on the roads, and not a plow in sight. Took to running in the tire ruts when possible, but even they were messy.

A bit of tightness in that right calf, but definitely better every day I run. An even 10:00/mile pace.

A bit faster today, now that the roads are plowed. 9:27 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill; first time doing speedwork in 6 weeks, as that's when the right calf problems began.  Even today, it's tighter than it has been, which makes me think it's the speedwork that is triggering it.

4 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

Out x-country skiing for the 8th time yesterday.  I only got out 5 times last season due to the lack of snow, so it has been much better this year.

On the treadmill; 9:50 pace.

Long run on the treadmill; 10:00/mile pace.  Right calf mostly felt decent enough.

Coldest day of the year, so far. Just -29C/-20F. I dressed for it, but there is only so much you can do at those temperatures. I was chilled to the bone at the finish.

The good news is I had no calf pain at all. Hopefully, I've turned the page on that injury.

Even colder than yesterday.  But I added a few layers and did okay.  9:18 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

5 x 800 @ 7:19 pace with 800 recoveries.

First time:  NO tightness at all in the right calf.  Hurray!!!

Even 9:50 pace on the treadmill.

Decided to take it outside today.  3 laps of my 6 mile Goodwill Drive route.  9:22 pace.

It has warmed up a bit, but still on the cold side at -14C/7F.  It was pretty windy though, so it felt colder than that.

It snowed steadily throughout, at times quite heavy.  

Heavy legs at the end, but no pain.

Pretty intense wind out there in advance of a storm heading this way, so stuck to the treadmill this morning; 9:40 pace.

Treadmill; 9:40 pace.

This is turning out to be a rather hectic week, and so I'm switching my runs around.  Today, I combined speedwork with what was supposed to be Saturday's longish run.

So, 4 x 800s @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries. 

It's a cutback week, so I only need 40 miles on the week.  I should be able to manage the extra 13 miles, but might do them tomorrow and Friday and take Saturday/Sunday off.  We'll see.

Treadmill; 9:40 pace.

Easy 10:00/mile pace on the treadmill.

Will take the next 2 days off before I hike my mileage next week.

Took it outside today, as it has warmed up quite a bit. 9:12 pace.

Wow, a lot colder than I expected with that stiff North wind. I had to circle back to put a wrap around my neck. 9:12 pace.

Speed intervals on the treadmill.  5 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

9:31 pace on the treadmill.

Cold, but not impossibly so.  -12C/11F.  Not much wind, so that was a plus.  Three repeats of the Goodwill Road route.  9:05 pace.

Chilled to the bone by the time I finished this run. 9:23 pace.

A very cold morning at -20C/-4F. 9:51 pace.

Pretty chilly out there today at -26C/-15F.  No matter - I was on the treadmill for speedwork.  

5 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

Treadmill; 9:31 pace.

Three 'laps' of the Goodwill loop, with a brief stop to drink after each loop.  9:08 pace.  It snowed lightly the whole time, had a steady wind throughout, and a temperature of -9C/16F.

9:11 pace. Cold North wind, and -22C/-8F to boot. It took a long time to warm up after.

Icy cold still. 9:13 pace.

Speed session on the treadmill.

6 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

Treadmill; 9:31 pace.

A warming trend, so a pleasant enough -7C/20F, albeit with a stready wind.  Two loops + a bit on Goodwill at a 9:08 pace. 

I'm halfway through my 24 week training program.  After loosing weeks 2-5 because of that calf issue, I'm all caught up to where I should be now.

Pretty intense out there today. A very stiff South wind, gusting up to 40 mph, and a heavy snow, which is basically blowing horizontal to the ground.

I ran 10 of the miles East/West, and even then I had to turn my face away from the wind. The two miles running South were nearly impossible. No visibility, plus I had to basically keep my eyes closed. Not nice. 9:17 pace.

Easy 9:28 pace under FAR better conditions than yesterday. Roads a little messy in areas, but no wind to speak of.

Mixed in a bit of speedwork on the treadmill.

5 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

The cold today really penetrated into my bones.  It wasn't terribly windy, nor as cold as it has been, so I'm not sure why.  -19C/-1F.  Maybe just being slightly sweaty and being out there for more than 2 hours had that effect.  I took a bathroom break at mile 9.5 and really had to push myself to get back out the door.

9:05 pace.

More snow coming today; they cancelled all the school busses as a precaution.  Right now, it's clear and sunny, but I guess a big system is coming in.  I may run my 18 miles tomorrow on the treadmill.

Almost 3 hours on the treadmill; 9:31 pace.

That big storm hit yesterday.  Besides very bad roads today, it is very cold and there is a very stiff North wind.  Easy decision to run indoors.

Took it long today.  

5 "laps" of a relatively flat road course, with a stop at my 'aid station' after each lap.

Held a pretty even 9:21 pace through most of it, but faded over the last 6 miles and ended up averaging a 9:28 pace.  I likely ran it too fast even at that.

It snowed throughout - a heavy, wet snow blowing from the South at about 10mph, which was not too bad, but it accumulated over the almost 5 hours so that the roads were pretty mushy by the end.  Warmish, however, at -1C/30F.

Easy run on the treadmill, just to get my legs moving.  10:00/mile pace.

Roads are in terrible shape after 2 days of storm, so took it to the treadmill again.  10:00/mile pace.

Hard to get motivated for this run, for some reason.  The sun is out, and I wanted to take it outside, but that North wind is icy.  Still, outside I went.  Almost changed my mind right away, but kept at it.  Temps are -12C/10F, but that North wind is blowing at 14-21mph, making it feel like -22C/-8F.

Ran the first 4.5 miles along the highway, which was mostly clear of snow and ice.  Up to the Falconbridge traffic circle and back, and then the balance down Goodwill Drive.  That was treacherous.  Glare ice, mostly, with just the odd bit of clear road and the occassional section of packed snow.  I really had to be careful.  Running the last 3 miles directly into the wind didn't help.

I got frost bite on the tip of my nose during one of my runs last week, and it is still not healed.  I kept it covered as best as I could.  Unfortunately, I fell just 150 meters shy of finishing.  Managed to tuck and roll ok, but still scraped and bruised my right knee, with a bit of blood, and the third finger on my right hand is now numb.  Must have jammed it when I hit the ground.

Anyway, it's done.  9:18 pace.  And a warming trend is coming next week, so it will be slush and water to contend with, instead of ice and cold.

Easy 9:11 pace.  Ran on snow packed roads, so not as slippery as Saturday's run.  Turns out I broke the bone in my third finger when I fell.  Swollen, is bent and still hurts.  But it's just a finger.  Put a splint on it, and then decided I didn't want to wear that for the next five weeks, so took it off.

Tapped the two maple trees in front of my house yesterday.  This week, there is a warming trend.  The sap should start running.

Easy run at 9:15 pace. More and more bare pavement, so less and less ice.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

6 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

Warming up; hovering just a bit below freezing.  Full moon was spectacular this morning.  A bit of fog, and a light hoar frost.  9:26 pace.

A balmy 6C/43F morning.  Nice to see the snow pack slowly shrinking.  A heavy rain/possible thunderstorm is on its way, so I was happy to finish this run before it arrived.  9:08 pace.

Snowed a fair bit overnight and back to cold.  I was chilled to the bone when finished.  Happy to have clear skies, however.  When the sun rose, it felt good on the face.  9:16 pace.

Easy run on a mild day with a light snow falling; 9:16 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

6 x 800 @ 7:30 pace with 800 recoveries.

Easy run at 9:18/mile pace.  Had to leave early, so ran most of this in the dark.  Not much wind, which is good, because it was chilly at -10C/14F.

Managed to run 12 miles outside before the stiff North wind put me on the treadmill for the last 12 miles.  It was snowing, not terribly cold at -10C/14F, but the North wind is blowing at 21mph and gusting to 32mph.  It wears you down after a while.

9:19 pace outside; 9:31 pace on the treadmill.

I registered (barely) for the BB Backyard Ultra here in Sudbury in October.  They sold out in 24 hours.  I didn't know.  Last year, for its inaugural race, they didn't sell out.  So, I didn't think there was a rush.  I had some free time on Thursday afternoon, so I signed up then.  What I didn't know is that they had already sold out their 100 spots, and had added another 25.  I think I might have gotten the last of those 25, as they stopped taking registrations right after I submitted mine.  And there is already 30 on a waitlist.  Sounds like it will be quite the event.

9:26 average pace for this long run.  Not great conditions.  It snowed all night and it was still falling, with a stiff East wind.  School busses cancelled.  I ran it in 4 segments, circling back for a nutrition/hydration break 3 times.  Also allowed me to warm up a bit before continuing on.  Had to run in the tire tracks of cars, as no snow removal crews to be seen.

Back to back long runs.  9:16 pace.  A steady North wind, but not as strong as on Saturday or yesterday.  The snow packed roads are icy, so had to watch my step in a few places.

On the treadmill; 9:31 pace.

Treadmill; 9:31 pace.

So, here's the scoop:  I'm supposed to run the 30K Around the Bay in Hamilton on Sunday.  It's the oldest race in North America, and one I've always wanted to run.  Sells out very quickly, so I registered early and am in.  Bib #3141.

Problem is, I've found every excuse not to go.  It's a 4 1/2 hour drive to get there for something that is essentially a training run.  I can't race it hard, especially after a 70 mile week and no day off tomorrow (just 6 miles to run to hit my 70), so will be running ultra slow - likely in the 9:30 pace range, which is what I've been traning at.

The only real incentive is the simple fact I've always wamted to run it.  Plus, getting away for a few days is always nice.  The sunk costs are just the entrance fee and the airbnb, which is negligible.  

Now, two major storms are brewing.  One, a snow storm, should hit later today and continue until tomorrow morning, which is when I plan on leaving.  Despite the large amount of snow predicted, it likely won't impact my driving South.  In Hamilton, it will be mainly rain.  But on Sunday, my return day, they are predicting a major ice storm.  That could see highway and road closures, major power outages, and just overall nastiness.  

I'll make my decision tomorrow morning, after my run.  The one element in my favour is that I can delay my return until Monday, if necessary.

On the treadmill; 9:31 pace.

I've decided to go.  It will be an interesting drive there, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get back on Sunday; I'll deal with that when the time comes.

As I described previously, this was planned to be a training run, and I certainly didn't race it.  Still, I ran it faster than I had planned.  Easy to get caught up in the race environment.

I always wanted to run this race; the oldest race in North America, beginning in 1894.  As they promote it:  "Older than Boston".  The biggest challenge was getting there, and then getting home.  I drove down in the midst of an ice storm.  Lots of trees down, and power outages.  The highway was mostly okay, except for one 60 mile stretch that was pretty bad.  Same thing coming home on Sunday.

It rained throughout, and was cold, sitting at around 2C/35F.  It's a big event, with 3,700 runners.  I ran middle of the pack, and just took my time at an easy pace.  Most miles in the first half were at my average training pace, or a bit faster.  I ran slow up the hills and fast down the hills.  Quite a few hills, some steep, especially on the second half.

I picked it up on the second half, and ended up running an average pace of 8:54.  That put me just a little ahead of the middle in all three results:  overall, male, and age group.

The course itself is nothing to write home about:  Hamilton is a steel city, and industry is located, of course, on the waterfront.  So, for the first half, you run through the area where there are factories and steel mills.  Ugly and smelly.  The second half was through more residential neighborhoods.  The parts along or close to Lake Ontario where you would be able to see Toronto on a clear day were shrouded in fog, so nothing scenic there.  It was just a cold, wet day where you only wanted to keep going and finish.

Extremely well organized event, as would be expected for one with such a long history.  The only bottleneck was checked bag pickup at the end, which was run by charity volunteers.  That took longer than you'd want, and then I still had a 25 minute walk to get back to my car and a 5 hour drive home in rain/freezing rain.  A bit white knuckle driving at times, and the one spot where I hoped to grab a coffee was shut down because of the power outage.

However, made it home and feel pretty good today.  Will take Monday off and this whole week will be a cutback week in advance of my 50 mile training run next Monday.

Strong North wind and a chilly -13C/8F, but clear skies and bright sun, which felt good on the face.  9:08 pace.  Quads a bit sore from running the downhills hard on Sunday, but not too bad.

Easy 9:31 pace on the treadmill.

Treadmill; 9:31 pace.

Started off with snow - big, wet flakes.  Then switched to rain, with some sleet mixed in.  9:07 pace.

Was supposed to run 50 miles today, and decided to run it with the Backyard format, to see how it felt.  I had previously measured out 2.08 miles, for an out and back of 4.167 miles.  My plan was to start at 6am and finish at 6pm today.  I didn't plan for the Spring storm that is hitting us big time!

Everything is shut down today.  Major storm.  Lots of snow and very strong wind.  But I set out, as planned, at 6am.  At that point, it wasn't too bad.  Just a light snow and little wind, and a comfortable temperature of -4C/25F.  I ran the "yard" with a pace around 10:30/mile, and had a little more than 15 minutes to rest before my next "yard".

The wind picked up for this lap, and the temperature was dropping.  Still, not too bad.  By the third lap, however, it was snowing heavy and the wind was blowing at 20 mph.  The wind just kept getting stronger after that, and the snow was falling fast.  Visibility was about a quarter mile, and less than that at times when the wind gusts picked up.

By Noon, it was really quite miserable out there.  The wind is blowing from the North at 27mph, and gusting to 38mph.  My route is essentially a bit less than 2 miles North and then the same back South, with a bit of East/West to make up the rest.  So, going out is a slog, but coming back is kinda nice.  The real problem is the deep snow on the road.  There is very little traffic, so no tire ruts to run in.  By now, the snow is drifting across the road and is reaching half way up my calf/shin.  It is a real slog to move through it, and I'm beginning to feel the strain.

By the time I was on my 8th yard at 1pm, I was feeling pain in both my knees, shins and hips from having to force my feet through the deep snow.  At that point, I made the decision to call it a day.  I figured that 4 more laps would cause an injury that wasn't worth it for a training run.  No regrets.  That distance in those conditions was pretty awesome.

So, I know a bit more about the Backyard "feel" now, and have a bit more confidence going into my 100 miler next month.  It was really nice to have that 15 minutes between laps to rest, dry off, change socks, shirt and hat and whatever else was soaked through.  It meant the cold never penetrated deep, and I was comfortable enough running.  The fierce wind I could handle; it's just the deep snow that did me in today.

Aftermath of Monday's storm:  All highways out of Sudbury to the North, East and South were closed.  7 inches of snow fell.  That broke a record that was 102 years old.  There was major drifting on top of that, with snow almost to my knees on the road in places.  I'm glad I stopped.  I should have run yesterday instead.  At least the sun was out.

Anyway, I decided to pick up some of the mileage today, since I wanted to see how my legs were doing after Monday.  On the treadmill at an even 9:31 pace.  Everything felt fine.  I could have run further, but I have to leave to drive to North Bay for the Chrism Mass very soon, and so didn't have time.

Run in North Bay before I head back to Sudbury; 9:21 pace. They didn't get clobbered with that massive storm on Monday here.

Sunrise run; 9:08 pace.

9:14 pace on a gorgeous morning; clear skies, little wind, and a comfortable -4C/26F temperature.

After Saturday's run, my right knee was pretty stiff.  I realize I hadn't done much stretching or foam rolling, which is a mistake in the midst of peak mileage.  So, a lot of that yesterday and today.

This is a cutback week, so I'll continue doing lots of stretches and foam rolling.  The knee is still a little tight, but not quite as bad as it was Saturday afternoon.  

I kept it ultra slow today; 10:13 pace.  If need be, I can take some extra days off this week before ramping up my mileage for one more week.

Light snow falling, with some wind.  Pushed it a little faster and a little further; the knee is feeling better.  9:30 pace.

Treadmill run; 9:31 pace.

Cold and wet.  It rained off and on throughout.  Mostly on.  Great Good Friday weather.  9:31 pace.

A bit warmer today at 6C/42F, but still raining.  Foggy too.  9:23 pace.

It started off decently enough, despite a stiff East wind and a coolish 4C/39F.  At mile 8, it started to hail.  That turned to rain quickly enough, and by the time I was done, it was pouring rain quite hard.  9:11 pace.  

Another cool morning with a light drizzle; 9:19 pace.

Finally, a run with no rain; 8:57 pace.

Three mile shakeout run at 9:13 pace.  This afternoon, I'll drive the 3 hours to race site.  I'm staying in an airbnb right next to it.  Weather is forecast to be unpleasant.  Cold, windy and rainy.  Seems to be a theme for my races over the past year.  

50km trail race.  I need to finish with a 12:00 minute/mile pace average to give me time to get home for my Saturday evening Mass.

This is the 15th year for Pick Your Poison, situated in the Horseshoe Valley Ski area.  You can run 12.5km (one lap), 25km (two laps), or 50km (4 laps).  I ran 50km.

The course is 85% forested single track, 5% logging road, 5% x-country double track and 5% up and down ski hills.  It was mostly clear of mud, but there were a few sections of mud impossible to avoid, and some snow pack on the tops of the ski hills.  Over the 4 laps, there is total climb of 1720m/5643 feet.

This area was hit hard by the ice storm 4 weeks ago (I passed through here on my way home from 30K Around the Bay).  The airbnb I stayed at had no power for 5 days after that storm, but that was better than others who lost it for 10 days.  LOTS of trees down.  The race organizers cleared the trail, and that was a HUGE job (they almost cancelled the event), but there were big trees down all over the place.  Quite a mess.

The day threatened rain, but mostly it held off until the final lap.  It was pretty much at 5C/41F throughout the race, and a steady wind that you could really feel at the tops of the ski hills.

My lap splits were:  1:30:18  1:34:32  1:42:50  and  1:42:15.  I came in first in my age division.

We started an hour before the 25k folks.  The 12.5 k folks started a half hour after that, so exactly 18 seconds after I finished my first lap.  That meant I had a horde of fast runners behind me.  I slowed to let the front of the packers pass while on the logging road, but when we got to the single track, I had to keep up with the pack, as there was no way to let anyone pass.  It pushed me a bit faster than I wanted, but it all worked out on the double tracks and ski hills.

I ran mostly alone on the 4th lap.  I was really concerned about getting home in time to celebrate Mass at 7pm.  I had a 3 hour drive to get there.  Turns out, that motivated me to run slightly faster than my 3rd lap.  And I managed to get home in enough time.

Not great sitting 3 hours and driving right after a big event, but I had no choice.  Still, no real issues in my body.  A bit of ongoing tightness in my right quad/knee, and hammies a bit tight after all the hills, but no pain or soreness.  I'll take tomorrow off and see what Monday brings.  I taper now for 3 weeks and then run my Backyard Ultra.

Had to take 4 days off after that hilly race on Saturday.  Had a massage and lots of foam rolling/stretching, but still feeling it in the right shin and right hammie.

Today was a 'show me' run.  Good news is the right shin pain is mostly gone and I didn't feel it while running.  The right hammie is still very tight and sore to touch and I'll have to keep working on it.  Definitely no hills between now and my next race in 2 weeks.  Glad I'm in taper mode.

Was able to pick up the pace and go a bit further today; 9:23 pace in a light drizzle.  Right hammie and the right quad just above the knee still tight, but improved.

Although still a bit tight in the right quad and hamstring, I managed to go long; 9:25 pace.

Easy run on a beautiful morning; 9:07 pace. Shin ache completely gone and hammies feeling a lot better.

Light rain and warm, at 12C/53F.  9:19 pace.

Strong wind; 9:09 pace.

Potentially bad news received from the race director by email this morning.  The trails for the race in 10 days time are 80% inaccessible, because of that ice storm 5 weeks ago.  They are trying to come up with an alternate route, but things are up in the air.  They will decide by tomorrow if the race will be cancelled.

That ice storm was an event that just keeps on giving!  Drat!

Easy morning run; 9:08 pace.

Good news received:  the race is on!  They had to measure out a new route, and it involves a combination of backroads and some trail, and is only half the required distance for a Backyard Lap.  So, it will mean running 2 loops/hour.  

I'm not sure of how that might play out.  On the one hand, there is familiarity with the course.  On the other, there is sheer boredom.  Also involves a change from running trails to running on road.  Most of my training has been on the road, so that might work out in my favour, even if it's not as scenic a run as it might have been.

No matter - I'm just glad it's a go after 26 weeks of training.

Easy run; 9:15 pace.

Easy run.  Beautiful morning.  No need for gloves or jacket.  9:04 pace.

Shakeout run; 9:12 pace.

Just a few days until the Backyard.  Still no idea what the new route will be like, or how much of it will be on trails vs roads.  I guess I'll find out when I get there.  I'll bring a variety of shoe options, just in case.

I set up my new tent yesterday to make sure I had that down.  I bought one that I can walk into, so I don't have to bend down or crawl.  I'll have a cot, table and chair set up in there, along with all my food and drink.

It looks like it might rain at least part of the time during the race, but that is much less of an issue if I'm running mostly on roads.  We'll see.

Temperatures look decent:  10C/50F at the start, up to 21C/70F during the day, and down to 8C/46F for the overnight.

Last shakeout run before the race; 9:20 pace.

I'm leaving this afternoon.  It's a bit more than a 4 hour drive to Bobcaygeon, where I'll be staying tonight.  From there, it's just a 35 minute drive to Lindsay, where the race takes place at the Ken Reid Conservation Area.  9am start on Saturday; 9am finish on Sunday.

I'm feeling mostly okay going into the race.  The only physical issue is that ongoing tightness in my right quad, just above the knee.  It seems to feel better as I run further, so I'm hopeful it won't be a problem.

This was my first Backyard Ultra experience.  It took place in Lindsay, about a 4 hour drive from home, in a conservation area outside of town on the shores of a lake.  This was one of the areas hit hard by the ice storm last month, and the race was up in the air as recently as the Thursday before.  They decided to go ahead with a modified course.

The modified course incorporated some dirt roads.  The closed course was all trail.  It was impassable because of all the downed trees.  The new course was about 60% back road and 40% trail.  There was a significant thunderstorm the night before and a lot of rain, so the course was wet, with a lot of puddles on the road sections.  The old course measured a standard backyard loop of 4.16 miles.  This one was half that distance, which meant running 2 laps for one "loop".

There were 3 events run simultaneously:  6 hour and 12 hour continuous events, with a goal of running as many laps as possible in the given timeframe, and my 24 hour event run with the Backyard format:  you had one hour to complete each yard (two loops in this case), after which you waited until the next hour to begin again.  There were 47 total runners, with 15 in my event.

We started at 9am on Saturday morning.  It was comfortable at about 10C/50F, but with very high humidity.  I kept a slow and relatively even pace, running an 11:30/mile pace throughout most of the day.  That gave me 13-14 minutes between laps to rest, refuel, etc.  I had a tent set up with a chair inside, as well as all my supplies.

In the early afternoon, a severe thunderstorm hit.  They pulled everyone off the course, or at least tried to.  They basically had to wait until a runner finished their lap before they could pull them.  I was pulled as I finished the first half of a loop, which was basically just after the rain and lightening started.  I hunkered down in my tent for almost a half hour while the rain and lightening and wind roared through.  It was pretty intense.  After that, they decided to reset the clock so that we were running a half hour behind, meaning my race would go until 9:30 Sunday morning.

It had been pretty warm up until then, or at least felt that way.  It hit 18C/64F with very high humidity just before the thunderstorm, but now things started to change.  The temperature began to fall, and the rain was pretty much continuous from late afternoon on.  The course was a real mess, or at least most of it was.  The trail sections were decent enough, except for the grassy parts that turned to mud.  The road sections were a maze of puddles that you had to either dodge or run through.  In some cases, you had no choice but to run through, because they completely covered the road.

At 3:30 the 6 Hour runners were finished.  Around that time, I took to putting on a rain jacket at the end of each lap, as I was getting a chill.  I would run with it for about 10 minutes, until I was walking up a big hill, and then tie it around my waist until the end of the yard.  At that point, when I stopped running, I would get a chill again.  

The course was relatively flat, but had 6 hills/loop that I walked.  A few runners ran even those hills, but most of us walked them.   It never felt crowded, even at the start of each yard, as we pretty much figured out where we should be in the pack before we hit the first single track trail.  After that first section of trail, our pack thinned out and everyone basically ran their own pace.

After 11 hours, it started to get dark in the forested section of trail, so I put on my headlamp.  It worked well for the balance of my event.  A few hours before their event ended, most of the 12 hour runners had dropped out; there were only 3 or 4 left running until 9:30pm.  By then, it was cold and windy, and the rain was relentless.  I had been keeping my rain jacket on now for several hours, mostly to try to keep warm.  At the start of lap 12, we were down to just 7 runners in my event.  I was really surprised by that, as there were some really strong runners that had dropped out by then.

My pace was really beginning to slow now, and I was slipping all the time.  I never fell, fortunately, but I did come close a few times.  My brain was really playing games with me, and I made it to the end of the lap with just 2 minutes to spare.  Setting out on the 13th lap, there were now just 5 of us.  I struggled to finish, but decided to run two more yards in order to reach 60 miles/100km.  As it turned out, I could only make it through the first half of that 15th yard.  That gave me just over 60 miles; just under 100 km.  But I was done.  I was shivering uncontrollably and just had to get dry and warm.  I wasn't prepared for the cold and wet that would continue all night.  So, a little bit after Midnight, I was out.

I didn't have much in my tent to help me warm up, as I didn't plan on dropping out.  I dried off and put on the clothes I had for driving home, and found an old blacket in the back of my car that I pulled over my head as I tried to sleep in my chair until daybreak.  I listened to the announcements at the start and end of each yard.  2 other runners dropped out on the 16th yard, so only 2 runners remained:  one the shirtless guy.  He ran the entire event with no shirt.  Crazy.  Everyone said so!  And a woman who was in the tent next to mine.  There were 2 women sharing that tent.  I figured one of them would finish, as she looked really strong.  She didn't.  Her friend, who looked like an average middle of the pack runner like me, ended up being there until the end.

After Midnight, every time she finished, she said she was done.  But her friend talked her into one more lap.  At 4:30am, I heard her tell the organizers that she was dropping out.  They congratulated her on running further than any other woman in the event's history.  Hearing that, she decided to keep running!  I started packing up after the 2 runners started their 22nd lap at 6:30am.  The shirtless guy had just put on a shirt.  Amazing.  It was SO cold, and the night was nasty.  Fortunately, the rain stopped in time for me to pack up.

I would have liked to have stayed until 9:30 to watch the end, but I still had a long drive home, and I really needed to get into a warm car, and I didn't want to get wet again.  So, I left.  I presume those 2 finished, but I have not seen any results yet to indicate that.  The drive home was uneventful; I stopped a few times to walk around.

EDIT:  Got the results.  The woman dropped out after her 22nd lap.  The only one to finish the 24 laps was the shirtless guy.  And even he had to put a shirt on in the end.  So, just one runner of 15 made it.  Says a lot about the weather that weekend.

No real physical problems.  A few blisters on my feet, and the normal soreness you would expect after a 60 mile event, but no injuries or anything else that will need to heal.  I'll take this week off and then start to run again.  I think I may still run the Sudbury Backyard in October, but I'm also thinking that it may be my last long Ultra event.  I enjoy running, but I am finding I do not really think it fun anymore to run longer distances in extreme weather.  I think I'm getting too old to handle that.

Easy 9:19 pace.  Had hoped to run a few times earlier this week, but too many things got in the way.  My nephew died suddenly on Tuesday; I'm off to celebrate his funeral right now.  

9:21 easy pace on a gorgeous morning.  Legs are still heavy, and that right quad, just above the knee is still tender, but a good run.

9:33 pace for this easy run.  Another gorgeous day.

A bit faster 8:56 pace with a couple of strides thrown in.

9:10 pace on a cooler morning with a bit of fog.

First speedwork in over 11 weeks.

5 x 400's with 400 recoveries.

Just went by feel; splits ended up being at mile pace of 7:16, 7:01, 6:55. 6:50 and 6:40.

Legs are finally starting to feel like they have a bit of bounce in them.  They have been dead since the race.

Running my back to backs on Mondays/Tuesdays for this training cycle.  Today, 20 miles at 9:14 pace.  I think I'm finally getting my legs back.  It felt 'normal' for this run.

Started off at a cool 3C/37F.  Likely the final frost of the Spring.  Warmed up quite nicely, however, as the run proceeded.  

I hadn't been doing my strength work for a month or more, in the time leading up to my longer runs and the race.  For me, that consists primarily of plyometric jump squats and heel drop/raises 3x/week.  So, I started back into that on Sunday.  Today, I know exactly what muscles are worked:  glutes and quads.  Ouch!

9:04 pace for this early morning run, and then a relatively painful massage.  It did help.

Saw my first 'while running' black bear on Goodwill Drive.  When it saw me, it ran faster than me, but in the opposite direction.

Felt light on my feet early this morning; 9:01 pace.

The last few days, the sun has been just stunning at sunrise and sunset.  Smoke in the atmosphere from the wildfires burning Northwest of here.  Although there are smoke warnings and air quality alerts, I haven't smelled it yet.  Not like it was 2 years ago.  Not yet, anyway.

Easy run on Goodwill; 9:02 pace.

Some speedwork this morning.

6 x 800's at around 7:00/mile pace, with 800 recoveries.

The sun was a deep, deep red globe this morning.  Haze from the wild fires out West.

8:58 pace for this run in the rain.  Had to fight off two large dogs at one point.  Gonna have to start carrying my pepper spray again.  I thought for sure I was going to be bit this time.  I had a few choice words for the owner.

Easy run in a steady rain; 9:15 pace.

Cool morning run; 9:05 pace.

Another cool morning - almost frost; 8:57 pace.

A bit of frost on the rooftops this morning.  Nice for running, however.  8:52 pace.  Threw in 10 striders along the way.

Had 2 dogs come after me (again), this time on Radar Road.  The mastiff had a cone on, so I wasn't too concerned about it, even though it was pretty nasty.  The larger one (maybe a poodle?) was another story.  Really aggressive.  The owner was yelling at them, mostly because they were in the middle of the road.  The traffic is heavy this time of the day, and flies by at 60 mph or more, so he was concerned.  And lucky - the cars stopped from both directions.  Everyone says their dog is friendly - until it sees a runner!  Had my pepper spray ready, but didn't have to use it.

9:00/mile pace.

Heavy legs today, especially for the final 5.  Didn't wear my watch, so just followed a measured route and took it easy.

Easy run in a steady rain; 9:09 pace.

Easy 9:07 pace.  Cool morning, at 7C/45F.

I did some speedwork, although my body and mind were not in it.  Not terribly hot, but 100% humidity.  Plus, my mother was admitted to the hospital last night, so another layer of stress.

5 x 800 repeats at around 7:15 pace with 800 recoveries.

Crazy hot today.  Started off at 6am at 20C/68F with 100% humidity.  Finished at 25C/77F, but the humidity had dropped to 85%.  Did not have the legs today.  9:19 pace.

Still hot and humid; legs still heavy.  Had to really push to finish.  9:30 pace.

Cooler today and a light but steady rain; 9:16 pace.

Spent the day in the hospital with my mother yesterday.  She underwent emergcncy surgery to repair a broken femur last night.  All seems to have gone well.

Light rain and cool; 9:17 pace.

A cooler morning with just a hint of mist in the air; 9:15 pace.

Pretty even 9:19 pace throughout.  Got off to a later than hoped for start, so it was 11am when I finished.

Early morning run.  Not terribly hot, but 100% humidity made it feel like running through a shower.  Happy Canada Day.  

Easy 9:29 pace.  Clear morning and on the coolish side.  Great for running.  

9:32 pace on a coolish morning.  The right hammie has been tight, and especially was so during this run.  Will have to pay more attention to it.  I haven't been stretching enough.

Heavy rain/thunder storm just before I headed out.  Just a light rain during the run, with the sun coming out towards the end.  Hammie a bit better, but still is tight.

Beautifully cool morning for running, with a bit of a North wind; 9:30 pace.  Tired legs and still tight hammies, so had to push through it.

Not a great feeling; legs just had NO energy.  Took all I had to continue running (shuffling) past mile 5.  Was supposed to run 10, but there was just no way to run the last 2.  Not sure why.  May have to take a few extra days off this week.  10:00/mile pace.

Took off the balance of last week, thinking my legs just needed a good rest.  Set out for an 18 miler today.  Right hammie seized up after one mile, and I was forced to limp home.  More rest ....

It has been 4 weeks since I ran, so I was itching to get out there.  Ultra slow pace of 10:36.  I ran a route that kept me no more than one mile from home, just in case something went wrong.  Fortunately, other than a bit of rust, everything seems fine.  Hopefully I can keep on!

A bit faster pace at 9:34 for a hot afternoon run.  2 miles was all my legs could handle.

9:46 pace on heavy legs.

Still very heavy legs.  Right hammie still not 100 percent.  A slow 9:44 pace.

Enough rest.  I needed to get out.  A short, slow run, just to see.  9:51 pace.

A bit further today; 9:38 pace.  Feeling okay - just out of shape after the extended layoff.

A little further and a little faster today; 9:30 pace.  Mom being moved from the hospital to the hospice later today.

Same as yesterday; 9:38 pace.  Cooler mornings now.  There was significant fog first thing.

A bit faster this morning; 9:21 pace.  Everything seems okay, so far.  I did cancel my registration for the Backyard in October.  No way I'll be ready for that.

Started off in a light rain and finished in a fairly heavy rain with lightening/thunder.  I didn't mind - it has been quite dry and we need this.

Overcast and a light mist; 9:12 pace. No pain and no feeling of exhaustion or heavy legs.

9:14 pace.  A blackbear came to the road to check out a bluebox, a little ahead of me.  It didn't see me, so I clapped my hands.  It walked up the road away from me about 10 paces, and then changed its mind and turned back to the bluebox.  It gave no sign of running off, so I turned around and ran a different route.

Turning cold. I had to ditch the shorts and use running pants instead. Almost glove weather. 9:12 pace.

9:24 pace for this cool, morning run.  I was thinking about the exhaustion I felt in July/August, when I went from 20 mile runs without a sweat to not having the energy to run even 2 miles.  I think I had Covid, and didn't know it.  Not that it matters, but it does explain a lot.  Even today, I had to push to finish that last mile.

Had to use gloves on this run; frosty out there this morning!  9:15 pace.  Mom died last night.

Easy run on a cool, clear morning. Start of hunting season. Poor geese.

Another clear, crisp morning. Left my watch at home, so don't know my pace.

9:30 pace on a cool morning. Should have worn gloves, as my hands were numb at the end.

9:15 pace in a light rain on a cool morning.

Easy run; 9:18 steady pace.  Mom's Funeral Mass is later this morning.

Easy run; 9:17 pace.

On our annual priest's retreat this week, at a lodge North of Elliot Lake. Very steep hills here, so paces will be slower this week. Today, 9:46 pace. Our Bishop just sent notice that he has COVID, and so can't come.

Same hilly route as yesterday with a very easy 10:06 pace.

Same hilly route. Very dark morning due to heavy clouds. 10:08 pace.

Same hilly retreat route. 9:55 pace. Heading home later today.

Back to running a flat route; 9:16 pace.  Gorgeous sunrise through the fog.

Gorgeous running morning. 9:19 pace.

9:28 pace.  A late morning run.  The heat (18C/64F) wore me down.  It might not seem like much, but after a long stretch of early morning cool runs, it makes a difference.

Heavy fog this morning, but on the warm side.

Around mile 3.5, a black bear ran out of the woods, about 30 paces in front of me, and first ran, then walked up the road.  Then it stopped.  Didn't see me.  I was still running towards it, so I was getting pretty close when I finally cleared my throat to get its attention.  It quickly ran back into the woods.  I'll take an encounter with a black bear ANY day over a dog!  Far more predictable.

9:15 pace.

Perfect running morning.  Clear skies, light fog, gorgeous sunrise, and 14C/57F.  9:25 pace.

9:16 pace on an early morning run.

Heavy frost last night - at its coldest when I ran; 9:12 pace.

Warmed up a lot from a few days ago - 14C/57F.  Heavy Fog.  9:10 pace.

Hard rain just before I ran.  100% humidity during the run.  9:30 pace.

Out early, so ran in a dark mist with a headlamp; 9:44 pace.

9:32 pace for this early morning run.

Light drizzle started around mile 4.  Nothing too serious.  9:19 pace.

Dense fog to start, but most of it had burned off by the time I had finished; 9:10 pace.

9:20 pace on a perfect running morning. Clear skies with just a bit of early morning fog.

Gorgeous, clear morning run; 9:16 pace.

Crisp, with some frost on the ground.  Clear skies; 8:58 pace.

Felt zippy today; 8:39 pace.  Yesterday and today the first 'easy' runs below a 9:00 pace since my summer period of injury and exhaustion.

Heavy fog this morning.  Made for some interesting illusions in the dark with my headlamp.  9:12 pace.

9:16 pace for this early morning run. 

Today is the local Backyard Ultra which I was going to run, but decided against doing because of my summer fatigue/training issues.  The second yard would be starting right now.  And wouldn't you know - perfect conditions.  The forecast for the next 48 hours - awesome!  Ah well.

So, instead of that, I'm celebrating a Mass on a local farm on this Feast of St. Francis.  Everyone is invited to bring their animals for a blessing.  We'll see what sort of menagerie of pets show up.

Warm morning with bands of fog and a gorgeous sunrise; 9:24 pace.

Easy six. Gorgeous Full Supermoon still high in the sky. 9:30 pace.

Chilly morning run; 9:15 pace.

Very cool morning, at just -2C/28F.  Clipped along at an 8:54 pace.

On the cool side at 3C/37F.  9:10 pace.

9:19 steady pace.  Light mist and a moderate North East wind.

Thanksgiving Day run; 9:14 pace.

9:14 pace.

9:04 pace.  Lots of noise in the dark woods this morning.  Birds?

-2C/29F.  Clear skies - gorgeous stars.  9:14 pace.

Cold at 4C/40F and a steady rain - just enough to soak through everything; 9:14 pace.

Planned on 10, but ran out of gas and decided it best not to push through it; 9:30 pace.

Beautiful morning after a weekend of monsoon rain. 9:28 pace.

9:07 pace.  Train sitting on the tracks at the end of Goodwill Drive.  I think this is just the 3rd time in 8 years I've seen a train there.  The diesal fumes were terrible!

Dark, cold and wet.  Reminded me of both my last 100 mile events, where I was only able to pull off 60 miles.  6C/42F and a steady, soaking rain.  I should have put lube on - my right nipple was a bloody mess when I finished.  9:08 pace.

I put my Fenix on full for this run - both the spot and the wide beam lights.  I've never done that before - impressive how much light it throws.  Won't last much longer than 90 minutes at that intensity, but that's more than enough for these shorter runs.

A bit cooler this morning at 2C/35F, but at least it was dry.  8:57 pace.

A very fine mist this morning, which my headlamp highlighted rather nicely; 9:04 pace.

Frosty morning, at just -3C/26F.  There was a layer of ice on the shallow ponds, and the low lying grass and bushes were dazzling white.  At one point, the sun hit the frosty swamp grass in such a way that it turned the ice into prisms.  Amazing colours!  8:59 pace, so zippy enough.

Extra early run, as I had a massage booked for 8am.  9:10 pace.

Bloodwork this morning, so no coffee before my run.  Yuck.  9:22 pace.

Some tightening in my left hamstring towards the end of this run; I'll have to watch it and see if I need a bit of rest so as not to injure it.  9:18 pace.

-1C/31F and clear for this early morning run; 9:16 pace.  Raked leaves all afternoon yesterday, and I think that helped stretch out my hamstring.

Strong North wind; 9:11 pace, which was pretty decent, given the headwind for the final 3 miles.

Very light snow fallling; 9:26 pace.

Rainy, windy and cold.  9:18 pace.

Gorgeous day with clear skies and little wind.  A bit frosty at 1C/34F, but still felt great.  9:20 pace.

Ran the treadmill this morning due to a bunch of circumstances that just made the treadmill the easier option; 9:22 pace.

On the cool side at -5C/22F, but clear and little wind.  The full moon was still relatively high in the sky, which brightened things up a bit.  9:12 pace.

Snow.  Just enough to make the road slippery and the shoes soggy.  Stiff Southeast wind too.  9:24 pace.

-8C/17F and a fairly stiff Northwest wind.  Had to swap my running cap for a touque to  keep my ears warm.  9:02 pace.

My back went out yesterday just before my run, when I lifted something awkwardly.  Tried to run, but there was no way.  Today, much better.  Roads very slippery, so had to watch myself.  9:31 pace.

Quite a bit of snow came down last night, and was still falling during my morning run.  Not cold, so a very wet kind of snow.  9:09 pace.

Most of the snow that fell has melted, but the roads were very icy this morning.  Had to be careful not to slip/fall.  9:09 pace.

9:22 pace for this early morning run.  Gorgeous sunrise!

Waited a bit longer this morning before running, so didn't need my headlamp.  9:07 pace.

9:10 pace for this early morning run.

Legs felt a bit zippy this morning. 8:52 pace.

Another zippier run than normal; 8:46 pace.

8:49 pace.  Trying out new fleece gloves and running pants that I got in the mail yesterday.  Kept me warm enough.  Yesterday, the trees were coated in a heavy frost.  Everything was white.  Today, back to just plain wood.

Dialed it back a bit to a more casual 9:27 pace.  A light rain to start, but clearing by the time I finished.

Two large dogs attacked me around mile 6.  First time I had to use the pepper spray I often carry on my runs.  Happy to say it worked well.  9:11 pace.

It snowed a fair bit Saturday night, but not enough to make it worthwhile to the city to plow the streets.  So, this morning it was sheer ice.  I had to really watch my steps.  8:37 pace.

Light rain falling and a bit of fog.  Most of the snow that fell Saturday night is gone.  9:11 pace.

Steady rain; 8:50 pace.

Steady snow and a stiff wind made for poor visibility at times, with the light from my headlamp reflecting off the flakes.  8:54 pace.

Driving snow in a stiff Northwest wind.  Not a lot of snow on the ground so far, but I don't see any of it melting now until Spring, as temperatures are consistently below freezing for the foreseeable future.  8:51 pace.

Cold, at -8C/17F. but clear.  When the sun rose, it felt great.  8:53 pace.

Crisp morning, at -13C/9F; 9:03 pace.  Hit the 2,000 mile mark for the year.