Making an entrance

 You might be thinking to yourself that it seems like quite a bit of time has passed since I last did something idiotic.

Don't worry - I'm back to true form!

So there was a work function on Wednesday, up at Bingemans - a town hall-style meeting where we'd get a shakedown of the fiscal year just past, be able to ask questions or make suggestions, and also get to meet a lot of people whom we'd never seen in person before. Considering the company has grown from ~65 employees when I joined almost a year to the day beforehand to about 100 as of the day of the event, that was a lot of new faces!

With my motorbike still in need of repairs and Tank gone with our vehicle until 6pm-ish, I figured I'd cycle up since the event started at 2pm. Looking at the route, I figured I'd need to leave around 1pm to give myself plenty of time, particularly as I haven't exactly got a ton of cycling fitness at the moment.

Pretty straightforward - about 10mi

Of course, I was late getting ready - had to do just one more thing for work before I left, and by the time I'd got into kit and packed everything up that I needed, it was after 1:30pm before I was ready to roll.

I'd have to hustle, or just be late.

My route took me right past the spot where I got hit by a car (on the same bike, no less) 7 years ago, but I navigated that without issue this time. I definitely didn't have much for cycling legs, but I was managing to roll along ok.

Decent paved shoulder past the airport

It was hot as balls out - had been all week - with threats of severe thunderstorms. I was a little freaked out when it started to rain a bit just as I left, but the sprinkle of droplets was actually rather nice and cooling. Of course, it stopped as soon as I realized I was enjoying it.

I just can't have nice things, it seems.

I was making decent time and had even caught all of the lights green, but suspected (without actually being able to see a clock; my cycle computer was set to speed and cadence, and my watch was also busy displaying ride data) I was still going to be fairly late. 

In spite of my bike's motivational sticker

I nearly got creamed by a transport truck as I tried to make my way over to the left turn lane to head west on Victoria, suffered for my lack of cycling fitness as I slogged up the hill after passing over the Grand River. I was delighted to discover there's a new multi-use paved pathway on the north side of Victoria now, so I could abandon the road for what seemed like a safer option...except I was nearly hit by a car emerging from a driveway, and had to weave my way around other cars that stopped right across the path to wait for a gap in traffic.

I wasn't really having an amazing ride.

Perhaps it was all of these distractions that made me completely blow the turn onto Bingemans Centre Drive. Or maybe it was that I'm used to approaching from the trail along the river, and totally forgot that you don't enter the facility directly off Victoria. Either way, my watch was telling me I'd covered about 18km, and suddenly there was the expressway. Crap - I'd gone too far!

So, stop for a moment to check directions, slap my forehead a bit because now I'd be even later arriving, and then ride back up the hill I'd just had the pleasure of coasting down.

How my dumb arse turned a 16km ride into 22km+

I knew there was a steep downhill to get into Bingemans, so I'd checked my brakes before setting off to make sure I wouldn't get rolling at a ridiculous speed and end up out of control - I mean, my 'cross bike has cantilever brakes, so I was already kind of operating on hope to begin with. As I saw my speedometer creep up past 40kph and heard the nubby tires start to sing, I pulsed the levers to slow myself by degrees so I could make the swooping turn at the bottom.

I wasn't precisely sure where I was going - only that we would be in the Embassy Tent, which seemed like it would be easy enough to spot. As I cruised toward the main parking lot I saw the massive white structure and aimed right for it, taking a small footpath that seemed like it would take me right in behind it.

Wrong! Or perhaps all too right - as I approached, I realized I'd be coming directly behind someone speaking at the podium, which was set up by the open side of the tent facing the pond. 

Photo taken later, after the speeches and trivia - you can just see the pond behind the dais

So - not wanting to interrupt - I saw that I could just make a sharp turn onto another footpath beside the tent and emerge back into the parking lot, then dismount and stow my bike. I'd creep in the back and hopefully no-one would be the wiser.

It could have worked. It really could have. 

But there was this power cord..

That one

..and as my tire made contact, in the middle of that low-speed, tight turn, it rolled or something my front wheel just went out from under me. I splatted heavily onto my right side, hard enough to bend the brifter in a good 20 degrees and decorate it with some hearty scrapes.

This was the icing on the craptastic cake that had been my ride. I rolled onto my back, closed my eyes for a moment, and stopped my watch.

When I re-opened my eyes a second later, I saw our Chief Technical Officer (whom I'd never met in person before) arriving beside me, and the Chief Financial Officer (my boss) racing over to assist. As I picked myself up off the ground, I realized I'd managed to literally crash the party right as the CEO was giving a presentation.

I'd done super well at not interrupting things.

Colin and Arjun asked if I was ok. I said I was fine - I mean, I'd got to my feet ok, and nothing seemed to be broken - and picked up my bike to wander away from the full view of everyone in the stinkin' company.

Something - a bit of gravel, or maybe a sliver of wood - embedded itself in my palm right through my glove

One of the event staff offered to take my bike from me and walked it behind the bar, and asked if I wanted to use the washroom to get cleaned up, saying it was "over there" with a vague hand gesture. I thought about trying to find it, but saw no indication of where I needed to go, so instead meandered around the side of the tent and tried to take a bit of stock of myself.

Quite literally a bloody mess.

I wandered into the tent and was greeted by our Employee Experience Manager Holly, who gave me my event swag in a bag conveniently large enough to hold my helmet. The cleats of my cycling shoes crunched loudly over the gravel-strewn interlock beneath the tent, and I was incredibly grateful to discover that the table number listed on my name tag was the first one inside the entrance, right at the back.

There was no extra chair there, though. Krishna was kind enough to offer me his, while asking if I was ok, and if I wanted a first aid kit (he had one in his car). I said I was fine, and Holly brought me a chair, into which I gratefully collapsed. 

Fortunately I'd brought some cleansing wipes with me, so I used a couple of them to try to clean up my wounds while the speeches wrapped up. I also changed from my incredibly loud and impractical cycling shoes into a pair of sandals I'd brought in my little messenger bag, and changed out of my sweaty kit in the washroom when we had a 10min break between the speeches and the start of the trivia.

I might still look like an idiot, but at least a slightly more appropriately dressed one.

Tank came and picked me up when things started to wind down a little after 8pm, and I went home to properly debride my wounds with some hot water, soap, and a soft cloth.

Just my luck - it's right where my elbow sits on the armrest of my office chair

At least I was able to get a dressing on my arm wound - the road rash on my leg is just too big for anything I have on hand to cover it.

So I try to remember to keep it smeared with ointment.
Try.

So there you have it - how to literally crash an office party, and look like a damn fool in front of your whole company.

At least I got to play cornhole (poorly) at the end, and no-one was cruel enough to actually laugh in my face..

Cross purposes

 Sometimes it seems like all I do is work and run.

Which is admittedly better than not working and not running.

This past week, though, I've actually been living a little more broadly. After running down to the market on Saturday, we tried going snowboarding again, though that didn't work out particularly well - our wax jobs weren't up to coping with 13c and bright sunshine, resulting in frustration when our boards would stick to the warm, melting snow. After spending an hour or so having to literally scooch myself down the hill at times, and falling hard on my right knee a few times when I'd lose all momentum trying to move from one edge to another (even after taking a break to try applying some paste wax, which somehow made things even worse), we gave up.

It was a beautiful afternoon..

..just not a great day for snowboarding.

Guess that's what we get for trying to do a winter sport on the first day of spring? So, we went for a lovely sunset walk along the river.

I often run here, but Tank seldom gets to see it.

We were lucky enough to watch a mink having his dinner, too

Sunday we focused much more on springlike things. I had some errands to run, and with the warm sunshine I couldn't think of any better way to accomplish them..

BRAAAAAP

Having got one bike out got me thinking...then acting.

Holy smokes - do I remember how this contraption works?

Seems to be going ok!

We only rode around our neighbourhood a couple of times (a hair over 11km), and our lack of cycling fitness was definitely perceptible, but we had fun on a sunny afternoon.

There's something about being on a bike that makes you feel like a kid again

I still got out for a sunset run, but worked it so that I ended up not far from the grocery store so we could finish off the last of our errands for the weekend.

I mean, who wouldn't want this view on their way to the store?

On Monday morning, a fun new toy that I'd ordered arrived!

From a Canadian small business

I've been playing with balance for a few years now - it helped a lot when I was trying to rehab my right ankle after destroying it in February 2018, and it's been a neat challenge that keeps me constantly engaged. I have a wobble board and a balance disc that I use a couple of times per week as part of my warmup for morning strength sessions.

..and sometimes just for kicks up in my office during the day.

Balance really helps with everything, both in sport and life in general. The work for my ankles, legs, and core are good for running - particularly on trails - but also let me do other fun things.

Like this..

..and this..

..and even this.

So, having received a training device that looked even more challenging than the ones I had, I went for it!

Board goes onto roller - K goes onto board
(They advise starting on carpet or a yoga mat to slow the roller down)

They also recommend trying it for the first time in front of a countertop, so you have something to hang on to...but I enjoy living dangerously, so..

Some kind of shaky, but not bad for a first attempt.

I was actually pretty pleased with how I was able to get on with it - I'd only owned it for an hour or so by the time I attempted a (not particularly good) squat on it.

Would someone please turn image stabilization on?

Oh wait - that's ME shaking like crazy.

I only spend a couple of minutes on the board at a time, but I go back to it a few times a day - it stays in my office with me while I work, so if I'm getting up to stretch and take a few steps around the house, I'll often jump on for a moment. Within a couple of days I was feeling a fair bit more confident.

Still pretty shaky, but a little less flailing.

Wednesday afternoon I had an appointment to get to, and with it being a lovely, sunny afternoon (somehow the rain clouds stayed away), I actually hopped on my bike again!

Twice in 4 days - it might disintegrate in shock!

With having to hustle a bit in order to make my appointment, I could definitely feel the lack of cycle fitness and rusty skills and I bumped along down the alternating sections of lumpy, dried out mud and slick, still-wet mud on the Walter Bean Trail. Then again, those two rides in just a handful of days had almost equaled my entire cycling mileage in 2020!

Hopefully I'll be able to do a little better this year.

So don't get me wrong - I'm still running, though I'm having some annoyingly persistent issues with that right ankle, and have complicated things a little further with a bit of contusion to my knee from falling on it while snowboarding.

I really don't do myself any favours, do I?

..but I'm also trying to give a little more time to just general fun and fitness, because as I said above - balance helps with everything!

Do you have a favourite activity outside of your usual sport, or something you do just for a non-competitive challenge? Let me know in the comments, because I'd love to hear all about it!

The first half

..of 2017 is done, and it has been rather eventful.

From RUN4RKIDS and Frosty Trail back in January, through Pick Your Poison in April and then Sulphur Springs in May, I have done a lousy job of racing less this year.

A commitment to ultrarunning in 2017 means I've put in less cycling and swimming than I have since I started endurance sports in 2009, but more running than I ever have before. As of yesterday's 7.5km jaunt through the dripping humidity, I have posted my highest-ever 6 month mileage total at 1,603km. Not quite a thousand miles - there was no way I was getting the extra 6-ish kilometers in - but close as makes no odds.

And some of it - like last night's sweatfest - in the best of company.

 I've also just completed the last of my pre-Limberlost build, and have never been so ready for a taper in my life. It's not that the mileage has been that high, but it's still only been 5 weeks since the Sulphur Springs 100k and I'm finding the fatigue hard to shake.

While still putting in enough running to make the podium on the Slowtwitch leaderboard for the past 7 days.

I did take a week off running after Sulphur, but in the 26 days since my return to the trails I've posted 229km - an average of 8.8km/5.5mi per day, which doesn't sound like a lot. when I take out the 3 scheduled rest days (FRIDAY WOO) it becomes 9.95km/6.18mi per day on average. While I'm sure that's a paltry sum for many of you, it has me feeling pretty worn out (and rather whiny) with just over a week to go before a 56km race.

Though I saw some beautiful things along the way.

Fortunately, though, it's now taper time! I have a long weekend to get some extra sleep (I hope..), and some shorter bits of trail that I haven't seen in awhile (or ever) that I'm looking forward to running as I drop the mileage back severely.

I'll be far from bored, though - which I'm sure is better than anyone who read through all that nonsense - since it's a festive weekend in these parts!

Happy birthday Canada!

While we don't have big plans for the sesquicentennial, we still intend to walk down the hill to watch the fireworks at Riverside Park tomorrow night, then celebrate a friend's birthday with wonderful people we haven't seen in far too long on Sunday. I may not even set an alarm on Monday, as I think rest is probably the best Canada Day present I can give myself right now.

Hope you all have a safe, enjoyable weekend whether you're celebrating or not!

Seems Like Science: Cold Weather Coping Strategies

I don't know where you are, but around these parts winter has just made a sudden arrival. As if to compensate for its tardiness, it came howling down with all guns blazing: I went from running in knicks and a shirt on Monday to full-on windproof XC ski pants and a neck gaiter over my earband last night as I ran through an inch or two of fresh snow. While I know how to approach running in cold weather, I still have a tendency to freeze afterward.

I AM ICE. NO WARMTH EXISTS IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE.

As the weather worsens for most of us in the northern hemisphere, I thought I'd do another installment of Seems Like Science to share with you my cold weather coping tips for outdoor athletes. These are as applicable to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or cycling as they are to running - good for anything that gets your heart pumping outside in the cold air and leaves you chilled once the adventure is over.

If you're one of those treadmill-or-trainer-'til-spring people, you can move along now. If you're made of a bit tougher stuff, read on.

1. Get Out of Wet Clothing

A mop can be helpful for cleaning up after..

The most basic thing you can do to prevent the post-workout chills is to get changed out of the gear you wore outside. Even if you weren't actively sweating, the fabrics will have absorbed some of the moisture that your body is constantly releasing and will carry the cold of the outside air. By ditching them as soon as possible for warm, dry layers, you'll prevent that moisture from leaching your body heat away - after all, sweat is how our bodies cool themselves naturally, but you want the opposite! Ladies, that means your sports bra needs to come off, too - it's actually one of the worst offenders, since it wraps around your ribcage stealing heat from the very core of you. Get it off, post haste!

Ideally, you'd be doing this in a heated area, where you'll then start to absorb warmth from the air as well. However, it's in your best interest to change even if you have to do so in a cold place like your car or an unheated washroom at a trailhead. The longest I'll drive to get to a warm area to change is about 10 minutes, and even then I'll probably get a bit of a hard-to-shake chill going as I move from the car to indoors. There are a couple of products out there (like this one - which I have owned for awhile and heartily endorse - and this one, which I'll be trying out soon) to help you change outdoors with a little more modesty and warmth than just stripping down beside your car.

That said, you do you. I've never shied away from a little parking lot nudity if that's what it took to get me on my way to WarmTown. All you really need to do is make sure you've packed some clothes to change into - even if they get chilly in the car while you're out getting your sweat on, you'll still be warmer just a few minutes after changing than you would be if you'd stayed in your cold, wet clothes. It's one of the first principles of treating hypothermia!


2. Hot Food

OMNOMNOM

You know you're supposed to have a bite to eat to help with recovery after a workout. When it's cold out, there's nothing better than something nice and toasty to nosh on just after you've changed out of your sweaty gear. With a bit of pre-planning, you can have a hot meal before you've even returned to your resting heart rate, even if you're at a far-flung trailhead when you finish. For a relatively small initial investment, a vacuum-insulated double-walled stainless steel food container is an invaluable source of post-cold-workout happiness: just fill it with something hot before you leave and you're ready to chow down as soon as you've changed out of your wet clothes. Heck, eat while you're changing if you can manage it - I certainly won't judge you. If you don't have anything capable of keeping food warm on its own, try wrapping a watertight container in a towel and putting it in a cooler bag; most vessels designed to keep food or drink cold will also help keep them hot, as you're just changing the direction you're trying to prevent the heat from moving.

If you can't have hot food, at least eat something - if it must be cold or room-temperature, try something spicy or with a high protein content, and lower in fat. Your body generates heat (known as diet induced thermogenesis) when you digest food of any kind, but the energy required to metabolize protein is higher than that needed to process carbohydrate or fat, and spicy foods like hot peppers have been shown to boost metabolism, which will warm you up as well. Endurance athletes should be replenishing carbohydrate stores after long workouts, but you can increase the thermic effect of the CHO by choosing complex carbohydrates that require more energy to break down than simple sugars.

My favourite things for post-trail run munching are soup and oatmeal: with their high sodium content to replace electrolytes and carbohydrate-heavy composition, instant noodles are actually a great choice here. I love these ones, but you can pick your favourite. Preparation couldn't be simpler, either: just boil some water, pour everything in, then seal it up and it's ready to go. It's equally easy to prepare the noodles or instant oatmeal at home, too: have the kettle ready before you head out, then switch it on as soon as you get back. Let the boiling water work its magic while you change, then add whatever you like to your oatmeal (I love some sea salt, maple syrup and almond butter stirred into mine) or noodles and slurp away! If you have some hearty soup or chili pre-made at home, all the better - pop a serving on the stove or in the microwave to heat while you change, then go to town once you're all changed up.


3. All the Clothes

And this is just to hang out in my livingroom!

Because I know I tend to get cold easily after a workout, I will typically put on clothing that is appropriate for at least 5c/9f colder than whatever conditions I expect to encounter. Basically, whatever you think you'll need, add one more layer. Bonus points if you have something cozy to wear that also makes you feel like a badass, like a hoodie from a favourite race. Also make sure you keep all the places where the veins and arteries are closest to the skin covered, like your wrists, ankles and especially your neck - you want to keep all of the blood circulating through your body from losing as much heat as possible.


4. Hot Shower or Bath

It's only the steam that prevents this from becoming crayon porn.

This is THE BEST. If you're running from home or can make it back there (or somewhere else that they'll let you shower, like a fitness facility at which you're a member or even an understanding friend's house), hop on it and let the hot water and steam work its magic. While moisture is your enemy when it's just sitting on your skin, wet heat is about the most effective way to warm yourself back up when you're cold. The bonus here is that you'll also wash off all the stank you worked up while you were out there sweating, and as long as noone does something inconsiderate like opening the bathroom door to let all the heat out (or chucking a big cup of cold water on you over the shower curtain - NO I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THAT TANK), you should be able to keep yourself warm while you use your biggest, fluffiest towel to dry yourself off and put on all the clothes (see point #3). Do make sure you get properly dry, though, otherwise you'll just end up shivering in your now-damp change of clothing.


5. Hot Drinks


Not the most effective way to warm up, but certainly pleasant - a big mug of something hot can be a great addition to the above strategies. I'll often make myself a big cup of non-caffeinated tea to sip while I make dinner after an evening run, but for those of you who get out earlier in the day, a hot cup of coffee (or caffeinated tea) can be just the thing to give you both some warmth and a bit of energy to get on with your life outside of sport. If you're not into tea or coffee, try some chicken broth (also a great pick-me-up during a long, cold race!) or a steaming mug of hot chocolate. A vacuum insulated double-walled stainless steel container of homemade cocoa waiting for you at the trailhead (again, put it in a cooler bag and/or wrap in a towel for extra insulation on those super cold or very long workout days) can make a huge difference in your happiness at the end of a chilly training session or race.

HAZ TEH HAPPYZ

I hope these tips will help those of you who struggle with chills when training or racing in cold weather, and invite you to leave a comment if you know of any others to try - I'm always looking for new ways to hang onto the meagre bit of warmth I generate, and I'm sure Tanker will eventually get sick of me attaching myself like a barnacle to him in order to engage in a little body heat vampirism!

Stay toasty, my friends!

Sprung

March certainly came in like a lion this year.

On the very first day, we got slammed by the worst snowstorm we'd had all winter. Winds gusting over 50kph/30mph drove thick flurries of snow sideways through the streets, causing whiteouts and slippery roads throughout Ontario and Quebec. Tanker and I agreed that any attempt to try to make it to the pool would be foolhardy, so we hunkered in for the night like sensible folks.

After I went for a run, that is.

You expected something different?

The streets had a bit of a dusting of snow when I set out. Forty five minutes later it was 2"/5cm deep and I was worn the hell out. I didn't know if I'd make it in to work the next day since that was only a quarter of the minimum amount of total snow they'd predicted would fall through the night.

Fast forward precisely one week.

Subtle differences.

Same spot, at almost the same time of day. That's my longsleeve shirt from Sulphur Springs last year - not a jacket. And yes, those are shorts. After dark. FOR REALZ.

I haven't worn a jacket all week to run, and have had at least some portion of my legs bare every evening (I did wear knicks on Monday & Thursday as it was below 10c/50f and after sunset). The snow that covered the streets so thickly last week has been reduced to tiny, furtive heaps where it had been piled extra deep by plows or people shoveling. 

The grass may still be brown and the calendar may not say so, but Spring has - in fact - sprung.

WAHOOOOOOOOOO!

It even hit 20c/68f on Wednesday afternoon, when I had the good fortune to have my bike at work. The wind may have been gusting up over 40kph/25mph in exactly the wrong direction, but I was riding around in knickers and a t-shirt. A damn t-shirt!

Even on the way to my Mum's as the sun was setting!

So I'm slightly in a tizzy right at the moment, because even if it wasn't the hardest of winters it's still incredibly exciting to be able to ditch the layers and feel the sun on my skin again. 

I'll have even more opportunity to do so next week - don't forget to set your clocks ahead this weekend, folks!

What a difference a week makes.

Uptight

I sit all day at work in my office, and continue to sit through my 2+hrs daily of commuting. I don't spend much time on my butt at home (because I'm out training, or standing while I'm cooking, or out running errands or something), but I am nonetheless seated for several hours most days of the week.

I'm like the poster girl for tight hamstrings. If your life is anything like mine - more chair time than active time for most of the week - you probably are, too.

Well, not necessarily poster girl. I'm not here to prognosticate about your gender or preferred appellations. Nonetheless, I'm willing to bet you've got some tension in those hammies.

I know I've been posting a lot lately about mobility exercises and stretching, and I'll ask you to bear with me while I show you one more thing that really got my attention the first time I tried it. I'd always done the traditional hamstring stretch, which involves putting your foot up on something and then reaching toward your toes.

I'm actually flexible enough to wrap a hand around my foot, but crayon art is not a precise science.

It's a good stretch, and one I advocate doing in the correct circumstances. Being able to bend down and touch your toes (which is another way to accomplish the same stretch, if you don't have anything to put your foot up on or aren't strong or flexible enough to do so) is a good thing, but it doesn't do the whole job when it comes to hamstring mobility.

Something about my personal biomechanics results in tightness near the top of my hamstrings, where they attach to the tendons just below my butt. As a runner and cyclist, I also tend to put the greatest load on my hamstrings with my knees bent rather than straight, which results in some tension that isn't alleviated through the standard stretch shown above.

Some while ago - maybe a year or two, for all I know - I read an article online (which I would totally reference here if I could remember where I found it) that was entitled something like "the best hamstring stretch you're not doing". As a curious human interested in keeping my body moving as well as possible, I took a look and discovered it was right: I wasn't doing it, and the stretch is freakin' awesome. It hit the problem areas in my hamstrings perfectly, and was something I could easily do during my post-swim hot tub stretching sessions.

So, my dear friends, I give to you: The Best Hamstring Stretch You (probably) Aren't Doing.

Step 1: Put one foot up on a stair or a chair - something that forms a right-angle.

Step 2: Push your foot forward so your toes are against the upright portion of the right angle, with your ankle in a neutral dorsiflexed position.

Step 3: Lean forward, keeping your spine and neck in a neutral position. Don't round your back as this will put stress on it.

Step 4: Feel the stretch in your upper hamstrings and glutes. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds but do not bounce.

Step 5: Stand straight up again and have a go with the other leg.

Having trouble picturing all this? Here's a slightly-more-detailed-than-usual image to help you out.

Simple as that.

If you can't find something to put your foot up on to do this, you can generally achieve the same thing by bending one knee from a standing position and putting the opposite foot out in front of your with your heel dug into the ground and your toes in the air (dorsiflex your foot by pulling your toes back toward your shin). You can also put the ball of your foot up against a wall to brace it. Lean forward, keeping your spine neutral, and put your hands on the thigh of the bent leg you're standing on. It's more of a challenge to keep your back from rounding this way and I don't feel I get as good of a stretch since I'm not using as much range of motion in my hip, but beggars can't be choosers if there's really nothing around.

If you don't suffer from the same hamstring tightness I do, this may not have much effect. I'm not a doctor, don't play one on television, and have no clue about your personal physiology or limitations. If it feels really painful, DON'T DO IT. Void where prohibited by law - no cash value - your mileage may vary.

But worth a shot just to see if it helps, no?

Oh, and just on the off chance you think I might be mis-representing Lane Swim K in crayon form:

Truth is stranger than fiction, folks.