How to tie the Swiss Knot, the only knot a trail runner should use

With winter weather, you may find that as your shoe laces freeze up they may not stay tied up, or afterwards your frozen fingers cant pry open the frozen laces.
This very simple shoe knot will stay tied up and just slips open with a gentle tug even when frozen.
You will find yourself only using this knot for all your shoes, after trying it out on your next trail run.

Living vicariously through my friends

 Sulphur Springs Trail View 

Our newbie trail runner from London via Eugene Oregon, Katie on the Right with Meg from Toronto

After the 20K and 40K fun runs, there was a pot luck brunch at Monica and Phil's

Before I forget,

I may have mentioned to you (a couple hundred times) about my running idol Monica, and her inviting running friends to a 20K or 40K Fun Run from her home during tte winter months.

Well Sunday was the first one and I volunteered to do the aid station that was normally done by her dad (Dieter) for years until becoming sidelined to a wheelchair with some health issues. Anyone who has run the Sulphur Spring Trail Races up until a couple years ago, would come up to the aid station before hitting the 'Lolly Pop' sections of trails as it become known as Scholtz's Deli because of the hot foods and beverages he would bring out during the late night early mornings of the ultra races to fuel the runners on toward the finish. 

I contacted Jennifer Anne to see if she was going to attend and when she said yes, I offered that she come with me. She asked that we not run out of gas on the 401 like what happened to us a few years ago. 

(make one little mistake and they never let you live it down) 

Katie, a newbie to our trail running group but not to trail running by a long stretch, also drove to Ancaster to do the 20k. 

Katie is from Eugene Oregon and doing her PHD at Western and has said that she has to go to the Byron ski hill to find anything close to a hill like she normally trains on back home, and this sounded like a welcome change.

She hooked up with Meg from Toronto who knew the course, plus had enough speed to make it a bit of a challenge for Katie.

Afterwards we all met at Monica and Phils home for a pot luck brunch.

And that's where all the good stories start, like a couple years ago Bill, Danny and myself showed up to do the 20K fun run and were sitting at the dinner table afterwards as Iris Cooper said she had just signed up to do a 200km trail race in Switzerland in the summer. Then Monica asked 'what is the date for that?' She then got up looked at the calendar and said she was free that date, so right then decided to enter as well. Danny and Bill looked at me and shrugged and said it takes us longer to plan a 10k race in Ontario then they did for one in the Swiss Alps.

Well Sunday's best story was again coming from Iris Cooper who came out to do the 40k fun run to get a longer training run in following an Ultra she did in October.

When I asked for details of her race she commences tell me she did the Moab 240 MILE Utra in Utah.

Temperatures ranged from hot during the day in the lower elevations while getting below zero during the night plus snow in the higher elevations.

She said she was hallucinating something fierce and at one point sat down, pulled out her cell phone and called her husband to come pick her up, she was done.

He kindly pointed out that he was in Toronto and could not pick her up, but was following her progress in the race as all runners had to wear tracking devices and could be seen live on the race web site.

He told her she was only three (3) miles away from the finish and she better get going.

Iris, got up and ran the three miles to the finish line with a time of 110 hours, 7 minutes and 8 seconds.

WTF!!?? That's 4-1/2 days without sleep, and running a race.

And yes there were other stories told, and will share with you out on the trails.

Night Trail Running

Just in time for deer hunting season, we will start our evening trail runs in the dark right from the start. So please do not wear your tan colored winter toque with the white pom pom on top any where near me when running.
Wednesday evenings (year round, any weather) starting at 6:01 PM we run Kains Woods Trail - West.
Parking along the wide shoulder on Westdell Bourne at Kains Road.
Try to get there a few minutes early to make sure your headlamps are powered up so you wont hold up the group as you look for the fresh batteries in your trunk. (Like me)

Google Map Link to Kains Woods Trail - West

How to make a great trail run?

Just add: rain, mud, booze, chocolate and good friends.

Makes a perfect recipe for a trail run.

A long line of vehicles parking on the road, our on going protest of the 'Pay to Park' by Ontario Parks.

Champagne, craft beer, chocolate, home made treats, local pepperoni sticks, brownies and mars bars.

First it was "Rookie Hill" now Bill W. has done a wilderness teeter totter as a new challenge.

Even at the side of a road, trail runners sharing tall tales at the end of a great run at Komoka Trail.

Next week we will be back at our winter hiatus,  Medway Forest Trails start/finish at the London Archaeological Museum 

Cheers!!

Champagne and Mars Bar Trail Run

Saturday October 27th 

 Yes it's that time again the Annual Champagne and Mars Bar Trail Run at Komoka Trails
This run has proven that runners will show up in any weather in large numbers when there is alcohol and chocolate available.
For almost 20 years we have made the last Saturday of October a fun trail run where we gather at the end and toast our good fortunes and pig out on chocolate.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE PAY FOR USE PARKING LOT
There is ample room on the south shoulder of Oxford Street West, just before the old park entrance to accommodate our vehicles, and is only a short road portion to get onto the trails.
Please feel fee to bring some other munchies to add to the Pot Luck.
Start time is 8:01 am
Please carry water

Meadowlilly Trail in Full Fall Colours

It was crisp morning trail run, but everything was in full fall colours and made for a great run.
Some newbies out as well and I don't think they were scared away and we should see them at the Champagne and Mars Bar run next week at Komoka Trails.

A Job Well Done

The Phoenix Trail Race was a bast!
Great course (even when done in reverse), well stocked aid stations and great volunteers.
Thanks to the hard work of the Phoenix Race Committee that made it all come together.
Plus the weather was ideal for a run around the lake.

Have you tried night trail running?
If not, you should, it makes for an entirely different feel to the trail you may know like the back of your hand.
Wednesday evenings year round, we meet at Kains Trail - West at 6:01 PM and now with the early sunset, headlamps are required. Come out and give it a try, we haven't lost anyone. (yet)

Meadowlilly Trails on October 20th will be a beautiful run with the fall colours.
Then on Saturday October 27th is the infamous Champagne and Mars Bar Run that gets the largest turnout of runners at Komoka Trails. (figures alcohol and chocolate gets people motivated) 

Then we revert to our winter hiatus trail at Medway each Saturday till spring.