Winter Fun on the Trails

Picture #1:

Even on Christmas Eve we have what we refer to as "runners with no lives" showing up for a morning trail run at Medway.

Picture #2:
As you can see, Sue may be a great runner but she sucks on the balance beam.

Picture #3:

Wednesday night trail runs at Komoka Trail is year round, and here we have Richard Bird wimping out on a balmy -7 evening wearing winter tights. What are you going to wear when the cold weather come??

What was Santa thinking?

I hope you were not expecting anything from Santa this year, as he got held up at US customs.
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Saturday Trail runs will be at Medway Trails till March, and the Komoka Trail night runs continue year round every Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

Night Running

You don't have to be to bright to run trails at night, but your headlamp should be.
This was a November 9th evening run starting at 6:00 pm at Komoka, and I am sure the singlets and short sleeves will be put away for warmer garments soon.
If you have not tried night running with a headlamp, you should try it, as I am sure you will be hooked.
I have a couple extra headlamps in my trunk, should you wish to come out and give it a try.
Komoka Trails, every Wednesday evening starting at 6:00 pm.

Champagne and Mars Bars

Yes, everyone is getting excited about our season ender 'Champagne & Mars Bar' run on October 29th.

Always the best attended run of the year, since everyone knows we only run for chocolate or booze.

The picture here has two of our trail kickers, Nancy and Angie, volunteering at the Vulture Bait Trail Races on the 15th sporting the swag from our sponsor Mountain Hardwear for the volunteers, a warm micro fleece toque.

Wet, cold and windy did not deter the sold out field to set new course best times.

Thanks to the volunteers who kept everything running smooth all day to the delight of the runners.

I Command a Lot of Respect!

You have to admit that it is flattering when a co-worker asks for your suggestions on how to improve their running.

Well a couple months ago, Tanya, (who is our laser department lead) asked such a question.

Turns out she had taken up running to improve her cardio fitness and felt this running thing was just not coming to her as easy as she thought.

Well first off she was running roads, and we know how freaking boring that can be.

So we started off with the basics, setting up a small 5km running program that had some achievable milestones along the way that would all come together with us doing a 5km run together on October 2nd.

Well, I must say she was impressive. Her finishing time was better than the goal set out in the program and has now a bench mark to further improve her time and distance.

She plans to join us on the trails soon as she does find the road work boring and repetitive.

She was kind enough to send me this photo showing how I am #1 in her books.

It's great having friends.

Mountain Trails

Ok, the only reason I have added this picture, was because so many people complained that the bear attack photo was so graphic and disturbing. So since I don't have pictures of kittens and puppies playing with little children, please gaze at the above photo.

While doing the mountain skills course this was what it looked like from the top of Heart Mountain looking west toward Canmore.

Now get out there and train for the Vulture Bait Trail Races, its only weeks away and you should pre-register now. Looks like another early sell out year.

The Limberlost Challenge

The Limberlost Challenge or TLC for short, is a 14, 28, 42 & 56 km trail race in the Huntsville area. Beautiful area with some great trails that have a bit of everything. Hills, hills, switchbacks, a little mud, rock, and heat.

As long as you kept running the deer flys were not a problem, but you dare not stop to long at aid stations.

I think I speak for the group of us that went, it is a race worth doing, good course, well marked trails and friendly race directors and volunteers.

Creemore Vertical Challenge 2011

Photo's courtesy of Judy Wilson

The race you love to hate, Creemore Vertical Challenge.

After about 4 km of rolling roads and trails that has you sweating profusely, you come to a sign that says "Hill #1" Ha ha ha, very funny, until you notice that it is a two km gravel road that stops short of flight paths of airplanes.

As you trudge along cursing the race director, you come to other amusing signs,

"Hill #2, O2 hill"but should have said lack of oxygen hill.

The humidity started to kick in about this point so every breath seemed short of needed oxygen.

On the plus side, there was some beautiful homes and farms along the way that made you think that somebody out there has some money.

The views from the vistas, when you finally got to the top of the hills were spectacular, but soon reminded you that you will have to come down from these lofty places to only climb to another.

Temperatures were in the +30's with a humidex closer to +40, and it did take a toll on runners.

Smart ones pulled the pin and called it quites while others were whisked away for medical attention by ambulance.

By focusing on my heart rate monitor I managed to keep myself on a steady pace to ensure I would be able to sit in the Mad River at the finish line sipping my Creemore Pilsner as my finish line award.

Bill Wheeler pulled out a fantastic race winning age group and 4th overall. And I was not to far behind, if you use a calendar rather than a stop watch.

Next OUS race is Limberlost in Huntsville, will have to see if they have a beer sponsor before I sign up.

Last month mud, this month water

Can you spot the Fat Ass?

Week 5

Westminster Ponds trail run was a little muddy and wet.
Nancy is showing how the final leg of the trail allowed for some shoe cleaning.

Week 4

Mud, blood and sweat....all in a good day of trail running.

Week 3

This is a picture of Bill Wheeler and myself before the start of the Seaton Trail 29km Mud Puppy Race.


You will pleased to know that hardware was taken home and our trail group well represented. One of us finished in third place overall and one of us did not.


I did not have to wait to long after my long hot shower and change to dry clothes and I was thrilled to see Bill as he finished, because it truly was a tuff slug, running in ankle deep shoe sucking mud for the entire course. Bill was really bonked, unlike myself was well hydrated and had taken ample gummy bears at the water stations.


The day started bad, rain, high winds and temperatures that did not come above +3 all morning.


The out and back course just got deeper in mud as the morning progressed and water levels during the river crossing rose very quickly.


As in any race but even more so on a crappy day like this, you have to give credit to the volunteers who were water logged and cold but endured to make sure the runners in all three events (29k, 58k, 50m) were looked after.


So my recommendation to beating Bill to the finish line at a hideously difficult race, is to pull out around 20k and get a fast ride to the finish from some poor soul who lets a soaking wet runner covered in mud to sit in their car for a ride to the finish area.


Bill did a fantastic job of staying upright for a majority of the race and resembled a walking soil sample at the end. He said he may have damaged a tree that jumped out at him when he was sliding down one of the zillion hills.


Next OUS race is the Pick Your Poison Trail Races in Orillia on April 30th, one that has now moved down a notch of being a nasty & tuff race when it rains.

Week 2

It's the kind of turn out for the season-ender that provides Champagne & Chocolate! Former Pacers Val Cotta and Bill Nightingale graced our 2nd trail run of the series by flying in from Vancouver and Edmonton. (sure they said they were in town due to other reasons, but I know they just wanted to be part of the Fat Ass Series)

Soiled Sport's 2011 Trail Series has a new look

Welcome to Soiled Sport 2011 Trail Series - Fat Ass Style

Don't take offence, I am not referring to the fact that your ass looks big in those running shorts, but refers to a no nonsense version of doing races.

Fat Ass events started back in the late 70's when a runner was fed up with rising costs of running a race and the rising costs of holding a race.

There are three basic rules to a Fat Ass event:

1. No fees


2. No awards


3. No whining

And you get what you pay for, no shirts, no aid stations and no sympathy.

As in previous years, the rules I just dream up after a drunken stooper, such as:

• 10 points for completing a Saturday trail run


• 10 points for completing an Ontario Ultra Series race


• 10 points for volunteering for a London Pacer hosted event


• 20 bonus points for finding the hidden immunity idol (more details to follow)


• 10 bonus points for wearing Soiled Sport/Vulture Bait/London Pacer shirts, when instructed via this blog before the trail run


• Extra bonus points for attempting to bribe me with cheesecake, booze and winning lottery tickets

The race schedule will be posted this weekend, but will start with Meadowlilly Trails on April 2nd, 8:00 am sharp.

Damn Snow

March Madness

How NOT to train for the 2011 Soiled Sport Trail Series

Should the snow ever stops falling and temperatures decide to ever rise above freezing, the start of the Soiled Sport 2011 Trail Running Series will start on April 2nd at Meadowlilly Trail.

Our 2010 Trail Series winner, Chuck Edwards, will cut the ribbon at the trail head to start our 31 weeks of trail running bliss.

As always, you will be awarded points for each Saturday trail you attend and complete along with any Ontario Ultra Series race. Bonus points are also awarded when you run or volunteer for London Pacer sponsored events when identified on this blog.

New this year will be aditional bonus points for wearing our series sponsors gear. More details to follow.

So put down the chip dip and start training.