Ive been asked to keep this blog updated so...

Alot,s been going on, and I like to journal so a blog is redundant, except for sharing and exploring, something im always doing.

Recently a sore foots kept me from running, at the same time the EMR course has captivated my attention, it was really tough, i did well on paper and the practical is Monday.

Running came with a sweet unexpected gift, a award for trail runner of the year from Ceevacs  Cowichan Valley Athletics, pretty sweet, I thought considering ive had more bad days at the race than good, its gets better all the time.

Whys my foot sore and the Victoria Goodlife Marathon

Wow this sore foot stuff is a real pain and I am struggling letting it heal, oddly it does not hurt at all on the road so I can at least run still, will see how to sort this out maybe a trip to docs and to physiologist. Thinking about getting a couch, cant hurt and right now a lil input will help if I can pay attention and do the work.

I pulled off the Victoria Goodlife marathon and finished 5hr 11 min, I did not eat proper day of and kinda bonked but not used to that type of running on the pavement but its 11 minutes slower that what i hoped for so next years goal a sub 4:30:00 marathon.

Finlayson Arm 100 or 53.8 which ever comes first

I am having trouble even writing about this one, super awesome race, everything about is was amazing, except me, my lungs oh yea I'm gonna run 100km with the nastiest cough, I ever so tried denying, by 5km I knew I was having troubles that weren't gonna go away, maybe they wouldn't get any worse, which they didn't but it brought a whole new world of trouble, most of which I tried to ignore, night running helped, knowing the next aid station was in reach maybe and well death had a good lead on me by the half way point and I knew I was done. So tail between my legs I sulked off home. And to the Dr's Monday for Anti biotics. I just ain't that tough!

I don't have alot of pictures from this race and seem to have lost the one of the guy who dressed as the Grim Reaper, at the 5k he was behind me yelling my name was starting to appear on his list I was coughing so much.

Silly me!

I used to feel like I was running to death, just so I could run from death.

Today I ran with death!

2019 Black Spur Ultra 54k

Well one thing I'm finding with racing is the total lack of photos. Oh well eh!

So this was a pretty important race to me because it had alot of personal bests in it and alot if knowledge was gained. A new respect for my body, grateful to have discovered this sport at a time when the competitive nature has nothing to do with winning and if there is a podium it's just a bonus that leaves me wondering where all the fast ones are, being in the 55yr old group competition, well I'm a mid pack runner who does it for fun and health not competition, the competition environment is the toughest training run with others and what really draws me to it it ??? Because I can, because it's there, because my body sayes it can and because they said it would be fun.

I dont even know how to describe this even, beautiful, not super technical, great mix, also my first ultra.  I was looking for another event as one I had entered got canceled, internets a great place to stumble across things. So I entered.

I started way back in the pack as I figured it would help me slow my pace in the begining. I've only run if I'm lucky 28 to 30kms by this time, so alot of new ground would be explored inside and out. And after 55 years theres still a hell fo alot to discover both inside and out, and that made for a very entertaining run. Back of the pack yes that's right, pacing with the crowd, passing people,  fun.  And chatting for a bit  and even getting past, it takes a bit to sort itself out and I don't think it does but the whole process again, very entertaining. And a bonus for me is listening to people share their knowledge and bits of there story, the bonus part is their secrets are always pretty much new to me or at least good reminders.

Another thing for me as far as entertainment in a run is the dreamy state, where my mind drifts off, usual trying to pace back a bit, then not paying attention my body goes for the lazy approach to stride efficiency, or dust regard of, till my toes hits a rock and I wake up from said daydream entering crash protocols.  Only once this race.

The second loop was a faster loop and less elevation, I had finished up loop one more comfortable going fast downhill again and this would  also help me in loop two, I really did not know how much energy to use up or how to use it but I added a little bit more speed work to it overall, or so it seemed,

Loop 3 favored the fast approach as it was down to the lowest point of the race and then back up, a seemingly gentle climb, I favor the climbs, my heel by this time didn't, blister management during the race paid off as did knowing loop three was not only well into personal record mileage, but also put a finish line in a very attainable reach.

I never had to use my drop bag, I fueled with what I carried and at the aid stations, my water consumption was about 5l  and a lot of that was in loop 3. I went a little harder here and there throughout the race but tried to back off and save the miracle for the third loop, by the 3rd loop it was a miracle I was still moving.

The finishers Spur and a Beer printed with my name and 9:18:59

My first Ultra: Black Spur Ultra 54km  9hrs 18min 59sec, it was also the Canadian Trail Running National Championship race and had some of Canada's fastest 50k runners,  I gratefully showed up 70thish of the 120ish runners.

After race excitement!

Crowsnest 100 -10 or so

It's really difficult writing about a
100 km mountain bike race when I only finished 90km and why not the last 10km. To me it seemed at the time a lack of caring, by all means it was definitely a challenge I had put a lot of myself into it, enuff anyway for a bike race 2 weeks earlier I never knew existed.

I had come to a point slightly beaten and battered and I made a bad decision and took a wrong turn, I knew to check my gps but it was a downhill and I realized at the bottom what I had done,  even without this off course tour I was not going to make the cut off. I actually knew two days earlier from a ride that my times on muddy trails were gona put me 30 minutes over the limit. So i was gona have to hustle the whole course,  the distance didnt bother me but I've only a very limited time to re figure out muddy trail riding. Its been over 20 years since I rode a bike till a few months ago and iI have not been in the mud at all except for Thursday.

O.K. here it is the thing about mud, might be dirty heavy slippery mean but bottom line is it's so much fun.

Oh and my sons loaner bike, apparently old technology from what I was led to believe at the start line faired me well, the shifter up front quit working on the lil ring but I managed without it fine.

So back to my DNF, by choice, I just didn't care enough knowing I missed the cutoff and having to climb up the hill to get to where the last course marker was; sore from crashing, and just had enough. It was over.

Would I do it again, yes I would not hesitate, it was a super nice event in between two other events out here.

It taught me alot, I dont kniw why my neck is not nothing me after or now but I'm just gonna go with it.

Carpe Diem

On course the previous Thursday, which was far worse than race day.

All cleaned up

Bike on Thursday O-hagen turn off prior to the cloud burst.

The Minotaur 2019

Well the ride to Alberta went very well, the first race here, Meet the Minotaur 2019 was a great twist to a trail run. Vertical gain like none before. 1839m 19.5km course, it's taken me a bit of time to collect my thoughts on this one given the true nature of what started as a bit of a joke with my youngest son and a misconception of my oldest son and I. The later could well have been my own thought reconstruction of two conceptions. (I got some details of two different races confused?) So my orginal thoughts of the Minotaur were ultra distance and vertically(I would never venture to the vertical here) . That was the misconception but the joke part was me saying Tell everyone its I'm training for the Minotaur as my reason for all the recent running and health obsession.

I did at one point early on Google the race looked at the photos (I probably had not trail run yet) so yea I looked at the photos looked at the runners in the photos, looked at the mountians and went "that's all cool but not for me, not into heights no reason to go there" .

The race itself was amazing, well put together and orchestrated, After realizing the distance was much less than Ultra, the evolving elevation, and my fear of were becoming a reality.  I climbed, focused on the the path/task at hand and ran it for myself. A short enlightening break before cp3 and the real climb was to start somewhere after the safety check point I found a bit of comfort and was able to get myself and my empty water bladder back in gear.

It was gut buster climbs and alot of elevation in a course, lotsa log hopping and a super great work out, lots of rocks in the shoes and lotsa door prizes, good food and a 3rd place in the Masters  for me. A super good time that I still am not sure I really did it or dreamt it. My shins dont lie!

3rd 

We ran along that ridge up there, which means we got up there to run then got down to the finish.

Trans Canada Trail W.to E. Tsawassen to Fernie

Well it was a rather intresting go and I am really happy with how the whole excursion turned out.

I orginally was planning on just riding the pavement to Hope as the Urbs (Surry, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack) trails are connectors and add alot of time to the ride. So I got off the ferry and for whatever reason went straight for the trail.  It was all fine however my attentiveness was low and nap skills way off constant gps corrections made the trip to Hope rather cumbersome, very beautiful, and I did it anyway!

The Trail from Hope on to me is what's it's all about, becoming part of history most intresting.  Train trestles, tunnels, signs and information kiosks along the way make it a trip back it time.

The people it's quite intresting how many people I got to meet with the Trail in common, all brief encounters as maybe I've not learnt to slow down yet.

What the trail did for me, gave me a chance to reflect, a chance to get healthier, freedom from the world and peopley things and such. I'd put in a closer with the energy that connects us all, as to define my beings, emotional, physical, mental and spiritual selfs more intrinsically.

I finished the ride, I would/will do it again, maybe as the Epic1000 who knows, that would be fun to race it.

Truly one of the greatest times of my life!

1475 kms 12 days, total enjoyment rain and shine

The Great Divide

Waking and getting on the road at Kookanusa was a task, climbing the bank going to toss a pannier up to the upper ledge must and have it roll all the way back down, wat steeper than the picture looked. I had also left the bike locked to the tree half way up to make my morning life easy.

After getting on the road and figuring out the trail which I I managed to go off course and catching back upto it in Elko, after a brief stop for a awesome Veggie burger and a cone. The ride yo Fernie went well mostly on the trail till the technical section or easy out road parted, my home withing each I chose to depart the Great Trail for a round on the highway.

A brief couple stops in Sparwood, some higher octane coffee and a quick hello to a friend with a  message and one stop on the side of the road for hug from my oldest son on his way home from work. Yes I dumped my luggage in his truck but chose to ride to the border aka The Continental Great Divide and a few kms more to hug Mom!

Hotel Kimberly and a Pizza

So the ride down from Grey creek had a little surprise for me, an apparent error, when confirming with a passing truck the driver informed me my distance was off by about 40kms, I was hoping for a early night and kinda beaten from the previous 12 hours.

Thankfully it was mostly downhill for the day but the latter part was uphill into Kimberly and a hotel again, as I had decided.

If your ever in Kimberly and need a place to stay Hotel Kimberly is clean, maintained very well, a lot of heart going on here by the owners and staff, I'd give them the highest rating. I've only been to Kimberly once as a teen on a party summer cruise, so nice to be able to take in some sights and experiences, I went for pizza in the Platzel and was served by the owner and this place has it going on, ski town mountian bike mecca and a reasonably priced pizza in the middle of it. Really well done up place again the owner puts her heart into it, as do the staff.

A hotel room is great for drying out tents, gear and clothes and my poor tents been getting put away wet so it was nice to hang  up as with my other stuff.

It's amazing the sleeps I get when I am active, and now sleep I understand as being when the body does mist of its healing,  and I love that part. Sleep is very important to me these days.

A yummy continental breakfast and off I went via the market for fruit, there the cashier directed me to the trails and I enjoyed a whole day of low elevation gain riding out to Kookanusa where I set up camp on the site of the lake down the bank from the bridge, secluded and I wont go down that bike again it was to steep and loose.

Lake Kookanusa. 

Trying to get up that bank near beat me in the morning.

To Grey's Creek Pass and beyond!

I've been previously calling its Grant's Pass which is wrong.

The ride outa Nelson to the Harrop ferry for me was just o.k. having driven the route many times and the actual trail here is a water passage.  Rather hot day I bought water at the ferry and there is a little bakery right at the terminal that everyone should experience, and a great source of carbs.

After the ferry and a 20 k or so ride I managed a couple k up the pass and set up camp.

Tonight practicing faith I learnt a new calm. A storm came in and the hot day brought clouds thunder and lightning with it. By lights out the lightning came close I was concerned more about welders flash lol. Some of the brightest and loudest had only a 3 count between. And the rain was amazing, more amazing was my tent for keeping the cloud burst out.

Packing up camp, the tent once again put away wet. Ate my favorite Steel cut oat, chia, dehydrated cherry breaky and off I went. O.K. it wasnt like that but I did manage to get to the top of my highest climb in shortest distance. I even got asked if I wanted a ride by a 4x4 guy 5km from the top, said I wasnt gona cheat. 17kms of 16 to 20% grade and cloud cold wet. I loved every moment of it, got yo ths yo cooked Annie's, layered everything I had on  for the descent.  Definitely questioned my navagational skills here and was about to find out my destination was 40km further than I thought when I asked a guy in a truck which way to go at a T intersection

I rode into Kimberly a lil beaten just before sun down.

A pinch flat n tire day

After buying new tubes in Grandforks, I managed two more pinch flats coming into Castlegar.  Thee are several bike shops in Nelson so I figured I would shop ther, no so easy for my bike is a skinny tired cross over, finding trail tires no so easy I was to find. After stopping in at my old sponsors they directed me to a new and used bike store tucked in a corner off main street, I didnt get the name of the place but it was amazing tons and tons of cycle gear, and a new tire for me. Which I promptly flattened with a nail 3 blocks away.  Coincidentally the tech Eric would ride by, we laughed as I changed the flat. I could not find the name of the store on google but it's a hidden treasure for sure.

Earlier in the day leaving Castlegar I bumped into a cyclist named Richard a 65year old who had justcompeted in the Epic1000, super cool conversation and alot of cycling doors were shown to be, truly opening my eyes to another world of people in cycle touring over a coffee between Castlegar and Nelson. Very grateful for this inspirational encounter.

To Farron and beyond

Gerry and Gina from Regina, our paths crossed twice, they were riding sections, alot of people ride sections and some ride the downhill sections, I've not met anyone doing the whole province yet. I met a fella named Richard who had run the Epic1000 a few weeks ago, it was on my light day so the conversation was much appreciated and a few more doors of life open.

Lunch and one of the picnic table shelters just before the Paulson bridge, I was expecting this climb to be much harder, two pinch flats on the downhill left me thinking I shoulda bought that new tire instead of just a tube.

Farron, a place with history, nothing but artifacts now. Peter Verigan and 8 others were murdered in a train explosion, some people wanted to end the doukabor movement and it worked. Early 1900s

Super great day, made real good time, will tire up in Nelson tomorrow. Happy Trails

Grand forks hotel night

Well staying at a hotel tonight I was gona wait till tomorrow, especially after the pinch flats, I dont know why I dont really like to stop riding, so flats really suck and I'm not the race mode flat repair guy I used to be, I rush tube repairs I forget to check for multiple leaks, I dont sand enough, I dont let the glue dry, I got 4 pinch flats right before grand forks, the local bike shop hopefully open tomorrow is a bike shop and many take Mondays off, we shall see.

It's been a rewarding experience with all the sights and scenes and the little things along the way, I am no longer traveling the TCT it's taking me. I've never been through so many tunnels, seen so many I couldn't pass through, rock slides take them or the route out, the coquhalla is an area were you leave the rail bed due to collapse or avalanche, its cut into cliff walls throught them (Othello tunnels are a engineering miracle from Avatar movies).  Some of the tunnels up high look so majestic, oh and the being up high "I do not like." I walk on the inside so can only give a opinion for a upward line of sight, batted down with clouds and drizzle.

The Trestles they are amazing, amazing and many and everywhere along the way, a placard read 1946, post war re investing in infant structures and employment, at the coquhalla summit a bridge used to replace a 1946 version that didnt survive and as new as the one was I'd say maybe one or two others never survived but the very original approach to one of the orginal bridges is still there, I noticed it by accident as the section prior to the rivers edge area was covered from landslide,  I noticed the rock work then I realized it was done by pre modern (cat and excavator) road work, but placed rock work. My phone was dead it was raining no pictures.

It's so cool all the stuff, vendors, tourists peoples and creatures chipmunks that climb up my leg, deer that cross the river at first light, a bear that moves along when told move along nothing to see here just move along nothing to smell here, it works. He was about 500m outside of a very public tourist spot, not sure if he knows peopley.

The deer crossing the river when I woke up outside princeton (mind blotch might change princeton after I look at a map. But the deer 3 buck, looked in velvet in the sun rays crossing the river at first light everything covered in dew and wet from the night before.

Doing all this in the rain, think about how easy it would be to become Hypothermic, and dont let that happen, have a back up plan and be mindful of your surroundings, that's a whole nutha area. Its been a magnificent trip so far, lotsa fun, lots memories, family stuff memories, spiritually extreme I guess. Bedtime g night hotel with large veg pizza 3/4 gone beside me and a long climb 20km away this is it.

Rock Creek recharge

I am having problems with my devices and their charge and waiting to charge them. I'd rather be on the bike. As well up loading pictures is being a trick.

Anyway the trip itself still amazing, Sunday the 21st stayed at the Big Dipper campsite as my perfered choice was bear scat  followed by no trespassing signs,  the night before was just off the trail, this morning I did not wake to rain and was able to dry my gear out a bit, as well a swim to clean up,  chaffing and pressure sore are minimal and muscle seem better by the day, or at least they do in the mornings. I'm starting to meet more people too. And sometimes stopping to chat aka giving my a break, it's the best thing ever just being mobile for the day and get.

Pictures to follow when I find some better upload speeds if I do . Lol

Myra Canyon Threstle befor the park

Views of the canyon, 17 or 18 threstle to skirt around it

This was leaving Penticton, a slither climb, pretty much a all day thing and some the next. All rail grade so not tough just lots.