tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51025983436341365122024-03-13T13:32:04.145-07:00LIFE BEHIND THE SCENESPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-82736237981522079802012-09-10T09:48:00.000-07:002012-09-12T08:28:38.522-07:00Baby Steps - MYM50 Ultra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">50 mile run... check.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's taken a while but I finally got around to racing my first 'true' ultra - better late than never I suppose! Why did I wait so long? Well, the fact that I'm a bit of an injury-prone runner hasn't helped convince me that I would actually survive an effort that long - And honestly, the thought of running for 100 or <i>160km simply scares me</i>. That said, 80km seemed like a manageable distance, and I figured it was time to give it a shot...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baby steps...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDpcQqOQiwqFEn6_jC_dLn7nodbFzkPK4ZaCGIhnTAHhYbLKQ8DzgRLXWPRrCgrSTu4DJhpi6QdChyphenhyphenHyROd99wMFrT6kv-b5aCd77dZOnF6LnXNCH70sRWtGysz0eeP27Y0C34hwnMKo/s1600/IMG_6398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDpcQqOQiwqFEn6_jC_dLn7nodbFzkPK4ZaCGIhnTAHhYbLKQ8DzgRLXWPRrCgrSTu4DJhpi6QdChyphenhyphenHyROd99wMFrT6kv-b5aCd77dZOnF6LnXNCH70sRWtGysz0eeP27Y0C34hwnMKo/s320/IMG_6398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short pitstop in Revelstoke, BC on route to Whistler - The big rig sits on a plateau high above town - It was just as much fun 4x4-ing up to the Frisby Ridge trailhead as running on the trail itself!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the inaugural <a href="http://meetyourmaker50.com/" target="_blank">Meet Your Maker 50</a> on tap in Whistler, it was an easy choice to slide it into the calendar (actually, I didn't have much of a choice since it was also part of our Salomon sponsored events - so duty called - I know, I know...twist my arm!). Either way, I was keen to see how I would fare over this distance - uncharted territory for this guy! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eager to hit the road, I loaded the big rig with event equipment and set off for another adventure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You would think that an 80km race would warrant a bit of specific prep, but to be honest, I really didn't put a whole lot of thought into it. Then again, I can't say that ever really put a lot of structure in my training these days. I've followed a structured training plan for so many years throughout my (ski) career that I (think I) know what my body needs and when. For the most part,<i> I try to go with the flow</i>... Between you and I, I'd say this strategy works about 80% of the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never really been a big fan of tapering for an event </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- not sure why - I just feel like I'm always sluggish on race day. Everyone reacts differently to various training routines, and over the years, I've learned that I respond well to steady volume. There's a limit of course, and it's often a very fine line between feeling good, and going over the edge...the questions, where is that line?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what does that all mean? In a nutshell, I take a look at my race objective(s), and figure out what I need most to succeed. Is it climbing? speed on flats? quad strength? technical ability? The most important thing to remember in this exercise - the key - is to ensure adequate recovery time so you can feel tip-top on race day! As simple as it may sound, most athletes have difficulty grasping this concept, feeling like they always need to do more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curious? Here's </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a glimpse of the few weeks leading up to the race. It's a short window but may give some of you some ideas on how to prepare for your next event:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aug 6-12: </b> Focused on volume - 132km of running w/ 5,000m +gain (including 2 long back-to-back runs - Rundle Loop 42k + <a href="http://x-cphil.blogspot.ca/2012/08/rockwall-traversetake-4.html" target="_blank">Rockwall 54k)</a>. Couple easy road rides to let the legs recover. 19hrs total.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aug 13-19: </b>Focused on recovery early in the week, then volume/speed - 70km of running w/ 2,000m +gain. 110km of riding to recover from previous week. Finished off wk with 40km hard effort around Ironlegs course. 10hrs total training.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aug 20-26:</b> Focused on recovery - 20km of running. 212km of riding. Body was quite tired so decided to stay off legs for the week. Few longer rides to keep volume up. 10hrs total training.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aug 27-Sept 2: </b> Focused on quad endurance & rebuilding - 150km of running w/ 6,000m +gain (includes 82km MYM50 w/ 3,800m +gain). 16hrs total training.</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mon: Hard up/down Lady Mac 15km w/ 900m +gain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tues: 15km easy run</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wed: Frisby Ridge Trail (Revelstoke) 25km w/ 900m +gain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thurs: Day off</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fri: 14km - Easy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sat: Worked all day at Salomon expo - 30min run</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sun: RACE DAY!!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last week may have seemed like a bit of a gamble - especially the hard run on Wed in Revy - but my energy levels were good and I knew that I had enough days to recover for the race - <i>It just 'felt' like this was the right thing to do! </i>Plus I couldn't pass up an opportunity to run Frisby Ridge Trail :) </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiMeOgjZEDB4d-VnJROguK6b11LfOq-XRPO_olZHOWCIt5C8f6CRvkkhp4IiYWlEsfEGXOtwUO9sC_IdETls5uZXIqaJhJ-FI4ejcUv8fybrogZPWb5XIq-T0nFbuVtppVnKiZheLl-M/s1600/IMG_6401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiMeOgjZEDB4d-VnJROguK6b11LfOq-XRPO_olZHOWCIt5C8f6CRvkkhp4IiYWlEsfEGXOtwUO9sC_IdETls5uZXIqaJhJ-FI4ejcUv8fybrogZPWb5XIq-T0nFbuVtppVnKiZheLl-M/s320/IMG_6401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and am I glad I did - Phenomenal views on Frisby Ridge Trail near Revelstoke, BC!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High alpine flowers were in full blown! The trail gained 900 vertical metres up to a max height of 2,000m in altitude. Weather was touchy, ranging from cold showers to sunny breaks - perfect temp for running!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hyphenhyphenks1ou896R8qOCf-U_sVjq7cqWSJ2h9cOmatqrh9NEdBJ22xkA_vdUOEUjj-uVyOxLam1KiEugkrVjvi1X-hcRYBz3BTFwjsSa-AWe-O1eIgOPrToWzinWwpSyVg0VXuBbDldpkT8c/s1600/IMG_6405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hyphenhyphenks1ou896R8qOCf-U_sVjq7cqWSJ2h9cOmatqrh9NEdBJ22xkA_vdUOEUjj-uVyOxLam1KiEugkrVjvi1X-hcRYBz3BTFwjsSa-AWe-O1eIgOPrToWzinWwpSyVg0VXuBbDldpkT8c/s320/IMG_6405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously - It doesn't get any better than this!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the race...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I won't bore you with all the details, so h</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ere's the quick version: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6am start...Off we go</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 1:</b> 10km...Speedy pace on flat-ish leg. Lots of chatter with <a href="http://lazytrailrunner.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Mr. Coo</a>...Let the leaders run up the road...Feeling good - should be a fun day! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 2</b> - Comfortably Numb: 22km... Technical is the name of the game...What a great trail! This section kept our brains alive. Caught up to 2 leaders (Mike Murphy and Mark Bennett) who I would end up playing cat & mouse with the entire race. Watched Mike take about 5 spectacular crashes... good entertainment! By the end of this leg I was done with technical... just give me some f'ing flat road! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 3 </b>- BlackComb Climb: 10km...Monster grind to the top of the mountain! Mark had a fast transition and flew out of the feed station. I grabbed my poles, some food and chased! Not sure what Mike was doing but he lingered just enough that a gap was formed...I caught up to Mark and we both paced each other to the summit. Became a race to the gondola! Left knee was quite sore...Popped a few Vitamine - I's... good to go.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Peak 2 Peak </b>chair - AWESOME! What a view... wow! Adding the gondola to the race was brilliant - It was great to have a break at the 40km mark. Enjoyed the best tasting soup EVER. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 4</b> - Whistler descent: 8km... Steep and fast. Gapped Mark a bit on lower technical section...fun to dance down the rooty sections. Definitely felt good in this section... lots of juice in the tank.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 5</b> - 10km or so...Wasn't ready to run solo for the rest of the way so 'waited' for Mark to catch back up...Good to have him with me to maintain our pace... took a quick detour to dip in the river - so refreshing!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 6 </b>- 10km or so...I heard that the Flank trail would be a doozy, and it was! Gaped Mark in the first climbing section - was feeling good so pushed the pace! About 5km in, I tried to take some electrolyte tabs but stomach didn't agree with the horse-sized pills and out came my entire feed refuelling... ugh- Feeling 'lighter'... I pushed on. Couldn't eat from here on in...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leg 7 </b>- 10km or so...again. Get me to the finish line. Physically, body was ok. But my energy was starting to fade as fuelling was not adequate...Coke was about the only thing I could choke down, but it wasn't enough...As I popped on the paved path in town, the energy was being sucked out of me - And then all of a sudden, Mike (who I hadn't seen since 30km mark), appeared out of nowhere and was flying! Nothing I could do...I tipped my hat and watch him cruise away...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy to finish 4min back of lead...another 6min ahead of Mark. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that was that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All things considered, my 8h35min 'work-day' actually flew by surprisingly quickly. A few little kinks but overall, the body held up pretty well...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will I do it again? Absolutely. The MYM50 course was spectacular - and included a ton of variety to keep your brain alive the entire way. Just when you would start getting tired of a specific section, the course changed, and you were confronted with another type of trail, terrain or view to keep you motivated. The perfect mix for such an event. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about taking that next step to the full ultra distances? Put one foot in front of the other and follow the pretty flags...for 160km. Seems s</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">imple really. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[sigh]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never say never I suppose...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QNB46rinAcbquWBTSq5h7hNfjz_cvNxPQuzDmhUtXdQ5hkAQcb927PDNDLkTF3GsjnFifsvEbFDNNKBI3yIRZTAdHFIuKujiwJz6qC5bKx38Mfn7bPjDi6ji68I277U96eWScKdokbg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-04+at+9.57.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QNB46rinAcbquWBTSq5h7hNfjz_cvNxPQuzDmhUtXdQ5hkAQcb927PDNDLkTF3GsjnFifsvEbFDNNKBI3yIRZTAdHFIuKujiwJz6qC5bKx38Mfn7bPjDi6ji68I277U96eWScKdokbg/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-09-04+at+9.57.30+AM.png" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.movescount.com/moves/move7253930" target="_blank">Suunto Ambit Beta</a> - A big day on the Whistler trails... good way to tour the local area ;)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaIysjlue19C8ckNO5_cjJ3fmfMuSYH2bzVMWMmko6gcPdjZ4_ORbFpoPjNwFhKsmxbwtsgIn8dL1t3GmQIGSzQJQaLuqwrPJdFPkqyzKgdxm3-01n3Zxj9aLEUZqxQ5kDHRiSHK2HaA/s1600/IMG_6432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaIysjlue19C8ckNO5_cjJ3fmfMuSYH2bzVMWMmko6gcPdjZ4_ORbFpoPjNwFhKsmxbwtsgIn8dL1t3GmQIGSzQJQaLuqwrPJdFPkqyzKgdxm3-01n3Zxj9aLEUZqxQ5kDHRiSHK2HaA/s320/IMG_6432.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the 50km mark...Poles in hand - Up I go!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Final Notes:</b></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The course, the logistics, the markings, feed stations were top notch - kudos to the 5 Peaks crew for putting on a great year-1 event! As usual, there are always a few kinks to work out, but all things considered - a flawless event in my mind!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congrats to all the MYM50 participants - It was great to watch solo and relay runners funnel into the finish lines, greeted by family, friends and teammates - and sporting big smiles (most of them anyways ;)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See you on the trails...</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-87288625652549169672012-08-16T16:18:00.001-07:002012-08-16T16:18:20.389-07:00Rockwall Traverse...Take 4!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL0dxoVHOvBuZsnlyrNesNSxAAOyfoDygyzoQI-WrI3DPXw_DJdCLg0VKFocu2iYS0Yr-Vdw_LdMx0LpEsVB7mclmnKqo2YdbZdh67wWuuvQgWcA_amWk68MmtAuZ9hpDwXWrnLMbVFg/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL0dxoVHOvBuZsnlyrNesNSxAAOyfoDygyzoQI-WrI3DPXw_DJdCLg0VKFocu2iYS0Yr-Vdw_LdMx0LpEsVB7mclmnKqo2YdbZdh67wWuuvQgWcA_amWk68MmtAuZ9hpDwXWrnLMbVFg/s400/IMG_6286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was breathing hard, but feeling good...This was the 3rd of four passes that I would crest today. After almost 4hrs of running, I was just getting to the good stuff. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">larch trees I could see this massive 'wall of rock' materialize along the trail up ahead... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"There it is!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A dark imposing wall stretching far into the landscape. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simple. Beautiful.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grinned and pushed on. The day wasn't over yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not quite sure what it is...but there's something about the Rockwall Trail that gets under my skin - in a good way of course...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The goal, like most of my runs on the trail over the past few years, was to run it fast & light carrying only the necessities - jacket, hat, gloves, ski poles, emergency blanket (in case shit goes wrong), and of course food and bear spray... For once I decided to leave the iPhone at home - today would be all 'business'.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnlfhC76yauglFzoifYIv5Q6xvtKBDVjDbg4iGQt2V3L8RQrZ28Tg8RbhFLc8A_yn8JP1UADVNCZcZLzkOjCNu7c7ydh_cOpYnuXdA63Q1uvPv2hpBPnISSs5vC7DXbosFkpxJq8ORLw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-13+at+8.03.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnlfhC76yauglFzoifYIv5Q6xvtKBDVjDbg4iGQt2V3L8RQrZ28Tg8RbhFLc8A_yn8JP1UADVNCZcZLzkOjCNu7c7ydh_cOpYnuXdA63Q1uvPv2hpBPnISSs5vC7DXbosFkpxJq8ORLw/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-08-13+at+8.03.29+AM.png" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Suunto Ambit Beta: The 'normal' way to run the Rockwall Traverse is from Floe Lake parking lot to Paint Pots - It runs ~53km, and covers 4 passes totalling over 2,500m of vertical gain. Current trail record is 6h46min. The high alpine singletrack is some of the best I've run - hence the reason I run it every year! </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually try to drag along a friend to torture, and this time would be no different. Actually, it was <a href="http://runningmagazine.ca/2012/08/sections/training/blogs/the-vacation-is-over/" target="_blank">Simon (Donato)</a> that threw out the idea - and despite some uncertainty about trail and bridge conditions, a quick call-out to the community and web inquiries and we were good to go! By the time Sunday arrived, a crew of 4 (Ian, Matt, Simon and I) walked up to the Floe Lake trailhead... ready for a big day on the trails! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off we go...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crew set off at a good pace, all eager to get up to Numa Pass, another 1,000m vertical above us. The going wasn't speedy by any means as the abundance of spring rain/runoff had not only knocked out a few bridges, but left the trail overgrown with grass, fireweed and downed trees. Aside from having to watch our footing, it was the wildlife that preoccupied our minds early on as the numerous open avalanche tracks were perfect bear habitat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually try to keep a sharp eye out but found it hard to keep my eyes on the surroundings when I couldn't see where my feet were landing! Instead we relied on a deep chorus of "Heeeeyyy Beeeaaarrr" every 30sec or so...seemed to do the trick. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 3/4 of the way up to Floe Lake, I was slowly starting to pull away from the group... A few more bends and I was alone. That morning we had talked about the possibility of me pulling ahead - I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was clear to the group that if I was to make a go at a speed attempt, I couldn't afford to wait for others, so everyone knew the game. If anyone fell off the back, they would take one of the bailout routes via Numa or Tumbling Creek and meet back at one of the vehicles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this was my <a href="http://x-cphil.blogspot.ca/2011/09/rockwall-traverse-fast-vs-light.html" target="_blank">4th time on the trail</a>, it was my first time running it alone. With the exception of a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> few hiking groups I had the trails to myself - it </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was actually a nice feeling to be solo. Knowing the trail and what lay ahead made the time fly by. I limited my pit stops to food and water breaks, stopping only to drink at creeks to supplement my own supplies. That said, I did lay on the ground for a few minutes after a hard crash on the way down to Helmet Falls. After 5hrs of running, things to get to a bit </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sloppy...You don't lift your knees as high, you let your toes drag a tiny bit more... Inevitably I hooked my foot on a stump and plowed hard into the ground, spraining my wrist of all things. But time was ticking - "suck it up buttercup..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The highlight of the day: I was coming up on a random stream just up from Tumbling Creek and found a mini can of Coke just sitting there waiting for me... "No shit!" I said out loud. I pulled the tab and a fresh 'phfzzzz' escaped. Down the gullet it went. I crushed the can, stuffed it in my pack and off I went...[Smile]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trail itself is simply...fantastic - I won't go into (bore you with) all the details but trust me when I tell you that the Rockwall is a must-do in your life. Hike or run... it's worth the trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the final descent into Helmet Falls (~40km), I had been out for about for a total of 5h15min or so... and had another solid 15km+ to go... making the 6h45min would be close. This section is mostly downhill but still has some descent bumps that take their toll. Despite feeling good and cruising on this section, it still felt like it was dragging on forever! Seriously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tick tock, tick tock...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally arrived at the final Marble Canyon/Paint Pots intersection (0.9km to go) and looked at the time.. 6h40min. But since the bridge at Paint Pots was out, I decided to take the long way home via Marble Canyon... another 3.4km - ugh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last section was gruelling... I just wanted to get it over with. Finally, I pulled into Marble Canyon, 7hrs on the button. I'll take it. As I slowed to stop my watch, Simon, Matt and Ian appeared around the car... waiting for me!? "What are you guys doing here?" A combination of technical difficulties with Simon's hydration pack (busted bladder) and tired bodies had forced them to take the Tumbling Creek shortcut that featured an exciting run-in with a juvenile grizzly! (always carry your bear spray kids!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's it. Another RW adventure comes to an end... Already looking forward to my next attempt :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thx for reading-</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The remnants of a massive forest fire in 2003 leads you up the trails from Floe Lake Trailhead </span></td></tr>
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<br />Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-82801545242466423512012-07-23T15:11:00.001-07:002012-07-23T15:13:32.407-07:00Still Kickin'...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I'm still alive...<br /><br />I've been thinking about how much I miss writing over these past few months...and that's about as far as I've gotten. <br /><br />C'est la vie. <br /><br />So today I figured I'd sneak in a short bit, a sort of teaser really... Oh don't worry, I won't bore you with everything I've been up to "since my last post...", besides, if you're already following me on the social media ticker index, then you know...</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the moment, I'm done with all the jet setting on the Yo-Yo Express, and looking forward to squeeze in my share of PV-time. Either way, no complaints-</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what next...? Work aside, I've got a few running projects lined up in the mountains with the main objective being my preparation for the <a href="http://www.meetyourmaker50.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Meet Your Maker 50</strong></a>, my first 80km race - very exciting! This is a new event that will take place in Whistler on the Sept 1 - 2 weekend...If you're game to take on the distance - Don't delay - But if the solo thing isn't for you, then round up your training buddies and come out for the relay! Regardless of your choice, I highly recommend checking this one out as it will cover some of Whistler's classic singletrack trails - and not to mention a ride on the Peak 2 Peak gondola during the race!<br /><br />(Sorry, couldn't help plugging in a bit of promo in there...)<br /> <br />Ok, before I start rambling on more projects, I'll cut this one short... too much admin work to catch up on. <br /><br />Time to get back to the grind.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for checkin' in!</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-7733720928952120032012-04-07T02:24:00.004-07:002012-04-07T08:02:27.189-07:00Time to Turn the Page...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27cZqFObHVIzZQ7UQwoqav7EjLMbLcwDlOEaBfvp_4FpVa8LEH4JCq7PUi4Gn7dsahkAm2dEOySJRStTTFd_W61HWZ6064Dus4pv3SFn0D5TzDLOcag5zqZMEB-TMOk-JUF4e3iBcq-8/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27cZqFObHVIzZQ7UQwoqav7EjLMbLcwDlOEaBfvp_4FpVa8LEH4JCq7PUi4Gn7dsahkAm2dEOySJRStTTFd_W61HWZ6064Dus4pv3SFn0D5TzDLOcag5zqZMEB-TMOk-JUF4e3iBcq-8/s400/IMG_4484.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winter is over. Sort of...<br />
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It's been another busy year of work, travel, life. Every year I tell myself that things will cool off a bit, that work will become less hectic, that my travel will slow down... It hasn't, and that's OK.<br />
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Truth is, I love what I do. The work, the busy schedules, all the travel...It's all part of an amazing adventure in itself and I wouldn't change a thing - at least not anytime soon. Sure there are times where I wouldn't mind being home a bit more - but we adapt. You learn to spend more quality time with close friends/family, and plants learn to live without little to no water for 10-day stints.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Greek coastline - Athens awaits.</strong></span></td></tr>
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</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So with the nordic season behind me, I turn the page and look forward to hitting the trails! That means it's time to hit the road again... or in this case, the air. <br />
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For the past 5 seasons, I've had the opportunity to take part in Salomon's Advanced Week, where Brand Ambassadors, athletes and product development staff come together to test the latest footwear, apparel and gear. It's a no-holds-barred week where we literally 'run' the product into the ground, and provide valuable feedback to the development team. Of course, not everything makes the cut, but if it does, it becomes worthy of the 'S-LAB' tag - Salomon Laboratory. So if you've bought on of these products in the past, you know it's been approved by some of the world's best trail runners!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZDB8orsYaqSRjMxZGq_2FvCgTiC4PGotJf3eQLV_Rp85QgQDDxtmcoKPCDllfjZCM5arHJd02eQFH7ermRVZ0Ovb-n1jwQjc3nns6U-O5uC4q6FbE82JSYGRwm8qR8_DbhjQAHoinxo/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZDB8orsYaqSRjMxZGq_2FvCgTiC4PGotJf3eQLV_Rp85QgQDDxtmcoKPCDllfjZCM5arHJd02eQFH7ermRVZ0Ovb-n1jwQjc3nns6U-O5uC4q6FbE82JSYGRwm8qR8_DbhjQAHoinxo/s400/IMG_4560.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kardamili - Advanced Week testing grounds</span></strong></td></tr>
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This year's testing grounds - Kardamili, Greece... Two words: 'WOW'. As far as testing grounds go, I don't think you could ask for a better location. The quality of the trails here is simply impressive - you want it, you got it - except for flat sections... haven't found too many of those yet! Oh, and the scenery...not bad at all!<br />
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I know what you're thinking...but believe when I tell you that this is the furthest thing for a 'vacation'. With countless products to review, the R&D crew wastes no time! Days are jammed-packed with 2 per day testing sessions, covering 20-30km of technical trail, which translates to a minimum of 3hrs of difficult running - and that's only if you don't get lost! Fresh off the trail, your trail running gear is immediately replaced with pens and paper, filling out feedback forms, and documenting every feelings, tweeks, comments - the good, the bad, the ugly... they want to hear it!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcmeR23f_75JDGGsn2DvgS2bzm8u-HAnziBDVwfCy4hMBP7VFAguMDXuRSv4LllqqboQ9-nziQFNiBJSziFvuBuV4h3mq6ZTJFnnXSN4xaWWAtHVbvEiRLcZNWDzYQrdw2j5e_TudQ0A/s1600/IMG_4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcmeR23f_75JDGGsn2DvgS2bzm8u-HAnziBDVwfCy4hMBP7VFAguMDXuRSv4LllqqboQ9-nziQFNiBJSziFvuBuV4h3mq6ZTJFnnXSN4xaWWAtHVbvEiRLcZNWDzYQrdw2j5e_TudQ0A/s400/IMG_4659.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Felix and Michel on the final push to the top of the trail</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Testing aside, one of the highlights for me is the interaction and networking that takes place between both athletes and Brand Ambassadors. Being able to share or bounce ideas and marketing strategies from a global perspective, and adapt them to our Canadian market is key. Whether in an organized focus group, or dinner time chatter, exchanges take place throughout the day - So by the time your head finally touches the pillow around midnight, sleep is instant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrfT2RlEoCTu0jakWfMnfY_HjtoVbnqqDcBlDiMhdVHlWONNnqEeDwpjCAM2BIimJM5eVeTM6Y4NQbbIHkfsQDxIesJXPy02jtMVCcGDpQTp_XSbclHCAuzqFoQnRbnK5Lt9quPWfzbc/s1600/IMG_4611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrfT2RlEoCTu0jakWfMnfY_HjtoVbnqqDcBlDiMhdVHlWONNnqEeDwpjCAM2BIimJM5eVeTM6Y4NQbbIHkfsQDxIesJXPy02jtMVCcGDpQTp_XSbclHCAuzqFoQnRbnK5Lt9quPWfzbc/s400/IMG_4611.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the trail...Coming and Going</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial;">Like it or not, another Advanced Week has come and gone...My brain is full of new ideas, confidence and I'm ready to attack the trail running season! Our new Greek friends have been fantastic hosts, and the camaraderie of my Salomon 'family' continues to grow...I'll miss this place - but I'm happy to come home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLejd6kTqPlrR7lJkwIOQy_KUq4YdDOSMoHuc0AA2-w2gEpb9Zr0ok0fYDzuNp2LzuXUsNylEY0DlEBQ093e9ZTxO3lJ_evzxYLmSPMpk4pKxmmKNVPSdrjNhgHme9avZk3Olyv7h0KE/s1600/IMG_4765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLejd6kTqPlrR7lJkwIOQy_KUq4YdDOSMoHuc0AA2-w2gEpb9Zr0ok0fYDzuNp2LzuXUsNylEY0DlEBQ093e9ZTxO3lJ_evzxYLmSPMpk4pKxmmKNVPSdrjNhgHme9avZk3Olyv7h0KE/s400/IMG_4765.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Sardine head collection - Greek specialty!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back at this busy year, one of the things I've learned about my work is that it's not about skiing, or running or whatever it is I do...(trust me, sometimes I don't even know how to describe what I do!). The root of my work, is about <em>building relationships</em>. Not so sure why it's taken me this long to figure this out, but I realize now that whether for business or friendship - relationships are the key. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[Taking a moment to reflect on this...]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, I can turn the page now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much to talk about...Better leave some for next time. Besides, it's time to go for a run! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnEmfFpttjwkRaGWba4dZVerL1Bj33p8DHUWeDlJOzhOO2GKUxrrOTitf0gQFSAVuBE6qkw55y6KGhl8IZ5dBJ89kSa_-SX6L4YhRXg6LXS1ZvSqI_SajTlDjq7MRYOc8sHnoEe8poY0/s1600/IMG_4757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnEmfFpttjwkRaGWba4dZVerL1Bj33p8DHUWeDlJOzhOO2GKUxrrOTitf0gQFSAVuBE6qkw55y6KGhl8IZ5dBJ89kSa_-SX6L4YhRXg6LXS1ZvSqI_SajTlDjq7MRYOc8sHnoEe8poY0/s400/IMG_4757.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>A rare moment - Taking a bit of PV time...</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-57896251728776422982011-10-03T23:34:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:48:16.167-07:00Kaslo SufferFest - Are You Ready to Suffer?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7y0Y8n4tlUrTrYpKmQauqiANPh1ecFs57mxW0wulrx3uIRyWoWfxeEBRg6DJ_dB23p52E7cBDeB_RHJQhEi5d-P1RRA7zC7t3tpqmEtgJrPEPd4f4ouRk-I8yP1d3sr5cNcEPEWzEz3Y/s1600/KasloSufferFest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7y0Y8n4tlUrTrYpKmQauqiANPh1ecFs57mxW0wulrx3uIRyWoWfxeEBRg6DJ_dB23p52E7cBDeB_RHJQhEi5d-P1RRA7zC7t3tpqmEtgJrPEPd4f4ouRk-I8yP1d3sr5cNcEPEWzEz3Y/s400/KasloSufferFest.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, all I can say is that the <em>Kaslo SufferFest</em> lived up to its name...It's Monday, and I'm still wading through the fuzz - ugh.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever been to </span><a href="http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Kaslo.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kaslo</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">? If you don't know where it is, </span><a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Kaslo,+Bc&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca:IE-Address&oe=&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x537b68e187f88001:0xd2531f16ec77353a,Kaslo,+BC&gl=ca&ei=PYKKTs_jEYOqsQKB7aG0BA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CDEQ8gEwAQ"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>look it up</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>.</em> I've never actually taken the time to drive through the Kootenays before, and after such a great weekend spent running on the local trails, I honestly wish I had more time to play (but with fresh legs!).</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a long day of driving, I pulled into the quiet little town at around 11pm...seemed like most of the 1,000 residents were fast asleep. The only place that looked remotely open was the </span><a href="http://www.kaslohotel.com/our_pub.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kaslo Hotel & Brew Pub</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - I guess it's time for a pint! Despite the local band's 'talent', it was time for bed - lucky for me, it was only 2 sets of stairs above!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy to be catching up on some Z's after a busy week, I was looking forward to a bit of a sleep in...but it was not to be. Instead of my alarm, the hotel phone rattled beside me. <br />
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"Sir, is that your big (ass) brown Dodge pickup parked out in front of the hotel?"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half asleep..."Uh...y-yes..."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh, good. I guess nobody told you...but that's our finish line today, and your truck is parked in the way of our kid's race course!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oops. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRCG_gu0p-FmZq96fyd_LR7MDhz3XTFx9ddjdbSziIahyphenhyphenUddiJh8SqHHeaEinguQcVbnwTvtdbCPJae0-ubqoQ20zmYKSu4lAzHYOIsxewg-MvgQ0KPD0RE1BIn0Tko-vfgWkDaXH4rQ/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRCG_gu0p-FmZq96fyd_LR7MDhz3XTFx9ddjdbSziIahyphenhyphenUddiJh8SqHHeaEinguQcVbnwTvtdbCPJae0-ubqoQ20zmYKSu4lAzHYOIsxewg-MvgQ0KPD0RE1BIn0Tko-vfgWkDaXH4rQ/s320/IMG_3933.JPG" width="312" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The view of Main Street from my hotel room...right above the finish line!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlA27UNYE07lKHOJD6HV26C9BjEvni5I4kUiDgs-sI7VxkFmeUf72XqLGBkkr3QzL-D_jZAibrEZIybKR6tp65A81ogDOvrua0wKg26FTH_0fIzIFB1D1cKIm1YxzSdkDrKHt_dsKb3lM/s1600/IMG_3936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlA27UNYE07lKHOJD6HV26C9BjEvni5I4kUiDgs-sI7VxkFmeUf72XqLGBkkr3QzL-D_jZAibrEZIybKR6tp65A81ogDOvrua0wKg26FTH_0fIzIFB1D1cKIm1YxzSdkDrKHt_dsKb3lM/s320/IMG_3936.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rig parked in the kid's finish lane... I guess I better move it now.</span></td></tr>
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In case you didn't know, the </span><a href="http://www.kaslosufferfest.com/event.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kaslo SufferFest</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is actually a 2-day multi-disciplined stage race that includes various combos of XC mountain bike race (40km or 100km), a trail race (10k, 25k or 50k) and a DH mountain bike event. Like most of the 300+ participants, I decided to take part in only one of the many events...the 50k trail race. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, while I was snoring away in my comfy bed, the mountain bikers were covering some hard kms on the trails. By the time I was back from a tasty breakfast at the local coffee shop, the town was alive and anticipating the big guns - who in this case ended up being a couple of friends of mine from Canmore - way to represent boys!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDtp-0BNtJKrau1Cn-cvsgsgJvdlsRawQcOzvz1tfOCoQNn5C8Pp-6aVqcuBKyuSvKFsMJS2I8CxKwjvifSKiBoiEF7ihLzXEvds4rfVx-WD287OqkpNm20cWaJ9KowxN-tXnqK8DHbM/s1600/IMG_3938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDtp-0BNtJKrau1Cn-cvsgsgJvdlsRawQcOzvz1tfOCoQNn5C8Pp-6aVqcuBKyuSvKFsMJS2I8CxKwjvifSKiBoiEF7ihLzXEvds4rfVx-WD287OqkpNm20cWaJ9KowxN-tXnqK8DHbM/s320/IMG_3938.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cafe boys in the spotlight - Leighton (right) took the win, with John (left) in 2nd</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Onto the trail race...</strong><br />
With a quick fly-by on the important bits of the course, I was as good as I was going to get. I typically like doing a course recon when I can - always good to be familiar with key intersections, check points, etc...Also allowed me to get the kinks out after the long drive and see how the body would feel after my 4 Peaks epic less than 7 days prior...<br />
<br />
As I prepped my gear, I realized I forgot my Suunto watch...Funny how we get used to key pieces of gear when we race...Felt odd to not have a watch - I normally set it to gauge my pace or to see how much altitude I've covered (or how much I've got remaining!). But I survived.<br />
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ko76rTC9lkIkAq_4_XNZzAZ7ujxsvNp8NmPyMX24xPvS1G1r7vHfCRidNTlZKjoxXTp7rHQXJfleIXxLokCzjPaIZiuDtbBM94AglamoNM0tO0jJfcUQxCVu1sdXC3QsecBAbGY-cUA/s1600/SufferFestProfil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ko76rTC9lkIkAq_4_XNZzAZ7ujxsvNp8NmPyMX24xPvS1G1r7vHfCRidNTlZKjoxXTp7rHQXJfleIXxLokCzjPaIZiuDtbBM94AglamoNM0tO0jJfcUQxCVu1sdXC3QsecBAbGY-cUA/s320/SufferFestProfil.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Suunto data a la PV:</strong> Elev Gain: ~ 1,500m Not a ton of gain, but the course still took it's toll with lots of singletrack, up/down terrain and few hard technical bits. </span></td></tr>
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At 6am, huddled under the street lights of Main Street, a small crew of runners (50k participants) set off into the night...After a quick run through town and it was up the grunt climb of the day - a straight up, 500m gain stair-step climb known as 'No Brakes' hill... I settled into a steady rhythm, shining my light up the track and pushing on my quads to get the best efficiency out of my stride. In behind, strongman Peter Findlay pursued. Despite having placed top 5 in the 100km mtn bike the previous day, there he was lingering...<em>Damn that old-man strength.</em><br />
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Up and up we climbed...I pushed on in the night.<br />
<br />
As daylight broke, the climbing eased off onto the Buchanan Access Trail, one of the best singletrack traverse I've done in a while. I didn't know how far back Peter was hiding, so I switched off my AY-UP light, put the pedal to the metal and disappeared around the bend...<br />
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<em>For the next 10km, I was giddy</em>...the track was simply amazing - Aside from a few up or down switchbacks to detour around natural obstacles, it was a beautiful flowing descent into the aid station. At the Wagon Rd turnaround (15km) I had gained 5min on Peter...but it's a long race so I kept my head down and kept the pace up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides a bit of confusion due to missing signs at key intersections (found out later that they had been taken down by locals - I was lucky and guessed right, others weren't so lucky!), the rest of the run back down to town was fairly quick - Next thing I knew, I was cruising through town. A quick resupply, and I was off for loop #2!</span><br />
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</span> </div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mCqjGjh8ap9OxX_BHwGGLWb3KTx4Sf-bLOEHNmx9GG_dUzGNmwFR4cKt1rW_twKhRvRLul0WCOWKc9MC-4N0F7ueoshCb3I9rRTfX1W3YYPXPAnVHtlgFgcu4JvQ__gtyVSLsou7gE/s320/IMG_3947.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kaslo River Bridge:</strong> The link between the North & South trails...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiZvtgh39Y7J70SJlXk0kyFp7GM6H3BybtkAd-ngAYHNAoC_3A9W-b6XUs9PmaPkrpWgPsXH_nrYv_hLGkC-ZNnnjnWhsMrh9Xyo0SkN4x42OUOBIhozkEDBWq3gtN5DhdUHM1j-OagQ/s1600/IMG_3948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiZvtgh39Y7J70SJlXk0kyFp7GM6H3BybtkAd-ngAYHNAoC_3A9W-b6XUs9PmaPkrpWgPsXH_nrYv_hLGkC-ZNnnjnWhsMrh9Xyo0SkN4x42OUOBIhozkEDBWq3gtN5DhdUHM1j-OagQ/s320/IMG_3948.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Dodge this!</strong> The race course zipped right through the Kaslo local airport...Had to look right, left, and up!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mCqjGjh8ap9OxX_BHwGGLWb3KTx4Sf-bLOEHNmx9GG_dUzGNmwFR4cKt1rW_twKhRvRLul0WCOWKc9MC-4N0F7ueoshCb3I9rRTfX1W3YYPXPAnVHtlgFgcu4JvQ__gtyVSLsou7gE/s1600/IMG_3947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>The second loop</em> looked a bit confusion on the map (hence my recon the day before), but it actually turned out to be relatively easy to follow... There was lots of aid stations out there, so lots of opportunities to fuel up if needed. Although there wasn't much elev gain (on paper), I definitely found this section challenging. My body was still feeling good, but I could start to feel that I wasn't fully recovered from the 4 Peaks. The slow consistent singletrack climbing ate away at my energy... My pace slowed in the twisty mossy singletrack. The short/steep up and downs were taking their toll...The mind started to wander... Where was Peter? <em>Damn that old man strength...</em><br />
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<em>At the 40km mark</em>, I started passing runners that were on their first mini-loop of the second half of the course...good timing. Chasing bodies perked me up and my pace quickened. I was on the home stretch. Once last pass by the airport (a quick look up!) and it was all the way down back to town. <br />
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One more lap around the town's shoreline and I crossed the line...Happy camper! <br />
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Ever been to </span><a href="http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Kaslo.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kaslo</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">? You should...with 7 different events (in 2 days) to choose from you don't have an excuse! A big thanks to Janis for putting on a great show - and the entire community for supporting this exciting weekend of events. Can't wait for next year! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDXK6hquSd_NJeCwhYd9vvSP5dBFPS_P4WcjqvcDfKc8D-4QL0XNHmImkcAVCliD9g6nCe6KTAl7nPN9HkQLB7Ul75_HC8UyZrKSmGMGKf2cGZy09g30urq4H4qA3RT9srg8Uv1JxibY/s1600/IMG_3950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDXK6hquSd_NJeCwhYd9vvSP5dBFPS_P4WcjqvcDfKc8D-4QL0XNHmImkcAVCliD9g6nCe6KTAl7nPN9HkQLB7Ul75_HC8UyZrKSmGMGKf2cGZy09g30urq4H4qA3RT9srg8Uv1JxibY/s320/IMG_3950.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The hardware:</strong> Carved by a Kaslo local artist...Not sure what inspired this guy...could it be the real thing?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"></div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-71361488709010993992011-09-25T14:14:00.000-07:002011-09-27T18:54:33.085-07:00Canmore 4 Peaks Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbxSvnVzi1iSc0kKjDqws6iOr2sI_yHbSvhkaOfvJVgAZqIEB8FhwhEmr71BLZwsdYOysnNvWhVlhzF1ZgnpNIyIN9T-CJ0WHC_zo3QEWQQvoYO5-D44qDXRWKONrE0tCfbkhlz3FDPQ/s1600/Canmore4PeaksRoute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbxSvnVzi1iSc0kKjDqws6iOr2sI_yHbSvhkaOfvJVgAZqIEB8FhwhEmr71BLZwsdYOysnNvWhVlhzF1ZgnpNIyIN9T-CJ0WHC_zo3QEWQQvoYO5-D44qDXRWKONrE0tCfbkhlz3FDPQ/s400/Canmore4PeaksRoute.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may not look like much, but it's no easy feat...<br />
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The <strong>Canmore 4 Peaks Challenge</strong> is simple - Summit all four local peaks in a day. Using cars, bikes, etc...to move to/from each trailhead is not allowed. So you choose...you can run, walk or crawl, either way, it makes for a long, long day on the trails.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The peaks include <strong><em>Grotto Mountain</em></strong> (2,706m) which is the steepest of the bunch + <strong><em>Lady MacDonald</em></strong> (2,605m), with its sketchy knife edge summit + <strong><em>East End of Rundle or EEOR</em></strong> (2,530m), a slow scree ridden climb and <strong><em>Ha Ling</em></strong> (2,407m), the 'easiest' of the four...<br />
<br />
Easy.<br />
<br />
As far as I know, only 3 people have done this prior to my attempt... <strong>Jack Firth </strong>at the age of 50-something<strong>,</strong> completed the four summits in a day (20hrs give or take) and was joined by his son (Ben) for the final ascent up Ha Ling...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Sticking with local mountain men...<strong>Ernst Salzgeber</strong> completed all 4 Peaks at the age of 60! I couldn't find many details on this attempt, but word is it took him in the 17+ hr range...<br />
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The latest to complete the 'quad' is climber and local Canmore Crossfit owner, </span><a href="http://blog.thaczuk.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Greg Thazuk</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, who's built a reputation for tackling any worthy challenge that is thrown on his plate. Greg completed the mountain mission in around 14.5hrs (not sure on exact time)...A solid effort for a self proclaimed 'non-runner'! <br />
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As for me, I'm just happy to tick this 'beast' off my list... Huge respect to Jack, Ernst and Greg - It's an honour to be part of the select that have completed this challenge! <br />
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<em><strong>**Note:</strong> If I've missed someone and/or you know of anyone else that has completed the 4 Peaks Challenge please acknowledge them in the comments section - I'd love to know!</em> <br />
A few bits in case you were wondering:<br />
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<strong>- Which summit was the hardest?</strong> All 4 peaks were unique in difficulty, but the most physically and mentally demanding was EEOR. By that point, I was close to 8hrs and I was tired. Having never climbed Rundle, I ended up losing the trail twice and had to bushwack my way through steep terrain to find the trail again. As I got higher up the peak, the loose scree made you lose 1/2 a step for every one you took...Add in some tough route navigating and I was just about to lose my shit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Easiest summit?</strong> Ha Ling... I've run up this one many times. I knew it wouldn't take me more than an hour and it's as close to a mountain hwy as you can get. However, Fitzy and I had run out of water halfway up (poor planning on my part) but thankfully a very generous couple hiking down shared some of their water with us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Scariest moment?</strong> The 10-15m knife edge on Lady Mac was super sketchy...I definitely felt out of my comfort zone as I clung onto the edge with both hands, feet half dangling over a massive cliff trying to find an edge to step on...I had a few moments where the wind was howling so hard I had to stop and hang on...not good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Freak occurrence</strong>... At the top of Grotto, the wind was howling like crazy. Despite tightening the draw strings on our visors, a tornado like wind simultaneously blew Andy and my hats off our heads. I was lucky, my hat was blown 10m in the air, and fell back to my feet... Andy wasn't so lucky, his visor was catapulted about 50m out in space...lost forever on the back side of Grotto.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Best moment of the day</strong>... Fitzy 'found' a nectarine at the bottom of his pack at the top of Ha Ling. By this time, we were parched from not having brought enough water...The sweet juiciness of the fruit brought me back to life for the last stretch home...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Running on Flat: 1h45 min (most of this was spent running through town)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Time spent climbing: 5h33min of speedy pole walking </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Time spent descending: 3h18min (yes my quads are sore today)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Breaks along the way?</strong> At the 5h30min halfway mark (at my house), I took 30min to refuel, eat, drink, change socks and shoes. Otherwise, random water/food break along the way, and twitter posts... of course.<br />
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<strong>- Fuel?</strong> 4 ham/cheese tortilla wraps w a bit of honey mustard, 2 HoneyStinger gels, 1 Pro Bar, salt vinegar crispers (salty goodness!), Salt Stick electrolyte tabs, Tumbs (4), noodles w/ oil/salt (at home), 1L of ginger ale (at home), 2x 1.5L bladders + lots of water from creeks (I'll probably pay for this one later in the week - yikes!), 1 coke (that Fitzy brought to me on EEOR) and the most amazing nectarine on the planet!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>- Best piece of gear?</strong> Ski poles... essential for all the up/down. <br />
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<strong>- Body damage?</strong> Quads are beat, small blister on right foot from all the side walking on steep scree slopes...that's it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XmyRYrh3aWx5G6Nb0M0QCbtChRHVfV-wBV5uLu6VO36d69IcXD9lEBttfo47sI0xuuFjfs20RKXRD6l6EC3sfAhMgyBsSpd_DizIKQysAFdOC4xtdCqIeLYWK-QjP1rKL707TkihrI8/s1600/4Peaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XmyRYrh3aWx5G6Nb0M0QCbtChRHVfV-wBV5uLu6VO36d69IcXD9lEBttfo47sI0xuuFjfs20RKXRD6l6EC3sfAhMgyBsSpd_DizIKQysAFdOC4xtdCqIeLYWK-QjP1rKL707TkihrI8/s400/4Peaks.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suunto Movescount Beta: Forgot to recalibrate the altitude on my watch at the start so the base altitude is about 100m off (should be 1325m, not 1428m)...Start - halfway - finish point was my house in downtown Canmore, I took a 30min refuelling break at the halfway mark, otherwise was more/less trying to keep moving most of the day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpK0wpHfxDHTI5lxaNOrFkkL1lMFWSDmSfutT7rafWBZcet2CTC4QWR6abEINaFWfp6u0SqRwI1ig2c7228c6qqtjkDUrDW4Id2IDg5XdhYz3kfBOQVDCuJ6HAeIqe6kysgk-aMPFUOo/s1600/IMG_3892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpK0wpHfxDHTI5lxaNOrFkkL1lMFWSDmSfutT7rafWBZcet2CTC4QWR6abEINaFWfp6u0SqRwI1ig2c7228c6qqtjkDUrDW4Id2IDg5XdhYz3kfBOQVDCuJ6HAeIqe6kysgk-aMPFUOo/s400/IMG_3892.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from the top of Grotto - #1: Was psyched to have Andy Reed with me for most of the day...Thanks Andy! Canmore in the backdrop. You can notice Spray Rd that cuts into the side of EEOR (Rundle) - Had to run up that road to get to the last 2 trailheads of the day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R3VW7NuxRnmsb0xYfLwp6yVB0utxzOIj_ul1Hq_R3FEvWI9UcilXxejhiE0PRY2J0VsJgHtSoyEfwE5PPwMWM5Mu281dhd4507eOptOZbJyf7I9KYTu_q_LwgKUweCNFcvlaDWDXn-s/s1600/IMG_3898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R3VW7NuxRnmsb0xYfLwp6yVB0utxzOIj_ul1Hq_R3FEvWI9UcilXxejhiE0PRY2J0VsJgHtSoyEfwE5PPwMWM5Mu281dhd4507eOptOZbJyf7I9KYTu_q_LwgKUweCNFcvlaDWDXn-s/s400/IMG_3898.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from Lady MacDonald - #2: Great view of Canmore on a perfect day! In the center of the photo is Ha Ling Peak (left of center valley) and EEOR (right of center valley). Spray Rd cuts up the slope...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIG4-Y-m5Z9Gx8Tfi2k_p-g-Zl41dUqJELEzwiob1oGlIFoit_GjJuGE-Feueyr3DKw3Jh7WsUHwa4CZ2_dJ3wDyghJfSeRtVjUdMcnndfkVEBx5AthiPwjXbFosW2-hHxJqVr_s-mXX0/s1600/IMG_3901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIG4-Y-m5Z9Gx8Tfi2k_p-g-Zl41dUqJELEzwiob1oGlIFoit_GjJuGE-Feueyr3DKw3Jh7WsUHwa4CZ2_dJ3wDyghJfSeRtVjUdMcnndfkVEBx5AthiPwjXbFosW2-hHxJqVr_s-mXX0/s400/IMG_3901.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top of Lady MacDonald: Super windy conditions made for some tough climbing on narrow summit ledge...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsyaGp8c9BxQc_tQhzaQFxyqGak59Q-fwG3KFjLoNpXMmy6lIkDNeheI1mpJO2Q9j53zcGNoG8HWaTAe_alWyFLqZZfifMCbt_FOSPXDDGs2gtnzjT8sLXcWBD5HhymAUujf6NI3rBx4/s1600/LadyMacEdge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsyaGp8c9BxQc_tQhzaQFxyqGak59Q-fwG3KFjLoNpXMmy6lIkDNeheI1mpJO2Q9j53zcGNoG8HWaTAe_alWyFLqZZfifMCbt_FOSPXDDGs2gtnzjT8sLXcWBD5HhymAUujf6NI3rBx4/s400/LadyMacEdge.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lady MacDonald's knife edge summit - Difficult to see but most of this section is only 1 to 2ft wide ... Hangin' on for dear life - white knuckling it all the way across - Didn't feel very comfortable up here!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zNyznoiIiuFDb5oHIO5TYwWy3ygB8RO2EpZMtD0O0vwaQUGiVCRgtP2WlHPxrjpGdi6xlTxY3bESElPUsIMWJgu8g84VJHF_6P9TDjx-gpvOKe0gWrWbgtk4maIyo_FfHlKNpS_lBXo/s1600/IMG_3904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zNyznoiIiuFDb5oHIO5TYwWy3ygB8RO2EpZMtD0O0vwaQUGiVCRgtP2WlHPxrjpGdi6xlTxY3bESElPUsIMWJgu8g84VJHF_6P9TDjx-gpvOKe0gWrWbgtk4maIyo_FfHlKNpS_lBXo/s400/IMG_3904.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking a water break in Cougar Creek after 2 peaks...Andy takes a bit of gravel out of his shoes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_1qI4gQfzjhaaAU0m-_SZ7xAfdOLwFvhCX397YcO2iTyKY4IcMta5IXe-v_lSZCaHsmDBPQzl8C6cmz3gURQSL5qI8t7h1TjavOeXzOx2FpA_GurYMAiektCmqia1_9bpGA2OC7n-C8/s1600/IMG_3906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_1qI4gQfzjhaaAU0m-_SZ7xAfdOLwFvhCX397YcO2iTyKY4IcMta5IXe-v_lSZCaHsmDBPQzl8C6cmz3gURQSL5qI8t7h1TjavOeXzOx2FpA_GurYMAiektCmqia1_9bpGA2OC7n-C8/s400/IMG_3906.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Ha Ling Peak midway up Rundle - #3: If only I had a squirrel suit... Hit a low point going up EEOR, and was looking for any excuse to take a break! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-I0ywoRufngd4eleayYVdQ5e8LzZCDgre9aw8B4NfwyDAvwziINkUEEy25840YbxleizqMCm_gFkoiC5jtyEU1n_F_-y2ahjiUa1qXLDAGlPWhau8-KNQjADA8hh4Og0dr8lkLVIZUY/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-I0ywoRufngd4eleayYVdQ5e8LzZCDgre9aw8B4NfwyDAvwziINkUEEy25840YbxleizqMCm_gFkoiC5jtyEU1n_F_-y2ahjiUa1qXLDAGlPWhau8-KNQjADA8hh4Og0dr8lkLVIZUY/s400/IMG_3910.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One more to go: Taking a quick break in the reservoir in between EEOR and Ha Ling. Having lost Andy, I was happy to be joined by Fitzy for the last climb of the day. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfmnTdt4HKcLQMgjfaf0afQAqSMu5DaaAXr_3HHFfBwwdn4QBP88H_-mqDJkOxu9hHNY-GrNyEhozOUlxozHJQXRHvFHWFZ1BiOpcLcOBr43JlGBcY8Ivm7PY_fWaDLISwDkdAYMZiSo/s1600/IMG_3912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfmnTdt4HKcLQMgjfaf0afQAqSMu5DaaAXr_3HHFfBwwdn4QBP88H_-mqDJkOxu9hHNY-GrNyEhozOUlxozHJQXRHvFHWFZ1BiOpcLcOBr43JlGBcY8Ivm7PY_fWaDLISwDkdAYMZiSo/s400/IMG_3912.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't do it! A twitchy chipmunk hangs out on the top of Ha Ling...He wasn't too pleased when we left without leaving him any crumbs-</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-75187006637742000892011-09-05T21:13:00.000-07:002011-09-05T21:59:10.522-07:00Rockwall Traverse - Fast VS Light...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Suunto Movescount Beta...</strong></span> </td></tr>
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<strong>PV</strong>: "I don't know...what do you feel like running?"<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Martin</strong>: "Well, if you had to pick one trail to run, which one would you choose...?<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>PV</strong>: "Rockwall... no question."<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Martin</strong>: "What's 'Rockwall'? How long will it take?"<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>PV</strong>: "Not sure...It's 52km w/ 2,500m gain. My fastest time is 8hrs, but we could easily cut an hour off that. Maybe two... Hikers typically do it 3 to 4 days."<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Martin</strong>: "OK then... it's settled. Let's go for it!" <br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that was it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite having run this trail twice before, I was eager to show Martin aka the 'Goat', one of the most scenic and classic trails of the Canadian Rockies - And with my injuries finally behind me, there was no excuse not to test the body and take advantage of all the high altitude training we had done over the past 3 weeks :)<br />
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With near perfect conditions, we set off in an attempt to see what we could do as far as putting a new benchmark on the table for this challenging trail...and after the smoke had settled, we were left exhausted, but content with the effort. <br />
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No matter how well you think you're prepared, playing in the mountains can be a humbling experience - You have to be prepared for anything, and anticipate the unexpected. Blue skies can turn grey in an instant...dry trails can become muddy...your trusty pair of trail shoes can give you the worst blisters ever...water bladders can burst...food can run out...I think you get the picture. Bottom line, if you're not careful, the mountains will slap you around like a cat playing with it's pray... <br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So going for a 'fast' time sometimes means you have to make sacrifices - but where? In order to move quickly, you have to be light...But what gear to you leave behind? How much extra food do you bring? Despite all the planning, you still end up riding a fine line and can only hope that nothing goes wrong. With those thoughts in mind, I think we prepared adequately for anything weather wise - all the 'survival' essentials were present in our packs. I think where we were a bit ambitious was in regards to our expected time, and unfortunately ended up a bit lite in the food department as both Martin and I ran out of 'fuel' with 8k to go. And that's where the real fun began...<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I'll stop there and let the video speak for itself... In the meantime, the high alpine window is closing quickly and there's only a few weeks of running up high left... is there another attempt in the forecast...? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial;">Enjoy!</span> <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU6rtg1ur3M">Rockwall Traverse Video</a></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-92107467140895134692011-09-01T21:55:00.000-07:002011-09-05T22:00:47.036-07:00Road Trip!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke0nI7JqXA23KR23WFeI5yzCgpVRm8FQkoBKC9Dbfpu6F9bUk5X3ZMH_HBzR5mooTFfSuIav1skEishpolL4WHSfRQmE6UTkoJgBAnilFJ-rpqlzHPGmP5aSloQ4Ub90vSDBsd6qn2b0/s1600/PVstage2-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke0nI7JqXA23KR23WFeI5yzCgpVRm8FQkoBKC9Dbfpu6F9bUk5X3ZMH_HBzR5mooTFfSuIav1skEishpolL4WHSfRQmE6UTkoJgBAnilFJ-rpqlzHPGmP5aSloQ4Ub90vSDBsd6qn2b0/s400/PVstage2-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>photo: </em>Klaus Fengler/<a href="http://www.klausfengler.de/"><span style="color: #8dacc3;">www.klausfengler.de</span></a> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where to begin...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Calgary, Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab, Leadville</em> and finally <em>Buena Vista to Beaver Creek</em>...A monster of a road trip, yet a perfect lead-up to run across the Colorado Rockies...or at least that was the plan!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of which, I've never been big on planning things, so when the 'Goat' (Martin Gaffuri) and I left Canmore, I have to admit that there wasn't much of a travel 'plan' in place...we were headed to Salt Lake City, then Leadville to pace for Ryan Sandes...and finally TransRockies, but for the 2 weeks in between... who knew!<br />
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What we did know is that we wanted get in lots of running volume at high altitudes, and run in very hot temperatures...These key ingredients would help prepare us for the 2011 Gore-Tex TransRockies Run. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won't repeat myself too much here since I wrote about my running in the </span><a href="http://x-cphil.blogspot.com/2011/08/running-highs.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">previous posts</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, but the combination of SLC/Park City for high altitude volume and Moab for heat was almost perfect. Temperatures never dipped below 30C+, reaching highs of 38C! And the running...well...two words: simply. fantastic.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to Leadville, CO - Home of the Leadville 100</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Leadville 100 Recap:</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an experience! After 2 weeks on the road, the final prep for TransRockies couldn't have been more perfect than to pace for Ryan. I was so dialed up for this event that I actually put more focus on being 'fit' to pace Ryan than for TransRockies - funny. Of course, by the time I picked up Ryan, he had about 100km more running in his legs than me...so needless to say that the pace would be manageable.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9LDs-3ZEIoDVtfbWsNp6b7clPIqPPGCQ9wLP7HMt1Bu_tAwIAD8xaBzPhRcRnve7pNLWT08twOz5wpOJIeOnygAIu0m0-U9O5f1UAUUNObWEOiz2lrUaPsEYfunykVIEHio24bzIL5U/s1600/IMG_3646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9LDs-3ZEIoDVtfbWsNp6b7clPIqPPGCQ9wLP7HMt1Bu_tAwIAD8xaBzPhRcRnve7pNLWT08twOz5wpOJIeOnygAIu0m0-U9O5f1UAUUNObWEOiz2lrUaPsEYfunykVIEHio24bzIL5U/s320/IMG_3646.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heading out to the Fish Hatchery @ 7am to join Vanessa (Ryan's girlfriend aka crew chief)</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since most of us (Martin, Anna and I) were running in the TransRockies Run the following day, we slept in a bit, and skipped out on the 4am start, and joined the support crew at 7am as Ryan reached the Fish Hatchery...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't long before the front runners were rounding the corner, Ryan was sitting 5th, and in the mix! In he came, out he went... We packed up and headed to Twin Lakes for the next CP... <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tnuh4CoIfIeFwO8jwtavTQ94thWQaentK1YnXnaFba39c6O0kulWAQI5etzMt3u8EhARNC-N5y7QQJTBPnDGl7uKKcgZuiPpApuczwTZPHB_UwcPn8dHxlQGnF8fDdsbEPgVF8DE-KM/s1600/IMG_3655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tnuh4CoIfIeFwO8jwtavTQ94thWQaentK1YnXnaFba39c6O0kulWAQI5etzMt3u8EhARNC-N5y7QQJTBPnDGl7uKKcgZuiPpApuczwTZPHB_UwcPn8dHxlQGnF8fDdsbEPgVF8DE-KM/s320/IMG_3655.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming down the trail into Twin Lakes CP... still sitting 5th overall</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In he came... out he went... although he did mention something about his quads being a bit sore - no shit buddy - you've been running almost 65km! Hope Pass (take 1) was on tap... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the ghost town of Winfield we waited...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Runner!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Holy Shit!!" A surge of adrenaline burst through my body as I spotted Ryan's white Exo kit bounding down the road..."Wow!" At 80km, he was in the lead, had taken control of the race and was moving well... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna (Frost) was ready to go for her 'mule' duties. At Leadville, pacers are allowed to carry "everything except the runner"... so all the water, food, gear would be handled by the pacers from now on...Being one of the best hill climbers in the business, Anna was eager to mentally 'drag' Ryan back up the 3,600m high Hope Pass for his second time that day. And did she ever...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the flip side I eagerly waited for my turn... I loaded up with gels, bars, random snacks, water (for him) and more water (for me!). Off we went... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For much of the 25km, I did my best to keep Ryan as alert and focused as possible...He was tired and running all over the place, so my job was to maximize his efficiency on the trail. Everything from breathing, keeping the chest up, relaxing the shoulders/arms, to eating/drinking regularly... cue words were thrown out every few minutes...if you had been standing on the sidelines, you would have said: "man, that guy is annoying... Shut the hell up already!". I even asked him at one point what he was listening to music wise (he had his earphones on) "I'm listening to you...". "Oh...OK...You can listen to music if I'm too annoying or talking too much you know". "No, no... keep going...it's good".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I kept talking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My 25km section flew by... we covered it in 2h25min or so...give or take. He was on pace for 16h...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNpBupLNAyJADoE4nT5ITLGMyjT5LW9SPh7tcwXuH_wwDuEz0DVYPP8PDWcLgyW_VgwR3YI1yAOYouFsYzFBb2jy4wZBgpPkkpnGBLMEf8bMSPkWiZLvEdtU8ooxZAbhFw0H_FkUtySI/s1600/IMG_3670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNpBupLNAyJADoE4nT5ITLGMyjT5LW9SPh7tcwXuH_wwDuEz0DVYPP8PDWcLgyW_VgwR3YI1yAOYouFsYzFBb2jy4wZBgpPkkpnGBLMEf8bMSPkWiZLvEdtU8ooxZAbhFw0H_FkUtySI/s320/IMG_3670.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Salomon Rigs waiting for Ryan at the 150km mark...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had done my job, now it was Adam and Josh's turn... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The waiting was painful...Standing at the finish line staring in the distance, waiting to spot Ryan and Josh's headlamps...yet nobody was coming. "Where are they?" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time was ticking...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the finish line...30min before Ryan arrived! </span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then 2 little flickers of light appeared in the distance...Next thing we knew, Ryan was bounding down the street, steps away from posting the 3rd fastest time in Leadville Trail 100 history: 16h47min... Wow. What a day! What an experience to be part of...It was truly an honour and privilege to have been part of such a special event, with a great crew of runners - thanks team! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>TransRockies Run</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, after a long day and night of quiet celebration, it was back to business... this time for myself - gulp! As much as I had told myself I was going to take it 'mellow' this year, my competitive drive was on overdrive after a great 2 weeks of running. I was tired, yes. But the desire to do well is a tad hard to ignore...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Aside from a few post-beer-pizza-celebration-stomach-issue-pitstops along way, stage 1 ended up ok...All the heat training we had done came in handy as the 35km BV to Railroad Bridge leg is always a hot one! But I should have practiced running with lots of beer and pizza in my belly - might have come in handy!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, these aren't prison buses - Heading out to my favorite, stage 2 up Hope Pass!</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stage 2 has always been a favourite of mine, and so I was putting all the chips down on this one... The grind up to the top was as painful as ever, but a steady rhythm set with my poles had me top the summit with the lead solo runner (Justin Ricks) and after a fast run down the steep slopes, I bottomed out in first, with 5km of rolling singletrack flats to go...<br />
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But there was nothing to hold back a hard charging JR... with a 2:20 marathon under his name, even if I had gained another km on him at the bottom of the descent, I would have been hard pressed to keep the lead... so I (happily) settled for a 2nd place on the stage, a good 2min faster than my time last year, and moving up into 2nd overall in the solo standings by a very slim 10sec margin!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite 3 good days of running in my legs, I managed to extend the lead over the course of the 39km stage 3 by using Rickey/Anna (Open Mix Team) to pace me in the first half (and help ward off the previous night's excessive 'consumption' in my system!!) and then put it in overdrive in the second half to solidify my overall standing...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all... a fantastic week of running, shared with like minded friends... How can you not have fun at an 'all-inclusive trail running camp'? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See you next year TransRockies!</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smokey the Bear... ripping it up in Red Cliff for stage 4!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No visit to Denver is complete without a stop at Outdoor World's weapon section!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Your wife called... She said you can buy whichever gun you want!" </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUdyEQaIW4ZP9qp2p38fWhe_4B_Dmhbc5Iw6FCdpPXbZHz-COjQwMLCTLbTYvlqvpHPiGrSJ6uQ6A-siqUo3Zk1I0GGn-13fDDuNufqbYcMVumQHKKiI99sF-tfZg8vt4qjNunuzX-HI/s1600/IMG_3786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUdyEQaIW4ZP9qp2p38fWhe_4B_Dmhbc5Iw6FCdpPXbZHz-COjQwMLCTLbTYvlqvpHPiGrSJ6uQ6A-siqUo3Zk1I0GGn-13fDDuNufqbYcMVumQHKKiI99sF-tfZg8vt4qjNunuzX-HI/s320/IMG_3786.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The long drive home... Wind farm heading up to Judith's Gap, Montana.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-81935799716714109382011-08-19T13:28:00.000-07:002011-08-19T13:28:30.755-07:00Running Highs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5TSvxF74QgRMPBghjSpMEpApkCaKLQjJiXuZYdq8gbR4UTYNVSKxlAMmfjuG4hzW_POtk2dTZmDWhNWKd3dO7vRBL5q0NbnSiwIqERZJp7GMpNet0iLYjC4xJuYh6vrEpVqOiaRs_1c/s1600/IMG_3617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5TSvxF74QgRMPBghjSpMEpApkCaKLQjJiXuZYdq8gbR4UTYNVSKxlAMmfjuG4hzW_POtk2dTZmDWhNWKd3dO7vRBL5q0NbnSiwIqERZJp7GMpNet0iLYjC4xJuYh6vrEpVqOiaRs_1c/s320/IMG_3617.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a while since I’ve felt good on the trails...It’s a nice feeling-<br />
<br />
The urge to jump in the truck and hit the road to find and explore new trails came just at the right time, as my body was finally ready <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to crank up the volume a bit, and (allowed me to) squeeze in a much needed 4-day training block before tackling my 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>Gore-Tex TransRockies Run.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lgmFxHL0LbGrsfBYrrasFM3Wp6CyUX3ejdhBAntbZoLrkr-5OsjsvJSZtp0LJsMU0YsLnM-rJp_-YQRYLlTKXzz0rt_Zl6TOdN7ktKPxV0Sfo5PHNxkgVvg6jeVF1WCxWZTM35YoBcw/s1600/IMG_3530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lgmFxHL0LbGrsfBYrrasFM3Wp6CyUX3ejdhBAntbZoLrkr-5OsjsvJSZtp0LJsMU0YsLnM-rJp_-YQRYLlTKXzz0rt_Zl6TOdN7ktKPxV0Sfo5PHNxkgVvg6jeVF1WCxWZTM35YoBcw/s320/IMG_3530.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moab Heat: Running the Porcupine Rim Trail</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For years I used to sit down with my coach every spring to plan out the coming year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day, week, month and even coming years were planned – And I enjoyed every bit of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, taking the time to write a plan is more/less chalked up as a ‘chore’ and usually involves a late night glass of scotch and some good tunes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More often than not, I end up wingin’ it – regardless of whether it works or not - it seems a bit more fun this way.<br />
<br />
TransRockies will be interesting this year... An injury plagued summer isn’t the best for building fitness, so I decided a long time ago that if I did compete, the TR Run 3 (3-day solo event) would be my pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as performance objectives go, I think I’ll adopt a Tour de France strategy (no, not doping!) and focus on doing well on one stage instead of going for the overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the big picture, I’m just psyched to run the event again...the atmosphere, the social interaction and overall quality of the event always makes for a memorable week –besides, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>isn’t that why we run?<br />
<br />
Back to Leadville...</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCbuv3N5XAT9CtZjVAFsJdlN_sfbukgUxzQeDSxb05eQ3bbrAqdjseiHwU-SSoTJTnI-UzhuEffWya68s3LtiKgiLDdH80EU4S5YkqT2xMZZSHJgs50ZmeN3NufBnuf8bRa_gjQAk9ck/s1600/IMG_3641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCbuv3N5XAT9CtZjVAFsJdlN_sfbukgUxzQeDSxb05eQ3bbrAqdjseiHwU-SSoTJTnI-UzhuEffWya68s3LtiKgiLDdH80EU4S5YkqT2xMZZSHJgs50ZmeN3NufBnuf8bRa_gjQAk9ck/s320/IMG_3641.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One look at my truck and they let me use the front door...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHGeTlH0Dt6MoqH7NIonYgQ6Q0eqdz09id71pggv8zTf2Flhz6Og8uxyZBW0GXpn4xpP7Q7A2T3XlNLxvxlj8I_QbelNyC0v8SD9_G60Dkjj1Wo9PxhZ6GQVPKEq561cWGAina57wAdQ/s1600/IMG_3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHGeTlH0Dt6MoqH7NIonYgQ6Q0eqdz09id71pggv8zTf2Flhz6Og8uxyZBW0GXpn4xpP7Q7A2T3XlNLxvxlj8I_QbelNyC0v8SD9_G60Dkjj1Wo9PxhZ6GQVPKEq561cWGAina57wAdQ/s320/IMG_3642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep, that's right... we live next to the blue building</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But between now and Sunday’s stage 1 there’s another task on the menu, and that includes pacing duties for Ryan ‘the Sandman’ Sandes, who will be taking on the Leadville Trail 100!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be joining Anna, Josh and Adam as part of the crew that will help Ryan cover the return second half (50miles/80km) back to Leadville. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been psyched to pace for Ryan ever since he asked me back in early July... at the time, my season was a wash and I was just happy to have a goal for the upcoming months. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now the time has come –I’m psyched!<br />
<br />
The Leadville course as a whole isn’t all that interesting or difficult for that matter (at least to a wanna-be ultra runner like me), but what makes Leadville ‘interesting’ is that its course’s average altitude is well over the 3,000m (10,000ft) mark!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me put it this way...Leadville itself sits at a whopping 3,100m and the course only goes up from here – Not a popular event for asthmatics!<br />
<br />
Aside from moving here (like Ryan did for the past 6wks), the best one can do to prepare for this altitude is to give your body a few shots of the thin stuff every few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for the past 2 weeks, my roadie crew and I have not only been logging in big runs, but we’ve been creeping higher and higher whenever we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of these runs included a 35km run on the Wasatch Crew Trail, which averaged 2,750m over 3.5hrs – topping the 2,940m mark at its highest.<br />
<br />
Having arrived onsite a few days ago, I thought I’d do a few short pickups to see how the body would react to the altitude...A short ladder-type workout consisting of: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10sec, 30sec, 1min, 1.5min, 1min, 30sec, 10sec is all I needed to find out that yep, the air is in fact thinner up here.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br />
</span>If all goes well, Ryan will be back in Leadville in/around the 17hr mark (give or take) – Can’t wait to follow the action and see how his day unfolds!<br />
<br />
Regardless of the outcome here in Leadville, there will be no celebrating for us as we’re requested on the start line in nearby Buena Vista for the start of TransRockies Run stage 1...a normally hot 35km run in BV’s desert-like micro-climate... Let’s hope those 38C training runs in Moab pay off!<br />
<br />
Let the good times roll!</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, it reads 38C!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXOqIrd0_zjqAo3H5hfhhN0Dx3vz2BqIUDkFzgeLyUNYm9TXpwaHk1W0hYqyxpIN-7Vy64Mb7EWqXrsVwhXAFHFjbpBOQrd5DL4r3q4hc-UbhoAG-5S2Eujm47IaavQTqmhLZc0rt8Jg/s1600/IMG_3592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXOqIrd0_zjqAo3H5hfhhN0Dx3vz2BqIUDkFzgeLyUNYm9TXpwaHk1W0hYqyxpIN-7Vy64Mb7EWqXrsVwhXAFHFjbpBOQrd5DL4r3q4hc-UbhoAG-5S2Eujm47IaavQTqmhLZc0rt8Jg/s320/IMG_3592.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicate Art...uh, I mean Arch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWu6Z72kz2_SPMZ9HjxyEaE53TW_YSAAHCr_JH24dpw6ylhyphenhyphenVFsl8RDa0wcfMN1ae3OOpm0Patg7mgYw-oQyDDVzZj22F9friu4gkB0lsmQdn88zPotG3-1eHqfsy6B9EPOvA8Ijez3Ps/s1600/IMG_3590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWu6Z72kz2_SPMZ9HjxyEaE53TW_YSAAHCr_JH24dpw6ylhyphenhyphenVFsl8RDa0wcfMN1ae3OOpm0Patg7mgYw-oQyDDVzZj22F9friu4gkB0lsmQdn88zPotG3-1eHqfsy6B9EPOvA8Ijez3Ps/s320/IMG_3590.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you say tourist trap?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMiH57ystXWb8-tGmVfGJpKDUy0_y8zXjGjK4WzAR9NnTlu1QROLzbVyYTL5hkF7rDadLL1R4pNMSfkN08WqMOGE3nbixMF85HQtoutqcGaVe4QuPiC_TiGr2Dyt6cxvaLHnqMaz463M/s1600/IMG_3589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMiH57ystXWb8-tGmVfGJpKDUy0_y8zXjGjK4WzAR9NnTlu1QROLzbVyYTL5hkF7rDadLL1R4pNMSfkN08WqMOGE3nbixMF85HQtoutqcGaVe4QuPiC_TiGr2Dyt6cxvaLHnqMaz463M/s320/IMG_3589.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balancing Rock in my rearview</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D-mqNjD1Pb0M8cxeZIq9SnBJZz-K6biw8pO4uECWsPNnhWA2r244NNTyrN-Ul551MolfCFoKwPvKAEajPVJZCcWIG4gliWVRzNwXYPSfkkgLEZWnAnXg2Sn6iAUk59xmmPpg7pP48k4/s1600/patron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D-mqNjD1Pb0M8cxeZIq9SnBJZz-K6biw8pO4uECWsPNnhWA2r244NNTyrN-Ul551MolfCFoKwPvKAEajPVJZCcWIG4gliWVRzNwXYPSfkkgLEZWnAnXg2Sn6iAUk59xmmPpg7pP48k4/s320/patron.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why bother with a sauna, when you get get the real thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-14126976008439195142011-08-13T22:19:00.000-07:002011-08-13T22:24:36.878-07:00The Little Things...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvLpwpBp69UjrJrbwumex-9zPJOnmMN5cVcVZK7u7FqdZ5kt3R8pwyee2jAxcK7g-ev5p4jCcAfEOd7zNsgzSMukWKyp56vVwhtM32TLNokN-bmnQsXDV0tv4MTo5TmdKcDxSKyrpkzw/s1600/IMG_3399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvLpwpBp69UjrJrbwumex-9zPJOnmMN5cVcVZK7u7FqdZ5kt3R8pwyee2jAxcK7g-ev5p4jCcAfEOd7zNsgzSMukWKyp56vVwhtM32TLNokN-bmnQsXDV0tv4MTo5TmdKcDxSKyrpkzw/s320/IMG_3399.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's funny how the simplest of things can make you happy.<br />
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I lost my big toe nail the other day...it made me feel like a runner again. </span> </span></span></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb8UPJzcSC4BOihFtAukCYTJsJ3g53drt_dzr4D81feBvOXHEcmps5fsRPqm3PvbbzQHWiBGKHL3rONV2hbjTFIHqAzTFRY4DktUZN-F1gjRQkVrejyXd5oe_zSu9kHieCa5CHzOnvg8/s1600/IMG_3415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb8UPJzcSC4BOihFtAukCYTJsJ3g53drt_dzr4D81feBvOXHEcmps5fsRPqm3PvbbzQHWiBGKHL3rONV2hbjTFIHqAzTFRY4DktUZN-F1gjRQkVrejyXd5oe_zSu9kHieCa5CHzOnvg8/s320/IMG_3415.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know you're a runner when...</span><br />
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<div align="left"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's been a bit of an odd summer...'odd' in a sense that I've probably done the least amount of running (due to injury) in a long time. Actually... scratch that - it's been just plain frustrating.<br />
<br />
Summer has always been a bit more relaxed work wise, a time to recharge before tackling the busy fall/winter/spring seasons. In a sense, running is one of those 'things' that re-energizes me. It's like pressing the 'reset' button - letting me start fresh again. Of course, running just for the sake of running doesn't really do it all the time, I'm talking about those moments you have where you can simply let everything go, take a breath, look around...and smile. <br />
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-sigh-</span></span></span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFdQ3QhyphenhyphenBfVGvD0rYfn4SKjd9Ia7EMFSjkgyYHeqTeDLv2BWNb9lHQrJut4ID6K1e8eGsXvNwV5NxjUUGpl8HbefVKteDdIPeNUAEvGnJn8vmSlZ5nzBreewVjynvKHjy-wWZLktOrWM/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFdQ3QhyphenhyphenBfVGvD0rYfn4SKjd9Ia7EMFSjkgyYHeqTeDLv2BWNb9lHQrJut4ID6K1e8eGsXvNwV5NxjUUGpl8HbefVKteDdIPeNUAEvGnJn8vmSlZ5nzBreewVjynvKHjy-wWZLktOrWM/s320/IMG_3437.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red Devil aka 'the spine'... bringing you up to 2,900m!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbr6wirIR_te92sYucoVa3O6fw_CnL-ygLVGGn8I-V6UjVmYoRLANZKvFokqR_96vmvF7lnnyN7ZctgLb6tI5Q-Oji2pKynKkyXQgzpx8bwCMDUhZOGX3XOPGLupElD67UE2syv_CuygQ/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbr6wirIR_te92sYucoVa3O6fw_CnL-ygLVGGn8I-V6UjVmYoRLANZKvFokqR_96vmvF7lnnyN7ZctgLb6tI5Q-Oji2pKynKkyXQgzpx8bwCMDUhZOGX3XOPGLupElD67UE2syv_CuygQ/s320/IMG_3436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wasatch Crest Trail - Cruisin' the red dirt...bliss.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFdGRoiQ8_kdYcAz9djH4fQulT-OrR4lRWQIKqNW6ddMiVjK7ucG1Tg5exwPN5DcUxmJoDGaYvfUBg0T3fkk8AV7FZd1X4EbW026urrP7Em3zcyvGkSFT9ZAxIYIMPM9t0xSYuM7CQm8/s1600/IMG_3435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFdGRoiQ8_kdYcAz9djH4fQulT-OrR4lRWQIKqNW6ddMiVjK7ucG1Tg5exwPN5DcUxmJoDGaYvfUBg0T3fkk8AV7FZd1X4EbW026urrP7Em3zcyvGkSFT9ZAxIYIMPM9t0xSYuM7CQm8/s320/IMG_3435.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wasatch Crew Trail - Been There...</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Earth to Phil...<br />
<br />
Since I haven't been able to run much, I've actually spent a bit more time on my road bike - it doesn't quite give me that same sense of satisfaction that a run does, but in the right environment, it comes pretty damn close.</span> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVFE_OFfsC6QDCMWeTvCfIde4J1we6YZJkcfU_7yKn2Xx2QptKrkPcvANnx-VybBhPdMr9aKhHlm9wXKFLL-4Hv8oQ9XEp9Xq6xgwmRypEqoD_cvBmpLXVzgvHNlQ1GY_uL3od9DkljA/s1600/IMG_3476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVFE_OFfsC6QDCMWeTvCfIde4J1we6YZJkcfU_7yKn2Xx2QptKrkPcvANnx-VybBhPdMr9aKhHlm9wXKFLL-4Hv8oQ9XEp9Xq6xgwmRypEqoD_cvBmpLXVzgvHNlQ1GY_uL3od9DkljA/s320/IMG_3476.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lovin' the road bike - Always gets me to the end of some random road</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after 11wks of so-so therapy, trying my best to stay put (NOT and easy task!) so I can get my team to work on me on a regular basis, I've finally reached a stage where I can run 1, 2...maybe 3 days in a row of varying distance. Slide in a road bike ride here and there to switch things up, add in tons and tons of stretching...et voila - PV is back on the trails! At least for now...</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I've been doing lots of this...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_M8-mmQ27Be_B4-HuHOuJ4KTClI0KU9wDlPvmgrpPBBGygQIR9sqSDhpllQWEKWl3ktW6gM59-4aeef7rDKffLxfWnzY4ciMdP2hyphenhyphen3k-2FzVArsFvHWarr5INl-KLmSkiuU6YBmZpMo/s1600/IMG_3475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_M8-mmQ27Be_B4-HuHOuJ4KTClI0KU9wDlPvmgrpPBBGygQIR9sqSDhpllQWEKWl3ktW6gM59-4aeef7rDKffLxfWnzY4ciMdP2hyphenhyphen3k-2FzVArsFvHWarr5INl-KLmSkiuU6YBmZpMo/s320/IMG_3475.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And just when I think that things are going well... I inevitably do a bit of this!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BTW, a big UPs to my 'team' for putting the broken bits back together... (Scott @ </span></em><a href="http://www.activemotionphysio.ca/"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ActiveMotion</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Torben @ </span></em><a href="http://www.activeedgechiro.com/"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Active Edge Chiro</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Vanessa @ </span></em><a href="http://www.backatitmassage.com/"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back at It Massage</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and Missy/Heather @ </span></em><a href="http://www.refocuspilates.ca/index.html"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Re:Focus Pilates</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Thx!<br />
<br />
</span></em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what next...? Well, with the tiniest window of opportunity open (it doesn't take me much ;), I decided to enter myself for my 5th TransRockies Run! And since I had done more or less NOTHING to get ready for TRR, I found just the right solution to whip me into shape...I'm talking about a (training) road trip of course! </span> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX7Jp8WBeDUmU4GRPc4H1bbwHjrw1HSB-vUuoB5nWdJkePudogCGSV3r4XQW-fk4MDUAPTAY0qldD4ES0BObx8n2kxwU2R8SAjuS3Sllh_6GMjZ744RBthG1W6frohyphenhyphenhxTL2_VbgPzzU/s1600/IMG_3344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX7Jp8WBeDUmU4GRPc4H1bbwHjrw1HSB-vUuoB5nWdJkePudogCGSV3r4XQW-fk4MDUAPTAY0qldD4ES0BObx8n2kxwU2R8SAjuS3Sllh_6GMjZ744RBthG1W6frohyphenhyphenhxTL2_VbgPzzU/s320/IMG_3344.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">ROOOAAADDDD TRRRRRIPPPPP!</span><br />
<br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the beauties of having a mobile 'office' is that I can do a lot of my work on the road... so I packed up all my pens, added a few sheets of white paper, grabbed my (red) stapler, my rolodex and along the way picked up a crazy Frenchman who was looking for a ride down to Salt Lake City to unload a few thousand </span><a href="http://goodpeoplerun.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">GoodPeopleRun</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> stickers-<br />
<br />
SLC? Sure, why not...</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not that I needed an excuse to leave town again, but with TransRockies Run looming only 2 weeks away, I figured I could use an extra week or so of touring the extensive trail systems in Utah/Colorado to log some km's and get used to the thin air before the big show. <br />
<br />
Salt Lake City... Park City....check.</span> </span></span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTmEH7sHVxNDS8mw-ADINLFE0pQ_F0xKi8127MnB1RpGRPosocUn4TplLgPRGBx9Qlc4fkgyD5AcHPkhGJoIL7ScRW7XEEAvO6wog9E5yu-p-BoJlCdYncLnRRcRfF_kxP_oEmfKvR4A/s1600/IMG_3455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTmEH7sHVxNDS8mw-ADINLFE0pQ_F0xKi8127MnB1RpGRPosocUn4TplLgPRGBx9Qlc4fkgyD5AcHPkhGJoIL7ScRW7XEEAvO6wog9E5yu-p-BoJlCdYncLnRRcRfF_kxP_oEmfKvR4A/s320/IMG_3455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park City - Mid Mountain Trail - It's hard to turn around when you have this around every bend...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uwosnda-T4Pxsx-cgjCEgEnL1TOZCTS12sQnzsbL1elaeDrgXMX80ER1wwj_DgzYLZIMfgupjZuOJHEXIM7B8ZAV0U87981hsj8LaRJvCXm1Jw3hmMGTtdmbUMT23mseII4gyHjPaLc/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uwosnda-T4Pxsx-cgjCEgEnL1TOZCTS12sQnzsbL1elaeDrgXMX80ER1wwj_DgzYLZIMfgupjZuOJHEXIM7B8ZAV0U87981hsj8LaRJvCXm1Jw3hmMGTtdmbUMT23mseII4gyHjPaLc/s320/IMG_3456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park City - Mid Mountain Trail - View of PC Mtn Resort...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjYx2-uKnJL_aFif1rblc3y5rsx4w6p6DeHSohfd2B3zfqfLMrdQ7eDKXJ3D7vZV8R12b9kjnUZmtAnDiTc23W35xxcCluAfgbZ0pb9a3kQtFru7iJeOaorzWpFSrPU3RtgiKCt8fo6g/s1600/IMG_3414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjYx2-uKnJL_aFif1rblc3y5rsx4w6p6DeHSohfd2B3zfqfLMrdQ7eDKXJ3D7vZV8R12b9kjnUZmtAnDiTc23W35xxcCluAfgbZ0pb9a3kQtFru7iJeOaorzWpFSrPU3RtgiKCt8fo6g/s320/IMG_3414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLC was hot... I would have needed 6 of these things blowing 24hrs a day!</td></tr>
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<br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Next stop? I'll tell you in a few days!</span></span></span></div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-69053776858598815422011-06-14T19:51:00.000-07:002011-06-14T19:54:26.372-07:00Spotted Along the Way...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8s9XVnRXqy2nh5sW4ccIjwg0ZRC9_oqraQ1rwW91-Rt9bTbsmbbOdLRo4bFfXyyNt-_7_SAqJeYD1XtS6HntYuPDHphVkpk2BDmDJEdwTg7P4lPLGcTAXBRtajv1dCH-KokDmdwDhrQ/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8s9XVnRXqy2nh5sW4ccIjwg0ZRC9_oqraQ1rwW91-Rt9bTbsmbbOdLRo4bFfXyyNt-_7_SAqJeYD1XtS6HntYuPDHphVkpk2BDmDJEdwTg7P4lPLGcTAXBRtajv1dCH-KokDmdwDhrQ/s400/IMG_2796.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Late night show in Salmon Arm, BC - On my way back from Whistler...one of my many drive-through-the-night-to-sleep-in-my-own-bed missions!</span></td></tr>
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My coffee is cold again.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-sigh-<br />
<br />
People often comment on the fact that I drink a lot of coffee. In reality, once I sit down at my desk I get so distracted with work, phone calls, etc...that my coffee gets cold before I can finish drinking it. So instead of wasting a 3/4 full cup of Joe (and as taboo as it may seem, for all you coffee snobs), I simply warm it back up with my Espresso steamer and voila! </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love this ritual of</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em>feeling</em> the warmth of my coffee.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My running is on 'pause' these days - The physio called it a clear case of the "burning-the-candle-at-both-ends-anitis"... I didn't disagree. Lucky for me, I can still ride...and so, except for a couple of painful sessions on the Pan Pacific hotel StairMaster machine, I've been hitting the road like a true wannabe pro...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday morning, I took advantage of the nice weather to ride with my <a href="http://www.salomonflightcrew.com/"><strong>Flight Crew</strong></a> teammates, <a href="http://found.rumoncarter.com/"><strong>Rumon</strong></a> and <a href="http://whistlerrunner.blogspot.com/"><strong>Munny</strong></a>. It was my first time exploring the Squamish Valley Rd, a quiet stretch of asphalt that meanders its way NW just outside Squamish, BC. With barely any traffic to worry about, we were able to ride side by side most of the way, chatting about life, laughing uncontrollably (most of time at Munny - sorry buddy!), you name it...all while cruising at steady 35km/h. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What better way to connect and get to know your friends...The best of both worlds!<br />
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My weekend in Whistler capped a great (work) week in Vancouver with the sales & mgmt teams - Product-wise, I'm excited about what's coming down the pipe...(sorry, no shop talk today) and psyched to work with group of individuals that are passionate about trail running. It makes all the travel and little 'PV-time' detours worth it. Sure I could have flown in/out of YVR and make it a quick 4-day trip...Instead, I decided to drive the distance and extend the trip to hang with friends. In a way, time on the road is quite similar to time on the trail...it allows me to think, to scheme, to analyse, to remember, to blank out, or to simply look around at the landscape... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The normally 10hr drive back to Canmore went by in flash...just like the road ride with the boys. Loved it.<br />
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And since I started things off with a great sunset from Salmon Arm, I thought I'd keep going on the 'hippy-moments' theme, all spotted <em>along the way</em>...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHq6ho96bi7uzZOWLmuFITmqzCjqtluuZSW2__jK_BSgewMk-dVXt_Y-xry7UkSRgIpbR7_y38-aVaZGMwzyvtlV3uKjT7FNB3RxJfFltxA1bI2JvE6jjPD59U0EQ-Ix0YgYY_7O4pTk/s1600/IMG_2700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHq6ho96bi7uzZOWLmuFITmqzCjqtluuZSW2__jK_BSgewMk-dVXt_Y-xry7UkSRgIpbR7_y38-aVaZGMwzyvtlV3uKjT7FNB3RxJfFltxA1bI2JvE6jjPD59U0EQ-Ix0YgYY_7O4pTk/s400/IMG_2700.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Split skies: This is quite typical of Canmore. You can usually see the storm coming from far away...makes for nice pictures if you can catch them, or makes you move faster if you're on the bike!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_KwkW0Br0X1l_rlqtHIIZOVRZ43_3u9662k0d27nTzfMgWs0V7411Pv1LWFw2MXr6H77BUrqmIB41i_UeiKihuRciPsWq8SZqcMVJITjGFptXQ4i5iKpnOHZbkiCPfOZ5kO1L9z8q04/s1600/IMG_2407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_KwkW0Br0X1l_rlqtHIIZOVRZ43_3u9662k0d27nTzfMgWs0V7411Pv1LWFw2MXr6H77BUrqmIB41i_UeiKihuRciPsWq8SZqcMVJITjGFptXQ4i5iKpnOHZbkiCPfOZ5kO1L9z8q04/s400/IMG_2407.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just another snowy day in Canmore: This also became a normal occurrence this winter/spring...Caught a peek of Ha Ling through one my many spring blizzard runs!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf9ld_aMsi5ns7aK6N0CltjcHVrM7lNNwURVjSA0b5mUKfSPJFiFO_m7-8rRIOQWRCpggVxVMK2ssL6c6EZCzf38Xv4cRk5xonuZribYFENSCur7A_RWOtvrLAgEbivGjrURx7IJ1wS4/s1600/070620091565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf9ld_aMsi5ns7aK6N0CltjcHVrM7lNNwURVjSA0b5mUKfSPJFiFO_m7-8rRIOQWRCpggVxVMK2ssL6c6EZCzf38Xv4cRk5xonuZribYFENSCur7A_RWOtvrLAgEbivGjrURx7IJ1wS4/s400/070620091565.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rundle Range: I always love popping out onto the 'mine scar'...Look left, it's a crisp and clear view of the mountains...look right, and there's are snow flurries dusting the peaks!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Shg31zooDaQj_VxsHcrcjxdJ15z3s3oya-RlacyO5SouhXzJkq93Ywbq5VDrCjPqB5DkF9LxYDeh076qX3lykH2r32G2HSyzslb8hNAZGVoQk0Swm01QAI8pfMLTbLEMwZvgSU-xLEg/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Shg31zooDaQj_VxsHcrcjxdJ15z3s3oya-RlacyO5SouhXzJkq93Ywbq5VDrCjPqB5DkF9LxYDeh076qX3lykH2r32G2HSyzslb8hNAZGVoQk0Swm01QAI8pfMLTbLEMwZvgSU-xLEg/s400/IMG_1107.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early morning cloud: I posted this photo a while back but it still brings back great memories...I think I was chasing/looking for some friends I said I would meet for a run...I missed them because I was late. But once I topped out above the fog, I didn't regret being alone...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-55795375029487671932011-05-20T15:37:00.000-07:002011-05-20T15:42:58.482-07:00Run, Pack, Drive...and Repeat!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWY3twIzRDONjGhseHjiRUHHszXxAPHm7xj91lxRHC3peu9u_PhLC0vCWSP9e5-LDinS7sVfN6lsIjWHde9pHghAL_FbSQoeB8avLk0TOD_mzZlQUeWsa5OODHGO6pdTCkDW9BMgdtWY/s1600/IMG_2698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWY3twIzRDONjGhseHjiRUHHszXxAPHm7xj91lxRHC3peu9u_PhLC0vCWSP9e5-LDinS7sVfN6lsIjWHde9pHghAL_FbSQoeB8avLk0TOD_mzZlQUeWsa5OODHGO6pdTCkDW9BMgdtWY/s400/IMG_2698.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back and forth I go - Seems like that feeling of sand in between my toes is just a distant memory now...<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>(Note: I started writing this post about a month ago...I finally have a <strong>few minutes</strong> to wrap it up)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April was a blur...again.<br />
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<strong>Advance Week Update</strong> - What a week! A day after I stepped off the plane from Maui, I jumped on another flight bound for the South of France to test gear along the Cote d'Azur's beautiful red rock coast! For the past few years, I've had the privilege of attending Salomon's Advance Week, where 'promo' guys like myself get to rub shoulders with some of the best trail/mountain runners in the world. Of course, being that Salomon is one big happy family, they go easy on us - and besides, someone has to slow down the pace! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZoTgSlDAdfR3HpdgPsfGO0Lh8BMaXFGu9h4ENDbhydd7F0KKdWOpFY4G8w7ZFaPpzcI76AkI91LUcR-gzWkq6Qrzsw2QylpeH3kWI2ZV0DvR1v6nmhzaJFPZU7U9oCzeeD0fmmo2_HA/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZoTgSlDAdfR3HpdgPsfGO0Lh8BMaXFGu9h4ENDbhydd7F0KKdWOpFY4G8w7ZFaPpzcI76AkI91LUcR-gzWkq6Qrzsw2QylpeH3kWI2ZV0DvR1v6nmhzaJFPZU7U9oCzeeD0fmmo2_HA/s400/35.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adam and I compare calf sizes as Nikos and Patrick talk shop</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt1cupqFI_kPd9VFfx37o9Pqoj2okWIg_ZqSfsHyP8H_3j7DMv_eaaaICnt0tDS5rUP7W6c0Hq7hgIaaCek1FQDV06W2QchGk1EOs66-JVDhRxekpGU5mdmVizyyOCoVpynsmpzWK6Po/s1600/Advweek11-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt1cupqFI_kPd9VFfx37o9Pqoj2okWIg_ZqSfsHyP8H_3j7DMv_eaaaICnt0tDS5rUP7W6c0Hq7hgIaaCek1FQDV06W2QchGk1EOs66-JVDhRxekpGU5mdmVizyyOCoVpynsmpzWK6Po/s400/Advweek11-07.jpg" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the spotlight: Providing a Salomon 'tip of the day'...or something like that</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main objective of the week is to give our 2-cents on the S-LAB (Salomon Laboratory) product line...Don't like the fit? the look? Is it too heavy? Good or bad, the footwear, apparel and bags R&D crews soak it all in, and tweek it as required to fit the 'racers' needs. It's not easy to compile and interpret all of our comments, but somehow they manage to put it all together and pump out some amazing pieces year after year. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2w9n2uKKqBlT80oSyXGCNl4_WbOK-1QJYWVY0UUTkeAwyftCvUwVntbo26hSGwq514dillATG49Dro8jxRpUuSiTcR-4VwHuefjZnP-P-zh-IIBGbC9KiAcp1ICn_5AIkfjGhg_j442E/s1600/DSCN0899%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2w9n2uKKqBlT80oSyXGCNl4_WbOK-1QJYWVY0UUTkeAwyftCvUwVntbo26hSGwq514dillATG49Dro8jxRpUuSiTcR-4VwHuefjZnP-P-zh-IIBGbC9KiAcp1ICn_5AIkfjGhg_j442E/s400/DSCN0899%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trying to look good for the camera after 40km of testing gear...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi1xjVTUgqTjhdQ-2HQ-OH0BtUM6PahzZzqrpbBFYLCe79oFNCcnaQ1Hg4koWN1ztdWpKhPKf2_34phc1WfOjy_MS2C3w0fNiEp07H0vz5KZ1ZGMMreFv3WjkIXRwrHAY5Bremsezago/s1600/Advweek11-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi1xjVTUgqTjhdQ-2HQ-OH0BtUM6PahzZzqrpbBFYLCe79oFNCcnaQ1Hg4koWN1ztdWpKhPKf2_34phc1WfOjy_MS2C3w0fNiEp07H0vz5KZ1ZGMMreFv3WjkIXRwrHAY5Bremsezago/s400/Advweek11-03.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having the same luggage as everyone else can sometimes be an issue...<br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after countless hours of going around and around some fantastic 'test' loops and trails, the team wrapped up the week with the </span><a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Signes,+France&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca:IE-Address&oe=&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Signes</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></strong><a href="http://signestrail.pagesperso-orange.fr/"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trail Race</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a knarly 2-day event that saw us run over some very steep and technical hills of the Provence region. While most of the pros ducked it out in the 45km + 45km event, I settled for the more reasonable 25km + 25km event (1,600m elev gain per race!), and with the temperature hovering around the 30C mark, I was glad I did! Once again, I was humbled by the terrain and level of difficulty of the race...simply fantastic! Some of the ridges and descents used were so wild and sketchy that you simply have to experience it to understand...I can only wish we had access to such 'race' terrain here in Canada - For now, I'm content to keep making the trip overseas ;)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofgeapaQFGzM5F2xocOQqoJbzGLklu-s_oye0ahVWW89QsfnhntGhsTid6pcq6cdRpZ-wVJDbC22m05FIvtdqAFmgaWekPsb9JV-Tv7AGuytiLwf7e39x03OrxWpBrm3iDRIDQV-Ri9E/s320/IMG_2547.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Signes Trail Race - The finish line was buzzing with happy runners and lots of bulls!</span></td></tr>
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<strong>Door2Trail Tour</strong> - Back in Canada, a quick load of laundry, and I was back on the road again, this time to promote Salomon's new <em><a href="http://www.salomonrunning.com/caus/minisites/xr/"><strong>XR Crossmax</strong></a></em>, a 'hybrid' trail running shoe that simply holds it's own on the road! With tight timelines, I drove my fully pimped out XR Crossmax rig through the night to meet the team (JP, MVB and Salomon teammates Munny and Jen Segger) and catch a 12noon ferry ride to Nanaimo! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufy-W7q6bCzhFUSJA2Mciqy2v7gEC0je0j-m_SStIN5ratVkeMa2CSqUqvNLAEPk5UunaVUycYa07FadLS1dgYKJ8dd8tX2uWZYmjAr8O8Ektko82q7ckpvB1YX36OFc5GYEo6-E2VDo/s1600/Themakingof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufy-W7q6bCzhFUSJA2Mciqy2v7gEC0je0j-m_SStIN5ratVkeMa2CSqUqvNLAEPk5UunaVUycYa07FadLS1dgYKJ8dd8tX2uWZYmjAr8O8Ektko82q7ckpvB1YX36OFc5GYEo6-E2VDo/s400/Themakingof.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The XR Crossmax Rig getting suited up!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg9kMX66y9B05pJ4F8Z_Q-nM3Ox5Jflr5C5Q0ub2GhjJaLl_VWJWLyeiosR1nTdIDqArJudjE1URZBprBlgB5-OR22ny5guKxSSzuscGO-HquzLt2nANi239X445hLeR9KV-Pnhw2SZg/s1600/XRSnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg9kMX66y9B05pJ4F8Z_Q-nM3Ox5Jflr5C5Q0ub2GhjJaLl_VWJWLyeiosR1nTdIDqArJudjE1URZBprBlgB5-OR22ny5guKxSSzuscGO-HquzLt2nANi239X445hLeR9KV-Pnhw2SZg/s400/XRSnow.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOT a happy moment...Snow in the forecast for the Kamloops stop - Turned out to be a very good turnout!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2wrZRkaVMjx-yHu1WMFKXRG5JQJVC9KwBao-kGxnqvI3C9Da6EQulwSBTmW1v7V-nL51nC8_sP3Xu2ZwA9QrOU2fQw2ppe6XPIM3H7DQxKvycTb6yX4r3p9QuR1imt7SSOQa9-PwFQU/s1600/XRback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2wrZRkaVMjx-yHu1WMFKXRG5JQJVC9KwBao-kGxnqvI3C9Da6EQulwSBTmW1v7V-nL51nC8_sP3Xu2ZwA9QrOU2fQw2ppe6XPIM3H7DQxKvycTb6yX4r3p9QuR1imt7SSOQa9-PwFQU/s400/XRback.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Door2Trail Tour setup - Not sure where this is anymore...too many stops to count!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wham Bam...setup/teardown...and onto the next stop we go! Tagging along for the ride, my partner-in-crime (Munny) and I cruised along on an easterly course making numerous 'Tour' pitstops along the way. In order to maintain some level of sanity, amidst our childish behaviour, we made sure to stop along the way to run and recharge on some of Canada's best trails. From Nanaimo to Vancouver to Kelowna to Kamloops to Calgary to Edmonton we drove...<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(<em>Where was I? ...And now back to present day!</em>)<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been on the road for 39 days now and honestly, I'm getting sick of hotel rooms and restaurant food, but most of all, I'm getting sick of running on the ROAD! Unfortunately, the XR Crossmax is an urban trail shoe, and so cities, pavement and small parks all go hand in hand. Ugh.<br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykxLt04NiPWgqF-LO1n8iLNKf15r_KhOiLec62JNCm9bg9VQwC3jo0h9lNogRnnrR36zCUdGJ-xgUO7HrM-kNiry7mNizX_0wa2cBTEMSxH1gWsb3CbogyEjt0YVh_M6GBxgalRGeRwE/s1600/MunnysCar+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykxLt04NiPWgqF-LO1n8iLNKf15r_KhOiLec62JNCm9bg9VQwC3jo0h9lNogRnnrR36zCUdGJ-xgUO7HrM-kNiry7mNizX_0wa2cBTEMSxH1gWsb3CbogyEjt0YVh_M6GBxgalRGeRwE/s400/MunnysCar+copy.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Munny's pimpin' Salomon ride - We had to cut the budget...so this is what he got to travel through the prairies!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Edmonton, we crammed the gear into Munny's new ride, and left him to fly solo across the prairies under the watchful eyes of DJ Freeze. A few weeks later (after I squeezed in a nordic biz trip to Austria and a few days at home), and feeling not nearly refreshed, I hooked back up with the Tour in Toronto, thankful to have the help of MVB, Holmesy and ultra specialist teammate, Ryan Barrett. Together we cruised around the GTA, showing off the colours in our new ride!<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another all nighter driving marathon and I found myself waking up with a sore back, drooling on the truck passenger seat in the Salomon Montreal office parking lot...<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rain clouds loomed ahead - 11 more days to go...</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-41358579343846834312011-04-18T23:55:00.000-07:002011-04-18T23:55:19.525-07:00Maui...After Dark!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAEMAZwRi81tW5wDpSIiWrY9AQRaLJnt-6tGEv1wZ25sYu-i7NlkETwqD2vhuRpckx2VpZbFA7BmYHtMYYhUBhnxkEagauFrKb9TlZJcZML0bcDqQDNexylfoYkX2W-t2Li7mlT4MgKw/s1600/Maui01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAEMAZwRi81tW5wDpSIiWrY9AQRaLJnt-6tGEv1wZ25sYu-i7NlkETwqD2vhuRpckx2VpZbFA7BmYHtMYYhUBhnxkEagauFrKb9TlZJcZML0bcDqQDNexylfoYkX2W-t2Li7mlT4MgKw/s320/Maui01.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />
<br />
As my eyes strained to read the terrain, all I could think of was: “Shit, this is not good...”<br />
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The end of ski season was 2-days past and I was already lying on the beach, in dire need of some waves and hammock time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The destination this year was set for Paia, a little town in Maui, HI, with close proximity to some great surfing, snorkelling, beaches and of course, trail running!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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With the trade winds pounding Maui’s North Shore, surfing conditions were a bit of a challenge, so after a long day filled with beach activities, I decided to head up to the Makawao Forest trails for an evening run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With about an hour worth of daylight left, I was eager to get going, rushing out of the house, I grabbed the essentials...shoes, drink, beta (map on iphone), light?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bah...won’t need it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a long twisty drive up to Makawao , I finally arrived at the park gate and set off on the short, steep run to the trailhead...Along the way I was ‘ran’ the math in my head:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s 6:15pm now...darkness is most likely around 7pm (give or take)...10km...”<br />
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I thought to myself:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“If I run it fast, I should be back in time before it gets too dark...”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Time was ticking, and daylight was fading...<br />
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The excitement of running in a tropical environment filled my lungs with energy – The forest was alive around me – The thick tree cover was barely letting any light through to the ground, so the trail at ground level was not only very wet and slippery, but also getting very dark! I dug my SpeedCross’ in the mucky red earth and poured on the tempo, making a race with the light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been a while since my last hard effort, so it felt great to go hard again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pushed harder as I climbed, one switchback after another...literally racing to get to the top before daylight disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEkf7_rgKJw2zOuWSKESXnQ51NPFViCHrsuz37tExXUy73tKtDb277sGAdgpZ9Fy5PnqNIBFvDWXQEb3qOedGZm4dy_yIYg6MAPR6_U6QR8j_OOhaJZM4UIVRU2xY7wrp12YotuA5kSk/s1600/Maui05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEkf7_rgKJw2zOuWSKESXnQ51NPFViCHrsuz37tExXUy73tKtDb277sGAdgpZ9Fy5PnqNIBFvDWXQEb3qOedGZm4dy_yIYg6MAPR6_U6QR8j_OOhaJZM4UIVRU2xY7wrp12YotuA5kSk/s320/Maui05.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXrG_Q0fm-OMbufU8kOjA5KTA1hazTIsleohJCARNc8KkM08puYFoyVPSDH9fDQWtcgGlKzjym8JLMayNEfcdReNc9i3JxaR_Tnk1WBuHNHQV3PCtxMfjXxN9g6njnVNuy-liIuBoSzk/s1600/Maui06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXrG_Q0fm-OMbufU8kOjA5KTA1hazTIsleohJCARNc8KkM08puYFoyVPSDH9fDQWtcgGlKzjym8JLMayNEfcdReNc9i3JxaR_Tnk1WBuHNHQV3PCtxMfjXxN9g6njnVNuy-liIuBoSzk/s320/Maui06.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Should I turn back now?” I asked myself... “Where is the top of this thing...I should turn around...”<br />
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I kept running.<br />
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Up and up I ran, faster and faster until I finally reached the highpoint – The lights of Kahului flickered in the distance – It was 6:45 and it was dark outside...not good.<br />
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At this point, It felt like I had run more than halfway around the loop, but without an accurate map, I wasn’t sure...Either way, I figured that I only had 4km left, and thought that completing the loop would be my best option – Off I went...<br />
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But reality quickly set is as I was immediately forced to slow down as darkness blinded me – My eyes strained to see the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to keep some type of speed, but after ‘soft’ rolling my ankle a few times, I had to back off again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sign appeared...I squinted a foot away from it to read it: “Road” this way, “West Trail” that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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My beta didn’t say anything about a ‘road’...What is this??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Stick with the plan Phil.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept going on the West trail as my info told me...As I continued to zig-zag my way down, I crossed the ‘Road’ again, and again, until I finally figured out that the road was cutting a straight line down the slope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“OK, why not!”<br />
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Down the road I ran, further and further down:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Where is this thing going?” I started asking myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point I even took out my phone to GPS my location...no reception, no help...argghhhh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visions of Survivorman began creeping into my brain. I pressed forward...<br />
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What if I have to stay out here? NO WAY I thought...I’d keep walking down, and eventually hit a road...but what of all those critters and bugs, and...Another sign appeared at my feet. This time, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to use my phone’s light to read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Road” this way (pointing back up the hill)... “West Trail” this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back on track.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Five minutes seemed like forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I eventually found my way back to the trailhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So happy...No sleeping with the spiders for this guy!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back down the hill I sprinted, guided only by the glow of the city lights, and in the safety of my rental car...<br />
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Lesson learned...when in doubt, bring a light!</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAn7s0vC3pPnsOAD_VvkleS_Ti9_s8jIIJDOik532HSnHAJAO7ZN9H_1tK0qYzgV3Lq2TaEquqbbzhAJ_Yv4wPD_MpLsJ2-uQJbTE73JdMukk4pPlb5-dnfmyUHisx-Sr8XXdt-jlJsk/s1600/Maui07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAn7s0vC3pPnsOAD_VvkleS_Ti9_s8jIIJDOik532HSnHAJAO7ZN9H_1tK0qYzgV3Lq2TaEquqbbzhAJ_Yv4wPD_MpLsJ2-uQJbTE73JdMukk4pPlb5-dnfmyUHisx-Sr8XXdt-jlJsk/s320/Maui07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random beach along the Hana Hwy - Beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlYqO1CTZBlN-3WpQrMyhPs_yybmA3YWHIkoGjz9vDtx17sFxSim-_rwlt9vkiwBKy2OA0uT7fOtDjTCBGoj0LMgp4rG3SIfV0P84RV4Z5AvxeTXKkXqZ7qUY2VdnMVdIeuIyO8oBAkM/s1600/Maui08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlYqO1CTZBlN-3WpQrMyhPs_yybmA3YWHIkoGjz9vDtx17sFxSim-_rwlt9vkiwBKy2OA0uT7fOtDjTCBGoj0LMgp4rG3SIfV0P84RV4Z5AvxeTXKkXqZ7qUY2VdnMVdIeuIyO8oBAkM/s320/Maui08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still posted on my fridge...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jB14cM_dD9rMhatx_tbO0oQUw_LmrQ-Bla2jYbccacBvUByXEXSyPcbaiblkKCB9IVv_9qC1_n8VBJT__hW7ifQK4VekRdG_uA-RyXJQ3tgdkdTDQOaXNgx6okG7s2oMWsesM6nrIM4/s1600/Maui02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jB14cM_dD9rMhatx_tbO0oQUw_LmrQ-Bla2jYbccacBvUByXEXSyPcbaiblkKCB9IVv_9qC1_n8VBJT__hW7ifQK4VekRdG_uA-RyXJQ3tgdkdTDQOaXNgx6okG7s2oMWsesM6nrIM4/s320/Maui02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 'couch' in Maui...Lots of books read on this beach!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-85298711536982769482011-03-13T21:41:00.000-07:002011-03-13T21:41:08.805-07:00Running on Fumes...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErpxqOWM1v4" title="YouTube video player" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I enjoy writing updates on my blog, it just wasn't going to happen this winter...<br />
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We all have choices in life...and this winter, I (realize now that I) chose to invest in my work. I feel like I'm at a point where I needed to do this. The business of Nordic skiing is a tough, and whether it was to prove something, or push something, I'm not sure, but it was something I felt I had to do. As a result, many priorities in my life took the backseat...some of these decisions may come back to bite me, but for now...I've survived. Just. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the big picture, it will be a year to remember...It wasn't necessarily all good, but memorable for sure. I probably spent more time in the air as I did on the road, barely had any time at home where I felt I didn't have to work, and definitely not enough PV-time to enjoy new adventures. The winter took it's toll on me...and now I'm tired. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I'd share the above video as it's something that I do on a regular basis...just one of the many components of my life on the road...the on-snow demo/expo setup. In this particular case, we (Munny and I) set up our Salomon Nordic Lounge at the Sovereign Lakes Nordic Ski Club for 7 straight days during the </span><a href="http://www.mwc2011.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Masters World Cup</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. <br />
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One of the good things about my job is that it involves a lot of variety. But at the end of the season, no matter how much I love my work, everything becomes a chore...Needless to say that after a full week on-snow, I was happy to take down our kit for good!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZtOFwckEL00ZUAFTTMVd_nfbf5JGDF9d2jBSKg_ukEAghASOxrE1LIkfujKBTsOMSYI9I4bf9-9x9aPNczl_ZZTnlxKuNHzy8bpM3mGTGUPsiywmeAOpgBAJkSEDYOsS-5Yvn24HTRw/s1600/IMG_1912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZtOFwckEL00ZUAFTTMVd_nfbf5JGDF9d2jBSKg_ukEAghASOxrE1LIkfujKBTsOMSYI9I4bf9-9x9aPNczl_ZZTnlxKuNHzy8bpM3mGTGUPsiywmeAOpgBAJkSEDYOsS-5Yvn24HTRw/s400/IMG_1912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salomon Nordic Lounge...lazyboy and all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33NW2noItxeFuT_PxtYnwRcUY7wO9BoNyaCD6ZdYtySQSAzltte-KjujPTxS6JlxNGHP-aXBKrl6qI_KHyPa0o-eky9r4XoHsmCHrvZxPVtRiTMiBefPQ3rDGdVBTn6e5C0gWY27eR0o/s1600/IMG_1922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33NW2noItxeFuT_PxtYnwRcUY7wO9BoNyaCD6ZdYtySQSAzltte-KjujPTxS6JlxNGHP-aXBKrl6qI_KHyPa0o-eky9r4XoHsmCHrvZxPVtRiTMiBefPQ3rDGdVBTn6e5C0gWY27eR0o/s400/IMG_1922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munny putting a few lures out...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the crazy winter, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and vacation time is imminent...yes, adventures are on the horizon, and I can't wait!<br />
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Stay tuned for more...I promise to update very soon!</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-69728523456366998432010-12-27T11:34:00.000-08:002010-12-27T11:34:15.853-08:00Life's a Blur...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6LztpWsTweotc9hwK-nJWXJ33mg8BBXFqGRCXN5OwsAKX0eFD0mbEAjCSl0j9C61MmfkJ82WhMrTYX18x6_ueZIwk6y-pqDZsjYBxW12dqISDdmNQEhqSm8hjOdD5pdPUZIB47d-CnM/s1600/Wolfy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6LztpWsTweotc9hwK-nJWXJ33mg8BBXFqGRCXN5OwsAKX0eFD0mbEAjCSl0j9C61MmfkJ82WhMrTYX18x6_ueZIwk6y-pqDZsjYBxW12dqISDdmNQEhqSm8hjOdD5pdPUZIB47d-CnM/s400/Wolfy.jpg" width="310" /></span></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes, there's not much you can do...just hold on, and wait for the ride to stop. <br />
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For someone who likes to blog, I can't say that I've been done a very good job at keeping the streak going...then again, it's not the only thing that has fallen through the cracks in the past few months. <br />
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How does one recap almost 3 months of pedal-to-the-metal activity in one blog? Only one option here...a photo gallery recap of course!<br />
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So in no particular order - here are a few random photos to give you a glimpse into the 'life of PV'...<br />
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hzwaokBs6Aa2pbe5q05_gsGJqeX5RYBJ0oSDFVUZuy1CCXBPrhnkC0b46j_UKVtmHQJvSImamdIPvdS40cPaBtz2_Jif4BLedmKjv3frdPYDO_jtIeKAjwm1739PCGSNfXGRs346baI/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hzwaokBs6Aa2pbe5q05_gsGJqeX5RYBJ0oSDFVUZuy1CCXBPrhnkC0b46j_UKVtmHQJvSImamdIPvdS40cPaBtz2_Jif4BLedmKjv3frdPYDO_jtIeKAjwm1739PCGSNfXGRs346baI/s320/IMG_1601.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spent a bit of time in and around Silver Star Mountain...The idea was to try and coach a bunch of keen master skiers from all over North America, but it had been so long since I had been on snow that I failed miserably! Bah...at least I got to put in lots of hours on snow, do a few demos and drink a bit of wine ;)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWiLJVYK3JG2vw42ba-9VafPL_dsuDiZZvHHZi6FosYqHKfpFH7uA3mTAqGThvStEhZ0Q2CZRH_0z1xm13hnhtErzT-AkHYKlvooTLAfqI8aS5Hxv8URZbjDmg-TZpSpkMYXx-2OAous/s1600/SFOChinatown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWiLJVYK3JG2vw42ba-9VafPL_dsuDiZZvHHZi6FosYqHKfpFH7uA3mTAqGThvStEhZ0Q2CZRH_0z1xm13hnhtErzT-AkHYKlvooTLAfqI8aS5Hxv8URZbjDmg-TZpSpkMYXx-2OAous/s320/SFOChinatown.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woke up one morning only to realize I was lost in China-Town...Took me a while to get my bearings, but after one of the best rice bowls I've had in my life, I found my way back to my hotel.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYuomMxdPofkYVZ3hvYIrmDTWO79a_oomgEX9iZ4N_bAx0axdG9gkRzGnhBJyaReSGb1CJ_w6fpLsmH6-IYTExHYXvJTGWc4GZdNYAfsvySSSprpExMXYMVVtASFWijMbD5uYUSgsRgQ/s1600/Googlecar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYuomMxdPofkYVZ3hvYIrmDTWO79a_oomgEX9iZ4N_bAx0axdG9gkRzGnhBJyaReSGb1CJ_w6fpLsmH6-IYTExHYXvJTGWc4GZdNYAfsvySSSprpExMXYMVVtASFWijMbD5uYUSgsRgQ/s320/Googlecar.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spotted this weird car following me...At first I thought it was a weird science project, but then realized it was the Google Maps vehicle! I tried pretty hard to get the driver's attention and get my funny looking mug on their 'street view' camera, but he was too busy texting.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U2QxHHw7NBX4ZWHAZUniZSdFRjuPWDFW4K35nQy4NAUztcAnoPN0s_5ye75OhpXWGRWwGzk9lrRpAwv_nvKO71pBhz-OWfXGKaxmnRoSZnp3zIEvjVi9dbfcOoV41lta5BxPCQvCh-0/s1600/CMSummit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="210" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U2QxHHw7NBX4ZWHAZUniZSdFRjuPWDFW4K35nQy4NAUztcAnoPN0s_5ye75OhpXWGRWwGzk9lrRpAwv_nvKO71pBhz-OWfXGKaxmnRoSZnp3zIEvjVi9dbfcOoV41lta5BxPCQvCh-0/s320/CMSummit.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kind of like this photo...makes me look like I had something important to say...I don't think anyone was listening.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFuAQx2p27oC61htZRdY_cEZz8VXj2wuONDaHBNplkB-MPXqOzJu4K6TwAJdl1wtS9C6c-xcnyitR4D9wKBBNrROszK4Mt_ttzkZje3ybfc8E_m3eQzDOzmzdEJKm3qg6sxfoGCXj2qo/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFuAQx2p27oC61htZRdY_cEZz8VXj2wuONDaHBNplkB-MPXqOzJu4K6TwAJdl1wtS9C6c-xcnyitR4D9wKBBNrROszK4Mt_ttzkZje3ybfc8E_m3eQzDOzmzdEJKm3qg6sxfoGCXj2qo/s320/IMG_1709.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came to the realization that getting caught in a Montreal snowstorm is only slightly better than being stuck in a Toronto snowstorm. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8iRFHXWJXfjCqsPyfr0uahWivwSglSY48rbBFUxZWwYKIPvbc0IFeLsJZZ_QZguPVpK4V2CyDEa_lDPnzvSGWKclyUW1Ps2ZBCKJkU4KWVGqlVEAlcPwoA3Lm-_ZiX9s_VgyujlhuqE/s1600/IMG_1720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8iRFHXWJXfjCqsPyfr0uahWivwSglSY48rbBFUxZWwYKIPvbc0IFeLsJZZ_QZguPVpK4V2CyDEa_lDPnzvSGWKclyUW1Ps2ZBCKJkU4KWVGqlVEAlcPwoA3Lm-_ZiX9s_VgyujlhuqE/s320/IMG_1720.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my top pet-peeves...road splatter - especially after you spend $7 cleaning your truck.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjWnrAuPuu5KbdZElFxjoYdTWcKnTyGSVOr9FZFcFWrExkvfRSmL3oIA0Cc85DiHP-LSuyRRmUpXcikFh16jVbv1gJXNQ3RCEBF_7VLcIjgHi6L6fFa2_qsE44TfbDmucEwBV0RmoMHY/s1600/PVmo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjWnrAuPuu5KbdZElFxjoYdTWcKnTyGSVOr9FZFcFWrExkvfRSmL3oIA0Cc85DiHP-LSuyRRmUpXcikFh16jVbv1gJXNQ3RCEBF_7VLcIjgHi6L6fFa2_qsE44TfbDmucEwBV0RmoMHY/s320/PVmo01.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Went to jail. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBETCwjI-VSHrVoQkat5HzBEnLYpH5Dz8P0F1ND477TReOKlolahmZk4gMUS86fnMC19H4rYDFvxO6Ya_rHc4jqgMZxiUskhbIfLZqvjbwBrBh5LaV-jaaYr6ThTc7UwSIQGFnApRJKiI/s1600/Alcatraz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBETCwjI-VSHrVoQkat5HzBEnLYpH5Dz8P0F1ND477TReOKlolahmZk4gMUS86fnMC19H4rYDFvxO6Ya_rHc4jqgMZxiUskhbIfLZqvjbwBrBh5LaV-jaaYr6ThTc7UwSIQGFnApRJKiI/s320/Alcatraz.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My boat ride to jail.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbXBlGqD_BHvqNJEXJaCqB5sTIROLjGJuMyte03qShwHM0ssoh9zJu3aAN569Wfr6td0BO8p7R-z9PgqAoHO4rR-Enwkz3ODOkAPBYF69H7wNjZvc0M6d1nWYMNE4GH_xlnF5N9Mvq-Q/s1600/Vinnie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbXBlGqD_BHvqNJEXJaCqB5sTIROLjGJuMyte03qShwHM0ssoh9zJu3aAN569Wfr6td0BO8p7R-z9PgqAoHO4rR-Enwkz3ODOkAPBYF69H7wNjZvc0M6d1nWYMNE4GH_xlnF5N9Mvq-Q/s320/Vinnie.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this isn't my 'friend' in jail...(weird how these photos loaded themselves in this order)...Believe it or not, this guy was the security guard at one of the sporting goods store we did a running 'thing' at South of the border. I gave him the bat to fit the part.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fHBDf5_lPrXM_99tbZ-4UeSbamTqkEOFz30ugwDENhLM6gooY7xuNDER5iJPIekcs0xdF7FRAPGUqktj6LsEYjxaxTw-z9p9a3xn_D6jwTeRCh9hVVt1hU5IuCiwQYS23ZDDIXrzbT8/s1600/SFOGoldenGate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fHBDf5_lPrXM_99tbZ-4UeSbamTqkEOFz30ugwDENhLM6gooY7xuNDER5iJPIekcs0xdF7FRAPGUqktj6LsEYjxaxTw-z9p9a3xn_D6jwTeRCh9hVVt1hU5IuCiwQYS23ZDDIXrzbT8/s320/SFOGoldenGate.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did 3x3min intervals on the Golden Gate bridge...at night. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno7sfSG7vAG3bhHG9F2Y4wOKYxw_hNmqNL4paAjQ-OYrUW8HkX5Z5c2US743Nlv0zeBJPDJ9Kh4iwuJWcrmX6LK4IO6dol6Q5zXMim1iaIFAYQff7cZ-dayEJreEyDXjHCWhiba2qPSI/s1600/producttesting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno7sfSG7vAG3bhHG9F2Y4wOKYxw_hNmqNL4paAjQ-OYrUW8HkX5Z5c2US743Nlv0zeBJPDJ9Kh4iwuJWcrmX6LK4IO6dol6Q5zXMim1iaIFAYQff7cZ-dayEJreEyDXjHCWhiba2qPSI/s320/producttesting.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helped out a few competitor brands do some product testing. Check out these new booties they were testing - sweet!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix4dl9wgTuLfydrc-sD75znfJ8Pek07tB3U2LOKQL6w_YrsVj7UBokthmtUyIUK-juCGqwNMl_vrSbkNiGLXQ6nwBfuJeIegeC4YrY9urvSrPVXI59t22CmMC2nn_Qg-KofOI83EuyhM/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix4dl9wgTuLfydrc-sD75znfJ8Pek07tB3U2LOKQL6w_YrsVj7UBokthmtUyIUK-juCGqwNMl_vrSbkNiGLXQ6nwBfuJeIegeC4YrY9urvSrPVXI59t22CmMC2nn_Qg-KofOI83EuyhM/s320/IMG_1584.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got lost on a few ski trails...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUKUvtZW4cmsqZ_oQgOR4hImb-us02xU-8RA7o8a-kmdTJJi8a87Mgi6z7DVnXeE7aKqP6IdQgLV0LasGPP9MFt84YUgMhLyTmxDzbGRpdKTwijr4GndB-vwCJ7a4dlODu2qfK-NXbVc/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUKUvtZW4cmsqZ_oQgOR4hImb-us02xU-8RA7o8a-kmdTJJi8a87Mgi6z7DVnXeE7aKqP6IdQgLV0LasGPP9MFt84YUgMhLyTmxDzbGRpdKTwijr4GndB-vwCJ7a4dlODu2qfK-NXbVc/s320/IMG_1592.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bought some big tires, jacked up my truck, and now every time there's a snowstorm, I drive out to shopping mall parking lots and do donuts all night long. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpymeA16pcq_lbEwIL6UxOLareDh-1Wun7-euYAsC0ig-rm4PSLJ6iFbucGwHaU4mLhu-5aJYpDFLPrr_6IaA-r5aRH9rkOxx8ydCyiergg3EDoQpNrJMxXCvTY0PLj0DiV9NBeWBKP4/s1600/IMG_1596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpymeA16pcq_lbEwIL6UxOLareDh-1Wun7-euYAsC0ig-rm4PSLJ6iFbucGwHaU4mLhu-5aJYpDFLPrr_6IaA-r5aRH9rkOxx8ydCyiergg3EDoQpNrJMxXCvTY0PLj0DiV9NBeWBKP4/s320/IMG_1596.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The real reason I've got a big'ass truck.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR7az2Uy_bp6EtED5H-URbgU1R_R2u_6xPDhG3Gde0VRJiJ02i5AEqcDF0O7wQtpbNmDhEIWKghgpwjWGiAxaR0aHyM_ByjOhgyPZIaUhPEm5ogYR7RwoyWis6PsKn13OuAYkO30m4EY/s1600/bindings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR7az2Uy_bp6EtED5H-URbgU1R_R2u_6xPDhG3Gde0VRJiJ02i5AEqcDF0O7wQtpbNmDhEIWKghgpwjWGiAxaR0aHyM_ByjOhgyPZIaUhPEm5ogYR7RwoyWis6PsKn13OuAYkO30m4EY/s320/bindings.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Checked up on a few nordic shops to make sure they had enough stock to make it through our long winters...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9hLFkNfMX-qNyfKT42QJyoWmObPOel7V6le38URnqmtvNt-v-eSgijtI3jzOSJo0wjUOWgXM581_t2AcVb0wmicdHBxRzkAnDdy0MWN4V8HPcVT5Oq2LYhqx9qTfjI9w6nZ4npSd9CY/s1600/exoroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9hLFkNfMX-qNyfKT42QJyoWmObPOel7V6le38URnqmtvNt-v-eSgijtI3jzOSJo0wjUOWgXM581_t2AcVb0wmicdHBxRzkAnDdy0MWN4V8HPcVT5Oq2LYhqx9qTfjI9w6nZ4npSd9CY/s320/exoroad.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always wondered why the French designed their </span><a href="http://www.salomonrunning.com/caus/range/clothing.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exo product line</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with a honeycomb pattern...symbol of strength? Either way, now all I see everywhere is 'honeycomb' patterns...this was a cross-walk in Gatineau, QC.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8rq1MEFWf58HaGhJnzBCGM6DV6vHgb_a-FoS_jwA3AsQDBFf08wm6_WXLIJf-30Ck4mNjrABwepR0dx2ptTj77Jl2AT1LUWQBol0JTITbP8r1mOmWOtckjtFAEdt0JnL3CvFNonBwzI/s1600/IMG_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8rq1MEFWf58HaGhJnzBCGM6DV6vHgb_a-FoS_jwA3AsQDBFf08wm6_WXLIJf-30Ck4mNjrABwepR0dx2ptTj77Jl2AT1LUWQBol0JTITbP8r1mOmWOtckjtFAEdt0JnL3CvFNonBwzI/s320/IMG_1568.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had the biggest plate of the "best ribs in the world"...I was full for days. Really.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGb8CD9PZKdx5vswXHgEua2dGvg-9ev9mhd1CVylZ9RBrOh8DqXLFKYGz32yhBAG1-ZDjSBA49mUrlMHJ1AHOWs_aG6V6JyQGdjzIFYivZYQ7duCIr4WOvH8cle6XiMED4z9w1APVnq2c/s1600/Bonnaskis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGb8CD9PZKdx5vswXHgEua2dGvg-9ev9mhd1CVylZ9RBrOh8DqXLFKYGz32yhBAG1-ZDjSBA49mUrlMHJ1AHOWs_aG6V6JyQGdjzIFYivZYQ7duCIr4WOvH8cle6XiMED4z9w1APVnq2c/s320/Bonnaskis.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Found one of the few remaining pairs of Bonna cross-country skis, Canada's only (?) ski manufacturer to ever make it big! I actually asked this company for sponsorship when I was 17 or 18...Got denied.</span></td></tr>
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</div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-59767393141030085722010-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:002010-10-09T10:57:51.917-07:00The Calm Before the Storm<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s7-DuLBISKCLBup3Tl1bnf3WEXNX9Q7IoQMjgQWiL173KMvUNhMIxlG4AexLLNBmtrpz3yDwIXtJHP1tBdyfe3s5YHji3IITURAoO_Lqj5dmHXEIL6wfZA6nN5pD3vRXZlMr_fwUGL8/s1600/ChinamanMorning01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s7-DuLBISKCLBup3Tl1bnf3WEXNX9Q7IoQMjgQWiL173KMvUNhMIxlG4AexLLNBmtrpz3yDwIXtJHP1tBdyfe3s5YHji3IITURAoO_Lqj5dmHXEIL6wfZA6nN5pD3vRXZlMr_fwUGL8/s400/ChinamanMorning01.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a nice run...<br />
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I've really enjoyed being tucked away back home in the mountains these past few weeks. A nice change after a jam-packed summer. But after reserving a string of flights for my upcoming 10-day Nordic Retail Tour, it suddenly hit me...Winter is only a few weeks away! <br />
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YYC -> YYZ -> YUL -> Drive to Quebec City -> YUL -> YQT -> YOW -> YYZ -> YYC<br />
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Sounds like fun eh? And that's only the first of many trips...I think things start to ease up around mid-December -sigh-</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCx4JGqA4TG5AKDJ-bn8RmLuVRQ2TE9JYXpLxrv3rbGdpDZexaYPP14e4EbZyl_2OFwB9Kqj7KES6kLIOJnhLl2m1fGiFetsWbtl9WQ-B1ZoK53xx82bQmn3DsKLUB14yD9KuFh_KKAQ0/s1600/IMGP6313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCx4JGqA4TG5AKDJ-bn8RmLuVRQ2TE9JYXpLxrv3rbGdpDZexaYPP14e4EbZyl_2OFwB9Kqj7KES6kLIOJnhLl2m1fGiFetsWbtl9WQ-B1ZoK53xx82bQmn3DsKLUB14yD9KuFh_KKAQ0/s320/IMGP6313.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My home away from home...the airport (and yeah, I'm the guy taking 3 benches while he sleeps!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the extensive travel schedule, I'm actually super excited to hit the road and do my thing - I really do love it - and feel lucky that I've been able to shape my business around my lifestyle and passion. <br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seems like every year I (try to) tell myself that "This year, I won't travel as much...", and then the events, tours, meetings, clinics and races start popping up: "Wait a second...I thought I said it wasn't going to be a busy winter?" Let's face it - For those of you that know me, I'm always 'busy'. But I've come to understand that I actually enjoy having a certain level of 'busy-ness' in my life. Then again, sitting in my (yes, MY) hammock with a book in one hand and a cold Corona in the other isn't so bad either ;)<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyways...</span></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__oVzTIq_7x4R6NXqnNl0mZcV9fpnWplWs7FBdT7ZvFUzYfxpgBt4KF2yhCBZsa7CWp9-NrVrmSDD4KD7qpBJvBwY6OKGDrUcJleKv_vK_TOAcuax3kY74RXcqzeVpDhsIE1vq-5eJb8/s1600/rockwall02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__oVzTIq_7x4R6NXqnNl0mZcV9fpnWplWs7FBdT7ZvFUzYfxpgBt4KF2yhCBZsa7CWp9-NrVrmSDD4KD7qpBJvBwY6OKGDrUcJleKv_vK_TOAcuax3kY74RXcqzeVpDhsIE1vq-5eJb8/s320/rockwall02.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall running on the RockWall trail...pure bliss!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fall running season is usually one of my favorite times of the year, but this mystery intercostal (rib) pull/tear injury I suffered a few weeks managed to put a big dent on my running plans, putting me out of commission for a good 2 weeks! On the flip side, since I couldn't do much except for work so I actually managed to get ahead of the game, and feel ready to tackle the final tasks before the snow flies! <br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I've accepted the fact that my trail 'racing' season is over - but that doesn't mean that there isn't lots of trail running still left to do. If the weather holds over the next few weeks, I've got some fun runs planned up high in and around my trips. And of course, I'll definitely be dragging along my <em>dirty shoes</em> so I can hit random trails along the way...</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-73255093748891206622010-09-21T21:59:00.000-07:002010-09-22T07:11:33.835-07:00Poutine Trail Tales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHZ3nAtWUQ45eD_M6O9dQcUeTwKycm79OKjISpmCWSYHdB73wPOAcUM1HlZqaSXRiieLpfK27H9TVw6_cLM0BnKtx3qxjh-mT1NNGthOFrWSabjfypUbJZaCjIcBVVfTNBZRlWEYsxV8/s400/XC11.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does poutine and trail running have to do with each other? Not much...</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fall is always a busy time of the year for me. Trail running events put in their last hurrah, and nordic planning starts to get into high gear as the white stuff starts creeping down from the peaks...</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the Nordic season just around the corner, I took the PV roadshow East to attend Salomon's Hardgoods Sales Meeting, which gets everyone geared up and prepped for the winter season. In order to get the most of my travels out East, I usually put a few add-ons to my trips, and in this case, it was perfect timing to assist in 2 of the many new trail running events sprouting up in Quebec.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But first, a little history about trail running in La Belle Province...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the incredible amount of outdoor enthusiasts out East, it's hard to believe that trail running is a relatively new sport in Quebec. As with the rest of Canada, road running has seen a huge boom in the past few years, and trail running has followed in its grandfather's footsteps. We've noticed, for example, a participation increase in all the <a href="http://www.5peaks.com/"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">5 Peaks Series</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></strong>events across the country - to the point where caps have to be implemented! This in itself poses more questions? Are we looking at a shortage of trail events in the future? If we consider the population numbers of West VS East, we would assume that the number of trail running events + participants would follow suit out East, if not lead the way, but surprisingly, it's a completely different story.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently, there are a few 'core' events that have established themselves in the Eastern trail running scene - These includes epic races such as </span><a href="http://www.xtrailasics.com/trail_O_parc21.htm"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Xtrail (Sutton and Orford)</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.ultimatexc.com/running-series.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ultimate XC</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which not only attract about 500-600 runners each, but are technically beyond what 'standard' events offer across the rest of the country. This also seems to be the trend as smaller events are cropping up...<br />
<br />
I did my first race in Quebec last fall at Mt Orford, about 1.5hr drive SE of Montreal. After completing the 21km XTrail event, I was blown away at the technical challenges of the course. Even its10km event, which included a straight-up-the-mountain course was sold out! Where I am...Europe? Then, this summer, I took part in the Ultimate XC, a multi distance event (13km, 21km, 35km and 56km) that blew my mind as far as its level of difficulty. There were chest-deep creek wading sections, beaver dam assaults, river running sections...oh, and not to mention the 3,000m of climbing (3 times up Mt Tremblant's slopes)! The interesting thing about all of these events is that runners of all levels were eating it up!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGa3ydQErKrKaZFDhJoRJTQy3C_LCIlG9y772V_r-pRBzqkZGdHFRL1DrmXXXtmf1UjeD4ARm1ky6FHPRcgtwSvMwwrH6wsNaxLjqX2y2q-Hm7Zr4tnVEFzrY5lZxiCYyHXAkmJJYz74/s1600/XC01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGa3ydQErKrKaZFDhJoRJTQy3C_LCIlG9y772V_r-pRBzqkZGdHFRL1DrmXXXtmf1UjeD4ARm1ky6FHPRcgtwSvMwwrH6wsNaxLjqX2y2q-Hm7Zr4tnVEFzrY5lZxiCYyHXAkmJJYz74/s320/XC01.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>XC de la Vallee: 10km runners line up! (</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>XC de la Vallée...</strong></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the success of Xtrail and Ultimate XC (Montreal area), an Adventure Racing organizer from Quebec City, decided to raise the bar with XC de la Vallee, and challenge its trail runners to a combined format event that showcased a 10km night race + 21km trail race, where runners have the option of doing either the combined (10k + 21k) or one of the individual events...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WrCYjAKkQeSyEN0VCh0D_wWzHZMAYC5kL1aHXfVYx4O8j-CQlX7VgwFW1Hw5Cd76E5eX643_5M27i-au7r__O8i_a3LUi-AwBs6ANzTOsKOnVQdHvVzDRSjzT7_KJuYvCl2CSyoizcU/s1600/XC02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WrCYjAKkQeSyEN0VCh0D_wWzHZMAYC5kL1aHXfVYx4O8j-CQlX7VgwFW1Hw5Cd76E5eX643_5M27i-au7r__O8i_a3LUi-AwBs6ANzTOsKOnVQdHvVzDRSjzT7_KJuYvCl2CSyoizcU/s320/XC02.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>PV lighting the way - Not quite sure how others were able to see out there, but my AY-UP rocked it! (</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODVA4prOmM4J-EPJvf2i3mnj22MTPu3QFDHVHMdLgiEJwQunGFixwk5L4P0JTEquubjpl2pxtOM0yGKOHpZlxUU_Q-UVT7k49hOI_QP8mAyFmWkxAdVrsFh9c9zPzi2IRcBnPGtM9kd4/s1600/XC23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODVA4prOmM4J-EPJvf2i3mnj22MTPu3QFDHVHMdLgiEJwQunGFixwk5L4P0JTEquubjpl2pxtOM0yGKOHpZlxUU_Q-UVT7k49hOI_QP8mAyFmWkxAdVrsFh9c9zPzi2IRcBnPGtM9kd4/s320/XC23.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Light Show - Running at night is fun...Racing at night rules! (</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hsvLho7-n35YzE99XYa9nyGQtW0-5p6xn3qMu7ZLOOhnt908Y-m9SKOre4U1KMbhyphenhyphen7eTWI1acE34spscci8oP1qjL1DVzFJUwJIlhDzWDhfsLLGks2Zu_jtsxi43slcW89ZZVMRyBJE/s1600/XC22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hsvLho7-n35YzE99XYa9nyGQtW0-5p6xn3qMu7ZLOOhnt908Y-m9SKOre4U1KMbhyphenhyphen7eTWI1acE34spscci8oP1qjL1DVzFJUwJIlhDzWDhfsLLGks2Zu_jtsxi43slcW89ZZVMRyBJE/s320/XC22.jpg" /></span></strong></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Chillin' out before the action starts - Etienne and I even hosted a little BBQ after the event too! </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>(</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nestled in the Vallee du 'Bras du Nord' located about 1hr West of QC city, this provincial rec area offers some of the best trails I've ever run on. And with the combined event on my radar, I hooked up with Etienne, the QC apparel rep, and I decided to hang out overnight with a few other adventurous souls and make it a weekend! </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout my travels, I've spent a great deal of time running or skiing at night, but I've never done a night race, let alone on a technical track - I was really looking forward to this. With our tents setup complete and a few daylight hours to spare, Etienne and I decided to check out the 3.3km loop, that would see 40+ dancing headlamps on it later on. A fast and flat start, a steep climb out of the grassy field and a long technical descent back into the field where a lap lane sent you back up for 2 other loops...<br />
<br />
Have you ever raced at night?" I asked my neighbour setting up his tent...</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I've never trail raced before!" he answers. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiShaJ5J6HpuVGLjF1-5jucBR76B0KOttH1vKuB8Q2VuuDnGuuKrjUnnJoerrRqMWI2qNtEPihXLyf5kuOQ_zoSBnl8zbGcyXeqJLiUFtJLc3MftLw6WWga9jrDywAtNhYlMCq6FSuJ7o/s1600/XC06.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiShaJ5J6HpuVGLjF1-5jucBR76B0KOttH1vKuB8Q2VuuDnGuuKrjUnnJoerrRqMWI2qNtEPihXLyf5kuOQ_zoSBnl8zbGcyXeqJLiUFtJLc3MftLw6WWga9jrDywAtNhYlMCq6FSuJ7o/s320/XC06.bmp" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>If the 10k night race wasn't enough, a super fun/technical 21km followed the next morning!<br />
(</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-JGuUbRgc4fwrTbjR53x-IcnxduT6oMuusA6SmfqXxiPNgo51WprADLXc3Ra7kTXbG-vQvcX-Pd0wQK1U_wjgPYtR8qdzc8qWVIZGBZnLtIlIr7Gyx1wlKc_J8G9TM17m3Shffc4X3k/s1600/XC09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-JGuUbRgc4fwrTbjR53x-IcnxduT6oMuusA6SmfqXxiPNgo51WprADLXc3Ra7kTXbG-vQvcX-Pd0wQK1U_wjgPYtR8qdzc8qWVIZGBZnLtIlIr7Gyx1wlKc_J8G9TM17m3Shffc4X3k/s320/XC09.jpg" /></span></strong></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Gaining some speed before we hit the hills, and singletrack! (</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzSi5-uKEPXiLB1fvMVaHh0hw_AEMy9WYbAY-llrIdIUzvQPI4LpgP8p6qHNy1V7TT4ev9ekC0KTW_bb02dzJLN0C2HzI6yHT3k-JMAinqMF6hZsESgVZxWjey1RGOmlrYdQA4lF_b-M/s1600/XC12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzSi5-uKEPXiLB1fvMVaHh0hw_AEMy9WYbAY-llrIdIUzvQPI4LpgP8p6qHNy1V7TT4ev9ekC0KTW_bb02dzJLN0C2HzI6yHT3k-JMAinqMF6hZsESgVZxWjey1RGOmlrYdQA4lF_b-M/s320/XC12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>David Le Porho - one of Montreal's best all-around runners - not too shabby on the trails too! <br />
(</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirB3dj1z7-jl3moRxl_nQ8BOjL5NJ7xyg21B7PaT7EtDS-6Yki7pHG_gvdckbqLty1DbqdVv-sX_3JdmKMubm4x6YuCnwluosgailTC9oGnKSZLTTnv5YyQr6lUEWVkmixfbuLrPICiM/s1600/XC19.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirB3dj1z7-jl3moRxl_nQ8BOjL5NJ7xyg21B7PaT7EtDS-6Yki7pHG_gvdckbqLty1DbqdVv-sX_3JdmKMubm4x6YuCnwluosgailTC9oGnKSZLTTnv5YyQr6lUEWVkmixfbuLrPICiM/s320/XC19.bmp" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Tough Character: QC version of Barefoot Bob...I'm impressed! (</strong><em>photo credit: E.Bonneau-Marcil</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surprisingly, this was a common theme for the 40+ participants that took part in the night event, and a bit of an insight into the motivations of French Canadian trail runners...</span><br />
<strong><br />
<br />
5 Peaks Mt Sutton...</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhzTcEftftD1L7xeTwG6A9LkMPPGjkD-k2-DTyAQzCb65FDfBp9lNk-5-dkzWyCI0aK3vHP4vgbYFLRUZGQ3EqP4OFnkbCPs9fyiBRP-V0PF7wUzVhh2P2uOtqpCGkLLVAdkbQds8Rhs/s1600/Sutton01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhzTcEftftD1L7xeTwG6A9LkMPPGjkD-k2-DTyAQzCb65FDfBp9lNk-5-dkzWyCI0aK3vHP4vgbYFLRUZGQ3EqP4OFnkbCPs9fyiBRP-V0PF7wUzVhh2P2uOtqpCGkLLVAdkbQds8Rhs/s320/Sutton01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Off they go! 5 Peaks Enduro runners head up the hill... (</strong><em>photo credit: Luc Hamel</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffAH-C6D6PCfpJ1mNPwDK1f1taR1xg2U6U_mdN5JyrC0v9FIsTEOyPjEsiZOgqxiO4gE511KObAn3Qmoj62Kar5ktycY61apAHwKzHUJYpKlz_FcVm8JdXUl2_649UzZqrscg0_XuSgA/s1600/Sutton02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffAH-C6D6PCfpJ1mNPwDK1f1taR1xg2U6U_mdN5JyrC0v9FIsTEOyPjEsiZOgqxiO4gE511KObAn3Qmoj62Kar5ktycY61apAHwKzHUJYpKlz_FcVm8JdXUl2_649UzZqrscg0_XuSgA/s320/Sutton02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Flight Crew's Marting Ladouceur (9787) leads the way, and on to take victory. I couldn't believe that ghost runner on the left jumping in with the leaders... (</strong><em>photo credit: Luc Hamel</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward a week of sitting inside a conference room talking shop with Canada's Hardgoods reps, and I was itching to get outside again. So, after a early wake-up call on Saturday morning, I hopped in the car with the marketing director and hit the road toward Mt Sutton, a small ski hill about 1.5hr SE of Montreal - site of 5 Peaks furthest eastern trail running event. The Salomon Team was on hand to help support the event, and let the 100 or so participants try out some of our trail running demo shoes! </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiurkGbDeGtsfyX9gdPnfflsiVdC_WaQnJGDGMLMPplf7ale3lPPnfjT8KOhXpuQIO98s0gstu-HuDuNPwNuY5O5FSTt_EM-bARxNP3X_XU-StzosYsK_3ALhE_THuDyoQS0Qba07QFco/s1600/Sutton03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiurkGbDeGtsfyX9gdPnfflsiVdC_WaQnJGDGMLMPplf7ale3lPPnfjT8KOhXpuQIO98s0gstu-HuDuNPwNuY5O5FSTt_EM-bARxNP3X_XU-StzosYsK_3ALhE_THuDyoQS0Qba07QFco/s320/Sutton03.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The final stretch - Daniel Chartier finishes hard to take the Sport Category win! <br />
(</strong><em>photo credit: Luc Hamel</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJNZkz21xwrJ1lTEZPMT4MtnqHKzRKBhu8r5i1BEkB9u_2MSTnY1Y3pG1s44lDf0DxoNCfEeDEKayNVUb_FMe0IzlNeGHw501Oev3YJX0WxTg7Ye6f4X0TpSibGrCappTPIDdDW7w_Sw/s1600/Sutton05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJNZkz21xwrJ1lTEZPMT4MtnqHKzRKBhu8r5i1BEkB9u_2MSTnY1Y3pG1s44lDf0DxoNCfEeDEKayNVUb_FMe0IzlNeGHw501Oev3YJX0WxTg7Ye6f4X0TpSibGrCappTPIDdDW7w_Sw/s320/Sutton05.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fight Crew's Danielle De Guire wraps up a tough 21km (2x 10.5km) course - Meanwhile, teammate Junior Maheu (background) play the paparazzi for the Club de Trail Le Coureur</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>(</strong><em>photo credit: Luc Hamel</em><strong>)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a quick setup, I took to the trails to preview the 10.5km course to get a little bit of exercise, and double check the track to make sure it was well marked. Despite the cool sunny morning, the trail was very muddy and slick - leftovers from all the rain we had received during week! I suppose one could say it made it even more 'fun'! I caught myself laughing to myself at how technically challenging the trail was...it even caught me off guard, resulting in a hard crash - but with a soft, mucky landing! - Nothing makes me smile like a little mud! <br />
<br />
It took me about 1h20min to cruise around the loop, arriving just in time to watch the Enduro (10.5k) runners line up. I mingled for a moment, pondering whether I should change my mind and jump in the race...Quickly I ran back to the van to switch my top and put on my Exo Calfs - I couldn't help it, I had to go back around...What a treat!<br />
<br />
<strong>When's the last time you had some poutine?</strong><br />
<br />
So if you feel like switching up your trail race routine a bit, sign up for one of these bad boys - You may not understand everyone around you, but one things for sure, you'll love their events!</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-8938005413623869842010-09-08T10:58:00.000-07:002010-09-08T10:58:06.215-07:00A Chilly September Day...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaYYZ8Q7-Syb2J-PwPES5UpzCRMpz6N0ajNPBEYJLfx1HkneQV5hc515AIk2W07zN8f64-sngH2D_HlsmuORplXC2_5jHtjpv0CJp65wCOlxXHM8JMl6i7W6B3E0nj_h3W7CSGmrqz2Q/s1600/2008-09-24_12-14-18_24092008625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaYYZ8Q7-Syb2J-PwPES5UpzCRMpz6N0ajNPBEYJLfx1HkneQV5hc515AIk2W07zN8f64-sngH2D_HlsmuORplXC2_5jHtjpv0CJp65wCOlxXHM8JMl6i7W6B3E0nj_h3W7CSGmrqz2Q/s400/2008-09-24_12-14-18_24092008625.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been cold and wet down in the valley - that means snow up high...ugh. <br />
<br />
For now, the fall projects will have to be put on hold - but with 'real' work pilling up on my desk, I suppose it's not a bad thing to have a bit of a delay...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure the sun will come out to play again...at least enough to melt this damn white stuff. And when it does, I'll be ready! </span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-15804138716532725732010-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:002010-08-30T08:52:39.314-07:00Putting on the Work Boots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfQnVAGgnUSROid8OYe_qWSwnR2ENL6CApKFQwwaXFL2ClWdd8m_eYLeeH1_mwvsCIAfchd1Bl6WyAUq3hXaKqTVrdPqqidKwhkuuqKR2jqMgsgqibm4vthaoPamURaNPuxWO-s5XUxw/s1600/TRR10-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfQnVAGgnUSROid8OYe_qWSwnR2ENL6CApKFQwwaXFL2ClWdd8m_eYLeeH1_mwvsCIAfchd1Bl6WyAUq3hXaKqTVrdPqqidKwhkuuqKR2jqMgsgqibm4vthaoPamURaNPuxWO-s5XUxw/s320/TRR10-07.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another one bites the dust...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much to ramble on about this year's TransRockies Run...except to say that it was a fantastic week! After the disappointment of the Canadian Death Race, I didn't really 'plan' on putting much racing effort/focus on anything else, so instead, I took the opportunity to 'work' the event from a promotional side, and enjoy my time on the Colorado trails...<br />
<br />
The TransRockies Run 3 actually turned out to be a perfect fit for me - and though it did manage to stir my racing 'juices', the late nights glued to my laptop as I wrestled with the task of editing my amateur trail running videos took their toll - By the end of a difficult 3 days of running, I was quite content to swap my bib for some 'work shoes'! </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5W8UfshlkPfMn56M8Tu6INAm2SlxWz_TPd2TYAU4Qvq6tKTWA0VNWMbTUXJ9W5bSe3GqFMrnqdU7nCMPfEplIjRyVSAqWnvUNPn2LQuqy_WKUGvErW1v8zxLAgKY4vwibDM0jBJfU08c/s1600/TRR10-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5W8UfshlkPfMn56M8Tu6INAm2SlxWz_TPd2TYAU4Qvq6tKTWA0VNWMbTUXJ9W5bSe3GqFMrnqdU7nCMPfEplIjRyVSAqWnvUNPn2LQuqy_WKUGvErW1v8zxLAgKY4vwibDM0jBJfU08c/s320/TRR10-03.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Gear Talk: Filming a short 'gear of the day' bit with Martin Gaffuri - </strong></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ7kI3W9ql4"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>See video here</strong></span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the remainder of the week, I focused primarily on pushing the Canadian teams' successes via social networks, 'producing' a few more You Tube flics, and even helped out the TRR TV production crew by sporting a GoPro camera in the last 2 stages - I took my time, and soaked in the terrain...</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuHfMRD7f1bUrymjaH7wdjeGLiHfa9HdROKOURhqqdWPbX2YbQ_8tO-OW3R_b0ciTzO_5TwgEgI80M_pbhyphenhyphen5yxSHpzfsHEy4xl7a6RvDobBrpXaE2QYPkZ4OOAkaeaZh8ZoZgZv6GmWw/s1600/TRR10-goatphil2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuHfMRD7f1bUrymjaH7wdjeGLiHfa9HdROKOURhqqdWPbX2YbQ_8tO-OW3R_b0ciTzO_5TwgEgI80M_pbhyphenhyphen5yxSHpzfsHEy4xl7a6RvDobBrpXaE2QYPkZ4OOAkaeaZh8ZoZgZv6GmWw/s320/TRR10-goatphil2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Chasing Marting in the final stretch to the line...figured I might as well get a workout in!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Now it's time for a bit of a break - to let the body and mind heal...(the dislocated/broken toe and body abrasions I suffered on the last-day-superman-crash while flying down a 'fun' singletrack into Avon will help this!).<br />
<br />
- sigh -</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a great week!</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-28857944444161044492010-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:002010-08-23T16:31:31.570-07:002010 TransRockies Run - Stage 2 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6WYKvvb-sP7OvgvYraGRYjNwW0GaDnf1QFM9ETs3arSJxdpDlgvBqeRcFjw5rpvXwhh5Fi9lqh3ifOZdAbL-wRrMnzMZE4mfdp_X7QLqzCMZ5c-8TNP3XlD150QPH7YmnCNc9MfHJIg/s1600/IMG_1302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6WYKvvb-sP7OvgvYraGRYjNwW0GaDnf1QFM9ETs3arSJxdpDlgvBqeRcFjw5rpvXwhh5Fi9lqh3ifOZdAbL-wRrMnzMZE4mfdp_X7QLqzCMZ5c-8TNP3XlD150QPH7YmnCNc9MfHJIg/s320/IMG_1302.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About time things turned around...<br />
<br />
Today was a good day - But with all the damage I did to my quads (legs) over the past 2 days, I'm not so sure how tomorrow will turn out...<br />
<br />
I love stage 2's profile...Not only does it remind me of my own Rockies' trails, but it also caters to my strengths - steep up, and fast, technical down. The only problem is that this year they added a additional 5km of flat after we bottomed out. I have to admit that this section had me a bit worried...time would tell.<br />
<br />
After yesterday's performance, I wasn't quite sure what to expect today - My main objective was to go out easy, have a strong steady climb, and cruise down the backside but not out-of-control-blow-up-the-quads fast...just in control, and leave some juice in the tank for the flats at the end...Of course, I never follow plans.<br />
<br />
Before I had a chance to catch myself, I was flying down the road with the leaders (idiot!), and followed them up the start of the steep grind...Oh well, might as well go with the flow! As I started climbing, I settled down and simply got into a cruisy walking pace, setting the tempo with my poles. It didn't take long for the lead teams to start walking themselves, and I slowly started picking them away one by one.<br />
<br />
As soon as we moved above the treeline, Hope Pass (our target) became visible, sitting pretty at 3,600m! One switchback after another, I picked away at the poles, staying in contact with the leaders, who hovered 30sec ahead...After an hour of climbing, the flip side of the valley opened up with an amazing view, that I did actually enjoy for about half a second...<br />
<br />
It didn't take long for me to catch up on the descent, and next thing I knew I was sitting 2nd overall - only the current TRRun-3 leader, Justin Ricks was ahead. I knew that if I totally let loose on the downhill I could do some serious damage to my quads (like last year!), so after passing the TRR teams, I eased back a bit, letting the steepness control the speed (as opposed to pushing the pace more). Max King and Andy Martin actually caught back up to me in this part of the decent, but after a few technical sections, I found myself alone again...<br />
<br />
The new 5km of flats added to this years route actually turned to be quite rolling, and very similar to the Minnewanka trail back home - and that's what I used to motivate myself to keep up the pace. I was sitting about 2+min back of the lead at this point, and wanted to hold off Max/Andy...but the stiffness was starting to creep up. <br />
<br />
"Tempo, tempo..."</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRicNuGgiDVCyiSaXW2cz2Axfaqm7LreD106YuuxKbdivjFEZsWHso1UyZHYFSi8cbHMGrVTkyILbiiIVLpwTbXATzOdNpPcetQWTjhTGjRa-tMhhtFMq2IwjOBVXjSDYlnT-dzUMKzwc/s1600/IMG_1296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRicNuGgiDVCyiSaXW2cz2Axfaqm7LreD106YuuxKbdivjFEZsWHso1UyZHYFSi8cbHMGrVTkyILbiiIVLpwTbXATzOdNpPcetQWTjhTGjRa-tMhhtFMq2IwjOBVXjSDYlnT-dzUMKzwc/s320/IMG_1296.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>How bumpy was the ride into Vicksburg? Very!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not knowing the trail always makes things seem longer...and time was creeping by..."Where is that damn finish line!" Eventually, the forest cleared, and the finish line appeared in the distance...A quick look back...nobody there! <br />
<br />
I crossed the line in 2nd overall, losing a further ~4min to Justin, who was absolutely flying. After losing over 30min yesterday, I was already at a big disadvantage starting the day, but this result helped boost me back in contention - Currently sitting 4min and change off 3rd. I'm hoping I can chip away more time tomorrow and 'eek' my way onto the podium... <br />
<br />
So there it is...One more day to go! Tomorrow's 38km stage will be difficult as it's more rolling than I like, but you never know...<br />
<br />
<strong>A few pics of post-Stage 2</strong></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY-Qq8GhXFx0LCkuYFzxYwzdCWlGn9jUo7ARIYVGjFzBpbXnnwiX3M9tUBgAiCq3tVKPFYsLpIquWM1fCR4GtS-G8YnW8Oehadb-Fax4tIcZD1F-JjF1aK96xkr85aGW2-ArhD_ghVuE/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY-Qq8GhXFx0LCkuYFzxYwzdCWlGn9jUo7ARIYVGjFzBpbXnnwiX3M9tUBgAiCq3tVKPFYsLpIquWM1fCR4GtS-G8YnW8Oehadb-Fax4tIcZD1F-JjF1aK96xkr85aGW2-ArhD_ghVuE/s320/IMG_1297.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the start...Runners get ready to run up to 3,600m!</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPTjl-YTfBhEroU8KqJtTqAwef3DMbxcEkiwW6tQSIKU9ETLBDdByyuswKe6xcpPfsEMjnQt9Jb2fzCPtd7jh9iamzUXPBEywXgj0Nd15sas6H4HYtNX3MLm2z4NOs44GxMZtVidA1uc/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPTjl-YTfBhEroU8KqJtTqAwef3DMbxcEkiwW6tQSIKU9ETLBDdByyuswKe6xcpPfsEMjnQt9Jb2fzCPtd7jh9iamzUXPBEywXgj0Nd15sas6H4HYtNX3MLm2z4NOs44GxMZtVidA1uc/s320/IMG_1298.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Martin Gaffuri: A man of many talents - Seen here adjusting his fancy poles for the climb up...</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKxgoZy8ybGpfq3O_ITQ3_1TmuIapgzGTG28QGRRo97ajmJK7-8sycoFTEnCgNmc-dcqRihKDmCAPoXMMfAbWGVYuOXBhUyxVDEp551DLV-VqDIUzV2z8pWrmDweBF3T1RzMVeGGmXtM/s1600/IMG_1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKxgoZy8ybGpfq3O_ITQ3_1TmuIapgzGTG28QGRRo97ajmJK7-8sycoFTEnCgNmc-dcqRihKDmCAPoXMMfAbWGVYuOXBhUyxVDEp551DLV-VqDIUzV2z8pWrmDweBF3T1RzMVeGGmXtM/s320/IMG_1299.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Les Filles Salomon - Le Coureur: Amelie and Danielle sporting their leaders' jerseys!</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoha_pOMRI64Iguyva0f2UQjrkXd5-pLyUEHeFzMgLh3yFMNrNmjnCVM7688OkjOYgH5sY9QNBL_DzMJJtGhUYmXGUAEVdlhmWCinTVjVFT-PL-05dncS6GMsVQup-QJtmAeGR885bGU/s1600/IMG_1300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoha_pOMRI64Iguyva0f2UQjrkXd5-pLyUEHeFzMgLh3yFMNrNmjnCVM7688OkjOYgH5sY9QNBL_DzMJJtGhUYmXGUAEVdlhmWCinTVjVFT-PL-05dncS6GMsVQup-QJtmAeGR885bGU/s320/IMG_1300.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More ice cold recovery action - Ted and Ross getting chilled!</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-43514742395168851902010-08-22T21:16:00.000-07:002010-08-22T21:16:33.654-07:00TransRockies Run - Stage 1 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_KkLLnzgDgYGrX7nzFo9jthPWSyFyjDDYBt14efKzEaz81D_qOelQmNRCROZzfsxRlwy3FovbPCeOvUngm505BpJwx90Zpiez5VaYRjak81g7ATf6p-_t5CKB33m422rhZAjYp6tQdg/s1600/TRR2010+-+Salomon+Team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_KkLLnzgDgYGrX7nzFo9jthPWSyFyjDDYBt14efKzEaz81D_qOelQmNRCROZzfsxRlwy3FovbPCeOvUngm505BpJwx90Zpiez5VaYRjak81g7ATf6p-_t5CKB33m422rhZAjYp6tQdg/s320/TRR2010+-+Salomon+Team.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well...that sucked! <br />
<br />
Not exactly what I had planned for stage 1, but unfortunately, the 28C blazing sun did a bit of damage to my legs, and with so little time in the heat this summer, I simply didn't take enough electrolytes (yes, I took quite a few, but obviously not enough!) - The result were calf cramps that forced me to run/walk the last 10km of the race...<br />
<br />
That said, it's probably not the only thing that contributed to my result - A zippy start out of the gate put me up in the Top 3 Run-3 competitions...idling just back of the main pack. But the quick start didn't help things...By the time I reached to top of the course at 13-15km's, I could already feel my energy slipping away. The next bit were long rolling downhills interspersed with short steep hills, the kind that sap the snap in your legs...They slowly took their toll, and by the time I got to checkpoint 2 (10km to go) I was already having to adjust my stride to avoid calf cramps...<br />
<br />
After spending over 2hrs on some fantastic desert-like terrain, the trail popped out on the final stretch, a painful 5km of flat gravel road to the finish. By this point, I periodically stopped to stretch out my calves, allowing me to run another few hundred metres, and repeating the process again...<br />
<br />
Anyways...I won't linger too long on that - The damage is done! Although I'm a bit stiff from today's effort, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stage 2, which goes up, up and up to 3,600m, and then all the way back down on the flip side of the pass. The course crew has added an additional 5km to last year's course, which will make things interesting...So I'll see how the body feels in the morning, and adjust accordingly - And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm definitely bringing my poles!<br />
<br />
On another note, I've been having lots of fun with the Salomon Flight Crew team down here in Colorado - Our women's team (Les filles Salomon - Le Coureur), Danielle and Amelie took the stage win in the Women's Open category - an awesome performance for a nervous duo! </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be posting regular daily updates (as technology permits) on: <a href="http://www.salomonrunning.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>www.salomonrunning.com</strong></span></a> in the 'Insiders' section...</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few shots of the day...It's been a long hot one, I'm off to bed!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvue_ZyLnG2M4WU5ilkcgMBlOYeThBlv7gxFGbiPVON7H5XLr09aX4F1bR3lUR9XWkaqzI39fsspRAHVQMYnw0ItkbSodROyk7WFnebCvFb2hD4-51FXFc5an15laeLZihhAZxF2lgh_w/s1600/IMG_1288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvue_ZyLnG2M4WU5ilkcgMBlOYeThBlv7gxFGbiPVON7H5XLr09aX4F1bR3lUR9XWkaqzI39fsspRAHVQMYnw0ItkbSodROyk7WFnebCvFb2hD4-51FXFc5an15laeLZihhAZxF2lgh_w/s320/IMG_1288.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The QC Flight Crew - representing Le Coureur running store: Danielle, Luc, Amelie, Junior</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8d-pb_IfQ8CFy2b6aShoAdGxId_DOS46TFYkiKcs2OBkyMck2OVt-4MOVzgCiitRBsZMu1iDLkNi5waBcjoyi6kuud1pE5M0E0USFv8O9Cn28XxqcikD5qkvExKSp3m5CD9I8d94SYM/s1600/IMG_1289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8d-pb_IfQ8CFy2b6aShoAdGxId_DOS46TFYkiKcs2OBkyMck2OVt-4MOVzgCiitRBsZMu1iDLkNi5waBcjoyi6kuud1pE5M0E0USFv8O9Cn28XxqcikD5qkvExKSp3m5CD9I8d94SYM/s320/IMG_1289.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner Time!</span></strong> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNmC8RBsnZ6Zd81YkKe73K492FyZHC3xedHn3hIV0WiLNYWS8nUEl2GKgzP6djipSzMDiUix745cVb1Ox6daSsnlh2ieoA45f6W9Ft1T697Q_0O51-ykKaY4vcdQMco3fda-0SOwgjNc/s1600/IMG_1290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNmC8RBsnZ6Zd81YkKe73K492FyZHC3xedHn3hIV0WiLNYWS8nUEl2GKgzP6djipSzMDiUix745cVb1Ox6daSsnlh2ieoA45f6W9Ft1T697Q_0O51-ykKaY4vcdQMco3fda-0SOwgjNc/s320/IMG_1290.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few of TransRockies Expo: Gore-Tex and Salomon Relax Station - The clouds are coming...Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow's stage 2!</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j41_Kg89I6O5CH28yV98knvtR0alCu7nvj0Wb0Mb-rFboVgn_2metu0qrOZLWmpY_UyG-6Q3W4r8ZcoOdLOhukT6znmnNh9yAK2OA0ipVMhOaZBzYBgH3_C_9jCvoaRcctdacgbG4is/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j41_Kg89I6O5CH28yV98knvtR0alCu7nvj0Wb0Mb-rFboVgn_2metu0qrOZLWmpY_UyG-6Q3W4r8ZcoOdLOhukT6znmnNh9yAK2OA0ipVMhOaZBzYBgH3_C_9jCvoaRcctdacgbG4is/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Open Women: Amelie and Danielle happy to be wearing the leaders jersey tomorrow!</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfRYT6p64mnNXDYtQDL9yCXc-5sr2yF0lvr4s0bkWKv4DtnJenCCevBLfCo5-Xg87wr11GiUgZXThXsp_qmj6uTp_62ulN3YvGLbzJxn4fuKz-LX4FBbNcQaolDtfqpuz8onukARnK2Y/s1600/IMG_1295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfRYT6p64mnNXDYtQDL9yCXc-5sr2yF0lvr4s0bkWKv4DtnJenCCevBLfCo5-Xg87wr11GiUgZXThXsp_qmj6uTp_62ulN3YvGLbzJxn4fuKz-LX4FBbNcQaolDtfqpuz8onukARnK2Y/s320/IMG_1295.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Open Men's Podium - See full results at </strong></span><a href="http://www.transrockies.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>www.transrockies.com</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong></span></td></tr>
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</div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-1364272298287732292010-08-21T20:01:00.000-07:002010-08-21T20:15:10.487-07:00TransRockies Time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30GwD8FNpsdn8-2ro4S8tAbNUWwN3vD_ta8qtGHXvSgCvK4uxXd82eAt1ZX8erEoZbh3LgP4CMTLyJo6oVC7sJujEc0j0yeQX-HFifiVS5vsk6-4R8U-XrK2snwl1ni9bt0Z7v-SCHUA/s1600/IMG_1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30GwD8FNpsdn8-2ro4S8tAbNUWwN3vD_ta8qtGHXvSgCvK4uxXd82eAt1ZX8erEoZbh3LgP4CMTLyJo6oVC7sJujEc0j0yeQX-HFifiVS5vsk6-4R8U-XrK2snwl1ni9bt0Z7v-SCHUA/s320/IMG_1287.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here we go again...<br />
<br />
Can't believe how quickly time flies...I'm going to keep this one relatively zippy as tomorrow is the start of the 2010 Gore-Tex TransRockies Run - yikes! August has been a bit of a blur for me - with my main focus having been set on the Canadian Death Race, everthing after that seemed to just idle-on by...If you've followed along, you'll know that things didn't quite go as planned. My immediate (impulse) reaction turned to TRR, but with only 2wks to go, finding a partner would have been a bit difficult...so I opted for TRR's inaugural 3-day solo version instead. <br />
<br />
Since 'registration day', I've pretty much thrown all 'plans' out the window and fully winged it - That said, I was sidelined for most of it, either injured or 'away' on planned weekend events. I ran when I could, when I felt like it, and however long I wanted to - So how fit am I? "As good as it gets" I guess I'll see after tomorrow's 35km stage!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Racing aside, I'm actually super excited to be here on more of a promotional role for Salomon this year, not only to support our Flight Crew Team members but also to help promote trail running in Canada! TRR is an amazing trail running event, and will be a great canvas to showcase trail running to everyone back home. I'm hoping that a bit of 'off the cuff' promo down here will influence a few more Canucks to swap their 'white' shoes for ones with a bit more dirt on them ;) Either way, after my little 3-day stint, I'll be strapping on the camera and doing a few short bits on various topics - Short, fun videos that will help give you a glimpse 'behind the (TRR) scenes'.<br />
<br />
So stay tuned for daily recaps (where technology permits), as well as on SalomonRunning.com, Facebook, Twitter, etc...Here are a few sites to plug into your 'favorites':<br />
<br />
<strong>Salomon Running - Insiders:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.salomonrunning.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>www.salomonrunning.com</strong></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Facebook - Salomon Running:</strong> <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/salomonrunning"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.facebook.com/salomonrunning</span></a> <br />
</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@Salomonrunning</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND7PcJ1IDEIdN-sVdedvMo5odtuMFKSg0CMKlzOAHSWgEoSnmbrP3xA39VtB6PCDTz3VHBWbZTWLJTh895YJJck-RANfQAANwOdSbwlnbuJuRsPdy547y51BoHWupje5Z5z3XPXGbQ4M/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND7PcJ1IDEIdN-sVdedvMo5odtuMFKSg0CMKlzOAHSWgEoSnmbrP3xA39VtB6PCDTz3VHBWbZTWLJTh895YJJck-RANfQAANwOdSbwlnbuJuRsPdy547y51BoHWupje5Z5z3XPXGbQ4M/s320/IMG_1278.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">My morning hangout in BV - Hooked up with Flight Crew runners Tom Craik and Duncan Coo for some java!</span></strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j5HyhzKdERI55XoDuN-PJGNkfEM0tCosi0UJhCUrwCGPTuZbX_SgrF3BP3-WjSoxfM9xoh4N1BSPXPHn_HnGsNTaXRGY5TtiOIqs2SAl7YvVC8O5iAvjzTCGPaZ9KUYUCwArT5Uzcdg/s1600/IMG_1280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j5HyhzKdERI55XoDuN-PJGNkfEM0tCosi0UJhCUrwCGPTuZbX_SgrF3BP3-WjSoxfM9xoh4N1BSPXPHn_HnGsNTaXRGY5TtiOIqs2SAl7YvVC8O5iAvjzTCGPaZ9KUYUCwArT5Uzcdg/s320/IMG_1280.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>My essential tools for the week, in no particular order...Coffee, tennis ball, and the ever painful golf ball<br />
</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYpJW7XmZcbyk6XqB4_CbiKqh37Mhq17mnLhk_sXJbe5b0V9qChHP2FiNroCt5vjAuQNWNCtJLgfgDJGs8XLGYoQkopmJ-UV3E4QM45DQwRj4wlRifNBiRoACg6TMmLm2HLijqgFCXv0/s1600/IMG_1286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYpJW7XmZcbyk6XqB4_CbiKqh37Mhq17mnLhk_sXJbe5b0V9qChHP2FiNroCt5vjAuQNWNCtJLgfgDJGs8XLGYoQkopmJ-UV3E4QM45DQwRj4wlRifNBiRoACg6TMmLm2HLijqgFCXv0/s320/IMG_1286.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Km 5 tomorrow...@ 2,547m! A typical backroad in Buena Vista Highlands!</strong> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAoPdU__9Np0mO8g_fdZB6x0c_XoZmmjjrYy2jDHBaDYR2jy_hMeb8cN8IiiUNcGIy0kmEvLg5Iux8GiZooRGrHpJYG_jfr_yZ5CeojewpaIPDSlcDhQU9HZdjHuiivjwYO0PDUWO05w/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAoPdU__9Np0mO8g_fdZB6x0c_XoZmmjjrYy2jDHBaDYR2jy_hMeb8cN8IiiUNcGIy0kmEvLg5Iux8GiZooRGrHpJYG_jfr_yZ5CeojewpaIPDSlcDhQU9HZdjHuiivjwYO0PDUWO05w/s320/IMG_1275.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>View from Arrowhead Campground 'Resort' our home for the next few days...</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-24368752233033426112010-08-18T16:24:00.000-07:002010-08-18T16:24:20.648-07:00Where's Smokey the Bear?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbBR8RbPGfUT-uPRK1oklTaNtDychYyxHLUOWcNLQ9tzETdgoU1_oiZK_3t369atdh24VAGiQrJwUbiK5iBaLS8SEXeTX5_HBGLwOfbwmTyZvEyXaBWu86pZ3aeAxUdJEQ_oyr_bbAXw/s1600/Hawk15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbBR8RbPGfUT-uPRK1oklTaNtDychYyxHLUOWcNLQ9tzETdgoU1_oiZK_3t369atdh24VAGiQrJwUbiK5iBaLS8SEXeTX5_HBGLwOfbwmTyZvEyXaBWu86pZ3aeAxUdJEQ_oyr_bbAXw/s320/Hawk15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, that's not an incoming snowstorm in the background...</span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been resting lots these days. A few lingering injuries have forced me on the sidelines since CDR - not the best preparations for TR-Run 3, but as I've been saying lots lately, "C'est la vie!" Our body has a strange way of telling you when it's tired and injury is usually one of those signs. So I banked the 'forced' rest, put my feet up and focused on what will be a great last week of training!<br />
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I kicked things off Monday with my favourite intensity workout: 5X2min @ full-blast speed! This was my first fast workout since CDR and although it took my body a little while to adjust to the switch, I started <em>craving</em> more speed (and pain) as I counted up the intervals. Despite the lack of training in the past 2 weeks, the rest seemed to pay-off and I (almost) tagged one of my highest heartrates of the summer - Always a good sign!<br />
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After a good night's rest, I set up for a long run in the high alpine in an attempt to get a jumpstart on my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobin"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>hemoglobin production</strong></span></a> which will be required for Colorado. I also brought along a photojournalist/ultrarunner from out East, Oliver Fischer, who had made the trek out West for some promo work he had lined up for Travel Alberta. Hmmm....where to go? Believe it not, I actually had difficulty picking a trail that would meet his high expectation level. But after much debate, I settled on a <em>'best of'</em> route that would take us from the Hawk Creek trailhead to Sunshine Resort, via 3 mountain passes in the heart of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_national_park"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Banff National Park</strong></span></a>. The trail forced us to 'cheat' a little bit, as it actually started in BC's Kootenay National Park - but with the majority of the trail in Alberta, I figured this 'small' detail could easily be relegated to the fine print...<br />
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There's nothing quite like a 10km (9% grade) run through the remnants of the Kootenay's 2003 fire to get the day started! An hour later, we reached Ball Pass (2,200m) which sits right on the Alberta/BC border. What should have been a stellar view of the local peaks, was instead replaced by a hazy and blurred landscaped view...In fact, the extensive forest fire activity in BC was blowing a heavy blanket of smoke East, limiting visibility to more/less 5km - not the best for promoting Alberta's premier trails...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIVt5ZcWTD_sXeSYn-zR3KfQjwc4ZOoAiSysb7NgrhyPCqEqcSdIIAwNuygndR5VqU4T3odqbWlO6qOzPxyuGKFDhKhVltu0KwN8oUFlsAwIzTZ9mW5HFjCg5id4v6DVaL2T5nDafGxU/s1600/Hawk6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIVt5ZcWTD_sXeSYn-zR3KfQjwc4ZOoAiSysb7NgrhyPCqEqcSdIIAwNuygndR5VqU4T3odqbWlO6qOzPxyuGKFDhKhVltu0KwN8oUFlsAwIzTZ9mW5HFjCg5id4v6DVaL2T5nDafGxU/s320/Hawk6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Oliver takes it easy down Ball Pass' steep scree descent - don't want to hurt yourself here!</strong></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the smoke filled air, the immediate peaks offered up some amazing views as we cruised through the Whistling Valley trail on route up to our second pass of the day which would top out at 2,300m!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_OYzgbCOevKMkXEhw8fhJ-Si2lSmZF0ErCgYWkTJd_U45J4p7z0PlQmU2iFlw_BLsm0cP1PCU4edqcixuml_EPQnC71UG1uQycB8i1zXss14grTir8YZ5_dF_Ania_2BQsRDLsqYoVc/s1600/Hawk14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_OYzgbCOevKMkXEhw8fhJ-Si2lSmZF0ErCgYWkTJd_U45J4p7z0PlQmU2iFlw_BLsm0cP1PCU4edqcixuml_EPQnC71UG1uQycB8i1zXss14grTir8YZ5_dF_Ania_2BQsRDLsqYoVc/s320/Hawk14.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>There's nothing better than high alpine singletrack!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Whistling Pass, we cruised down it's fun, technical backside and popped out at the Egypt Lake trail crossing, where we refilled our water bladders for the remaining 12km stretch back home - oh, and up our 3rd and final climb of the day - Healy Pass (2,300m)!<br />
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Look at the difference from the same shot...The first photo was taken yesterday, the next one was taken a few years back while GPS'ing the route with Bob Walker, author of <a href="http://www.mtnrunning.ca/home.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Mountain Running in the Canadian Rockies:</strong></span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwV_qr36Fbt2ikoEFzu9Qmircwy30hbuTF7A2go9WhxEGss99F7zHLi53LpALxRKxdnz0hm753vH4jkae3Zl5k0YS-5KSYHrvwnszNGB4oFhJNV8Sal5mIMo9FN-MJn32sWUV1irNPxs/s1600/Hawk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwV_qr36Fbt2ikoEFzu9Qmircwy30hbuTF7A2go9WhxEGss99F7zHLi53LpALxRKxdnz0hm753vH4jkae3Zl5k0YS-5KSYHrvwnszNGB4oFhJNV8Sal5mIMo9FN-MJn32sWUV1irNPxs/s320/Hawk1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>On a smoke filled day...</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-K3eneZabVCkoyMVcSpQ7Nouwj6mUm9KB5wLr_7gUZmdAHjJxosLErRRzRlwzIn2032lk_2bkzayG4lbo_FD9NmP-6WVEHAjP9wT3jaonVh6w2e7HjaKs4HQSWBhv2Nin1oRu5dRqaY/s1600/2008-07-27_12-48-04_27072008430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-K3eneZabVCkoyMVcSpQ7Nouwj6mUm9KB5wLr_7gUZmdAHjJxosLErRRzRlwzIn2032lk_2bkzayG4lbo_FD9NmP-6WVEHAjP9wT3jaonVh6w2e7HjaKs4HQSWBhv2Nin1oRu5dRqaY/s320/2008-07-27_12-48-04_27072008430.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>On a clear day...</strong></span><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The smoke coverage seemed to intensify as the day progressed, and what should have been the climax (in views) of the day on top of Healy Pass, turned out to be quite the opposite. Regardless, Oliver seemed to be enjoying his personal Rockies' tour, so we pressed on, down the long stretch to the Sunshine Resort parking lot.<br />
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All in all, a great day in the mountains, and some quality time spent up high, which I think will help as I tackle a few of Colorado's high passes - Take a look at the route profile from my Suunto's Movescount track: </span><a href="http://www.movescount.com/moves/move373663"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.movescount.com/moves/move373663</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Click on the 'Altitude' tab to get the profile).<br />
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Stay tuned for more TransRockies updates very soon...</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-32070647916618180072010-08-06T21:39:00.000-07:002010-08-06T21:55:05.214-07:00Another Quad burner? Why Not...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3J7lHo-oVYXy8tstQuEgMdwpyvQdSL1k5tU_cgkiy3hyRkO6R_LcgQdBsE71iZu5Z9bByyo6ug2gIrzQWkmGRkhI7769ZS2eHBi0yGfA1UXZT3Iuvqc7lvTThqzeLq6MSWX-d9vvGJg/s1600/LadyMac01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3J7lHo-oVYXy8tstQuEgMdwpyvQdSL1k5tU_cgkiy3hyRkO6R_LcgQdBsE71iZu5Z9bByyo6ug2gIrzQWkmGRkhI7769ZS2eHBi0yGfA1UXZT3Iuvqc7lvTThqzeLq6MSWX-d9vvGJg/s400/LadyMac01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I had a good old fashion up/down workout...After my CDR experience I figured I'd let my quads know who was the boss ;) and let'em have it once again!<br />
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Mount Lady MacDonald, named after Susan Agnes MacDonald, wife of Canada's first prime minister, is one of Canmore's most accessible mountains around. For most recreational hikers, it's an 'easy' 3 to 4hr roundtrip hike to the old Tea House platform (I'm actually kind of surprised this business 'venture' failed...duh!). If you feel up to it, go ahead and continue along the narrow 'knife' edge to the summit (2,606m)... Just be sure not to look down! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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Tonight, I wanted to add a bit of 'zip' to my 1,100 vertical metre trip up to Lady Mac's tea house so I took my ski poles to keep a relatively quick walk/run pace to the top. A few pics, a few silly videos and back down I raced in an attempt to beat the rain. Aside from a bit of wind at the top from an incoming storm, it was a perfect night! In fact, it was so nice I even considered doing a bit of 'yard work' up there...<br />
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<div align="center"><object height="247" width="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/73EKovBeyQM&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/73EKovBeyQM&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="247"></embed></object></div>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102598343634136512.post-61007080985626316482010-08-05T11:32:00.000-07:002010-08-05T11:32:10.537-07:00Do as I say...NOT as I do!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EwMOTBsCIxGrIzX3AACpV_o94zjGE5juINxDPTFYiKgJZfbjT4TRmH6xDBli0DVPdtEdaf80w4BGpm1luAzXRahIPzgpyOa5x0F73eat7zqZo3vQtIy0YIsVuxr1lGvikTCCxkxrOuw/s1600/TRR09+tent+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EwMOTBsCIxGrIzX3AACpV_o94zjGE5juINxDPTFYiKgJZfbjT4TRmH6xDBli0DVPdtEdaf80w4BGpm1luAzXRahIPzgpyOa5x0F73eat7zqZo3vQtIy0YIsVuxr1lGvikTCCxkxrOuw/s400/TRR09+tent+art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, it's back to the drawing board for this guy...<br />
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It's been a tough week. Physically, my legs have been so sore to the touch from all the muscle damage (caused by extreme cramping), that I almost had to reinforce the hand-rails on my stairs due to putting too much weight on them (ok, maybe not...but they did creak a lot!). As for my mental state...well...to have spent so much time/effort focused on one big event, only to have the experience cut short due to a mistake in my preparation was a major disappointment to say the least. So enough said on that part. But like all my other 'learning experiences'...life goes on. <br />
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Until today, I haven't had much desire to hit the trails...But as my body started coming back to life yesterday, I started thinking about how unfortunate it would be to 'waste' my current level of fitness - After contemplating a few events, I remembered how much fun my </span><a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TransRockies Run</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> experience has been over the past 3yrs, and decided "What the hell - Why not!". So this morning I registered for TR's 3-day solo version, the </span><a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/transrockies/reg_run3.htm"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gore-Tex TransRockies Run 3</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. <br />
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It's not the first time I've made (big) mistakes in training. Looking back, I've had my share of training 'fumbles'. I suppose that it's one of the reasons I enjoy sharing my training advice and adventures - If I can help others avoid taking the same rough trails I did, then mission accomplished! Then again, if you prefer to stick to the rougher terrain, you're welcome to tag along on my next run...</span>Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117932148351886940noreply@blogger.com2