As you might know, Dave, Christine, her Chiropractor Ernie, his wife Lana, and the two of us trotted down to Portland Oregon for the third annual Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon. We came, we whined on wine, and we conquered! Not quite as big as the Medoc Marathon, but get there before it grows!
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| Don't ask, I couldn't flip...but this could also be from me keeled over out of breath! |
Before I get into the race details, I thought I would share some weekend trot info. I had mentioned in an earlier blog about perhaps trying out Upper Kananaskis Lake loop. It is a moderate 16 km loop with some rocks, small undulations, but apparently a no go warning from the trail gods:
As of July 11th there was a 20-metre wide section of the Upper Kananaskis Lake Circuit under about 1 metre of running water where Hidden Lake drains into Upper Kananaskis Lake. Use of that section of trail is not recommended.
Heck, it is only 1 metre deep, I know, I am getting soft in my old age. But I know you all don't want to pressure me to conquer a fear of swimming so we will have to try it another weekend this summer.
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So instead of a Kananaskis adventure I think I will keep it local-ish. The weather looks great so perhaps a trot in the Bragg Creek area for those interested? Who is in??? Let's meet at the Tim Hortons at West Hills Shopping area for an 8 am carpool and drive out to Bragg Creek. For those wishing to drive out that way on there own you can meet us in the parking lot of the main mall (next to the burned out gas station) for approx. 845 am. We will confirm the route and distances based on the participants who wish to come. I will try to ensure walk options for those who wish to hike. Let me know!
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As you will see in some of the next few photos this event was not for those that find Prince's Island a chore to walk. There were many ups, downs, canted slopes and bump filled grassy lanes. But all this could not even make us feel defeated as the pure spectacle of the vineyards, the winery buildings, the flowers, and all things that make Oregon a beautiful state (did I mention NO sales tax!!!) I like to travel for my major events and this is one that Joy and me have said we would definitely do again. Yes the 1000ft of elevation gain on trails was hard, but those that joined me on the Prairie View Trail a few weeks ago did more - and survived. Even if you are not a wine drinker (I prefer beer as above), the event was enjoyable for the non-drinker. I see this becoming a huge destination event as things progress.
So here are a few photos for you to sample the Fueled by Fine Wine Half. enjoy the Blackberry view of 21.1 km.
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The start. Race shirt up close and a downhill start...but an uphill finish!
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| My motivation! |
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| Two miles up and then you lose it all. I think Joy lost it on me here... |
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| It's only those first few minutes that can suck... |
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| Notice the up, up and away? We felt like superhero's! |
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| If you read the small print you will understand the first 8 miles of the event. Each sign had a different descriptor. |
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| Joy gladly found a downhill to try out her new running legs. |
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| Yes, 13 of 13.1 is Breathless! |
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| and finally a rose between two thorns. Thanks Dave! |
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The summer doldrums have hit and the attendance is down. Too hot! On vacation! Hung over from Stampede! We all have the excuses to skip out on the middle of training and take a break. But why are you not there???
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We all have suffered from some sort of injury over our training cycle and need to protect ourselves from further injury. You try to make an appointment with your Chiropractor or Physiotherapist but can’t get in until next week. What do you do? For some of us we decide to suck it up buttercup and keep going. While the finish line is still there we most likely have made the destination less achievable. We need to think of ways to protect our body and lessen the damage we have created.
We should first look at why we are feeling injured. Is it preventable? I know staying in bed is a good way of staying injury free (depending on the bed wink-wink) but we have joined our fellow athletes to get exercise and train for a goal. How can we stop the pain while still maintaining our goal? A day off can help, and should be applied if you are feeling beat up. What else can we do to shorten the pain and lengthen the gain of training with the group?
Do you all know the old acronym R.I.C.E.? It is rest, ice, compression and elevation. These are a simple and usually effective thought process to relieve body stress from our training. The simple process lessens the inflammation that we face on our long training days. While having a hot shower/bath may feel better, the effect on recovery is better with cold. Try turning the garden hose on the legs and feet for about 2 minutes after exercise. Then hop up to the shower and have your hot steam. Your recovery should be reasonably better. If you make it out to Bragg Creek I will be tossing my feet in the mountain water!
Anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce the swelling, but they do not help the cause of the swelling. Drugs are purely a mask of the underlying problems. If you continue to use them they can create some body effects that may be worse than the original condition. Use these drugs as sparingly as possible.
A good stretching routine will help the body the best for long term training, and hopefully prevent injuries from starting which would be the preferable solution. When I found my best performance was after a month of concentrated stretching with my college coach. A short warming trot followed by a few minutes of stretching warmed our bodies to the point that there was little resistance to the rigours that our training created. We do a short walk before we run, but some go further by stretching while we discuss the evening’s topic. If you are feeling tight during training try a good stretching routine before we head out. We have provided a number of stretching tools to get you ready before we go out. I found a great site for stretching that we can do at home to prevent some of our most common pains. Check out http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/126.shtml for some good illustrations to work the head-to-toe athlete. Yep, stretching advice from a non-stretching dude...
We talk about different injuries that some of us face. If we get to that point that further help is needed that the home cannot provide you need to take that step. Ask your training friends if they have an injury specialist that they trust. They can start you in the right direction to find your solution. When you do see this person, remember to tell them everything and ask questions! They will give you better results!
We are only touching on the whole injury thing as there is no perfect solution for all that ails (or ales?) us. We need to use common sense sprinkled with a dose of listening to the body. Mix in some preventative maintenance and you will have the cake of healthy training. I like to have cake and eat it too!!!
John
If you are looking for another group to help with training, check out http://www.calgaryoutdoorclub.com/. They have many group activity options.
Interested in some Medoc information as Fueled by Fine Wine has you peaked?http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0213/137.html
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and finally a joke from our friend Char.
And God promised men
that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world.
that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world.
Then He made the earth round....and laughed and laughed and laughed...
Wow the Fueled by Wine 1/2 looks very fun :) And a lot closer than Europe ;)
ReplyDeleteFor my recent injury... I completely followed my physio's orders... RICE, special exercises, and no running for a little bit. BUT I still got out there and walked! While Jamie and Paula ran B&G, I hiked (with haste) behind them. My hiking boots provided great support, and the hills still provide a cardio workout! I also used the rowing machine and did some cycling... Until I was hit with a really bad cold and was down for the count... But I'm back and lovin' it!
Keeping my eye on the prize kept me going... and now I get my prize - running again!
Ciao
Jen