What's next?

That I’m not sure of, because after doing some trail marking for a 5 Peaks race at Rattlesnake Point in early June, I rolled my ankle pretty bad and needed to take a few weeks off for recovery.

The hardest part now is getting started again, and passing that fear of re-injury.  I am fearful that I am going to misstep and roll the ankle again, and then set myself back even further. I don’t have a goal race set yet, but still have at least 2 more 5 Peaks Ontario races (I will miss Albion Hills due to travel plans) but am looking for something in the fall to redeem this year plagued by injury.

The first step for recovery was taking 2 weeks off doing no running and forcing myself to take longer than I may have needed before lacing them up.

The second step was to slowly return to running, and right now that is where I’m at… This morning I went out and did a trail run at a moderate pace (around 5:40/km) and the ankle felt great – if anything I could tell I hadn’t run in a few weeks because the issues were more around my overall stamina, than anything with my ankle.

The last step will be to keep easing back into a routine, and gradually building back to where I was with 4-5 runs per week, and then setting some long-term goals.

I think I will register for the Oasis Canada Zoo Run in Toronto for late Sept, as this has become an annual run with my son, and now 2 more of my kids have expressed interest to run as well. The summer will be spent getting them ready to complete the 10k distance, and that should also keep me motivated to run and hold me back enough to ensure proper recovery.

I’ll let you know how it goes…

5 Peaks Ontario - Race 1 - Terra Cotta

The first event in the 2017 5 Peak Ontario Trail Series was held, April 22, in Terra Cotta and it was an amazing event, even though it was unseasonably cold that morning.

I was a volunteer that morning, so arrived at the park at 7:45am to assist with set up and to meet the race crew, as I had not been able to attend previous get-together runs for the Trail Crew team. When I got there, I immediately met up with Eric, the Series Director, and asked him what was needed, and went to work helping set up tables, and the inflatable Start/Finish line.

I’m glad that I was kept somewhat busy as it was very cold when the sun was behind the clouds and I was worried that my planned attire for the event was too light (shorts and long sleeve t-shirt). The 5 Peaks events are so well run, with tons of volunteers and helpers, and are great for runners of all ages and abilities. There are kids 1k fun runs, a youth 3k distance, as well as both a Sport (1 lap) and Enduro (2 laps) events so there is something for everyone.

The weather was sunny, and we had just come off a few days of rain, so the participants were all warned about safety as the first half of the course resembled a mud bog, which made for plenty of action, hilarity, and dirty runners. I decided to follow the mantra of enjoy the mud, and ran right through the middle of all the mud patches as we made our way through the first loop, and everyone was very careful to keep upright and also aware of the other runners to avoid slipping and taking out a whole bunch of people. It became very clear that the easiest path was the muddiest path and the sooner you came to terms with this, the better.

The trail was in good shape, and the terrain was challenging with elevation changes, bridges, and narrow paths but also had the wide areas to allow for runners to pass with ease. Having looked at the elevation map early, I was aware that there were some hills, and that meant both ups and downs, and remembered that keeping a consistent pace and muddy outlook would suit me well coming up on the second lap.

The crowd of runners thinned out for the second lap, which was good, because after 500 runners had passed though at least once, by the time I hit the mud the second time, it was even more glorious.

Again deciding to embrace the “get muddy” mentality meant straight into it, and through it, and I loved every second.

I took in the beauty of nature, listened to the sound of the trails, and lost myself in the joy of trail running and couldn’t wait to cross the finish line tired but feeling accomplished. The festive nature of this event series is amazing – from the lively crowds, playful volunteers and crew, and just the relaxed atmosphere of the trail community, it is something to be witnessed.

If you have never run a trail race, try a 5 Peaks event, they are not intimidating, and the experience is different at each location as each park offers different terrain and scenery.

Try it, you’ll love it - especially if you don’t mind getting a little dirty.

NEWS - 5 Peaks Trail Crew

I am excited to have been chosen as a member of the 2017 5 Peaks Ontario Trail Crew, which means I will be promoting the events, providing updates, race discounts and attending all of the various trail race events in the region.

 

I am super excited, because it was this series that I was introduced to in the winter of 2014 by one of the local co-ordinators and friend Rob Scheifley, and I have fallen in love with trail running. Running trails is so much more rewarding than running on the roads, with nature, challenging terrain, beautiful views and lack of motor vehicle traffic. I often lose track of time on the trails, and find longer runs so much more relaxing and enjoyable, and even when doing loops I don’t mind seeing the same spots more than once (try saying that about running on the road).

With running trails, sometimes the wetter (muddier) the better, and taking a spill can be dangerous with roots, rocks, and branches, but again the trail is more forgiving than concrete or asphalt, and the bumps, scratches, cuts and bruises are often worn as badges of honour, more than scars of shame.

I encourage everyone to try running a local trail, and you will find them of varying skills level almost everywhere, and please check out www.5peaks.com for events in your area and stay tuned for discount codes where you can save 10% on future races.

I look forward to seeing you #runwild and challenge you to #getofftheroad.