Hiking The Grand Valley Trails: Hike Two-Dunnville to 25.6

   Yesterday, I hiked another section of the Grand Valley Trails system.
   I went back to Dunnville and found the spot where I had left off last week and resumed my walk from there. I did things a little differently getting there, though.
   Rather than parking my car near the beginning, hiking and then arranging a taxi to take me back to the car, I drove my car to the end point, parked it, and then called a cab to take me back into Dunnville. Doing it this way was Doralyn's idea and it was an awesome one---I was totally exhausted by the time I got to the end point and the idea of having to wait there in the middle of nowhere while a cab was trying to find me was quite unappealing. So---thanks to my Sweetie!                   It was a pretty good day for hiking, with temps around 23C (73F) and lots of sunshine. It is also Canada Day weekend in these parts and Dunnville was hugely busy with people either already celebrating or getting ready to. It's a pretty little town right on the Grand River near to where the river empties into Lake Erie, and the waters were busy with boats and fishermen everywhere. It is also on a highway going through town so this meant lots of traffic---the first thing I had to do was cross the street and this took forever!
   Eventually, I was out on the country roads and motoring along on my own two feet. In the first 40k of the trail, there are only about 3K worth of hiking through forest area, the rest is all highway. Having said that, though, yesterday's small section of forest walking was quite problematic.
   There is a un-named section of dirt path which cuts a corner between two intersecting roads. It started out dry and dusty but then became wet and boggy. At this point, the horseflies (deerflies?) took over. Not anticipating a section like this, I hadn't done any form of bug protection. I did have bug netting with me but knew it was only a short section and so figured I would just power through. But then I hit the really boggy areas. There were sections of the path which, because of all the rain in these parts, were under water. The fact that there were tadpoles and frogs in them lends me to believing they might be under water most of the time. I took out the trekking poles and was almost able to make it to the end of the swampy area but then I lost my balance and my right foot went into the muddy water, almost up to my knee. There was no pulling my foot out and keeping my shoe attached at the same time, so I ended up crouched over this mini-pond with my arm in it almost up to my elbow, trying to find and fish out my shoe. Eventually, I did so, and then spent the final 9K of my walk in a soggy running shoe! It would have been a worse experience with a hiking boot, however, so I was glad of that.
   The rest of the hike was simple roadway walking, which I was sort of grateful for, as I was getting exhausted. By the time I got back to the car, I had traveled slightly over 16K (10 miles) and was now at the 25.6K marker of the Grand Valley Trails system! And now for some pics to prove that I walked the walk!

Just about to leave Dunnville---
pretty little town!

Fishermen on the Grand River

Passing by the Byng Island conservation area. The
cab driver told me the camping area here is booked
up pretty well every weekend.

"Baaa!" I said. Sheepishly....

My view for most of the day.

The "un=named dirt road" which eventually
became very boggy and caused....

...THS! This was after I'd poured all the muddy
sludge out of it...

Just after the boggy section was a pretty random
trailer sitting there, where people had been
dropping off their used electronics

Go ahead, pick a rut!

Turning on to River Road, and the final LONG section.

My smile kind of belies how I was feeling at this point.

Small lake (pond?) I passed by. Note the wind turbine,
they're all over the place in the Dunnville area.

Random barn I thought was picturesque.

Was able to see my bright red Honda from almost
a kilometer away. And never so glad!

Beavers and Bears and Running---Oh My!

   It was a holiday here in Canada this weekend and today was Family Day. Our family, wouldn't you know it, all went our separate ways and I took advantage of the day off (actually, I'm always off on Mondays) to hit the trails once again.

One of the VERY few dry sections!

   It was a balmy 9C (48F) and I was actually able to run in shorts for the first time in a long time! Threw a shortsleeve techie over a longsleeve one and off I went. Once again I bit the financial bullet and paid to park at Komoka Provincial Park. Being a beautiful day and a holiday as well, the parking lot was crammed with people. I've been trying to up the mileage a little lately and this is why I chose Komoka---it's configured in such a way that I can get in extra kilometers without doing a lot of back-tracking.
   As mentioned, it's been pretty balmy for the last 2 or 3 days around here and the firm trails I was able to run on last week had turned into ankle-deep mud for long stretches. I was still glad I had the screwshoes but, honestly, in mud as deep as it was, they made almost no difference. Took a couple of tumbles, fairly typical slow-motion efforts, but managed to land fairly softly (though not gracefully) and am more or less none the worse for wear.

A "beaver spike"---very much
pointier than it looks!

   My original plan had been to run 8K but round about 6.5K the toll of running through thick mud had had its way with me and I walked the last half a kilometer. Prior to that, though, I ended up on a couple of trails near the western end of the park I don't remember having been on before. I took one of them and soon found myself slowed to almost a crawling pace as I navigated fairly dense underbrush. This took me down to the edge of the river and got me on a track that I'm sure only the teenagers who go down there to party ever follow. Along the way, I kept coming across young trees which had been toppled by beavers. I always enjoy coming across "nature" like that but it did occur to me, as I was slipping/sliding/falling along that the last thing I wanted to have happen would be to slip and then impale myself on a beaver spike. At that point, I clambered up the side of the hill leading away from the river's edge and and got myself back on the real trail.
   

Damaged tree---no expert here but
I was thinking "bear". If you're an
expert, give me your opinion!

On the way out of the park, I came across a large tree which had sustained significant damage from what I could only imagine as a large animal. Whole sections of its trunk had been shredded away, leaving a pile of wood shavings at its base. There also appeared to be some sort of bug infestation in the pulp of the tree. This had me thinking bear, just not sure what other kind of animal might have made the same kind of damage. We really don't normally have bears here in southwestern Ontario but every once in a blue moon (only once in recent memory) one will show up. The consensus, though, seems to be that more and more of them may start showing up as we humans continue to take over their natural habitats. I made a mental note to

"This is nothing but a pile of horse shit, and you know it!"

maybe contact the local authorities about this tree damage.
   Okay, there you have it, my latest running adventure. It didn't go exactly as planned due to the footing. Just being out and about on such a warm and sunny day was its own reward, though, and just the idea that we're on the cusp of Spring (and then Summer!) made the whole afternoon pretty darn nice! Can hardly wait to get out again!

Where the young kids hang
out. And leave trash....

    

A testament to the muck

Not sure why so many trees are down.
Angry bears?? (giggle)

Nice Little Winter Trail Run!

   Two weekends ago, I attempted a trail run in nearby Kains Woods. Back then, we were in the middle of a thaw and the only actual snow in the woods had turned to slick ice right on the actual trail itself. I was completely unprepared for this and, apart from a little brisk walking that day, it was kind of a bust.

Screwshoes and CamelBak at the ready!

   Saturday, I was back at Kains Woods but had my screwshoes this time. The thaw was also long gone and we had had snow that last couple of days so the trail was snow-packed and trampled down by other runners and hikers. Under these conditions, the screwshoes were amazing---no fear whatsoever climbing or going down hills and I even tried sliding on the odd ice patch I encountered and the shoes held their own.
   It was about -4C (25F) and, for what seemed like the first time in weeks, the sun was shining. The first part of the run was on a snow-covered concrete path which leads down and around a residential holding pond before entering the woods. The wind along the path was a little nasty but once into the woods the wind more or less disappeared. 

Hard to tell, but this trail goes
down at a 45 degree angle, on
a sidehill. Pretty easy to fall off,
especially in the winter!

   The plan for the day was to run 7K---3.5K into the woods and then head back. At the turnaround point, I pulled out the Mars bar I'd tucked away and consumed it while I took a couple of pics of the river. The Mars bar was kind of in homage to my x-country skiing days back when I was in my twenties. I always made sure I had one with me and, partway through the afternoon (and I thought I had earned it), I ate it. Bit of an energy boost on top of everything else.
   Just past the 5K mark, my quads started to give me a little grief and I decided to maybe aim for 6K instead of the original 7. The last kilometer would have been all uphill as well so I was fine walking it! At this point, I am quite okay with upping the mileage extremely slowly---last summer, when I discovered trail running, I think I overdid it, constantly fighting debilitating post-run thigh cramps. Not this year, if I can help it!
   

 
Once again, the woods were fairly alive with people, even more so than two weeks ago. Lots of people walking dogs and even more runners than usual, people who actually looked like they knew what they were doing!
   I finally made it back to the car and everything was fine til I actually got halfway in and then all of the sudden had this cramp down the outside of my right shin. I got back out of the car as fast as I could and stood on the leg until the cramp expired, just a couple of seconds. I very gingerly got back into the car and thins were fine after that. That's all I need, a major cramp attack while driving!
   The CamelBak continues to work nicely. It's not something I even necessarily need on a 6K run in cold temps but I'm just trying to get used to running with it and so far, so good. Always nice to be able to take a quick sip without stopping!
   At this point, my plan is to try and get out every weekend, I feel like I've been properly winterized and I can't imagine anything really holding me back. And now that "Roll Up The Rim" is back, Spring's just around the corner! Whoop!
   
   

Some goodbyes, some veggies, some shoes, some dogs, and some thank-you's!

   It is with some shock, regret and horror that I notice I have not blogged on this page in over two months! And I call myself a runblogger?!
   I will attempt to recap the last couple of months.
   One of the principal reasons for runbloggers to cease runblogging is that they might also have ceased running. No running leads to no running to write about. For a large chunk of the past two months this has been my sad story. It's not that there was absolutely no running, but the running that actually did happen was so poorly thought out and sporadic that it didn't seem like it was even happening, really. Definitely a case of lost mojo!
  So why did this happen?
   For a variety of reasons, I seem to run less in the summer. This is partly due to the heat and humidity here in London but also as much to do with the fact there seems to be so much else to do. This particular summer, our property has been undergoing a major overhaul and sometimes at the end of a long day slogging away in the garden or building a walkway the running seems to take a back seat. All of this means less running and therefore less runblogging.
   When I say my mojo's gone, I mean it's almost as if it never existed. My last blog post was a recap of the Summer Night 5K race and what I didn't mention in that post was that when I checked the race results I almost came in last. When I crossed the finish line, my feeling at the time was there was a handful of people behind me but, in fact, I was only ahead of one person! Getting pumped for an upcoming race always helps with the mojo but when you're looking at the prospect of possibly being last in the field, it's a little more difficult to let the mojo do its thing.
   One of the surest signs you've lost your mojo happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was paid and registered to run the 5K in the Springbank Road Races here in London. I picked up my race packet the night before and set everything out before I went to bed. The alarm clock went off in the morning at the right time and I rolled over in bed and didn't bother to go to the race! I just didn't feel like it. I live, literally, five minutes away from the start line and I couldn't force myself to get up and go. And I didn't even feel really all that bad about it. Yes, the mojo was shot. Totally. Gone.
   One of the positive things which has happened in the last couple of months is that I've given up eating meat. I'd been thinking about seriously doing this for the last couple of years and it all seemed to fall into place about a month and a half ago. Essentially, it bothered me that an animal had to die in order to provide me with an unnecessary pleasurable eating experience. I've also been exposed to a whole series of pics of delicious-looking vegetarian meals and this has certainly been an eye-opener as well (thank you, Crystal!)
   This "vegetarian" thing, not surprisingly, has been a whole new learning experience! Mainly, it has introduced me to tofu and a bunch of products which are made from it. I'm pretty sure I've experienced tofu snuck into my Thai food occasionally but this has been my first experience with the original undisguised product. Some things are good and others have already been crossed off my list. One of the good things, though, is that the family has always had some kind of veggie with our meals so the only thing I need to do is complement whatever they're having with a bit of protein of my own. So far so good!


   I am also now a little more into the running on a regular basis. The combination of running and eating more veggies these days has led to about a 6 pound weight loss. All of this combined has me finally running a 5K in slightly less than 40 minutes.This, of course, is ridiculously slow but, at the same time, I haven't been able to run 5K in less than 40 minutes for the better part of a year now. Finally getting under that is huge, mojo-wise.

Inching my way down there.

   So I have been running three times a week regularly for the last three or four weeks. What I've been finding in my march toward getting under that magical forty minute mark is that I've been able to trim about twenty to thirty seconds off of each successive run. Basically, I've looked at the previous run and anywhere I walked in that run I've at least tried to run slowly in the next. Any time I ran slowly one day, I try to run a little faster for that same section the next time out. For sections where I was already running pretty free and easy, I tried to ramp things up a bit. So far, it's working!

Hooray!

   New kicks make this all the more fun! About three weeks ago I picked up a pair of Saucony Ride 8's. I managed to find an elusive Running Room gift certificate and this was all the encouragement I required to go pick up a new pair. They feel awesome---light and cushiony and pretty neutral so the running's good!

Damn!

   While I was at it, thought I'd go to the nearest Talize store (good quality second-hand) and pick up a few shirts. I picked up a red tech shirt specifically for running and particularly so that it would sort of "match" the new shoes. I went out for a run the next day and was feeling awesome in all my new stuff and was looking forward to cutting another thirty or so seconds off when the unexpected happened. As I was running past a young couple and their two dogs, suddenly their beagle leaped up at me and put a paw right through my "new" shirt! Big hole! Now, generally people move their dogs out of the way when they see me coming and I do my part by taking a wider route around than normal but this time we both got a little too close and I think I was a little off my guard due to the relatively small size of both dogs. But never again! The lady with the beagle was very apologetic and if it had been a brand new shirt instead of a previously worn one we may have carried the discussion a little further. To top it all off, this completely destroyed my rhythm and desire to finish the run that day and I basically walked the last kilometer. Bummer.
   Finally, part of what has prompted me to get back into running a little more regularly is that a couple of people I know have just run their very first 5K races and have been awesome at it. One of my co-workers, Tricia, ran her first race and did it in about 35 minutes and the other gentleman, Nacer, is the husband of a runblogger I follow down in Ohio and he ran his in about 28 minutes! Both are times I would die for. So thanks, Tricia and Nacer (and my sis-in-law, Sabrina, for a little bit of a campfire pep talk), for the extra smidgeon of inspiration and motivation! It helps!
   Okay, so for the most part, you are all caught up. I'm trying real hard to get out there at least three times a week. The mojo seems to be slowly seeping back in. Currently there are no races in the forecast. There was a Hallowe'en race scheduled but it now looks as though I will be out of town that weekend. This means the racing is likely done for the season and I will re-approach it in the spring. This is quite fine with me and will give me the winter to build up to a fully-replenished mojo level.
   In the meantime, safe and happy running to you all! And I promise to visit a little more often!
   
    

Kicks Pics!

   As requested (and just to wrap up my Running Room misadventure story), I wanted to post a pic of the new kicks. As you might remember, I'd been having uploading issues with Blogger and had been unable to post any pics, let alone pics of the new shoes. Well, it seems the issue was my Compatibility View settings---I'd adjusted them a few days ago and hadn't made the connection til last night. Went back in and changed them to what they were and voila, I can post pics again! Such a relief!
   The RR return policy was sixty days provided I hadn't scuffed them or used them outside. In light of this, I headed off right away to the Goodlife treadmill.
   Of course, I was pretty excited and hopped on the 'mill and started to run and all of the sudden realized I hadn't stretched! Not even a touch!



Asics Gel-Nimbus 15 LS! Here they are! (I can almost here my mum
now--"Get your shoes off the diningroom table
right this minute!")

   Now, I'm not sure what everyone else's pre-run routine is but after my bout with PF last year, stretching before and after a run has become a ritual. The idea that I was running with brand new shoes without even stretching beforehand got me all panicky and I shut the run down almost as soon as I had started.
   The next day (after the appropriate stretching), I hit the treadmill again. Ran three miles and no problems! At this point, I thought I could probably hit the streets so, the next day, I headed to Springbank Park and ran 5K. Once again, no probs. Of course, if you've ever suffered from PF, you know that no run is ever successful until the next morning and you're pain-free. It was with a little trepidation, that I rolled out of bed the following day after that 5K run outside. But, once again, no probs!
   In a running world where people seem to have anywhere up to five or six different pairs of shoes for different conditions or types of races, I now have two reliable pairs. I'm thinking this will probably do me, for the amount and kinds of running I do.
   There is, however, kind of a cool feeling around new kicks...
  
  



My Running Room Experience and My Super Power: Part Two

   Okay, gang, this is going to be a little anti-climactic here.
   A few days ago I did a post in which I described my recent visit to our local Running Room here in London, in search of new shoes. If you want to get caught up, you can read that post here.
   As you remember, I'd had rather an unfortunate visit to the RR wherein I'd come across shoes which were incorrectly displayed on their wall, found out what the mistake was when I got home, went back, had it corrected and ordered the shoes I wanted. I had hinted that maybe a bit of a break, price-wise, on my shoes might be appropriate but I was kind of pooh-poohed by the store staff that day. I was then then  left with a wait until the shoes I wanted arrived from Waterloo. That's where we were at the end of the last post.
   To update, the shoes came in much sooner than the store originally promised and the they contacted me promptly.
   When I went in, there was a whole new set of staff to deal with. This made it a little more difficult to plead my case, of course and, eventually, I just paid the extra ten bucks for the shoes and went my way.
   Interestingly, I had mixed reviews on the approach I should use with the RR--everything from "shit happens, don't worry about it" to "hey, they're a big business, you should write a letter to the owner".
   Part of the problem for me was that I ended up not feeling prepared enough, as a customer, when I went in. I knew the name of the shoe I wanted to try on when I went into the store but got too easily confused when I came across the mis-labelling. I probably should have had them check their own website before I walked out of the store with shoes that really weren't the ones I wanted.
   The other part of the problem was that the price difference was only ten bucks and ten bucks doesn't seem like an amount to really bitch about, especially when you've got a whack of gift cards at your disposal. On top of everything else, I've only ever had positive experiences at this RR. So I paid the extra and headed home, still pretty satisfied. Hey, new shoes!
   Now, if Blogger was allowing me to upload pics, I'd be able to actually show you the new kicks but, sadly, this is not the case. Blogger's been less than friendly lately with pics and I'm actually thinking about a switch....
   Are you listening, Blogger....??


   Any views on Blogger vs. Wordpress, peeps?

My Running Room Experience and My Superpower: Part One

   Last week was my birthday and I got a bunch of Running Room gift cards so I thought I would head downtown to our local RR and get me some new kicks.
   I had already been on their website and had an idea of what shoes I wanted to try on but I really had my heart set on trying a pair of Asics Gel-Nimbus 15 LS. The last pair of Asics I had were pretty comfy, I think this is why I was gravitating to another pair. I also liked the colour scheme presented.
   When I got there, just shortly after 11:30 a.m., the store...was closed! There was just a sign on the door, one of those "Sorry, be right back" affairs. There was another gentleman already there waiting and the two of us ended up having quite a nice little chat (when you're both runners, there's that instantaneous connection!)


The shoe I was after...

  


   We were out there in the cold for about ten minutes when someone finally came and opened the door for us, from inside the store.
   I immediately headed over to the wall of shoes and found the Gel-Nimbus 15 LS shoes. Here is where things started to break down for me. They sort of looked like the shoes I remembered from the website but not quite. They were, however, clearly marked on the wall as the Gel-nimbus 15 LS. I also knew I wanted to try on the Gel-Nimbus 15's (minus the LS, which is only a reflective colouring difference). These were clearly marked on the wall as well so I tried them on. I also tried on some Brooks, Mizuno, Saucony and New Balance, as was my plan. Still, I gravitated back to the Gel-Nimbus 15 LS. And still I was bothered by the fact that they just didn't look quite like what I remembered from the website. I asked the young man who was helping me if they came in any other colour or pattern and he assured me that, no, they didn't.
   So I ended up buying them anyway, after I got the word on what the return policy was.
   I drove them home and immediately got back on the website. This is when I found out what had happened. My trip back to the store then confirmed it for me.
   The staff from the store had erroneously stocked the Gel-Nimbus 15 shoe on the wall where the Gel-Nimbus 15 LS was supposed to be. A completely different Asics shoe was in the spot where the Gel-Nimbus 15 was supposed to be. The Gel-Nimbus 15 LS wasn't even on display! The young man very sheepishly corrected things and went into the back room and came out with a Gel-Nimbus 15 LS, the shoe I had originally been looking for but that hadn't even been on display!
   This was not a confidence booster but at least I finally had my eyes on the shoe I really wanted. Next catch? Nothing in my size! (I would tell you what my size is but you know what they say about a man with small feet...) The young lady

...and its impostor!

working there said she would call around and see if any other RR's in the area had a pair. Fortunately, there were a bunch of them in Waterloo and they are currently being shipped to London.
   The girl then mentioned that when they came in all I would then have to do is pay the difference in cost between the regular Gel-Nimbus 15s and the LS model, about ten bucks.
   I looked at her and said "Really? You would charge me the extra ten dollars after your mistake here in the store really screwed me up and made me have to come all the way back??"
   She did look kind of sheepish and mumbled something about how it would screw up the inventory if they didn't charge the extra.
   Now, here is the real reason for me writing this blog post.
   What I really wanted to say to this young woman was "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOUNG LADY? I AM A CANUCK RUNNING BLOGGER AND WHEN I GET HOME I'M GOING TO WRITE A BLOG POST ABOUT ALL THIS AND RUNNERS FROM ACROSS CANADA AND THE U.S. ARE GOING TO READ IT AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE HOBNOB WITH GUYS LIKE JOHN STANTON AND BART YASSO AND THEN YOU'LL BE SORRY!!"
   But I didn't say that because, well, that just ain't Brian Baker, folks. But it does occur to me that running bloggers aren't just your ordinary customer, are they? It's more than likely that they already know what they're doing when they walk into a running store, could probably be working there themselves as a matter of fact, and could probably even label the shoes correctly. But, more than that, we have an audience!
   Word of mouth is valued by retailers and who has more word of mouth potential than a runner who also blogs about it? We certainly talk about our shopping experiences among our friends and acquaintances but then we also sit down and share that with North America! We blog and we tweet and we share and re-tweet and re-share and some of it ends up on Pinterest and some of it ends up on Instagram and tons of it ends up on Facebook. And I know I just said North America but we get pageviews from all over the world, don't we?
   I would almost liken us to a food critic walking into a restaurant. Whether the experience is bad or the experience is good, the world will find out. You don't get that with the average customer.
   So I really toyed with the idea of at least casually mentioning that my experience there could likely end up in print sometime soon, just to see if they might re-consider charging me the extra ten dollars when the shoes come in. In reality, given that I live about 12 kilometers away from the store and that I've already made two round trips and am looking at another one when the shoes come in, I'm looking at travelling 72 kilometers for a pair of shoes I should really have only made one trip for.
   Of course, I could also do a better job of making sure of what I'm after when I shop and that I simply don't leave with something I'm having reservations about. I've also never had anything like this happen any other time I've shopped at that RR, so I'm also (in spite of my heavy-handed posturing above) not keen on making waves, I have no great desire to be persona non grata the next time I go in there. It's not even really about the piddly ten bucks either.
   No, more than anything, I find myself trying to come to grips with this whole writing thing, like somehow or other it feels like a superpower or something or at least, given that we have this audience, a facet of ourselves which sets us somewhat aside (certainly not above) from other people we might run into.
   Where I work, occasionally something needs to be written and written well. Generally I am the person who gets asked to do that. I take that as a compliment (and as a bit of a chain around my neck sometimes) that people have recognized this ability in me. What comic books have taught me is that with great power comes great responsibility. I must use my superpower wisely. Stay tuned to see if I do!  

Springbank Race Recap In Which The Unthinkable Happened!!

  Okay, I imagine when you read the title of this post and saw the word "unthinkable", you probably thought to yourself omg, he won!
   Well, actually, no I didn't so we'll get to the "unthinkable" part toward the end of this post.
   Today I ran in the 5k division of the Springbank Road Races here in London. It was a beautiful day for running, sunshiny with a bit of a breeze and almost no humidity.

Start of the half!

   There was also a half marathon division which started half an hour before the 5k race which took off at 8:30 in the morning. I got to the park and was making my way to the starting line when the half marathon runners passed me going the other way, right after their start. It was actually quite the sight, this mass of runners and I managed to get a pic as they headed my way. Maybe some day, when I grow up, I'll be a half marathon runner! 
 
 

   I had just enough time to get my stretching in and down some fluids before the race began. I started about three quarters of the way back from the front because, essentially, this seemed like the polite thing to do, didn't want to slow down any of the fast runners.
   My racing experience is very limited but so far I've found that if I'm running in a group then I tend to run at whatever pace that group is running at. Letting other runners dictate your pace seems like a terrible strategy and I remember thinking I should get away from this group of people and follow my own strategy. Then I remembered that I had no strategy and so hung in with them for awhile!
  

Lined up for the 5k start

Eventually, things started to thin out and I felt unencumbered by the masses.
   It was a fairly easy run and I only walked the one time, up the last hill. This was a planned walk that I timed for a minute and at the end of it continued running. At this point I was able to finish the race sans walking which, for me, was a bit of an achievement. I've been running this route pretty regularly the last month and I've never been able to complete the last stretch without a walk break. Yesterday, however, this was not an issue. Here, I think, is the difference between a race and a training run. By the time the last stretch arrives, there are actually people cheering you on, you can see the finish line up ahead and stopping to walk is about the last thing you want to do. Well, it wasn't the last thing I wanted to do but it was the last thing I was going to do!

Last loop for the half marathoners

   Approaching the finish line was pretty cool, I could hear my name being announced and people yelling "Way to go, 404!" (not an "error message", it was my bib number). My Garmin clicked in at 35:11 and I believe the chip time was 35:55, not a time I'm happy with but still pretty consistent with what my training was.
   After the race I hung around and cheered in some of the half marathoners, watched the 5k awards being handed out, took a couple of pics (way too self-conscious for a selfie) and headed for home.
   This is where the unthinkable occurred or, at least, where I became aware of it.
  

After the 5k, cheering on the others!

When I run, I wear custom-made orthotics, part of the PF treatment I've been undergoing and I'm continually transferring the orthotics from my running to my regular shoes. After the race, when I got home, I looked down at where I'd left my regular shoes and there was one orthotic sitting there! Knowing what I would find, I immediately went and checked the shoes I'd just raced in. One orthotic in, one orthotic out! Not only that, the shoe without the orthotic didn't even have its sock liner! Aren't I such a professional runner?! I can only surmise that with my mind so preoccupied with getting ready for the race and with the systems amped up a bit, I never even noticed one shoe feeling slightly different than the other. Hate gettin' old, seems like the unthinkable slowly starts to become thinkable!
  
  

The GAiT-way Explained And The News Is So-So...

   This afternoon I made my way back to SoleScience at the Fowler Kennedy clinic so that I could sit down with Dr. Colin Dombroski and discuss the results of my 3D GAiT assessment.
   Fortunately, Colin loaded the results of the assessment on to a memory stick so that I could sit down at home and more slowly go over all the info and what it meant.

   In his office, though, he was able to explain to me that out of the three main areas of my lower body which work together to make me run--the knees, ankles and hips--the most problematic one of them was the hips.


Dr. Colin Dombroski

   This didn't take me entirely by surprise--prior to the onset of plantar fasciitis, if you'd asked me what the most dysfunctional area of my body was I would have said my hips. There have been times in my past when, in the morning, my one hip would not actually propel me across the room anymore. My wife begged me to go see her chiropractor but, being a man, I waffled mightily.
   Eventually, though, the pain became so intense that I finally acquiesced. I have never been so glad that I did. Several adjustments later and I was right as rain. Occasionally I go back when I feel it's necessary. Lately, I've been feeling it's about time so it was really not totally surprising to find that the GAiT assessment indicated the hips as a problem area.


Low numbers are bad...

   Colin went ahead and gave me a set of exercises to do to strengthen my hips, this by way of e-mail so that it can be accessed quickly. In about six weeks, I'll return for another follow-up and see if the exercises, in conjunction with the orthotics, have made a difference, both with the p-fash and the mechanics.
   On another interesting note, when Colin first met me he took a look at the wear pattern on the Asics I'd been running in and said he'd never really seen one quite like it. Because of this, he actually offered to waive the assessment fee, if I turned them over to him! Which I did!


The offending wear pattern

   Well, off to do some exercising...
   

My Little Chickensh**t Walk (And A Couple Of Other Only Mildly Interesting Things)

   I had hoped that by today I would have a blog post ready describing the 3D GAiT assessment I was scheduled to have yesterday at SoleScience here in London. Unfortunately the appointment needed to be re-scheduled to next week, so THAT post will have to wait a little longer.
   Today, I had been thinking that I would go out for my first run in two weeks. I'd been following (fairly closely) the at-home regimen Dr. Dombroski had recommended for treating the p-fash which has been my close companion for over a month now. The heel was feeling great and as I was walking around today it felt perfectly normal. Dr. Dombroski had even suggested giving running a try as I now had my new orthotics. Evrything pointed to giving it a shot--- and then I chickened out.
   The heel felt great, the new shoes felt wonderful, I wanted to run--but I still chickened out.
   I'm not totally sure why I did this. More than anything, I think it might have been the fact that, because the heel was SO good, I didn't want to risk taking a backward step. I felt that the psychological impact of going from no pain back to pain might have been more than I was prepared to handle at the moment.

Part of the route. Looks flat. It ain't.

   I opted instead for a 5K walk, following the hilly route I'd been running to prepare myself for the Uxbridge 5K trail run in two weeks. I chose to walk it as fast as I possibly could, so that the heel would get a decent workout without as much fear of reinjuring it. I even Garmin'd it. My virtual running partner was "on" and was set to a running pace. Very quickly my virtual partner outdistanced me and disappeared from the screen (I had visions of him on my front porch, waiting for me to show up...) but this didn't bother me. I completed the walk in about forty-five minutes and enjoyed the mild sweat it caused. I re-stretched, massaged and iced and will see how things are in the morning. If I'm still feeling good, I will repeat the same thing but will add perhaps a kilometer of running to the mix and see how that goes. Assuming it goes okay, I will very gradually increase the running.
   Now for the Only Mildly Interesting stuff.


My plantar fasciitis killers.

   I now have orthotics. So far, they feel great and I really hope they help prevent further p-fash episodes. Fingers crossed there. In the process of removing sock liners from various pairs of shoes the past few days in order to slide in the orthotics, I discovered something quite interesting. Well, it was interesting to me, a fairly new runner, it may actually be old hat to other, more seasoned runners. When I removed the sock liner from the left shoe of my new Air Pegasus+29's, I discovered a funny little foam tab. My wife then got curious and removed the foam tab. This left a plastic hole, or well.
   I couldn't for the life of me figure out what this hole was for and why only in the left shoe.



Above, plugged. Below, unplugged.

   Quickly I went to Google and discovered what it was. This is the built-in spot for your Nike Sensor. The Sensor is a wireless transmitter which will send running data (times, laps, pace, calories burned, etc.) directly to your iPod nano, iPod touch, Nike+ SportBand or iPhone, so that you can view it, as you are running.

Nike Sensor
 

   Okay, this was pretty cool! Not sure if I'll ever get the Sensor but it was still good to know.
   At this point, it's several hours since my strenuous little chickens**t walk and the heel is a little more tender than it was before. I'm not too worried about this, I'll find out in the morning if there's been a major setback at all. My new mantra has become time will tell and heal as well! Cheers!
  


   

  

 

The Science of Sole (My Good Monday)

   Monday was a great day for running!
   Well...I didn't actually run but I did have my first appointment at the Fowler Kennedy clinic here in London to see if there was anything they might be able to do about this now-recurring plantar fasciitis (p-fash) I've been struggling with for over a month now.

   I had an appointment scheduled with Dr. Colin Dombroski, a certified pedorthist and the only one in Canada with a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science. He is also the founder and head of SoleScience, a group of professionals who specialize in pedorthic and kinesiology services. SoleScience operates out of the same building as and is affiliated with the Fowler Kennedy sports medicine clinic, one of the most renowned in the world.
   Once I got over the part where I couldn't remember the name of my work's group insurance provider and then had to be sent back to my seat to fill out the reverse side of the questionnaire they give new patients, the appointment went very well.
   I was greeted right on time by Colin, who took me back into the assessment area. He was very eager to hear about my problem and quite interested in analyzing my own personal feedback on it. He then went on to examine both my feet and watch me walk back and forth across the room. In short order, both his affability and knowledgeability made me comfortable that I was in good hands.

   He also took a look at the old pair of Asics I'd been running in since the summer. He was amazed at the unusualness of the wear pattern on them and then offered to buy them from me, so that they could be used for teaching purposes! Pretty cool.
   It was determined that orthotics would be helpful in my case so he set about taking a mold of both feet and I'll be going back next week to get them. Excellent turn-around time!
   As part of the whole procedure, one of things they'll have me do is a 3D GAiT profile. This is procedure which produces a much more accurate picture of how a person actually walks or runs, better enabling adjustments in style which would then optimize performance and/or help prevent further injury.
   Later on that day, I spoke with Colin and told him about this blog. I suggested that it might be interesting to document my SoleScience adventure and would it be okay to take pics next week. He was more than fine with this and even suggested videotaping the GAiT profile. So next week on "Strides" might be pretty entertaining...


MUCH brighter in person!

   To make my Monday even better, "running"-wise, I found out I was able to pick up my new Nike Air Pegasus+29 run shoes from the Running Room. The glow-in-the-dark neon yellow ones. These shoes are so bright yellow that when I'm wearing them around the house it looks like I'm walking on giant fireflies. My initial reaction when I saw them was nope. Then I looked at them a little longer. And a little longer. And fell in love with them! No further need for reflective garments when running at night! So far, I have only been wearing them in the house and will not likely actually run in them til the orthotics are ready. On top of everything else, the heel still hurts, so I'm happy to wait for a bit.
   So that's the story of my great Monday for "running"! Knowing that the p-fash is being tended to by experts and that the weather is finally looking like it's turning around and that I've got great feeling shoes to run in has me excited for a whole new beginning!