Notes from Dan the trail guy #55

Trail Bits 2006 # 2

If you are racing this weekend in Saanich or in any of the other Frontrunners Island Race Series races and you are not sure which club name to write down as your club affiliation please mark down Bastion. Bastion Running Club is the road racing side of the running in Nanaimo where as Runners of Compassion is primarily the trail racing and charitable side of racing in Nanaimo.

Car pooling to Saanich is taking place. I will let you know where from as soon as I find out.

As I sat in my car and waited for the first of you trail warriors to arrive back into the parking lot of Westwood Lake I watched a large number of people drive into the parking lot and literally scratch their heads in disbelief as they realized that they would have to park in “the back lot”. At one point just after 9:00am there were over 30 cars in the back lot, the front lot was full and some people were parking on the street. No, we didn’t have that many people out for the run, but there were still a lot. Probably close to 60 showed up to run. There was a group 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and a group 3. The report I received was that the group got off pretty close to on time and that the dogs and their owners were fairly well behaved.

The Saturday morning numbers will now start to decrease a little bit now that a number of members are marathon training.

Have you renewed your membership yet, if not this maybe your last Trail Bits? I hope you have enjoyed receiving the messages that I have sent out and that you found some of the information I sent you useful. Thank you for being a member of Runners of Compassion. Maybe in the future you will consider joining us again.

Please email Kathleen if you are coming to the AGM. kathleenrichardson@telus.net We now have over 30 people coming for breakfast.


Now, A little humour.
You know you are still a Trail Running Newbie IF the following applies to you:

Shoe issues- You hate the very thought of getting your shoes dirty.
You wash your shoes in the washing machine after each trail run.You buy brown trail running socks only after you notice that all your nice white socks have already turned brown.."

Water Issues- Someone tells you to try using a bladder for carrying your water and you say "Pardon me?" After the bladder system is explained to you, you buy one and get drenched every time you try to make it work.

Distance Issues-You are always trying to figure out the exact mileage of your trail run. You estimate your mileage by your time, only to look at a map and discover the mileage was half of what you calculated. Then you get more bummed because once you've calculated the mileage you learn you are "running" a 15-minute per mile pace.

Terrain Issues-You still think you are supposed to run up and down steep hills. You feel guilty every time you walk up or down a hill. If there are more than two rocks per step on the trail, you walk (and feel guilty). You stop, and then try to go around, any standing water or mud.
You spend five minutes staring at a shallow stream crossing looking for just the right stepping stones. After you cross you stand a few minutes to catch your breath and congratulate yourself.
You turn around and head back to your car if the water is ankle-deep.

Finding Your Way Issues-You get lost at least once a week. You make a wrong turn at least once during every run. You look for what experienced trail runners consider "landmarks" and never find them. When you find the landmark you don't know it until you return and explain where you ran to an experienced trail runner. You don't have a clue when you hear other trail runners describe their routes.

Food Issues-You think you can do a three hour trail run after eating one energy bar. During an organized trail event you become mesmerized by the aid station food buffet choices and spend fifteen minutes at each trying to decide what to eat. You worry about gaining weight on your long runs.

Techie Issues-You have just stopped wearing a heart rate monitor and a chronometer.
You now carry a map and are considering getting a global positioning device. You wear a watch only to have an idea of when the sun will set.

Final Newby Musings
You wonder why the trails aren't littered with corpses.
Your frame of reference on the trails becomes the visor of your hat and the 10 feet of trail ahead.
When you stop to look at a view, you know why you are "out there" and you only feel a little guilty.
You meet a whole bunch of really nice, relaxed, helpful people who can't wait to convert you from a trail newbie to a full-fledged trail geek.
You wonder if you'll ever run on pavement again.


Bits
1. January 14th – ROC AGM – 10:00 AM, ABC Country Restaurant – $10.99 Breakfast Buffet available. Proceeded by a run of the Duomont Trails.
2. Oceanside Cross Country - the Oceanside Cross Country Race Sun. Feb. 5th. I have also included it as an attachment. It is a very low key, fun event. The registration is day of race only at 12 noon in the parking lot behind the Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Quallicum Beach
3. Cedar 12k - this is Bastion Running Clubs big race of the year. Lots of volunteers, marshals and racers will be needed for this race. February 12th, in where else? Cedar. More details to follow.
4. More Ab Classes – Susan Briggs and North Ridge Fitness are offering Ab Classes to ROC members. Eight sessions for $40.00 starting on January 10, February 7 & March 7.Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. (half hour class) or, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. (half hour class) (Susan teaches this one). Anyone interested can register by contacting Northridge at 751-0505. Between Susan and Sean classes this means you can now work your ABS Monday AM, Tuesday AM, Tuesday PM, Thursday AM and Thursday PM
5. Spinning Classes – The big news is that Sean has rented the spinning studio at North Ridge Fitness Center. This means people will have the option of bringing their own bike and wind-trainer OR just using the spinning bikes already there. I’m hoping this will allow more people, especially beginners to come out and get in some cycling training. Classes start Wednesday, January 18th at 7:15PM. The clinic will run for 8 weeks and cost $50. Drop in will be $10. There is limited space however. Contact Sean at seanlunny@shaw.ca
6. Water Running –Sundays, at 10:30 a.m. The class will be 45 minutes long. It's geared to ALL levels of fitness.
7. AB Classes – Thursday Nights 6:30PM Starting January 12 and Monday Mornings 6:30AM Starting January 16 - The cost is $20 for five sessions, and the classes run in five week blocks and are one hour long. To register people can Sean at seanlunny@shaw.ca
8. Island Race Series – race # 1.
Central Saanich Pioneer 8K Host: Prairie Inn Harriers
Sunday, January 15, 200611:00 a.m.

Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly's X Road, Saanichton

$15 early registration fee, students $10, $18 for everyone after January 10, $20 day of race

Optional New Balance Long-sleeve Technical Tempo Top for $24

Race Director: Sylvan Smyth
email: pioneer@vira.bc.ca
phone: 250-480-7869
9. This weeks trail run for January 14th is a return to Dumont. 8:00am start from the Yellow Gate. As usual it will be about an hour and 15 minutes in length. If you are coming to the AGM afterwards you may want to bring extra shoes and socks. Directions – From the NORTH End - Take Duomont Rd off of Metral Drive, go past the Black Bear Pub and keep on driving for at least another 5 minutes. You will come to a T Junction in the Road. This is Biggs Rd. Turn Right and head up the hill. Drive until you come to a yellow gate on your right hand side just before the Wastelands Motto Cross. This is just as the road starts to flatten out. - From the SOUTH End– Turn left at the Jingle Pot/Mostar Exit. Quickly turn right onto Biggs road and head out past the Correctional Institute. Follow this road past the Brannon Lake Campground and head up the hill. Stay on this road all the way up the hill until you come to a yellow gate just before the Wastelands Motto Cross, this is just as the road starts to flatten out.

Upcoming Stuff
· GutBuster #1 – March 5th – only 7 more weeks until the inaugural ROC Victoria Chapter GutBuster
· Mill Bay 10km – January 29th
· Oceanside Cross Country – February 5th
· Cedar 12km – February 12th
· Hatley Castle 8km – February 26th
· Bazan Bay 8km – March 12th
· Comox Half Marathon – March 19th
· GutBuster # 2 Royal Roads - March 25th
· Sooke River 10km – April 2nd
· Whidbey Island Marathon – April 2nd
· Merville 15km – April 9th
· GutBuster # 3 Mt. Tzouhalem – April 15th
· Kusim Klimb - June