Ah the white stuff is on the ground at last and a middle aged man`s mind turns to one of his more masochistic pursuits. The Mad Trapper Snowshoe series!
http://www.synergyark.com/mad-trapper.html
The running man and I did this last year and it is buckets of fun. Highly recommended. Especially if you are one of those people who enjoys occasionally coughing up a lung. There are four races this year with the first being December 13th so I`m going to have to start my training program right away.
Snowshoeing is a lot like hiking but much harder. The big shoes mean a wide leg stance which means discovering muscles you didn`t know you had. So for snowshoe running last year I worked out a program to help create stability and hit those `new` muscles in the gym. Nothing complicated really - wide stance squats and leg presses. Lunges and the ever hated core work focusing on the stabilizing muscles of the lower abs and obliques. The snow is not a very stable running surface so you have to make up for that with your own muscles. And yes, that is as exhausting as it sounds.
This year I am adding `barefoot` treadmill running. I`m not actually barefoot I`m running in these:
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
Yeas it hurts the feet. Well, tires them out anyway. I`m up to about 20 minutes now before my arches get tired.
You might be wondering what all this madness has to do with the AT. The Mad Trapper Series gives me motivation to keep training in crappy weather and I think in the long run it will make me stronger overall therefore decreasing the physical adjustment period to the AT.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Check it out!
filebox.vt.edu/users/wdickhan/
This is an awesome site IMO. No fluff, nothing over the top, very informative and interesting.
In the pics you`ll notice Bill has one piece of gear I really want - a good set of trekking poles. I have read that trekking poles can reduce the strain upon the knees by as much as 25%. I am presuming that would be when going downhill when the knees are under the most duress. In any case for a gimp like me good poles would appear to be a wise investment. Maybe I'll get fancy ones with a camera mount on top... and blackjack. and hookers. Forget the blackjack. and the trekking poles...
http://search.mec.ca/?N=10&Ntt=trekking+poles&bmUID=1227140003170
Trekking poles are expensive. I guess the manufacturers figure they are one of those non-essential extras so people who buy them are just looking to spend money. Or maybe they have huge R&D budgets? I guess they have a point though. If you don't need lightweight yet durable shockabsorbing telescoping carbon fibre poles and ergonomically moulded grips you could just pick up a couple of sticks on the ground for free...
I have some snowshoe poles already. I think the only real difference is the basket. I could get some small trekking baskets and maybe rubber tips and then only the word "snowshoe" written down the side would give me away as the cheapskate I am. Of course my snowshoe poles were like $30 so they probably aren't as uber as actual trekking poles.
This is an awesome site IMO. No fluff, nothing over the top, very informative and interesting.
In the pics you`ll notice Bill has one piece of gear I really want - a good set of trekking poles. I have read that trekking poles can reduce the strain upon the knees by as much as 25%. I am presuming that would be when going downhill when the knees are under the most duress. In any case for a gimp like me good poles would appear to be a wise investment. Maybe I'll get fancy ones with a camera mount on top... and blackjack. and hookers. Forget the blackjack. and the trekking poles...
http://search.mec.ca/?N=10&Ntt=trekking+poles&bmUID=1227140003170
Trekking poles are expensive. I guess the manufacturers figure they are one of those non-essential extras so people who buy them are just looking to spend money. Or maybe they have huge R&D budgets? I guess they have a point though. If you don't need lightweight yet durable shockabsorbing telescoping carbon fibre poles and ergonomically moulded grips you could just pick up a couple of sticks on the ground for free...
I have some snowshoe poles already. I think the only real difference is the basket. I could get some small trekking baskets and maybe rubber tips and then only the word "snowshoe" written down the side would give me away as the cheapskate I am. Of course my snowshoe poles were like $30 so they probably aren't as uber as actual trekking poles.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wolf loop
After attending the Rememberance Day Ceremony Downtown today I zipped over to Gatineau Park to take advantage of the mid-week day off and hit the trails. There were a lot more people than I expected on the trail today.
My goal this afternoon was to do the 10.5 km Wolf Loop Trail in 72 minutes. To some people 72 minutes may sound like a lot of time to do 10.5 kms but in my defence the park map claims Wolf Loop takes 4.25 hours (that means it should take an active person about 3 hours to walk).
Why 72 minutes you ask? My Voyage into Trance (Paul Oakenfold) mp3 is 72 minutes of the best running music I`v ever heard. Trance music is the shiznit for running as far as I`m concerned. I guess the trance beat is my ideal running cadence.
My goal looked ambitious after the first kilometre which was mostly ankle deep mud - a trend that continued on the flats for the whole trail. Mud and wet rocks with cold, wet, heavy, feet is not condusive to fast times - just good times! In the end I managed to finish in 68 minutes 34 seconds.
I very happy with my time especially considering the trail conditions. I might not be so happy when I wake up sore and stiff tomorrow...
My goal this afternoon was to do the 10.5 km Wolf Loop Trail in 72 minutes. To some people 72 minutes may sound like a lot of time to do 10.5 kms but in my defence the park map claims Wolf Loop takes 4.25 hours (that means it should take an active person about 3 hours to walk).
Why 72 minutes you ask? My Voyage into Trance (Paul Oakenfold) mp3 is 72 minutes of the best running music I`v ever heard. Trance music is the shiznit for running as far as I`m concerned. I guess the trance beat is my ideal running cadence.
My goal looked ambitious after the first kilometre which was mostly ankle deep mud - a trend that continued on the flats for the whole trail. Mud and wet rocks with cold, wet, heavy, feet is not condusive to fast times - just good times! In the end I managed to finish in 68 minutes 34 seconds.
I very happy with my time especially considering the trail conditions. I might not be so happy when I wake up sore and stiff tomorrow...
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