Life: Calgary Folk Fest

This weekend was the Calgary Folk Fest. With some other things I needed to do, I only went to the evening mainstage show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The acts have been quite enjoyable.

Saturday night's Blue Rodeo show was very good to finally see since I have never got around to seeing them live. I am not entirely sure how to describe Calexico's sound, but I really like their music. Aerin was already a fan, and was very happy to see them live finally.

Since I was mostly their for the main stage, I didn't see a lot of the side stage action. There's lots of different music to pick from certainly, but I haven't gotten to listening to that broad a mix of music to really have any favourites there. One thing I did find slightly annoying for the couple of side stage performances I attended was that some were a little close together, or not directed away from each other enough, for the music to overlap. It makes it hard to listen to something a little quieter when the next stage is playing loud and thumping.

The rain on Saturday also made for some exciting times. It never rained very heavily, but the thunder and lightning to the north hinted at what might have been. I hadn't arrived yet on Sunday when a good rain with some hail went through the festival area.

Overall though I had a great time listening to plenty of good music. Aerin was very happy that I was willing/interested to come out to the festival with her.

Gear: Lightweight Backpacking

If I had a callsign it would be "Gear Boy". Since I'm not a fighter pilot, it's my semi-official nickname. If you're unsure of why this is the case, I refer you back to the above title.

I spent two and a half years working in outdoor retail in Edmonton prior to moving on to other things here in Calgary. During that time I learned a lot more about the equipment I already owned, and a ton more the stuff I didn't own. I immersed myself in the knowledge imparted by the company reps and online resources. Not only was this an opportunity to help myself enjoy my outdoor adventures more, but also to help other people enjoy their experiences.

The single greatest thing I came away from this with is an appreciation for lightweight backpacking.

Have you read my post about our June trip to Kananaskis? Aerin and I carried about 60 pounds total of equipment, clothing, food and water for four days. I'm quite certain a few people we saw on the trail were individually carrying 40 pounds or more for shorter trips. It hurt to see some of the packs people had loaded up with gear for even single night stays at the Forks campground (7km in and 50m of elevation gain). If you look at my Kananaskis post below, you can see that Aerin's pack is relatively small compared to what you'd see most people carrying at a trailhead. Even my 80-litre pack fully loaded for this trip topped out at 35 pounds with water, nor did I have all kinds of extra gear hanging from it as I saw many others have - I actually had space to spare inside.

How does one accomplish this? The answer is pretty easy... money. It costs money to get the right kind of gear for lightweight backpacking. Even with employee discounts I spent a fair bit of my paycheque for many months on new gear. How do you know you're making the right kind of investment in gear with those dollars you allocate purchase your gear? Research. What does this gear do? How well does it do that job? Can it do more than one thing? What conditions do I need to have my gear perform? How much space does it take in my pack? And of course, how much does it weigh? These last two questions are ultimately what you are trying to minimize while maximizing on the others.

And I have only one thing to say about money. Great gear does not come cheap. Or at least very rarely. Rarely have I found something that was inexpensive that I believed did the job better than something more expensive.

Of course, you'll have to weigh the value of the above statement against your own experience with researching and comparison shopping - and you will comparison shop a lot - on the various gear you need for yourself, and then compare that against what your outdoor experience is like before and after your gear purchase.

As time goes on I share about some of the insights and gear I have discovered through my own experiences. Prepare to lighten your load.

Outdoors: June Kananaskis Adventure

[I just realized I wasn't paying attention to my dates. We were backpacking the end of June, so I've updated the post title. - S]

Aerin and I went backpacking for the first time this year the last weekend of June for 3 days. It was going to be 4 days (Monday to Tuesday), but we decided to cut things short.

The trip took us into Three Isle Lake in Kananaskis from the North Interlakes parking area. It was a very hot weekend, but at the same time a late spring melt and lots of prescipitation left lots of snow at altitude. This lead to an interesting long weekend in the backcountry.

On the way up we encountered a guy coming down the mountain for help. One of his group members had been struck in the left thigh by a basketball-sized chunk of rock. We didn't really see or heard anything of falling rock on the way up, but once we go to the campground it became a regular occcurence in the afternoon and evening to hear rock falls from the peak on the south side of the valley. The melting snow was all the rock needed for a quick trip down the mountain. The potential danger became more apparent when we came down the trail on Monday to find a very large rock in the middle of the path that wasn't there on Saturday.


Otherwise the often deep snow and blistering hot weather made for a fairly sedate weekend. The snow on the trails limited us to some very tiring hikes that Aerin was not feeling well enough to tackle with the beginnings of a cold and blisters, nor did the heat inspire us to move very quickly. So we enjoyed the solitude and scenario with a handful of other people and headed out early. We were glad we did because as we left some rather inclimate weather settled in for the next couple of days.

(Northover Ridge from Three Isle Lake)

Movies: Hellboy II

Last weekend Aerin and I headed out to see Hellboy II with my friend Mike.

I really enjoyed the first one, and have been looking forward to the new movie for some time. The movie looked fantastic! A real visual treat that one has come to expect from director Guillermo del Toro. (Which also makes the expectations for The Hobbit very high.) The creatures effects looked great, and the stunts were pretty cool too. If they used CGI to replace some of the actors in the action, I couldn't tell the difference (unlike more than a few movies).

On the down side they went for the predictable and done-to-death-already on several of the plot elements. I won't go into any spoilers, but the filmmakers have gotten me to suspend my disbelief for this movie already. So why go and remind me it's a movie by using the same plot elements in the same predictable way as everyone else? I know that it's very hard to come of up with something original all the time, but if you're going to use familiar elements, try not to use them in the tired, old, familiar ways please.

Running: Lost Soul Ultra

It's odd how things have changed so quickly. I really didn't expect to get into the Lost Soul Ultra this September, but I got the email Tuesday morning that I had a spot if I wanted it. So now I'm setting things up for the rest of the summer with an eye on September 13th.

This is actually the shortest distance I will race this year at 50km. But there is one thing I have not figured out how to manage that could be a major factor in my success in September - running in the heat.

At Sinister 7 the hot afternoon that I started my running in was certainly a factor. With the unsettled stomach and crampy legs it was a tough combination to deal with and keep moving. One of the things I realized I could do better was my pre-race hydration and nutrition. I probably overdid the snacking before my turn on the course at Sinister 7. This threw my hydration plan for a loop, not to mention any nutrition I needed that went along with it.

At this point I think I will plan to ice my neck and forearms when I get into the transition points that Aerin can access. It should also allow me to keep my hydration cooler too. Ice cubes in the hat when I leave the transition will help too. This, of course, is based on the assumption that it will be hot on the race weekend; if not, then I have other things to concern myself with such as footing on wet trails. Personally, I would rather deal with the latter.

The elevation and distance are not a problem based on what I have accomplished this year. Certainly there are some very steep sections, but what that gives rise to is the beating my quads will take that carries over into the flatter sections.

In the end I'm confident I can get through the course to collect my rock on Sunday morning. Now I just have to get some training for the remainder of the summer figured out.

Running: Sinister 7 Post-Race

I can still walk. The legs are little stiff and sore, but that will fade soon enough. The official times aren't in yet, but overall I completed legs 4, 5 and 6 in ~10:20 and a team finish of ~18:20.

My teammate John headed out for the first two of three legs at 9am. It was just over 3 hours before he came into the transition between leg 2 and 3. The next leg was about 29km in an out-and-back loop which he completed in about 3:36. And off I went for my three legs.

Leg 4 is the longest at 31.5km, but I think it's actually a little longer since I managed to stop my Garmin for a bit. I do not like running in the heat, but there was a stiff headwind for most of the way to help cool things. Unfortunately on this leg I never really got settled into my running. My stomach was queasy the entire leg, and I was having problems with cramping in my legs. I could run or I could hydrate. In the end I did a little of both, and I got into the transition area feeling less than stellar. I wasn't in a rush to get going again, so I changed my socks and shoes, drank down a bunch of water, and talked to the medics to make sure I wasn't doing something I shouldn't be. By this time the sun was going behind the mountains and trees, so things were cooling off. I rested for a bit and then headed out for the next leg.

Leg 5 was supposed to be 17km, but more on that later. I took off with as fast a walk I could manage with my poles to help push me along. I must have managed to stop my Garmin again when I was at the transition, so I got it going again after what I figured was a mile. My stomach was still being a problem, but my legs were feeling better. I tried running a little every now and again until my stomach started complaining, and then I would slow again. I arrived at the beginning of the long climb to the ridge. Thankfully my stomach settled and I began the long climb.

I would not have liked to do this climb in wet or muddy conditions. The trail is very steep in places, and traction was bad enough on some spots with just a little loose rock. Even as a quad ATV trail I would have to say it's less than desirable. As I got close to the top of the ridge I heard what I thought were the dinner (bear) bells of the one person to pass me on the climb going along the ridgeline to the south. When I got to the top myself, I stopped unsure of the direction to take, but I did find a sign pointing me downhill. There were a couple of spots where things switched from up to down on the ascent and vice versa on the descent, but overall it was steady going. At one point I looked at my Garmin and began to wonder where the heck the transition point was. It was another 20 minutes and 3 km before I got there. It was also where I confirmed for certain that I hadn't been hearing things. The gal that had passed me on the way up had gone the wrong way - I had beaten her to the transition. Time on this leg was ~3:45 (I think) including my transition times.

I changed into my warmer shirt, changed my pack again, and took off with my big chocolate chip cookie. I was feeling much better now. The weather was cool, I was headed downhill, it was dark, and I was alone except for my chocolate chip cookie. Leg 6 was definitely my happy leg. I did a fair big of running, but the route wasn't always clear. I finally realized that some of this leg mirrored the end of leg 4, and I was not happy. There was one very steep climb up and down from a creek bed that wasn't any more fun to do in the dark. In the end I rolled into the transition after about ~2:20. It was about 1:30am, and I was happy to be done.

I had a lot of fun. It was a great experience with lots of lessons learned. (I'll talk more about those another time.) I will be back next year.

Running: Blackfoot Ultra Race Report

This was my post-race report that I posted on the Running Mania forum with some tweaks.

For those that are happy with the short version... 11:38

For those interested in more details, read on... (mostly [short] form from here on in)

Considering that I was really only physically able (severe allergies to that point with the old job) to start any serious training in March, and then have my last three weeks of training wiped by a chest cold, I really didn't know what I was going to accomplish at Blackfoot.

Aerin and I got up and going about 4:30. Taping my feet took a little longer than I'd hoped, so we got to Islet Lake about 6:15. A visit to the washroom, change into running shoes, throw on the pack and away I go for my out and back 5km to start. The plan was to walk everything uphill and evaluate as I went whether another loop would happen. I paused to stretch at every aid station and regularly along the course when my legs felt like they needed it.

I started out pretty slow, just trying to get warmed up and a feel for where my body was at. I haven't played with the watch or Garmin for proper split times, but I did the first 5km in about 38 minutes with an additional stop to get the tummy settled in.

My first lap went well enough. It was nothing spectacularly fast. I ran with another guy from Calgary until the Central Alleyway aid station. I stuck to the plan, and I got back into the start/finish area for my first transition with a little soreness in about 3:15. I had some eats and headed out again.

The second lap was slower than the first of course. I was getting a little more soreness in the legs, but I kept to the plan and kept moving. I was doing well running the "level" parts and the downhills until Central staging area when I seriously hit the wall. I just plain ran out of gas. I gobbled a bunch of food at the aid station, kept popping my gels and shot blox, but I really didn't recover my energy until the start/finish area transition again. Second lap about 3:50.

At that point it was just time to keep moving, even if it was just walking. Actually it was more like marching in every sense. I fell into what Size5 calls my "military pace". My legs were sore, but I kept them moving at a good clip. Fighting gravity on the downhills was too much work not to run, so I basically ran/sprinted at whatever pace didn't hurt for those short interevals. But in the end it worked. My last lap was over in 4:05.

After it was all said and done, I apparently won my age category. I'm not certain of this since since there was supposedly someone else ahead of me on the finish board, but the RD called my name yesterday at the presentations. Sunday morning I could bend over to pickup a spoon. (Sorry, no pics S5 ) I have a few blisters, and I will apparently lose the nail on the second toe of my left foot as is now becoming tradition post Blackfoot.

All that for an 11:38 finish. Next year...

I won my age category because I was the only 34 & under male running this year. The other person that beat me in was female. Yes, I got beat by a girl...

Running: Sinister 7 Update

Well it looks like it'll be warm in the mountains for the race this weekend - hotter than I'd like anyway. The hotter it is the harder it is to keep hydrated and moving quickly. I'd prefer mid-teens and overcast, but it looks more like mid-twenties and sunny.

If you're interested in how things are going, you can get race updates by following the link on this page. I'm on Team "Two Fun Guys", and running legs 4, 5 and 6.

Ciao!

Running: Sinister 7

I run a lot, and I love running on trails. Since I began running in April 2006, I have completed the 50km (2007) and 50-mile (2008) Blackfoot Ultra. (For those unfamiliar with running these races are called ultras because the distance is great than a regular marathon of 42.2km or 26 miles.) I have also completed leg 3 and 4 (58km) of the Canadian Death Race as part of a relay team. I did run a half-marathon road race for kicks and training in the fall of 2006, but I much prefer trail races.

This coming weekend is the first running of the Sinister 7 ultra trail race. It is a 135km course in the Crowsnest Pass area in Alberta. The race is run solo or as part of a relay team. I am part of a two man team called "Two Fun Guys". I am running legs 4, 5 and 6 for a total of about 62km. I'm not quite so fast as my relay partner, so I will be done in about 8 hours.

This is a new ultra trail race for Alberta. I had been living in Edmonton, AB until last summer, so I'm looking forward to getting into a new area of the mountains to run. The late spring has meant that running in the mountains has been delayed since I'm not a huge fan of post holing in thigh deep snow. There's been a lot of warm weather in the Crowsnest area lately, so I'm hoping things won't be too slippy or muddy for the run.

I'm feeling much more relaxed going into this race. Prior to the Blackfoot ultra I had picked up a bad chest cold that wiped out my plans for completing my last four weeks of training. This left me pretty freaked out about my prospects of even finishing. I haven't gotten in as many long runs between Blackfoot and Sinister 7, but I'm much more confident in my ability to finish the distance strongly going into this race than I was leading up to Blackfoot.

Back to work!

Getting Started

Welcome to my blog!

I should probably be doing something I love doing rather than blogging about the things I love doing with the minutes I used to type up this post. But then again, why not share with others my love of life and the things I love doing in life? I wonder if anyone other than my significant other Aerin will read this. If this turns out to be little more than a semi-official record of life in my infinitesimal corner of the universe, so be it.

So what kind of stuff will appear here? My life with Aerin, my friends and my family. My gaming hobbies. My outdoor pursuits. I'm not a fan of drama, so I plan to keep the mood light - after all this blog is about the things I love in my life. I could soap box everyone to death, but there are plenty of those blogs out there.

That's it. Big excitement is coming this weekend, so I will write more about that another time.

Ciao!