Training, Training, Training !

Training continues for the Death Race in August, and for the first time in my life I am committed to a proper training schedule, unlike ad-hoc training attempts for previous races. The schedule targets a 100 mile race, and last week I completed my first 80 km week of training. From here on in, the weekly mileage continues to increase in 4 week cycles, with every 4th week a recovery week - a mere 56 km! Apart from the challenge of the race, the training targets are challenge enough, and I continue to be surprised by my progress - Not necessarily in speed, but more in endurance. I am looking forward to the weather warming up, as a lot of training is currently being done on a treadmill. Gearing up to run in -20 Deg C with wind chill, along with iced up pathways is just not appealing. As with previous races, I am using my participation in the event to raise funds for charity. Last year I joined the local Credit Valley Rotary Club, and so all donations will go towards the Rotary Foundation. This is the most effective way I know to support health, education and poverty alleviation projects locally and globally.

Canadian Death Race, 2010

Following my experiences with the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM), this year I have set myself a goal of completing the Canadian Death Race ! (www.canadiandeathrace.com). The entries opened on the 1st Jan, and I finally had full confirmation of my entry as a solo runner this past week. Unlike the 7 day extreme marathon, this race has a cut-off of 24 hrs, to complete a really challenging route of 125 km, with total elevation change of 17, 000 feet. The race is run from the town of Grande Cache in Alberta, Canada, during the August holiday weekend. As I have learnt before, coming down with flu two days before one of my attempts at the KAEM, it is not all about the race only, but also the journey getting there - sounds silly, but really true ! For the first time in my training, I am determined to stick to a training regime, unlike my ad-hoc training attempts previously. I have a schedule for a 100 mile race, downloaded from the web, that is broken down into 4 week cycles. Just achieving the 4 week and weekly goals, is fulfilling and challenging, and a significant step towards any shorter races I hope to complete during the year.

5Peaks Trail Running Series, Southern Ontario

www.5peaks.com Having run a number of the races over the past few years, this year I have taken on a role as part of the organisation team of the Southern Ontario series. As Course Manager, I will be setting and marking the Sport and Enduro courses and managing the course part of the event on race days. Basically, it is a great reason to spend time outdoors, the best time being the day before the Saturday races when many hours are spent reviewing and marking the courses. Over 15 km of trails are marked for each of the five events during the year. Being a weekday, the conservation areas are usually quiet with few people. Last weekend we did a reconnaissance of the Dundas Valley Conservation area, the location of the first race in the series in late April 2010. With the wind chill, the temperature was below -20 Deg C, and in little time, the contents of our water bottles had frozen completely !

Frigate Bird Colony, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Frigate Birds (Fregata magnifiscens) have the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird in the world. The males have wingspans up to 2.3m in length.

Bottlenose Dolphins, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Following the turtle sighting and almost exactly on cue, we came across a school of bottlenose dolphins in deeper water, already having been spotted by other boats. They surfaced frequently around the boats, in this case a juvenile and adult surfacing together.

Hawksbill Turtle, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Searching the shallow waters of the bay by boats, it did not take long to spot our first turtle, but the animal was determined to stay underwater as long as possible away from the boats. Very briefly it surfaced to grab a quick breath and then it submerged again - this happened twice. As soon as the boats moved off, and our attention was diverted, the animal surfaced for a longer time in the distance.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

A week's escape from the Canadian winter to the sun and warmth of the Riviera Maya included a day's trip into the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. A rough drive by jeep followd by an extensive boat tour through part of the reserve provided for an excellent day back into some spectacular natural areas away from the resorts and their crowds. Searching for turtles in the extensive bays with fringing mangroves, was followed by a bottlenose dolphin sighting, a trip to a frigate bird colony, and then some snorkelling above the local reefs.

"Big Profit from Nature Protection"

True to the main intended theme of this blog, this post is a simple link to highlight an article published on the BBC News Website - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8357723.stm. It seems obvious that this objective conclusion would be reached eventually, once comprehensive evidence had been gathered.