The Scandic Adventure - Bergen, Norway (Day 2): The fridge rules

I have quickly learned the rules of the common fridge at the hostel, thanks to a blunder.

The previous evening I'd found a grocery store and picked up a few things for my breakfast - yogurt, a muesli bread roll, butter, apples, orange juice, and - perhaps thinking of saving a few labels - stick one with my pertinent information on the shopping bag and fridge it. Perhaps my lack of sleep has also affected my common sense, as this morning I find my bag balled up, completely empty.

In order to prevent crowding in the fridge, admin regularly empties it and removes unlabeled items. The box of orange juice is on a countertop and someone else is slicing the apple, having found it next to the juice. Darn, I was supposed to label every single item - duly noted!

I don't really need an excuse to check out an organic bakery nearby, Gødt Brød (I found it on Google Maps). I find out that upon purchase of one of their fresh-baked rolls - white, wheat, muesli, what appears to be dark rye and others - there is an option to make it into a sandwich! (It comes to NOK 74 which is close to $12 Cdn. In comparison, a restaurant lunch plate can be from say NOK 100 upwards; or a varied seafood plate with salad at the fish market goes for NOK 249) They also have excellent filter coffee which I quickly finish, considering my brain thinks it's 3am Eastern time.

Today, I have a short day cruise around some of the fjords. There are longer excursions, some of which last several days and involve scenic train rides to other towns (https://www.norwaynutshell.com/) Hoping that I'll return in the near future to experience a longer tour, I settled for the 3.5 hour excursion.

*A fjord is typically formed by a glacier and creates a narrow inlet surrounded by steep cliffs and/or rock formations.

It is overcast and drizzling, which I learn is almost typical Bergen weather. We depart and already lots of pictures are being taken of the surroundings, be it the harbour, the mountains, or the cruise ships that have docked. Picturesque and we haven't actually seen the fjords yet!

Raindrop-covered route map (I took the green one)

A few things to note if there is a fjord cruise in your plans:

- pictures do not do them justice, even if pictures are worth a thousand words, the sights are majestic. The fall colours are starting to show, which makes it all the more amazing.

- fjords create wicked wind tunnels. Dress for windy fall weather which means a good windbreaker, a warm layer like a hoodie. I also had a cap, Buff (that I didn't need to wear) and light running gloves.

- since fjords are narrow, smaller boats are the rides of choice. Smaller boat means less space = leave your selfie sticks at home!

One of the highlights of the cruise was drinking some fjord water. No, no purifying tablets needed. Small cascades of water can be seen on many a rock face, starting at the top and usually trickling through rocks.

We tasted the water from that cascade!

I should also point out that occasionally, there would be an audio clip with a person describing a fact or information tidbit that would play ('The Golden Compass' was filmed in one of the fjords we visited, for one) along with 'Peer Gynt' as a soundtrack. The composer, Edvard Grieg, was Norwegian and the city of Bergen still bears his legacy with a concert hall, a music academy and a museum for starters. 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' plays as we near the water cascade.

(**Everyone and I mean everyone recognizes the iconic passage of 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'; if not, brush up on your classical music.)

The captain taste tests the water

The water is hands down the best tasting H20 I've ever had! If water had no taste and was crisp and cold, not to mention clear. I could easily down that after a workout.

Back on shore, lunch is on my mind. Bergen being known for seafood, and I'd read fish cakes, I head off to an institution that was founded and still run by 2 sisters, Söstrene Hagelin. Earlier that day, I think I see two fishermen head in there - good sign!

Fish soup, and fish cakes with brown sauce

There are inexpensive and hearty, filling offerings at Söstrene Hagelin. The fish soup is not quite a chowder but pretty much tastes like one (and I'm fairly certain there is nothing dairy or gluten-free about it), and the fish cakes are delightful. Meaty, slightly sweet and with a nice sear. I was skeptical about the cranberry sauce but it works; the potatoes at first felt slightly underdone, but then realized that is a different variety of spud. Not super starchy or waxy, it held up nicely. Oh, and everything had a generous amount of white pepper and sliced green onion as topping.

The hostel had a small list of food and drink suggestions, so I choose the coffee spot called Dromedar Kaffebar because there is also a recommendation to try their brownies.

Besides ordering up an excellent espresso-based drink, the brownie is...how should I put it? AMAZEBALLS. The right moisture content and texture, fudgey-tasting, quality chocolate. Worth the extra calories.

I head to Bergen's hiking mountain, Mount Ulriken. It is a short bus ride from the city centre and very easy to find. I locate a trail map and of course there are routes that are easy, intermediate, and hard. Since I'm at the beginning of my trip and do have a race later on, I set off to find the easy route.

...which is NOT easy! While the elevations are not demanding, the trail is trickier than I'd imagined, as there are zero wide, packed trails. Instead, the terrain goes from mud, to grass, to technical rocks, to narrow gravel trail, and then mixes everything. I barely manage 3km in the time I've allotted myself. Meanwhile, I've spotted seasoned trail runners leisurely navigate the terrain sporting X-Talon 212's.

My last supper in Bergen is at a resto-pub called Pingvinen which I've seen in many lists for dining out. A native Bergen GRT (aka fellow GORUCK enthusiast) that I manage to catch on messenger notes that someone's done their marketing right. We may actually end up doing the same event in February! Besides having a list of local beers on tap, I try the stew called "Lapskaus".

Did I order soup or stew? I'm not complaining! It's a good main course on the smaller side, but full of hearty ingredients like smoked pork sausage, root vegetables, and what seems to be lamb. At NOK 129, it's a good option without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately, I am still running on Eastern standard time and cannot fall asleep. I'm not sure when exactly I manage to lightly doze off, but at least I can nap on the train en route to Oslo.

Links (most sites in Norwegian)

- Gødt Brød (I've linked what they have in-store; basically, an organic bakery that has gluten-free options)
- Söstrene Hagelin
- Dromedar Kaffebar (I visited the Galleriet location) Yes, eat the brownies!

The Scandic Adventure - Bergen, Norway (Day 1)

I figured sooner or later I'd be blogging about travel to an exotic-sounding destination, so why not kick off this part with a first-time visit to Scandinavia, as part of my OCR trip.

Once I'd registered for the race, then it was time to plan.

I knew for certain that if I ever visited Norway, I absolutely had to see the fjords. Lots of tour excursions are in and around Bergen (6 1/2 hour train ride west of Oslo), and thankfully there's an airport nearby.

On the overnight flight there, my legs can't seem to find a comfortable position and I feel the need to shake them out (a case of the 'jimmy-legs', as was said on Seinfeld), thereby making me look like a sleeping dog chasing something in its dream.

***Arrival - Bergen, Norway***

It is easy to figure out how to take the shuttle bus from the airport to the city centre and the ride is maybe 15 minutes, plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. There is noticeable green everywhere, and mountains in the background.

I spend 20 minutes trying to find the hostel I have booked, since no streets run parallel or perpendicular to each other. Google Maps can only take you so far before you put on your expedition hat. The landmark I was going to use was a church, however the facade was under renovation so everything was hidden under construction plastic sheeting.

Bergen was once the capital of Norway and it is still a major port for shipping and tour boats. It is also known for its fish market so I set off to have a look. The open air stalls have all kinds of offerings, from fresh fish to dried cod, and plenty of crustaceans, and it smells faintly of the ocean; there is also a lot of local fresh catch on the menu.

Peeled shrimp with mayo, a popular offering

Once I've had lunch, I set off to find a place serving another item that is popular in Bergen - "skillingsboller", or cinnamon bun. One place that is known for it is Baker Brun, a bakery and pastry shop right near the harbour. They also have coffee, which I am desperately seeking after my overnight flight.

Yum!

Unlike a sticky bun, the skillingsboller has a lighter dough, with the cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top - a tasty treat to go with the coffee. 

I spend the rest of my day walking around town and getting the lay of the land. The weather is overcast and drizzly, but that's not stopping me from attempting a small hike on one of the surrounding mountains, Mount Fløyen. Most people settle for the funicular ride up there (price ranges on departure point and go from NOK 25 - about $4 CDN - to NOK 90 or $17 CDN round-trip)  The climb could be done on foot but it's uphill on some winding paths.

Testing panorama mode on my phone

I don't make it far past the visitor centre when all of a sudden sheets of rain start pouring and it's not letting up. I wait and see if anything changes, and just when I think the rain has slowed and step out, the showers begin anew. Slightly defeated, I hop on the funicular back down.

I've been awake for a long stretch and once it's time for bed, the instant I go horizontal I'm asleep.

For more information on Mount Fløyen and funicular tickets, visit http://floyen.no/en/

General information about Bergen's fish market: http://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/fish-market-in-bergen-p822253

Baker Brun (site in Norwegian) http://www.bakerbrun.no/ Also lists their locations around the country

Prison Break Montreal - many firsts

Contrary to what some may think, no I haven't had a chance to run all of the local races yet. There's always a first time for everything.

I learn from one of my aunts that my cousin, Genie, had signed up for an OCR in August but she couldn't tell me which one. Once I found out it was Prison Break I jumped on board. (Bit of backstory here: when the Spartan Race used to be in Mont-Tremblant, on my way back home I'd stop by and visit my cousin - partly to have one of the wonderful cookies she bakes and serves - and she'd usually see me with fresh scratches and bruises)

En route I spot big signs indicating where to go for the race site (something glaringly missing at Spartan Race at Owl's Head) and find out parking is $5 (it still exists for this price?!?) Big plus for parking: huge grassy field. There is a bit of a walk to get on-site, but since it's a narrow-ish road it's probably to prevent participants from becoming hood ornaments. The site is also a bison farm so of course, on the way in, a small herd of bison are spotted grazing.

Across the road, we see the volunteers dressed as prison guards all hanging out at the hay rolls. I can count at least 10. Last time a bunch of disguised volunteers tried to snatch flags off of my belt, it was at The Zombie Run two years ago.

One of the Mudd Queens, Anne-Marie, has her tent and medal racks on display and she's wheeling and dealing. Glad to see things are working out (http://1000podiums.com/shop/)

Registration is easy to get through and look, a good ol' bib with safety pins to affix to myself. Soon enough, I find my cousin with her hubby and two of their co-workers. I can tell she's excited and a bit nervous at the same time, but who isn't at their first OCR? I still feel the same.

Good to go!

The emcee gathers us before a makeshift prison and proceeds to get everyone pumped up and informed about the race. I've heard many an inspirational, motivating, be-true-to-yourself speech (looking at you, Coach Pain) to "have fun and kick ass" ones, but this is the first time the emcee is making everyone laugh. He singles out my cousin's hubby (a tall French guy) for not cheering enthusiastically enough; emphasizes that the volunteer prison guards are not real policemen and we should not be pulling MMA or WWE moves on them, or if we see blue flags we are cheaters on the kids' course.

Off we go, and once we scramble over the pyramids of hay bales, we turn around a bend and encounter our first batch of prison guards. Much like when we were in elementary school and playing tag, there is a lot of zigzag running, squealing and laughter as we try to escape their attempts at snatching our flags.

A few cars to jump on and over (the last one being a BMW), then we head out to some little trails in the woods. I miss running on that type of terrain.

I'm not going to go into too many details on the obstacles, there are standard ones like barbed wire crawl, bucket carry (the ground being completely destroyed so we were slopping through shoe-sucking mud), monkey bars, under-over walls..One neat obstacle was using a sledgehammer to smack a small tractor tire along a path.

A series of obstacles involves a slam ball (25# for ladies, 50# for the gents), and the last part has us rolling the ball down a short slip ramp, followed by us sliding down. It's pretty fast and I try to land on my feet, but my forward momentum has me threatening to faceplant. I do the first thing that comes to mind: tuck and roll. It works! The volunteer has probably just spotted me tumbling and rolling and asks if I'm ok. First time I channel some inner action hero, haha.

We continue on, high-fiving and cheering people that we pass on course, and I realize that I'm having a blast. Our mood is light (aided by some good-natured ribbing of my cousin's husband), and we hoot and cheer at the water dunk obstacles. Note to self: holding hands while sliding down makes me veer sideways.

Who smiles at barbed wire crawls?! Apparently, I do

We get to the mud trenches that are a bit slick to climb out of, as the mud pile has nothing really to grab onto. One of the girls, Émilie, notices two small frogs swimming in the trench water. Another first.

The slip ramp is a tricky one - near the top I don't remember exactly I did, except for quickly hooking a leg at the top to get up. We end up helping people over because it is caked in mud and everyone is wet from the trenches. My cousin stubbornly tries several times to get up, but since she's wearing old running shoes she doesn't have any traction. Her hubby climbs down to help her up, and we are on our way.

One last dodge past the guards and we still have flags meaning we've escaped successfully!

At the rinse station, Arbonne reps have shower gels and shampoo for racers to sample. I'd always wondered why there isn't some body wash or detergent promotion at these events (Lever 2000 - for all your 2000 muddy body parts! Or a whole new meaning to Sunlight's "Go ahead, get dirty")

Looking back at today, I can't believe how much fun we all had, it should borderline have been illegal. Prison Break had lots of obstacles, nice trails to run, and was the right amount of difficulty for newcomers and experienced racers. Perhaps next year I'll get to sink my teeth in one of those bison burgers.

Toughest - Oslo, Norway

Toughest OCR is an organization based out of Sweden, and has grown to host several races around the Scandic countries (this year - 4 events in Sweden, one in Norway, one in Denmark, and their first in London, England). In the past their repertoire included a 24-hour extreme event, and a winter course involving an ice hotel in Sweden and running across a frozen lake.

Sign me up.

Okay, maybe the winter race will be a project, but I was initially sold on this race after clicking on a link to a recap video of the 2015 Stockholm event - highlights showed a huge inflatable slide that had participants zooming down and getting shot out into a lake! I decided that 2016 would be my first OCR trip abroad.

I wanted to try Stockholm and said waterslide (seems to be one of the signatures of Stockholm's event), but timing-wise the race in Oslo, Norway was a better fit. I've never been to that corner of the world, however from what I've gathered about Norwegians in the sporting world (Thomas Ulsrud, Johann Olav Koss, Mats Zuccarello Aasen) it seems like a very cool destination.

Contrary to what some may assume, the website (http://www.toughest.se/) is easy to navigate and not stuck in mono Swedish (though it's the default language), English is one of the language choices.

An early warning to everyone: this race isn't cheap ($110-$126 CDN depending on when you register). Consider it if you're willing to pay for the experience, and you probably would like to make it a nice trip abroad.

One interesting tidbit is no wave times to choose from when signing up initially. The organization looks at when someone's registered and then assigns a wave time; basically, the closer to race day you've signed up, the later the wave you'll be put in. Wave times are sent out via email less than 48 hours after registration closes - they're very efficient despite the announced 3,800 sign-ups. The format has people leaving every 5 minutes.

If you do not wish to read my race day recap rambling, scroll to the end for the race info in a nutshell.

***Race day - September 3, 2016***

Because I signed up a month and something before race day, I don't have to run until the afternoon. Still, given that I've never been to this race venue (Holmenkollen) I figured I'd go early enough to soak up the atmosphere. I did spend time on Google Maps looking at the layout but wound up stressing myself out; whatever shows up on the map is not necessarily what it actually looks like.

Holmenkollen was perhaps the easiest race venue that I've traveled to from where I was staying. It was a 20-minute subway ride from downtown Oslo and perhaps a 7-minute walk from the station, following signs. It turns out the site is also very popular for families, hikers and cyclists.

Course map

(By the way, the whole surrounding area is a site for cross-country skiing, biathlon, and includes a ski jump hill that has hosted the FIS World Cup previously. And yes...that ski jump hill will be integrated in the course!)

Yikes!

No matter how many of these OCR's I've done, I always get a bit nervous in the hours leading up to the start. Maybe because I'm in another country, or perhaps it's a race I'm new to, the feelings are a bit more pronounced. However, during my research I've learned that not far from Holmenkollen is a restaurant, Frognerseteren, 5 stops later (and the last stop on that subway line). They are known for their apple cake, so looking to curb a bit of pre-race anxiety, I venture off to have my cake.

"Epelkake", as the locals call it - delicious!

Not sure how apple cake will feel a couple of hours later during the race, but hey, I'm not racing for time so I'm not super worried. I arrive in time to shop at the merchandise tent, and check out the finishers' ceremony. (I also got to meet Jon Albon!)

The overall winners, Freya Martin & Jon Albon readying the champagne

Pick up registration packet, which includes a paper bib, and timing chip which is a neat small bit that attaches around my ankle with Velcro.

I'm wearing my Eh? Team longsleeve and one of the emcees comes running over, shakes my hand, and asks if I'm from Canada. I find out he's originally from Toronto and he seems genuinely thrilled to meet another Canuck; he shakes my hand again (the two-hands-grasping-mine handshake) and tells me to have a good race.

There is also a large area for racers to warm up - enough for dynamic stretching, walking lunges, sprints. I spot a guy doing box jumps as part of his warm-up. Wow, these Europeans don't mess around.

Despite 5-minute gaps between start times, there's at least 30-40 people in my wave. The emcees are enthusiastic and don't try to work the crowd too much. We count down from 10 and off we go. Small inclines, a few stairs, then we get to the cargo net climb. (I can do this.) Not far after are some stacked hay bales to leap over; this is possibly the softest hay I've sat on to date. 6 foot wall follows (I can do this!) and it isn't long before we reach the Irish Table.

^&*&#@$ To be fair, this year is the first year I've seen the Irish Table at races, I have an idea of how to get over but need to practice. A kind volunteer gives me a boost and we go on.

The course is more of a runner's course; gentle slopes but plenty of flats to run. Parts of the course loop back into the festival area where spectators can cheer runners on. One of the first obstacles in this part is the Swing Walk:

Hanging bar traverse

Obstacles are never far apart in this 8km course. We slop through mud at the Dirty Shower, then the first water dunk appears. Seems racers jumping off the platform (trampoline optional for extra air time) can tag themselves in photos for a chance to win Bjorn Borg underwear. The platform isn't as high as Tough Mudder's Walk the Plank, I'd say it's comparable to the one at Prison Break.

Clearly, I chose not to jump off the trampoline

The water is frigid, almost like jumping into Arctic Enema. Sopping wet and trying to warm up, we loop back into the festival area to one of Toughest's signature obstacles: Dragon's Back.

From a spectator's POV, it doesn't look that far. I can see why many are gathered at the barrier and encouraging racers. Besides being over 6 feet off the ground, from the top it looks like I have to jump across the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, I get cold feet and climb down to do the penalty loop (well-marked and involving a small tire carry).

Zigzagging through the festival area, we get to the Platinum Rig - wait, I traveled over several time zones and STILL cannot escape the dreaded orange structure?! Because Diabolical Dom isn't setting up the torture, it is actually doable. (Note in photo below, the barrier to jump over with the arrow pointing up, and the one called 'crawling')

The crawl is quite low, and because there's a preference for metal piping as frames, accidentally bump my head halfway through the crawl. It is over a bed of gravel and sand. Ouch! More bad news: it's not the last time I'll encounter it.

A quick drink of water at the water station, then off to the rope climb. It is one of the obstacles with the 'Fast Lane' option (avoid line-ups at obstacles, but higher difficulty level and once completed, shortcuts onto the course), and in this case it's a salmon ladder! Toughest's project director, Andreas Sjölin, goes running past me. I'm guessing he's also running the course.

I'm not really going to bore you with a detailed breakdown of every single obstacle, but I'll highlight the differences. Very little of the obstacles here are made of wood, so less wall jumping, but plenty more of other stuff. Some involve climbing and jumping down from over 7 feet up.

Toughest's version of the Herc Hoist is called Pull a Stone, and in this case it's a large kettlebell. The traverse wall reminds me a bit of the one at Shale Hill mixed with Tip of the Spear - some rock climbing stones, then a bar traverse to the next wall which have rope handles.

Carries include Bulgarian Bag (inner tube carry); sandbell; log carry which isn't too heavy, but a nice downward & upward slope loop. A guy I've crossed on course a couple of times who had called me 'Champion!' is filming himself saying, "I hate my log..."

Jeep Dunks is the jerry can carry - two per racer, and they are metal. The obstacle that follows are the monkey bars. Well played...

There was one very small technical hill climb, but short enough. The second water obstacle was a short swim, but again in Arctic Enema water temps. Brrrr!

One obstacle that was new to me was an American Ninja Warrior-style ring traverse - remember Kacy Catanzaro and the two big rings she had to hook onto pegs as a traverse? (This) Ok the traverse was in a straight line, but once I got a rhythm, it wasn't hard to get across. Yay!

Back into the festival area where more obstacles await. Two more new ones, Ring Slide - holding onto two rings and trying to slide along a long metal bar. I get stuck at this since I lose momentum at the middle section because the bar is designed to dip slightly due to the racer's weight. Spinning Wheels, I don't make it past the first wheel (again, think ANW and the giant spinning ring traverse) I would need to practice those in order to figure out how to succeed. More penalty loops - hello, small tire friend!

The other obstacle I fail is the Ninja Jump which is a quintuple step setup. Most people fall off when they get to the 3rd step. They are pretty angled and set far enough apart, not to mention not super favorable on traction.

By the time I see 'Crawling' for the 3rd time, I inwardly groan. The gravel is painful on my knees, and there's sand all over my legs. At least I know to stay low enough.

Out of the festival area again to the last obstacle, the ski slope. Yes, the big slope ski jumpers zoom down on to build their speed. There's cargo netting all across because at some point everyone has to use their hands to help the ascent. My Achilles are hating me for this, and even more so every time I stop to catch my breath (a little difficult to stand up here) The emcees are at the finish line encouraging racers to run across the finish line.

I climbed all of that...!

We get our medals (with 'Oslo 2016' and the Norwegian flag printed on the ribbon) and also a rubber finisher bracelet (Oslo 2016 as well). One of the sponsors, Dalblads, has boxes of one of their products, Swebar protein bars (website but in Swedish) in several flavours. Participants are grabbing handfuls, and they are encouraged to do so. I try their banana chocolate bar and it's tasty and easy to eat. Seems their popular flavour, chocolate chip, is all gone for the day. 

On our way down from the epic climb, a photographer is taking photos of finishers with a bunch of signs to choose from to hold, ranging from 'I am the Toughest', 'What did you do today?' to a flexing arm, and a poop emoji with a smiley face. 

What a fun day, trying a new OCR with a different flavour & some new obstacles and challenges. Most participants were in good shape and it felt like running with faster runners in open heats. Everyone on the subway is wearing their finisher medals. I feel kind of sleepy; it's a good sign. Moral of the story? Eat apple cake. 

The bottom line for Toughest OCR:
- cost will be one of the factors, as it is around $110 early bird.
- included in the cost: bib, timing chip, finisher medal, finisher rubber bracelet, no finisher shirt. The merch tent has a few shirts but they are unisex size. (I went for the hoodie)
- bag drop is free; no showers or rinse station. Bring baby wipes. (That poor hotel shower however..)
- first come, first serve for wave times. However, racers depart every 5 minutes, thereby reducing lineups at obstacles.

- the obstacles are generally doable, and they present the right amount of challenge without being too frustrating or tiring; the carries aren't as hard (except the jerry cans) or as long as Spartan. Also, quite a few obstacles involving upper body.
- course is more a runner's course, and the plot is well-marked with a lot of space to run and/or pass slower runners. Genius move: 1 water station, but the course passed it twice.
- only the logs were different sizes; the rest of the carries had 1 weight option for everyone.
- not all obstacles have penalty loops. If there is, the loop is well-marked and highlighted by a large red "Penalty" flag

Worth the experience: for me yes, simply because it was a little different, whether it was the obstacles themselves, to being instructed in Norwegian by the volunteers, to the boxes of Swebars at the end to gorge on. Willing to pay for the experience and make it a nice trip? Go for it. I may try this one again.

Gear review - Salomon Trail Gaiters Low

Much overdue greetings of 2016!

While I haven't yet had the time to reflect on 2015 (or write about my last trail run) I did say awhile ago I'd be posting gear reviews, since the blog description does mention them.

Time flies!

Here we go. I figured I'd start with something that was a staple in my OCR gear back in 2013 and 2014 - the shoe gaiter. I had to retire a pair of Asics gaiters after a full season's use, and some Outdoor Research ones didn't even last 3 races. It also seemed no one really knew what shoe gaiters were - participants kept asking me what I had around my ankles. (Props to Kelly Ripley for correctly ID-ing them!)

While volunteering at a 5 Peaks run, when raffle prizes were being drawn for the volunteers and I got chosen, I picked some Salomon Trail Gaiters Low amid all the loot.

At first glance, they seem solidly built. The stirrup that goes under the shoe is tough, flat and wide enough (about 1cm) to resist pounding and rough surfaces, unlike other models where I'd be continuously replacing the shock cord. The trade-off here is the stirrup isn't elastic at all, versus shock cord which has some stretch.

The upper part that covers the ankle is light and stretchy and uses Velcro to close. I am not sure if after multiple uses and dirt accumulation it will hold as well as when it is new. The gaiters can be worn on either foot (there isn't a right or left designation which could bode well on early morning race prep!)

I was still using Asics Gel-Fuji Racers at this point, and initially the gaiters fit nicely, perhaps not as snug as I'd like otherwise there'd be no Velcro left to secure them tightly. However, not long into the event the stirrups kept sliding off the back heels of my shoes, making me pause to re-adjust a few more times than I'd like.

2014 Ottawa Beast - Asics Gel-Fuji Racer paired with Salomon Trail Gaiters

I was pleased enough to wear them at the Killington Beast (I can't remember if I had to adjust them because that whole day is blurred), and found out they (obviously) fit better when paired with Salomon footwear. Trying to curb Achilles pain led me to acquire a pair of Speedcrosses (as the Asics were worn out, almost leading me to borderline pioneer a new activity called kamikaze downhill mud skiing at the last event.)

During the Killington Charity Sprint the next day, there hardly is any worry factor and I notice that the gaiters fit snugly on the Speedcrosses and there is barely any slippage of the stirrup strap.

My jubilation is short-lived when we get to the rope climb. Spartan Race USA had a nasty habit of having the bottom of the ropes in almost waist-deep water, therefore making the first part quite slippery. The width of the stirrup strap is slick and is covering part of the shoe's arch curve.

This results in: very clumsy, slippery, awkward, foot position for climbing wet rope.

Now of course these are trail gaiters, right - so I'm guessing very rarely will someone be sporting these and attempting rope climbs. (Whaddaya mean I'm supposed to wear them for trail runs?!) Somehow I shot myself in the foot that day and with the rope slipping, grip failing and me struggling to get any foothold on the rope = failure.

Not long after the rope climb, one foot feels a little lighter...I look down and realize I've lost one of the gaiters back in the murky pool, and of course don't feel like going back to search for it.

Bottom line:

Salomon Trail Gaiters Low do their job in keeping scree out of the shoes and keeping footwear on the feet in sticky mud. They are easy to put on and off, easy to clean and the construction is solid.

However, the design is best fit for Salomon brand footwear and if the shoe is smaller than a Salomon one, be prepared to adjust the gaiters every so often. They could be worth considering for OCR's as long as you don't mind a possible foot slippage for rope climbing. While they are not the cheapest option available, the durability is worth the price.

XMan Race Sutton 2016 - new obstacles oh my!

It's the first weekend of June and look at that, my first OCR in warmer weather.

I could have done like others and done a Super Spartan in Stoneham, Qc, or perhaps the New Jersey Beast...oh wait a minute, there aren't any Spartan Races in my calendar! So what better way to kick off my season than with XMan Race!

The first of 3 in Quebec (there was one in Toronto), I have to admit Sutton is my favorite one. (Try it and find out!)

Most of you who follow my (mis)adventures have already read my rambling posts on XMan Race (this, or perhaps this post) so I am not really going to delve into too many details.

Once again the winner of the 3-Seconds' people's choice award, XMan Race had some teasers on their Facebook page (both photos and videos) of new obstacles, several of which I'll admit I'm not super thrilled to see but like anything else, might as well give it the old college try.

After Friday evening volunteering of handing out race packets, some of us find out that we are running in the first open wave at 9:30am in order to have us ready for afternoon shifts. Well, this is new - running early with relatively clean obstacles!

The course is advertised as 7.5km with 48 obstacles. I'm not too worried about endless hill climbs here, but typically before the first race of the season I always get a little anxious - did I train enough? Did I rest enough? Will I succeed at the obstacles? I also am not in complete running form yet, having spent most of the winter doing strength work.

I don't think I've mentioned the pre-race animation too much in the past - there's always an emcee getting the crowd pumped, a DJ cranking out some good tunes and Nic, the race's founder, will usually grab the mic and say a few things. Fittingly enough, as we count down to the start, "Thunderstruck" is playing (which happens to be one of my songs of the hour)

Thunder!
Thunder!

Off we go, and we wind our way up a gentle slope. It isn't too long before we get to the first set of obstacles (log carry, water jug carry, barbed wire crawl) including a new one that involves dunking my head in water under some low-hanging blue trash cans. The photographer of course is waiting at the end and the resulting shot makes me look like Swamp Thing.

I'm struggling to get a running rhythm. I know it'll take a bit of time to get my running legs back. I do feel a difference at certain obstacles (better grip strength, easier time pulling my body weight), but the lack of cardio part is bugging me. That, and (quoting a teammate), my legs feel like two stumps that I'm dragging behind me.

One of the newer obstacles is the Irish table, something I've never done before but the cheerful volunteer helps me up. Another one, the Kraken, involves belly sliding (or shimmying) across a large PVC pipe:

I mentally kick myself for failing the monkey bars again. I really shouldn't think too much.

I also find I'm a bit lacking in the dynamic balance obstacles, such as log hops.

The one I'm dreading is the sternum checker (see Battlefrog Xtreme post), and although it doesn't seem as daunting as the one last year, I end up doing the penalty loop. But the next part of techincal, steep trail leads to possibly my favorite obstacle, Indiana Jones (Sutton version), and it never disappoints.

Once I get through the last set of obstacles, collect badass medal and clean up, it's off to volunteer for the rest of the weekend.

Hitching a ride with Phil, one of the main crew members

Sunday is looking grey, I hope the rain doesn't dampen too many spirits. I am assigned to the sternum checker.

The first couple of waves get through their race without too much interference from Mother Nature, but after 11 or so it starts raining and never lets up. I'm hearing over the walkie-talkies of some obstacles becoming too dangerous to continue on (monkey bars, for one) and the lake rising rather quickly due to all the rain so Indiana Jones gets shut down as well. Emergency blankets are handed out in a jiffy and about 1 in 5 racers who come trickling in the afternoon have one wrapped around them. Some look cold and miserable (I'm pretty cold standing around), others are still in good spirits. I just feel bad for some of the participants who couldn't fully enjoy the whole XMan Race and the fun obstacles that got closed off.

My rain-soaked jacket drip-drying after my shift

Another great race weekend slightly dampened by Mother Nature, but most everyone is looking forward to the 2nd race in August, in Mont-Orford. 'Til then!

Meet my friend Shannon!

Meet my friend Shannon.
She is a BAMF Mudd Queen who does obstacle course races, roller derby and can deadlift more than I can. Oh, and I'm riding shotgun in her car when there's a zombie apocalypse.

Check out her blog post about her Super Spartan experience...I can say I had some of the same feelings and dark thoughts as she did when I ran my first Super. Unlike me that day, she remains super positive throughout the whole piece - I can hear her smiling (is that another one of her superpowers?) as she's typing.

This is just a first glimpse of many more posts to come!

https://mrscadwholeliving.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/first-blog-post/

2016 so far and a look back at 2015

It is only the end of the second week of January and 2016 hasn't started so well, depending on how much anyone cares about the entertainment industry, moreover.

This week alone we've had to bid farewell to David Bowie - I never was a fan but had to admire the guy's boldness in his artistic expression; Alan Rickman - oh...that voice, I'm so sad; and René Angélil.

Heavy metal fans said goodbye to Lemmy, and the Canadian dollar is sinking as the days go on. I still have to purchase my GoRuck GR0! Is layaway an option?

Looking back at 2015, my race season objective wasn't going around collecting bling from all the 5Ks (been there, done that, my credit card hated me), but instead - I started getting a little pickier, selecting ones that presented a different challenge, such as carrying bricks in a rucksack, or multiple loops of a course. Sounds crazy but I was able to get through most, even if (race day!) I previously thought it would have been difficult. "15 pounds in a rucksack over 6 miles of mud and obstacles? Who does that?" (Also, said rucksack with a lot of compartments was a pain to clean afterwards..)

There were a few hiccups of course, from me falling off the Sternum Checker at Battlefrog and subsequently chickening out of the one at Shale Hill the following week, to signing up for the Ultra Beast but through some reality checks (thank you, Jen and Sara), changing my mind.

Once the last OCR event in my calendar was done, I remember heaving an immense sigh of relief. I didn't want to go out on any more training runs, nor go to the gym and work on my program, and pretty much looked forward to race day so the event would eventually be over. In other words, I was basically burnt out, and wanted nothing more than to sleep and eat popcorn all day.

Do I regret what I'd signed up for? No.

Would I do them all over again? Maybe not the Down and Dirty Brick Division, I drove 5 1/2 hours for that.

About a month after, I finally felt ok to lace up the shoes to go for a run again.

Go bigger and better - sure thing, but also remember to take the time to recover adequately.

Course des Neiges Cycle Néron - Darcie on a fatbike

It's time to take chances...make mistakes! Get messy!

Ah, that classic line from the Magic School Bus never gets old, and is reasonably applicable to the crazy world of obstacle course racing, or mountain biking, or <insert name of outdoor activity>

January 24 was yet another first for me. The local bike shop (which had been in my neighbourhood as long as I can remember) was holding a non-official event where anyone was welcome to try the fatbike in a park. A loop of 1.47km with a teeny hill to be done 5 times sounds straightforward enough, right?

What's a fatbike? Picture a mountain bike with extremely wide wheels. Ever seen a Jeep with ridiculously oversized tires? Yup, something like that. Anyway, a fatbike is made for riding in snow, or sand.

(photo credit Cycle Néron)

I'd always wanted to try one, so now was my chance. One of the bike shop employees, Christian, who I've gone on a few running outings with was inviting everyone to give it a shot.

The morning was bright and cold and thanks to fellow Mudd Queen Anne-Marie's tips, basically gear up to shield every part of myself to the wind. At the registration table I get to pick my number on a pullover jersey acting as a race bib! Also, in the recreational wave I've signed up for, we are a total of 6 riders. I was just hoping we wouldn't be too many jockeying for position.

Outside, participants are taking the bikes out for a few laps. Once I get sized up and fitted, I try the bike out on a flat. It feels alright...now in hindsight, perhaps I should have gone for a longer ride.

Ready to start! What am I looking at? (I'm on the right)

The other funny coincidence - my ex-boss JP is at the event (he was riding in the next wave) and is emcee-ing the recreational wave.

Off we go and clearly me not having warmed up my legs has bitten me in the rear. (Also didn't help I worked them out Saturday...when will I learn?) I watch the 5 remaining riders just disappear in front. My RPM's slow even more as my legs scream to adjust to the rhythm I'm forcing them to adapt. I also take the time to click the gears and figure out which ones would be adequate.

The part of the loop that was on the bike path leads back to some terrain (frozen dirt patch) and I'm hoping I don't wipe out and fall off as it is bumpy and uneven. Next thing I know, the loop takes me back on a bike path and leads up to the mini-hill. Digging into the memories of the few spin classes I've done, I stand up on the bike and pedal furiously towards the top...

...and lose momentum, coming to a complete standstill.

Embarrassing moment aside, I get off the bike and walk the way up as I'm huffing and puffing enough to blow the 3 Little Pigs' houses down (yes, even the brick house!) The loop goes downhill into a hairpin curve and back up the hill, that I stubbornly pedal up. On my way down I hear JP saying some encouraging words, then telling me to pull off on the side while they pump air in the tires. An unexpected but welcome break, as I am pretty much folded over the handlebars trying to catch my breath.

The loops fade into one another, I finally get some rhythm in my legs. The faster riders pass me but yell encouragement, and a volunteer on course helpfully tells me to change my gears. After the 2nd loop passing under the start line arch JP echoes the sentiment but the mic is still in his hand, meaning everyone hears the instructions to use the gears - hahahaha!

On the 3rd loop I don't make it up the hill at the 2nd pass, well failure is an option I guess. I finally get to completing my last lap (more stubborn pedaling to crest the hill) and make my way to the finish while hearing "Let's all encourage Darcie, the last finisher of the wave!"

Christian catching my finish (merci!)

I didn't realize 5 small laps could be so exhausting in the moment! I think I'm ready to breathe fire.

Would I fatbike again? Yes...because I don't always want to be the slow one. Plus it was a great and different way to enjoy the snow.

Overall, I had fun and met some cool people along the way, and it was nice to see some familiar faces as well. It really felt like a bunch of cycling enthusiasts gathering for a ride, no matter if experienced in fatbike or not.

Plus, I have some work to do, but I figure I'll start mountain biking to get things rolling. Next!...epsom salt bath. My legs feel heavy!