A little (D)hazed and confused πŸ™‚: It has been... - Bridge to 10K

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A little (D)hazed and confused πŸ™‚

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10
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It has been a busy week at work with an even busier weekend on call coming up but I still managed to get my 3 runs in this week - a short speed interval run on Monday, a (not so) easy coulee run with hubby on Wednesday (ah yes, I remember what running with hubby is like - one speed - but I ran behind him trying to do my own thing) and a 5k solo run out at the lake on the trails this morning, in the haze from the Northern forest fire smoke that blew in yesterday. The run today was supposed to be an easy 1.5k warm up run, followed by a faster middle 2k, finishing with a slow easy 1.5k cool down. I figured the easiest way to do this was to run the 5k course for the BFF trail race. It starts on the Horseshoe which I've written about before so I knew the first 1.5k would be slow (ok maybe not easy though, as I climb, climb, climb then run the ridge), followed by a quicker, downhill middle section, then the final section through the meadow trail with some undulating hills and a little stream crossing that my trail running partner and her family are responsible for creating. After the first year of the race when her son ran the 5k and it just ended in a boring 2k road run after the Horseshoe where he finished on the wrong side of the finish line, they took it upon themselves to scout out a way to make the 5k more like the rest of the race distances. The race directors were excited to have them on board since they were so busy with the longer distances that this distance became the forgotten middle child of the race series. She's done an amazing job in giving the final 2k the same feel as the other distances and a great introduction to trail racing, so they named this 5k race course after her and her family "The Fletcher 5k"...but I digress....

So I knew last fall after the race was finished a beaver had done a number on the bridge Denise and her family had beautifully built to cross the little stream. In addition to gnawing on the bridge and destroying it, he also built a dam flooding the area, turning this nice little crossable stream into a pond. I had hoped with the drought we are in, it would be back to a trickle and but I was wearing rose-coloured glasses and was sadly mistaken. I got to it, saw he had built a smaller dam followed by a monstrosity of a dam that looked large enough and sturdy enough that I was tempted to run across it (the children's song "I'm going on a bear hunt" instantly came to mind ..... A river! Can't go over it πŸ€”...well, I could if I ran over the beaver's dam, but being a veterinarian and having dealt with a dog in the past that was on the losing end of a scrap with a beaver, and seeing how territorial and aggressive they can be even in the marina, I thought better of it.......Can't go under it (nope; you're right).... Gotta go through it (No way! I remember the post from the race directors in the fall where Denise and her family were wearing chest waders taking the damaged bridge out and, if my memory is correct, they were thigh deep - nope, not going to happen). New verse....Guess I'll skirt around it. Now, this would have been a HUGE deal for me a few years ago because I am a very regimented person. I like a plan, follow a plan and I don't like to stray away from a plan in all parts of my life. However, after spending a couple wonderful years running with my more carefree trail running partner who isn't a huge fan of structure and likes to "go with the flow", I have learned to let go a little bit, see these hurdles as the molehill they are and enjoy the adventure that free styling it can be.....and we call it running Fletcher style πŸ™ƒ. So that is what I did. I took a look around, saw lots of animal trails leading all different directions, knew the relative direction I was trying to go, so off I set off. Now, I also really hate ticks, and thought today was a good day, given it was 15 degrees C to expose these ghostly white legs to the world. I was still sporting my long knee high compression socks, and had generously sprayed my legs with bug spray given how horrific the mosquitos were 2 nights ago, but in the back of my mind, I knew there would be lots of stopping and looking for ticks. Fortunately this adventure was near the cool down portion of my run so there was lots of stop....look around...figure out a course to run...check the legs for ticks....run to the next viewpoint.....see where to skirt to next to get in the vicinity of where the trail should reemerge....check for ticks again.....repeat. I did make it back on the trail for the final 65O metres or so and had an enjoyable, albeit slow, run. There has been absolutely no recent rain in the area so the ground was bone dry, making running on the fine dust tricky on the descents, but I enjoyed seeing all the deer prints along the trail of the Horseshoe....so much so, I had to stop to click a picture of my shoe print next to some deer prints 😁. I saw lots of birds on this run, some carnivore scat on the trail, heard a noise near where I had almost stepped on the snake last week which sounded like it was likely another (or the same) snake slithering into a grass and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little grey fluff dart into the grass just as I ran past on the trail. I didn't bother going back to check it out, not wanting to scare it further, but I suspect it may have been a little bush bunny given the size and colour. All-in-all, I had a great week of running and am ready for whatever the on-call gods throw at me this weekend.....well, almost ready for anything...the on-call gods have not been kind to me this month 😒...hence making sure I ran, regardless of how tired I was.

Here's hoping everyone has a great weekend of running, and perhaps, maybe run a little Fletcher style....footloose and fancy free, going where your heart and feet want to take you.

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SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecat
Graduate10
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16 Replies
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Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10

Great post SaskAlliecat - quite an adventure by the sounds of it! Well done on sticking to your runs despite the pressures of work- it can be tough squeezing in runs sometimes but making that effort is so worthwhile!πŸ™‚

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toSandraj39

I knew I had 2 nights not on call but had other errands to run those nights. Fortunately being the first week of a new HM training plan, the midweek runs were only around 3k apiece. Easy to fit in thankfully. Then I took my only day off this week to drive to the lake for my "longer" run. I had so much I should've been doing at home - cleaning the house, groceries, etc - but priorities right πŸ˜†. Good thing hubby knows what I can get like if I don't run, so he never complains about my running and the time it takes away from the household duties. And then I took the few free hours I had off in the afternoon to go buy some new trail shoes. The dishes were done (just) before the family got home and I had an idea for supper, so all was good 😁

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10β€’ in reply toSaskAlliecat

I am the same - much nicer to be around after a runπŸ˜‰, so I have a very accommodating family too!!πŸ™‚

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10

Good grief! That sounds like an adventure! A real obstacle course 😱

I didn’t realise Beavers were so aggressive although I’ve never seen one apart from in a wildlife park.

I love the idea of Fletcher style running and will try to do some πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ™‚

Great sounding run Saska πŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺ

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toIrishprincess

Beavers are incredibly aggressive. I didn't realize it either until I had to deal with this poor dog who was beaten up with huge lacerations all over his body. Since then, I've had a few encounters with them that have reminded me what they can be like. The first was when I was kayaking by myself down this lovely quiet little creek. As I approached an area where there was an island, something came up right beside my kayak and made a huge splash. I squealed (so much for the peace and tranquility in this lovely little isolated creek) and my heart rate sky rocketed. I've never kayaked so fast in my life before to get back to the houseboat and other people and was just so glad I didn't capsize. Since then I've also had the opportunity to examine one up close that was dead on the shore. The size of their claws is remarkable, as are their teeth (obviously). They are small, but vicious (and so destructive).

Enjoy your Fletcher style running 😊

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10β€’ in reply toSaskAlliecat

Yikes! Remind me not to get up close to one any time soon 😱

DebJogsOn profile image
DebJogsOn

Wow what a great run report. I have to say that territorial beavers sound terrifying!

Running is good the soul though - I always feel much more resilient at work of I've managed to get my running in during the week and long weekend runs are better than lie-ins!

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toDebJogsOn

Thanks Deb. I handle stress so much better if I can get my runs in, and am a much happier mom/wife, too πŸ˜† hence hubby supports my running fully!

🍿

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply to

You know it πŸ˜‚

Bluebirdrunner profile image
BluebirdrunnerGraduate10

Great Fletcher style run Allie! Three runs this week and zero tics! Win win.

Shame that badger had his own idea about the Fletcher crossing...but I hope you don't come across any bears!

Exciting adventurous runs, getting the adrenaline flowing...Go you!πŸ™†πŸ’ͺ carefully though..😊xxx

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toBluebirdrunner

Fortunately no bears here, just foxes, coyotes, moose, deer, antelope, beavers, badgers. Apparently there are bears further up the river valley but hopefully they don't migrate south. Our area is a lot more desolate, with a high sediment level in the water giving poor visibility, which all seems less desirable I would think for a bear. I've heard rumours of wolves, but I'm not convinced of that. There are cougars in the neighbouring provincial park 90 minutes to the west - they can stay there. Denise grew up in a cougar area so she is always more nervous when we run through the few bluffs of trees that are here....I'm more worried about the ticks πŸ˜‚.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10

A great post as always SaskAlliecat. You go from frostbite temperatures and snow to drought, ticks and all manner of critters. Greatest respect that you get out there at all.

I hope on call is quieter for you this time.

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

It really is a land of extremes here. They're calling for temperatures above 30 C this weekend - a good weekend to work, in air conditioning. Hubby and I were talking last night that maybe when we retire, we should head to the north, which is cooler, with great clear lakes and lots of snow in the winter, but there are other struggles with living in the north. We're a long way from retirement, so it really is a pipe dream, right now.

Jell6 profile image
Jell6Graduate10

I'm with clubberlang β˜•πŸͺ.

Excellent.

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate10β€’ in reply toJell6

Definitely need a cuppa and snacks πŸ˜†. They're never a quick read

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