20 Km and Rolling Pins and new DM

I ran a 20 K today. The run was not bad. A bit rainy, and in the low 40's. The route I am running currently is quite nice, with a lengthy boardwalk across a small lake. So you are surrounded by web-footed onlookers as you truck by. We ran into Burt again, a man pushing 70 years old, and still running 18K almost every day. I can see why so many athletes come from Victoria, you can train all winter long with little problems from inclimate weather. The kids didn't sleep last night, so I didn't sleep either. Subsequently, I ran on only 3 hours of sleep. I also have a cold from my children, so that was a nuiscance as well. We averaged 5:40 K's for the full 20 K so it was not a bad run at all--slow and steady was the goal today. I am definately sore as a result, and if I want to start streaking, I will have to run through some sore legs tomorrow. So where does the rolling pin come in? The guy I am running with is a Doctor, and told me if you struggle with stetching, you can improve your stetching by rolling your legs out with a rolling pin for about 10 minutes after each run. So I tried it and it definately works. It looks a bit funny, I must admit, but I just make sure I don't do it in public. We will continue to run between about 13K and 20K three or four times a week, and then once we get a good base down, we will start working on some longer distances, and crank up the speed. We ultimately would like to be up to about 80 K a week. I will still keep running Mount Doug as a sort of cross-training for myself on the off-days, to stay in trail running shape for the Gutbuster. The biggest challenge is just not getting injured. To train well, you need to push hard enough that you are super sore, but not so hard that you are injured. I find it is difficult to get the balance right. It is a fine line between mostly dead and completely dead. There-in lies my challenge.

Depeche Mode will be coming out with a new album early next year. I am so excited. Dave will write a few of the songs and that should be interesting. I have just heard a small blip or two, but I can tell it is going to be outstanding. The CD will be followed up by the "Tour of the Universe". I am so pumped and should start saving now, so I can either watch them in Vancouver, Seattle, or Utah. No matter where I go to watch the show, it will cost me hundreds at least, between tix, room and board, and ferry ride. I may be setting up a small donation based organization called "Fund my DM Addiction", to help ensure I make it to the concert (only kidding). I watched the full 1 hour interview when they annouced the tour, and thought it was one of their better media exploits. If you have ever seen some of their earlier interviews you know that they are not know for their brilliant tour announcements or interviews.

End of Semester, 15 Km, and X-Mas

I have just about wrapped up another semester of school. I am in the middle of my 19th year of school, and can't believe I still enjoy it. I have given my students their finals and have written 40 pages worth of reports. I have given many presentations, and just have one last 3 hour written exam on Monday. It feels great to have another semester behind me. The way I see it I only have about 12-14 semesters to go until I am finished with my post-doc. Well -- now that I put it that way, I am a little freaked out. I just take em' one at a time. I went to my first Master's defense the other day and it was interesting and unerving to see the difficult questions asked to the presenter. It will be a wild ride until I am in the hot seat, but I welcome the challenge. I have a lot of work to do, and plan on getting a head start over X-mas break.

Well my injury in early October was a costly one, and I lost 4 weeks of training time. I also was so busy that I honestly couldn't justify the time to running. So I started up again in November. I have been spotty at best, because of my time constraints. I finally found someone to train with, and will be running with my EQ president. He is pretty fast and pushes me hard. We did a 15Km on Monday and it was a quick one. We finished in 1:13:00 so that was a great time (for me, I held him back). We had plenty of 4:20 K's but to be competitive we need to be closer to 3:50 K's or 35 minute 10 K's. After the run I felt pretty good, but on Monday evening I began to get pretty tight. I feared runner's knee again, last bout of RK cost me 6 weeks. So I used rolling pins on my legs, and stretched, iced, and heated for two days straight. I think I have it under control. It was a close one though. I don't want any more injuries. We will run again Saturday for a faster 15 K. I will probably try a shorty tomorrow just to see if I am up to it on Saturday. I am so anxious to get into the 20-50 Km range I just push too hard and train unwisely. It is a case of having my will power out-preform my scrawny body. I have recently read an article on "Streakers" People who run every day consecutively for 30 plus years! Inspiring, and I am probably just crazy enough to try it.

Well with X-mas around the corner we went out and got our tree yesterday--a petite but plump and happy douglas fur. The kids were exstatic and were bouncing off the walls all night. I think it turned out nice. We also went into downtown today, to buy some ornaments for our mom's. There is a store here with 4 floors of ornaments. So we got our mom's Swedish ornaments. We also stopped off at a 19th century castle along the way. It was brilliant. We ended up having a great time as a family. The weather was brilliant and I haven't missed the snow at all. Well that should catch you up to my doings. I can't wait to do some X-mas baking but I have opted to watch my waistline this holiday so moderation will be key. I hope I have the will-power to stop from eating too many delicous sugar loaded desserts.

Minerals, Power, and Land

I have been following the Congo War closely as I have recently worked on projects from the region and possibly could have found myself within the boarders of the conflict not too long ago. First off the DRC is an amazing country. It is truely an anomaly as far as mineral wealth goes. It has so many possibilities for large deposits which could drastically change the face of the country and region. The more I study the geology of the Congo (it is hardly touched by geoscience, it reminds me a lot of pre-Civil War America or early 20th century South America) the more I want to explore it. The problem with mineral wealth is that it is an incubator for corruption, and greed (not just in the region but globally). Everyone feels that the deposits are theirs for the taking. Westerners may come in with good intentions, wanting the wealth to benefit the people of the region, but it somehow seems to bring unexpected problems as well. Take Ok Tedi for example in Papua New Guinea. As good intentioned as BHP was to mine the giant copper gold porphyry and benefit the country, the damage to the environment was emmense. It is considered one of the biggest environmental disaters of recent times, causing damage to the Fly river and surrounding ecosystem, and it is estimated it will take 300 years to repair. On the flip side it brings wealth and stimulates the economy and improves the standard of living.

Similar, the Congo sits on rare equatorial rainforrest with great biodiversity, but also has great mineral wealth in the same regions. It is essential that any mining in this region is handled with great care and planning. I feel it could be done with minimal impact, but at greater cost. The main issue though is that the instabillity of the region makes it a high risk endeavor (even more so than typical mining is) for larger companies who could tackle the problems. The war with the Tutsi and Congolese army is an old one and has been a continuing issue. I am not even going to pretend to know all the details of the conflict but it appears to stem from minerals, boundaries and power. I fear that many small mining operations are carried out with no regard to the impacts they might have. Not out of lack of morals, but lack of education and resources.

The crimes against humanity are alarming, and if they occured in the west would not be tolerated in the least. It is important to realize that many issues in other parts of the world need to be viewed from a different perspective. I would like to see peace return to the region. There is so much potential for economic and social growth in the region. I would love to volunteer in the region and hope I can donate time and resources to the region soon. I wish there was an easy answer, but the problems are complex. It is sad to see that there is great potential and opportunity that could change many lives for the better, and yet it can't be utilized because of the conflicts. It appears doubtful that a spirit of peace and cooperation will exist soon enough to lead to synergistic solutions for the poverty and disease that are sweeping the land now. It makes me sad, and has been on my mind.

Mount Shasta revisited

It is funny how life comes around full circle, and past experiences are re-lived differently in the future. It has been around 15 years since a diverse group of 32 individuals from our valley view II ward decided to climb Mount Shasta in Northern California. I remember when Kevin Wilson proposed that we do this for our summer outing. I couldn't believe it, it just sounded awesome to a 13 year old boy. I think only 7 of us ended up summiting for many different reasons. I only weighed about 80 lbs and I did get a shot of hypothermia on the way down due to poor equipment and terrible planning on my part, (I mean I had to borrow one of the girl's fruity long johns, and who climbs a mountain like that in Levi Shorts anyways), and also spending 8 hours waist deep in slurpee. I am sad that I didn't take more or better photos.

I bring this random experience up because for my next semester I will be studying some of the igneous rocks from Mount Shasta. I have to laugh as I read the names of some of the units I will be studying such as the "Misery Hill Volcanics" or the Red Banks pyroclastic flow, good times, good times. It will be truly exciting and a little nastalgic to be able to become intimately familiar with the very rocks that I struggled up nearly a decade and a half ago. I hope to publish on the subject and hopefully my research will add to our understanding of our little sphere, in some small way. I just think it is interesting that sometimes we do things in the past, that at the time we have no idea, but in the future become a much more integral part of our lives. It is kind of like moving to BC. Most people don't know this, but I always had an obsession with BC when I was younger, and always thought I would live here one day. Almost accidentally the opportunity fell in my lap and here we are. I don't know how it all works out, if our earlier thoughts or experiences steer our sub-consious, or if we do certain things in our lives as preparation for what lies ahead, or if it is just accidents that we notice along the way. I tend to think it is our earlier experiences that prepare and steer our lives. After all, I wouldn't be studying the Shasta rocks if I hadn't become interested in geology, a field that evolved from awesome adventures like Shasta, and a keen interest in discovery. When it comes right down to it, I think at any given point in our lives, a large portion of who we are, is just the sum of our previous experiences. I think that is part of my reasoning for wanting to have as many differing and exciting experiences as possible.

Reading and Writing

So I have noticed that there is a major difference between graduate studies and undergraduate studies, at least in the geosciences. Undergrad work tends to be homework, math, labs, and small projects. Mostly busy work and text books. Since starting at UVic in September I have read! I am a big reader anyways, and 200 pages a week is not uncommon. Of which about 40% is pleasure like novels or scientific, 40% is purely technical for my own research, and 20% is spiritual, self help, excercise and health related. The last few months I have been reading about 500-1000 pages a week. The percentages and categories are quite different as well.

The main point is that graduate studies are loaded with readings in your field area, writing in your subject of interest, with many 5-25 page papers on different challenging subjects, and lastly lots of presentations on difficult subject matter. It is quite different, and is completly opposite from my undergraduate experience. I really like this aspect of my Graduate studies. I love being in a quiet corridor of a crowded library with a stack of dusty books at my feet, or up in the 4th floor petrology lab overlooking the fall colors, finding resources for my many projects. The funny thing is that when I am burned out of reading stuff on subducting slabs and Arc Magmas, and copper partitioning coefficients in amphibols etc, I relax by reading. I read mainly novels though, and have recently read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown last weekend (I had been meaning to get around to it for several years now). When I am burned out of looking at figures, data, and doing various projects and presentations, I relax by doing my own research on my own research areas (ore deposits and mineral exploration). So really when I am not reading or studying, I relax by reading or studying something else. Pretty nerdy. I do look forward to next semester when I really get to start doing some serious experimental petrology. I am anxious to start the hands on portion of my research, and then I get to play with the resulting data.

Heart Beat Cave - a real scary experience

I have been wanting to post something creepy in the spirit of Halloween. I first looked on YouTube for some Ghost Pictures and Movies, and well lets just say that the ones I found were too scary, and that experience is a post in and of it's self. So I dug through some old experiences and pictures, and decided to post on an experience I had many years back.

My brother and I were up to our usual antics and went up to the Uintas to do some prospecting. We decided to try a new area that we hadn't explored before. The truck whined as it climbed the steep dusty road. The warm autumn sun was at a low angle in the sky, and cast deep shadows along the canyon walls and cliffs. As we turned off the main road, onto the small jeep road, both us were suprised to notice at the same time, a small entrance to a cave 3,000 feet up a steep mountain side, on the side of the cliff. Well you wouldn't be a prospector if you didn't get out of your truck and jump into every nook and cranny you could find. So we parked the little gray nissan in some thick brush and scrubby ponderosas, and grabbed our gear for the long trek ahead.

We began to pick our way through the buck brush and evergreens toward our goal. Our conversation shifted from how many dead Spanish Conquistadors we were going to find in this cave, to what sort of gold veins would be waiting for us inside. We were sure we were the only people dumb enough to make the arduous journey to the mouth of the entrance, and would be the first. The climb became downright steep. We soon found we were on all fours scrambling up skree and holding onto stunted little shrubs. The slope morphed into a rock slide and we found for every two steps forward, we slid backwards a step and a half. In the rocks we began to find the remains of ancient small corals and bivalves, indicative that you are in "cave country". We also noticed some pyrites, always a good sign for mineralization. We let our thoughts get carried away again, and it briefly let us escape the fact that we were exhausted, sweaty, and thirsty from ascending this mountain side. Our water rations soon ran out, and we realized that the entrance looked easier to get to from the truck, than what it was really taking us to approach. Another odd thing we found, was the closer we neared the entrance, the larger the entrace became. At first we had thought the cave to be about 1 meter square. At about 3/4 of the way to the entrance, it looked like you drive a vehicle into it. We finished the last 1000 feet of the climb on all fours scratching and clawing our way up the loose gravel, that had settled at the angle of repose.

The entrance was massive. You could build a two story house in the entrance, and still have space between the cave and the entire house. It was nice to get out of the late afternoon autumn sun into the cool inards of the mountain. The three hour climb had left us feeling weak and famished. It was time to get down to buisness and explore this bad boy. We jumped into the entrance and were punched in the nose by the smell of ammonia. "Guano" was everywhere. We found that after about 30 meters into the cave it began to really neck down and we could barely stand in the cave. The floor and rocks were stained a dark organic colour, and we were careful not to touch more guano than we had to. We shined our mag light onto the ceiling and saw a thick seem of brilliant yellow calcite crystals. We pulled out the chisels and began to remove a few specimens for posterity sake. It was cool and dark and the light from the gigantic entrance no longer made it's way to this portion of the cave. We pressed onward.

It appeared for a moment that we had reached the end of the cave system (always a dissapointment for an explorer). We shown the light around, and noticed a small section of cave that seemed to continue into the mountain, at a right angle to the main tunnel.

It was small, only big enough to belly crawl through. We pulled our packs off, and Rich did what he always does, and dove in head first. I heard his muffled voice from the hole "there are a few rocks in the way, but it definately keeps going". He grabbed his rock hammer and began to pry at the rocks. He looked like a varmont digging a hole, as the debris began to fly out of the small aperture. He yelled from the hole "the acoustics are crazy back here, I can hear my own heartbeat in the cave". I thought that was an odd statement, I know I had heard my pulse pounding in my head as we struggled up to the entrance, but this wasn't what he meant. I questioned "are you sure?". He casually said it was definately his heart beat. I squatted down at the small entrance and could see the pebbles and rocks stuck in the tread of the bottom of his shoes. I pointed the mag light back in the claustophobic little tunnel (We only had one light and I was holding it to free up Rich's hands). Rich managed to budge a massive boulder that was hindering our further progress. With the loosening of the rock, I was hit in the face with a gust of stale dank air. And then every hair on my body stood on end, much like when you are ontop of the Uintas in a lightning storm, and you can feel the electrons singling you out as a target, but my hair was on end because I heard the faint sound of a heartbeat too.

Now I am a scientific guy and I am VERY skeptical of all things supernatural, so don't think for a second that I am making this up. I told Rich with a shaky voice, "I hear your heartbeat too". He replied totally non-concerned "I know it's getting louder". There was a definate draft now and air was flowing around Rich's prostrate body. The sound grew louder. No longer was it a faint muffled sound but a distinct rythmic heartbeat. Boooom boom boooom boom. We both began to wonder what the heck was going on. It was like knowing how it felt to be the main character in Poe's "A Tale Tell Heart". The sound began to build. I was terrified. It was like there was a giant heart sleeping in the bowls of the Earth, and we had disturbed it's slumber, and it was now mad and coming for us. I finally told Rich let's get out of here. "Right behind you buddy" I heard from the small grave like opening. And then when I thought I couldn't get anymore scared, the beats grew louder. The sound was louder than a base drum. The fear gripped me, and I was sure that my life may come to an end at any moment. It is a fear that is hard to explain unless you have ever been confronted by some sort of invisible fo. I had to shout to talk over the rythmic booms coming from the depths of hell. The repeating beats were echoeing off every wall. It was as if you were inside a giant heart, like the mountain was a living breathing creature, and we were adjacent to the mountain's massive heart. The sound surrounded you, and it wasn't just a sound, it felt so alive. Finally fear shorted my brain out. My legs began to move by their own power. Fight or flight had kicked in, and I wasn't able to fight a giant heartbeat and win, so I ran.

Keep in mind that I had our only light source. The last thing I can remember in the cave is my brother scrambling to put chisels, hammers and crystals in his pack. The next thing I knew I was at the mouth of the entrance. I heard a terrified whimper behind me "You have the light dude, I can't see a thing". Had I just left my brother in the dark to fend for himself against a giant heart beat.? "I am a huge freakin wimp" I thought. Yet I had not the courage to look back. I just stood in the entrance and pointed the light towards the scrambling sound of my brothers footsteps. I saw a flash stream past me as my brother virtually flew out of the entrance. The sound at this point was echoeing from the entrance I was still standing in. I quickly followed my brother down the slope. Now keep in mind we were on all fours for nearly three hours to climb this hill. We were now sprinting! Each step I took seemed to cover 100 meters of distance. It was like I was out of my body watching some athlete below me navigate a course made by the devil himself. Yet both of us were executing each step, and maneuver, with the accuracy and skill of a surgeon. The sound of the heart beat was faint as we began to get in the scrubby pines and buck brush that hid our small truck. It took us but 15 minutes to get back to the truck. We never stopped, or even made a sound on our rapid suicide desent. We threw in our gear, and started our truck. The sound of some electronic music began to play and erase the horrid sounds that we had just been a part of.

We made it to the small diner that we always ate at after a prospecting trip, and finally the shock had wore off. "WHAT IN THE HECK WAS THAT?" We both said in unison. As we sat drinking a gallon of soda and dipping our greasy frys into the fry sauce, we began to try and explain it away. Maybe there was drilling going on, or maybe the draft in the cave caused the cave to make noise, maybe there is heavy machinery near by,,,, and on and on. I am here to tell you I have never come up with a good explanation. I have had cavers, and miners, and forest rangers try to explain it as this or that. The problem is the pure volume of the noise, and the proximity of where the noise was coming from. I am a scientific person and want a scientific answer, but some things are just mysteries, like heart beat cave. Every part of this story is true and accurate even to the part of me shamefully leaving my brother to his demise. I have never gone back, and I will never divulge the location of the cave, and I WILL NEVER go back again as long as I live, well maybe I would if I was talked into it, I am always up for tempting fate.

Rich in the entrance of the cave when we first arrived, below is a shot of me in the entrance upon arriving, both of us oblivious to the experience we were about to be a part of. (sorry all these shots are just some crappy scans) Rich just entering the creepy little tunnel in the back of the cave, moments before the scary experience.
This is a shot from the inside of the cave about 15 meters back looking out of the entrance, if you look close you can see the Guano and the seam of yellow calcite crystals in the ceiling.

Current Guitar Practice Playlist

I am currently learning several songs on my guitar. It is a lot of fun, and though I don't have as much time for it as I would like, I always try to squeeze it in some where in the day.

Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode

Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode

Brick - Ben Folds Five

Missile - I Am X

Spit It Out (Acoustic) - I Am X

Lightning Field - Sneaker Pimps

Lazarus - Placebo

Special Needs - Placebo

Water's Edge - Seven Mary Three

Where is My Mind - Pixies

The Chauffer - Duran Duran

Pretty much I am the only one who can tell what I am playing, but I love it. Since I am only learning for my enjoyment, and love of music, that is all that matters. If along the way, however, I am able to Jam with some friends or where ever that would be a plus.

Mine Tour in the Interior BC

This week I had the opportunity to check out several mines in the interior of British Columbia. Both mines were near Logan Lake and Merrit BC. The first mine was a gold mine with historic production and possible future reserves. It was an awesome property. There were thousands of meters of core from drilling programs. Most of the gold mineralization was contained in quartz veins rich in pyrite with sericite alteration. We had to act as if we were geologists looking at the property for a possible acquisition. After looking at maps, minerals and the gold veins we had to decide if we were going to purchase the property or not. Me being an optimist thought the property was conducive for a future mine. It was a great chance to see a real life prospect and possible future mine. I would love to work on the project.


The following property was the Highland Valley Copper Mine owned by Teck Cominco. The Bingham Copper style pit is the largest of the kind in Canada but still quite small compared to Bingham. The mine is still huge. It was awesome to go inside the pit and look for minerals. I found some great specimens. The mine contains good copper and molybdenum. It was cool to check out the machinery working. We also got to check out the mill. It was awesome to check out how they get the metal out of the rock. These are just a few pictures of the process. They crush, then float off the metal due to it's hydrophobic nature, after which they collect and seperate the copper from the moly. Lastly they dry and ship the concentrate to Asia. The mill was ginormous using as much electricity as a city with 100,000 people every day. It also uses the same water as nearby Kamloops. The rock crushers are massive and obliderate the rocks through autogonous or semi-autogonous processes. The metallic slurry frothing off the top of the flotations cells were amazing. All I could think about is my own ideas and future plans with mining. The weather was freezing and averaged about -4 degrees celcius. But the trip was worth it.

The pit from a distance.
Our class in the Lornex pit with a shovel in the background that could scoop up a suburban in its shovel.
Some of the mineralization associated with the mine. The next picture is one of the crushers.
Metal moly in a flotation and seperation cell.

Me back on the island after this trip to the interior. I have grown quite fond of the island and love to be by the ocean and the mild temps and weather that are associated with Victoria.

My first Gutbuster Mount Doug 11 Km Training run

Today was a really good day for me with my running. I accomplished many "firsts". Before conference I decided to do my weekly long run. It was pouring rain and was chilly, about 13 degrees (57 f). I figured I would go for the full gutbuster 11km (yellow line on the map) plus my added distance to and from my house, and a slight variation on the course, which put my distance closer to 15 Km. It took me quite a while to get in the groove. It is amazing that regaurdless of how hard I train, my first 2 Km are just brutal. Today was extra bad, but it turned out to be a good thing. I hit my groove right at the start of my first major hill climb (the Irvine Climb). Here is where I accomplished my second first. I summited Mount Doug without having to speed walk at all. My legs were just burning, and my lungs were trying to engulf the necessary oxygen. I would not let myself slow to a walk. I just kept pushing myself, and before I knew it, I was on the last few swithbacks to the top. I was stoked. I then battled some really slick rocks and messed up my right leg (see photo, you can tell it's messed up). The rain drops began to fall faster, and seemed that each drop encompassed a pop cans amount of liquid. I was drenched. I finished summiting little doug and summited big Doug again. I finished my distance and struggled up the big hill before my house. I had made my full distance. It took a total of 2:12 and so I ran beyond the 2 hour mark for the first time since moving up here. I was so relieved to be done and was happy with my progress this week. My temperature was super hot from the run, but when I got home I found myself locked out of the house, and my tempature crashed. I finally got inside and snapped a photo of myself after my first succesful Mount Doug long course completion, for prosperity sake. I started the run at 150.8 lbs and finished the run at just over 148lbs. To make my goals for my times I want, in about 40 weeks for the actual race, I will need to shave at least 40 minutes off my time. So I need to average about one minute quicker each week then the week prior. I jumped in the tub turned on conference and warmed up. I am affraid I will have to start nursing my injured right leg, and I may loose some training time. I pulled my acheles and hamstring, which in turn caused my knee to track poorly under my patella, so I have a bit of runner's knee as well. Time for ice and stretching. I will muscle through it though. I can't wait to hit the trail again. I ran pretty long on wednesday as well, but my mind was uneasy due to some loose ends that have not been tied up. I ran very poorly that night as a result. Between then and now I had made some progress on working through my issues, and feel the peace of mind allowed me to run better. It is amazing how interlinked our mind, body, and spirit are. I love the fact that running allows me to totally push my limits to where my will is the only thing keeping my body firing. I love to see just how much pain I can create for myself. I know it sounds crazy, but it is fun to me. The conference tonight was great, and I look forward to tomorrow.

Teaching

I have found I really do enjoy teaching at University. I have always considered being a professor, but now that I am getting some experience, I even love it more. Some of my favourite aspects of teaching are sharing a small portion of my love of geoscience with someone else, and watching the students actually get excited about something I love so much. I enjoy watching people figure out a problem, and seeing that little "light bulb" moment of the realization of how to figure the issue out. I really like to see people take pride in their academic accomplishments and successes, they are hard earned. This class (mineralology) is such a fun course to teach. There is such a huge component of hands on science. Everything from hand specimen identification, optical miscroscopy, and field science. It really is the course in a geology undergrad's career that forms such a fundamental background of all other aspects of the science. It is used as a basis for everything from geochemistry, and mineral exploration, to ocean science, environmental science and geophysics. I am really learning the course material as well, and feel I am becoming a better student and geologist as a result of my teaching. I would truly love to teach for a living. I have heard some negative comments about becoming a university professor, but I feel these comments are poorly constructed and based on weak arguments or one bad experience. I love research and would love to continue to research as well. Sometimes industry does not allow for much wiggle room, to pursue your own interests amd curiosity, but university allows for such curiosity studies, and to contribute to the furtherment of the science, and not just a single company or project. I would be a very happy person if I was able to elevate myself to a level that would allow me to teach upper division geosciences. I will always remember my first experience as a TA, as a truely important point in my life.

5 lists of 8

8 TV shows I like to watch: (I watched when I had the TV)
1. Lost
2. Chuck
3. Office only have watched it a few times but laughed till I cried.
4. History Channel
5. Discovery Channel, survival man, and the other survival guy
6. National Geographic
7. Nature
8. I don't know I just don't watch


8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. I like McGrath's quite a lot
2. Red Lobster is good
3. Rooster's
4. Himalayan Kitchen
5. Chilis
6. Outback
7. Ruby River
8. Red Fish Blue Fish

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1. Woke up
2. ate pancakes
3. bus to school
4. taught a lab on crystalography
5. read reports
6. read some books
7. ran
8. Played with my kids

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Seeing my family each morning, afternoon, and night
2. Finishing my Master's
3. Starting my Doctorate
4. Finishing my Doctorate
5. Finding a good job
6. Traveling the world
7. Fishing with Tim
8. A new DM album

8 People I tag: All my friends (I know, I only have a friend or two, it is the best I can do).

New Lyric

James got the last one so quickly, I am going to have to try and stump him.

Try this one out!

"Let's take the whole of the world The mountains and the sand"

An Ode to Mount Douglas

I am going to do another long run of Doug this afternoon. I will most likely be doing about a 2:00 hour or slightly longer. I will try to summit doug twice and little doug at least once. It is a great hill to climb. First it has great trail systems. You can always switch up your run depending on distance, steepness, rockyness, or you can just trail run around the mountain on a nice flat run. It is really nice to have such variabillity while training. The mountain itself is 220 meters (almost 1000 feet) above sea level, and since, on my run to the mountain, I pass within a few meters of the ocean, I climb this elevation every time I summit. So an average long run with summiting Big Doug twice and little Doug once, I climb over 2,000 feet. It is a really good spot to train. The views are fantastic and sunset (when I usually run) can be breathtaking. This is a truly inspiring run, the terrain and scenary is brilliant, and the trails are always different as conditions change. The silence is only broken up by my foot steps on the moist organic rich soil. It is not hard to be a runner in Victoria infact it is an absolute joy.

Lyric of the Day

I thought I would put a new lyric of the day on my blog to honour Depeche Mode. I hope that is a big enough hint. This is from a great song that I have really come to enjoy over the years, and it is probably ranked around number 10 which is saying a lot for the 300 songs I have on my i-pod from the group.

Here it is.....

"Try as hard as you can, I've tried as hard as I could, To make you see"

I know it's too easy, wacha gonna do? Good Luck and may the best Modey win!

My Favourite Band

Why Depeche Mode?
1987
My first recollection of Depeche Mode comes in the year 1987, while listening on a small imitation-wood clock radio, most likely the station was KJQ or what ever was the mainstream station at the time, I heard an intriguing song. It was "Blasphemous Rumors". Being six or seven years old, the lyrics meant nothing to me, but the overall sound was captivating. Was it the electronic melody or the sampled sounds? I couldn’t put my finger on it. Little did I know at that time what an integral part of my life this band would play.

I had limited listening for the next few years. My next real contact with their music was probably 1991. I was 10 years old in that glorious summer, and I had a friend who’s older brother was a “Waver”, you know the guys with long hair on one side of their head, with the other half, shaved off. Well he had just bought the Vinyl for “Violator”. My first time hearing “Enjoy the Silence” was mesmerizing. It was like discovering the lost city of Atlantis. Could there really be a world of music out there that I didn’t know about? I can remember really loving “Policy of Truth” as well. Later in that same year I purchased “Catching up With Depeche Mode”, a compilation of their earlier stuff. I found it had “Blasphemous Rumors” but some new songs I hadn’t heard before. It played in my small cd player endlessly. I captured a few of DM’s “Violator” songs on tape, recorded from the radio, and loved the tapes to the point that they wouldn’t play. That was the extent of my Depeche Mode listening until 1996.

At this point I was working at Granite furniture on the night shift. I found myself instantly drawn to one of the employees in the set-up and visual section of the warehouse. James started talking about his musical interests, and I quickly found he was a fountain of knowledge, trivia, and music, from the era and genre. He began to bring me albums from his collection. The first being “Speak and Spell” followed by many other earlier albums and cds from similar artists. Over the next year I began to become obsessed. The sounds of clanking metal, the haunting melodies, the dark lyrics, began to take on a new level of understanding for me. I began to play these many tracks endlessly in my car, as Tim and I drove around at nights, discussing life, love (well what we thought we knew of love), fishing, and happiness in our naive and innocent way. The songs began to be a soundtrack for my teenage years. I had dealt with some trying situations, and many of the tracks struck a chord with me.

My brother got home from his mission early in 1997 and he decided to take me on my first prospecting trip. I had always been interested in prospecting and treasure hunting and had all of the stories memorized. Our first trip was to our old family hunting spot that my dad had found good evidence of mining activity at. As we drove up there in his little Nissan truck, he popped in a tape he had bought from “The Good Will” donation house for $0.98. The tape began with the screeching sound indicative of “I Feel You” and as we began to enter the mountains on that rainy spring morning, Depeche Mode took on a new depth for me. It was at this point that my brother and I knew we were onto something big, combining good music with adventure! For the next 10 years we probably listened to that album 100’s of times on our prospecting adventures. I have fond memories of hearing the bluesy sound of DM mixed with fantastic electronic pulses in the background of a rattling dusty road in some forgotten corner of the Uinta Mountains. My obsession with the group began to become deeply emotional as the different songs and albums began to be linked with some of my most exciting, frightening, and intimate thoughts and experiences.

Ultra came out that year and it was magic. Finally, I had new stuff for me to sink my teeth into. Sister of Night was a particular favourite from the album. It was nice to know DM had pulled through their darkest moments with a new album, and were so happy doing it that they were here to stay. Shortly after this release, DM announced a tour and a new best of Album. 1986<1998, which was a two disc set from these years of the bands music. I waited in line at the record store to get my own copy with the special third disc extra. These two discs, orange and blue, are probably my most played discs I own. I have actually purchased them three times because of various reasons, but mainly abuse.

These two discs became the backdrop of the infamous “Delta Hunt 98’”. Where my car miraculously drove itself at 60 mph on cruise, in 6 inches of snow, while Tim, Bradford and I slumbered (I was driving). I awoke to the site of a deer in the road. Sufficeth to say, 15 doughnuts later, and a similar experience to that of John Candy in Plains, Trains, and Automobiles, we were back on our way to Delta, Utah, a “little” wiser. I have the sweetest memory of this trip, as it was really the icing on our friendship, and adolescence, and marked an end to our innocence. Shortly after this we were all on our own pursuing our different paths in life.

Previous to Delta Hunt 98, I was lucky enough to get tickets with James and his family to the Concert for the 1998 show. This was my first DM concert, and my most memorable because of it being my first. We drove down with James in his parents van, and I think we laughed the whole way down and back. The concert was awesome, and I can’t describe the feeling I got being there that night, but it is a similar feeling when you know you are experiencing something almost outer bodily or when you know you are experiencing greatness. The stands were swaying, and the energy in the crowd was like lightning. I was so caught up in the moment, that I can’t tell you what exactly, it was like for me. That night saw the start of a true friendship that will last the eternities. At that point in time, I knew that I was at some sort of climax in my life, and I was in a lot of ways.

Over the next few years I used the new internet as a way of checking out DM stats, trivia, and music. I was extremely pumped for Exciter and James got a copy from Napster before the release. I was in love all over again. Though to date, Exciter is not my favourite of their albums, it has its moments where it is. There was a new concert to follow this album up, and I once again was marveling at the genius behind this trio from Basildon. I went through phases of this song, or this album, or that, and was blown away by Playing the Angel several years later. The concert was insane, and the tickets were a gift from James and Jenny because I couldn’t afford closer seats, and it was Vye’s first DM concert, and though I don’t think her experience was anything like my first, she still loved it. In fact she was pregnant with Kaleb, and he loves music almost as much as me, especially “Daddy Music”.

After my first surgery I went to Richies house so I could have Tracy care for me while Vye was at work. I was withering away and could not eat a thing. I was so weak and looked like “Mister Burns” from the Simpsons. I began to get really sick and began to faint, or pass out in the shower, or while lying on the bed. My health took a turn for the worst and my mom stayed up with me all night, one night, because she swore I might pass in the middle of the night and Vye was too exhausted to stay awake another night in a row. The next morning I was told by my surgeon if I didn’t eat and start improving I would have to go to the ICU. I couldn’t stand the thought of another IV or being fed by a tube. I finally had Vye get my Exciter DVD and my mom bought some ensure. I sat in Richies family room and blared my DVD and began to sip the ensure. Within a few minutes my spirits began to sore (drugs may have helped the soaring as well, but that is another story), I began to feel the music, and it was almost like liquid music in my veins. By the end of the concert I was “Pointing” to the music and had drank a full ensure. It was a turning point for my health.

Throughout my undergraduate degree, I can remember reading in the quiet alcoves of the Stewart Library with the sound of Depeche in the background. They were a constant companion, as I pulled many all-nighters in a lab staring through a microscope, or at home cramming for a test. I have run many miles to Depeche, cried to Depeche, laughed to Depeche, formed relationships while listening to DM, I have discovered endless layers and insite to myself and others while listening, and I have lived with Depeche for almost two decades. When asked why is Depeche Mode my favourite band? I can’t simply answer because I like their songs, or their music speaks to me, I can’t say anything at all, because I can’t possibly do their music and what it means to me justice with the confines of the English language. I feel I have an intimate connection with their music, and I am anxious for what events in my life will be played out, over the fantastic sound of my favourite band.

A long run and a short run

I did two additional runs this week. On Wednesday I did a really long run, I was gone 1:40 and yesterday I did speed work on one of my favorite runs and did 1:03. On Wednesday it had rained all day and started raining again as I ran. I left about 6:00 and thought I would go on a medium lengthed 1:15. The rocks were all really slick and I did a butt flop or two because of the slippery boulders. After I summited doug and slipped down the rock buster, I decided to summit little doug. At this point it was dark and I couldn't see a darn thing. I decided to go all around the park and missed my turn and found myself in the neighborhood. Once I figured out where I was I finished my run. In all it was a long wet and tiring 1:40 minutes. Yesterday was quite a bit different and I only went for speed. I did my favorite run just to the summit and back. I wanted to break 1:00 hour. I had done it in 1:15 before so I really wanted to shave some time off. I left the i-pod and bumbag at home at booked it. I really pushed. I almost completely summited without having to walk. Right at the end I had just to much lactic acid built up in my muscles and had to walk for two minutes to release it. It got dark when I summited and the whole run down was really dangerous and black which slowed me significantly. I finally got to the smooth sections and tried to make up lost ground. I finished right at 1:03 and missed my goal. I was a little sad but I will break 1 hour next Friday.

Lyric of the Day

So here is a new one. No hints this time until you are all stumped. Good luck!

"She calls me goliath and I wear the david mask"

As for me I have just finished my mineral resource lab, and I thought it was a good one. I always love looking at the different mineral and ore deposits and samples. It is cool to see rocks that have made millions of dollars for those who were able to find and mine them. I got to draw each specimen and that was fun I think my lab is the best. It has been a nice temperature about 18 degrees, celcius that is. I think I will go on a easy run tonight maybe only 4 or 5 miles and prepare for a long run in the morning closer to 10 miles. We are going to the beach tomorrow as well and having a fire pit and are going to cook some hotdogs and hamburgers. It should be fun. I have about 200 pages of reading to do this weekend, so I should be busy with that as well, and I still have a 25 page paper to write on a subject that I haven't researched yet. I think I will have Angie be my personal editor since she has an abundance in time.

Talk to you guys soon. So far I think it is almost a tie with each person winning about one lyric. We will have to see who pulls in the lead.

Lyric of the Day

I have to post this one a little late due to having to grade papers this morning then teach. The students had a lab due today and also two quizes so they were pretty burnt out by the end of the 3 hour session. I feel I am a good teacher and if anything I am a bit too kind and leaniant. Oh wells so they will all get good grades, what you gonna do?

This lyric will most likely be a hard one. As for a clue I am thinking to mention this song has to do with cameras or photography, that might give it away but this isn't the most main stream of their songs. Good luck.

"remembering you standing quiet in the rain as i ran to your heart to be near and we kissed as the sky fell"

Lyric of the day

Day two might be a little harder, but I am still making it very simple.

Good luck!

"Even though I know - I suppose Ill show"

Lyric of the Day Game - The hottest game on this blog!

I am going to start posting a lyric from any given song and I am going to see if anyone can guess it. Granted there is only like two people who know about my blog, but oh wells. So I need some rules. No google or search engine of the lyrics. You must guess the lyric from your own knowledge and music collection. You can however if you know the lyric belongs to a group, listen to their songs online until you discover which song has the lyric. The person who guesses all of them correctly will most likely get some fantastic, crazy prize that is coveted above all other earthly possesions. The stakes are high and good luck! I may give a slight clue once in a while as well. If no one plays that is OK, but it will be your loss when you realize what you might have been able to achieve.

First lyric........I'll start easy and work up to some challenging lyrics groups and songs.

"Her intentions fall to the floor"

Think mid nineties grunge.

It pays to be first because after someone posts with the right answer it is lame

Tuesday Night Run

Today I did a shorter run from my saturday run. I just summited Doug and then went down the north "rock breaker" trail. I didn't start untill 7:05 pm and was done at about 7:57 pm so it was less then an hour. I had a hard time getting into this run. I began to really feel good about the time that I started climbing the mountain but then it was too dark to go my fastest. I had to slow down a bit. I pushed really hard up the hill and still pooped out a little from the top. I really want to get to where I can run to the top with out slowing down to a speed hike. It is really challenging doing the trails in the dark. I will have to get lights and start running more in the dark as the days start really shortening up. My shoes are really starting to hinder me on the rock breaker. The trail is just to rough for road shoes and I don't have good traction so I don't push. I dream of 100 bucks for running shoes. Maybe I can make a few extra bucks somewhere and get me some shoes, however that is quite selfish considering my family barely has food on the table. Oh the sacrifices a starving international grad student with a family makes. I also am having a hip in my left hip and hip socket. I hope it is just a small tweak and that it won't slow me down. I will try it out tomorrow, and if it is as sore or worse I may have to take a small rest and just do core strengthening for now. I HATE INJURIES! I have allready had a 2 month battle with runner's knee back in April and it didn't allow me to run any summer races.

My poor road runners are just not cut out for what I am putting them through. They are a very good shoe for the road though! It is amazing they have got me this far, that says something about these shoes.

My current i-pod playlist

Well I decided to blurb on the current music I am listening to. I am mainly listening to just a few bands, but still dabble in some of my classics such as Depeche.

I am in a huge Chris Corner, IAMX / sneaker pimps mood right now. The majority of my most played music is from these two groups, but both bands are the same artist. Chris Corner originally found fame in Sneaker Pimps but wrote and played lead guitar, the vocalist was a female singer named Alli. I don't care for most of her vocals in their early songs, its not bad, it is just not quite hitting the spot for me. Alli left or was kicked out of the band, and then some great music started really coming from the band. My favorite by far is "lightning field". This is a great song with awesome background vocals, base line, beat and lyrics. All around my favourite pre-IAMX stuff. As far as IAMX goes, I have all their stuff and go through phases, but right now my favourites have to be "Missile, and Heatwave". These two songs are just fantastic. Missile is kind of hauntingly beautiful and I love the distorted piano-ish harpsachord at the beginning. The lyrics are great and can be applied to me in one way or another. Heatwave is just awesome all around. The beat is great and I love the vocals as well. Just sweet! I am also digging some good classic Placebo and find myself listening to Lazurus a ton. When I am running I typically listen to slightly different music and will have to post on my running exercise tracks later. These are mainly charged with purely electronic vibes but a few are surprising.

Long Run up Mount Doug and Little Mount Doug Victoria, BC

Today I did my long run (yellow and green run. I started at 8:40:00 and finished at 10:35:50. So almost a full 2 hours. This was my first really long run in a while and it showed. I was absolutely knackered by the end. I summited Mount Doug first from the Northeast slope, I then descended the the Northwest (more or less) slope, I then summited little doug from the north and descended from the south, I summited Mount Doug again from the south, and lastly came down my first ascent trail. I was not at my full two hours when I reached the park so I ran an extra 10-15 minutes on Whitaker. I really hit the wall at about 1:38:00 and must admit I had nothing left in the tanks to finish running. I ended up walking the last 15 minutes (how embarrasing). It was a great run and I excperienced some trails I hadn't attempted before. It was brutal and difficult with the multiple ascents, but what was surprising is the first descent of Doug is very challenging. It is rocky, steep, and fast and one trip could mess you up pretty bad. I think my total distance was between 7 and 10 Km when you add in the street running to and from the house. I am not quite sure for distance but nearly 3/4 of the gutbuster 11Km route. I purposely didn't pack down the carbs so that I would force my body to function almost completely on stored glycogen. I think it will help to improve the way my body metabolises glycogen in the long run. You do notice a huge difference running in the morning on no easy to burn carbs, vs dusk after a day of carb loading. My joints did well but I could definately feel it by the last descent of Doug. My repair meal consisted of two scrambled eggs with cheese, and a peanut butter and honey sandwich. After stretching and eating, and showering, I had to lay down for about an hour but I feel pretty good now and probably could even run tonight (but I am not going to). The weather was cloudy and maybe only 50 degrees. I am excited for my Monday run, and I will have to do it in the early morning since both lectures are in the evening and I don't get home to almost 10. I have a long way to go until I can compete in the gutbuster but I have a good chunk of a year to train. I need to increase distance by about 25% and cut my time by 50% to be competive. Distance won't be an issue, but speed is going to be my challenge. One last note is I am currently running a pair of Asics gel 1130's and they are not trail shoes. I have about 200 km logged on them and find I am nearing about 5o% of their life. The trails are really rough on them though and they had a major effect on my overall performance today, and once they are gone I won't have $100 for new shoes any suggestions are welcomed.

A picture of a portion of the trail, this is the flat easy section of the trail. I would like to photo and write details on the majority of my training runs so that I can focus on strategy. Maybe in the next week or two I will attempt it.

Mount Doug Victoria, BC trail Running

I decided to take my camera along with me on my run. This is not a simple task since my camera is not that compact. It has a 12x zoom and is pretty bulky. I have been wanting to document my average training run for quite some time so I finally decided to give it a go. It really didn't slow me down that much or make running that much more difficult but it did add about 20 minutes since I had to stop for each of the 200 photos I took. I held the camera the whole time and wrapped the strap around my wrist so I wouldn't drop it. So here is the course. The only variation is I start at point 26 on the map instead of point 1. This only changes the distance by less than 100 meters.

This is my starting point of my training run (point 26 on the map). I then head north or in the case of this photo follow the hiker on the sign on the Norn trail.

The first length of trail is very smooth and flat this is about 100 meters into the run at a place I call "the dip".

This stretch of trail is a rooty portion halfway between points 28 and 29 on the Norn trail. This length of trail has a very gently grade upward but is hardly noticeable.

Slight downward grade with some swerves between points 29 and 4.

Once again a narrow winding portion of trail between points 29 and 4. This portion of trail is flooded throughout the winter spring and after summer rainstorms.

This is the conjunction of Norn and Whitaker at point 4. The trail now gently climbs a shallow grade as it heads to the South-Southwest.

Just after point 4 and shows the typical trail conditions for the next couple hundred meters.

The trail now gives way to older growth Douglas Firs and more rocks and ferns and often has water flowing down the trail or standing water in the Spring and after storms.

The trail next climbs in a spot I call "the ferns". It is a short steep hill obviously drown in ferns just about to point 5.

You keep climbing toward point 5.

Classic stretch of flattish trail as you approach point 5.

You next have to "bob and weave" around these two arbutus trees between points 5 and 6.

A little climb leading to point 6.

A steep short climb onto the Churchill road crossing after point 6.

Point 7 begins the Irvine Climb.

This is where it starts climbing just after point 7.

Classic Irvine Climb

A nice stretch of trail next to a ledge with great views to the East towards Gordon Head and even Mount Baker.

Here is the view looking out.

The trail gets rocky as you approach point 9.

I call this slab the "rock ramp" can be quite slippy in the rain.

More climbing after the rock ramp.

This is the last steep stretch until the summit nicknamed the "Stone Staircase".

After the stone staircase there is a winding asphalt path that leads to the crow's nest at the summit. Approximately 500 feet of vertical elevation gained from the start of the run until the summit

Self timed summit shot with the gulf islands and mainland BC behind me across the Georgia Straight.

Summit shot without my mug in the view.

After the summit at point 10 you begin a rapid descent off the Northwest face of Doug know as the "Bedrock buster". A barren glacial scoured diorite face. This is a treacherous and technical trail and is where I am the most cautious. A miscalculation on this trail could seriously injure you. Rain only makes it worse and you have to move that much slower.

Typical footing and trail conditions as you descend the "Bedrock Buster".

Descending the buster

A stretch of trees along the Buster.

Last steep descent to point 11. Super steep here.

The trail between points 11 and 12 has slight uphill grade but is nice slice of rooty rocky single track.

Rocky approach to point 12 and starts the ascent of Little Mount Doug.

Begin climbing the short and steep north face of Little Doug.

Short and sweet climb up to LD.

The summit of Little Mount Doug with a lone arbutus tree. Big Doug through the branches of the Arbutus. Lastly a timer shot of me getting ready to take the plunge down the steep south face of LD.

Rocky and steep descent.

This is the last shot before I ate it and hit my camera lens on the ground. I was not happy but I think everything is OK.

Point 13 after running off from Little Doug.

The trail begins to head toward the trees at point 14. This is typical of the stretch between points 13 and 14. Rocky and barren with a slight decline. You can actually run this pretty fast if you pick the right line.

Average stretch of trail between points 14 and 15 and at point 15 the trail dives back into the forest.

When you enter back into the forest after point 15 you enter into a nice stretch of single track called Mercer. The trail has a steady decline that doesn't trash your quads but instead lets you really crank up the speed.

Classic Mercer!

Approaching point 17 along Madock.

Steep stretch between points 19 and 20 along the Whitaker Trail.

Whitaker.

At point 21 you begin your final climb up Big Doug via a steep rocky gulley up the South face.

The climb starts out very loose and sandy and then changes into a rocky almost stair-like climb.

Here is where it gets rockier.

Almost to the summit.

Some stairs leading to point 22 and the second Summit of Big Doug.

After summiting you begin your descent of the "powerline" trail but the top bit is quite overgrown this time of year.

Here is some footage of me running down the powerline grind. The video sucks because the lens cap was clicking against the mic (so turn the sound off) and also the video gets very dark when I reach the forest. The actual video wasn't so dark but once I uploaded it, it turned black. It does illustrate the section of trail somewhat but it definitely won't win any awards for best cinematography.

Commentary:

"I now have been running for just over 10 kms, this is my last km."

"I am going to try to record my last descent of Mount Doug."

"This trails pretty overgrown."

"The most technical part of it."

"The next section is pretty steep and smooth, only a few roots get in the way."

"You can't tell how steep most of this stuff is because I have to hold the camera at a downhill angle just to see the trail. It's actually pretty steep. A lot of the photos I took earlier don't really do them justice at all."

"Just about done, only a few more hundred meters to the car, and it is basically just flat single track."

After the powerline descent there is just a few hundred more meters until you are back at the car. This stretch of trail tends to stay wet and muddy .

Last log to hurdle.

Bust out of the trail and ferns into the parking lot.

Back where I started. 11 km later, 2 summits of Big Doug and 1 of little Doug.

This is a day in my life. I think that the variability of terrain and scenery make this a perfect spot to train. It really is amazing that this is what lies just beyond my doorstep and I get to play in one of the most beautiful playgrounds in the world. Perhaps the main thing the course lacks is searing heat, and some of the dusty rocky trails with loose gravel so many of the Western US ultras have. I would like to have a longer climb like 1,000 feet at least, I feel the mountain with 500 feet is a bit short. I do repeats but that still works different parts of your legs on the down instead of solid 3,000 feet of up hill and solid 3,000 feet of descent. There are some areas close by on the Island with bigger climbs but still nothing compared to what I had at my doorstep in Utah.

On a different note I followed the Western States 100 miler off and on yesterday on various web sites. What an awesome year. Two people beat Jurek's 2006 record of 15:36. Geoff Roes came in at 15:07 with an amazing awe-inspiring first place victory. Tony Krupicka came in 6 minutes behind him at 15:13 and still smashed Jurek's 4 year record. What a show! I don't know how I faired on the contest to guess the top 10 places of the runners but I do know several of my top 5 of both men's and women's didn't start so I doubt I won. Tracy Garneau won the women's with a strong race, there was a mistake at an earlier aid station leading many to believe she dropped but she was the winner. Ann Trason's record still held though. Just amazing to see these awesome records fall. Only the utmost respect for these titans of the trails.

Geoff Roes amazing last mile. Unbelievable to see him cruising with such a relaxed gait after a ridiculous exhibition of speed over the previous 99 miles and 41,000 feet. What a machine gives me shivers as you hear him approach the the stadium what an amazing feeling I can't even begin to comprehend.

Original Post from September 2008:

Today I decided to run in Mount Doug my usual training grounds, but today I decided to change my route. It was an easy run today in preparation for tomorrow's long run. The route I chose followed my typical route but hung to the west side of Mount Doug. It was a great run for an easy run. The trail has a good amount of rocks and roots which at dusk when I run can be an issue. Infact I really ate it hard the last hundred meters of trail. I stubbed my left toe on a great root and supermaned to my demise. I found the bigger and older you get the harder you fall. One of my favorite aspects of the run is an area I call "the ferns". It is a steeper portion of trail that meanders through some old growth evergreens and a large glade of ferns. It is on whitaker as you approach the 3rd intersection. I started on Torquay near my home and ran down ash where I intersepted the route in Yellow. The total run took me about 50 minutes. Distance is tough for me to assess at the moment but I hope to figure all of the portions of trail out eventually. I had a fairly slow pace but it was constant and I maintained a good pace on all the hills. I felt pretty good about this run and I am excited for tomorrow. I think I will try for about a two hour run tomorrow so I will maintain as fast a pace as possible for that duration of time. My longest run since my runner's knee in April has been about an hour and a half. I feel my knees are doing better and I can handle the extended runs. I will probably do about 3/4 of the 11 km gutbuster route with the added distance of starting at my home which is about 1.25 Km away from the start of the route. In all I should be around an 8 or 9 Km run.