Blog of Sal

T he  Bruce Trail  is 1400kms of maintained trail that winds the Niagara Escarpment connecting the southern deciduous with the northern mixed forests of Ontario, Canada. The Escarpment itself is a  UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve . This international designation doesn't legislatively protect the area, but it assists local efforts like those of the  Bruce Trail Conservancy  (BTC). The BTC is a non-profit with 10,000 members which aims to officially protect 900kms of trail (and 500kms of side trails) connecting the Niagara River to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. My family's hobby is hiking and looking for new species of mushrooms. Here are a few photos of our forays on the Bruce in 2019: Ricky (neighbour) unidentified - slime mold? Fascinating carved logs near our house young summer oyster mushrooms Mycena Earthstar and slug spider was bigger than it looks Something special I hadn't seen before. It's a deciduous tree and a conifer living in magical synergy. T...

Follow my running  on Strava I cut today's run short. I thought I might escape the rain but it started coming down on me in buckets at 4km. I'm feeling 100% injury free but maybe a bit burned out. I've gone from 15k easy running per week to 44k these past 8-10 weeks. Apparently, (according to a report I saw based on Strava data) most BQ qualifiers ran about 80k-90k per week in peak training. Of course that should include tempo, threshold, and interval training as well as long slow distance (LSD). All I've been doing is LSD. 50km consistent without issues is my goal now. To achieve it without over-stressing I need to focus on getting enough rest at night. This is tough with a co-sleeping baby. Ansel is nearly a one-year-old and almost walking! I'm curious whether he'll start walking before I hit 50km for 3 weeks in a row.

I just moved to Hamilton after three years spent (mostly) in Calgary, or " the heart of the new west!". It was a very boring and alienating  time for me, but a lot of good came out of it as well. I spent the first year reflecting on my father 's recent passing. I ran that entire year, and I ran with a lot of passion, and I ran damn fast actually, and I'm proud of that. Now when I write something good , even one of Canada's greatest athletes Sam Effah sometimes gives me feedback, and I am reminded of how I am part of a special tribe of people, as my father was, who care extremely deeply about inspiring others. And I can think back on Terry Fox , and Emilie Mondor, and Steve Prefontaine, and remember why this sense of urgency I feel matters so much. The race doesn't stop because I'll never run another 52.2 400m (like I did for Gloucester, so our relay team could make provincials in '99, my father's best high school time, a paltry 52.5*). I ...