The running of the Chickadees

The chickadees were out in full force cheering on 34 runners for the first Chezzetcook Chickadee Trail Run.

The tightest race within the race was the women's sixteen kilometre. The first three finishers were roughly within three minutes of one another.

Early estimates for top men's finisher were an hour twenty'ish. A mix of technically challenging road wide ice puddles and icy dicey downhills would make staying upright a wee bit sketchy. Two running aces smoked that time, and a total of ten finishers were within one hour thirty! There's definitely some running talent in them there hills.

Thanks a bunch to the volunteers, most of them having never seen a trail run before, who were indubitably impressed at the fitness level and friendliness of the runners!

Not least of all, a huge thanks to The Adventure Outfitters for hooking up our five volunteers with gift certificates, as well as providing gift certificates given away as draw prizes.

Seven kilometre

Women
Angela Mudge 61,22
Sheila O'Brien 64,28

Men
Jared Rainault 38,14
Frank Mudge 42,45
Steven Elliott 46,59
Alex MacEachern 54,15

Sixteen kilometre

Women
Darlene Chapman 1,32,15
Karine Comeau 1,33,18
Bonnie Sutherland 1,35,30
Brigitte Sabourin 1,48,51
Erica Doucet 2,01,00

Men
1. Jodi Isenor 1,13,51
2. Dale Block 1,17,05
3. Michael French 1,20,55
4. Clint Cummings 1,25,30
5. Greg Jones 1,25,45
6. Sean Cassidy 1,26,06
7. Mark Campbell 1,27,55
8. Kevin MacDonald 1,28,17
9. Tim Brooks 1,28,22
10.Tim Farmer 1,30,17
11.Daniel Rice 1,31,18
12.Paul Gallant 1,32,15
13.Peter Boileau 1,35,19
14.Jason Ryder 1,36,29
15.Jack Kelly 1,36,55
16.Bev McMurtrie 1,39,24
17.Ron MacDougall 1,40,01
18.Don Rushton 1,47,09
19.Adam Durling 1,48,55
20.Grant Heddon 1,50,16
21.Yigit Aydede 1,59,49
22.Andrew Lowrey 2,09,36
23.G. Warnica 2,22,25

Thanks to everyone for participating, you're awesome!!!
Check for more photos coming soon at http://picasaweb.google.com/112470159493977696597

Some great shots here from Mary and John
http://machawk.net/activities/show/album/index.html
And if you were top two in your category and didn't get your hand made chickadee award you can email me: anerdoo(at)gmail.com to arrange a pickup.

Chezzetcook Chickadee Trail Run

View 14km Chezzetcook Chickadee in a larger map

Sunday December 12th, at 10 a.m. meet up at the Head of Chezzetcook firehall for a fun and challenging trail run.

You can now register online at Atlantic Chip, or on the morning of the run. The course will be very well marked and volunteers will be on-hand to point you in the right direction at the major intersections. There will be awards for the top two female and male in both distances.

Same-day registration 8:30 'til 9:45 am. in
the upstairs Firehall
pre-race ramble at 9:55
race starts at 10 am
distances of either 7km, or 16km.
cost $10.

Course Description

The course is ninety percent logging access roads, about 1 km on power line. There is 400m of pavement for the 16km course only. You will get your feet wet on the power line trail (part of both the 7km and 16km). You will experience some slippery rocks and sticks, and you will probably see or hear a chickadee or two.

Allow time for a pre-race warm-up, because right off the start there is 750 metres of rocky hill to ascend, which then turns into a quad crushing descent onto the power line, followed by some refreshing foot soaking, and some more steep climbing to settle into.

Don't forget to check the weather and dress appropriately. Most of the trails have large exposed rocks and puddles. There are no feed stations on the course, so supply yourself with necessary water and snacks. This is a physically demanding run, and most of the course is in remote wilderness.

Cuddly Coyote a big party.

The planetary forces of trail running aligned: great weather; amazing organization; lots and lots of stoked runners; a great coffee shop; poking fun at atv'ers.

Eighty Two participants!! Maybe the biggest trail running race in Nova Scotia ever? Muchos gracias to the organizers and their happy volunteers.

15.5km in 77 minutes for the fastest lady, and 69 minutes and change for the fastest guy. Tremendous stuff.

Cuddly Coyote Trail Running Race November 14th

The Trail Shop's Cuddly Coyote Trail Running Race


What? 11k and 22k trail running race....with a few good tough hills and some sweet trails! :)

Where? The Bike and Bean Cafe- 5401 St Margarets Bay Road, Tantallon. Please park on French Village Station Road (by the Esso station) and park across the trail from The Bike and Bean.

When? Sunday November 14, 2010 - Starts at 10am
Registration starts at 8am (cafe opens at 8am too!)

How to register... email transfer $25 (includes insurance and post-race snacks) to cuddlycoyote@hotmail.ca or pay on race day.


Contact: cuddlycoyote@hotmail.ca (Jodi and karine)

Chezzetcook 22k'er

Some pretty big results from the pretty big run:
Cider/Karen/Susan 2:06 (modified course)!!!
Shawn T 2:10:00!
Andrew M 2:10:01!

22.11 km and 604m elevation gain/loss. Thanks Shawn! We even threw down a 4:45 final kilometre.

Over four thousand dollars in prizes were handed out and then handed back!
Contangulations to all that finished.

See ya' next time at the Crowbar Lake run sometime in June!

Nose Hill Grasslands Park

From downtown Cowtown Nose Hill Park is about a ten minute train ride, plus another fifteen minute run . On separate days, I had the good fortune to get in two ninety minute runs, both on the same southwest side of the park, and didn't come close to covering a fraction of the supposed 300km of random trails.

The views are indeed awesome of the downtown and the Rockies. Even more awesomer views are of the gullies/valleys right in front of you you are about to descend into and then (attempt) to run up the other side.

Maybe it was the slight altitude (1230 metres), or maybe that rock that's still in my pack that Mark put there three weeks ago, or those are just some really steep hills, but I did find myself reluctantly slowing to a walk on some uphills when it felt like my lungs were getting sucked out of my chest.

There's lots of company up there too -- other trail runners, mountain bikers, pocket gophers, herds of deer, dogs off leash, rabbits, and circling hawks waiting for someone to trip up.

Your friend and mine, doing more amazing stuff!!!

Read about Mark, and donate:

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2010/04/sections/news/campbell-to-run-280-km-around-cabot-trail/

Results Pot Lake/Indian Hill Loops

The new trail markers made it even harder to get lost, but some of us still managed. Sunny, wind at your back, warm, almost dry course.

Doug 1:30:02 (25% faster than last year)
Shannon & Shawn 1:34 (15% faster than last year)
Jim 1:34:41 (2% less fast, but clockwise)
John 1:35:45 (infinitely faster than last year)
Andrew 1:45 (4% less fast than last year)

Challenges this year involved the swarms of people and dogs in the last 2 km of the trail. Unusually warm spring has propelled people into the ourdoors!

2010 First Run

When: Sunday April 11 10:00 a.m
Location: The Bluff Trail/BLT trail intersection
Pot Lake Loop and Indian Hill Loop
-counter clockwise loop
-Trail is all singletrack technical, but no big hills.

1.25 to 2.5 hours. For a rough estimate of your potential time, take your street running time and double it. For example you might take 45 minutes to cover 10km -- expect 10km on the trail to take about 90 minutes.

Self-supported (bring first-aid, food, water, cell, compass)
Be prepared for cold and or wet conditions (check the forecast
Get familiar with the course
(http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/environment/wrweo/trailmaps.html)
Leave no garbage.
Be courteous to other trail users.
Stay on marked trail.

Approx. 14.5 km. Pot Lake Loop and Indian Hill Loop counter clockwise.

No prizes, no support, no fees, yes fun.

See ya' there!