Tag: trailrunning

  • Race the North Face

    A few short miles south of the city, the Brandon Hills tower above the surrounding farmland. Equally beautiful and cruel (to the unacclimatized flatlander) singletrack trails weave throughout this impressive landscape, and play host to the annual Race the North Face. I raced the course in 2022, and both thoroughly enjoyed the race and was…

  • Puddle Rating System

    On the weekend participants of Suffer on Centennial, trail race in Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park, learned that while the English language has only one word for “puddle”, it can mean oh so many things. I have compiled the extensive research and data contributions to devise an initial proposal for a Puddle Rating System. My hope…

  • Bedford Ridge

    When you’re a runner looking for practice running upward and downward, but live in a landscape geared towards running horizontally (for miles and miles), where do you go? Local runners have found one answer to be Bedford Ridge in the Sandilands. Off the beaten path of the “yellow” XC ski trail lies a little singletrack…

  • Suffer on Centennial 25KM Map

    Here’s a guide for all the runners challenging the 25KM distance in two weeks at Suffer on Centennial. The route starts and ends at the Falcon Ridge Resort, and leads runners on Five of Diamonds, Top of the World, South Whiteshell, and Pierre’s Poetry trails, over both technical and smooth rolling terrain, with several beautiful…

  • Make Your Own Race Plan for Suffer on Centennial

    After getting a lot of feedback on last week’s Top Secret Race Plan I realized – there’s a small group of people who have signed up for a crazy adventure on May 25, Suffer on Centennial 100km. Each of us are thinking ahead to race day on a daily basis, either with excitement or dread,…

  • Winter Run on the Rat River

    Every year, nestled among the wrinkles between bald winter fields, southern Manitoba’s meandering rivers emerge as a network of ice- and snow-covered trails. In what has become an annual tradition, Gord and I took to the Rat River early on a Sunday morning in February as the full moon set in the west and sunrise…

  • 100 Reasons to Run 100

    Many making plans for 2024 races, here’s a little reminder of why you should chase your dreams and go big next year! This zine goes out to Greg Penner on his birthday, who in 2023 tackled his first 100 miler (and threw in 100km as well). Wishing you many future kudos. Also special mention to…

  • Primary Colours of Fall

    Here’s a little Sandilands haiku to inspire your autumn adventures. As we arrived in the Sandilands last weekend, my wife remarked, “I forgot how red the grasses get.” It’s true. Every autumn we share our amazement of how even the ditches, however briefly, turn vibrant shades of red and orange. Another reminder to savour the…

  • We’re Going on a Trail Run

    Nothing brings out the best in human ingenuity and resourcefulness than putting obstacles in front of trail runners. This zine, inspired by Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, explores one of my favourite trail obstacles.

  • How to Catch a Trail Runner

    Having observed the habits of the elusive “Trail Runner”, here are a few tips for catching one in the wild.