Preview of the Nootka Trail

This summer, I have planned two major events for August.
First, the 40k Nootka Trail will be run on August 8th and shortly thereafter, the 47k Juan de Fuca Trail on August 22nd.
The Nootka Trail, as far as I know has never been run before by anyone. Not because it is impossible, or overwhelmingly difficult, but it is simply off the beaten path. With the only access to and from the trail being either floatplane or boat, the logistics and cost are a definite factor. However, after a year of figuring things out, everything (plane, boat, hotel, tides, etc.) is now a go for Saturday, August 8th.
So now the easiest part remains: run the trail!
I will be running the trail with my usual partner-in-crime, Bob Wall. He and I partnered up last year for the North Coast Trail and Juan de Fuca Trail Runs, and also in 2007 when we did the famed West Coast Trail run. It only made sense to complete the final coastal trail together.
Interestingly enough, once this trail has been completed by us, for the first time ever, it will be possible to get an actual running time from Port Hardy to Port Renfrew along the West Coat of the Island. Not that this time will be of importance to anyone, bu it will be a cool fact that we have conjured up.
In the next month, I plan on studying the Nootka Trail so that every detail in known to me ahead of time. I have a small guidebook that contains a map and some details of the trail. I know that the trail is almost exclusively coastal, and not your typical wooded environment. I also know that the trail should best be taken on at low tide, in so that one can take advantage of the flat sandstone shelves that lie in the water.
Ironically enough, one of my school outdoor experience trips did the Nootka Trail in late May. Although I did not go, I gave some instructions to the school chaperons to bring back a full verbal report on the trail. I also was hoping that a few students would take some photos of the trail. I'd like to thank grade 10 student Helen Ip for these photos of the trail. Some were taken from an aerial viewpoint from the floatplane prior to them hiking the trail, and some were actually taken on the trail.
I am hoping that gaining as much info before running the trail will help me greatly when August 8th arrives.

Training Update - Achilles and Underwear

The training was light for the 2 weeks following the 63k Great Walk Event, but I felt the recovery was appropriate.
The training this last week has been great. I did my first long run - 26k - since the Great Walk, and it went smoothly. It wasn't totally simple, but it went just fine. I also have totally kicked ass the last two Tuesday sessions with the Harriers, and really felt that yesterday at the Tuesday Night Workout I really stepped it up a notch or two. In fact, I would say that I was speed training as fast as I have ever gone in my life. I can consistently keep up with the guys that run a 37 min 10k race, so hopefully one day in the next year or so, I'll finally put up a good 10k race time.

Achilles:
In the recovery phase after the Great Walk, I have experienced a slight Achilles tendon issue on the left side. It doesn't seem to hurt when I run, but it is sore and tight when I wake up in the mornings. For the last week, I have been icing it a little and stretching it lots, and it definitely seems much better. I anticipate this problem to be a minor thing that will disappear in the next couple of weeks. I believe, and this is complete speculation, that I injured my Achilles from racing 63k, when my weekly training leading up to it was only ever 60k. Upping the mileage too much on any given run can drastically increase the change for Achilles tendinitis. Going from 38k in a training run to 63k in a race is definitely upping the mileage.

Underwear:
I had a very interesting conversation with Myke after the Great Walk Event. I think the conversation went something like this:

Jeff: "Jesus, I can't believe how saturated my underwear is with sweat after that race."
Myke: "Dude, you wear underwear when you run?"
Jeff: "Yes, why?"
Myke: "Nobody wears underwear when they run."
Jeff: "Really? What do they wear?"
Myke: "Nothing."
Jeff: "What about support for your package while you run"
Myke" Running shorts have mesh lining dude."
Jeff: "Oh."

And with that, I did my last long run - 26k - riding the mesh. And, you know what, it didn't feel any different. I think from now on, I'll be sacrificing the potential fallout for less weight. Less weight on long runs can be key.

Next blog post will be in a week to update people on my next run event.
I'll have some aerial photos of the endeavour as well.

63.5k Great Walk and Ultramarathon - June 6, 2009

Step #1 - Make a game plan.

Step #2 - Execute.

The 63.5k Great Walk and Ultramarathon is a race that stretches from Gold River to Thasis along the "Tree to Sea" Highway. The highway, as it turned out, was about 40% paved and 60% gravel. Along the route, one will be witness to amazing waterfalls, lakes, trees and multiple clearcuts.
This was one of my big races for 2009. With the distance being 63.5k, it would be my second longest run ever. Races like this require careful planning and ample training if one is to be successful in even finishing it in one piece.
My partner in crime for this event was my buddy Myke LaBelle. At 22 years old, he has huge potential in the world of ultrarunning as his speed, distance and training are all impressive.
As great as it was to have him along for the ride, I knew that my experience was superior to his. We both knew somehow that if we could find a way to work together using all of our strengths, it would be a good race for both of us.
It was a Friday afternoon, and I had just finished work. I picked up Myke shortly thereafter and we were on our way. We made it to Boston Pizza in Campbell River by 5:30 pm and looking at the menu, we took about 10 seconds to decide our pasta choices. Dinner was over quickly, and we were now on the road once again and in pursuit of a quick ride through Strathcona Park to Gold River.
In Gold River, we followed the signs to the Great Walk registration and sign-in, and picked up our packages. The organizers were great and it appeared that they had a pretty good drop-bag system in place. However, Myke and I both stuck to our original plan to carry our Nathan Hydrapaks with us along the race. I simply had to have the safety of my hydration with me over a course of this length.
We decided that while it was still light out, we would go for a drive along the course and check out what the terrain was like. More specifically, we were interested in checking out the first 13k of the road, which was supposed to be somewhat of a brutal climb.
The road looked to be in good condition. It had been recently graded and also watered or oiled to keep the dust down. The hills on the road however were a different story. They were fairly significant.
After that drive, Myke and I made a race plan. We decided we would walk all the uphills of the first 13k and run the flat sections only. This strategy, we felt, was paramount in our success if we were to last and be strong for the entire 63.5k distance.
We returned back to the parking lot and the next little while was spent getting our gear all set up, and also our sleeping arrangements. The plan was to sleep in the back of the car, as there was little point in getting a hotel room when we had to be on the start line shuttle bus by 2:30 am. The last time I had slept in my car was probably when I was 22 years old.
We got to bed around 10 pm and I spent the entire night spooning the wheelwell. Oh the joys of running. It wasn't a great sleep, but I figure I got probably 3 hours. This would be more than many people who just decided to make it an all-nighter.
Race morning was a dark one and both Myke and I were thankful for having brought our headlamps. We got our gear and headed for the 2:45 am shuttle to the start line. Why the shuttles left so early for a 4 am start time I'll never know.
At the start line, we spent the next hour chatting with the few people we knew there. It wasn't too cold, thankfully, and the conditions looked to be perfect. Myke and I joked about doing some formal warm-up like a couple sets of A, B, C's or 5 minutes of continuous burpees, but we were simply happy that the race started right on time.
Myke let out a few boyish screams as the race began. As we approached the first hill, the game plan now began. We simply stopped, walked and watched a few hooligans run by us up the hill. That pretty much was the plan over the first 13k. Everytime even a little hill came our way, we speed-walked up it. We also stuck to a regime of slowing down every 1/2 hour for nutrition and hydration. I was doing 1 gel and 1 S-Cap every hour, while Myke was gelling up every 1/2 hour. While I thought that was alot, he told me that the winner of last year's Hardrock Event in the States went through 80 gels. Unbelievable.
The first two guys to pass us meant business. One looked younger and one looked older, but they certainly ran out of sight pretty quickly. We could see their light ahead of us disappear into the darkness pretty quickly. Although it was certainly tempting to keep the leaders in sight, I was content with our plan, and still thought that in the end, we would be catching people. A wise ultrarunner once told me, "It's not how well you run the first 10k, but rather, how well you run the last 10k of an ultra."
Around the 6k point, we were passed by a female runner, who looked like she had done these types of races a few times before. She smiled and turned to us and asked us what time we were expecting to get. Myke told her "5 hours" and inside I was fairly shocked. I then thought while Myke may be making that time, I certainly am just looking for a slow and steady race. I hadn't even really thought about a specific time. Myke certainly had. The female runner ran by us and continued a steady pace up the climb. She was running, and we were mainly walking. Shortly thereafter, I thought it was now light enough to put our headlamps away.
By the top of the first climb (13k - 1300 ft.), we reached Aid Station #2 and Myke and I were ready for the second part of our plan. My watch read 1:40. He asked me if I felt tired at all, and I said no. It actually just felt like a decent warm-up so far. Myke felt the same way and he was now like a caged bull ready to be released from his cage.
At the Aid Station, Myke asked the volunteers how far the leaders were infront and they told us "20 minutes." I could tell Myke was not pleased by this news, but he tore off after them. I followed. I figure at this point, we were in about 8th and 9th place.
The fact of the matter is that it would have been stupid for the two of us to run together, and we knew it. If we did run together, I would be pushed at a higher pace that what would be comfortable to me, and although I could probably hang with him for quite sometime, I know I would suffer severely for the last 20k or so. If he were to slow down and hang out with me at my pace, it would just be uncomfortable and frustrating for him. The pacing in these things is so important, as ultra runners want to ensure that they stay in their own personal efficiency zone. So off we finally went on our own separate paces.
It didn't take long for Myke to disappear from my sights. The course was now mostly flat or downhill and he was clearly making the most of his young legs on the downhills. I immediately passed two small groups, and now I knew I was in 5th place. I was now going at a pretty good clip. I knew that I had to use my long stride down the downhills to make up any ground on those leaders. Myke and I had joked about possibly finishing 1,2 in this race, but that would certainly be nearly impossible with those leaders so far ahead, and showing no signs of weakness.
As nice as it sounds to tell people they were many downhills in this race, some of the downhills were barely runnable. Many of the hills were preceded by those road signs that warn motorists of the steep grade (16%, 18%, 19%). In addition to this, many of the steep hills were paved in an effort to make winter driving on those steep hills less formidable. All this meant that for someone of my position, I really had to be cautious on those steep downhills. I certainly could not run the risk of reinjuring my knee. That really would be the end.
At around the 18k part of the course, dense fog crept in and it was a pretty cool feeling. Literally. The small fog droplets on the face felt so good. And then, I saw someone infront of me through the fog. It was the female runner, and it looked that she too was not a big fan of the steep downhills. She was even going slower than me on them. I spent the next 5k or so flip-flopping with her. I would pass her on the flat or down, and then she would pass me on the uphills. I continued to conserve my energy by walking up every uphill, while she continued to run up them slowly.
However, I would eventually drop her, and now I was once again on my own. Running in the middle of nowhere.
Shortly thereafter, I saw a road sign that said "Thasis 40". Wow I thought. Only 1 marathon to go. This was definitely a long distance for me.
I didn't see a whole lot for quite sometime in the race (20-30k). The odd aid station would be a welcome sight in what was a pretty non-eventful section. Nobody seemed to be around me in the race at the moment.
That was until a pick-up truck drove by me and stopped ahead of me. The lady waited until I ran up and then she said that I had to be careful because there was a very large black bear just off the side of the road just ahead. Great.
Briefly I considered stopping, but felt I should plough along and just make alot of noise. I clapped and sang out loud for the next 100m or so, with no apparent bear sighting. And although it is always so cool to see a bear, you really do not want to see one when your only defense mechanism is to squirt a gel at it.
So now I was approaching Aid Station #6. I had now gone just slightly more that 1/2 way. This was a major checkpoint and you have to stop and get your race number punched here to earn the coveted race shirt at the end of the race. Because I was totally curious, I asked where Myke was in the race right now. They told me he was in 3rd place, but right behind the leaders. I was excited for Myke. For me though, I had succumbed to the fact that I likely wouldn't be seeing any of them until the finish line, and I was totally fine with this. My goal was to remain steady and race my own race here.
Once again, the next 10k or so was relatively uneventful for me. No bear sightings, no other runner sightings. My pace remained steady and the only joy I really had was asking each of the Aid Stations where in fact Myke was. Aid Station #7 had told me that Myke was now in 2nd place, and then Aid Station #8 told me Myke was now in the lead. God I was happy for the guy.
But it wasn't over yet - there was still around 20k to go.
I was feeling reasonable for this point in the race. Sure, my legs felt heavy, and I had fought off a couple very slight cramp tweaks in my legs, but now the volunteers at the aid station that there was a big uphill about to come.
Big uphill was right. I took on the powerhike in fine form, and thought as long as everyone else is walking through this section, nobody will be passing me. I took the odd glance around my shoulder and still there was still nobody in my rearview mirror.
I now made it to the next aid station at the top of the hill. I felt like crap now. As good as the powerhike was, it must have sucked all my energy out. 50k down, 13k to go. I reminded myself how close I was to the finish - it really wasn't that far, was it? I actually thought I could probably just walk it in from here and still finish top 10, and under 7 hours.
The next 6k was flat, but proved to be a real struggle. I still felt like crap and was now even walk-running, with the emphasis on the walk. I was certain I would be passed now, as I think I saw a slug pass me. However, as luck would have it, nobody did pass me and the gel/S-Cap combination seemed to kick in right as some downhills appeared on the course. Perfect.
I definitely could run these downhills, and my energy was temporarily back to normal.
I checked my watch again at the next aid station, and I now had a new motivation in place. I figured out that I could get under 6 hours if I was able to hold off any major cramping episodes. But this would not be easy. My body was pretty wrecked.
The next aid station informed me that Myke was now well ahead and that unless he completely fell flat on his face, that he was going to win. Awesome. Totally awesome.
And, I am proud to say, I ended this race in decent form. The last few k's were pretty good. I ran the majority of the last 4k, and I knew now that I had 4th place under wraps. My time was also going to be close, but I think I had it.
As I rounded the bend into Thais, I knew I had the finish now as the last adrenaline rush kicked in. I rounded the bend by the fire station and then heard a big fire truck sound it's siren. People who lined the streets were clapping and cheering for me. One lady rang a cow bell. What an awesome feeling. I now saw the finish line and heard Myke cheering for me. I had this thing.
I crossed the line at 5:55, and in 4th place. Myke would have a superb day as well and take the win in a time of 5:13.

Myke's win aside, I was extremely pleased with my performance. I thought the game plan of walking most of the first 13k worked out absolutely perfectly for both he and I.
This was the second longest distance run I had ever done. My training mileage never went above 60k per week, and I still pulled it off.
I ran when I could run, I walked when I thought I should walk, and I fought off several near cramping episodes. I ran a strong physical and mental race. If someone told me that the two of us would finish both under 6 hours, I would have been ecstatic. And now I am.

Oak Bay 1/2 Marathon - May 24th, 2009

After recently posting that I would not be doing any more races until June, I somehow managed to rework my schedule to fit in this race.

The Oak Bay 1/2 is a fantastic course that starts and begins in Oak Bay, and does and out and back loop along Beach Drive in the Uplands. I was sad a few weeks earlier when I thought I would not be able to fit this run in, especially since it is hosted by my sponsor Peninsula Runners, however things sometime work out for a reason.

I was feeling pretty good with my running the week leading up to the event, but hurt my back the day before the race quite drastically. I was out in Sooke helping my family build a rock wall, and I felt my back twinge when I picked up the very first 66 pound bag of concrete. My back that night was sore and I actually could not really bend over to touch my toes. It hurt to sit up and sit down. At this point, I could only hope that my back would somehow be 100% by the next morning.

The night would be a good one, and I think I actually got 7 hours sleep (this is more than the norm!). However, upon waking up, my back was in no better shape than the night before. I tried to stretch things out, but all I could do was to take a couple Ibuprofen and hope that that would fix things.

I headed to the race in ample time and was blown away to see the setup for the event. There was an awesome start/finish line setup and there were many big runners at the race (the prize money seems to get them out).

I took a light warm-up and quickly realised after about 3 steps that things were going to be really difficult. My back gave me painful jabs with every compression on the road. I was now thinking of maybe not even starting the race. However, as the warm-up progressed I felt slightly better and decided to start the race and just see how things would play out.

The race began with the usual fanfare and I was content to be in the secondary pack behind the leaders. The back pain immediately dissipated and I was, all of a sudden, in this race. The first k went by in 3:30 and I was in a group of familiar faces. Catrin Jones was once again in this race and I knew that she was a consistent 1:24 runner, so I made it my goal to hang onto her. The next couple of k's would go by nicely, and I was actually feeling great. I almost couldn't believe my luck that I was pulling this thing off.

I caught up to race director Dave Milne and chugged alongside him for a k until her said to me, "You are not going to believe this Jeff, but I've gotta stop and take a piss!" I was actually feeling the same thing and was hoping to make it to a regulation bathroom stop, but I thought it would be just as easy to stop and provide some garden hydration to some lucky Oak Bay resident. Dave said, "Here!" and he ducked off into a cedar hedge. I followed his lead and found a nice corner just a few metres ahead. After a good 45 second stop, my bladder was now ready for the next 17k.

I quickly found a zone soon thereafter. I held onto a solid pace and it felt like a comfortable one. I was still on a sub 4 min/km pace, so this was setting me up very well if that pace could ever be held.

At the 10k marker, I was at 39:02. I was now right behind PIH member and master runner, Nancy Baxendale. She was a solid runner and I had always dreamed of one day beating her. The good fortune continued and I was able to pass Nancy at the 12k marker. Catrin Jones was still ahead of me by about 30 seconds, and I thought I had a pretty good chance of catching her as well. My pace was consistent and I was in good standing as I came up to the big hill at the 15k mark. The hill up to the golf course yielded nothing however, as I made no ground on Catrin and lost nothing to anyone else.

I was now really on the final stretch and with the final 4k being flat, I was just hoping to not lose ground. I had started on an ambitious pace, and held it so far, and it appeared as if I was right on a new record time.

Kilometre 10 and 20 would come and go with not much problem and I felt alright. I was wishing at this point I had a bit more energy to hammer out the final kilometre, but there was not too much more high-octane gas in the tank. I did make the final hill though without too much difficulty and began to pick up my legs for the final chute finish.

The final clocking was 1:24:52. This was an unbelievable time considering I almost didn't start the race. In a perfect combination of the adrenaline and the Ibuprofen kicking in at the right time, my back pain seemed to not matter for the race.

The time would be 1 second off my PR.
I finished 18th overall out of 621 runners.
I finished 3rd in my age group.

Shortly after the race, I would meet my family and do the Kids Crazy Kilometre with Teagan and Griffin. The event was perfect, and it was simply an awesome morning for me.

As I write this, the day after, my back hurts again. I think I need to see someone to see if it is muscular, SI joint alignment, or disc issues. With any luck, I will be good to go again in a day or two...I've gotta be good for my next race in 2 weeks.

Update: So I went to the chiropractor and my back was severely out of whack. Things are feeling much better now after a serious adjustment. The pain has subsided tremendously. Thank you chiro Cindy Berna!

Upcoming Races

So, the training has been going reasonably well since the 50k race. I have had some time (during the recovery) to firm up my races for this year. The events I have signed up for are consistent with my goals I set at the beginning of the year. I was mainly using the 50k race earlier this month as a test to see if I was up to snuff for a full year of ultra events. Check.
So now the summer will unfold as follows - all these events are confirmed:

June - Great Walk - 63k
July - Hurricane Ridge Tour (PIH)
August - Nootka Trail - 40k
August - JdF Trail - 47k
September - Great Lake Walk - 56k

Over and out. Time to continue to train!

Elk/Beaver 50k Ultra - May. 2nd, 2009

I was pretty excited for this race, as I was considering this to be one of my "A" races this year. The training has been going very well this year so far, and I was hopeful that a 4 hour goal could be achieved.

However, as well as the training went leading up to this race, I came down with a nasty chest cold and cough for the taper portion of my training. Therefore, other than one 20k night run, there was next to no running in the last two weeks before the race. I kept telling myself that this wouldn't really matter, as the endurance base had already been built.

Race day came, and I was happy with the sleep I got leading up to the race. I was also content with my diet and hydration, so I was as prepared as I could have been.

I arrived to the race in good time and spent my warm-up time getting familiar with some of the formalities of the race. I learned that the picnic area at Beaver Lake was used by the runners to line-up all the gels and drinks that would be consumed over the next few hours or so. So I lined mine up next to Rob Mackay and Don Peterson's.

It was nice to see a few familiar faces at the race. I am always in awe of how friendly and supportive the running community always seems to be. It truly is quite rare to see anyone who exhibits any sort of negative behaviour. After some small chat, we lined up loosely for the start.

The race began and unlike most of the shorter distances, there was no vieing for position, and there was no hammering off the start line. Instead, people seemed to break off into pairs and chat along the way. In these races, it is imperative to find the correct pace. For me, finding this pace can be difficult. I have learned that my body loves to sit back into a 42-43 minute per 10k pace. This is not good when you are running shorter, faster races, because if I lose focus, I slow down. It is also not good for ultra events, because if I lose focus, I tend to speed up - especially early on.

My goal pace was to hit 46-47 minutes per 10k loop of the lakes. I latched onto Matthias Schoek from the start because I knew he was attempting to do 45 minute loops. Things were comfortable early and we hit the 5k marker right on 23 minutes. So far so good.

The weather was ideal. No wind, no rain, no sun, overcast skies. But I did begin to sweat a little after about 5k or so, and I suspect this was because I was used to running in slightly cooler weather (or I was still a little bit sick).

After the 5k mark, Matthias seemed to kick it up a gear and I let him go. I was not going to be a fool and push myself in the least this early in the race. I had done this before in distance events, only to pay the stiff price in the end. At about the 6k mark, I now had caught up to Keith Wakelin and I ran with him for the remainder of the first 10k loop. I got to know him quite well in those 4k, and I was very satisfied when my first loop ended in 46 minutes.

I found my gear and grabbed a quick gel and a swig before I headed out for my 2nd loop. Keith was taking more time than I was, so now I was flying solo in the race. I could see Matthias ahead of me by a minute or two and I could also see Rob Mackay - the 50M leader just ahead of me. The goal now on this 2nd loop was just to replicate the first loop over again in 46-47 minutes. While the pace was consistent, my body was giving me signs that a bathroom break was needed. So at the 15 mark, I stopped briefly to ensure that a comfortable race was going to be had. I also forgot that I should be taking an S-Cap every hour, so again, I stopped at the 5k water station to get this done. The 2nd loop would be comfortable and the time would be almost exactly that of my first. I was now at the 20k point, and feeling fine.

I stopped again briefly at my gear and headed out for loop #3. As I began this loop, I saw Rob Mackay still just ahead of me. I decided at this point to go after a quicker lap time. I thought if I could get to the 30k marker with a 45 minute loop here, I could bank some valuable time for the miserable 5th loop.

And the plan nearly worked. I kept Rob in my sights and at the Hamsterly Beach section, I could see Matthias only about 2 minutes ahead. I felt good and thought I could reel him in a bit. At the 25k point of the race, I was still doing great and I started to tell myself to start counting down the kilometres. Things continued great until about the 29k mark when I started to feel a slight tightening of my right hipflexor and both calves. This feeling came as no surprise, as one enters these races to have a battle with adversity. The 3rd loop ended fine though, and my lap time was again, almost identical to that of the first two (even though I felt I was going faster).

The fourth loop now began and right away, I knew this lap was going to be slower. My body was getting tired and muscles were now beginning to get heavy. I was alright with this. Things had gone very well so far, and I was now making it my goal to get through this loop without cramping. I took an extra S-Cap at the rowing boathouse in an effort to stop any tightening. It didn't really work, but I was still trodding along decently. By the straight-section along the back of the lake, I could hardly see Rob Mackay and I would guess he was now about 1k ahead of me. I survived the loop without cramping, and I was now at 40k. The lap time would reflect what was going on, and it took me 50 minutes. And although things seemed to be going South, there really was much to be positive about here.

The crowd was telling me "only 1 loop to go - that is nothing", and they were right. I could do 1 loop easy, even if I had to walk. But, I had no intentions of walking it. I had done well so far. The clock was showing 3:10 and I was at 40k. If this were a marathon (and one could easily argue that 40k of the lakes is similar to a 42.2k marathon road course in terms of timing) I had just got a marathon PR.

I made it my goal just to get as far as I could without walking now. I told myself that even a slow jog is way faster than a walk. And with that positive thinking, I headed out for the final loop. And while I would love to finish this story telling everyone that I hammered the final loop in 45 minutes or less, the reality is a bit of a different ending.

I made it to the 43k point before I had to finally stop and adopt a walk/run agenda. My calves were cramping up pretty regularly and my IT bands had been giving me issues for about the last 10k or so. I was able to get through the next few k's by walking for 2 mins and then jogging for 2 mins. I was actually surprised that I still lapped a few people in this time.

However, just as I passed a lady at the 47 marker, my left hamstring cramped as hard as a rock and nearly took my body down to the ground. I stood still and held my leg, writhing in pain. The lady jogged by and asked if I was ok. I nodded painfully and she said, "Stretch it out. You got salt caps?" I nodded again and spent about 2 minutes escaping the cramp.

It is funny how I was so close, yet so far at this point. I focused on my breathing and began to walk for a minute. I then tried again to jog it on home, and it seemed to work if I focused on my breathing. It definitely wasn't pretty, but I was now again into a walk/run pattern. I actually caught back up to that lady I saw earlier at the 49k point, and at this point, I was determined to just ensure I ran the finish. As I hit the final stretch I could see my family cheering for me near the finish. I took my daughter's hand and ran the final 20m with her.

The race would end successfully in a time of 4:10:55. The last loop definitely was not pretty, but there was much to be proud of. When the results came out, I had finished in 5th place in the 50k race (and 2nd in my age group).

My lap times were as follows:

Lap #1 - 46:47

Lap #2 - 46:42

Lap #3 - 46:43

Lap #4 - 50:08

Lap #5 - 60:35

Total: 4:10:55

Now I spend some time recovering and contemplating my next race.

Training Update - Apr. 14

The training has been going reasonably well. It has been a careful balance of managing family time with training time. I have been getting in the two critical workouts to my training schedule: the long run and the speed workout. The long runs have now peaked at 38k last weekend, and I have been kicking some ass in the Harriers TNW speed sessions. The other runs in the week have been somewhat lacklustre and I have struggled to find the time to get in the frequency. However, the long runs have been going very well, and I know I am capable of banging off a decent 50k race. I know that my mileage is nowhere where it should be for someone who is serious at these distances. I have barely cracked the 60k mark in my weekly training, which shocks everyone when I tell them. I know it should be basically double what I am putting in. However, with my knee still coming back off the injury and with the timing of everything, I am sure that things are where they should be...for now.
The ultimate question that remains is simply can I put it together on race day? I know I have the endurance, I know I have decent speed, I know I have enough ultra experience and knowledge about nutrition, but it can be quite a task to put all these things together when the time comes. However, I know I can do it....it certainly has been done before.
So now I start to think about estimated time. I have done a 48/48/48 at Elk/Beaver Lake recently. I can seem to maintain a 48 min./10 km pace, and that it with my Nathan Hydropack on my back. I am hoping that I may be even slightly faster than this on race day, and that should set me up for a 4 hour finish. Who really knows though? I am really just going to attempt to run a patient and efficient race. I am still haunted now and again of my last ultra at the Great Lake Walk where the last 1/3 of the race was nothing short of a disaster.
Provided race day goes well, I will then begin to consider some of the other ideas of running events for me this year. Fast downhills still pose some concern (my knee is still at 90%), but I am hoping that eventually this concern will disappear.
The next post I will make here will be after my race on May 2nd.

Comox Valley 1/2 Marathon - Mar. 22, 2009

The anticipation for this event was large, seeing it was my first running race in just over 6 months. In fact, it brought back feelings similar to that of my very first race.
The day started early with a 7 am carpool up to Courtenay. I was excited to be sharing a ride with two master superstar runners, Gary Duncan and Brian Connan. I chatted off their ears on the way up, and I was as excited for this race as if I were a little boy at the playground.
On the way up, we eventually got to the topic of predicted times, and I reluctantly told them that I was just hoping to go sub 1:30 for this event. They were far more specific with their predicted times.
At the registration hall, it was awesome to see so many familiar faces. This was actually half of the reason I signed up for the race. I knew seeing the familiar faces and competing against my friends would provide me with the motivation to train even harder in the weeks that lie ahead. After all, this race for me was a 'tester' race. It was going to truly test the condition of my knee and truly test my fitness level. I had a pretty good idea of my fitness level, but until you test it under racing conditions, you never know for certain.
After the typical warm-up, I placed myself in about the 3rd row from the front. I wished my neighbors good luck, and then we were off.
And what a cool feeling it was to be racing. A feeling of exhilaration struck me immediately, and I said to myself, "I am racing again!".
The excited feeling then turned into a mental bewilderment of how my pacing was doing. Not having raced recently, and focusing on doing slower, longer training runs, made it difficult at best to know what my pace was. However, the 1k marker seemed to come quickly and I was satisfied with my 3:47. The next k was right around 4 minutes, and by this time, people were beginning to sort themselves out with their positioning in the race. I was happy with where I was and I ran side-by-side with Catrin Jones (a steady 1:25 half marathoner) until about km 7.
At around this time in the race, a slow but steady uphill climb seemed to be upon us. I had been pre-warmed by another fellow runner that there was a bit of a hill at this point, and that was totally fine by me. The more hills, the merrier. I hate flat road courses. Boring.
I had hoped that I would pick some people off going up the hill, but I resisted the temptation. This was a half marathon course after all, and a friendly burst so early on in the race could haunt me later in the race. I knew this, and just cruised along at the same pace. At the 10k mark, I was pleased to see that I was at 40:34. This was a decent time, and I was hopeful that the flat/downhill 2nd half of the course would better my pacing even further. However, I would find this somewhat difficult as my pace seemed to drop in the middle stage of the race. The pack that I was running with slowly dropped me. I was still feeling fine, but the fact of the matter is that my body will resort to my ultra pace (my training pace) if I lose my concentration.
I tried to make the most of the gentle downhills that lay in the next few kilometres ahead, but I was not going any faster than anybody else around me. Perhaps my lack of running any hills in the last 6 months is to blame for this lack of enthusiasm. However, I was still holding my own, and I was definitely hanging in there.
At the 15k mark, I was passed by fellow Harrier John Catterall and my watch showed 1:00:24. Not bad. I was still hammering out a 4 min./km. pace, and I was setting myself up for a good finish if I could hold it together.
I had hopes of completing the race at a 4 min./km. pace, but this dream was short-lived after km 15. The pavement flattened out, and the reality of having to maintain a downhill pace now on the flat was not very likely. Nevertheless, I still could see Andrew Green and his crew up ahead and catching them was not totally out of the question.
At around km 17, I was totally shocked when Matthias Shoek passed me. I had not seen him at all in the race, and now it seemed he was kicking his way to the finish line hard. He encouraged me to keep up with him, but he was on quite a kick, and I did not have the gas to follow him. I did however manage to catch back up to John Catterall, and I was looking good with 2k to go. It seemed to me at this point that I was not going to catch anyone infront of me (as they were around 30 sec. infront) and I knew there was nobody hot on my heels. I ran my best for the last 2k and finished strong.
The last stretch of the race was very cool. With nobody around me, the crowd had no choice but to cheer for me as I came in. It felt awesome. I crossed the line in a time of 1:25:51.
This time for me was simply superb. My expectation was just to get under 1:30, so this was quite something for me. I secretly thought I could have gone under 1:25, but until the race plays out, you just never know. Overall, I finished 42nd out of 540 runners. Considering this was my first race in 6 months, to come within 1 minute of my Personal Best, is simply awesome. I knew my training was going well, and this result now confirms some of my thinking and training. This result is also validation for me that (a) my knee is close to 100% (as there was no pain during or after the race) and (b) that all the hard work in the rehab stage was worth it. I worked hard during this time, and my quick recovery time was the reward.
After the race, I was forced to stick around for the awards ceremony. I have never actually done this, as I have always been eager to get home and help out with the family. Just before the awards, I found out that the top 10 in each age group win ribbons. I never knew of this, and I suspected maybe I had been winning ribbons in my races in past years. Hmm.
Sure enough, when my age group was called out, I took the stage to take 7th place in my age group. I was flattered. Upon return, I checked the results on the computer, and sure enough, I should have actually won 6 other ribbons for such races. Damn. Maybe I will stick around for the awards ceremonies from now on!
Back to training now, 6 weeks to go before my 50k race. Yeha!

Redemption Run - Mar. 15th

I woke up at 5:30 am, as baby Cooper had decided that it was high time that the whole family wake up. I headed down to the kitchen and had a big bowl of Vector cereal. Shortly thereafter, I got my running clothes on and headed out the door, just after 6 am.
The plan was to do 30k, 3 loops of the lakes. This was a task I had planned on completing 2 weeks prior, but stomach flu reeked havoc on that idea. So, I was out to redeem myself and prove that I was capable.
As I parked the car in the parking lot, I looked around to put on my knee brace, only to realise that it was missing. Shit. Do I go back and get it, or do I just go without it? Screw it. I knew the day would come when I would be able to run without it, so I guess today was going to have to be that day.
I started at 6:17 am, and got the headlamp activated. Damn it was dark. Much darker than I imagined. The time change really made a difference at this point in the day.
The first 5k were actually tough, as I had some difficulty establishing a good mental rhythm. However, once I hit the open road along the back stretch of the lakes, I got into a groove and things became much easier. I did experience a small slip on some ice near the end of the final lap, but so far, the weather was flawless. Just a tiny bit of wind out there. No precip.
Lap 1 went by nicely in a time of 49 minutes. Considering I had a decent potty break in the middle of the lap, I was right on target. The light was also bright enough now to turn off the light and my hands were warm enough to lose the gloves.
Lap 2 began now, and still no sign of anyone out there. My car was still the only one on the lot. I now was feeling it, and uped the pace somewhat. For some reason, my body has always seemed to like the 12-16k distance, and this was no exception. Lap 2 would be 47 minutes, and I still felt great. I was leery though of what my final lap would bring.
I now began to see many people on the trail, and I managed to keep the pace alive. I was religious about taking a small water drink at the 5k marker, and then a S-Cap and gel at the 10k marker. This routine has become a staple of my running. It trains my body to use this nourishment and survive on it.
At about the 26k point, the wind really begun to whip up and it was definitely slowing me down, but I was certainly not going to let a bit of wind impair me from achieving my goal this day. The last kilometer, I put on a charge and crossed the end in fine form. The last lap would be 48 minutes. Great pacing throughout.
I came, I saw and I conquered. I redeemed myself from the crash and burn a couple of weeks prior. I did 30k, and it felt relatively harmless. My knee was a non-issue. It felt fine. No knee brace, no problem.
With the small breaks included it was 2:30 exactly. I wouldn't say the run was easy, but I am definitely on my way. This run capped off the best week of training to date so far in 2009.
I am excited about where I am with my running and I seem to be peaking at a good time. With the 50k race 7 weeks away, I am in a good place for sure.
Next weekend will be my first race in 6 months: the Comox Valley 1/2 Marathon. It should be exciting to race again, but I certainly have no expectation of setting a PB. I am just hoping to run a consistent race, and hopefully get under 1:30. We will see.

Go on you good thing

So the month of February has been a little difficult for me. The running, however, has been going great. I have built up my long run to 28k now, and I am on schedule for my required training plan for the E/B 50k. The Tuesday interval workouts have also been great, and I have enjoyed these thoroughly. I have been following the Harriers for these, but if the scheduled workout is too "downhilly" I have chosen to play it safe and do my usual flat interval route the following day instead.
The reason why I saying that things have been difficult is that the frequency has not been great...at all. I have been running consistently 3 times per week only, and the base mileage barely cracking the 40k mark. This is surely nowhere near it needs to be.
It has been difficult balancing work, my role as the Provincial Badminton Commissioner, and being a good dad to 3 children. It is my hope that with the badminton coming to an abrupt end next weekend, that I will be able to have more time and focus for my training. I also have fallen off the wagon with my core training, and this will need to be there if I am to be at the top of my game this year. I rely on doing my training mostly at work (break times), but these 'windows of opportunity' have simply not been there.
My knee has been alright. It has never given me trouble when I run, but it has been sore from time to time after my runs. This has been a little concerning as of late. I fear that this year may be a year - again - where I cope with this knee thing until September. I may in fact need to take September/October/November off again to fix the knee. If it gets progressively worse over the year, then an MRI may be in the works as well. However, I am still hopeful that the knee will slowly get better over the next few weeks (as I have been told it is supposed to).
Time will only tell.
I still remain cautious, but am wanting to step up my training, so that I can compete at the level that I know I am able.
I am aiming for 4 times of running this week, and the usual core exercises, so hopefully it happens. I am certainly committed, I just need the time.