Victoria Marathon

October 10, 2010

My journey to the marathon really began much earlier this year.  Since I began racing, I knew that I wanted to tackle a marathon at some point - but I just didn't know when.  I had decided that I didn't want to tackle the marathon until I felt I could finish it under 3hrs 30mins. When I first set this goal, it seemed very challenging, but after having a fantastic racing season, in the Spring of this year, I felt that I could be ready and I decided it was time to take on the challenge.  I began training in late June -- which essentially meant just adding in longer runs on the weekends.  Later I also added in mid-week longer tempo runs, and was running 6 days a week consistently.

By the end of my training I couldn't wait for taper week, to scroll down the kms, take it a bit easier, and leave it all for race-day. About 1 month before the race, I started having pain and tightness in my hamstring.  During one of my last long runs, I ended up walk-running the last 35 minutes or so, as I was in so much pain.  A dreadful scenario of my marathon ending the same way flashed before my eyes... To try and avoid this conclusion, I had a few massage therapy sessions that loosened up my hamstrings, and they started to feel better.

The night before, I was doing some exercises that were intended to strengthen my gluteus muscles (and help my hamstrings).  However, as I was finishing up one of my sets, I pulled something in my lower back, and searing  pain shot through my back.  I could barely walk, and bending down and twisting my body in certain directions hurt like crazy.  I grabbed the ice-pack, hoping that it would be short-lived.  Was this the end to my marathon?

The pain did not subside, and as I laid down to sleep, I was praying that in the morning all would be better.  In the middle of the night, I ended up massaging out a few kinks, and my back felt somewhat improved the next day.  I woke up early to have breakfast, then dressed and headed on my way - hoping that once I started running, I would forget the back pain.

Arriving downtown, I saw Shane who had already finished his 8km race (which had started at 7:15!).  He had ran a pretty good race - earning a few second PB - and 6th overall.

Just prior to heading to the start line, I popped a vitamin I (Ibuprofen), hoping it would take the edge off of my back.  Soon enough, the countdown was on, and we were off. Within the first kilometer, I saw my training partner, Julie van Veelan. Unfortunately, she had been battling some injuries, and wasn't sure how she'd be able to do.  We ran together for the first km, then I inched ahead for a few hundred meters, and soon she passed me.  I kept right behind her, as the first few kms passed. At this point, I was running too fast, but mentally I wanted to keep with Julie, I didn't want her to get too far ahead. Although, I knew I should just run my own race, and that it's too early to tell what will happen later on.  I ended up passing her around the 5km mark, and didn't see her again that day.  The ibuprofen seemed to work, as by this point, I didn't feel my back at all - and was running comfortably.

I'd started off too fast - doing about 4:30kms (when I should have been doing ~4:45).  I knew this, but figured the first few kms would be fast, and that I'd be able to rail it in soon thereafter, without causing too much trouble for later on.  The first part of the course, looped around downtown and into Beacon Hill Park, where we did a few loops, before exiting at around the 8km mark.  By this point, I'd clocked one km at 4:08 (downhill) and most were still around 4:30 -- 'too fast' I kept telling myself, but it was soo hard to slow down. I felt like every kilometer had a sizeable downhill.

I hit the 10 km mark at around 45 minutes.  In 2007, I'd ran that time in a 10km race - and now it felt easy.  It was nice to have those kinds of improvements.  These first 10 kms went by quickly and felt pretty relaxed -- if only the last 10 kms could feel like that!  Next, we meandered into a residential area, leaving the ocean to the wayside.  I knew we were heading towards Oak Bay, where we'd do a jaunt before heading back towards the ocean.  We'd stay in Oak Bay until around the 16.5 km mark.
  
As this was an out and back course (mostly), I tried to remember where the hills were, as I'd be tackling them on the way back. I remember being told that this was a flat course-- while not hilly, it still definitely had its share of hills, and I cringed each time we headed downhill, as I knew that meant an uphill on the way back.

It was nice to have so many people out cheering on the racers.  I saw many familiar faces out on the course, and it was of course always great to hear your name called out.  My parents had come out to watch my race too, and I ended up seeing them several times throughout the race.  It felt like they were everywhere, and for while I saw them every few kms!!

I had my first gel around the 1 hour mark, and was picking up water at every aid station I passed.  As we got onto Beach Drive, I overheard other racers nearby talking -- at this point, I was running close to a 3:15 pace -- I just hoped that the fast start wouldn't result in a disastrously slow finish.

The wind started to pick up, as we got closer to Uplands.  It was even fierce at times -- at one point I was running downhill, and had to work pretty hard to keep up my pace due to the wind.  I don't know if the wind slowed me down too much at the time, but it definitely sucked extra energy out of me, which I would need later on.

At the half-way mark, I was still feeling great - I felt as though I could run like this for awhile.... or so I thought!  About 2 kms after the half-way mark, soon after passing Cattle Point and Uplands Park, I hit the turn-around.  Although, I'd already passed the mid-way point in the race, mentally it felt so much better to be going back towards the finish - only 19 kms to go at this point.

This is where I first started feeling the effects of the race.  The course through the Uplands area, while not hilly, definitely is rolling and has a few inclines throughout.  On the way out, I didn't feel them too much, but on the way back, they started to hurt.  None are too long, but there are a few that feel pretty steep, when you've run over 20 kms already. While, many of the kms blur together, I distinctly remember getting to the 29km point.  Just before the km marker, there was a celebration station (there were several littered throughout the course where music was playing, and people cheering) - however, coming up to this particular one, I was dying for water.  I heard the music before I saw the station, and was hoping for water -- however, there were no refreshments to be had, only a guy singing and playing his guitar, and another guy cheering on the racers. Despite the jovial mood, I was disappointed. Luckily, it was only 1 more km until another water station, but I had to ascend a climb - what felt like a very steep hill to get there.

Next, the course headed back into Oak Bay.  I remember many people telling me that this feels like the hardest part of the course, as you still feel so far from the finish line, and your body is starting to breakdown somewhat.  It was definitely around this point 30-32km, that I started to hurt. Every hill was hard, no matter how small.  Somewhere around the 33km marker, I saw my parents again, and my dad tried to run up ahead of me to get a picture.  However, every time he'd get a bit ahead, he'd turn around, just get his camera set up and I'd be passing him.  He did this a few times -- and I'm not sure if he got a picture of me at all.  (Although it's likely for the better, as I'm sure I was starting to look fatigued at this point).

Finally, I got out of Oak Bay, and was back near the water's edge - the finish was starting to feel near.  The best part of the course at this point was the couple handing out water and licorice at their doorstep (35 km).  I headed towards them seeking water, and as they'd run out of water cups, they instead handed me a partially full ice-cold water bottle. Aaahhh -- it was fantastic!  I enjoyed that water for the next few kms, and boy was it refreshing.

While there's refreshment stops located throughout the course, every ~4km or so, some people living along the race-course get into the spirit and also hand out goodies.  The Hash House Harriers get into the spirit every year and even hand out beer -- definitely not for my taste, but some do enjoy it.

The last 10kms of the race, I played a huge mental battle with myself.  On some of the last hills, I sooo wanted to stop and walk.  My hamstring was starting to act up, and on the uphills I really suffered, as they stiffened up. All along, I knew I was slowing down, and had to do everything I could to keep my  legs going.  Everything hurt at this point - every single muscle in my legs was in pain, and yelling at me to stop -- but I wasn't listening.  I knew that it would be hard -- but I had never imagined how hard it would be.  It seemed that everyone was in a similar situation, as although I had slowed down, there weren't a ton of people passing me.  I kept thinking that someone I knew would come up behind me, but that never materialized.

Finally with about 3 km to go, Shane came riding up beside me.  He'd intended to meet me at the 32 km marker and run with me for a bit, but had just missed me.  He waited for about 15 minutes, wondering if I was having a really horrible race, before realizing that I'd probably already gone by.  When, he came up riding beside me, I was feeling horrible - there was no energy left to talk, but it was still nice to see him.  Soon, Garth Campbell came riding along as well, and both of them were encouraging me on.  This seemed to help, as I was able to pick up a bit of speed, and even started passing a few people!  Distance was no longer passing by kilometers, but by hundreds of meters.  I could taste the finish, but it also felt so far away.

Then came the final kilometer -- every hundred meter was marked, and the real countdown was on.  This last section I knew all too well - all of the twists and turns included.  My legs felt like lead, and I was totally done.  Finally - the final stretch - I could see the finish line, and my first view of the clock - 3:22:XX - I was going to make it under 3hrs 30min!  Towards the end of the course, I had stopped checking my watch, and was afraid that I had slowed down immensely.  As I saw the clock, I realized that I wasn't too far off my ultimate goal, and I was going to do okay.  I tried to pick it up in the last 200 meters, but I'm not sure I went any faster - either way I was never soo happy to cross the finish line -- time: 3:22:49 (chip time).

One hundred meters to the finish

I must have looked pretty haggard too - afterwards I was told I looked horrible, and one of the medics almost took me over to the recovery tent, but deemed I was okay to continue on.  It took a few minutes, but then it set in -- I had just completed my first marathon and in a decent time too!  It's definitely something I could be satisfied with, and I was. 

My splits were:  4:30 (7 seconds to get across the line), 4:28, 4:32, 4:47, 4:08, 4:38, 4:42, 4:23, 4:42, 4:28, 4:48, 4:42, 4:45, 4:34, 4:42, 4:41, 9:35 (2 kms), 4:33, 4:52, 4:48, 4:40, 9:35 (2 kms), 4:52, 4:52, 4:45, 4:45, 4:54, 4:50, 4:53, 5:09, 4:50, 10:18 (2 kms), 10:02 (2 kms), 5:34, 5:33, 5:10, 4:58, 5:02, 55 seconds (last 200 meters).

My nutrition: 2.5 gels + 3/4 of a fruit source bar + a few sips of gatorade, and water at every station.

It was a hard day out there for many - the wind sucked the energy out of a number of people, I'm sure.  I'd  like to thank Shane and Garth for catching up to me near the end, because if it weren't for them, I'm certain I would have posted a slower time - and not got that little extra boost, just as I was hurting the most.

Post-marathon.  I had a shake that I'd prepared that morning, and then my stomach was not able to take in any more food for another 5 hours.  You'd think your body would be dying for nutrition, after the mega-calorie burn, but instead my body went into a distinctly opposite mode!  Luckily, my recovery wasn't hampered - as amazingly I was not as sore as I had expected.  For sure my legs were sore and tired, but it wasn't the most pain I'd experienced post-race.

Next marathon for me is Boston in 2012 -- after that, I'm not sure when the next marathon will be - it feels great to accomplish it, but it's not something I'm dying to do every year.

Landsend Half-Marathon

September 12, 2010

One day after returning from a holiday in Hawaii, I was on the start-line for the Landsend Half-Marathon.  We'd come from a hot, sunny climate into cloudy, rainy weather.  It felt cold, and while it wasn't pouring rain, it was steady enough to get you wet pretty fast.  Standing on the start line,  I was feeling nervous, but at the same time calm - because I'd been telling myself all along that I was not going to 'push' it during this race.  This was intended just as a tune-up race before the marathon, and the plan had been just to run around marathon pace.  I'd planned to run ~30 km that day anyway, so it was a good 'excuse' to not worry if I didn't feel up to racing.  I saw a few of my running friends before the start of the race, and I'd explain 'Oh, I'm not really racing this one, just a tune-up before the marathon.'

Often, each of us has a list of excuses to bring up before races - as a means to take the pressure off and explain any less than desired performances.  That way, if you don't have a good race or were feeling off, you can pull out your list of reasons to explain.

On the day of the Landsend race, I needed my hat of excuses, as I'd just got back from Hawaii, was still sleep deprived, and really wasn't sure what kind of performance I would be capable of.

I lined up on the start line, and off I went.  Of course, I ended up pushing harder than I'd originally intended.  The first km went by in just over 4 minutes  -- 'Okay that's fast, I thought, that's closer to my 10km pace - slow down', I told myself - otherwise I knew I'd crash and burn.  I later learned that the first 4 kms are all short, so it wasn't quite as fast as I thought, but still faster than my usual half-marathon speed.  I consciously tried to slow down to a more manageable pace, and watched people pass me by.  It was tough, as I wanted to stay with them!

I soon got into a rhythm and the first 5 kms went by without much difficulty - then we hit the first hill.  I'd heard that this was a hilly race, but being prepared for it didn't make the hills any easier.  On the hills I really struggled.  I definitely was not feeling at my best - but the racer in me still wanted to push, and see how I could do.  The uphill was followed by a nice downhill, where I could just let my legs go - the turnover felt great.

As we approached the turnaround, I saw another hill up ahead.  'Almost half-way done' I told myself.  Just keep pushing.  This race was not about catching anyone, pushing for a PB or even aiming for a placing.  This race was just about finishing.  The middle part of the race felt very hilly.  There seemed to be no flat sections, it was either up or down.  A few people passed me on the uphill sections, as I really struggled to keep it together.  I hadn't hurt this badly in awhile (during a race).  Valerie Bell, a fellow runner (who came out to many PIH events) passed me, looking strong.  I knew she'd have a good race.  I watched her pass me by, trying to not fall too far behind, she had her race legs on, and kept inching away from me, while all I could do was watch.

During the race, my legs felt heavy and I totally thought I was going to come in around 1:40 -- I'd be happy if I could just get under 1:40.  I definitely felt slow during these middle sections.  Nonetheless, I kept pushing, and the kms slowly ticked by.  The hills faded away, and soon I was nearing the end of the race.  The course came back along itself and repeated the first 4.5 kms.  I was soo happy that it was nearly over.  A few final twists and turns, and I was on the last km -- YAY!  I tried to push it hard on this last km, but my legs were definitely fading.  One guy passed me in the last 200 or so meters, but I was able to hold off another one right behind me.  As I neared the clock I was surprised to see 1:33:--.  Seriously!  I couldn't believe it.  I was going to make it  under 1:35.  I was so ecstatic.  I crossed the finish line in 1:34:14 and had to take a few breaths before I could actually speak.  Shane greated me at the finish line, all changed from his 10km race, looking warm and cozy.  Whew, was I ever glad to have that over with.  My splits were: 4:06, 4:12, 4:19, 4:17, 4:40, 4:40, 4:06, 4:15, 4:49, 4:32, 4:19, 4:44, 4:48, 4:24, 4:49, 4:07, 4:12, 4:39, 4:40, 4:48, 4:46.

It wasn't my best race, but it also wasn't a disaster.  I ended up pushing more than I'd intended, but I'm glad I did.  I knew that I could have raced it faster, had I been feeling good - but given the conditions, I was pleased with my race.  It was a fast race overall though -- James Lander came out of nowhere and broke the course record, winning in a time of 1:08:13. The next racer was almost 8 minutes back.

After the race, I changed my shirt (which was sopping wet from the rain), and went out to run another 6 km or so, to get in my 30 km for the day.  Those 6 kms were very tough.  My legs had definitely taken a beating during the race, and were worn out.

The Landsend is one of my favorite races, particularly because they serve corn after the race.  Yummy -- it was fantastic to have the warm, sweet corn -wonderful, after a race in the cold, wet rain. 

Marathon Training

I am now just over two months away from my first marathon - Victoria Marathon October 10, 2010. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Although I have been running for close to 10 years and racing for over 3 years, I hadn't yet jumped into the world of the marathon. This entire experience has been new to me, but I am enjoying the journey. Over the last few weeks, I have had several new experiences: running longer than 30 km on the road (I've completed longer runs on trails - Juan de Fuca - 48km in 2009 and North Coast Trail - ~40km in 2010) and running more than 60-65km/week. I have found the increased distance enjoyable, yet tough at the same time.

I have now done three 30+km runs at a pace slightly slower than my marathon goal pace. At the end of the first two efforts my legs were tired and sore, and my legs felt tired for almost a week thereafter. Although I have been able to run the day after my long efforts, my legs have certainly taken a beating. It feels like going up to the 30km distance has been a huge leap, and my legs have taken more than the usual 1-2 days to recover. This has been exacerbated by lack of sleep -- so I hope to be able to correct that issue, and speed my recovery - enabling me to get more quality work-outs.


My third run was at a slightly slower pace and while my legs ached at the end of the run, I felt much better following that run. I'm not sure whether it's because of the slower pace or because my legs are getting used to the longer distance - but either way, I'll take it. I know that I still have some time to get ready for the race, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was feeling somewhat nervous. Adding an extra 8-10km to the runs I have already completed and doing the entire distance at a faster pace is somewhat nerve-racking.

Jumping into the world of longer distance running - I am truly inspired by the true running 'crazies' who compete in ultramarathons of 100km and 100 miles. Running 42 kms seems far enough - more than doubling and tripling that distance sees inconceivable. Although, as often goes with runners -- ask me in a few years, and I might be planning my first assault at one of these insane distances! :-)

So -- how has my training been going? At about the begining of July I started ratcheting up my long runs. I started at about 20km, and have worked up steadily from there to about 33-34km. My weeks have't changed much. I've been running 5-6 days a week - something that I thought would have been unimaginable a few years ago, as I dealt with injuries and pains anytime I surpassed 3 days/week. Physiotherapy, consistent exercises and orthotics helped me -- despite the fact that I secretely want to be a barefoot runner, with strong arches!

My shortest runs are around 40 minutes, and I have done a combination of speed work, moderate runs, easy runs and a long run. Now, I am re-evaluating my schedule and will be modifying my weeks to ensure my training week includes:

• an interval training session 
• a longer tempo run (16-20ish kms) 
• a hilly run 
• the long run

The other days will be easy runs or cycling.

Learning the nutrition piece has also been interesting. So far, the longest I have run timewise has been 2 hrs 45 minutes. During my longer runs, I have taken one gel and some cut-up fruitsource bars, and water. I'm still trying to figure out exactly when I want to consume energy -- as my stomach's been somewhat distressed during my longer efforts, and I don't want to consume too much -- but on the flip side I also don't want to bonk, or get low energy, as that could also stall my race and inhibit me from meeting my time goal.  Post-runs I have had a smoothie with fruit, yogurt, soy or almond milk and sometimes a little protein powder.  Then, I make sure that I eat quality protein and carbs throughout the day and week.  My body seems to know what it needs and definitely is craving more protein (eggs, nuts, peanut butter, beans etc).

Okay -- so what is my goal for the marathon?....

A goal: 3:20
B goal: sub 3:30
C goal: sub 3:40 (Boston qualifying time)

In some crazy way I am enjoying it - and I enjoy watching non-runners' reactions when I say that I ran over 30 kms. Although it's nothing compared to those 100km guys and gals, it's a good start for me, and still feels like an accomplishment. I am certain that I will be tackling the 50km distance sometime over the next few years, although beyond that - I'm not so sure.... Time will only tell.

North Coast Trail

June 6, 2010

The North Coast Trail is a rugged 45 km trail at the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island.  It was only recently opened in May 2008, and thus is relatively untraveled.  I decided to join a group of running enthusiasts (or masochists, whichever you prefer) to run the whole length of the trail in one day.  This feat was part of the Spine Relay, an event organized by Andrew Pape-Salmon and Gil Parker, which was intended to raise awareness about the plan to build a trail that runs along the entire island, from Cape Scott in the North to Victoria in the South.  Parts of the ‘Spine Trail’ already exist, such as the North Coast Trail, while others are yet to be built.  During the 3 week Spine Relay participants biked, hiked or ran different legs, traversing Vancouver Island from point to point.

I had heard about the beauty of the North Coast Trail, and I knew that it was a difficult trail, with many beach sections and challenging, technical inland trail.  Both of these aspects enticed me to try and conquer the beauty and the beast.  Shane had also signed up to run the trail, eager to take on the challenge.

The North Coast Trail branches off of the Cape Scott Trail, and begins at Nissen Bight beach.  We hiked to Nissen Bight on Saturday afternoon, and the North Coast Trail was slated for Sunday.  

The first section of the trail was fantastic – double-track and without a pebble to step over.  However, not 500 meters into the trail, we turned a corner and were treated to our first muddy section – one of many to come.  We knew that the trail was going to be somewhat muddy, especially as the month leading up to this event, it had rained buckets down on the Island.  However, the amount of mud we would experience was much beyond what I had expected.  The mud sections definitely slowed us down, as we tried to gingerly tiptoe around and avoid as much mud as possible.  Shane was quite nimble with this, and leaped around these sections with relative ease.  I had a bit more difficulty, and ended spending a few moments at a couple of spots, trying to determine the best route, or gain enough confidence to take a leap to avoid the mud entirely.  

Shane would leap easily across, and then wait as I eyed the mud.  He would call out ‘just go for it, the worst that will happen is that you’ll get your feet muddy.’  I could tell he was getting impatient, but new to the terrain, it took me a bit to get used to it, and my mind saw the mud-pit as something much more treacherous than simply mud – stalling my actions.  Unfortunately, I was not successful in staying mud-free, and both feet slipped into the mud at different points, getting completely submerged.

This first section of Cape Scott Trail was 15 km.  Based on a hiking speed of 4-5 km/hour, we expected to make it to the beach in 3-4 hours.  There were kilometre markings along the trail, and we were surprised that after the first hour, we had only made it 3 kms.  This would be a long afternoon, if we didn’t pick up the pace. 

The trail was relatively technical – littered with fallen logs that necessitated climbing over, numerous mud pits, and rocks and roots to step over.  Luckily, after our first slow hour, we began to move at a much faster pace, and soon were covering 4-5 kms/ hour.  Towards the end, I really wanted to get there, as my shoulders ached.  To try and stay ‘light’ Shane and I had packed all of our gear into day-packs.  However, these packs were not intended to haul this much weight for this long, and my shoulders soon began to feel it.  It was definitely a good incentive to keep moving!

The last section of this trail descended along a creek – and the trail essentially was the creek, which made it almost impossible to avoid getting your feet wet.  Then, after 4 hours and 10 minutes, we made it to the beach.  It was a beautiful sandy beach, and the rest of the hikers, having arrived earlier that day, were already resting and enjoying the warm rays from the sun.   

Shane, and I quickly set up our tent, and set about the serious business of eating, starving and ready to nourish our bodies.  A number of people had hiked to Nissen Bight, and would be hiking back to the parking lot the following day, and some of them had volunteered to be our porters (much appreciated, as this was essential to enabling us to run the trail).  As the intent of the run along the North Coast Trail was to do it in one day – this meant going light and only bringing the essentials for the day.  So, we needed others to carry out our sleeping bags, tent, day-packs and extra clothes.

Shane and I went to bed early, trying to get as much sleep as possible before our early rise the next day.  Sunday morning came all too soon.  We quickly ate, packed up and were off by 7:10 am – with initial thoughts of completing the trail in about 10 hours.  Along with Shane and myself, Andrew Pape-Salmon and Jenny Taylor set off on this adventure.  

We started off on the beach, and after about 1 km, we turned onto our first inland trail section.  After yesterday’s hike, I expected that we’d be in for much of the same.  However, the North Coast Trail sections turned out to be even more technical than the trail to Nissen Bight.  There were lots of twists and turns, muddy spots galore, rocks and roots everywhere and the occasional log to climb over.  So, we were constantly stepping over things and jumping from one side of the trail to the other to avoid the mud.  It really interrupted the flow, as you constantly had to slow down and change up your gait to make it over and around the obstacles.  Although this section was difficult, it would have been possible to do a slow jog along it.  However, we reduced to a hike – partially hoping that the next sections wouldn’t be quite as difficult, and we’d be able to make up some time.  This first section ended up being a perfect example of what we’d encounter throughout the day – sections that took longer than expected (we thought it was only a few kms, but it took us over 1.5 hours to complete), lots of mud and lots of technical terrain. 

There were luckily a few boardwalks that had been built along the trail, over the bogs and really wet sections.  Without these, it would have been a much more unpleasant hike, and much, much slower. 

The rest of the day was filled with long beaches (the longest stretching was close to 10 km), and slow inland sections.  Both sections were difficult.  Most of the beaches were difficult to run on, with various sized rocks, some of which were slick with seaweed, and some of the beaches were on angles – all of which made the running very energy sucking, as your feet slid or got sucked into the ground.  The inland sections did not get any easier – but continued to challenge us. There were definitely no ‘easy’ sections, and the only truly runnable parts were the boardwalks.  I’m not sure which section was more difficult – but after some time on the beach I was wishing for the trail and vice-versa.  Also, unbeknownst to us, Jenny was dealing with some injuries that restricted her ability to run, and instead she either shuffled or power-hiked.  As a result, we ended up slowing down our pace somewhat and waited for her at a few points.  However, to her credit, she did keep a steady pace and I didn’t see her stop many times along the route.   

The trail also had some gnarly ascents and descents from the beaches that necessitated ropes to either haul yourself up the vertical incline or manoeuvre yourself down without bailing.  One section of the trail had several vertical hills one after another – we’d pull ourselves up one steep incline, only to see an equally steep descent immediately afterwards, and more of the same thereafter.  We hit the half-way mark at 7 hours, much later than we’d expected, but naively we thought we could pick up the pace and not be too far off of our original estimate. 

The one nice diversion from the trail was two cable car crossings.  My feet enjoyed getting a short rest, as my arms did some work to pull us across.  

Up until about the 9 hour mark, I was feeling pretty good.   I enjoyed running the beach sections (despite the hard work) and was enjoying the views along the trail.  Then, my energy got zapped.  By this point, I’d been mainly eating bars all day, and was getting sick of them, so I stopped consuming enough energy.  All of a sudden, I was moving at a snail’s pace and everyone had gotten ahead of me.  I knew that I had to stop and eat something, but my head told me to keep going.  Finally I met up with the rest of the group, and Shane realized immediately my condition and told me to eat something.  Within only 10 minutes I was feeling loads better and back to my normal self.  This was a good lesson for me, as I learned that on long ventures I need to take real food with me.  Bars only last me for so long, but after awhile my body craves food that’s not packaged in a wrapper.  From now on, I will do like Andrew, who brought hearty rye bread sandwiches with cheese and PB. 

The day wore on, the 10 hour mark came and went and then finally we hit the final inland section.  The maps stated that this section was 8 kilometres – so we figured we had about 2 hours or so left.  We stepped on the trail, happy that the finish was nearing.  This last section was the same as all of the others, except that it had much more elevation.  The rest of the trail had been relatively flat – but on this part we encountered many hills, as we steadily climbed up.  Two hours passed and went and the end was nowhere in sight.  We just kept on encountering hill after hill after hill.   

I was tired and just wanted the trail to end.  My legs ached with each obstacle I climbed over and with each hill we climbed.  The long day was beginning to take its toll on me and I was ready for the finish. For the last couple hours, to keep me moving faster, Shane took my pack –lightening my load. 

Finally after more than 14 hours on the trail, the end was in sight.  We finally had a glimpse of the ocean and could hear the water taxi gurgling in the distance. I got quite excited and started to pick up the pace a bit.  However, the very final section of the trail was downhill and pretty steep- so this limited my speed.  It would be a gruelling start with a full pack, and I was happy that we only had to descend it.  The final so-called 8 km section took us 3.5 hours to complete.  Although we hiked most of it -- we were not going super slow, so I'm pretty certain that this section was at least 10 km, and most likely closer to 12 km. But, at this point, all I cared about was getting my bum on a seat and getting off of my feet. Tired and sore, I was ecstatic to reach our final destination.  After a short boat ride to Port Hardy, we were treated to pizza and salad – thank god for real food. 

Completing the trail definitely felt like an accomplishment, and I am happy that I joined the venture.  However, the trail was much more challenging than I expected, and it’s not a great trail for running; the beach sections suck your energy and the inland trail is rather technical, so it’s difficult to get a nice rhythm going.  But for those who like a challenge – it’ll definitely give you that!

Calories consumed: ~3000 during the hike + breakfast

Lara bars, homemade granola and fruit/nut bars, fruit bars, PB+J sandwich, VEL bar, seed+nut bars, organic grain and fruit bar.

Westwood Lake half-marathon

May 30, 2010

I ended up coming down with a slight cold a few days before this race.  I was nervous that I might end up having a horrible race -- however, I really wanted to run this race, as it's a different course than I'd ran before and likely the only Gutbuster I would have the chance to do this summer.  The day before Westwood I went out for an easy run around Elk/Beaver Lake and it was pretty slow.  I had to stop and walk a few times, and when I was running I was only doing about 5 min kms.  The rest of the day I was exhausted and ended up having a 2+ hour nap.  This made me really worried for the next day.

Sunday morning was an early rise, as we had a 2 hour drive to Nanaimo, and the race started at 9am.  Race morning, the weather looked pretty good in Victoria, but as we approached Nanaimo the clouds came out, and it ended up getting pretty chilly.  We were all walking around in winter-wear: big jackets and even a few toques were out.

The race started and we were off around the lake.  Luckily, it didn't take too long to warm up.  We soon ended up on some single-track that wound around and took us on a gradual climb up to the highest point.  The climb allowed running all the way to the peak -- however, as I was feeling somewhat tired, I almost would have rathered a steeper climb that would have allowed me to hike some.  I wasn't feeling totally exhausted, nothing like the day before, but I definitely was not at my best either. 

The trail was mostly single-track all the way along the climb.  Under different conditions, I would have loved it -- but as I was feeling somewhat off, I found it somewhat straining, as I had to concentrate hard on each step I took- taxing my mental energy.  There were also a few difficult sections on side-hills, and lots of obstacles and bumps to jump over.  Up the climb, along the single-track I led Antonia Grady and Kathy Rung.  However, as we reached the top of the climb, Antonia clambered past, and that was the last I saw of her.  Antonia is a strong racer, and I was surprised that she didn't pass me earlier.  However, she definitely picked it up from that point and ended up beating me by five minutes.  On a better day, I would have been closer to her, but she likely would have still finished ahead of me.  

The decent continued on mainly single-track and had a few rather steep sections.  The trail then led out into the power-line and through the wonderfully huge mud-puddle - and what a puddle it was this year.  With all the rain we had in May, the puddle was definitely at its best.  Then we had a small creek crossing, and a few small climbs, after crossing the road (including a short stair-master).  The climbs really sapped my energy.  I ended up hiking a lot more than I normally would have - feeling like I had no juice to push it. However, I tried to keep pushing somewhat, to avoid having a disastrous race.  For the remainder of the race, I  was close to Kathy - we exchanged positions a few times, but for the better part of the race, she led.  I tried to hang on - telling myself not to push it too hard, but to save anything I had for the end, and hope for a strong finish. 

We wound our way back into the woods, with a bit more climbing and some random music coming out of the woods, near a waterfall.  It was a nice distraction, although I was somewhat perplexed as I didn't see any volunteers around and never saw the source of the music. After the forest, we came out into a field, and we started to head in the direction towards Westwood Lake.  I figured we were about half-way.  I took a glance at my watch and it read 1:10 or so.  At the start of the race I thought I'd come in somewhere around 2:20 -- so if I was right about where we were in the race, then things seemed to be on track.  Kathy, Chris Hamilton and I were all close together at this point -- the race wove us on to some really fun single-track along a windy trail through some berry bushes.  I was able to close the gap on Kathy on the more technical sections, but she would speed away from me on the climbs.  We came out back onto the Hydro-right of way, which included some relatively flat running on wide trails.  My feet had been waiting for some easy running, but when I got it, my body just wouldn't push as hard as my mind wanted to go. 

As we wound our way back towards Westwood Lake, we intersected with the short-course racers, making our way under the highway and through a tunnel.  A few of the short-course racers hollered out some shouts of joy -- as for me, I was just hoping that this meant that the end was near. 

We finally crossed the final road and made our way into the Westwood Lake Park.  I began to recognize this section from previous years, and knew that home was nearing.  As soon as I saw the lake I tapped into my reserve and put on the speed.  I finally passed Kathy, and hoped that I had enough in me to keep my speed to the finish line - as I still had a few kms to go. 

Unfortunately, I got a bit ahead of myself in terms of my speed, and failed to slow enough and had a nice wipe-out on a super slick bridge. Coming up to it, I knew it would be slippery, but didn't adjust my technique quickly enough to avoid a spill.  However, it was a quick up and down and I was soon running again,   determined to keep my placing.  I obviously had more juice left me than in previous years, as there's a few small climbs on this last stretch around the lake that had really taxed me, but this year, I didn't find running up them overly difficult. 

My legs kept turning over, and the parking lot was in sight.  I didn't look back, as I raced to the finish line, trying to put on my best sprint to the end.  I ended up coming in at 2:15:25 -- which I was pretty pleased with, considering I came into the race a bit under the weather.  I knew that had I been totally healthy, I could have taken a few more minutes off my time, but I was pleased that my race was not a complete disaster and I was happy that I was able to come up with enough energy at the end to beat Kathy -- making me 4th woman overall (okay, so yes I am somewhat competitive...). 

Following the race I had a fantastic post race dip in Westwood Lake.  The water was surprisingly warm, especially given the cold and rainy May we'd had thus far.  I ended up getting 2nd place in my age category - which was a nice surprise for me.  Claire Morgan came in as the first woman overall in a time of 2:05:11. Other notable performances were Garth Campbell -- winning his age category - after coming back from an extended injury, Shane came in 3rd overall and Andrew Pape-Salmon and Louise Proulx also had fantastic races. 

It was definitely nice to get back out on the trails for a race.  Next, my focus will be on marathon training, as I don't have anymore races imminently in the future.  I might throw in some races over the summer, but nothing's set yet.  It will be great to just focus on training for awhile and hopefully get in some solid hours.

Squamish MOMAR

May 22, 2010

This was my 6th Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race - and my second time doing it solo.  Last year, I'd also done Squamish solo, and I ended up making a gross mistake in the orienteering/navigation -- I followed another racer, lacking confidence in my own skills, and I ended up in the thick of the forest - totally lost.  Luckily I was able to find my way out (I actually used my compass for one in a MOMAR!) - but it certainly cost me and hurt my confidence in the race.  So -- this year, I was determined to come back and was hoping for a clean race (or at least cleaner).  The biggest issue for me is trusting my navigation.  I'm not a fantastic navigator, but I can usually figure out where to go.  However, the times I've gotten into the most trouble have been when I've second guessed myself and started following other people.  This has been a hard lesson to learn - to trust myself - and remember that the other racers don't necessarily know the way any better than I do.

The race started Saturday morning at 9am.  At 8am, we'd received the course map, and one of the first things I noticed was the minimal amount of navigation that would be required on the bike.  Most sections of the course were actually flagged, and there were only a few sections that would require self-navigation.  Although I sometimes run into navigational challenges, I was actually somewhat disappointed, as I like the challenge of the navigational component of the race.

After a brief explanation of the course we were about to embark on -- the race got underway with a Le Mans style 1 km run.   We ran around the Quest University to our bikes.  It wasn't actually that challenging of a run - but wow it felt hard for me, mostly due to the amount of weight I was carying in my pack.  I had totally forgotten how much liquid I consume during a MOMAR, so I packed 1 litre of water and 1 litre of an electrolyte/energy drink. So, this was 2 kilos of extra weight to carry around at the beginning of the race.

We got to our bikes, and I was actually closer to the front of the pack.  I put on my helmet and was off - as we headed onto a gravel road.  A sizeable uphill section was next on the list -- there were some pretty steep up hills that most people ended up simply walking.  I might have been able to climb more of them, but it was hard to stay on the bike with so many other racers walking their bikes - plus the rocks were slipping around, so it was hard to avoid slipping out -- I also wasn't in the best gear, making the uphill climbing even more difficult.

Then shortly into this gravel section, came a nice downhill.  My mind had gotten into race-mode and I wanted to try and push myself, so rather than slowing down on this section, I decided to let my bike go, and just go with it.  But...... at the bottom of the hill I was in for a surprise ---

There was a water-bar that had been cut-out of the gravel road, to enable water to flow and avoid flooding the road during heavy rains.  I only saw this too late - and I knew I was in for it -- I tried to slow my speed somewhat but then I hit the dip, then my bike hit the sharp uphill, I got some air and..... BOOM I was down on the ground.  My bike lay beside me - and I knew I was hurt, but I didn't want to stop.  I got right up and started walking my bike up the hill. Some kind competitors behind me helped me up the hill, where I was left to assess myself.  Both of my knees were bleeding, my left thumb was sore and bleeding and blood was dripping from my chin.  I opened my bag and began to search for the few bandaids that I had, as part of the mandatory first aid materials.  Soon after, another Vancouver Island racer, Alison Sum and her partner came past.  Alison helped patch me up, and we had a good laugh as I pressed a thin maxi pad to my chin, to try and soak up the blood.  After most of the bleeding had slowed, I decided to get going, and get back into this race -as tens of racers had already passed me.

The gravel hilly section then changed into a trail section - it was a very soft, new trail that had lots of roots and difficult to ride sections.  I just got off my bike and walked, following the many racers ahead of me pushing their bikes.  By the time this section was over, I was already extremely frustrated by the amount of bike pushing that I had done.  I wanted to ride my bike, not push it through the race.

We got back on for some more gravel road uphills - then transitioned onto another single track section of trail (Lower Powersmart), which involved some more bike walking for me.  Finally, we reached the second CP (checkpoint).  I was glad to get my second punch - after what felt like a long haul on the bike (56:18 min from the start). Back onto gravel roads for a bit, then onto Tsuga, a swooping, flowy trail downhill.  Apparently, we took Tsuga last year, but I completely didn't remember it. I ended up riding a good portion of it, but still got off on sections I could have riden, but I ended up being tentative and a bit more cautious due to my fall.  Unfortunately, it's also where the photographers were - so there's some great shots of me walking my bike! Overall I enjoyed Tsuga, and was glad to have my feet on the pedals, for at least portions of it. (this section took 22 mins from the last checkpoint)

Me, walking my bike -- yes, I should be able to ride this!

Next, it was a long climb up on another gravel road.  By this point - my legs were definitely hurting, and I was ready to be done with the climbs. However, I actually ended up being a somewhat better climber than many of the other racers around me -- so that was a nice boost.  (The climb took me 26 mins)

Half Nelson -- an engineered trail was up next.  It was extremely swoopy -- with lots of jumps and big corners -- for a good rider, I could see how it could be a very fun and fast trail to ride.  I enjoyed it, but definitely took it pretty slow.  I'm still not at the level that I know how to handle jumps well, so I was quite tentative on it.  It ended up taking me 32.38mins.


Half Nelson flowed into CP 5 - where we finally had a chance to get off of our bikes and tackle the orienteering/navigation section.  It's also where Shane and Garth Campbell were stationed, so it was nice to see them, and give them a quick update on how my race had gone so far.  I was told that this section would take approximately 45-60mins to complete, so I figured I was in for at least an hour's effort.  I got my map and took a little while just to orient myself.  I did a quick scan, and plotted out my route, and from a first glance, it didn't look too difficult, as most of the CPs were located just off a trail.  Then, I headed off to get my first CP -- it was not too far away.  Last year, most of the CPs were hidden in hard to find locations.  You'd get to the spot where you thought the CP was supposed to be, and you'd have to search around to find it.  This year, the CPs were much more obvious -- which was much appreciated.  Overall, this section went okay, although I made a few mistakes that cost me some precious time.  Right off the bat, I also ended up going up this long uphill section, which I ended up mostly hiking, as I simply didn't have the energy to really push it. 

There was only one CP that really challenged me, and cost me at least 15 mins.   The trail was marked as zig-zagging, but the CP seemed to be located on a section that double-backed on itself.  This was one of the only sections of the trail that looked like it double-backed on itself on the map.  So when I got where I thought the CP should be -- I was surprised not to see it easily visible.  There were a few other racers who came up to this point at the same time, and we were all a bit befuddled.  We searched around, a bit too much.  I kept thinking that it didn't seem right, as all of the other CPs had been easily visible - but I was also hesitant to move on - just in case this was the right spot, and I then had to go back.  Myself, and another racer finally decided to move on -- we hit another few points, that seemed they should be right (according to the map), but there was no CP in sight.  Finally, we came up to the right bend in the trail, and right on track, the CP was right there, easy to see.  I was soo happy to see it! I was almost done - only two more to get, and they looked pretty easy.  A bit more of jostling through the forest, and then I was on the final home-stretch.  I hadn't yet looked at my watch, but I knew I'd spent far too long in the woods. At final count, this section took me 1:25 mins -- frustrating, because I knew I could have cleared it better.

I knew one final technical section of biking was in front of me - and it was the hardest section of the race -- Powerhouse Plunge.  I knew I'd be running my bike through most, if not all of this section - and I was right.  If it had been a training ride, I might have tried riding more of the sections, but I knew this would have just slowed me down. So, I put my feet to the ground, and pushed and ran along my bike as fast as I could.  I actually ended up being somewhat faster than some people who were trying to ride, as they were on and off quite a bit -- which ends up bieng slower.   Glad to have that over with, I rolled into CP 7, said a quick hello to Kim Picard, a friend who was working at this station, and then headed off to finish the race. (time: 28:15)

There was a large hill following this bridge - which I was eyeing.

The next bit was a pretty fast gravel road that let to the bottom of the Chief.  I rolled into the transition after 27.17 of riding.   I went to fill up my water bottle, and then proceeded to take off my helmet and started to run towards the start of the climb.  I ran past several competitors going the other direction, waving hellos, and didn't remember until I was already tackling the first set of steps, that oops -- I actually need to bring my helmet, otherwise I won't be able to do the rappel from the top of the Chief.  So, I had to backtrack, pick up my helmet and start again.  This only cost me about 11 minutes, but it was definitely a drain on the energy.

The climb up the Chief was a complete slog - it's about a 600m climb.  I remembered parts of it from last year, but it felt much tougher this year.  My legs were absolutely burning, but I knew I had to keep on going - past the weekend hikers (with their looks of shock at my bloody knees, chin and lip), and up and up.  The last section is a steep climb up pure rock - with the checkpoint right at the top. (climb took me 39:46)  Then, it was down a bit to the rappel site.

This is where I get a mandatory break.  There was a backlog of people waiting to rappel, so I waited along with other racers, in the cold wind, for my turn.  The rappel was awesome.  The views were spectacular and I loved bounding down the rock.  The run down was pretty fun - although I just wanted to get it over with.  At this point, I knew all the hard stuff was over and the end was nearing. (23:26 from the rappel back to the bikes)

Back on the gravel road, across a river (man the cold water felt sooo nice!), a bit more trail and then onto the road, to weave through the town and make it to the finish line.  But, it wasn't over yet!  I still had a short urban nav to finish.  The navigation was very simple, and we only had to stop at 2 checkpoints.  I collected them both, and finished this last run section in 9:38 -- Crossing the finish line in 7:01:48.  While not a fast time, it was my fastest MOMAR yet, and I would have gotten under 7 hours, if I hadn't forgotten my helmet at the Chief.  If I hadn't crashed and had a cleaner orienteering/navigation section, I would have handidly come in close to 6 hours 30 minutes.
(CP 13-14, 9:25; CP 12-13, 12:41; CP 11-12, 9:26)

Crossing the river... 

Overall I was happy with my race, but wish I would have done it completely clean.  But, it was a good experience, and I hope to continue to improve on my subsequent races.

After the race, I went to the hospital to get myself cleaned up, then off to the after-party.  I filled up on the fruit crumble, then had a great time actually dancing for once to the live band.  A fantastic weekend!


Thanks to Brian Tasaka for putting together another stellar event, and for Jen Segger for all her hard work and time in arranging the course.

Vancouver 10K Sun Run

May 9, 2010

This race was tough - both physically and mentally. I'd heard for years about how this is a very fast and flat race - so I was expecting a race that would result in a fast time.  I'd raced the TC 10km in Victoria two weeks earlier and I had a small PB at that race.  I was hoping to better my time and my race experience -- as my race at the TC 10km had felt difficult.

This is a huge race - the largest 10km race in Canada- with over 50,000 registered racers. Due to its size, it starts in various waves - each section dependent on your predicted finishing time.  Each section is tightly controlled with large fences between them. They are also packed - so once you are in your section, find your spot and wait. 

Luckily, my predicted time was fast enough to qualify me for the blue bib - which meant that I got to start in the same area as the elite racers, which included a large section to warm up in.  This was fantastic, because otherwise, I'm not sure where I would have had the chance to get a bit of a warm-up run in.  Just before this race, I also purchased a pair of light trainers.  Shane had told me many times that I should purchase a pair of racing flats - that I could likely cut some time off of my races by ditching my heavy shoes with orthotics.  So I caved, and bought a pair of flashy Mizunos.  They felt amazing - I'm not sure if it made me any faster, but it sure made my feet feel lighter, and they were a joy to run in.  After just one run, I'm sold!

Now to the race -- After a bit of a warm-up, we made our way to the start line and crowded in for the countdown.  The gun went off and the race was on.  The first km of this race is extremely fast.  It's a downhill start and quite a significant downhill.  My first km in every race is always fast, but with the added assistance of gravity I clocked a 3:35 km.  That's insane fast for me.  I didn't really fret it though, because I didn't feel like I pushed it too hard.  After that first km, I tried to ease into a comfortable pace that I thought I'd be able to hold for the rest of the race. 

However, the race started to feel hard early on.  The second km wasn't too bad, it had a slight uphill, and then turned a bend and there was the one view of the water that I remember (other than going over bridges).  The race course looks like it hugs the shoreline for most of the race, but I barely remember seeing water at all.  What I remember most are the gray buildings, and the very city-centric view of the race. 

My legs felt like they didn't have the ability to push hard, and overall I just felt tired.  I knew this would be a hard race, and my earlier visions of posting a significant PB faded into the distance.  Instead, I thought I might end up with a much slower time than at the TC 10km.  Irrespective, I tried my best to keep pushing, and not give up until I crossed the finish line.  Up until the end of km 4, the race was relatively flat.  Then, km 4 transitioned into km 5 with a pretty steep hill as we headed onto Burrard Bridge.  This felt like a killer and caused me to have a very slow km. However, once we got half-way through the bridge, it was a nice downhill for close to a km.  This would definitely not be a race with even splits.

The next few kms all blended together, as there were slight dips and rises throughout the course and lots of buildings to look at.  One thing about this race, was you were definitely never on your own-- there were tons of people running all around, passing me, and me passing them.  I wasn't even able to keep track of staying with any particular group of people, as it felt like it was constantly changing.  Running a race in a different town was definitely an interesting experience, as I had no idea how I was doing, based on the people around me.  Usually I have an idea of people who run around the same time as me, so based on who I'm with I can have an idea of my pace.  But, this was certainly not the case at this race, as I didn't recognize anybody who was running near me.

The next major milestone was a very straight section around km 8 -- I remember it going on for what seemed like a long time, as the road just headed straight forward - again without any interesting views in sight.    Then we had one more rise as we headed into the final km - as we crossed the Cambie Street bridge.  This rise really hurt-- I couldn't believe how slow I felt I was going.  I just tried to keep it together for the last km.  Almost done I kept repeating to myself -- almost done.

One final descent down the hill and to the finish line.  By this point I already felt discouraged and thought it had been a bad race, and I would end up with a slow time - so I didn't push as hard as I probably could have.  Then, just 100-200 meters before the finish, I saw the clock counting down.  I was still under 42 minutes! I might actually be able to get a PB if I pushed it!  This gave me the impetus I needed to sprint to the finish.  Officially, my finishing time was 41:44 -- a PB of 9 seconds,  it wasn't huge, but based on how I felt during that race, I was glad to have gotten a PB. My splits were: 3:35; 4:07, 3:31 (km 3 was short); 4:50 (km 4 was long); 4:34; 4:14; 8:24; 4:24; 4:03.

Unfortunately, many other racers also didn't have great races.  It seemed like the course somehow wore people down -- either that, or it was the fact of having raced the TC 10km 2 weeks earlier. Although, you'd think that 2 weeks would be plenty of time to recover from a 10km race.  There's lots of theories out there about why there were so many poor performances, but there's no one answer.  Like anything, it's probably very individual - and could be part mental too.

I was happy to have my last significant race completed for awhile.  I'll be doing a few other races in the next few months, but no key races.  The next goal is the Victoria marathon in October - which I will begin formally training for soon.