Gary Robbins

(Not So) Quick Training Update

January 25, 2009

Again I have fallen behind on my blogging, and all I can say to that is I have struggled to make time for it lately. The training is actually going quite well, and physically I'm feeling great right now. Turns out, that in hindsight, I never watched that much t.v. to begin with, so my somewhat far fetched dream of finding hours of more free time a day was not properly thought through. Either way, I believe my apartment looks much better without a t.v. in it, and it feels much cozier then it ever has before.

Enough with the babbling, here's my attempt at a quick update on how stuff has been going. The last training update was up until Sunday Jan 4th at 105km for that week. In the weeks since then:

Jan 5th - Jan 11th:
-100km of running in 11hr, which really means nothing unless you know the terrain covered. It ended up being more road heavy then I like, but still some big climbs and great trail runs.
-1x gym session, 159 lbs (down five in two weeks of training, must have been beer weight!)
-1x skate ski, 11.5km in 1hr, but conditions were terrible and it was a very tough workout and struggle to log that many km in sixty minutes. Lotsa climbing, which I love!

-Highlights, solid interval session on Tues night, and on Sunday I completed my first 50k 'ultra run' in training of 2009, and just second ever. During the run, which I fully completed with teammate Ryne Melcher, we were paced along for the first 40k by friends Duncan Coo and Tom Craik. Turned out it was Duncan's 40th B.Day, a little 40 on 40 action going on so we decided to dedicate the final 20km of their run, from 20k-40k, to the years leading up to the present. Every four to five minutes we would all have to tell a story of the corresponding year, from 1989 until 2009. I certainly can not say that I got any smarted on that run, hard to ever accomplish that with Melcher by your side, but I did learn that at one time Duncan was 4th in all Nato countries for shooting in the Pentathlon. What does that mean exactly...not sure, except that if Duncan actually owned a gun I might be scared of him, otherwise I know I can out run him!

Jan 12th - 18th:
-Recovery week after two building weeks to get back at it.
-Run 41km over three separate runs in 3h30m, mostly road or flat terrain
-Skate Ski x2, 30km in 2hr, much faster terrain then previous week
-Gym x1, 158lbs
This was less then I had scheduled for the week, but I have learned to listen to my body first, and it was asking for an extra day off, totaling three on the week, so I did not argue with it so early in the year!

-Highlights:
-A simply gorgeous road run across The Lion's Gate Bridge and then along Stanley Park's seawall, totally 25km with a 1/2 marathon split of just over 1h30. I was not racing or tempo'ing my run, simply running a good pace, then I upped the pace towards the end when I saw the numbers on my watch. I have run four half's in my life, although one of those would hardly be considered running (over 2hr in my first attempt with no training, a beer gut, and no calories or thermolytes along for the ride!). I have not touched this distance since I started taking running seriously or actually started training. This run would have been a P.R. for me... and that to me is pretty funny! It was enough to get me thinking about possibly running a 1/2 marathon 'for fun' sometime soon. It would be a nice gauge to truly see how far I've come in the last few years.
-6am gym, 7am run, 10am work, 7pm skate ski on Wed
-Skate skiing in The Callaghan Valley with some good friends and running into no fewer then ten people I had not seen in six months or longer. A pristine sunny day, fast snow, and good times!
-Heading to Victoria on Sunday to visit my good friend and adventure racing partner Todd Nowack before he moves to Norway for a year! Unfortunately Todd injured his foot pretty bad recently and could not run, but he volunteered at an Orienteering event and I tagged along to look at a map for the first time in well over a year! Our Raid The North Extreme 2007 teammate Christiian Piller, who recently moved from Toronto to Vancouver, also randomly showed up and it was great to have everyone together again for the first time since that race! I managed to finish FIRST in the event!!! I'm not lying, check out my pic...

Ok, maybe, just maybe, there is a story here that needs to be told, but you ain't getting it from me...all I will say is this, the ribbon is legit, but Chris beat me by twenty minutes, actually, the race was less then an hour, he was almost twice as fast as me...Chris won 'the smart guys' event, and I placed first in the 'somewhat challenged' category!

Jan 19th - 25th: Bringing me back up to speed here.
-Run 131km in 13.5hr, a true mix of road and trail with some tough terrain covered, including another solid 50k run today. Finally feeling like I can start handling the miles again and looking at possibly running 150k-160k for the upcoming coming week.
-Gym x1, 158lbs
-No skate skiing as I was dealing with a few 'niggles', injuries in the making, and I made a few changes based on what I perceiving to be possible problems. The skate ski experiment continues, and I'll talk more about injury prevention, and recovery in a coming posting, for now though, I just wanna get this one done, grab a beer with a few friends, and call it a day!

-Highlights:
-Visiting Todd for three days, getting to run completely new terrain, and not seeing a cloud the entire time! North Vancouver was buried under a thick for for a full week, while just 'Up The Sound' in Squamish and Whistler, you could have pranced around in shorts and a t-shirt. Just 'up the street', on top of the local North Shore Mountains, temps got as high as fifteen degrees, and just 'across the pond' on Vancouver Island, they had no idea what the rest of us were complaining about!
-Running up Mt. Doug in Victoria to a spectacular panoramic vista, on a day that had me constantly reminding myself that it was still in fact winter, and not springtime already!

-Seeing 'Grand Torino'...had to throw that in there, Todd and I checked it out and double thumbs up for sure!
-AND, drum roll please....daadaadaadaadaadaadaadaadaadaadaadaa...not quite sure how to spell that sound...anyways, getting to join Todd and his co-worker, in a four seater Cessna Float Plane, to what was scheduled to be a four island tour for what Todd actually calls work! I knew by joining them that I'd miss my anticipated return ferry, and possibly face a parking ticket, but I did not question it at all, especially after I was cleared to bring along my running gear! The initial plan was going to allow me to run on Salt Spring Island, Saturna Island, Galiano Island, and a coastal town named Gibsons (for Canadians out there, the home of the famous 80's t.v. show 'The Beachcombers'...and they still have a 'Molly's Reach' restaurant too!) I had never been to any of the islands before so I was very excited about possibly completing a running tour like no other!

Once we departed Victoria however it was shocking to see what the rest of the lower mainland of B.C. was buried under, yet more fog! We landed on Salt Spring and I was able to get in a quick 6km run before we were back in the Cessna again. We attempted to land at our second destination of Saturna, but the fog was just too much and we ended up having to return to Victoria. In essence though, I got one of the most scenic tours of my life as the views were absolutely incredible with only the mountainous peaks shining through the clouds below. I uploaded a small web album with the twenty best shots on the day.

From there I finished up by logging some miles back in Victoria before returning to the fog you could almost taste, back in North Vancouver that night.

TODD BEST OF LUCK IN NORWAY, THANKS FOR AN AWESOME FEW DAYS, AND KEEP ME IN THE LOOP ON SOME RACES OVER THERE, I MIGHT JUST MAKE IT OVER FOR A VISIT!!

Almost done here, on Thursday I hit up the local climbathon known as B.C.M.C., which is basically a 3000 foot climb in under 3km. Running back down was interesting as I could feel that I had not logged miles like this in awhile. Great views up top, escape the fog down low, and feel the burn for a few days afterwards!

TODAY, 50k, nothing but sun, feeling strong, ran the first 32k with Tom again, then put my head down and knocked off the last 18k on roads in under ninety minutes...AND DONE, onto the beers, I could use one, or maybe even two...

GR

2009, The Time Is Now

January 15, 2009

There is a quote that I first found in an old edition of National Geographic way back in August. I had attended my Aunt's Wedding over on Vancouver Island, and the following morning, while suffering through a hang over that could only be justified by catching up with family members you had not seen in years, I stumbled across this:

"Indian mystics will tell you that by self-inflicted tortures the soul reaches through flesh-numbing ecstasy toward those higher states of being that lie between it and the Absolute"

No matter how I sliced it, my self inflicted tortures of the day were by no means making me feel like I was connecting with a higher power!

For my racing however, this really struck a cord. From suffering through 115 degree heat, and sleeping just over twenty seven hours in nine days, during Primal Quest Utah 06, to loosing seven toenails on my West Coast Trail - Juan De Fuca Trail adventure run in 07, and every single event in between, and since those two, it has all been completely self inflicted torture. So why? Why sleep under a $0.99 space blanket on a bed of rocks, for three hours a night, for over a week on end. Why run a hundred miles non-stop, when everything in my entire being is screaming at me to quit. Why fly half way around the world, spending thousands of dollars in the process, to run, bike, and paddle myself into a sleep deprived state of oblivion. Why?

The answer is not simply because I can, or because it's there. The answer is not, why not? It's not because I really like to throw away all of my hard earned cash. The answer is not even that I really like pain! The answer, for me at least, is that I have truly felt ALIVE during each and every race I've ever participated in. The training helps me to fully appreciate who I am, where I live, and how fortunate I happen to be. The racing allows me to test myself against some of the best in the world, and to walk away a better person in the end. A more balanced, complete, accomplished, and most of all more confident individual.

Adventure Racing and Ultra Running has given me so much in life. First and foremost, my health...here they are...some of my dreaded 'fat pics'. I never thought I'd post these on here, but I am no longer embarrassed by these. Instead they give me a sense of pride, in knowing how far I've come. From absolute scratch, to winning the occasional race, in five short years. Yes these pics are old. From the year 2000 to be exact. But they are by no means my 'worst' pics, just thankfully the only ones that have been digitized. At my largest, I was over thirty five pounds heavier then my current racing weight of about 150lbs.

(pictures from N.Z., not my folks, more like 'adoptive parents' during the holidays down there)

In 2001 I started to get in shape. 2002 was a year of working up north, 2003 a year of travel, and 2004 I discovered running and adventure racing...and I've never looked back. I am finally living the life that I always dreamed of.

Beyond 'just my health'(which we all know, is all that really matters) these sports have given me so much more. They have inspired my dreams, goals, and desires. These sports have given me something to truly pursue wholeheartedly and with absolutely all of my energy. Training for these events has forced me into 'living' each and every day of my life. It has allowed me to take hold of MY life and do with it as I please.

2009 is a brand new year, a fresh start for all of us. How fortunate are we to annually get a chance to start over again, to reassess who we are, where we are, and if we are truly living our lives...or simply existing and waiting for the inevitable to unfold?

We are already half way through January. Before you blink the snow will be gone and the sun will be shining high in the sky on a late summers evening. Before you have time to stop and appreciate that, the leaves will be on the ground and the mountain tops will be showing evidence of the falling temperatures yet again. Count to ten, and you'll be running around trying to take care of your last minute shopping list. Open your eyes, and we'll be right back here again, if we're lucky, in 2010. One year older, one year wiser (although always debatable), and one year closer to whatever our own expiry date happens to be. So what are you going to do with your year? What are you going to do with the greatest gift of all...your life?

We only get one shot at this game called life, it is not a dress rehearsal, 'Tomorrow is promised to no one', and even though we all know this so definitively, we still become complacent in our ways. We ignore, distract, and get into the habit of saying maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe next month, maybe next year...some people even seem to be planning for their next life.

IF you wake up tomorrow...because the simple fact of the matter is that not all of us will, do one thing differently, take just five minutes to think of the last friend or relative you have lost. What do you think they would say to you...what do you think they themselves would do differently...if they were given just one more chance at life, just one more day on this beautiful planet we call home?

This is your chance, this is your time, this is your life. Don't be afraid to live it, it's the only one you'll ever get!

GR

12 Comments

Saying Goodbye

January 12, 2009

It's never easy to say goodbye, especially when you have shared so much, and known each other most of your lives. This past week I had to do just that.

I will miss you. You were there for me in good times, and in bad. Way back in High School when I got stood up one Friday night, I turned to you instead of my parents, and without question you were there for me.

When I moved from Newfoundland to Banff in 1996, you followed me shortly thereafter. It was like we were never apart, as close as two could be. There were countless nights where we chose not to sleep at all, distracting ourselves till the wee hours of the morning light. Making me late for work on more than one occasion, as time just seemed to evaporate while we were together.

Even when I ventured overseas to Australia and New Zealand in 2000, you were never far from me. I knew I could always turn to you for anything, for you never once judged me, never once questioned who I was. You witnessed and appreciated my full spectrum of emotions. From screams of joy, to tears of sorrow, in fact when it felt like the world was ending on 9-11, I immediately ran to you. We spent the entire day together that day, wondering what the aftermath would be.

We truly did share everything together, you even cheered for my Oilers on their way to The Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, while most around me laughed at the possibility of the underdogs continually winning round after round.

It's been decades since we've met and I can not say that you have ever done me wrong. I knew full well what to expect from you each and every time. You never once tried to be something you were not, and I hardly know a soul that does not love you as much as I did...but sometimes people change...how does the saying go, "It's not you, it's me", I know you will find this hard to believe, and even harder to accept, but I promise I will not miss you, I promise I will get over you quickly and think of you less with each passing day...

GOODBYE STUPID BLACK BOX OF DISTRACTION, GOODBYE!! I have a little thing called life that I am currently pursuing. I sometimes feel like I need twenty eight hours in a day to come close to what I would like to accomplish, at least by getting rid of my t.v. I know I will once again have twenty four hours to work with.

As the new 'Sharp' t.v. commercial proclaims, "Change your television, change your life." I'm doing just that 'Sharp', and thanks for reminding me day after day until I finally sucked it up and 'killed my television'. (no televisions were hurt in the making of this blog posting, please do try at home)

GR

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Game On!

January 6, 2009

I guess it's taking me a little bit longer to get back into the blogging swing of things after the holidays, and although I feel I've already fell behind on here, I am definitely off to a great start in my build up to Western States.

On New Years Day, as you may have seen in the video, I ran 50k and hopped in the ocean. This is now the 5th year in a row that I have completed this run and although I am puzzled as to how, it has become a necessary tradition for me. When I initially ran it in 2005 it was my first ever 50k ultra run, so I guess it has a certain sentimental appeal to it now. This was my 17th ultra, meaning that almost 30% of my experience has come from this one event alone!!

The course this year was an even mix of slush, ice, snow, and pavement. It consists of an out and back 25k and has virtually no elevation gain as most of it follows the very scenic Sea Wall in Vancouver's Stanley Park, and the beaches that splay out from there. In the four years prior to 09 I had brought my time down from 6h37m to a course record 4h04m in 2008, getting consistently faster annually. 2009 ended up being the first year that I drifted backwards in terms of my finish time, but given the course conditions, the holiday weight I was carrying (11 Lbs since MM!!), and the lack of training in the last two months, I was quite pleased with how my 'race' went. In the end I finished third in a time of 4h27m. As implied, this course definitely favors a road runner, something I have never claimed to be. In fact if not for the nastiness we had to endure upon the day I am sure that the top two runners, Ryne Melcher 4h12m and David Papineau 4h17m, would have eclipsed the magic four hour barrier.

In brief, The Good:
-No cramping, which in this race is a first for me! Thank you Thermolytes and CP 1200!!
-Didn't take a single wrong turn, again a first for me (no course markings in a 'Fat Ass' event)
-I have a great running base to work off of right now as I felt amazingly good in the days following the run
-I finished much stronger then I had in previous years and physically felt really good throughout the entire run

The Bad:
-I'm carrying way too much additional weight right now and it's time to focus on training and racing again
-That's it really. Overall I took nothing but positives away from this run

The Days Leading Up To New Years

When I saw the digits on the scale staring back at me, after my fifth annual x-mas re-wrap party on Dec 27th, I said then and there that it was over. Party time was over, I had consumed more food and alcohol in the eight weeks since Mountain Masochist then I did in the six months prior, or something close to that at least!

Mon 29th 15k skate ski up on Cypress Mtn. I tried skate skiing for the very first time last season and was instantly hooked! I loved it so much that I bought my own gear this fall and then fell into a corporate after 3pm (open till 10pm) seasons pass was just $135! This was my second time out this year and it's one hell of a workout, especially when you have ZERO technique!!

Wed 31st I headed out for my longest run in eight weeks, 17.5k with a set of Kahtoola Microspikes on my feet, a necessity upon the day. These things are phenomenal for traction in frozen icy terrain. I was literally holding pace on two inches of slick frozen ice. I loved it...Roxy on the other hand did not seem to be having as much fun as I was!

For New Years Eve we decided to snowshoe up Mt Seymour and in the process we actually found an igloo!! It was just big enough for four people and one cute puppy. We cracked some wine, had a countdown to midnight and hung out inside for about 45min. From there we 'shoed' up to 'Dinky Peak', a mini cliff of about 15-20 feet, which is perfect for snowshoe cliff jumping! After half a dozen loops we did some deep powder bush whacking before coming across a younger crowd who were packing 'crazy carpets' and sliding over a small jump. We commandeered their gear for an additional thirty minutes of fun before finally heading back to our friends truck. We called it a night at 3.30am, with one exhausted puppy snoring on a pillow next to the bed!

Thurs 1st Happy New Year, now go run 50k! By the time we returned to bed that night, on just 3.5hr sleep, we were both absolutely toasted, and Roxy hadn't moved an inch all day!

As mentioned the two days following the 50k were surprisingly good for me, no 'Robbins shuffle' whatsoever, and although I did not run, I easily could have had the motivation been there!

Sat 3rd While watching one of the most RIDICULOUS FINISHES in Canadian Hockey history, I improv'ed a great home workout...adrenaline goes a long way when pushing yourself!

Sun 4th My Montrail teammate Ryne Melcher and I headed out for what ended up being a snow run, in up to knee deep powder at times! I forgot my camera which is a shame because it was a gorgeous morning to be out playing in a completely silent, snow covered, forest canopy. Minus snowshoes, it took us a full 2h35m to cover a very intense and tough 22.5km

ALL IN ALL, a solid week 'back at er'. 105km and feeling great so far...Western here I come baby!!

Oh yeah, my adventure racing teammate Todd Nowack and his girlfriend Kim are moving to Norway for a year!! Here are a few pics from their visit over the holidays as well. Looks like I'm gonna have to learn how to read a map finally!!

GR

My New Years Day Video

January 1, 2009

Happy New Years everyone!!

Obviously more to come soon, but for now, this is all the energy I have left from today...

16 Comments

Listen Up!!

December 16, 2008

Check out my recent interview on 'Endurance Planet'!

I was honored to be a featured speaker on their site as they have hosted some top names within the endurance world. Just last week adventure racer Mike Kloser from team Nike was on there!

It's a huge online resource for everything endurance based, and they have some great membership options. Be sure to have a good look around while you're in there and thanks in advance for listening to the interview!

GR

16 Comments

The Year That Was...

December 15, 2008

As I sit here in mid December, counting down the days until the big visit from 'The Fat Man', and counting up on the numbers I see while standing on a scale myself, I figure it's time to take a second and reflect upon that year that was. I fully intended to do exactly this last season, but it somehow eluded me.

Heading into 2008 I had planned to do my first ever 100k run, that being Miwok in San Fransisco. I was also looking forward to competing in the seven day mountain bike stage race known as B.C. Bike Race at the end of June, and to finish off the season my A.R. team were looking to compete in Quebec, in Ian Adamson's new expedition-stage race called 'Terra Traverse'.

I made it through Miwok, DNF'ed B.C. Bike Race with injuries, and Terra Traverse was canceled. As I sit here closing in on 2009 however, it is with my first ever 100k, 50 mile and 100 mile running events under my belt, and I have a new found, or should I say rekindled, passion for ultra distance running. I also managed to enhance my racing resume by doubling my ultra experience. Although I am currently enjoying the festive season to the fullest extent, I simply cannot wait to start hammering out the miles in training come Jan. Western States and Trans Rockies (remember, for a 100 discount on this race just drop me a line!) are just two of the big confirmed events for next season, and it will take running specific training the likes that I have never pursued to ensure decent results at both of these races!

The Year In 'quickish' Review:

Jan 1st: 1st place in the Fat Ass 50k and 'freeze your ass off swim'. Of course this is a hang over run, and with just 2.5hr of sleep I was happy just to make the start line on time!

Jan 19th and Feb 2nd: 5th and then 4th place in two of local 'Yeti' 10k snowshoe races. I ended up skipping out on the rest of the snowshoe season and immediately following the Feb 2nd event I was completely unable to run, with a dual calf injury, for six full weeks!

Mar 15th: 10th place, Chuckanut 50k in Bellingham, Washington. After literally getting back onto my feet for the first time since early Feb, just five days before the race, I intended to simply try and finish the event. I nearly dropped on three separate occasions and was absolutely ecstatic to pull out a top ten finish.

April 5th: 2nd, Diez Vista 50k, Port Moody BC. I only learned that I was in this race ten days prior and with Miwok coming up fast I competed on full 20+hr week of training. This course tore me apart a few years prior and I was happy to finally get my revenge on it!

April 26th: 1st, Suburban Rush, Sprint Adventure Race, Port Moody BC. Todd and I extend our AR winning streak to six. It felt great to race with my teammate again!

May 3rd: 12th Miwok 100k, the big one! My goal race for the first portion of the season. I headed into it with so much uncertainty about how it would go. A huge chunk of my training was still being done on the bike as my calves just didn't want to fully recover from Feb. Twenty five km into the race and I thought my calves were shutting down on me during a flatter portion of the run, but being a huge goal race I didn't care if it crippled me! Thankfully it subsided and I was happily running strong and steady in 8th place late in the race. I could see 7th and 6th on the open sections of trail. Then at about the 80k mark, I blew a turn and took a 5k detour! I managed to get back on track, but had dropped to 12th place, which I managed to sustain until the finish line. A ton of positives to take away from the race...and just a wee bit of frustration, that seven months later still lingers!

May 10th: 2nd, Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race, Squamish BC. Although you would think that Todd and I would be happy with 2nd, we were the defending champs, and Miwok or not, I felt strong and we were simply outclassed during the biking sections by the eventual winners.

June 7th-8th: I flew down to Wisconsin and helped pace my best bud Luke Laga to his first ever 100 mile finish, in his first attempt...and just his second ever ultra!! The Kettle Moraine 100 had the craziest weather in the races history and I had the chance to run 53 miles (the third longest run of my life) with my best friend, through torrential monsoon type rains. Luke finished 24th overall, and nearly 100 runners dropped out, which was about a 25% finisher rate!! THIS, was one of the highlights of the year for me!

June 14th: DNF, Test Of Metal 67km Mtn Bike Race, Squamish BC. The biggest mtn bike race in Canada, selling out in minutes at over 800 riders! About an hour in and I was very literally rammed off of a trail. While rag dolling down an embankment I broke my finger and contused my quad. I climbed back onto my bike to try and continue but my right let would not bend enough to complete a single pedal stroke. My day was over, and BC Bike Race was just two weeks away.

June 28th - July 4th: DNF, BC Bike Race, Seven Day Staged Mtn Bike Race, BC. I could not ride my bike at all for the two weeks leading up to this race and I told my teammate Todd to find a new partner. In the end I showed up and gave it my all, but the broken finger lead to a blistered hand, an additional crash, and a hematoma on my hip! I made it 4.5/7 days, and 2.5 days on a hematoma'ed hip, but in the end I threw in the towel as it was impossible for me to stay competitive within the race and I was questioning possible long term damage in simply trying to finish. In fact, just three weeks ago in late Nov my massage therapist found some deep lingering scar tissue from this specific crash and I nearly wept like a baby when she hit it!

THE GOOD NEWS. Having not run at all since Kettle Moraine my calves were finally 100% healthy for the first time all season.

THE BAD NEWS. I hit a serious emotional low after back to back DNF's, especially in two races that meant so much to me. I could hardly walk for days afterwards, yet decided that I was going to do everything possible to run my first ever 100 miler in just five weeks time. The next week was very painful, and very slow, but by the second week I realized I might have a shot at getting there healthy and ready.

July 26th: Circumnavigation of Mt Saint Helens. Along with Tom Craik (happy Tom!), Duncan Coo, and Geoff Palmer, we completed what would go down as another top highlight of the year for me. The trail is somewhere between 35-50k, no one seems to be quite sure, and although it took us 12hr it was the most beautiful 12hr run of my entire life!!

Aug 9th: 1st, Stormy 100 Miler, Squamish BC. I honestly did not realize how much I had emotionally riding on this race until it was over. The back to back DNF's were still very fresh in my mind and I had promised myself that I'd crawl to the line if I had to. The race started at noon, so the entire second lap was in the dark, I had some stomach issues which lead to 13 bathroom breaks, and of course I fought the demons of doubt on numerous occasions, but in the end I hit all of my pre-race goals. 1) Finish, 2) Win 3) Course Record 4) Sub 18hr.

Aug 16th: Golden Ears Adventure Run, with my girlfriend Jackie. She had finished 4th in the 50 miler the previous weekend and we both thought we were good to go. In the end I hobbled back to the car after a 25km, up n down, yet beautifully scenic mountain run. I had unknowingly injured myself during Stormy and it was just starting to set in...but at least Roxy was happy!

Sept 13th: 1st, Cle Elum 50k, Washington State. I had been diagnosed with a weak glute med muscle that was causing significant knee pain since Stormy. My longest run was just over an hour. If Jackie had not registered as well I probably would have skipped the race all together. I started, but with questions as to if I'd be able to finish. In the end I felt zero knee pain and was again surprised and ecstatic to pull out a win!

(Photo Credit, Glen Tachiyama)
Sept 27th: 1st, Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race, Cumberland BC. I knew that if I competed at Cle Elum then I'd be racing three big events in four weekends. My nerves were getting the better of me before this one and I was stressing out my teammate Todd in the process. My knee pain was back in my pre-race run...yet again I manged to race pretty much pain free...maybe nerves, maybe adrenaline, maybe I'm nuts...but Todd and I put together one of our strongest races to date and we ended up winning by nearly thirty full minutes!

Oct 4th: 2nd, Run For The Toad 50k, Paris Ontario. Thanks to Montrail, and of course George and Peggy of RFTT, three team Montrail-Mountain Hardware members, Ellie Greenwood, Rune Melcher, and myself had an incredibly weekend in Ont. Again, I was happy to hold onto 2nd place for this one and was looking forward to a few days of rest after a solid month of racing. The highlight though, was catching up with some good friends that I had not seen in years, and no I'm not from Ontario!

Oct 19th: Howe Sound Crest Trail Adventure Run. Finishing a close second to Mt Saint Helens in terms of pure uninterupted beauty, I ran the HSCT with my girlfriend Jackie and friends Ken Legg, Adrian Rothwell, Ellie Greenwood and of course Roxy and Tundra. It only measures 30k in distance but is a highly technical and difficult mountainous route, we completed it in 7.5hr with a detoured scramble up 'The West Lion'.

Nov 1st: 2nd, Mountain Masochist 50 Miler, Lynchburg Virginia. Western States has always been on my radar yet it conflicts with some big expedition adventure races every year. By this point in the season I could already see that 09 was going to consist of a pretty strong focus on ultra running, so I flew down to try and snag a top three finish, and the highly coveted auto-entry into Western. I raced smart yet did not feel properly rested for this one, and around the half way point I was questioning my taper strategy. It was my first ever 50 mile race, and 5th longest run of my life, so maybe I just need to toughen up a bit! In the end a few fast guys dropped out and I snuck into 2nd and grabbed an entry into the WS100 run in June 2009!!

And with that...I hit the beers, nachos, and yam fries, and kissed my 2008 race season good bye. It's amazing how quickly things can change, life of course goes without saying, but also racing and racing goals. I entered 08 having run just eight ultras in my four years of racing, and almost all were 50k races. Now I am sitting on 16 ultras and firmly have my sights set upon June 27th, and the starting line for Western 09. This will prove to be the most competitive Western ever run, and indeed one of the most competitive 100 milers ever run. It will be an honor and a privledge to line up against some of the sports absolute best in California next year, and if I can train smart, hard, and injury free leading up to the race, then who knows, I might just end up with a decent result at that race too.

On top of an incredible race season there was of course some epic ski touring days last winter, a sweet surf trip to Tofino in August, and endless miles of beautiful terrain covered while playing and training along the way. 2008 would rank right up there amongst the best years of my life, and I fully intend to duplicate and even improve upon that in 2009. It's never easy to find the right balance in life, but we are all solely responsible for the decisions we make and the paths we choose to follow.

"Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one." Walter Payton

A HUGE shout out to my incredible sponsors for a wonderful year, thanks so much!
-Montrail
-Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing
-Helly Hansen
-Princeton Tec
-Carbo Pro
-KINeSYS
-Rudy Project

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope Santa is good to you!!

GR, and Roxy

"Be Like Harv"

December 11, 2008

Someday I wanna be like Harv. Of course I grew up in the 80's where we were conditioned to wanna 'Be Like Mike', but BC's very own Harvey Nelson is a legend in his own time.

This past weekend Jackie and I headed out to get our Christmas Tree. I've always had a real tree, and absolutely refuse to get a plastic version, but this year I gave it a bit more thought. Instead of hunting for that typical free 'under the powerlines' tree (In BC these are free to take since they have to be cleared anyways), I realized that my actions were effectively taking a tree out of its natural environment, and hence removing that tree from its daily duties of cleaning the air we so effortlessly pollute. A tree farm on the other hand is specifically there for one reason, and as I was to learn, if the trees don't sell, eventually they have to be burned to make room for the new ones coming in behind. By choosing a farmed tree I could keep my real tree tradition alive, and not negatively affect my carbon footprint. (although the powerline tree would eventually have to go it would be years before this was accomplished by other means)

Anyways, that's my version of a segway into a little write up about Harvey Nelson, the 74 year old that just keeps going, and going, and going...

I'm not about to pretend that I know Harvey on a deeply personal level, for until this past weekend I simply knew Harvey through the race scene and as the crazy old dude who ran a race every single weekend and just wouldn't stop! Late last week however Harvey called up North Shore Athletics and offered a free tree to any staff member that made the hour drive each way out to see him. I could tell that his offer was sincere and thought it would be a shame if at least one person did not take him up on it, so off Jackie and I went.

It is amazing how little we generally know about the people around us, how we can very easily have a 'relationship' with someone without ever taking the time to actually get to know them for who they are. Especially in today's day and age where texting, e-mailing and facebooking are more common than an actual conversation. This past weekend was an eye opener and I won't soon forget the little slice of Harvey's life that he shared with us while we were out there. I'm not about to go into every last detail, but some of the things that truly stood out to me were:

-Harvey used to be a teacher before he bought his tree farm in 2000, and he has five grand kids
-Although most people who have met Harvey have undoubtedly seen his wallet pic of him in his 30's, and then again in his 60's...being fitter in his 60's is impressive, yet he lacked an ounce of body fat and had a chiseled physique while in his 30's...the man used to bench press 315 pounds and teach bodybuilding...he's like a Canadian version of Bruce Jenner, but instead of the Olympic medals Harvey has a guest house trophy room and numerous age group records.
-If I'm not mistaken, he ran a sub 42min 10k in his 60's! As mentioned he is currently 74 and certainly isn't slowing down anytime soon. The man has finished H.U.R.T. Hawaii three, or four, or five times...whatever it was, HURT is right up there as one of the toughest ultras out there...and this is pretty much all within the last ten years!
-Harvey used to train Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Ryan Walter, and Walter credits Harvey with getting him back into shape...umm yeah, imagine the guy training you is not only twice as fit as you, he's twice as old!!

The last few things that really stood out to me were that he used to prune each tree on his farm by hand, and he could do 400 a day...with nothing but a knife! On top of everything else that is going unsaid by me and certainly unlearned by me in our short visit, the man is almost complete in rebuilding his home from the ground up, pretty much by himself!

As he describes it:
"That floor is so solid you could drive a truck through here if you needed to!"

We couldn't thank Harvey enough, not just for the free tree, of which we snuck some money into a Christmas card for him, but obviously for opening up a little slice of who he was and sharing it with us. It was only a few hours time, but I learned more about the man in those two hours then I had in the four years since I had met him.

He would not let Jackie leave without a little two foot tree for her place as well, and after escorting us to our vehicle he opened and closed the door three or four more times, each time just to say something he had forgotten, like "Have a Merry Christmas!" The final time he opened the door he asked us to wait just once second, then he ran off into his garage to pull out a few Christmas tree decorations for us as well! With that, he officially told us we were free to go and he waved at us as we pulled out of his driveway.

I look forward to the next time I see Harvey out on the trails, for he will no longer be 'Harvey the crazy old runner guy' to me, he'll be 'Harvey the crazy old runner guy who just built a house at 74 years old, used to bench press 315 pounds, trained Ryan Walter, prunes 400 trees a day with a knife, has five grand kids, and just happens to be the guy who gave me the nicest Christmas Tree I've ever had!

When I grow up, I wanna Be Like Harv...and so does Roxy!

GR

Save $100 On Trans Rockies Run or Bike 2009

December 3, 2008

Off The Website:
TransRockies – the best organized and most rewarding team endurance events in the world. With participant satisfaction ratings consistently over 90 percent, TransRockies events are the benchmark for accessible, challenging and rewarding epic endeavours.

I have had numerous friends compete in both of these events over the years and all would agree that no matter which race you pursue, it makes for one incredible and unforgettable week long racing experience!

North Shore Ahtletics (the people who sign my paycheques) have recently jumped on board as an associate sponsor of TR, and with that comes the very cool benefit of being able to extend 100.00 discounts on any and all entries that go through us. Whether we have met or not, this offer is open to everyone. All you have to do is simply drop me a line and I will pass along the promo code that you would enter during your initial registration. You will still only need to pay your deposit up front and the 100.00 will come off of your later payments.

I am also exceptionally excited to announce that I will be racing TR Run in 09 myself! My teammate will be local runner Tamsin Anstey, and we are hoping to shoot for the podium in the co-ed division. Tamsin has a pretty solid resume, having only moved back to North Vancouver in the last few years. She ran on a scholarship in Florida throughout Uni, competing in 400m hurdles and eventually the 1500 if I am not mistaken. Since her return to BC she has won most, if not all of the trail races she has entered, and also managed to snag 2nd overall at the Canadian National Duathlon Championships...having purchased her first ever bike just six months prior! Not to mention that she had the absolute worst transitions in the entire race, and only lost by just over one minute!

Yup, I'm buying a tow rope and holding on for the ride! It's all about finding stronger teammates to pull you along!!

My personal post racing update. I've gained eight pounds, which I'm very proud of! That brings me back up to my racing weight of 161 in 2007, so it ain't that bad. I have limited the weight gain to just eight pounds though and have been logging semi-regular runs, with no pressure or thought process about time or distance. I've logged 35km in two runs so far this week, with last weeks total being 65km, the week prior just 25k, and the second week out from Mtn Mas consisted of just 40k.

I'm giving some serious thought to dusting off the ole road bike and seeing if it still works tomorrow morning...weather dependent of course!

That's it, now sign up for Trans Rockies so we can race against each other!!

GR

P.S. Almost forgot, BIG CONGRATS to MO for making it through her first ever half marathon and meeting all of her race goals in the process!

The Distance Of Truth

November 27, 2008

Gotta throw out some serious props to Ferg Hawke here. Ferg is the Canadian rep for Epic Endurance Products nee Carbo Pro and CP 1200. He also happens to be a great guy, and quite the accomplished athlete.

'Badwater' is known as the toughest footrace on Earth. Here is the info off the website:
Globally recognized as the toughest race of its kind, the Badwater Ultramarathon is a pure athletic challenge of athlete, shoes, and support crew versus a brutal 135 mile stretch of highway, a hellish environment of up to 130 degrees, and a sixty hour time limit. From the start line in the bowels of Death Valley to the finish line high on Mt. Whitney, this one-of-a-kind foot race offers the promise of a supremely personal achievement along with international accolades for those who rise to the occasion.

In 2004, as a complete unknown to the 'Badwater world', Ferg placed 2nd in the closest finish in the races history, just seven minutes! There's a great clip in the movie of the Race Director asking Ferg who he is and if he 'sandbagged' his race application!

This new ultrarunning documentary, 'The Distance Of Truth', chronicles Ferg's journey back to Badwater in 2005, to compete in the most stacked field the race had ever seen. I'm not just blowing smoke here when I say that this is one of the better, if not best running films I've ever seen. There have been five friends who have all watched the film independently, and all agree, the film is awesome!

Check out the trailer off the website, and this additional clip off of Youtube.
It's a steal of a deal at just twenty bucks!

(Damn, those nasty!)

GR

11 Comments

Gettin Old

November 21, 2008

I can vividly remember as an out of shape and over weight teenager thinking that I would somehow be in the best shape of my life when I was into my early 30's.

Well, I turned 32 a few days ago, Nov 19th to be exact, and I can confidently say that I am certainly in the best shape of my life right now! I'm not sure how I could have known this would be the case over a decade and a half ago, maybe I was simply making excuses to myself at the time for not being fit as a kid? Having said that though, there have been numerous occurrences throughout my life that I have 'envisioned' happening, must be the whole "think so, so...think not so, not so" theory, self fulfilling prophecies, whatever you want to call it.

I have been 'envisioning' the next few years of my life for quite some time now, call it dreaming, whatever it may be, but I hope to make those dreams into a reality over the coming years as well. Hopefully I can stay healthy, fit, and motivated enough to pull them off. Here's to always pursuing your dreams, and always dreaming out loud.

My B.Day weekend was to be a complete surprise from my girlfriend Jackie. All I was to know is that I had to finish work early on Friday and I needed the weekend off. I had guessed correctly that we were on our way to Whistler, the rest was all a bit of a shock that I can't believe I didn't see happening.

We arrived in Whistler at 7pm on Friday and checked into a sweet condo in Creekside. The 'shoulder season' allows you to find really nice retreats at very affordable rates. We had a good sized unit with full kitchen and outside hot tub. I was immediately banished to the room while Jackie cooked off a small Gluten Free feast, including homemade GF brownies for desert! I then received one of the best b.day gifts of my life, Edmonton Oiler vs Vancouver Canuck hockey tickets, on Trevor Linden's jersey retirement night...twenty rows from the ice!!

Non hockey fans bare with me, these are gold as I have not been able to get my hands on Oilers tics for three years now, outside of scalpers of course. Now I get to see a game AND Trevor Linden's jersey retired!

Jackie had but two rules,

"You're not allowed to sell them!" (They would easily fetch over 300 a tic online, if not upwards of 500) AND

"You'd better be taking me with you!"

"Are you actually implying that I had a choice in the matter here? Of course I would take you, I couldn't dream of taking any of my guy friends to the game with me instead...baby!"

Saturday morning and we headed out to run the 25km trail route known as Comfortably Numb. It was overcast all day, but we escaped the rains and had a perfect temp for our run. The fact that we were even able to run this trail snow free in late Nov does not bode well for the local ski conditions! It was Jackie's first time on the trail and even without the views she commented that it was instantly one of her favorite running routes!

We then met my good friend Chad Fox for a drink and upon returning to the condo a total surprise party was awaiting me in the hotel room. I had incorrectly guessed that many of my Whistler friends and former co-workers from The Fairmont Chateau Whistler might meet up with us later in the night. Instead Jackie had organized a half a dozen friends from Squamish and Vancouver to make their way up for a surprise party!

I was in total shock as we opened the door to the room and even commented,

"Why does it smell like someone has been cooking in here?"

My good friend Aimee Dunn, who I raced Primal Quest Utah with in 06 had also baked about thirty pounds of gluten free goodies, from a huge cake, to muffins, cookies, and even more brownies!! After numerous beers and snacks we hit up a 'The GLC' to see some live music and I was pleasantly surprised to catch Newfoundland's hottest new band 'Hey Rosetta' on their West Coast swing. (my Dad subtly noted that I have not listed anywhere on my blog that I am a born and bred, proud Newfoundlander, this is my subtle way of saying 'see, I told you it's on here!') We unanimously agree that they were the best band on the night and we all bought their new CD 'Into Your Lungs', before shutting it down at the reasonable hour of 2am.

Not much was accomplished on Sunday, but I was ok with that, I am getting old after all!

GR

PS Don't ask me where and why the wigs n mullets appeared, I swear I had nothing to do with it!

11 Comments

And The Winner Is...

November 18, 2008

First and foremost, that was an awesome response from the blogging world to the Helly Hansen Lifa giveaway. Stay tuned in the new year as I will be duplicating this initial prize draw with similar efforts from my other wonderful sponsors! Next up, a free Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race entry, valued at $125.00!! These races have been selling out for a few years now, so this will be a highly coveted entry indeed! The MOMAR entry may end up being a little harder to win then just leaving a comment though, so you'll have to wait and see what Bryan Tasaka and I scheme up for that one in the New Year...

AND THE WINNER IS...Pano. Congrats Pano, I'm sure you'll put the shirt through its paces. Just drop me a line via e-mail at robbins_gary@yahoo.ca and we can figure out the details. Pano has a website called Train Harder which is a great resource for the BC Athletic community as it brings together the many different people and facets of our 'local' racing community, check it out.

Now, of course not a single person could help but notice that wonderful story from MO, the girl who Jackie, Roxy, and I met at Cle Elum back in Sept. I am absolutely honored to be a part of her running story, and must thank you MO for taking the time to share that with me, it truly made my day when I read it! There is no doubt that if this were not a random draw, then the Helly Hansen Lifa Top would have been given to you straight away.

To thank you for sharing your story, and to help out as best I can, I have managed to put together a little package from Helly Hansen and North Shore Athletics that should ensure that you won't be borrowing any tops anytime soon. Please drop me a line as well, at the above e-mail, and I can get that in the mail for you as soon as possible...maybe even in time for next weekend's Seattle Half Marathon. Good luck in your first half marathon MO!!

Thanks again everyone, it's really cool to see so many people hitting up my blog!

GR

46 Comments

Win A Free HH Lifa Top, Right Here, Right Now

November 13, 2008

As many of you may have noticed, my blog has recently been void of that bright red HELLY HANSEN logo that glistened in the top right corner of my home page for the last few years. I will go into more detail in the near future as to why that is, but basically, as you may or may not have noticed, ever since my DNF at BC Bike Race back in July, I've kinda been running a lot and biking very little. 2009 will effectively be a year of ultra running for me with my only adventure races being both MOMAR events. The reason for this starts at finances, and works its way down to a belief that I can truly excel at ultra specific racing if I am able to dedicate myself to it 110% like I have never been able to before. Western 09 will be the most competitive 100 miler ever run and I fully intend to have my name as high in those standings as I am physically capable of achieving.

Why is HH gone then?

Well, I picked up Montrail-Mountain Hardware as a sponsor heading into 2008 and was able to distinguish the M-MH sponsorship for ultra running and the HH for adventure racing. However I felt there was a bit of a conflict of interest but was able to separate them effectively throughout the year. Now that my focus will be solely on ultra running this is no longer the case. To celebrate two solid years of sponsorship from the great brand that is Helly Hansen I have been given permission to give away one FREE Helly Hansen 'Cool' Lifa Long Sleeve Shirt. I have, and will continue to, race in these shirts for years to come as they are one of the leaders in the industry in terms of breathability and water repellancy.

All you have to do to have a shot at this free top, valued at up to $60.00, is to throw a comment up onto my blog posting. Whether you say something of substance or post a simple 'YO', it's all good. In one weeks time I will draw one name from those who post a comment and award the free technical performance top to that individual. I will go out on a limb here and say that those are gonna be pretty good odds at winning a 'cool' HH shirt!

Good luck!

GR

46 Comments

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Chillaxing

November 12, 2008

I am loving the 'off season' and taking full advantage of having nothing to think about, train for, or worry about AT ALL right now. Western training starts 01-01-09 and until then I get to drink as much as I want, eat as much as I want, party as much as I want, and run as little as I want!!

This past weekend I was a part of a relay team for the 12th annual Haney To Harrison 100km road race, and ultra. I ran the seventh leg which was about 13km and considered one of the 'harder' sections of the course...with a mole hill of a climb in the middle of it!

The only reason I agreed to do this relay race was because I got the chance to join 'The Chachies' in action. Now seven years in, the team is impeccably summed up by our 'baton'...a mullet! Yup, we have to pass along the same wet, smelly, disgusting mullet all day long!

I believe I slept about five hours from Friday till Sunday, could probably have failed a breathalyzer while running my section of the race, and was even handed a 'water bottle' full of tequila from my teammates half way through my leg...I nearly puked when I slogged it back, but it was pretty damn funny none the less!!

Here are some highlight pics:

Good Times, Good Times!

Big Congrats go out to Hassan Lotfi-Pour (Sammy), and Nicola Gildersleeve for winning the 100k Men's and Women's solo races, with an 8h15m and 9h31m respectively.

GR

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My Weekend Of Masochism

November 7, 2008

The Build Up To The Race:

I've known about The Western States Endurance Run since I first started running back in March of 2004. I've seen the belt buckles awarded to the sub 24hr, 100 mile finishers. I can tell you the course record is held by Scott Jurek in a time of 15h36m...and 27 seconds. I know Western was first run by Gordy Ainsleigh way back in 1974, two years before I was born. I know the race finishes at the Placer High School track in Auburn, California, and I know that this race had been virtually impossible to gain entry into for years now, as thousands of people apply annually for the less than 400 spots awarded. As of November 1st, 2008 I know one more thing about The Western States Endurance Run...I WILL BE A STARTER ON THE COURSE IN 2009!!!

Montrail hosts a seven race series known as The Montrail Ultra Cup, which culminates at Western States on June 27th, 2009. The only way to get into Western now is to win your way in (the race was canceled this year due to forest fires, hence all entries were rolled over into 09, making the already difficult process of gaining entry, nearly impossible) Top three male and female finishers from each of the six Montrail Cup races leading up to Western, are automatically guaranteed entry into the highly prestigious event.

This is where The Mountain Masochist Trail Run comes into play for me. After reviewing my only options at possibly getting my butt to Western 09, which was quickly shaping up to be the most competitive Western ever run, I figured I could tackle two of the now five remaining M.U.C. races. Although I was hoping to grab an entry in my first attempt and to save on the additional travel costs of racing a second event.

None of this of course, is meant to take away from the fact that Mountain Masochist itself is one of the biggest, oldest and most established ultra races in the United States, with this being its 26th edition!

I was fortunate to get my name onto the MMTR starters list and after talking with Rune Melcher he informed me that there were a handful of guys in the race who could all take a shot at the win and hence the top three podium spots. As the race grew closer additional top names were added to the mix, and as I boarded my flight on the Thursday before the race it was with the knowledge that this was being billed as 'The Most Competitive 50 Miler In The US This Year', and 'The Most Competitive MMTR Ever Held'. I was already rolling my change for that second flight to another of the Montrail Ultra Cup races in early 09.

I flew in and out of Raleigh, North Carolina, about three hours South of Lynchburg, Virginia, and I'll cover that in my next posting which will talk about everything outside of the race.

I did not arrive into Lynchburg until Friday afternoon, and after a lengthy search for some edible Gluten Free pre race food, I ended up eating Sushi off of the floor mat of my rental car. It was night time before I located a place I could eat at, and I was rushing to get back to the hotel in time for the pre race meeting. As I exited the sushi/steakhouse it was into a median I had not noticed on the way in...and hence into oncoming traffic! I threw the car into reverse, and my overpriced, under flavored sushi went airborne. I was glad it was a rental car because there would be no such luck in my own car at home. The Sashimi would have its own fur coat within seconds of touching anything outside of its protective casing in my little dog friendly Subaru.

I checked in for the race, met the Canadian transplant Race Director Clark Zealand, and previous race director David Horton, who is certainly a legend within the sport himself.

I should just say right away that without Clark's help this race would never have happened for me. He recognized a flat broke Canadian Ultra Runner and took me under his wing for a few days, allowing me to split a hotel room with him. It was 11pm before we were able to call it a night on Friday, and I had a short conversation with Clark before doing so.

I had mentioned my race plan to Clark, about starting conservative and moving my way up from there. I could see that he thought it was suicide with the guys in this field.

"Any chance that some of those top guys might pull each other apart at the front of the pack?"

"Hard to say. They are all very experienced, very fast runners."

With that, I grabbed 4.5hr of sleep and was up at 3.30am. A full thirty minutes in the shower to help me remember where I was and why I was there. Three bowls of G.F. cereal, and a 45min, 5am bus ride to the starting area.

Holy Crap It's Cold At 5am!

It was pitch black and freezing cold when I stepped off of the bus. I tried my best not to hide out on the buses like so many others, and forced mself into a not so warm 'warm up' run. The 6.30am start was upon us before I had time to blink.

3...2...1...

I set off under the light of my Princeton Tec Eos headlamp, which would end up being the perfect light for our initial 10km of road running. Two guys shot off the front and I found myself in third place. I anticipated more people passing me and kept waiting for it to happen. Eventually pairs of runners started to move up and as I held my own pace I slowly drifted back into 11th place before stabilizing position. There was a group of five runners in a pack just up from me, and although we were all running the same pace, I did not waste the energy trying to catch them just yet. I was enjoying the solitude of the moment, in fact on my pre race 'warm up run' I stopped about a mile away from the race area, shut off my headlamp, and looked skyward at the stars above for minutes on end. I said I would not fire up my headlamp again until I saw a shooting star, but after about five minutes I figured it better to run the race rather than get run over by the runners once it started. There was not a cloud in the sky and I knew we were in for a beautiful day of trail racing!

About 8km into the race we approached our first hill. The runners ahead of me started to spread out and as the hill crested I leaned into the downside as I like to do. I was surprised to effortlessly move past five runners and up into 6th place. We crossed a bridge as the sun was starting to rise and shortly after doing so we finally left the roads behind. We turned into the trails after our first aid station at about 10km /mile 5.7

Dirt, I Love Dirt!

As mentioned in this posting, and numerous before, I have a Gluten/Wheat allergy, but I have also noticed that I race better when I eliminate maltodextrin from my diet, along with dairy and soy. This leaves me with few options in terms of readily available race foods. I knew my good friend Hays Poole, down in Raleigh, NC would be there to meet me at the half way point of the race. He would then act as my support crew and transport my own race supplies to crew accessible aid stations along the way. For the first half of the race however, I had no choice but to carry all of my own calories. In trying to come up with the absolute best system to accomplish this, the day prior I decided to hack apart my favorite running bag, to cut about a pound of weight from it. I then used the vest pack of the bag to carry my drink mixes, and I kept an empty water bottle in the shoulder strap, so I could shift bottles and always have the empty bottle ready to go when I hit an aid station. It seemed to be a good set up and as we hit the trails, and our first sizable climb, I went about putting some drink mix into the empty bottle. I could hear footsteps from behind, but was not looking back. I still had a few more guys to catch.

After about an hour and a half of running I finally caught up to the fifth place runner. Local Jeremy Ramsey was listed as a possible threat to win it all and he was running strong up ahead. Again I paced off the back, awaited a descent, said hi as I pulled up alongside, and was then able to gain my gap on the downhill. What surprised me was that not 2km later, I caught Sean Andrish for fourth place! It was at this point that I started to question my pacing. Had I gone out to fast? Was I going to pay for this later in the race? Had I gotten too excited? I was confident that this was not the case and had a brief conversation with Sean when I caught him on a climb.

Sean was another top threat, someone who had won the race before, and had managed two sub 7hr race times in the past! It turned out that Sean has epilepsy and he was on a new medication for it. Apparently the new meds were not agreeing with his running, and he said his legs felt like lead. I thought for sure that a top runner like this, who was suffering this much, this early into the race, would end up dropping. When I later saw Sean cross the line for 8th place I immediately congratulated him for sticking with it out there on a tough day!

Me to Sean, "How bout the lead three? They blazing it up there?"

"Yeah, but you'll catch them. Nice work so far!"

I doubted his assessment that I would physically catch the lead guys and as the climb we were now on grew steeper I continued to improvise my race plan. I was not sure of their exact lead, but as I now closed in about 2.5hr of running I was starting to feel the toll of the almost entirely fire roads running route. I actually spoke to myself out loud, to ensure that I was listening,

"Just maintain position. You only need a third place finish out here today. One of the lead three will crack. One of the lead three will crack. One...of...the...lead...three...will...crack. Just maintain your position!"

The miles ticked away as we ran through a burgundy, copper, and apricot colored landscape. We gained a few ridges along the way that allowed for sweeping vistas out over the rolling landscapes we were traversing. The temperature had shot up to about 27 degrees, and there was no better way to be spending the first day of November!

Hays Poole, Anyone Seen A Mr. Hays Poole?

As I approached aid station 10, which is just past the mid way point, I found myself hoping that Hays had found the exchange area without issue. To have to search out my own drop bag would take valuable minutes to achieve. As I came into the clearing I could make out very little but silhouettes in the sunshine.

"HAYS!!!"

"Yup!"

Sweet! As much as I love my running backpack...for adventure runs, I could not get it off of my back quick enough in this race! I dropped the bag, grabbed a handheld from Hays, got a high five from Clark, and was through the aid station without having slowed down at all. So focused was I on getting outta there that I happened to miss what was going on right in front of me. It would be another hour before I would learn what had occurred.

After aid station 10 (43.3km) you go into the steepest climb of the race up to Aid station 11 (47.5km), and it would be aid station 12 (51.7km) before I would see Hays again. As I was speed hiking numerous sections of this climb I realized that I was going to suffer to the finish line. I just kept telling myself to stay smart and maintain position.

Aid station 11 was memorable because they were blaring the Rocky theme and you could hear it kms before you actually got there! It made it seem even farther away at times, but I did manage a short Rocky'ish' hands in the air dance as I approached and grabbed some water.

I arrived at aid station 12 and it had been just under an hour since I had seen Hays at aid station 10. I switched bottles and Hays looked at me,

"You're in second place."

I paused for a bit, somewhat confused, then looked back at him,

"NO, I'm in fourth"

"You, are in second, two guys dropped out."

Hays said this in a very Hays Poole kinda way. It wasn't like
"YOU'RE IN SECOND PLACE MAN!!!!"
It was, "You are in second."

My eyes nearly popped out of my own skull.

"ARE YOU SURE?"

"Yes."

I was about to keep arguing, as I like to do, but figured I should probably keep my legs moving, since I was in a race and now running in second place!

After departing Aid Station 12 there was another steep, yet short climb. I power hiked it and spent the entire time trying to calm myself down. There was still 30km and almost 3hr of running left to go.

Me...to myself,

"YOU'RE GOING TO WESTERN STATES!! Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm the hell down. You are not going anywhere till you finish this race with a top three placing. WESTERN! NO, nothing, so far so good, nothing achieved yet, still 30km to go. WHUP WHUP. GARY, get it together, wake up, you're starting to cramp up out already, there are three hundred runners still coming up behind you...some faster than others, but none the less, one mistake and you'll get passed like you're standing still! WESTERN, WESTERN, WESTERN, WESTERN!! Gary...ahh screw it, WHOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!"

Hearing Footsteps

At aid station 13 we headed out onto an 8km singletrack loop. It was some of the only singletrack in the race, and something that I was really looking forward to. By the time I hit this section however, at km 54 my legs were fully shutting down on me. I could not run any uphill at all, and was even struggling to pace out on the flats. I was fully aware of the fact that the last 25km of the race had significant downhill in it and went about conserving my energy in every way that I could. I hiked the climbs, slowly ran the flats, and just made sure that my legs would hold up on the descents. You can only loose so much time hiking a climb verses running it, but if you are forced into hiking downhill then it's game over! I actually remember looking at my watch during this and thinking, three hours till the finish...three hours till the end of your racing year! Suck it up baby!!

This section was beautiful and it was amazing to me how deep the leaves were that we were running through. There was foliage along the entire course, that goes without saying, but here in particular they were up to a foot deep in places. You just stepped in and hoped for the best. The funny thing is that there was a photographer in this section, and as passed by I stepped onto what appeared to be leaves...and I sunk in water up to my shin! I swear he was just waiting for me to do this!!

I really did feel like my race was falling apart during this section and thought that being caught for 2nd was inevitable. I never gave up on myself or stopped giving it 100%, but I just didn't see how I would not be caught as I felt as though I was moving backwards at times. I started mentally preparing myself to be passed for 2nd and to get ready to fight till I collapsed for 3rd!!

I somehow got through this section without being caught. In fact as I sit here today, looking at the splits, I am absolutely shocked to see that I ran the section from Aid Station 12 to the end of this loop in 1h02m, which is tied for the fastest split in the entire field, with only race winner Eric Grossman! Just goes to show that your pain is rarely as bad as you think it might be, and that absolutely everyone is suffering just as bad or worse at that point in the race. I remember telling my buddy Luke Laga, as I was pacing him during his first 100 Miler The Kettle Moraine 100 back in June,

"Don't ever convince yourself that your pain is any worse than what everyone around you is suffering from. If you do you're simply giving yourself an excuse to drop."

As I came into aid station 13 again, Hays told me I had a 15 minute lead. (I thought he meant over 3rd, but would later learn he meant 4th as he knew this was all that mattered to me) None the less, this was exactly what I needed to hear. Eighteen km to go, fifteen minutes in hand. There was no way I was going to be caught before that finish line!

Aid station 13-14 was almost all downhill. Hays was hoping to make it there in time, but he missed me by a few minutes. It was alright though as I knew I could fudge my way through the last few aid stations with fruit, water and some coke.

From aid 14-15 was another climb, which was good cause I needed the break to walk those sections. Again the leaves were so deep and thick that I actually found the noise of it all started bothering me!

"Damn rustling leaves! I can't even hear myself think out here!!"

It was time to end this race! We had some awesome singletrack running after this climb and with a blanket of leaves covering the ground it became increasingly more difficult to distinguish the actual trail. Thankfully the MMTR was pretty much the best flagged course I had ever run! On top of that there was basically an aid station every 5km! The race organization was certainly showing that it had been around for over 2.5 decades!

It's All Downhill From Here!

I hit aid station 16, the last one on the course. Just over 6km to go, and almost all downhill! I stopped at the aid station to try and get some food into me before the descent. I stuffed in some bananas and oranges, and then promptly turned around and spit them out. I then placed my hands on my knees and tried not to puke. There was nothing wrong with the fruit, my stomach was gone. It was time to end this race!

I thanked the volunteers and then leaned into the downhill, trying to appreciate every second of it, and to stay in the moment as much as possible. Before I knew it there was a 'one mile' marker sprayed onto the ground, only a bit of road running left to conquer.

I could hear the finish line, then it came into sight. I was going to do it, it was going to happen, and for the first time all day, I finally allowed myself to believe that I was Western bound. I burst through the line and Clark Zealand was there to give me a huge hug in congrats, followed shortly thereafter by my awesome crew Hays Poole!

(No I'm not drinking as I cross the line, I'm yelling in excitement!)

I FREAKING DID IT! I needed some luck to pull it all off, but none the less, Western States 2009 here I come baby!!!

Again, sitting here looking at the splits, somewhat in shock, from Aid Station 15 to the finish, I had the fastest closing time of 1h09m47s! Must have been the adrenaline kicking in! That and race leader Eric Grossman knowing he could have run it in backwards for the win at that point in time!

(Top Ten, with Eric on the right and moi on the Left)

GR

(More to come on the entire weekend experience, but that's plenty for now)

The Post Race Hangover

November 5, 2008

I know, I know, where's the race report, where's the write up, where are the stories??

I arrived home on Monday night at 8pm after traveling for almost 14 hours straight. Actually I spent the night at Jackie's place as she was watching Roxy and it saved me another 30min drive to get home proper...well that and I wanted to see her again after being gone for five days!

The next morning I drove straight to work. Immediately following work yesterday I attended a slide show that was put on by some 'Fat Ass' running friends here in North Van. I had to jet early as my bed was calling my name. I slept in this morning and basically had just enough time to take Roxy out for a two minute pee break before heading back to work again. I was cranky all day and am still pretty edgy right now. I intended to post my race report this evening but am feeling none of the post race excitement that would allow me to properly recap my incredible experiences down in Virginia and North Carolina. I had a wonderful and eventful five day get away and refuse to write about th0se experiences until I can do it justice.

The moodiness following a big event like this is pretty typical for me, and I know I am not alone as I have had numerous conversations with other athletes who suffer from the same emotional hang overs. Even though I work in a great environment at the running store for North Shore Athletics, and I have amazing support and congrats from those around me during and after such events, it does not lessen the time it takes to recover from such incredible adrenaline rushes!

I know I'll be fine in a day or two, hopefully tomorrow morning, and I'm not looking for pity or sympathy here. I'll be right back on top of the world when I can reflect upon what an accomplishment this past weekend was for me. I just need a few days to come to terms with reality again...it's like people who say they need a vacation to recover from their vacation, before heading back to work again.

Anyways, the race report will come shortly, and I promise it won't be of novel proportions this time either!!

Before I head to bed here, and it's not even 9pm, I would also like to take two seconds to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone out there who follows along on my stupid little adventures. The fact that so many of you take the time to share your thoughts and energy will never cease to amaze me. I spend a lot of my time while running and racing thinking about family and friends, and I am constantly reminding myself of how damn fortunate I am. The most recent comments regarding Mountain Masochist did everything from make me laugh, to stir up emotions and help inspire me to go further...and hopefully faster! From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much!!

GR