Cle Elum Race Report

I won't go into detail regarding the days and then hours leading up to the start of Cle Elum because after having such a successful race it will only sound like sandbagging and that's the last thing I'd like to be known for. After a lengthy border crossing on the Friday night we did not arrive to the camping area at the race's start until 12:25 in the morning. It was 1am before we were set up and asleep and when the alarm went off at 6:30 the next morning I hit snooze one too many times, which left us scrambling to get ready for the 8am race start.

The Co Race Director's were stalling for a few minutes at 8am to allow the early 7am starters exactly one hours headway. This is to let people who may push the official cut off times for the race an an extra hour to complete the full 50k.

As I looked around I did not recognize a single runner, which was a good thing as I really wasn't sure how the day would go at that point. As the RD's were stalling for time someone asked what the course records were.

They replied, "Umm, not sure exactly..."

I blurted out, "4h17m men's William Emerson, 5h10m women's Krissy Moehl...uhhh, off the top of my head..."

"3, 2, 1, GO!!!"

As we set off I did what I do best which is start slow and let the front runners go. I fell back to 11th place at the first turn that would lead us into our 25km climb to the top.
(The front pack leading it out)
I waited twenty minutes to pass anyone and forty minutes before I started to open it up at all. I was surprised at how I was feeling on the climb, light and fast, a very good combination to be feeling in a race! On the few descents that break up the climb however I noticed that I wasn't leaning into them like I normally do. I was tentative as to how my IT and knee would react and it wasn't until I had a short internal conversation with myself that I was able to fully open up on our third steep downhill section. It was all or nothing on the day, I was out to try and win and if my body held up I thought I would have a good shot at it.
(Easing my way into the race)
Before the race started I couldn't help but notice who the outright favorite on the day was. He was garnering so much attention and respect from those around him that I knew he'd be the front runner once the race began. Sure enough he shot to the front and lead it out into the first climb. He disappeared from sight shortly thereafter, but I knew I was tracking a guy in a red shirt, wearing a visor and with very long hair.

The hardest part about starting slowly and working your way through the field is that you have to let the leaders go and stay fully confident in your own race plan. My thought was that anything under a five minute gap by the top of the climb should allow me time to catch the front runner's before the finish line.

The course was beautiful and the weather could not have been any better! temps hovered in the high twenties with low humidity and a slight breeze. The 50k was almost entirely single track, although there was not a single technical step involved in the entire race. The terrain was a soft packed dirt-dust that also doubled as ATV trails. As we knocked off the elevation the views grew ever more impressive out to our right over the North Cascade Mountains. On more than one occasion I found myself staring at the views for a second too long as I'd start to veer off trail a bit.

I was counting my way through the pack but the 7am starters were throwing me off and I was at a complete loss as to where I now stood in terms of placement. I do remember looking at my watch at 2h20m in and thinking,

'WOW, I'm already half way home, this is flying by!"

Since my previous race was my first ever 100 miler, my perception of the 50k was skewed towards it almost being a sprint race!

I thought for sure my body would start hurting by 2hr, but as I crested the top of our climb, at 2h38m I was pleasantly surprised at how good I was feeling. The mind games had begun however. The forest we were running through was very open and sparse and it somehow reminded me of a fairytale. The leader I knew I was chasing had long hair and a red shirt on...which of course led me to refer to him as 'Little Red Riding Hood', making me 'The Big Bad Wolf'! Hey, whatever it takes to keep ya motivated out there right!

The only problem was that 'Little Red Riding Hood' was pretty damn fast and I was not catching any glimpses of her...err, him at all. If you look at the Course Profile it basically looks like you've stepped off a cliff on the downside of the run, however, there was A LOT more flat running involved than the profile would suggest and as the kms ticked away I started to think that the race for first might be outta reach for me, in fact I didn't even know where I stood in the field at all, although I was assuming and hoping it was top three.


Immediately before the final aid station at mile 21, km 34, you have to run across a river and perched on the other side is famous trail photographer Glenn Tachiyama ready to snap pics of people splashing water all over the place...and probably awaiting a fall or two throughout the day as well!

I saw him and yelled out, "How many guys in front of me?"

"JUST ONE!"

"HOW FAR??"

"You're gonna see him at the aid station!"

My whole race changed in an instant. I was starting to suffer, my one toe had a very painful blister on it, I was starting to tire and I had been running solo for ten km.

As I hit up the aid station 'Red Riding Hood' had removed her shirt and was very obviously never going to allow me, or anyone else for that matter, to refer to him as 'Little Red Riding Hood'!

I knew at this moment however that if I played my cards right I could indeed pull out the win. Red Riding Hood was actually James Varner, Race Director for the Orcas Island 50k and obviously a talented and experienced trail runner. He did not look over his shoulder before departing the aid station though and I started to wonder how he might react to someone catching him that he had not seen at all to that point in the race.

I ate a 1/4 slice of banana, downed three small cups of coke, refilled my two handheld bottles and was off. I knew what I wanted to do, I knew what I had to do, and had a plan as to how I intended to pull it off. I caught up to James after about 2km of running, 36km down with 14km to go. I kept my distance however, as I didn't want him to know that I was just back from him. I didn't really feel like I had an outright fight for the finish in me on the day, so I wanted to try and end this thing as early as I could.

I caught my breath and awaited the next decent climb, which would inevitably lead us into a downhill as the course gained 6000 feet in the first half and then lost it all in the final 25k. I put in a push, pulled up along side, and James turned to me and simply said,

"Awesome running man!"

"You too bud!"

I pushed over the climb and let loose on the downside. I could sense that James was hanging on, which was the last thing that I wanted, so I upped the pace and didn't slow it down until I knew that I had my gap. I kept a solid pace for about 2km before relaxing at all, and even then I was fully aware of the fact that there was still 10km to go and anything could happen.

I felt solid up until 45km. I had stayed on top of my fluids, my calories and my electrolytes, but my energy was starting to wain and my stomach was yelling at me for real food. The last thing I said to Jackie before the race started...

"I'm still freaking hungry!"

In our mad rush to take care of everything before the 8am start I was only able to consume 1/2 of my normal pre race food, and I was beginning to feel the effects. I really suffered over the last 4km of the race and was shoulder checking from time to time to see if James might be catching me again. I even told myself a few times that I could see him just back from me on the trail, even though I knew I could not. It was a feeble attempt at tricking myself into going faster!

I had to hold on, I had to keep my head down, and I had to stay focused to pull this one out. I would not forgive myself if I blew up in the final 4km of a race and ended up falling back to second place or worse.

As I approached the final, unmanned water station of the race, the km marker was hanging right above it. Two and a half km to go. I know I can ignore ANYTHING for 2.5km and I ran like I hadn't in over an hour. Down the final section of the trail and I could see the start - finish just off to my left. I let out a hoot to tell Roxy I was on my way in and as I popped out of the trees my dog came running up to join me across the line, 4h31m, first place!!!! James wasn't far behind at 4h37m and together we had posted the 3rd and 4th fastest finish times in the ten year history of the event, behind only trail legends William Emerson and Ian Torrence...I'll take it!! Full Results Here

I'm definitely feeling the pain today, but as you can imagine, it was all worth it!

My nutrition and gear:

Montrail Streaks, I only love them more with each and every race!
Helly Hansen Lifa Boxers
Helly Hansen Trail Wizard Shorts, keepin me dry all day long!
Carbo Pro 1200 x1 (split between four bottles)
Thermolytes x14 (yup, fourteen! Again, my first ever year of cramp free racing and it's all come down to my electrolyte intake, which is way higher than I ever would have imagined necessary)
Clif Shot Bloks x1

This formula has been working to a tee for me lately, one bottle of 1200, one pack of shot bloks and as many thermolytes as my body demands on the day. Hey, if it ain't broke...

Jackie was also racing and she laid down a very solid 6h19m, which on any other year would have landed her a top four, but in this years female field she ranked 8th, which is still a great finish in just her fourth ever 50k!



I left Roxy at the finish area leashed to a tree, spoke to a few volunteers and told them that if they would like to take her off leash and play with her then she'd love them forever. By the time I finished my dog knew everyone in the camp ground and I must've heard "Your dog is beautiful" ten times...damn dog always showing me up!

The race course was absolutely gorgeous, in fact when I crested the climb I actually ran off course and towards the views without realizing it. Someone behind me eventually started yelling at me as I was chasing the snow capped peak in the distance! The organization was top notch and you could camp at the start for just five bucks!! It was an awesome experience with incredible people and I'd highly recommend people adding it to their 09 race schedule. Just remember, it's capped at only 100 runner's so get in early next year!

Thanks to everyone involved, especially the volunteers who make each and every event possible.

Next weekend, the party of the year...after the race of the year of course, MOMAR Cumberland here I come baby!!

And thanks once more to Glen Tachiyama for allowing me to post his incredible race photos to my blog!

GR

I Nearly Shuked Myself!

Yesterday and today have been very good days for me. I put in some high intensity running and have had zero knee pain to deal with afterwards, which is very exciting for me right now!

Yesterday morning I hit up the track with co-worker and local trail speedster Simon Driver. I had never in my life run on a track before, and even though this one was dirt it was a pretty cool experience for the freshness of it alone. I ended up running 3x1km intervals while Simon did a 5km time trial. I would run 1km at a time with 400 meters recovery and then hop back on with Simon for each additional km. I initially thought this was the first time in two years that I had done any form of speed work or intervals, but upon later reflection, the last time I did any speed work was up in Whistler. I lived in Squamish for three years and didn't do a single repeat in that time. It was in training for the 2005 Knee Knacker that I last decided to willingly punish myself so much.

My first km was 3m15s, which in the running world would be very average...however compared to say the drive-thru line up at McDonald's I'd be downright elite! I put in a second lap of 3m18s and a final lap of 3m17s, upon which I very nearly shuked myself. I'm not going into full detail here, let's just say that we made up the word shuke yesterday and it combines two bodily functions simultaneously occuring...one would be puking...thankfully I escaped 'the shuke' for this week!

After work Jackie and I hit up the Deep Cove Paddle races again and although I did not approach a state of shuke, I did push it in the kayak more than I have since last September's MOMAR in Cumberland...which is just 2.5 weeks away now!! The race is completely sold out and I can not wait for the after party, err, I mean race!

This morning I was up early to join fellow Team Montrail Canada runner Rune Melcher in my first ever running of 'The Grouse Grind'. I hiked it last week for the first time ever, with a good friend from Banff who also currently resides in the Vancouver area.
This morning was perfect as there were very few people on what can normally become a traffic jam of hikers.

The trail is just 2.9km in length, but it climbs 2800 feet in that distance and basically amounts to one hell of a set of stairs! From the top there are spectacular views back over Vancouver, and you can take a tram back down for $5.00 if you so choose. Some of the winter sports for the 2010 games will be held on the adjoined ski hill, and there are full facilities up top including a nice restaurant. They even have 'grind cards' which you can swipe as you start and finish the trail so that it gives accurate timing for anyone who chooses to start talking about 'their Grind time', and the daily 'leader's' are posted on a screen up top...it's all very commercialized, and one of the main reasons that it's never fully attracted me. However, now that I have an official 'Grind Time' I NEED to do it again...and again...and again, to get it to something that I feel is respectable.

We started off running but within 15min my legs started to shut down on me. I ended up power hiking the second half of the climb and was satisfied to post a 34m17s, but not overly happy as I glanced up at the screen up top to discover that the over 60 record this summer was exactly that, 34.17!! (I can't seem to find that online right now, but I'm sure that's what I saw this morning, maybe I was hallucinating?) I'd like to bring this down to a much more reasonable 30 n change or just under time.

The course record is somewhere around 24-25 minutes by New Zealand World Champion mountain running star Jonathan Wyatt (WOW, he has his own Wikipedia page!)

The downhills have always been my 'specialty', if I have one outside of A.D.D. and I was happy to turn right back around and see what I could do. I felt good on the descent, even though I had been suffering knee pains as of late. My thought process was that if I had any intentions of running a 50k this weekend, where 25k of it is downhill, the I had better be able to endure a 2.9k plunge. It was actually surprised at how damn steep the trail is as it runs very differently down then up, which goes without saying! I hit the last flat section back to the start finish area and opened it up before bursting into the parking lot and hitting my watch. 17m43s for an exact round trip of 52min...now that I've posted this on my blog I will evidently be spending much more time on this trail which is just up the street from me.

I hit up the gym tonight with Driver and as mentioned I have felt NO knee pain in two full days...might actually be able to race Cle Elum after all!

I'd like to get my return Grind Time down to somewhere near 45min, although that would take quite the effort and focus on this specific goal...not much else to do once race season comes to a close I guess...and you can't exactly create a word without ever having experienced it now can you! (definitely NOT the coolest way to end a blog posting!)

GR

Diagnosis, Weak Ass!

(Yeah, my butt is weak!)

K,I'm not totally ducking the blogging world, just honestly been so damn busy over the last few weeks that I haven't had time to think, which isn't a strong point anyways. I just caught up on fourteen days of laundry last night...not pretty, but it did garner me plenty of room during my trail runs!

Finally got a diagnosis regarding my current knee issues. As it turns out, appears that my Glute Med muscle is way under developed and I have been relying on my secondary muscles to propel me while running. I guess the 100 miler finally put the nail in the coffin of my glutes and the fatigue has since played itself out into a knee pain suffered through my IT Band. Runner jargon to simply say my butt wasn't firing like it should be so my knee started to hurt!

It feels great to get a proper diagnosis and at least know what I am dealing with. Sounds like with some simple strengthening exercises I should be back on top of things in the near future. I even got clearance to race the Cle Elum 50k trail race this coming weekend, which I was fearing I might have to skip out on. The Dr. basically left it up to my own judgement, which is never a good thing. I'll definitely head down as Jackie is also registered, and will take it as it comes through the rest of the week. I originally had aspirations of shooting for William Emerson's eight year old record of 4h17min, but this may end up being a training run or scenic tour for me at this point.

I have truly had a phenominal two weeks, topped off by a 'family reunion' at an Aunt's wedding on Vancouver Island a few weeks ago. My immediate family was not there, but I did get to catch up with many Aunts and Uncles that I had not seen in over two decades! I truly have an amazing family and the highlight for me was dancing with my 82 year old Grandmother who I had not seen since 2001. She had more energy then the rest of us combined!




Jackie and I hit up a hike/run to Wedgemont Lake in Whistler two days later. (16km return) We ran into into trail running speedster Aaron Heidt who was out for a hike with his wife Lisa and, I'm guessing here, eight month old(?) son Simon. I am always inspired when I see friends who are able to truly allow their children to enhance their lives and not to hinder them...does that sound harsh? I just don't think having a child should ever stop you from doing the things you love and seeing people out in the mtn's with their kids is really something special. Little Simon's eyes were full of wonder and amazement as he tried to take it all in and it goes without saying that the kid will be a better rounded individual than the boy next door who grows up playing X-Box Fifteen or whatever version they happen to be on now?




I have been able to run, but nothing over about 17km in length before my knee starts to shut down on me. Hopefully by flexing my ass a bit more I can change that pretty quickly though!

GR

Shooting For The Record...

For the longest I've gone without updating my blog!

Quick cap, been busy, having fun, dealing with an I.T. Band injury and not able to run for more than 10k at a time without knee pain right now...not fun!

Lots to tell and will post something of substance after the weekend.

Peace out!
GR

MOMAR Cumberland and Updates

Is it the announcement of the new race course design, the $14,000 in prizing, or the fact that people just want an excuse to party? Whatever it is, registration has been coming in fast and furious and we only have 20 spots left before we hit our 250 maximum capacity.

If you’re on the fence and still thinking about signing up, you better make up your mind soon!

If you are contemplating signing up for this one you'd better give your head a shake! Outside of the usual legendary after party, a brand new race course, the cool t-shirt designs, and the fact that this is the final race of the year, Bryan Tasaka is giving away a FREAKIN TRIP TO HAWAII with seven nights accom and an adventure tour as one of the draw prizes!! Get in while you still can!

On a personal note, been experiencing some knee issues as of late which is why not a lot to blog about. Done some short runs but I always end up limping home afterwards...yeah, I know, stop running right! Don't ya know, "The only thing harder than running...is not running."

My personal quotes of the week:
"I've never claimed to be fit or fast, but I do have a high pain tolerance and a low level of intelligence. These two things combined have allowed me to find my niche in endurance racing."

"It's all about being broke as a joke and loving life! I've never been so damn poor, and so completely happy all at once!"

Congrats to Lina Augaitis and her team Yoga Slackers for their recent win at Coast Raid in Quebec.

Finally, be sure to check in on the Trans Rockies running race currently going on in Colorado. Matt Hart and Sean Meissner are representing the U.S. Montrail team and currently battling for a top ten placing in a fully stacked field.
Also competing are Munny Munro from Whistler, and Leslie Gerein from Banff, amongst others of course!

This race is definitely on the radar for next year as myself and Aaron Heidt have been tossing around the idea for a few months now...I'll just make sure he brings his tow rope for me!

And finally, since I don't think many people made it to the bottom of my Stormy race report, here's my finisher photo from the race...plus I'm reliving it as I can't run right now and it feels good just to think about this race again!


GR

Rockin Out At T.Bird

I don't know how or why, but it's been almost three full years since I've been to a 'big band' concert, that being 'Audioslave' in late 2005.
Out of the blue, Jack Johnson tics found their way to me on Tues night, and for face value of just $45 each, Jackie and I were off to enjoy a great show at Thunderbird Stadium last night.

Jack Johnson epitomizes my Central American cycling trip of 2003. I spent four months on the dive island of Roatan, Honduras attaining my Dive Master certification. After nearly blacking out on a wall dive with some friends, which very easily could have lead to the non existence of this blog all together, I was then told I could never dive again due to an ear issue (a diagnosis that was six months later proven incorrect). The irony of it all is that this incorrect diagnosis is what directly lead to this blog and my current lifestyle. Anyways, being unable to dive on a dive island I ended up as a bartender at a beach bar called 'The Sundowner'.


'The Sundowner' was a square shaped open sided bar with a central area just large enough to fit two employees. We used to joke that you could not even squeeze a Queen sized bed into the service area. Five nights a week I was locked in there with my good friend Lisa Akeson of Sweden, and we both loved every second of it. There was an incredible atmosphere at that place as the main locals would come by every night for their post dive drinks as the sun was setting out over the ocean. I recall numerous evenings where service would completely cease until the sunset light show faded into the evening dusk beside us. Some of the best memories of my life are tied up in that little island...and this is my very round about way of saying that I had no idea who Jack Johnson was before I bartended there.

We had a mini-disk player behind the bar...yeah, it was the only mini-disk stereo system I have ever seen! Every few months someone on the island would end up flying back to civilization for one reason or another and we'd all put in our music and misc food item order with them (such as peanut butter!).


One night Lisa popped in a mini disk and I remember looking very stupid in front of numerous friends as I queried as to who we were listening to,

"WEll JACK JOHNSON OF COURSE!!"

"Oh...it's good."

"WELL YEAH!!!"


Last night was great on so many levels, amazing concert, perfect summer evening, and beautiful company. The highlight of the evening though, was when Jack Johnson broke into 'Bubble Toes'. I was instantaneously transported back to Roatan. I was tending bar and trading stories with friends and soon to be friends alike. It was a perfect moment for me and something I won't soon forget.

About ten years ago a friend back in Banff, Alberta had a 'book of questions' and one question in particular was,
"If you HAD TO choose 'the experience', or 'the memory of the experience', which would it be?
I babbled on some round about answer that basically amounted to an 'I dunno' both.

Well Kealin (my Banff friend), I can finally answer this question with confidence.
Without the memories to carry with us after the fact, without the friends to cherish those moments with in time, then the experience itself is completely and utterly hollow.
Thankfully, I have been blessed with anything but hollow experiences throughout my life, and Jack Johnson was just one more of those perfect moments in time that I will never forget!



GR

Back On The Horse

Well, it's time, the countdown to the Cumberland MOMAR is at just over a month now, and yesterday I finally got back on my mountain bike again...for the first time since BC Bike Race!! Yeah, I know, that's almost seven weeks, but without going into detail, I very literally only got my mountain bike back from a post race mix up one week ago, so I wasn't completely slacking!

I had a friend from Australia in town visiting. Actually we met during the XPD expedition adventure race that we competed in last August...wow, has it really been one full year already! During that race as we were neck and neck with their team for quite some time. If you happen to remember that race report, they were the team that we were trekking with when we made our fatal mistake on our last night of the race that lead to our zombie walking episode. Anyways, he mentioned back then that he was planning to come to Canada for a visit in 08 and I insisted that he drop me a line and hang out for a few days of riding. I had pretty much forgotten this until hearing from Paul just over a month ago, and in the end he ended up being the kick in the ass that I needed.



After hooking Paul up with one of my own Helly Hansen Lifa's, we were ready to rip!
Tuesday we hit up a 2.5hr ride and followed that up with the Tuesday Night Deep Cove Paddle Race. A great day of A.R. specific training. Today we hit the bikes again for just over an hour and although Paul flew out early this evening he did manage almost two full weeks of riding throughout Whistler, Squamish, and North Van. Once I returned from dropping Paul at the airport I joined a few friends for a night run out to Norvan Falls (15km, 2hr). It did nothing but rain for the last two days, but thankfully it didn't slow us down one bit...every day above ground is a good day, I doubt anyone, given a second shot at life, would ever complain about a rainy day again!

GR

Golden Ears Adventure Run

Couple of quick things to mention. First, my Stormy race report, which I realize was way too damn long! It was my first 100 miler though and I wanted something detailed to reference in the future. Congrats to the three people who actually made it through it.

As mentioned Jackie ran the 50 mile version, her first shot at that distance, and she placed 4th female in a time of 9hr26m! It was a great weekend for both of us.

Recovery has been much better than I anticipated, and outside of our 4km, 1.5hr walk of pain the day after our races, it's been going well. I got back on my feet again on Saturday with a slow 2hr run with some local 'Fat Asses', and yesterday Jackie and I headed to Maple Ridge to run the backcountry route up to the summit of Golden Ears (24km, 5.5hr). Another stellar weekend and although my knee was a bit swollen after the run it all felt great. Time to start logging some miles again!

GR

Stormy Part 2, The Finish

I got out of the aid station as quickly as possible for two reasons, 1) I was hurting and I knew if I decided to sit down or loose my focus it would only get worse, 2) I had no idea what my lead consisted of and I wanted to be gone before second place could catch a glimpse of me. As mentioned I changed my shirt and shorts, but I had also set aside a fresh pair of Helly Hansen Lifa boxers that I wanted to change into, yet they had gone missing somewhere in transit. I set out for the first aid station and realized that I needed to keep pushing at a decent pace before the sun fully set on us.

I managed to reach the first aid station, for the second time, in 53 minutes, just three minutes slower than my first lap. I had illusions of a possible sub 17hr race and after doing some math realized I could afford to put in a second lap time of about 10% slower than my first. With this in mind, I was right on schedule. Thankfully as I came in Jackie was standing there swinging my lifa compression boxers in the air and with a huge smile on her face! I ducked behind my car, switched it up, lathered myself in Bodyglide and was off and running feeling like a completely new man! I knew this would be the last time I'd see Jackie until the finish line and after thanking her I told her to get some sleep and not to worry about me out there.

It was now closing in on 9pm and the headlamp was a necessity. I knew that by using my Princeton Tec Apex, combined with a handheld Tec 40 that I would get the best of both world's and not have to worry about slowing down due to inadequate lighting. I was heading into my strongest discipline, nighttime running!

Years of adventure racing has prepared me well for running at night. I have quite literally logged hundreds of hours of night running and riding, and as the temperatures dropped I was feeling quite at home in the solitude of it all. Something I forgot to mention in my initial posting was the heat of the first lap. The temps had climbed up towards thirty degrees in the first fifty miles and I made sure to stay on top of my electrolytes from the get go.

The cooling effect of the evening made it feel like I was being given a second life. I perked up substantially as my body was no longer dealing with trying to cool itself so relentlessly, and approaching the second aid station I was again riding a wave of a high.

As I came through the start finish I consumed over a liter of flat coke, along with some real food, electrolytes and some fruit juice. I had stayed on top of my nutritional plan right from the first km of the race, having consumed Carbo Pro 1200, Carbo Pro, Clif Shots, Clif Shot Bloks, Sesame Snaps, Thermolytes, Sushi, and Coke. The formula was working, but as I arrived at the second aid station I found that I desired but one thing...more Coke! I chugged some back, downed some watermelon, and filled one bottle with water and one with Coke before heading off into the darkness again. I had no intention of following this 'fuel plan', but knew better than to argue with what my body was demanding!

I continued to listen to my body but fully expected it to eventually reject this combination. My stomach issues had not worsened, but still persisted with regular stops along the way. I came through the third aid station feeling great and looking forward to some well needed human interaction, but the aid had been downgraded to a self serve. I topped up a bottle of coke and again headed into the very technical 'Entrail' and 'Marc My Word'. This was where I switched on my hand held light for the first time, tucking my other empty hand held bottle into my empty Nathan vestpack that I was wearing for the front pocket access to food. I thoroughly liked this set up as the vest pack weighs literally a few ounces and allowed me to free up my hands more for the night running. Throughout the first lap I switched between a vest pack for the longer sections and hand held bottles for the shorter ones.

With both Princeton Tec lights shining like spotlights in the night I ran these technical routes almost as fast as I did on my first lap, 105km prior. By the time I reached aid station number four, which was once again back on Perth Road, my boxer drop area, I was dying to have an actual conversation with someone. I had literally taken to speaking out loud on numerous occasions just to fill the void of the night!

The aid station crew asked if I was alright.

"Feeling great, why?"

"Well, you seem to be vibrating!"

As I was chugging back more Coke,

"Ummm, I've consumed about 3.5 liters of Coke so far...must be the caffeine! Hey, any idea of what kind of time gap there might be till second place?"

"Well, when you came through here the first time, a few hours ago, you had a 1h05m lead."

"Sweet, thanks!"

After specifically thanking them for spending the night out on course I proceeded down the road and back towards the university. I was always conscious of my calorie and electrolyte intake and was forcing down 100 calories at regular intervals, and easily swallowing a salt tablet every thirty minutes. Although sore and tired, I was actually feeling quite strong!

I hit the Uni aid station and had a quick but fun conversation with the volunteers there. I had a backup headlamp in my drop bag, so instead of wasting time changing batteries I simply swapped them out, downed more Coke and watermelon and was off and running.

I ran the impending hill on the first lap but did not see the point here on the second lap. At this point it was great to have a time and distance device upon my body and I used the pacing feature to force myself into a faster than normal power hike. My watch initially read just under a ten minute /km pace, but with focusing just on the watch itself, and not on the non technical terrain under foot, I was able to consistently bring my hiking pace down to almost exactly eight minutes /km. I thought this to be a very impressive pace considering the grade I was tackling and I focused on nothing but this pace until I reached the top.

Again my light allowed me to bomb down through the Pseudo Tsuga's without slowing down at all, and I hit up the aid station after a loop time of 52min. I have not seen official on course splits yet, but I know this is only slightly slower than my first lap time of around 45min. I noticed early on that most aid stations were not expecting me when I arrived, so I got into the habit of hooting and hollering as I approached each area, and I would always look forward to the hollering responses.

We had a candid exchange on my second time through, which ended with me jokingly stating,
"The f#$king wine selection here sucks!"

I was a few hundred meters down the road before I realized that I had forgotten my hand held light. I did not have spare batteries on me and after a quick mental fight realized that I had no choice but to turn back for risk of blowing my entire race if my one light died on me for some reason.

"Hi me again, any chance you got that Merlot in stock again yet?"

By this point I was again struggling to keep my body running over the flattish terrain, and I was actually internally cursing at myself not to stop.

"Less than 7km till that damn nine mile hill again. Keep your head down and your feet moving...don't you dare quite on me now!"

I was happy to come across an unexpected friend now manning the following aid station at The Powerhouse, and after a quick chat, and some more Coke and watermelon, I was off to tackle the infamous 'Nine Mile Hill' for the second and final time.

I never listen to music when I run, yet I always have a song in my head while I'm out there. In a typical 50km race I go over the chorus of a single song again and again as a segway between other thoughts throughout the race. For my first 100 miler I managed to squeeze in a few songs. First and foremost was the new Gavin Rossdale song, 'Love Remains The Same', and that was followed up with a full version of 'The Fintstones'...and as if that wasn't random enough I somehow pulled out the full Monkees album from deep within my cerebrum. I remember stealing this tape from my Father in the eighties at some point and don't know that I've heard any of the songs since...definitely some deep memory release occurring as I went deeper into my run...maybe with a 200 mile run I could remember my own birth!!

I had been counting down for a few hours until reaching the top of Nine Mile...I was counting down to my hugs from Cheryl and Rhonda. Their congratulations, smiles, and hugs were as genuine and vigorous as they had been ten hours earlier. I glanced at my watch and realized that if I could somehow match my first lap time over the remaining distance that I would in fact eclipse the magical 17hr banner.

"Sorry ladies, I'd love to stay but I'm still harboring illusions of a sub 17hr run. Thanks so much for everything!"

After eclipsing the final pitch over 'The Lava Flow', I entered 'The Ring Creek Rip' again. I was all of three hundred meters into it before I realized that the sub 17hr time was indeed as I had suspected, an illusion. The rocks seemed bigger, the terrain tougher, and my feet were now fully swollen and smacking against the end of my shoes with each and every step. I suffered my way down the mountain and glided into 'The Powerhouse' for the fourth and final time.

I was greeted by a second familiar and friendly face, Glenn Pace had now joined Michael Wardas...the only problem here was that Glenn was himself running in the 100 miler.

"You shouldn't be here! Not that I don't like seeing ya, but what's up?"

He briefly explained that he had to drop, which surprised me more than most other dnf's as Glenn has a lengthy and accomplished resume, but again, 100 miles is a long ways to run and anything can happen over that distance.

"I'd love to hang with you guys but I have to put this thing to rest. I'll hopefully see ya at the finish area later today!"

The congratulated me and cheered me on as I forced my legs to run the few hundred meters into the hiking terrain through 'Crumpit Woods'. I ate up this area, and 'The Farther Side' as I could almost smell the finish line, but again upon hitting 'Seven Stitches' and 'Summerside' I was really gutting it out. The terrain would be tough to run at the best of times and I was struggling to hold a decent hiking pace this late in the race.

I was constantly checking my watch as I was fully aware of one thing. To finish sub 18hr meant a hero's welcome as the fifty milers would just be lining up to start their own race, to finish anything over 18hrs meant crossing the line amongst a group of three or four people associated with the race itself. It was like comparing a rock concert to a dusty ghost town with tumbleweed blowing down the main street.

I put in a solid effort over the last climb of the entire 100 miles...I was going to do it, only four km to go...I ran the whole thing not feeling an ounce of pain, as I could now envision the finish line and I knew that Jackie, Roxy, and about 65 runners would be there to cheer me in.

4km...3km...2km...1km...700m...600m...500m...400m...I could see the start - finish and I let out the biggest scream of my life,

"WHHOOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

300m, 200m, 100m, 17hr39min, PURE ELATION!!!!!!! I know I would have cried had I been able to! Jackie snapped a pic and grabbed me as I crossed the line, Roxy wasn't far behind, the Wendy, Enzo, Jackson, and on and on. I had covered the final, technical and challenging, 10.5km just 11 minutes slower than my first lap! I FELT IN..CRED..I..BLE!



Over six liters of coke, thirteen bathroom breaks, fifty thermolytes, and one experience that will last forever...my first 100 Miler!

My Gear:
-Montrail Streaks
-Helly Hansen Lifa Boxers and Trail Wizard Shorts
-Carbo Pro, Carbo Pro 1200, and Thermolytes
-Princeton Tec Apex and Tec 40
-Kinesys Performance Sunscreen
-Rudy Project Ekynox glasses

Stormy Race Report, My First 100 Miler...And Certainly Not My Last!!

First and foremost thanks so much for all of the incredible support! It's really cool to log on and see so many phenomenal comments from everyone!

"Embrace your biggest disappointments, build on your greatest accomplishments. Keep your head held high, and you can not help but move forward."

Just five short weeks ago I was questioning my entire season of racing. I have not before faced constant adversity like I have encountered this season and it's been a great character builder that I am thankful for in hindsight.

I missed all of Feb with a double calf injury, the first injury to sideline me for any amount of time. It was July, after a one month hiatus from running, before my calves were back to 100%. The back to back DNF's on the bike in June were what did me in mentally though. Two goal races and nothing but a battered body to show for it. I did not truly realize how much I had riding on this 100 miler, but I was certain of one thing...I was not going to DNF under ANY circumstances!!

Stormy 2004 was my first ever ultra race. Back then the distance was 67km as it followed the exact route of The Test Of Metal Mountain Bike Race. My goals that year were a sub 7hr run time and a top twenty placing. I finished in exactly 20th with a time of 6hr53min. Just five months prior to that race I had no idea what an 'ultra run' even was, and had never run more than 21km in my life. In fact I had only run more than 10k three times in my life and can confidently say that I had run less than fifty times in my then 27 years on the planet. It's been quite the journey up to this point and Stormy 08 feels more like the true beginning of something for me rather than an ending.

The race began at noon on Friday, which I was a fan of for the most part. It eliminated a lot of pre race stress as I could sleep in my own bed in North Van the night before, did not need to set an alarm, and could fuel properly before the race began. Jackie and I pulled into Squamish at 11am, picked up some sushi and headed to the starting area.

Thirty people lined up to try and tackle the distance and we were off and running before we knew it. A group of four runner's headed to the front.

-Mark Tanaka, La Sportiva American Team and ultra experienced ultra runner
-Darren Froese, Canadian 100k National team for four years
-Bill Dagg, fourth place in 07 at just under 23hr
-Ryan Conroy, local lower mainland runner

THE FIRST 50 MILE LOOP:

I had no intentions of running with the leaders off the start, no matter what their pace might be. I have learned time and time again that I need to ease my way into a long distance race by taking it easy for the first 30-45min at the very least, and I comfortably fell into 5th place.


The first aid station on the course was 8.7km in. I had spent hours going over my pre-race plan and setting up Jackie to be my aid for the first lap. I wanted to get her into bed as soon as possible...whoa dirty minds...she was running her first ever fifty mile race the following morning, starting at 6am.

In my pre-race plan I 'scheduled' myself into the first aid station in fifty minutes. I had managed to guess and pace perfectly and I switched out a bottle with Jackie in EXACTLY 50min!


At this first aid station the four runner's ahead of me had all made water stops and I now found myself in the lead. I had no intention of leading from this early on, but I had also promised myself something else the night before. I was going to run MY race, and I was going to leave it ALL out there.

Next up was the Alice Lake parking lot, which I hit about thirty minutes later, and proceeded to sprint straight for the bathroom. I had inclinations leading up to the start that my stomach was not going to cooperate with me fully for the 100 miler. If I did not know there was a bathroom facility awaiting me at the lake I would not have even made it an hour before stopping.

Darren and Mark both passed my while I was sorting myself out and I managed to catch back up to Mark within 1km. We ran together for a bit and chatted about running stuff. I met Mark at Miwok, well kinda at Miwok, and then through blogging. Our five minute conversation was the longest we had spoken face to face. As we approached our 2nd aid station we hit our first technical section of the course...my favorite kinda running, and as I started to distance myself from Mark I simply heard him say,

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're good at this stuff!"

after Aid Station Two the course goes into a very long, non technical, slightly inclined, running section as it leads out towards 'The Corners' area of the Test Of Metal course. I had only realized three weeks out that Stormy was such a runnable course, with just 13,000 feet of elevation gain over the entire 100 miles. With this in mind I switched up my last minute training to include much more cadence work on hard packed flattish terrain. I'm glad I did this for although it may not have given me a physical edge, it certainly helped my mental preparation.

As we hit the 'Bob Mac' trail, about five km further, there is another outhouse available. I had been closing in on Darren for a few kms but unfortunately he had the same idea as I did and he stole my seat! I decided to put in a push at this point to distance myself from him in an attempt to sneak back into the lead, and to gain a gap before ducking into the bushes for my second bathroom break.

As I upped the pace I could not believe how good I was feeling. I truly felt like I was effortlessly flying along and I made the decision to roll with it. Although I did not intend to run this section at this pace, I was certain of the fact that I would go through numerous highs and lows throughout the race. I made the decision to take advantage of this high and I went to work on knocking down some kms.

I blew through 'Mike's Loop' and by the time I was on the climb leading into 'The Corner's' I made sure to get on top of my food and electrolyte intake. The formula is pretty simple on paper, but always tough to accomplish in practice. Average about one Thermolyte tablet every thirty minutes to stay on top of electrolytes, and consume 250-350 calories per hour of running. I was only a few hours into the run and my stomach was still functioning fine, at least in terms of allowing me to eat, so I knocked back a sesame snap for a 200 calorie boost and was off and running again at the top of the climb.

This section is always fun to run as it is laced with bermed corners within a snake like single track that goes on for a few kms. I was able to peer over my shoulder a few times and see that I had a lengthy gap. I was finally able to make my second pit stop and was running again within ninety seconds. About ten minutes later I came into the Edith Lake aid station, 27.2km in around 2h15m. I was ahead of my planned time, but again felt great and decided to stick with what was working. After a ten second splash and go I was climbing towards one of my favorite parts of the course, 'Entrail and Marc My Word'. These trails are some of the most technical of the entire course and I was confident that I would be able to make time on the rest of the pack through this section. There is some tricky foot work over log bridges, fallen trees, steep rock faces and gnarly terrain...I loved every second of it!

From there you pop out onto Mashiter. Not sure if that rings a bell with anyone, but Mashiter is the trail that I was bombing down in T.O.M. when I got cut off and stacked it hard on the down slope. I slowed my pace for a few hundred meters and surveyed the 'crash site'. I am still blown away by the fact that I got off with but a broken finger and a contused quad, for there is quite literally a fifteen foot long section of which you could effectively crash without breaking any major bones or puncturing any major arteries...I had somehow managed to fall into that fifteen feet of bush. I was very thankful for the fact that I was even able to run this race at all, as I had visions of the season ending injuries I had managed to escape a few months prior.

After another fun section aptly named 'Roller Coaster' I was back at aid station number two again. I quickly said hi as I continued running past. 'Quest University', my drop bag with Jackie, and the half way point of the first lap, were but a few km off. As I approached The Uni I heard a familiar voice asking for my bib number. Mae Palm is in her 60's and still competing at Iron Man, in fact she holds numerous age group records! We'll see where I am in three decades...overweight, out of shape, watching sports all day, and telling stories about what I used to do for fun!!

I hit the aid station, grabbed my bottle from Jackie, said hi to Roxy, and was off and climbing. The second largest climb of the race lay ahead. It was nothing too insane, but did go on for about 2.5-3km. It was here that my earlier pacing started to catch up with me. My body was feeling the effects of a high running pace and I was suffering from leg pain like I had not experienced before. My left leg, right at the hip and encompassing my I.T. band, my hamstring, my groin, and my abdomen, were all starting to scream at me. I refused to listen and although I did slow my pace slightly, I continued running up the hill. Thoughts of dropping out drifted into my consciousness.

This section was a loop that was only listed as 3.5km, but I'm gonna say it has to be closer to at least 5k. After bombing down some of my favorite bike trails in Squamish, The Pseudo Tsuga'a, I was back at the same aid station in around 45min. I switched bottles with Jackie again and was off on a 5.3km section towards the main aid station on course at 'The Powerhouse'. Again my leg flared on me and again my mind would play tricks on me.

"You're done man, you blew it. Went out too hard, gonna pay the price now. You're not going to be able to run 100 miles...you can't run for 160km...and you know this already...it's inevitable so why even fight it..."

By the time I came through 'The Powerhouse' the first time (another looped section) I was just trying to convince my mind to let me complete one lap of the course. A few Vancouver locals were manning the aid station and commented on my pace and how good I looked. I've learned the most important words you can learn in endurance racing over the last few years,

"So far, so good!"

One step at a time, one km at a time, one aid station at a time. The second you get ahead of yourself is the second you start asking for things to go wrong. No one in their right mind can fully process what it takes to run for 160km, but everyone can run for 1km, and after that you can run the five or six or seven km until the next aid station, and before you know it you're fifty km and 1/3 of the way through the race. One foot in front of the other, continuously, Relentless Forward Motion, never let your mind tell your body what it thinks your body can not do, for it is dead wrong every single time. The body is a machine, it's the mind that is weak. Train your mind and you control what your body can accomplish.

The flats leading away from this aid station and into the biggest climb of the event were torturous for me. All I wanted to do was walk them, but I knew I'd be hiking a huge hill within ten minutes anyways and I managed to fight my way through until that point.

As I had just come through 'The Powerhouse' aid station I was expecting to and supposed to intersect with Jackie, but I knew it would be tight for her to drive the 15km around to the aid station that I had but 5km to run to. As I continued along the flats I expected to see her at any moment...but I hit my turn away from this road before she appeared. She had all of my food and fluids for the next 21km, and I had no choice but to wait! I went about utilizing my time by stretching out my legs and thankfully she appeared in under a minute. She had her typical smile and laugh going on as she could not believe that I had beaten her here. After a quick exchange I was off on a power hike up 'Nine Mile Hill'. It is not Nine full miles from this point, closer to nine km, and with a few downhill sections thrown in. It was a nice break and exactly what my body needed.

The one time I ran this race in 04 the 'Nine Mile Aid Station' was on the big bridge at the top. I had drained my fluids and was counting down the steps until my refill. I came around the last corner, and there was no one there! The distance back to 'The Powerhouse' aid station was around 10km...I started to freak out a bit, but kept my feet moving.

I told myself to calm down as it would almost make sense for them to have the aid station a few hundred meters further along anyways. Sure enough, thirty seconds later and there they were. Unexpectedly the station was being maned, or should I say womaned, but Cheryl Johnson and Rhonda Schuller, two amazing locals that I have had the pleasure of meeting through the running community over the years. They both had big smiles, congrats, and even hugs to help propel me along. I wanted to stay and chat, but alas I had a goal time in my head to work towards. I remember looking at my watch and I departed at exactly 5h45m into the race, having covered somewhere around 60km...only 100 left to go!

I thoroughly enjoyed the next hours downhill back to 'The Powerhouse' as I know those trails inside out. 'The Ring Creek Rip' and especially 'The Powerhouse Plunge' are some of Squamish's more famous trails. The only troublesome thing was that I could already feel that my feet were starting to swell. I had no intention of changing my socks or shoes during the race, but was almost wishing that I had packed...well owned and packed, a half size bigger shoe. I knew I'd be feeling the squeeze on the second lap.

As I came around the final corner into 'The Powerhouse' I was greeted by some of my fellow 100 mile competitors. I ran into the aid station for the second time, had trouble spotting Jackie as the area was now crowed with support crews, and heard but one comment,

"His SECOND time through!!"

I then spotted Jackie, who was hiding right in front of me, grabbed my bottle and was gone again.

"See ya at the finish babe!"

I departed the aid station at exactly 6h40m, only 10.5km to the end of my first lap. As I entered 'Crumpit Woods' and the 'The Farther Side' I was again feeling the effects of my pace and I welcomed the rolling terrain that demanded a power hike over numerous sections. My stomach would not settle and I ended up stopping for my sixth bathroom break! (I didn't think you needed a play by play of each one and you may think this is too much detail as it is, but it did end up being a factor of my race and something I had to continually deal with)

I knew the route would go through 'Three Virgins' and 'Seven Stitches', but was not fully aware of the fact that we then had to tackle 'Summer's Eve'. You would think the latter to be easier than the first two, but no the last trail was a little slice of unexpected hell! Lots of power hiking, some tip toe descents and the ever wandering mind wondering when we would finish our first lap!

I finally popped out into 'The Smoke Bluffs' and had but a few kms till the end of my first lap. I glanced at my watch and noticed that I was going to come in under 8hr. My initial plan was to do somewhere between an 8hr - 8hr15m lap. As I was going over this in my head, my left leg cramped and seized up instantly! I had never had a cramp come on so quickly before and was completely unprepared for it. I nearly fell over.

If not for the experiences gained over the last few years of running and adventure racing I surely would have freaked out and thought my race was over. Just one year prior while running The West Coast and Juan De Fuca Trails back to back I had a very similar occurrence just 45km into that 130km run. I DID start freaking out then, and was sure my attempt to run those trails had come crashing down around me, however I was able to recover from it and still finish that adventure run strong, attaining my goals for that run in the process. I simply did the same here, took it down a notch, walked it off, and was able to run the final seven hundred meters to complete my first fifty mile lap.

I crossed the line in exactly 7hr53min03sec. I could see the look on people's faces. Outside of their excitement and support, pretty much everyone was thinking I had gone out WAY too hard on my first lap. I concentrated on getting out of there as quickly as possible, and after changing my shirt and shorts, downing 1/2 of an avocado sushi roll, and chugging almost a liter of flat Coke, I was off and running again in under five minutes. I departed for my second lap in 7hr58m, and was determined to prove that I knew exactly what I was doing...even if I didn't really have a clue as to what I was doing at all!!


GR

Stormy Quick Cap...

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

17hr39min, 1st overall, new course record!!!

It hurt...a lot, but it was supposed to hurt, it was supposed to be hard, it was supposed to challenge me. I actually had thoughts of dropping out on the first lap but managed to fight through the mental weakness and keep my body moving forward the entire time. I suffered from some unexpected and unwanted stomach issues, but again, it's all a part of it. One hundred miles is a freakin long ways to run, stuff gonna happen in a hundred miles!!

Anyways, full blog report in the coming days, but for now, I get to enjoy my first solo victory of the year!

GR

12.5 Hr's And Counting...

I should probably be in bed right now but I'm still trying to piece together the perfect race plan for my first 100 miler. I've spent more than six hours over thinking this thing since yesterday, and I know full well that this plan will most likely go to hell before I even finish my first lap!!

I don't remember the last time I was so excited to race. I know I put my time in, my body feels great, nothing major bothering me, and very few minor 'niggles' to even mention. As long as my stomach co-operates I have set some pretty high goals for myself here...but first and foremost, just to finish...just to finish.

Wish me luck.
GR

Update On Fatality At RTR A Few Weeks Back

Quoting the Race Director:

"Hey everyone,

I know a few people are wondering what happened out on the course last
week. I didn't want to say until I had permission from the family to
reveal the results from the tests that they performed.

Marty passed away from a heart attack. The results indicate that Marty had
a heart defect that had gone undetected by previous physical examinations.
When his heart had decided to stop working, there wasn't anything that
anyone could have done to save him. It was simply his time. And as many
have said about him, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

(By request of the family)

1. Urge everyone with a family history of heart troubles to demand every
possible test on their heart. She doesn't want any one else to go through
this.

2. Keep Race the Rockies going. Marty wouldn't have wanted it to stop
because of this."

The Perfect Taper, Tofino Style

This past weekend's surf trip to Tofino, BC was the absolute best possible taper I could have imagined. We had an incredible time and it was one of the most balanced getaways in recent memory.




Surfing, BBQing, camping, beach running, star gazing, late nights around the camp fire, no alarms, great conversation, meeting new friends, complete relaxation...who could ask for more than that!



I have a ton of stories and write ups that I would love to post to my blog, but alas, the pics will have to do for this one.



Stormy 100 miler, from this minute, is exactly 60.5 hrs away, and I CAN'T FREAKIN WAIT FOR IT!! It dawned on me that I have not finished an actual race since the May 10th Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race, also in Squamish coincidentaly enough. This has seemed to fuel my racing fire even more than usual and I am counting down the seconds until I get to try and tackle this completely foreign distance...



GR

Oh yeah, check out this crazy new riding device, and be sure to watch the vid as well.

Mt Saint Helens Run Recap

This is gonna have to be a quick cap of the run, so here goes.

Ran around Volcano, had fun, 12hr, made it, beautiful trip. Phew, finally done!

Seriously though, I hate half assed reports but I'm running outta time before taking off for Tofino and a surfing trip this coming weekend, then my first 100 miler next weekend, which does not leave a lot of time outside of working and training to get to this stuff right now...plus girlfriends do NOTHING BUT get in the way!! HAHA, just kidding!! There are things more important than blogging, or so I'm told!

The week before we left, Geoff Palmer called down to get the current trail conditions for the south side of the mtn. The ranger, who we named 'Ranger Rick', was blunt:

"Don't even bother right now!"

Geoff was dumbfounded, "Huh?"

"There was fourteen feet of snow back there two weeks ago. There's no way you'll make it through the south side."

Keep in mind that Geoff had not even mentioned our grand scheme to run the entire trail in a day. Since most endurance athletes are stubborn to at least some degree, it was already settled. We'd head down and run it just to say that we did, and that Ranger Rick was indeed wrong about his own trail network!

We departed North Vancouver at 5pm on Friday and managed to luck out with a rapid border crossing. We then stopped at REI in Bellingham, Wash for some last minute items, including a proper trail map. That was followed up by enjoying a grocery store dinner in the parking lot, complete with Gluten Free beer, yuummmy!

We arrived at 1am, set up camp in the parking lot, and put our heads down around 1:30am. The 5:30am alarm sounded all too soon.



We packed up camp, had breaky and went about getting our gear ready to go when we noticed a large group of hikers displaying virtual 8x10 permits across their backs. We knew nothing about permits and after much debate and numerous questions we guessed that permits were only necessary for hiking to the Crater Rim, above 4800 feet. Otherwise the trail appeared to be free and we took our chances with a note to Ranger Rick saying we'd check in with him afterwards, promising to settle up whatever we might owe.



We were forced to start about 2.5km from the trail itself at 'The Climber's Bivy' parking area, as the road beyond was closed. The parking lot was covered in patches of snow and after our 7am departure we spent the first thirty minutes in snow wondering how bad it was going to get.



Thankfully we cleared the worst of the snow once we made our way onto the Loowit Trail itself, and then proceeded in a counter clockwise direction. Panoramic views followed shortly thereafter. Within the fist ninety minutes we could see why people said the trail would take over ten hours to complete...we could not go 100 meters without stopping for a photo op!



The terrain of the run was ever changing and it felt as though we ran through three or four completely different eco systems, from barren lunar like landscapes, to dense forests, and lush mountainside flowering plains. The run presented us with something special at each and every turn.



There were numerous washouts and creek crossings that demanded a level of confidence and experience to safely cross. After most of these obstacles we would end up spreading out and playing a game of who could find our running route again first. Our trail map was a mandatory piece of gear and I'm glad we took the time to purchase on the way down!



Even with our map we did end up lost at one point, for about an hour, as we ran up the wrong ridge line! We got caught following animal trails that seemed as worn and prominent as any trail we had traversed to that point in the run. After seeing a herd of Elk...are they called a herd? After seeing a posse of elk running away from us you would think could have figured it out, but no, we continued onwards and upwards until we gained a mini summit with some pretty amazing views. Which wasn't terrible! From here the proper route below was clearly laid out for us and we able to straightline it back to our intended running route.



I'm already way deeper into this run than I would like to be, as there was truly so much more to it than this quick cap can justify.



From here we hit a nice 5-6km running section before being confronted by the absolute crux of our day. A 'canyon' like glacial moraine was laying below us with walls of six or seven hundred feet! It was spectacular, but we all wondered exactly how the hell we were supposed to make it across this behemoth?



We followed the trail as it winded ever downward and eventually spit us out onto a rocky ledge, about seventy feet above the river that we still had to cross. We followed the route in the natural direction of travel, all doubting that there would be any easy way through. In fact Geoff later admitted that he fully thought our run was over and done with at that point in time. Sure enough though, a somewhat easy, and surprisingly safe, loose rock scramble down to the river opened itself up to us. We were across in no time and scrambling up the steep slopes on the North side of the river.



Again it was tricky to determine if we were in fact on the proper route and after referencing the map for a few minutes we were able to continue climbing with confidence. Shortly after cresting this climb of about 800 vertical feet we came across just the second group we would see all day. They had not yet seen the major obstacle we had just crossed, yet they could not stop talking about the terrain they had just covered and what still lay ahead for us!

By this time we were almost ten hours in and I could tell that the energy of the group was fading a little as we were all mentally ready to get off of the trail and enjoy a few beers!

There ended up being two additional washouts to cross with the largest adding about a full mile to the original route. It was amazing to look just a few hundred meters across at where the trail continued and realize that we were going to take 15-20 minutes to get there!

The last six kms or so were fairly uneventful, outside of the fact that it seemed to go on forever as we were all looking forward to completing this monster of a ~50k route.



We hit our intersection for 'The Climber's Bivy' and everyone's pace quickened instantly as we leaned into the switchback grade and let gravity do its work. At slightly over 12hr we cruised into the parking lot, mission accomplished! There were a few warm beers, dry clothes, and fresh fluids and food awaiting us in the car. We hung out for thirty minutes before heading into the nearest town of Cougar to camp for the night. At dinner we were to learn that the trail itself, below the crater rim, is indeed free. In fact between the four of us, with gas, food, camping and everything, the weekend cost just 60.00 per person! That's less that I would have spent had I stayed at home!!

The run is phenomenal and I don't feel like I have done it justice with this report. All I can say is that Tom says it's one of the most incredible places he's ever seen and I would tend to agree with him. In fact he asked me to tone down my run report so as not to attract too much attention to what a 'hidden gem' this run truly is...uh, there, that's as toned down as it gets!



As a group of four, Geoff, Duncan, Tom, and myself could not have had a better time, or been a better team. Everyone stayed solid throughout the run and no one was falling off the back, which was nice. It almost felt like an adventure race with there being four of us out there with ~10 pounds of gear on our backs, water included of course.

(It's official, three out of four dirty trail runners prefer Montrail Streaks to satisfy their running goals!)

One theme we kept referencing while running was a clip that I viewed through Matt Hart's blog. Check it out, Arnold is always good for a laugh!

And yes, it was that good!

GR

Oh yeah, and a huge congrats to Todd for indeed winning his first solo MOMAR this past weekend, nice work bud!

Also, Aaron Heidt placed 5th at White River, the American 50 mile ultra running championships, in his first official 50 mile race!
Not to be outdone, Nicola Gildersleeve, at just 24 years of age snagged the 4th overall woman. Two solid results from some serious up and coming ultra runner's from the BC scene. Congrats guys!

An Epic Run Around Mt Saint Helens!!

What a weekend! This supposed ~50k route runs much more like a 100k. Not because of the length but because of the sheer technicality of the route. Without our map we would likely have been out after dark and maybe even have spent the night on the trail. In the end it took us 11h59min to complete...ok, maybe it was a fraction over 12hr, but 11.59 sounds so much faster!

I headed down with a solid group of guys and we truly had a blast all weekend long. Here is a quick slideshow recap with a full written run report to follow shortly. It took me well over an hour to trim down our hundreds of photos to just sixty...so take the freakin 1.5 minutes to look at them dammit!!



GR

Will This Be A Blast, Or Will It Blow?

Seems blogging has its benefits. I got a call late last night from a few friends who read that I was not racing the MOMAR this weekend. They have planned a round Mount Saint Helens run for this coming weekend, leaving North Van after work tomorrow. Apparently the run is about 30 miles or 50k and there is still quite a bit of snow on sections of it...obviously I jumped at the chance to do this and am super excited about running some new terrain with some good friends! Should be an adventure either way!





GR

My First Ever 100 Mile Week

I took the Monday off to rest and recover, even though I was feeling quite good overall. It was late Monday when I set a goal for the week. 100 miles of running (161km). I have never been able to dedicate my training 100% to my running as it's always been a balance between riding, running, paddling, and gym work. I figured with less than a month until the Stormy 100 miler I might as well put on the horse blinders and see how my body responded.

Mon 14th: Day off of training

Tue 15th: 5h15m(40km)

Headed out to try and run the first 1/2 of the Knee Knacker course. 'Try' because it's quite a complex little route with many twists and turns, and I am notorious for finding scenic routes while out running new terrain. I hit the top of Black Mtn in 1h15m and Cypress in 1h45m, which was decent. I wasn't racing, and was making mental notes all along the route to ensure that I was 100% confident in it for future, faster attempts. From here however, it all went to shit. Hollyburn Chutes and it was game over...I reached Cleveland Damn in just under 4hr!
There were a few hikers that I passed less than 2km after departing the Cypress area...and they were walking Cleveland Damn up ahead of me as I came in! I turned to them and said,
"Next time I'll just follow the friggin hikers!!"
From here I continued up towards Grouse and eventually onto some trails and back to my place on Lonsdale. A technical and steep 40k route that took just over 5hr to complete. Roxy looked at me with 3km to go and simply stopped to curl up under a tree for a few minutes. It was a hot day and I was pretty shattered afterwards.
-Then out for a 1hr paddle in Deep Cove as part of the Tues night racing series
(day off of work)


Wed 16th: 2hr (20km)
Drive to The Callaghan Valley to lay out my running courses for The Callaghan Crusher on August 24th. This will be the first ever trail race to be held in The Callaghan, which is the site of the 2010 Olympic Nordic events. The course is gonna be beautiful! (day off of work)




Thu 17th: 1h15m (15km)
Out for an evening run with Ryne Melcher, also of Team Montrail - Mountain Hardware. Best running pace I've sustained since getting back on my feet and felt great!

Fri 18th: 1h45m (20km)
Pretty much straight up for 10k and then straight back down. Another solid run

Sat 19th: 3h45m (40km)
Head up to Squamish after work to join a Stormy training run group. Run the first portion of the course. Felt great physically, but had some stomach issues. Was awesome to be running at night with the headlamp on again! The Princeton Tec Apex is like my secret weapon for this race!!

Sun 20th: 4h45m (30km)


After work Jackie and I head out to run a backcountry route through Hanes Valley. Incredible evening, and once again loved the headlamp running after an incredible sunset from the top of Grouse mountain.



TOTALS: 18h45m - 165km

Roxy pretty much sums up how I feel about the week!


I was intending to try to hit the 200km mark for this current week, but after a very tough 45km run yesterday I realized that I might be a little tired from it all. Either way I feel great overall and the main thing is that the injuries are gone and no new ones have popped up to replace them yet!

Took today, Wed off and will get back to it again tomorrow morning. 16 days and counting...maybe the 200k wasn't the smartest idea anyways!

GR

Getting Back On Ma Feet, The Week Following BCBR

It took all of five days to go completely insane after BCBR. Five days of absolutely no activity whatsoever left me on the verge of checking myself into an institution, so I got up and started running.

I wouldn't exactly call it 'running', but I did move my feet in a forward motion for 2hr. I only covered about about 13km, so you can see that I'm not exaggerating when I hesitate to call it running. It was more of a speed hike with a few running steps thrown in for good measure.

The hike/run hurt, no doubt about it. The last time I ran at all was in Wisconsin for Luke's 100 miler on June 7th, where I logged 53 miles through torrential rains. The funny thing was that pacing Luke ended up being the third longest run of my life! Immediately after that was Test Of Metal and we all know the story from there. It felt great to be back on my feet again...at least that's what I kept telling myself! My hip wasn't liking me, but my main concern was my lower abdominal muscle. The irony was that I did not feel my ab at all, it was my contused quad that spoke to me for the first time since pre BCBR! I just could not seem to win, but an 'on the run assessment' told me it wasn't getting any worse, so I kept on keeping on!

While facing my issues during BCBR I remember telling myself that it was time for a break from everything. I intended to take all of July off and to get going again in August before pursuing a few races in the fall. By Tues morning I could think of nothing but the Shawnigan Lake MOMAR on July 26th and the Stormy 100 Mile Ultra Run on August 8-9th. While out running I had a lengthy mental dialogue in regards to both events and reluctantly realized that I was going to end up skipping out on my first MOMAR in a few years. I wavered on this decision a few times, but in the end made the call and stand by it. I was and am simply not up for racing it right now.

I figured I had just under five weeks to try and condition my body for its first 100 miler. With this race being 'right up the street' it did not make sense to call it off five weeks out. I told myself that I'd get my feet moving and see how my injuries came around. The quad seemed to worsen for two days and I have not felt it since.

Here a recap of the week following BC Bike Race:

Mon 7th: Suffer through 2hr on my feet (13km)

Tues 8th:n 2hr (13k) Up Lynn Peak, not very smart, but I DID realize what I was doing to my body. I wanted to get the climbing legs back asap!

Wed 9th: 2hr (14k)A very painful and slow run to Norvan Falls and back

Thu 10th: 2hr (16k) My strongest run since back on my feet, but still very slow!

Fri 11th: 1hr (8k) Very slow recovery run, just wanting to keep moving. My back was as sore as my legs were!


Sat 12th: My day off of running, but Jackie's day to suffer through the 50km Knee Knacker! It was tough for me to watch the race start, but from that point onward I loved every second of it. Jackie faced some issues in the heat and nearly puked for almost 2hr! She toughed it out though and kept her feet moving, which allowed her to accomplish her goal time of a sub 7hr race in 6h56min!! I was ecstatic to see her coming in under 7hr, and loved cheering on so many other friends out there as well. It was a great reminder of what an incredible community I belong to through running!


Sun 13th: 2h30m (25k) Feeling highly inspired by the KK the previous day I get up at 5:30am to log a run and swim before work. I ran the second half of the KK. Started out nice and slow and finally, finally, FINALLY had my legs back! I was in absolute heaven on this early morning run...till I had my worst running fall in over three years!! What a month! I was more worried than anything, but after the swelling in my left leg subsided, later in the day, I knew I'd be fine. Enjoyed a 30m swim in the ocean with ma dog while Jackie slept in and eventually met us in Panorama Park, Deep Cove.

Very Happy with my week of getting back to running:
11.5hr, 90km and feeling better by weeks end, then when it all began!

GR

BC Bike Race Countdown To 09

The x-rays at the hospital told me nothing crazy had happened to my abdomen or hip and that I would recover in due time. My blood work however opened my eyes to a few things that may have explained my perceived lack of recovery throughout the race.

Five days after my fall and my hemoglobin was down over 30 points from my normal baseline! They Dr. insisted that I return the following day to ensure that I was not still suffering from internal bleeding.

It was two days before I could get back in and have my blood work duplicated and in that time my numbers came up twenty points, which was a very good sign.

I headed up to Whistler to check out the closing ceremonies and catch up with everyone involved in the incredible organization that is BC Bike Race. Once again, special thanks to Bryan Tasaka, Marc Campbell, Dean Payne and all the volleys and people that made this event go off without a hitch. It was truly a traveling road show and quite the sight to behold.

To give you just one example of the logistics involved with such a race. Day four was our 4:30am wake up call to board two bus rides and two ferry crossings. BC Ferries employed a staff member, full time, for eight months to ensure that that specific day, with all it's logistical challenges went off without a hitch! Eight months!!

Anyways, as disappointed as I still find myself in the overall outcome of this event, I can't help but smile when I do recall each day of racing that I managed to complete. As mentioned BCBR was truly an education for me in terms of how different a staged, bike specific race is to a full length expedition adventure race. I was blown away by the level of competition, the professionalism of the event, and the grandeur of the race course itself. The countdown really is already in place for the 09 version of this race...and I might even learn how to ride...make that race an actual mtn bike before showing up next time!

This came to me while out walking my dog tonight:

"Embrace your biggest disappointments, build on your greatest accomplishments. Keep your head held high, and you can not help but move forward."

GR