Gary Robbins

The Countdown To Hawaii

December 26, 2009

Though she might still argue otherwise, Tamsin has been improving daily. It's a stupidly lengthy recovery process, but like I've already said, she'll blow the Doctors estimates out of the water. She's still on crutches, she's still in constant pain, but I've seen her smile and heard her laugh again, and that means the world to me!

Since I finished work on Christmas Eve at 2pm I've done nothing but spend time with my wonderful girlfriend and her amazing family, talk daily with my own folks, and run...lots and lots of running. In the last 51hr I've managed to log 123km, and the scary part is that I feel great! I think the week off due to the stress surrounding Tamsin's health was actually a beneficial thing for my own body. I seemed to be on the verge of a few things shutting down, but have felt surprisingly good since getting back at it again. As long as I hit my intended 30km tomorrow, I'll manage 100 miles / 160km of running this week. Having run only 8km in the first three days I'll take this as a PB/PR of sorts, almost 160km in four days.

With only one week of mileage left to go I've set a pretty lofty number to achieve in my final 10 days of training. So far so good. We'll see how the next seven days treat me.

Today was AMAZING! A low level fog had buried North Vancouver, but just up the street it was nothing but blue skies and warm temps. I managed a solid 40k over tough terrain which should mimic the H.U.R.T. course nicely! I ran the Cap-Pacific Trail up onto BCMC (Grouse Grind), across the ski hill...only getting in shit from two ski patrollers along the way...and rightfully so of course, back down Mtn Hwy, along the Baden Powell (I heart the BP) and down Mos Creek. All in all an awesome day! Quick pics, n I'm outta here!

GR

The Longest Week Of My Life

December 24, 2009

This Blog posting was originally supposed to be about logging 100 miles of running in a week and what it takes to accomplish this. I was tracking my daily mileage, thoughts, sleep, weather, etc, and was going to pop it up here on Sunday night. Basically I've noticed that anytime I've hit 100 miles in a week it has not been achieved without a high level of sacrifice, pain, dedication, and even doubt as to if my body would recover day after day to allow me to do this. I've always been amazed by weeks end that I've made it through so many peaks and valleys to stand atop my stated goal. Much like running 100 miles in a single day, it's never easy and you just roll through the bad while reminding yourself that the highs are once again just around that next corner. As with most things in life, it's 90% mental, and the rest is all in your head.

Unfortunately, on so many levels, that just wasn't meant to be this week. Running, for the first time in a long time, was about to take a secondary role in my life. In fact running was the absolute farthest thing from my mind come Friday evening. (I've left that partial running diary attached to the bottom of this posting)

FRIDAY NIGHT TAMSIN BECOMES ILL FROM HER KNEE SURGERY

Up until my anticipated run tonight, Christmas Eve, I've managed only one 8km run in the last seven days, and that was on Tues night through work. Even then I struggled to get motivated enough to move my ass out the door. Normally I'd take almost all of December off, but with a 100 mile race looming in mid January I was not afforded that luxury this year.

It's amazing the clarity that can find you in rough times like these. I'll elaborate as to her situation in a second, but what was completely evident to me in the last week is that nothing else mattered to me outside of Tamsin's immediate health. I could not focus on anything but thoughts of her sitting in a hospital bed and how I could possibly make that situation better for her. How I could somehow help her get out of there faster, and back onto her feet sooner? Not only did I not run a single step, I didn't think twice about it.

I won't go into too great a detail here as I don't think it would be completely fair to my girlfriend. All I'll say is that I've honestly never seen a human being suffer like that before. We went to the hospital on Friday night, were released with morphine tablets a few hours late, only to be carted back to the hospital on Sat morning via an ambulance.

What has transpired since then has been both gut wrenching and astonishing. Simply put, Tamsin contracted a staph infection from her 'very standard' knee scope last Thursday. On Thursday night and even Friday morning she could not believe how great she felt. We both thought she'd be back to running within three weeks. By late Friday afternoon however everything changed and she quickly plummeted into a world of suffering that I would never wish upon anyone.

Last night (Wed 23rd) she was finally released from hospital, but life hasn't gotten any easier just yet. She's still in constant pain, and is almost bed ridden. The newest prognosis is that her full recovery will take up to four months, and it will likely be a full month before the swelling in her knee even recedes. I am left wishing there were something I could do to alleviate her pain, and constantly struggle with that fact that I am powerless to do so.

For now, we take solace in the slight positives that we can attach ourselves to. First and foremost, we're home for The Holidays, and right now, that's all that really matters. Being surrounded by family and loved ones will undoubtedly expedite the recovery process for her, and everyone who knows Tamsin is completely confident that the fighter in her will trump even the best case scenarios the Doctors can come up with. And on that note, I'm done on here and off to spend Christmas Eve with my girlfriend. I hope Santa is good to both of us!

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Decide at beginning of week what priorities will be, make running number 1, every decision after that is based upon getting mileage in first

Monday: Supposed to get in an easy 10k, to boost miles early, get free tickets to The Vancouver Canucks hockey game! Plus am still kinda hung over from Staff Party previous night.

Tues:
Sleep: 6.5hr
Work: 1p-9p
Miles: AM 25k/17m - PM 5k/3m
Times Ran: 9am-12pm - 6:30pm-7:00pm
Climate: Cold, wet, slippery, icy

Slept in, tired, thinking too much sugar lately not doing me any favors. First 5km sucked, my right shin and foot bothering me, take it slow. Was dry when started but rains begin within 30m, not happy. Not really into it, think about shorting route numerous times. Reflect upon running 100m race in one months time, push through. By 10k feel better, at 15k feeling great! Get into a rhythm I haven't felt in quite awhile. My mind is absent from my body and the terrain flows underneath me effortlessly. This abruptly halts when I crest a small climb, lean into the downhill, and find myself dancing upon a surface of black ice! Best 'trail bail' in a few years, no damage done. Happy to knock down 25k before work and will get to add another 5km to it through run clinic tonight. Happy

PM, ran an easy paced 5k with clinic tonight. Body sore and hurting. Right ankle bothering me, quads tight, feeling left glute med...not happy...shouldn't have skipped out on my ice bath this morning!

WED:
S 8hr
C Rain, dammit
M 41.6k / 26m
T 10am
W Off

Swear to myself that I'll never sign up for another 100m in January...unless I somehow find myself living in the Southern Hemisphere!

Tired start to day and body feeling sore, kinda like lingering soreness from full contact tobaganning on Sun night? Looked like would be great morning for a run but now it's raining sideways out there...uggh, 40k to knock down...this sucks!

First ten minutes my right ankle keeps locking up on me, go from 1/2 run to hobble to 1/2 run n back. Figure it'll loosen up and within ten minutes it's fine. This is new and hoping it's nothing serious. Actually feeling pretty good, better than thought I would. Soaking wet but not cold, 2 degrees colder would have made for a long miserable day! Do a 20.8k loop with 1700 feet of climb n descent. Drop off Roxy and change clothes. Happy with a 30 min turn around as the rain has increased and it's not looking pretty outside. Get moving and feel surprisingly good again! Knocking down the miles and again not cold, just wet. Felt really good till about 33k and then felt nauseous. Never feel nauseous on runs. Concerns me, hoping haven't caught a bug. Last 8km kills me and gets increasingly tougher. Wasn't pushing pace at all today but destroyed by end of run. Into ice bath and suck back recovery drink n food. Hoping this doesn't take too much outta me for tomorrow and rest of week!

Thurs:
S 5h45m
W 8-12 4-8 (Split shift for Tamsin's Knee Surgery)
M 21k / 13m
T 2pm
C 10 Degrees/Overcast/Perfect! No gloves/hat/jacket!

Same thing in first ten minutes, right ankle not wanting to bear weight. Eventually loosens up without issue.
First loop good (flat gravel around Burnaby Lake), sub 40m, time left for second loop, left Achilles starts to hurt at 13km, push through. Great run, happy with how felt, for most part, but realize I need to get my calves and Achilles looked at. Immediately text Lesley White and book in for massage tomorrow. Achilles ends up very swollen later in evening

FRI:
S 7h30m
W 11-7
M 0

Day off, sports massage to start day, Achilles still swollen plus now a sizable swollen bruise on same shin? Looks like impact but can't remember any? Massage hurts, Lesley suggests physio, water running, etc...tell her I need it to be better for tomorrow!
Also see Dr. Bovard, and told I can push through pain as long as not getting worse. Have to work on heel drops to strengthen. Wondering if wearing dress shoes with higher heel cup on Sunday night aggravated it??

Sat:

Amazed at how much better I felt, but running was furthest thing from my mind by this point in time

GR

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Funny Fridays (The Ultra Runner)

December 18, 2009

K, I know I'm giving props to Brooks here when I'm sponsored by Montrail...BUT...they deserve it! They had a whole campaign around these commercials and all are incredibly funny. Here's the link to all, and below is the most specific to the ultra side of things. Enjoy!

GR

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3 Comments

The NSA Family

December 14, 2009

Last night was our annual North Shore Athletics staff Christmas party. We had an absolute blast with our very own party bus! The night started with some full contact tobogganing on the local Mt Seymour, with bodies stacked as much as three high on a single crazy carpet! The overall goal ended up being who could keep up enough momentum to shoot up the 'slow down incline' at the base of the run and also continue right on through the safety fence at the very end. Being the competitive group that we are, eventually this was accomplished by many. Tamsin and I managed to do so on a double carpet...and I only had to absorb one significant charlie horse to accomplish this.

Back on 'the party bus' and into downtown Vancouver where we were to close out our evening. However, this was not before the team had a full on chin up competition on the party bus, complete with a eventual contortion that could only be described as who could hump the ceiling of a moving bus the most times. Add to this an improv game of 'bus surfing' as people tried to see who could stay upright the longest as the vehicle meandered it's way through downtown Van and you can see the fun times were 'rolling' right along. Once at the restaurant we were treated to fabulous food and flowing drinks before we set in on our annual Secret Santa gift exchange.

After the dust had settled on this we somehow found ourselves playing a full on game of duck-duck-goose...yes the game where you tap heads till you say goose and then sprint around the group to see who can complete a lap and grab the empty seat first...yes the game you most likely have not played since you were ten years old.

Eventually owner Keith Nicoll stood up, with only minimal assistance, and gave a quick speech. It had to do with 'the North Shore Athletics Family'. This is something I have heard him talk about for years but never really thought twice about.

Coming from a Fairmont Hotels background the 'Fairmont Family' had always been jammed down our throats on an almost daily basis. The problem was that it was simply a program instituted within a massive company to create something that never existed. The Fairmont Family Fallacy was how I always thought of it. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time within Fairmont Hotels and most of my life long friends have come as a direct result of those five years of employment. However, there never was and most likely never will be a family environment within such a large organization.

North Shore Athletics on the other hand employs between ten and fifteen staff at a time. After waking up just slightly hung over this morning I couldn't help but feel like I had shared in something special last night. Quite simply we just had an absolute blast, but on a deeper level we all share so much in common that it's hard not to consider it a family like environment.

Everything was confirmed for me last night with but one glance towards our waitresses. As we were sprinting in circles around each other playing duck-duck-goose they could do nothing but stand back and laugh...even after we inadvertently knocked, what appeared to be a rather expensive piece of art work, off of the wall.

We were acting like kids. All of us. Together. From the second our evening commenced, with our crazy carpet adventures, till the moment most passed out from over indulgence, a continual laughter filled the air. Good times like those can not be faked, and laughter that comes from within is what keeps us young.

It's a pretty cool thing to love going to work everyday. To be in an environment where you know you share so much in common with those around you. Of course like anything else in life there are ups and downs, pros and cons, ebbs and flows...but in the end, I just feel very fortunate to be a small part of...dare I say it...The NSA Family!

GR

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Funny Fridays, Stand Up Routine

December 11, 2009

I'll start by saying that I'm none too happy with my inability to take my numerous blog posting ideas/topics and bring them to fruition. I just haven't had the time to sit on here and make that happen as much lately. I really want to get back to blogging more but maybe this intermittent break is a bit of a good thing. It's been three full years since I started this thing and I've managed to stay pretty consistent throughout. Hopefully I'll find that bit of writing fire that's been burning on low as of late. Anyways, at least to keep up on the Funny Fridays side of things for now...Comedian Demetri Martin,

GR

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Funny Fridays, Ode To My B.Day Pup

December 4, 2009

YES, I love my dog and I'm going to be 'that dog owner' who gushes about their pet! Roxy just turned 4 on Tues Dec 1st, though I was busy/working that day so I didn't tell her it was her B.Day till Wed Dec 2nd, when I was off for the day and I could treat her properly.

We headed out for a beautiful trail run on a spectacular December day and then followed it up with a $10 dog bone treat, amongst other treats as well of course. She was then pampered like a good woman should be on their 4th / 28th birthday, how does that dog year conversion work again?

Anyways, these are two short vids from when Roxy was just 1yr old, first she was trying to figure out what was attached to her ass, and second my then girlfriend was teaching her some pretty cool tricks...I always meant to follow through on training her to grab beer cans but somehow we just ended up running trails together instead! I've also attached my favorite five shots that were easily accessible in a thirty second search.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROXY!! You've enriched my life more than I ever dreamed an animal could do, and the fact that you make me laugh out loud at least once a day is a testament to that. You're the best!

(I can't believe how small she is in this vid!)

GR

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Back To 'The Rock'!

December 1, 2009

The weekend following Mountain Masochist in Virginia, Tamsin and I heading back to Newfoundland to attend the wedding of my best bud from High School. I hadn't been home in just over two years, since my other best bud from H.S. got married, so it was long overdue!

Flying to 'The Rock' in November is to roll the dice on the weather you could face. My B.Day was on the 19th, a few days after departing Nfld and returning to North Van, yet I recall numerous times growing up where we saw whiteout snow storms on my birthday. Somehow Mother Nature sided with us though and we had virtually nothing but sunshine for the entire trip...which was all of 72hr long! Yeah, I didn't even realize it when I booked the flights, but out total ground time in Nfld was almost exactly 72hr...so we hit the ground running...

In three days of being home, from mid-day on Friday till mid-day on Monday we managed 2x trail runs, one short scenic run of only 5km and one longer coastal run of 15km. There is a trail in Nfld that follows the coastline for over 200km, aptly named The East Coast Trail...and I have aspirations of heading out there again in the not so distant future to run it in its entirety. To my knowledge only Ray Zahab has accomplished this so far, so unfortunately the 'first baggers rights' have already been claimed! On my last visit home in 2007 I also ran a 25km section of the trail and it's incredibly beautiful and rugged. It would be a dream to conquer it one day.

The Wedding was great and we stayed well into the wee hours of the morning yet somehow managing to rise early enough to run the following day. We also managed to hit up the waterslides at the local pool with my niece, visit/Tamsin meet the Grandparents, and to cap it all off I had absolutely no idea that The Olympic Flame was passing through my hometown while we were there! Just six hours after landing, my beautiful Niece Kayla, my beautiful girlfriend Tamsin, and my own beautiful self (sounded like it might fit), were freezing our assess off in a bitter east coast wind while celebrating the spirit of The Games.

My family also managed to genuinely surprise me with a delicious Gluten Free b.day cake, of which my Mother has become a master GF chef since being diagnosed herself. And to cap it all off I got to check out my bro's new business, of which he's doing incredibly well at custom car rims/stereos/starters/alarms.

Could not have asked for a better weekend, just a few more hours/days at home...hopefully next time, while running 200+km of course!!

Here's the slideshow of the best pics from the trip (lots of trail pics), only thing we forgot in all the rush was to get a full family shot!

Oh yeah, and shortly after Trans Rockies I e-mailed the local St. John's paper to inform them of the fact that there were four of us Newfoundlanders competing down in Colorado. Topped off with the fact that half of the 'open mixed' final podium (3 of 6) were from a province with less of a population base than the average large city, at just over 500,000. I wrote an article about our collective accomplishments, of which the editor followed up on by calling me for a phone interview. Ironically enough the article finally ran while I happened to be home! It ended up being more about myself than the four as I initially intended (sorry guys), but either way I was shocked and amazingly appreciative over a full page spread! Article Here

GR

Funny Fridays

November 27, 2009

Since my Dad forwarded me this one I'll take it as his subtle hint that he didn't quite agree with last weeks posting! This is pretty damn good...

GR

My Mastercard Moment

November 24, 2009

Forgot to mention this about my recent trip back home to Newfoundland.

-Montrail Mountain Masochist Trail Running Shoes $120

-Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket $170

-Injinji Trail Running Socks $22

-2XU Compression Running Tights $125

-Seeing the look upon my Mother's face with her first born son standing in front of her in full fledged spandex tights...PRICELESS!!!

("Where did I go wrong with you?")

GR

Public Speaking Engagement This Sat Night!

November 22, 2009

Quick update here, sorry been kinda lame lately but have had numerous friends visiting from outta town which is always nice and thankfully cuts down on my internet time! I'm getting back onto my skis on Tuesday which I can not wait for, especially since we've just broken all time snow records for November on the local ski hills!!

On another note, this Saturday, November 28th, I have the absolute pleasure of having been invited to give a presentation on my adventures over the last few years. Basically what I'll be conveying through speech and video is that it's really never too late to make a life shift and I consider myself a prime example of this. Prior to 2004 I'd only run more than 10k three times and could basically count on my fingers and toes how many times I'd ever run in my then 27 years on the planet. I was not a 'born athlete' and although like every Canadian kid I played hockey, I had absolutely zero background in any endurance activities. I had never trained for anything in my entire life and I was carrying around almost thirty additional pounds of body weight...and I'm not talking muscle here! Six years on, and I now find myself in the best shape of my life and living a lifestyle that I yearned for but feared for so many years. Decisions and sacrifices have to be made, but goals of any shape or form can always be attained when you dedicate yourself to them!

As nerve racking as public speaking can be I do thoroughly enjoy it once the butterflies subside a little...having some butterflies is of course a good thing as it lets you know your still alive and kicking!

If you're interested in coming out I'd love to see you there. It's only five bucks and all the info can be found here.

GR

Funny Fridays

November 20, 2009

Well, after a four-day weekend back home in Newfoundland (stories n pics to come), followed by a mid-week birthday (I'm old), this is the first time I've had a second to follow up on here. After a one week hiatus here's a link to one of my all time favorite funnies, MTV's Sextreme Clucking.

Unfortunately I have to precede this video with a Parental Rating and warning of funny sexual comedy with foul language (I.E. my niece probably shouldn't watch this one!)

GR

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Tamsin Anstey, MTN MAS Race Report

November 12, 2009

Let me start off by stating that I’ve never written a race report in my life. Mainly because I never thought anyone, except maybe my parents, would actually be interested in reading it. But my wonderful boyfriend Gary Robbins has introduced me to a whole new network of blogging and, I have to admit, the concept is starting to intrigue me. Since I don’t have a blog of my own Gary has so graciously allowed me to post my race report on his blog. Here goes…. (editors note, I did not add those comments myself though I am tempted to spice them up even more! Hmmm, her incredibly attractive, sexy, and supportive boyfriend...not my words, hers! With his amazing prowess on trails, perfect physique, mesmerizing eyes...wow Tamsin I just didn't know...someone who 'I' can constantly turn to for advice, who understands me as a woman, who knows me better than I know myself and...Tamsin really, it should be more about the race, I know it's your first race report and all but c'mon, get to it here!)

MM was to be my first 50mile attempt. I’ve been running my whole life but this is my inaugural year of ultra running and had never run that far in one go to date. My background is in track and field and shorter distance trail races. The night before the race I got a bit anxious and didn’t sleep well, but not because I was nervous about where I would place in the field, I was genuinely concerned that I wouldn’t be able to run 50miles!

My doubt was in part due to the fact that I’ve been battling very frustrating chronic knee issues all year. I had half of the cartilage removed out of my right knee a decade ago as a result of a bad soccer injury and these longer distances are proving to be challenging for my “older than it should be” gammy leg. I can’t log in 100mile weeks like other ultra runners do because I have onset osteoarthritis in my knee so I always worry that I haven’t put in enough miles in training to go the distance.

Gary and I awoke at 2:45am. I would love to say that I brewed my usual strong cup of coffee but being that I was far away from home I instead settled for stirred instant coffee with powdered cream and ate a bagel with a banana and peanut butter for breakfast. At 4am all the athletes were herded onto 5 school buses and we were driven a 1/2hr to the start line.

It was a typical start to any race. All the competitors were anxious to start and you could feel the nervousness and tension in the air. It was freezing cold, everyone was under-dressed and there were massive line ups for the porta-potties which were getting more and more disgusting by the minute.

I love the start of any race. It’s the only time that you get to see and converse with all of the participants because everyone gets so spread out by the end of a race. I love the friendliness and camaraderie of the genuine exchange of wishing each other luck.

3, 2, 1 and we were off! We started running in the dark with headlamps which I’d never done before in a race. I enjoyed the first 10km on the road. I paced myself with Nicola Gildersleeve (fellow North Vancouver runner) and a local runner named Heather and we chatted, laughed a little and relaxed into cruise mode. I ditched my headlamp just before we hit the trailhead and started up our first little climb. The sun started to crest over the Blue Ridge Mountains and the view was spectacular. Although late in the season, the foliage was still vibrant, colourful and memorable.

I ran with Nicola for the first 3hours. Nicola and I have recently started training together sporadically and become friends. She has such a refreshing and positive personality and is the kind of person who is just pleasant to be around. Nicola had been battling a cold for a few days and starting coughing a bit and didn’t sound 100%. She stopped for a bathroom break and from then on we got separated.

Backing up a bit, about 2hours into the race I noticed that my quads were starting to cramp a bit which has never happened to me before. I popped a couple of electrolyte tablets hoping that would do the trick. My quads got progressively worse as time ticked on so I just accepted the fact that they were going to hurt all race. I just shrugged my shoulders and thought, “Oh well, at least I’m not noticing knee pain because my quads are hurting that much more.”

At the halfway point I felt good. Better than I had 2hours into the race. I knew that I was about to run up a big gradual climb on fire road which is my forte. The climb was hard but I felt strong. For the next couple of hours I really felt like I found my stride and ran well. Fluids were going in, GU was going down, the sun was out and it was the perfect temperature for a run through the mountains.

Gary told me that I’d probably hit the single track loop at around 6hrs so I was thrilled when I got to that trailhead way ahead of schedule. About halfway through the loop fatigue really started to hit me and I remembered what Nicola told me before the race and that was, “just keep moving forward.” So I put my head down, got into the zone and ran. I felt like I was slogging it and not maintaining a good pace but to my surprise I soon looked up and realized that I was gaining on another male competitor. Confidence boost!

Without going into boring play by play details of the last 2hours of my race I will sum it up in 4 words. I FELT LIKE CRAP! Fluids and GU were no longer going down, they were coming up, my legs felt like a combination of lead and jello and I got a nose bleed. Paints a really hot picture, eh?!

When I hit the last aid station and was told I had 3miles to go downhill I took a sigh of relief. I knew I was going to finish and finish well. I was running with 3 other gentlemen at that point and they all took off faster than me down the last decent. I kept looking back thinking that Nicola (who is a much superior downhill runner than me) would come charging around a switchback and I’d have to finish with a sprint to the line. As much as I love seeing Nicola I was really happy to not see her during those last 3miles.

Finishing is bitter sweet! I hit the road and knew I had only 1 mile to go. Yippee! I always find it so ironic that my favorite thing to do is run but that by the end of a race I can’t wait to stop running. I saw the finishers’ banner up ahead and a big smile broke across my face. I was going to win Mountain Masochist and qualify for Western States. Clark Zealand, the best race director ever, was at the finish line with his hands up welcoming me in. I crossed the line, Gary picked me up and gave me a big hug and kiss and told me that he was really proud of me.(cause he's like totally like the bestest ever!!)

I don’t say this very often but I was and am very proud of myself. This race was a great test of my own perseverance. I finished in 8hrs9min which is the 5th fastest female time ever on the course. I run because I love running and would do it regardless of the recognition I get but, I have to admit, it’s really nice to see that I am able to knock down times that are right up there with some of the top ultra runners in North America and it’s really nice to see my hard work pay off. I know that I have so much room for improvement and still feel really under experienced in the sport of ultra running and I am excited to see what I can accomplish in the years to come.

I don’t know where my running career will take me or if I am even talented to have one but this race opened many new gates of opportunity for me and I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in it.

Thank you to all the volunteers, race director Clark Zealand, Dr.Horton, Nicola and Gary (you complete me) for making this such a great weekend for me!

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MMTR Photo Tour

November 10, 2009

GR

18 Comments

Canadian's Invade Virginia!

November 9, 2009

I'll do my absolute best to keep this to a readable length here...

I was shooting for a sub 7hr run time which would have been a near 23 minute improvement over my 08 run time. The 08 race was my first ever fifty miler as I'd only started to fully concentrate on running, verses multi-sport, four months prior. The 09 version ended up being my second ever 50 miler and a much better race for me.

I obviously had to go out harder off the start verses last year but I was definitely surprised to find myself alternating the lead with Montrail U.S. runner Geoff 'The Alaskan Assassin' Roes (if no one else has referred to him by this name yet then I get to claim it when it sticks!) through the first 20 miles of the race. Lon Freeman was never more than a few steps behind and Valmir Nunes was always visible when we hit an exposed switchback area.

(Goeff Roes leading, me in second, RD Clark Zealand poaching the course!)

At the half way point of the race I was nine minutes ahead of my 08 pace and right on target for a sub 7hr effort. Geoff had managed to distance himself from me over the previous climb and he hit the mid-way aid just three minutes up. As I departed I could see Lon coming in just a minute back.

After departed the mid-way aid you venture into the longest climb of the fifty miles. In 08 I had to walk most of the climbs, this year I'd trained myself to be better on the climbs and faster on the runnable terrain. The course is 90% fire roads so I actually did some road mileage and my first road race in over 5yrs while preparing for the course. Although I did manage to run the entire course, save one section of about 200 meters, both Geoff and Lon had proved to be better up-hill runners than myself. Knowing this I had prepared for Lon to catch and pass me, which he did within about ten minutes. He managed a larger gap than I anticipated though and eventually he gained five full minutes on me. Little did we then know, Geoff was on a constant acceleration and while the rest of us just struggled to hang on Geoff simply ran the second half of the course faster than anyone had ever dreamed was even possible.

At about the 33m mark (55km) you hit the first real singletrack terrain of the course. Last year I nearly died through here, so this year I made sure to have something left in the tank for it. Once you complete this 5m/8k loop the course is predominately downhill to the finish line...which has always been my strength. I wasn't even two miles into the loop when I heard a runner from behind. Valmir was still lingering and with foot speed the likes of which I will simply never possess, he scared me enough to push my through the undulations of this loop. Thankfully and surprisingly I would not see him again until he crossed the finish line.

I exited the loop and was told Lon was four minutes up on me. I was feeling way stronger than I thought I would this late in the race and I vocalized that I thought I might still be able to close that gap over the final 10m/16k of the race. The next few aid stations told a different story though as the splits coming my way were growing, not shrinking.

As I hit the final aid station of the day, and with but 3.5 miles to go to the finish line, I was given one more split,

"Lon left here...exactly...two minutes ago."

I chugged a cup of fluid and rocketed outta there. It was almost all down till the final 1m section of road to the line. In the end this information was not accurate, as Lon had a closer to 4min lead at that point, but it was the perfect fuel to allow me to go with an all or nothing approach to end the race. Whether I cramped up and had to walk didn't matter at that point, only top two went straight into Western States and that was my primary goal at the starting line. My final km split times, gravity assisted of course but none the less my legs still had to turn over and absorb the punishment, were:

-4m17s /6.54mile
-4m27s /7.10m
-4m12s /6.45m
-3m37s /5.49m
-3m42s /5.57m
-2m44s (700m of flat road to the line) (3m48s pace /6.07m)

I crossed the line in 7h00m28s...missed out on a sub seven by under thirty seconds and an auto WS entry by two minutes...both tough pills to swallow, but by far and away this was my best performance south of the border, and my first major race that I'm truly happy with the time I laid down. Clark Zealand, David Horton, and the hundreds of others who make this race possible and can somehow convert a 50m fire road run into an incredible trail racing experience, THANK YOU SO MUCH yet again!! I might just have to return again next year and claim those missing 29 seconds.

In the women's race, the girl I've been flattered to call my girlfriend, Tamsin Anstey, in her first EVER 50 miler and just third attempt at running an ultra, laid down the 5th fastest woman's time in the 27 year history of the event!! She has promised me that she'll do a race report that I'll proudly post on here for her...till we get her up and going on her own blog in the near future.

Fellow North Vancouver runner and close friend Nicola Gildersleeve was also there to represent the Red and White. Even though she'd been battling the flu and ended up with a bloody nose and even puking on herself a few times, she really toughed it out to cross the line as the second place female finisher and claim the coveted auto entry into Western States!! I'm super proud of both of the girls and as a group who all live within a very short distance of each other I feel we did ourselves and our North Vancouver running scene proud. It was a great thing to be a part of!

Other Canadian's in top ten men were Adam Hill and Glen Redpath tied for 7th/8th!

-Special thanks to my amazing friend Hays Poole who drove 2.5hr from Raleigh, North Carolina to help support me during the race. He was a ROCK STAR who I can't thank enough!!

GEAR:

-Montrail Mountain Masochist shoes, rocking out their name sake race!

-Princeton Tec Eos headlamp for the first five miles in the darkness

-Carbo-Pro 1200 and Thermolytes as my primary fuel source during the race

Full results here, oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, Geoff 'The Alaskan Assassin' Roes...well he kinda destroyed the course like no one thought possible and ended up with a new course record of 6h27m!!! That's over 21min faster than the legendary Dave Mackay's run time, and in my humble opinion, solidifies Geoff as the outright U.S. Ultra Runner Of The Year for 2009...congrats Geoff, it was a pleasure and an honor to meet you this weekend!

GR

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Funny Fridays (Congrats Meb!)

November 6, 2009

Well as of this posting I'm already in Lynchburg, Virginia for tomorrow's Mountain Masochist 50 miler! (I time dated this post on Wed night) Not gonna say much right now outside of the fact that I know by Friday I'll be super nervous-excited and just hoping to be able to get a few hours sleep before the race start on Sat morn.

For this weeks funny vid I decided to go with a more relevant rather than downright funny posting. Congratulations to Meb Keflezighi on an outstanding win at this years NYC Marathon.

There's also a relevant article about Meb here if you are unaware of exactly who he is and the struggles he's faced while being an American citizen since he was twelve years old.

GR