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| Photo courtesy of P2P website. In August I drove south for 8 hours to get to the Waldo 100 race in Oregon. For anyone who has not driven the main freeway along the western flank of the U.S., the Interstate 5 (I5) is a tedious drive. Not much scenery, straight, and quite frankly boring. Having to repeat the trip to get home after a draining endurance event is exponentially more painful. Since the Pine to Palm 100miler is even further south than Waldo I decided to fly from Seattle to Medford saving me 20 or more hours of driving. The cost of a return flight plus a rental car was equivalent if not cheaper than the cost of driving gas. My flight departed at 10:30am. Google told me it would take 2.5 hours from Burnaby to SeaTac Airport. My tired and wanting to sleep in brain believed Google. I left home at 6:30am in order to arrive 1.5 hours before my flight.  The roads were dead all the way to the border so I made record time. The border guard however, apparently was not concerned with my tight schedule. This is the ensuing dialogue: Him: Where are you from? Me: Burnaby. Him: Where are you going? Me: I'm driving to the Seattle airport where I am going to catch a plane to Medford, Oregon where I will pick up a rental car so I can drive to Ashland, Oregon where I am going to run an ultra marathon race on Saturday. I'm returning on Monday. Him: How long will you be in the US? Me: Um, I'm returning on Monday. Him: What is the purpose of your trip? Me: I'm running in a race. Him: Why? Me: I enjoy racing. Him: You're not answering my question. Why do you race? Me: I guess I don't understand the question, what specifically do you ... Him: NO, LISTEN. YOU ARE NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE. WHY DO YOU RACE? You have to understand that at this point I wasn't sure where he was coming from. I have often asked myself why I do the things I do. But usually from a philosophical existential approach. He didn't really seem like he wanted to talk about free will versus determinism and seeing as this was final answer time I was pretty sure I was off to the slammer for being a runner. Him: Do you do it for fun? Do you do it for money? Me: For fun? Him: O.K., That's all I wanted to know. He then continued to stare at me for an uncomfortable amount of time until he returned my passport. I swear I was ready to break down and confess things I've never done. Driving away, I just couldn't figure out his angle. I go through the same border numerous times every year. EVERY trip is running related. All this info is on file. What could I have been doing? Anyway this was the start of my trip. I did travel math in my head and figured that if I drove just a little over the speed limit I would arrive in Seattle on time. I think it was outside of Mt. Vernon, about 100km north of Seattle that the traffic started to slow down. Then I remembered that it was Friday. Rush hour. Panic. The closer I got the slower the traffic got. Sometimes stopped. At this pace I would arrive at the airport just in time for dinner.  I hate rushing to get somewhere, especially if it's to catch a flight because you know that there's a good chance that once you get there, there is going to be a line-up at the check-in counter and at the security gate. My only choice was to risk driving in the HOV lane which I did, passing all those unfortunate law abiding citizens, at a speed which generally exceeded what was expected of me. I did not park my truck at the parking shuttle as I had planned since I arrived at 9:30 on the nose. Straight to the exorbitant airport parking where I spent another 15 minutes finding a spot that was about a 10 minute walk from the airport. I made my flight, but just barely. I blame Google for not being as smart as it pretends to be. Stupid Google. Fortunately, the rest of my trip was enjoyable and relaxing. My neighbour on the flight was Susan Weber who owns Spirit River Yoga and Massage in Abiquiu, New Mexico. I have always wanted to run in that area so it was interesting to talk to a resident. Definitely a state I would live in. When I arrived at the Medford, Oregon airport, a fellow standing behind me at the rental car check in asked me if I was running the next day. I hadn't been talking about it and wasn't wearing or displaying anything running related so I turned and asked him how he knew. He pointed down to my sandal clad feet. "I could tell by your toes" he said. Sure enough, I had three black toenails. Earlier in the month I had made reservations for a motel in Ashland, Oregon, the race's finish point. I had mentioned to the lady on the phone that I was running in this race and wondered if I qualified for a discount. There was a discount rate but even better she said that I could get a ride with her and her son Shahid to the race start. Over the next few days I got a chance to hang out with Shahid quite a bit and through him met a number of the local runners from the "Rogue Valley Runners". Ashland is a beautiful and friendly community with a load of trails in the area. It reminds me a lot of Nelson, BC, another one of my favorite towns. The night before the race was spent at the race briefing/dinner and then packing my drop-bags. I think I only got a couple of hours of sleep that night since we had to get up really early to get to the start in Williams on time. The night before that was unfortunately a late one with another early rise to get to the airport on time. Needless to say I think I was a little tired race morning. My game plan on race day was to go out slow and easy and let the lead pack do their thing. I knew that if I ran solid I would overtake most (hopefully all) of them throughout the day. My main competition was the previous year's winner and Pearl Izumi sponsored Tim Olson. As well, Innov8 runner Yassine Diboun, who I had narrowly beat at Waldo five weeks previous, was sure to be in contention for a podium finish. Not to mention that at every race there is a dark horse or two to rub elbows with. Usually this is me. I picked off all but five runners in the first 15 miles finding myself in 4th place. By 30 miles I had moved into third with Tim and Yassine ahead of me by about 20-30 minutes. I was feeling great and just totally caught up in the day but did not try to increase my pace to gain on the leaders. At the Squaw Lakes aid station at mile 40 I learned that Yassine was only 10 minutes ahead and I eventually overtook him at mile 45. He was struggling and suggested we run together to boost "our" morale. I offered a few words of encouragement but was in a really good groove so I had to keep running on without him. Eventually he dropped a few miles later. So that left me with Tim Olson to catch. At the Squaw Creek Gap station at 56 miles I was surprised to hear that he was only 20 minutes ahead of me. With roughly half of the race left I still had to stick to my game plan. Racing at this point would break me and would result in a slower time.
So at a very slow pace I persevered until the end but finished well behind Tim for second place with a time of 19:15. He found his groove at the end and I lost mine. All in all another good learning experience. The highlight of this race would have to be the course itself. I was not prepared for the spectacular scenery and diverse terrain. Throughout the race I wished that I had the time to take pictures of what I was running through. Honorable mention goes to the amazing volunteers at the race. Every aid station was super accommodating and well managed. And last but not least, Ashland itself which is such a cool town to hang out in. I will definitely be back. Stronger and faster with more time to visit next time. |
Monday, 10 October 2011
Pine to Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run Recap
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Walk In The Park Race Recap
Last weekend I took part in the 21st running of the 54km Walk In The Park (WITP) ultra in Kamloops. Wow. 21 years running. That's impressive. This was the second time I competed in this no-frills grass-roots race and once again Race Director Chris Larouche put on a good show.
The entry fee is dirt cheap, there's no tacky cotton shirt to forever occupy the bottom recesses of your drawer, the volunteers are great and there's a bbq at the end. Top that with a super fun 3 loop course on smooth rolling single track and you have the makings of an excellent short distance ultra.
This is the race website description:
"The course consists of double and single-track dirt trails cutting through sagebrush desert and Ponderosa Pine/Douglas Fir forest. The trail is rarely flat as approx. 960m of climb and decent is required per lap. A pine bark beetle epidemic has taken a heavy toll on the mature standing Ponderosa Pine so shade cover now averages only an estimated 25% over the entire course. Temperatures on the September long weekend have, in the past, reached 30-35C so please come prepared. "
Luckily the 54km distance started at 7am so the temps hadn't begun to climb yet but by the time I finished it was HOT! The runners in the 18k and 36k races started later in the day so they definitely got the worst of it. Luckily for everyone there was ample water on the course, at aid stations and from strategically placed self-serve jugs.
Two years ago when I first ran the course it was overcast and not as warm so I had that to my advantage. Top that with coming off a pretty good rookie ultra season and I ran a pretty good race: I finished first and set a course record to boot. My time was 4:54 but my splits were sloppy and undisciplined - 1:36/1:38/1:45. As was my style, I took off too quickly and dragged my tired ass around the final 18km loop.
This year I approached the race with the goal of simply running even splits. I knew I was in good shape but had also raced a 100km race only two weeks before. As well, the Pine to Palm 100mile ultra was coming up in two weeks. The latter carries more importance this season so I did not want to jeopardize my overall fitness going into it. In other words I had to run conservatively.
My strategy was to run at a certain HR for 1/2 to 3/4 and then open up a bit if I was feeling good. I expected to complete the first loop in between 1:36 and 1:40. Since there was not really any competition I was allowed to run easy and steady but at the 1/2 way aid station I got a bit of a scare when one of the vollies remarked that they were wondering where I was since they had expected me sooner. Hmmm. I couldn't remember how long it took to get to the finish from this point and knew the hardest, hilliest part of the loop was coming up so I experienced the inner struggle of self-doubt: debating if was running slower than I thought and whether or not I should pick up the pace. I decided to continue with my game plan (maybe I picked up my pace a wee bit;). I finished the first lap in 1:32. Wow. Apparently my pace was pretty good after all.
I ran the next loop at the same perceived effort and finished it in 1:36, still feeling fresh and strong. At this point I decided to ease into the final lap and then, after the initial hilly section, to hammer everything to the finish except for the steepest hills. I felt awesome ripping it up on the twisty, rolling single-track. When training for longer ultras, apart from shorter speed-work sessions, the majority of my miles are done at a slow, easy pace. To open it up for a longer duration was simply exhilarating and apart from the torturous hills at the end I ran strong to the end, finishing and winning the race with a new course record of 4:45 with a final split of 1:36. Needless to say I was totally satisfied with my disciplined pacing and overall performance.
Next up is the Pine to Palm 100miler in Southern Oregon on September 17th.
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| Beautiful,sunny, Kamloops B.C. |
The entry fee is dirt cheap, there's no tacky cotton shirt to forever occupy the bottom recesses of your drawer, the volunteers are great and there's a bbq at the end. Top that with a super fun 3 loop course on smooth rolling single track and you have the makings of an excellent short distance ultra.
This is the race website description:
"The course consists of double and single-track dirt trails cutting through sagebrush desert and Ponderosa Pine/Douglas Fir forest. The trail is rarely flat as approx. 960m of climb and decent is required per lap. A pine bark beetle epidemic has taken a heavy toll on the mature standing Ponderosa Pine so shade cover now averages only an estimated 25% over the entire course. Temperatures on the September long weekend have, in the past, reached 30-35C so please come prepared. "
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| Great shot from high point on course. From WITP Facebook page. |
Luckily the 54km distance started at 7am so the temps hadn't begun to climb yet but by the time I finished it was HOT! The runners in the 18k and 36k races started later in the day so they definitely got the worst of it. Luckily for everyone there was ample water on the course, at aid stations and from strategically placed self-serve jugs.
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| Refilling at the start/finish aid station |
This year I approached the race with the goal of simply running even splits. I knew I was in good shape but had also raced a 100km race only two weeks before. As well, the Pine to Palm 100mile ultra was coming up in two weeks. The latter carries more importance this season so I did not want to jeopardize my overall fitness going into it. In other words I had to run conservatively.
My strategy was to run at a certain HR for 1/2 to 3/4 and then open up a bit if I was feeling good. I expected to complete the first loop in between 1:36 and 1:40. Since there was not really any competition I was allowed to run easy and steady but at the 1/2 way aid station I got a bit of a scare when one of the vollies remarked that they were wondering where I was since they had expected me sooner. Hmmm. I couldn't remember how long it took to get to the finish from this point and knew the hardest, hilliest part of the loop was coming up so I experienced the inner struggle of self-doubt: debating if was running slower than I thought and whether or not I should pick up the pace. I decided to continue with my game plan (maybe I picked up my pace a wee bit;). I finished the first lap in 1:32. Wow. Apparently my pace was pretty good after all.
I ran the next loop at the same perceived effort and finished it in 1:36, still feeling fresh and strong. At this point I decided to ease into the final lap and then, after the initial hilly section, to hammer everything to the finish except for the steepest hills. I felt awesome ripping it up on the twisty, rolling single-track. When training for longer ultras, apart from shorter speed-work sessions, the majority of my miles are done at a slow, easy pace. To open it up for a longer duration was simply exhilarating and apart from the torturous hills at the end I ran strong to the end, finishing and winning the race with a new course record of 4:45 with a final split of 1:36. Needless to say I was totally satisfied with my disciplined pacing and overall performance.
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| I love downhill finishes! |
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| Race Director Chris Larouche presenting me with a trophy |
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| Check out the dirt tan... |
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| Local trend: calf tats |
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| Ultra Burger! |
Next up is the Pine to Palm 100miler in Southern Oregon on September 17th.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Black Tusk Sunday Run
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| The Black Tusk Pinnacle |
Although I have run past it before in the excellent Rubble Creek Classic race, I have never been to the top. This icon volcanic landmark is in Garibaldi Provincial Park near Squamish and since I had a 3 hour run today I estimated that from the trail head to the top and back would take about this time. I was up at 5 and running at 7 trying to beat the crowds of hikers that love this trail and although I was pretty much alone on the way up, coming down was a game of dodge-em.
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| Garibaldi Lake |
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| The trail winds clockwise to the crux |
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| Garibaldi Lake from the base of Black Tusk |
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| Alien landscapes |
Nearing the top, I passed one fellow on his way down from the summit. He had started his trek at 2:30am from the parking lot at the trail-head! It would have been perfect conditions for a night hike - clear and mild.
The last scramble to the top was pretty interesting in my Hokas (see next post for shoe review). Pretty much the polar opposite of climbing shoes...
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| The first pair of Hokas to the top of Black Tusk? |
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| View from 7600' |
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| Obligatory self-photo |
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| This one took so long to set up I had to include it. |
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| Goat trail leading to the gap |
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| Crazy skinny gap I could barely get my too-large-for-running body through. |
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| I LOVE MOUNTAIN RUNNING!!! |
As I was bombing down the talus slope I encountered a trio of hikers on their way up. One of the women asked me if I had run up this mountain and upon hearing my reply, responded in a thick accent, "ARE YOU MAD!" Hmmm. Just the opposite really.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Waldo 100k Race Recap
Well, I'm happy and relieved to say that this one went well and according to plan.
The trip down to the race was uneventful and stress free. My travelling partner Nicola convinced me that we should head down Thursday and drive half way instead of the entire distance on Friday so we wouldn't be stuck in a car for eight or nine hours straight. I had been fighting a tight hamstring/soleus in my left leg for a couple of weeks previous so this was a good idea.
After arriving at our motel in Castle Rock, Oregon we went for a short run and my leg felt good as new - a very positive sign. I really didn't want to have to deal with any pre-existing muscle tightness during the race.
Oakridge, Oregon was our home for the duration of the race and we stayed at great little place called The Cascade Motel - clean, cheap, quiet with super helpful and friendly hosts. After driving that hot day without AC I was ready for a lake swim so I enquired about local swimming holes. In a hushed voice the manager told me about the locals-only secret hotsprings alongside a river nearby. Bonus!! Perfect therapy for my muscles. After driving around a while we finally found them and indulged in a series of hot/cold baths. Perfect.
Later that evening we headed up to the Willamette (pronounced Wil AM it) Pass Ski Area to sign in, pick up our race packages (my number was a very auspicious 217), and to get the mandatory pre-race briefing which unlike many I have heard in the past was interesting and entertaining. Fellow ultrarunner and Race Director Craig Thornley did most of the speaking and proved eloquent and charismatic while masters superstar and Assistant Race Director Meghan Arbogast provided a fairly accurate course description - somehow I would miss the "fun 4 mile downhill finish"!
The headliner for the evening however was the description and demonstration of the bizarre hat/bag that is the prize for the most creative "Show Us Your Waldo". From the race website:
"Show us Your Waldo This subjective award is judged by the aid stations. Each aid station will get one vote for the runner who shows or has the most or best Waldo. Early starters are eligible for this award. Prize is a free entry into the 2012 race, and the crazy perpetual hat that you must return in 2012 with your unique contribution added."
I wish I had the demo on video but here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of this weirdo hat.
Ok, so on to race day.
The race started at 5am so it would be dark for about another 45 minutes after that. Lights of some sort were necessary. Most had headlamps but I found a small hand-held more than sufficient for this short period of time. As I predicted a lead pack of about 7 runners broke away right from the start but I kept my promise to myself to go easy and let them go. Right off the bat the course went straight up the ski hill so it was either slow running or fast walking, keeping my heart rate(HR) nice and low which, because of the elevation (5000'), ended up being 10bpm higher than what it would be at sea level. It took me a while to get used to the idea of running comfortably at 142bpm when I would normally restrict myself to 131bpm for an easy up hill pace.
I kept on nice and easy to the summit of the first major climb, Fuji Mtn. At this time the sun was coming up, the view was spectacular, and I was feeling strong and relaxed and not at all worried about my position. My plan was to run steady and relaxed and see how the day unfolded. According to the results I was in 13th place at Gold Lake, and 12th at Fuji Mtn.
So up until this point my legs were feeling great but then I hit some flats and wouldn't you know it my hamstring turned into a softball size knot and my soleus tightened up into a golf ball somewhere above my ankle. Not good. This was what I was worried about throughout my last few weeks of training and tapering. It wasn't crippling by any means but I could feel it with every stride and it was all I was thinking about. So I just kept running, trying to relax, wishing it away, thinking that it would loosen up like it had in the past. I had brought ibuprofens with me but didn't want to use them unless absolutely necessary.
I stayed on top of my hydration, fueling, and electrolyte (salt basically) consumption from start but at this point I started to drink more water and slammed back a couple of extra electrolyte capsule to see if this would loosen the knots. No dice. Finally, after 3 hours I popped the first two of ten extra strength IB's along with 300mg of caffeine, a Gu gel, 2 Saltsticks, and within 30 minutes my tight leg was not bothering me anymore.
So I was feeling pretty great now, no pain and I had moved up into the top 10. Just cruising along. Not a care in the world.
The trails that make up the Waldo 100 course are for the most part very dry and dusty. The day started out warm and ended up boiling hot (34 degrees Celsius on exposed mountain sides feels a lot hotter!). Hot weather = hot feet = wet feet which can result in blisters. Dust inside a sock for a long duration can create friction which also causes blisters. It's funny because I always brag about how tough my feet are and how I never get blisters except for maybe really insignificant ones on the ends of my index toes. The blister I got immediately after my leg started cooperating was not funny and was definitely significant. I ran with this intense pain in the arch of my right foot for quite a while before I stopped and took off my shoe to see if I could straighten my sock or do something that would provide some relief. I was at a loss when I saw a bleeding red loonie-size wound with a big flap of tough skin that used to be my super tough callous hanging off of it. I ripped the skin off, put my dirty wet sock back on and got back into my shoe. Just before I took off again I reached down to pull my sock from the heel to ensure it wasn't bunched under my foot and lo and behold I ripped the top part of my sock right off! Now my sock didn't even cover my foot above my heel. Great. My only comfort at this point was knowing that at the next aid station I had dry socks (I managed to rip the top off one of these socks as well!) and a change of shoes. Amazingly, this blister did not bother me again until after the race.
The Charlton Lake Aid Station is roughly the half-way point of the race. Here I replaced my shoes and socks and restocked my supplies and found out that I was in 7th place. The day was starting to heat up but I was in excellent spirits and feeling strong and pain free. Before I forget I have to mention that the volunteers at the aid stations for this race were by far the best I have ever had. Apparently, getting the royal treatment is common at a lot of the bigger U.S. races but this was a first for me. At every station my bottles were taken from me and filled and returned with the lids on and the garbage emptied from their pockets! At one memorable station at the start of the heinous Maiden Peak ascent a fellow met me a hundred yards before the aid station, took my bottles and ran them up to get filled. By the time I trudged up this steep section to the station they were filled and ready to go. At the Maiden Lake station, the last before the finish, one of the ladies insisted on wiping my forehead with a clean, cold, damp cloth! Other stations offered goods ranging from popsicle's to bug spray. Each and every station was a total spirit boost. First class volunteers!!!
From this point I caught a pretty good second wind, cruising the great single track, humming giant guitar riffs out loud (actually scared a couple of runners when I passed them), having a good old time. I knew the hardest climb on the course was coming up but it was also the last climb before a generally downhill finish so I just kept plugging along. Starting the ascent I found out I was in 5th place with Yassine Diboun ahead of me by five minutes. Yassine is a super nice guy I have met at a couple of other races but he is also a kick-ass runner so I was pretty excited to be running this close to him. Knowing I had a huge climb ahead of me all I could do was continue and plug along. My only concern was getting to the top and maybe I could catch him on the descent. My legs were still feeling strong and I hadn't blown my quads on any of the other descents so I was in good shape for some fast downhill running.
It's about 4 miles from the bottom to the top of Maiden Peak. Starting at 4900' you run/hike (mostly hike) to the top at almost 8000'. Some sections are so steep that you are on your tip toes digging into the slope. Basically it's just head down and one foot in front of the other ad infinitum. The forest here was very beautiful and there was the odd snow patch to cross over so it was somewhat cool. When the trees ran out and I stepped out onto the exposed mountain the heat seemed to rise 20 degrees and really took it's toll on me. I had run out of water about 20 minutes previous to this and there was absolutely no running water anywhere so I was getting pretty thirsty and desperate for the next aid station. Up and up over a couple of false summits and I finally spotted a volly on the side of the trail. Yes! Aid station! No, just the final pitch to the top. "Just 5 minutes to the top," he says. "Back down, and a mile down to the next aid station". Well, all that down sounded good and I was inspired to keep power-hiking to the top. And Yassine was somewhere just ahead of me. I think that in powering up this last portion of the course in the blazing hot sun, slightly dehydrated, I think this is where my tank was reading empty. I caught Yassine at the very top, we exchanged pleasantries, I politely thanked the mountain gods for the great times, and got the hell out of there. I followed Yassine down the rocky mountain goat trail for a few steps before he let me pass and I was gone! See, the good thing about steep down hill sections is they only require the effort to stay balanced and on your feet. Gravity does the work. I love running downhill and this section was a blast. I felt a huge surge of energy that lasted all the way to the last aid station...
So now I was in 4th place. The ladies at the aid station answered that 3rd place was about 10 minutes ahead of me. Hmmm... 8 miles to go, mostly downhill, nope, wasn't in the cards. At this point I just wanted to stay ahead of Yassine. I hadn't been passed by anyone the whole race and did not want to be now. I said thanks to the vollies and started down the trail... "No! Wrong way! You have to go up that way!" Up?! Yep, the next 4 miles were not down, they were rolling. Normally, rolling terrain is a blast - good for fast running. Instead of cruising to the finish I bonked and never recovered. I couldn't run up any of the hills, not matter how gradual they were. Eventually the flat sections felt like hills and I had to alternate walking and running. And to make matters worse I was running out of steam on the downhill sections. Nothing was steep enough for gravity to help me get down this damn mountain. Believe me I was leaning so far forward but to no avail. And I ran out of water. Exhausted, parched, beaten down, and baking in the 34 degree sun (it felt hotter) I knew I was close but time had sloooooowed down. I knew I would finish faster if I moved faster but my legs just didn't want to go. So thirsty too. I finally came to a lake and had a look at the mosquitoes and bugs at the edge and thought no and a minute later I was filling my bottle and having a drink of warmish water. Just as I spit it out I saw the tiniest stream flowing into the lake. Ahh, cold, clear, running water. Nectar of the gods. I bet I was at this stream for at least 3 minutes drinking, filling, drinking, soaking my hat and head. I kept listening for foot fall but luckily I was still ahead.
Not much to say about the last 4 miles other than they were among the most torturous I have ever run. I have never had to walk down hills before. My pulse was so low. My damn legs would not push. They didn't hurt, they weren't stiff. They had abandoned me. I ended up alternating between running and walking until I was at the bottom of the hill where I forced myself to run through to the finish. Painful. But I was elated with my performance nonetheless. My plan had worked and I finished ahead of my expectations. And I learned a thing or two that I can use in my future races.
4th overall with a time of 10:22:15 and 2nd in the Master's division. Not bad considering the first and second place runners Dave Mackey and Ian Sharman are two of the fastest 100k racers in the states right now. Dave also took first place in the Master's division.
This race was the first race in the Montrail Cup Ultra Series. The first and second place runners in each of these races gets an automatic entry into the popular and impossible to get into Western States 100 Mile race. If one of the top two already has a spot in Western then the automatic entry rolls down to third. Both Dave and Ian are already in so I have been wondering if in this case there might be a roll down to 4th. That would be me and that would be pretty cool!
The trip down to the race was uneventful and stress free. My travelling partner Nicola convinced me that we should head down Thursday and drive half way instead of the entire distance on Friday so we wouldn't be stuck in a car for eight or nine hours straight. I had been fighting a tight hamstring/soleus in my left leg for a couple of weeks previous so this was a good idea.
After arriving at our motel in Castle Rock, Oregon we went for a short run and my leg felt good as new - a very positive sign. I really didn't want to have to deal with any pre-existing muscle tightness during the race.
Oakridge, Oregon was our home for the duration of the race and we stayed at great little place called The Cascade Motel - clean, cheap, quiet with super helpful and friendly hosts. After driving that hot day without AC I was ready for a lake swim so I enquired about local swimming holes. In a hushed voice the manager told me about the locals-only secret hotsprings alongside a river nearby. Bonus!! Perfect therapy for my muscles. After driving around a while we finally found them and indulged in a series of hot/cold baths. Perfect.
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| McCredie Hot Springs |
Later that evening we headed up to the Willamette (pronounced Wil AM it) Pass Ski Area to sign in, pick up our race packages (my number was a very auspicious 217), and to get the mandatory pre-race briefing which unlike many I have heard in the past was interesting and entertaining. Fellow ultrarunner and Race Director Craig Thornley did most of the speaking and proved eloquent and charismatic while masters superstar and Assistant Race Director Meghan Arbogast provided a fairly accurate course description - somehow I would miss the "fun 4 mile downhill finish"!
The headliner for the evening however was the description and demonstration of the bizarre hat/bag that is the prize for the most creative "Show Us Your Waldo". From the race website:
"Show us Your Waldo This subjective award is judged by the aid stations. Each aid station will get one vote for the runner who shows or has the most or best Waldo. Early starters are eligible for this award. Prize is a free entry into the 2012 race, and the crazy perpetual hat that you must return in 2012 with your unique contribution added."
I wish I had the demo on video but here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of this weirdo hat.
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| Crazy Hat lady and RD Craig Thornley not wanting to touch the Crazy Hat. |
Ok, so on to race day.
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| I'm in the middle trying to start my watch. |
The race started at 5am so it would be dark for about another 45 minutes after that. Lights of some sort were necessary. Most had headlamps but I found a small hand-held more than sufficient for this short period of time. As I predicted a lead pack of about 7 runners broke away right from the start but I kept my promise to myself to go easy and let them go. Right off the bat the course went straight up the ski hill so it was either slow running or fast walking, keeping my heart rate(HR) nice and low which, because of the elevation (5000'), ended up being 10bpm higher than what it would be at sea level. It took me a while to get used to the idea of running comfortably at 142bpm when I would normally restrict myself to 131bpm for an easy up hill pace.
I kept on nice and easy to the summit of the first major climb, Fuji Mtn. At this time the sun was coming up, the view was spectacular, and I was feeling strong and relaxed and not at all worried about my position. My plan was to run steady and relaxed and see how the day unfolded. According to the results I was in 13th place at Gold Lake, and 12th at Fuji Mtn.
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| Descending Fuji early in the race. |
So up until this point my legs were feeling great but then I hit some flats and wouldn't you know it my hamstring turned into a softball size knot and my soleus tightened up into a golf ball somewhere above my ankle. Not good. This was what I was worried about throughout my last few weeks of training and tapering. It wasn't crippling by any means but I could feel it with every stride and it was all I was thinking about. So I just kept running, trying to relax, wishing it away, thinking that it would loosen up like it had in the past. I had brought ibuprofens with me but didn't want to use them unless absolutely necessary.
I stayed on top of my hydration, fueling, and electrolyte (salt basically) consumption from start but at this point I started to drink more water and slammed back a couple of extra electrolyte capsule to see if this would loosen the knots. No dice. Finally, after 3 hours I popped the first two of ten extra strength IB's along with 300mg of caffeine, a Gu gel, 2 Saltsticks, and within 30 minutes my tight leg was not bothering me anymore.
So I was feeling pretty great now, no pain and I had moved up into the top 10. Just cruising along. Not a care in the world.
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| Storming across a swampy meadow. |
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| Feeling good! |
The trails that make up the Waldo 100 course are for the most part very dry and dusty. The day started out warm and ended up boiling hot (34 degrees Celsius on exposed mountain sides feels a lot hotter!). Hot weather = hot feet = wet feet which can result in blisters. Dust inside a sock for a long duration can create friction which also causes blisters. It's funny because I always brag about how tough my feet are and how I never get blisters except for maybe really insignificant ones on the ends of my index toes. The blister I got immediately after my leg started cooperating was not funny and was definitely significant. I ran with this intense pain in the arch of my right foot for quite a while before I stopped and took off my shoe to see if I could straighten my sock or do something that would provide some relief. I was at a loss when I saw a bleeding red loonie-size wound with a big flap of tough skin that used to be my super tough callous hanging off of it. I ripped the skin off, put my dirty wet sock back on and got back into my shoe. Just before I took off again I reached down to pull my sock from the heel to ensure it wasn't bunched under my foot and lo and behold I ripped the top part of my sock right off! Now my sock didn't even cover my foot above my heel. Great. My only comfort at this point was knowing that at the next aid station I had dry socks (I managed to rip the top off one of these socks as well!) and a change of shoes. Amazingly, this blister did not bother me again until after the race.
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| It looked more dramatic covered in blood... |
The Charlton Lake Aid Station is roughly the half-way point of the race. Here I replaced my shoes and socks and restocked my supplies and found out that I was in 7th place. The day was starting to heat up but I was in excellent spirits and feeling strong and pain free. Before I forget I have to mention that the volunteers at the aid stations for this race were by far the best I have ever had. Apparently, getting the royal treatment is common at a lot of the bigger U.S. races but this was a first for me. At every station my bottles were taken from me and filled and returned with the lids on and the garbage emptied from their pockets! At one memorable station at the start of the heinous Maiden Peak ascent a fellow met me a hundred yards before the aid station, took my bottles and ran them up to get filled. By the time I trudged up this steep section to the station they were filled and ready to go. At the Maiden Lake station, the last before the finish, one of the ladies insisted on wiping my forehead with a clean, cold, damp cloth! Other stations offered goods ranging from popsicle's to bug spray. Each and every station was a total spirit boost. First class volunteers!!!
From this point I caught a pretty good second wind, cruising the great single track, humming giant guitar riffs out loud (actually scared a couple of runners when I passed them), having a good old time. I knew the hardest climb on the course was coming up but it was also the last climb before a generally downhill finish so I just kept plugging along. Starting the ascent I found out I was in 5th place with Yassine Diboun ahead of me by five minutes. Yassine is a super nice guy I have met at a couple of other races but he is also a kick-ass runner so I was pretty excited to be running this close to him. Knowing I had a huge climb ahead of me all I could do was continue and plug along. My only concern was getting to the top and maybe I could catch him on the descent. My legs were still feeling strong and I hadn't blown my quads on any of the other descents so I was in good shape for some fast downhill running.
It's about 4 miles from the bottom to the top of Maiden Peak. Starting at 4900' you run/hike (mostly hike) to the top at almost 8000'. Some sections are so steep that you are on your tip toes digging into the slope. Basically it's just head down and one foot in front of the other ad infinitum. The forest here was very beautiful and there was the odd snow patch to cross over so it was somewhat cool. When the trees ran out and I stepped out onto the exposed mountain the heat seemed to rise 20 degrees and really took it's toll on me. I had run out of water about 20 minutes previous to this and there was absolutely no running water anywhere so I was getting pretty thirsty and desperate for the next aid station. Up and up over a couple of false summits and I finally spotted a volly on the side of the trail. Yes! Aid station! No, just the final pitch to the top. "Just 5 minutes to the top," he says. "Back down, and a mile down to the next aid station". Well, all that down sounded good and I was inspired to keep power-hiking to the top. And Yassine was somewhere just ahead of me. I think that in powering up this last portion of the course in the blazing hot sun, slightly dehydrated, I think this is where my tank was reading empty. I caught Yassine at the very top, we exchanged pleasantries, I politely thanked the mountain gods for the great times, and got the hell out of there. I followed Yassine down the rocky mountain goat trail for a few steps before he let me pass and I was gone! See, the good thing about steep down hill sections is they only require the effort to stay balanced and on your feet. Gravity does the work. I love running downhill and this section was a blast. I felt a huge surge of energy that lasted all the way to the last aid station...
So now I was in 4th place. The ladies at the aid station answered that 3rd place was about 10 minutes ahead of me. Hmmm... 8 miles to go, mostly downhill, nope, wasn't in the cards. At this point I just wanted to stay ahead of Yassine. I hadn't been passed by anyone the whole race and did not want to be now. I said thanks to the vollies and started down the trail... "No! Wrong way! You have to go up that way!" Up?! Yep, the next 4 miles were not down, they were rolling. Normally, rolling terrain is a blast - good for fast running. Instead of cruising to the finish I bonked and never recovered. I couldn't run up any of the hills, not matter how gradual they were. Eventually the flat sections felt like hills and I had to alternate walking and running. And to make matters worse I was running out of steam on the downhill sections. Nothing was steep enough for gravity to help me get down this damn mountain. Believe me I was leaning so far forward but to no avail. And I ran out of water. Exhausted, parched, beaten down, and baking in the 34 degree sun (it felt hotter) I knew I was close but time had sloooooowed down. I knew I would finish faster if I moved faster but my legs just didn't want to go. So thirsty too. I finally came to a lake and had a look at the mosquitoes and bugs at the edge and thought no and a minute later I was filling my bottle and having a drink of warmish water. Just as I spit it out I saw the tiniest stream flowing into the lake. Ahh, cold, clear, running water. Nectar of the gods. I bet I was at this stream for at least 3 minutes drinking, filling, drinking, soaking my hat and head. I kept listening for foot fall but luckily I was still ahead.
 |
| 4 miles to go! |
Not much to say about the last 4 miles other than they were among the most torturous I have ever run. I have never had to walk down hills before. My pulse was so low. My damn legs would not push. They didn't hurt, they weren't stiff. They had abandoned me. I ended up alternating between running and walking until I was at the bottom of the hill where I forced myself to run through to the finish. Painful. But I was elated with my performance nonetheless. My plan had worked and I finished ahead of my expectations. And I learned a thing or two that I can use in my future races.
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| At last!!! |
4th overall with a time of 10:22:15 and 2nd in the Master's division. Not bad considering the first and second place runners Dave Mackey and Ian Sharman are two of the fastest 100k racers in the states right now. Dave also took first place in the Master's division.
This race was the first race in the Montrail Cup Ultra Series. The first and second place runners in each of these races gets an automatic entry into the popular and impossible to get into Western States 100 Mile race. If one of the top two already has a spot in Western then the automatic entry rolls down to third. Both Dave and Ian are already in so I have been wondering if in this case there might be a roll down to 4th. That would be me and that would be pretty cool!
Monday, 15 August 2011
Waldo 100k Ultramarathon
Although I have put in a lot of time and mileage this year, I have only completed one race, and that was in May. I tried to finish Sinister 7 in July but only completed 65km before I dropped out due to a too fast start and forgetting to restock my supply of electrolyte capsules. The first problem is a common one with me, the second, well that's just dumb.
I was supposed to race another race in July, the FatDog 100mile but it was cancelled at the very last minute because the race committee hoped the snow would melt faster at the higher elevations and it didn't. I think that, in this case, more foresight and a back up plan may have been more effective than crossed fingers.
Anyway, I'm doing my third taper this summer and absolutely itching to race. The extra time has allowed me some solid training so I am ready!
So on August the 20th myself and a fast chick named Nicola Gildersleeve, also from the Vancouver area, are heading down to Oregon to race the Waldo 100k Ultramarathon. Starting and finishing at the Willamette Pass Ski Resort (70 miles SE of Eugene) the course looks like a good one (lots of climbing, not too technical, and a downhill finish!) and the competition will be fierce (Dave Mackey, Ian Sharman, Yassine Diboun, Neil Olson to name a few).
The sign-up race description: "The Waldo 100K Ultramarathon is a challenging 100K loop-type course starting at Willamette Pass Ski Area (70 miles east of Eugene, Oregon) at elevation 5120', climbing up several mountains including Fuji, The Twins, and Maiden Peak before returning to the ski area. The route is mostly single-track trails with some fairly remote sections and has many incredible views of pristine Waldo Lake. It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly."
This is an important race for me. I am going to try to break my self-defeating habit of racing too fast from the start. Easier said than done though - after tapering for a couple of weeks a body feels pretty strong. That along with the rush of race day and boom! Going out easy is about trust: that many in the lead pack will slow down and you will see them again; that moderation trumps unbridled speed; that your race day plan will work.
We shall see.
I was supposed to race another race in July, the FatDog 100mile but it was cancelled at the very last minute because the race committee hoped the snow would melt faster at the higher elevations and it didn't. I think that, in this case, more foresight and a back up plan may have been more effective than crossed fingers.
Anyway, I'm doing my third taper this summer and absolutely itching to race. The extra time has allowed me some solid training so I am ready!
So on August the 20th myself and a fast chick named Nicola Gildersleeve, also from the Vancouver area, are heading down to Oregon to race the Waldo 100k Ultramarathon. Starting and finishing at the Willamette Pass Ski Resort (70 miles SE of Eugene) the course looks like a good one (lots of climbing, not too technical, and a downhill finish!) and the competition will be fierce (Dave Mackey, Ian Sharman, Yassine Diboun, Neil Olson to name a few).
The sign-up race description: "The Waldo 100K Ultramarathon is a challenging 100K loop-type course starting at Willamette Pass Ski Area (70 miles east of Eugene, Oregon) at elevation 5120', climbing up several mountains including Fuji, The Twins, and Maiden Peak before returning to the ski area. The route is mostly single-track trails with some fairly remote sections and has many incredible views of pristine Waldo Lake. It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly."
This is an important race for me. I am going to try to break my self-defeating habit of racing too fast from the start. Easier said than done though - after tapering for a couple of weeks a body feels pretty strong. That along with the rush of race day and boom! Going out easy is about trust: that many in the lead pack will slow down and you will see them again; that moderation trumps unbridled speed; that your race day plan will work.
We shall see.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
What does it mean?
I run ultra marathons.
And I'm evolving
So is the sport, rapidly.
Kind of a revolution
Like how I became
An ultra runner.
Ultra (r)Evolution.
And I'm evolving
So is the sport, rapidly.
Kind of a revolution
Like how I became
An ultra runner.
Ultra (r)Evolution.
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