Dirty Girls 24 HR Race Report -My 1 year Ultra Anniversary

This was my second year running the dirty girls trail race and marked one year since my first official Ultra race. Last year I ran the 6 hour event where I somehow managed to get in 50km. This year the plan called for running the 24 hour event in preparation for the Haliburton 100 miler in September. My hope was to get in about 140k but more importantly to fix the issues that plagued me during my first 100 miler at Sulphur. The plan was to make sure I figured out my nutrition and to stick to my early charted paces instead of running to hard early.

We headed up to the race site in Mansfield on Saturday morning with are friend Gregoire who was running the 30k as his first official trail race. Welcome to the darkside Gregoire. Kim was also running the 6hr race with plans to do around 30k. Weather was great but called for the possibility of rain early Sunday morning.



I was already familiar with the course from last year. It consists of a 10k loop made up of single and double track trail with some challenging technical areas. I actually really like this course as it suits my running style. This year the course had a few minor changes from last year and one really big one. The course was going to be run backwards. No we didnt run backwards we ran the course in the opposite direction from previous years although at some points I began to feel like I was running backwards.

The Race

Things started out well as the 6, 12, and 24hr runners headed out across open field. I felt like I was going so slow as others started to stretch out the pack. I just keep thinking about Sulphur and tried to keep it in check. For some reason my garmin didnt seem to be working as I could see pace and time but distance seemed to be not working. I was a good km into the race and it still said 46 in that damn box. What the heck. I had hoped to run some early with JD but had lost him in the crowd at the start so that wasn't going to happen (strangely I didnt see him the entire race). Soon we where into the hills, I had forgotten about them.. .how strange.



As I made my way up a short gravel road at the 3k mark I could see another part of the course which looped around and then goes back into the woods. There were a number of runners that are usually around my pace running together on this part of the course and they were actually already far ahead of me. I decided to time myself from the spot I was at to the spot where I had seen them. After taking all the twists and turns through the woods and then back around a discovered that I was a full 6 minutes behind them. Was I going that slow? Should I speed up? The little voice said stay with the plan cause changing it last time didnt work out at all. I would make it my mission to listen to the little voice this time no matter what.

I checked my Garmin again, still it didnt seem to be giving me the right distance data. What the heck. I looked closer. Oh crap, somehow I had switched menu set and was looking at the wrong info. I couple of clicks and I soon had the proper distance showing. Man talk about stupid. This is what happens when I drink less then 3 coffees in the morning.

Soon I was running by the 5k aid station that was being manned by Stephan and Kinga Miklos. I stopped for a Heed bottle refill and then was back on the trail. Soon I had hooked up with Rick who I had been talking with at Creemore (he had suffered as much or more then me there). He was running one of the shorter races. We ran the rest of the loop together and soon I was back at the start / finish line. First lap was 1:15 which was 5 minutes slower then planned but that was fine with me. I really wanted to not be too fast early on.



The next few laps when really well. I ran most of the next 50km alone with the exception of running a half loop with Paul Chenery who I was just behind in the OUSER standing and who I hadn't gotten a chance to run with before (mainly because the guy is usually way ahead of me in races). I keep my refueling on course and keep my aid station stops quick. I was also right on pace and felt very strong as I headed out for loop 7.

Well as they say nothing lasts forever especially when your running for an entire day. Sometime during the early part of loop 7 as I cruised along a nice flat section of trail I felt a sharp pain in my right knee. It disappeared for a few seconds only to return in as a throbbing ache that was soon to become my constant trail companion. For those of you not familiar with my right knee its my bad knee (the one with no ACL). It hasnt been an issue for a long time but does occasionally show up to cause me problems, usually when I am least expecting it.

The knee continued to become more and more of a problem over the course of the loop and I knew this was not good. By the time I got to end of the loop it was very sore but with 80km already run I really wanted to get my belt buckle (you needed to run 120k). I let Kim know about my knee as she fed me homemade sweet potato soup. I had been smart enough to bring my knee brace with me so I threw that on and headed back out.



The plan now had to be changed. I would no longer worry about pace and conscientiously slowed down a far amount. Now the rest of the night would be about getting in my final 40 k run while doing as little damage to my already sore knee as possible. I tried to keep in mind that I had the Haliburton 100 miler coming up in 3 weeks and if I was not recovered I would not be running it.

To be honest it soon became easy to go slow and after another 20k I may not have been able to go any faster on my run / limp even if I had wanted to. The uphills and flats were okay but the downhills were completely trashing me. On the positive side I did have plenty of time to get my Ks in even while I was doing the inch worm which is officially slower then the zombie shuffle.

The night running went slowly by and I made prolonged stops at the start/finish and 5k aid stations. Sometime just before dawn I saw what looked like reflective tape on someones camel back. It was so strange because as I grew closer I realized the runner didnt appear to be moving at all. Final when I got within 10 meters I realized that it wasnt a runner at all but the eyes of on of the biggest deer I have ever seen in my life. The deer shot me a look, of disgust as far as I could tell, and then bounded off the trail and into the woods.

By the time the sun came up I was tired as hell and on my last loop. I was so glad to see the light after spending almost 10 hrs running alone in the dark. I ended up hitting 120k at the 22:30 mark and grabbed something to eat from Kim. I sat in a chair at our little finish area pit stop and tried to decide if I wanted to go back out. I didnt think I could get a full loop in but they counted part loops and I figured many people may have stopped as soon as they reached belt buckle status. I really didnt want to go back into the damn woods so I sat for 10 minutes thinking about it.

Just when I had almost decided to say screw it the skies opened up and it began to pour rain. I pulled my rain poncho on but the water kept flowing down the back of the chair, pooling on the seat and soaking my ass. I figured that does it and headed back out onto the course to put in another 2.5k. Not much running here just a slow walk in the torrential downpour. Come on who doesn't like a long walk in the rain. I will tell you who, that would be me. Then the race was done.



Post Race
I got my belt buckle and ended up finishing 10/39. Total distance run was 122.5km. Also got a random door prize of a subscription to trail running magazine (thanks Diane).. Good thing too as my subscription had almost run out. Now if I just learn how to read I can do more with it then just look at the pretty pictures.



Lots of good and bad in this one but overall positive. I seemed to have figured out my calorie intake and eating issues. That meant gels early then a combination of ensure, sweet potato soup, potatoes and strawberries. Also lots of salt tabs and heed / eload for as long as I can take it. Oh ya and dont forget the many cups of coke. I also seemed to get my pacing in check until I got hurt. On a down note the knee issue was a surprise and I was somewhat disappointed that I didnt get in my minimum of 140k done. I think I would have if not for slowing to preserve the leg but that makes it no less aggravating.

Lastly I am officially a Spazz. In the first 8 loops I stubbed my toe on the same small tree trunk 7 times. Seriously I kid you not, 7 times, and the one time I avoided it I was so distracted thinking about how I avoided it that I tripped over another rock 10 seconds later. Once again its never smart to have a party / celebration in your head while your running trail.

Once again this year Diane put on a great race. Dirty Girls was one of my favorite races last year and will rank right up near the top again this time. Great trail, great organization and a buckle to boot what more can you ask for. Finally just for the recorded the reversal of the direction that the course was run from previous years definitely made this race much harder then the year before. Its funny how just running a trail the other way can change it so much but there ya go.

Rain Delay almost over time to get blogging

Wow have I ever gotten behind in my blogging and race reports. Honestly its not my fault, there was nothing I could do. It's the marshals fault, they don't give you computer access in the witness protection program. Okay so maybe I wasn't in the program, maybe I was just trying to avoid Mr. T.. I heard that he was looking for me after all the mean things I said about him.



Actually I have been away from the blogging for the last month due to more “real” life issues. First off there was the whole getting married to Kim, wedding in Halifax which was great fun but kept us both very busy. At the same time I was forced to make a change in the career department which just added to the chaos. Added to that were 3 ultras and well you get the picture.



Don't worry now I am back like that chatty ultra runner that gets behind you on the trail and just will not shut up. Oh crap that really is me. I should be able to catch things up here over the next week.

Watch for my Dirty Girls 24 hr race report to be posted later today or tomorrow. I also should have my Haliburton 100 miler report up next Monday. After that its all up in the air.

I am still debating on whether to run the 24hrs on the track in Ottawa on September 24th. Would like to do this one but it will probably come down to whether I can find a ride and make things work logistically.

Oh ya. Happy belated Birthday Kimmie!!

Limberlost 56K Race Report - a little redemption

“Oh Limberlost race report where Art tho?”
I promised JD that I would be quicker with this report than the last one. After he dropped Kim and I off from the race I am pretty sure he yelled out the car window “ Don’t take a month with this blog”. Well it hasn’t been a month but it must be getting close so here goes (by the way JD is always great getting his posts up quickly, see his report here).

Prerace
We got up bright and early on July 17th to get ready to head out to the Limberlost trail race. That’s right another 3:45 wake up call all in the name of fitness and self induced pain. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed while Kim looked a little tired to me. My sleeping schedule the last few weeks has been pretty messed up so this was almost a normal wake up time for me, not so much for Kim.

JD showed up to pick us up just before 4:30 for the 3 hour drive up towards Huntsville. Thanks for the ride JD! I think both of us were pretty nervous about this race after we both put in such bad performances at Creemore. I know that I was kind of freaking out over my sudden rash of poor racing performances. We made great time and arrived at the race nice and early. The race was easy to find but we still got slightly lost as our GPS sent us past the race and down a logging road, around a big loop, back to where we started and then recalculated to send us down the proper road. It was really strange, technology rules, sort of. After arriving we spent the next half hour chatting with other racers. Both JD and I were doing 56k, which was 4 loops of the 14km course while Kim was running the 28km race.




Race
Things began well off the starting line with a 400 meter run down a gravel road and then right into the trails. It was very hectic going for the first few KM with the 14, 28 and 56k runners all starting together and us ending up on single track trails very early on. I didn’t mind that much and used it to try and keep my pace in check although I always worry about this kind of crowding on the trail. It becomes very easy to catch a root or roll an ankle when you can’t see the trail directly in front of you.

The trail was really nice and well maintained but even early it seemed to be ever changing. I wondered if the course would be tough and found out soon enough. Right around 2k we hit the first really big hill which was a tough climb followed by a great deal of technical trail along the side of a lake. It rolled up and down as it snaked along the lakeside.

I have to say this course was beautiful, maybe the nicest trails I have ever run on but also deceptively tough. I have tried to figure out just what made it tough and I think that what it comes down to is that you just never seem to have anywhere on the course that you can make up time. In most races, especially loop courses once you know the course you know there are areas that you can conserve and other areas where you can really open it up and make up some time. With the exception of the brief road section at the start / end of the loop there was just nowhere like this. I found myself working hard almost all the time.

It was very hot in the early going and by 5k I was soaked. The course had great tree cover so you where not in directly sunlight very often but it was still hot with the humidity a whooping 97% at race time. There was a stiff wind occasionally but it was of little benefit.

The first loop went really well and somewhere around 6k I hooked up with Stephan M. who was running around my pace so I decided to stick with him for awhile. I hydrated and gelled as planned and as we came into the end of the first loop I was feeling really good.

Loop 2 – Here comes those aching feelings
We both headed out for the second loop together I tried to not torment Stephan too much with my ramblings. All seemed to be going good and I was on pace. My past race problems where briefly forgotten but not for long. Somewhere around 20k I began to slip. My legs were suddenly very heavy and I could really feel the heat. How could I be feeling tired this early? Oh wait I know maybe it has something to do with my stupidity (doesn’t it always). What stupidity you ask? Come on you know your asking. Well that would be the running the 10 miler Acura road race full out the weekend before. Hey what can I tell you I sometimes believe the laws of physics and the rules of recovery just don’t or at least shouldn’t apply to me. Yeah I know they always do but I keep forgetting. That’s what happens when you get old you conveniently forget important things that might save you from yourself.

I made a conscience decision to let Stephan, who was running well, go and try and adjust my pace. Even though I know why I was slowing some because of the last few races and the Creemore implosion I was getting paranoid about my race judgment or lack of it. I ran the rest of this loop conservatively but still felt okay about it.

Loop 3 – Grin and Bear it
I headed out for loop 3 slow and just got slower and slower. It was hot and I was struggling physically but even worse I was struggling mentally big time. I remember thinking oh no I am slowly headed towards another crash and burn, what the hell. I can remember going up the big hill 2km into the loop and thinking my god I have another 26km still to run, how is that possible. At 8km I spent a good deal of time thinking about what I would call this blog entry. Titles such as “How I became a 5k race fanatic” and the more simple but direct “Suckage” came to mind. My favorite though has to be “Lost: my race mojo, somewhere on the trail at Sulphur Springs. If found please return, reward offered no questions asked.”

This loop was a struggle and I was passed by a number of runners. Right around the 7km mark a guy passed me and soon was about 50 meters ahead. I watched as he crested the rise of a small hill just ahead of me and then something very strange happened, he came running back down the hill towards me. I began to think that’s odd, the guy is going the wrong way until he got close to me and then said that thing you never really want to hear, “BEAR!”.

What? Really, oh crap. He told me there was a bear on the trail right over the rise. It was so strange and somewhat surreal, a kind of okay what now moment. On the one hand I really wanted to see the bear, on the other hand I really wanted to not get eaten like a runner sandwich. I also figured I would be too tired to run away with any kind of speed at all. We decided to give the bear a minute or two to move on so we waited and then headed back up the hill. The bear was gone. I got to say I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see it lumbering back into the woods. As I made my way around the rest of the loop I wondered if the bear would reappear during loop 4 to carry me off into the woods never to be seen again like those kids in the Blair Witch Project (it’s a true story don’t you know).



With 2km left in the loop a guy and girl passed me. I don’t know why but this really pissed me off. It really had nothing to do with them but getting passed here really irked me.

I finished loop 3 feeling tired, grumpy and wishing I could drink the beer in our cooler right then and there. My loop time was really slow. Kim was at the turnaround having finished her race and I had to sit down and try to empty the crap out of my shoes. They were full of all kinds of debris and I lost about 3 to 5 minutes here. No more running without gaiters.

Loop 4 – Redemption?
I headed out for this loop with the objective to just run as well as I could, enjoy it and finish. I ran along through a trail that I was now very familiar with. Once again I can't even begin to convey to you just how gorgeous this course was. I was running alone, nobody in sight ahead or behind. It was up the big hill again and then along the lake for the last time. At some point I realized that I felt really good and was, do I dare say it, running well. I remember thinking okay just go with it don’t question it and so I did.

As I ran through what I now called the "bear zone" I heard cracking branches behind me on the trail... Oh no. I looked back but there was no bear in site, instead I watched as a large dead tree branch fell from the sky and smashed into the trail 20 meters behind me. Wow that was close, this part of the trail is kind of scary. I pondered this as I keep my eyes peeled for large furry creatures. Then I heard cracking again but this time it was right in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and just in time as another huge dead branch fell 5 meters in front of me and shattered into many peices. If I had not stopped I would have took that one right in the head. Ah the forest is such a fickle place. Don't worry though I have a very hard head.

The KMs clicked by and I felt better than I had in 3 or 4 hours. At the 8k point I passed someone and then caught someone else. At the 9.5k aid station I caught up to the guy that had seen the bear and we left the station together.

I was still feeling good and it was freaking me out. This is how things had been early in the season for me (minus my crappy loop 3). In April and May I had been running well early and finishing very strong. Could I have rediscovered my Mojo? I made a decision here to just let loose for the last part of the race and run with reckless abandon. I quickly dropped the runner I was with and before long had passed another. With a couple km left I could hear people up ahead and soon I saw them. It was the couple that had passed me last loop and left me in a very grumpy mood. Now they had done nothing wrong and actually seemed like nice people but I decided that I would make them the bane of my existence. I would catch them and crush them. So I did, quickly catching them and leaving them behind. I used the thought of them maybe catching me like a cattle prod in the ass and ran the last few KMs at a very painful pace. Then I was done.

Postrace
There was some good and bad here but mostly good so lets start with the bad. My time was slow relatively speaking. I was maybe 30 minutes slower then I should have been but it is what it is. It's amazing how tentative you can get when you are wallowing in self doubt. Also once again I didn’t run well in the heat.
The good far outweighs the bad. I believe I have pulled my sorry ass out of the funk I have been running in and that makes me happy. My time was slow but I ran really well late in the race.

The event itself was awesome with difficult but amazing trails that were well marked and diverse. The organization was top notch from the prerace registration to the aid stations to the post race food. The only thing they might want to think about changing is staggering the starts for the different races and also maybe add a 50 miler. Also some kind of finisher medal or token would be cool as I like shiny metal. This race will definitely be on my calendar next year.

Next up Dirty Girls 24hr trail race this coming weekend.

The Creemore Vertical Challenge 50k race report - A crash and burn of spectacular proportions

Well here it is. I am finally getting around to writing up the race report for the Creemore Vertical Challenge 50k that took place on July 3rd. It seems like this race was a very long time ago now, but the memory of it is quite literally burned into my brain forever. I would like to tell you that it took me so long to write this because I am really busy (which is true) or that I was not sure what to write here (kind of true),but that would honestly be a lie. The reality is I was not anxious to put any of this down on paper. Nobody likes to write about how they suck. Nobody wants other people to read about how they suck. Then again I run Ultra Marathons so at some level I must enjoy some aspect of beating myself up unnecessarily.

Before we begin my tale of the horror and woe we might as well get the good stuff out of the way. This is a great race, just not for me on this particular day. The organization and race director are outstanding, really could not have been better. I never got lost once which is saying something for a guy that can become confused in his own front yard. Once you complete the race there is a nice river to sit in while you enjoy your race provided beer and pizza. The swag included an excellent technical shirt and a hand painted clay metal if you managed to finish. I highly recommend this race, but sign up early as its capped at 200 people.

Okay so on with the show.



Prerace
We rented the trusty zip car once again and picked up fellow runner and Blogger JD before heading out of Toronto and towards Barrie. The forecast called for a sunny conditions with temperatures climbing above 30 later in the day so we knew it was going to get hot. JD and I were running the 50k while Kim was “only” running the 25. We made it to the race with lots of time to spare so we set up our base camp and got ready to roll.

The course is a 25k loop that is run twice and consists of a lot of country / gravel roads with fields and trails mixed in. In talking with JD and others who had run this race before I was well aware of what to expect terrain wise. I also knew that this would be a very hilly run after all it is called the vertical challenge. You would think that would have prepared me for what was to come, but knowing and doing are two very different things.

THE RACE (also know in our house as chris's personal 50k fiasco)
Everyone got lined up to go and, at the firing of the race directors shotgun, we were off. The plan for me was simple and basic. Run a more conservative pace for the first lap and then crank it up for the second. The first few K are run on mostly single track trail along the river which helped me keep my pacing in check. By the time we hit the first road section I found myself running along with a number of other runners that I have seen at other ultras and I know are close to my pace. It was warming up, but still not to bad as we cruised through rolling hills and then over a beaver dam and back into the woods. At this point I felt really good and was confident that I was going to have a good day.

Soon it was back out onto the road and up a massively long hill which my garmin said was 2.2k, yikes.

I still felt great as I flipped positions back and forth with a small group of other runners for the next few km. Just after the 10k mark I ended up hooking up with another runner, whose name I do not know, but who was running the same pace so I spent a good portion of this loop running with him.

It was getting hot by 15k, really noticeably hot, and I was becoming aware of the fact that the majority of the course had no tree cover and no shade. I wasn't worried too much as I had been very diligent at hydrating, gelling and taking my salt caps.


The first loop went by fast and I ran it really well as far as I can remember, but holy crap were there a lot hills. I had been told that we go up and down the escarpment twice a loop but, this can't be right. My calculations say its more like 4 times up, 4 times down each loop not including the “little” rollers.

I cruised into the start / finish line at the end of my first loop in 2:30 which was right on pace and feeling great. This was not to last.

You know when you are watching a horror movie and an unsuspecting teen who is alone in the house or in the empty school locker room / shower area hears that noise. You know that distant noise from the basement where for some unknown reason the lights no longer work. You know that teenager that heads down those stairs even though 3 of their very close friends have all been horribly killed and dismembered by some unknown psychopath and yet still suspects nothing.

That was me as I headed out for my second loop totally oblivious to the dangers that were lurking around at the bottom of those stairs. “Hello is there anyone down there? This isn't funny guys.”


I headed out and the first couple of Ks went fine as I sailed through the single track trail and back out onto the road. Soon I was back on the first long stretch of road and it was here that the trouble began. It was really hot, when did it get so hot? A small group of runners that I had been battling back and forth with began to pull away from me. Not one or two of them, but all of them and it wasn't because they were suddenly getting faster. I was starting to slow, but was still okay. Unfortunately that didn't last for long. By the time I had reached the top of the really long hill I had previously visited only a few hours ago I was struggling and in big trouble.


I spent the next few K pushing and trying to make sense of my condition. Yeah I know it's hot but PLEASE. How can I be falling apart at only 32k? I eat 32k for breakfast. From here on out it became a slugfest. I just got slower and slower with every stride. Just before 40k Stephan M. caught up to me and he seemed to be running well. He told me that he had gotten his second wind and was going to try and ride it out. I managed to run with him for 300 or 400 hundred meters and I know that he was trying to get me to latch on so I could get back on track (thanks Stephan it was very much appreciated) but it was not to be. I knew I was crumbling and didn't want to slow him down so told him I was walking the next uphill and to go on without me.

Oh boy the next uphill was just nasty. The sun beat down, there was no shade and the 800 meter trek was steep trail that was semi washed out in many places. A number of runners passed me as I slowly dragged my ass up the incline. Even worse was it was one of those hills that you think you can see the top of, but then when you get further up it, there is just more hill and when you get closer to that rise there is just more hill. By the time I got to the top I was officially Bonking. I was having trouble running even the flats and it was pissing me off. My legs actually were doing fine, but my heart rate was red lined and I was barely moving. I was badly overheating. I began to consider something that I had never considered before, I began to seriously think about packing it in at the next aid station. I really was not sure that I could actually finish this race.

More people passed me as I made my way along what seemed like a never ending, unshaded, country road that was baking in the sun. Up ahead I could see the heat shimmering off of the road. I was no longer racing, I was just trying to survive. This was so frustrating as I had been running really well earlier in the day and I have found myself usually running my best in the last 10k of 50k races.

As I came into the aid station with 8k to go I saw JD running with Kinga heading out in the direction I had just come probably an hour behind me. JD looked like I felt and I wondered if he would be able to finish the race. I knew I must look bad as well. JD told me later that I didn't have my usual look of focus and intensity that he has seen in the past. See what he had to say about our encounter and his race here.


The last 8k are a complete blur of stumbling along and trying not to quit. I didn't want to walk I wanted to crawl under a small shrub or into a gopher hole and just disappear. I was passed by just about everyone and I didn't care (YIKES). Nothing could make me move faster. The roads were hot, but crossing the fields were even hotter as the long grass just bounced the heat right back into your face. I no longer wanted to quit the race. I was now feeling that quitting running long distance might be a better choice. Why the hell do I run these things... ridiculous.

Then I was finally at the finish line where I had to sit down immediately before gravity helped me find the ground with my face. I sat there and tried to rehydrate as both my calves began to cramp severely. Later we moved to another shady spot away from most people so that if I was unable to control my incredible urge to puke that I could be less of a sideshow.

Post Race
I ran a time of 6:08 which is officially my worst 50k time EVER. I spent the next couple of days trying to figure out what happened. Yes it was hot, but it was hot for everyone and although most people's times were slower, they were not that much slower. I did all the little things right and executed right. I have had bad races before, but I have always been able to easily identify what the problem was (I was out too fast or didn't hydrate, etc.). That just was not the case this time. I don't know, maybe I just have forgotten how to run.


On a brighter note Kim ran a great 25k race so at least someone was happy.

Am I going to stop running these crazy ultra races? Not a chance. Will I do this race again? Yeah most likely next year. This Saturday we will be in Huntsville for the Limberlost Challenge 56k. I guess I will get a chance to see if I suck, have forgotten how to run or was just having a bad day. Hey do you think that its too late to switch to the 14k?

Sulphur Springs Post-Mortem Autopsy .. Training Update

So it has taken me a few weeks to finally decompress from Sulphur Springs. It was an incredible adventure and a major ultra learning experience for me. My hope is to take what I learned both good and bad and apply this knowledge to put up a better time at my next 100 miler. Yes there will be a next 100 miler as I plan to run 24 hours at Dirty Girls and then do the 100 at Haliburton.

Before I dissect the Sulphur race experience I would be horrible remiss if I didn't mention a couple of things about the race itself. If you want to do a 100 miler you cant go wrong with this one. The race extremely well run and organized. The race director should be commended on this because putting on a race of any kind is no small feat. The trail was well marked, I didn't get lost once and I am a directional idiot. I can get lost in my own apartment for god sake. The aid stations and volunteers were also fantastic, heck they never once mentioned how terrible I looked. I would and will run this race again (hopefully next year).

So here is some of the stuff I learned out on 100 mile trail.

The Good
My fitness level is way up there thanks to the relentless training. I worried that maybe I was not well enough trained but the program I was on prepared me well especially for the hills. I will not curse and swear at the Boston Special training route (and Roger) as much. I will still curse just not as much.

I am a decent warm weather runner ( I kind of already knew that). Even so the heat sucked the life out of me.

I can put up with a hell of a lot of pain.

I have awesome friends to crew and pace me.

Things that went wrong and need to get sorted out.
I started out to fast. Turns out that just like ever other race distance I have ever run going out to fast costs you and it appears that the longer the race the more it costs. We are not talking a little to fast either. For those that run shorter distances imagine if you started out in a 10k 30 seconds faster then your race pace, you get the picture I am sure. Usually this takes me about 3 races to figure out at any given race distance but I am vowing to get this one right next time by purposely going out too slow.

Calorie intake. This was a big problem and the one I am most concerned with. I usually have a lead stomach and until this race never had a problem eating and drinking. That said I never ran 100 miles either. Somehow I have to get better at this for next time. Not sure what I am going to add food wise as my standbys like potatoes and m&ms didn't even want to go down for me. Solid food is a must but I just could not seem to swallow sandwiches effectively. Suggestions are always welcome kids.

Both of these two problems lead to lost time in aid stations and therefore lost time overall.

Other stuff
There is no such thing as an easy 100 miler. Its a long long way.
After 50 miles the second half of the race really is a mental game.... except for all the physical parts.
You can run and almost sleep at the same time but its really dangerous.
When your crew suggests something just agree to it as long as it doesn't involve quitting. They are thinking much clearer then you are.

Training
So at this point I am also back to my normal training again. It seems like it took forever. The ankle problem I had kept me from running for 10 days after Sulphur and made me a DNS for the Kingston 6hr run and maybe thats a good thing. The 10 days off was the longest space between runs in over a year. Its been a slow build since then but I will most likely get in 100+ km this week.

Last week I did run in the Niagara 50k but it was slow and painful. I spent the previous day before the race in bed with a bad case of the flu. Shouldn't have run it but with the car rented and the race paid for I figured I would at least try. I was really slow, it was really brutal and ridiculously hot. I have no idea how I actually managed to finish the race. Great course though and would have been fun if not for the being sick thing.

Next up Creemore 50k.

Sulphur Springs 100 Miler Race Report

I thought long and hard about where and how to start my race report for the Sulphur Springs 100 Miler. So much went on before, during and after the race that it's hard to decide were to start. It was one crazy adventure and I am still decompressing from it. A great deal of it seems very surreal.

For those that want the short version. I went, I raced, I conquered. Okay, not really conquered more like managed to finish in a semi upright position. Staggering home like a drunk after last call at the Bovine. For those of you that have a longer attention span or have nothing better to do while you surf the internet at work instead of doing your job (that's right I can tell but we will keep it our little secret) please read on.

In the beginning
There I was Tuesday afternoon the week before the race, minding my own business enjoying my taper, just sitting at work in front of my computer when I felt it. A strange, but very real pain in arch of my right foot. What the hell was that? No freaking way! Something odd was going on with my foot. At first I chose to chalk it up to “Phantom” pain which can come with the taper territory. There was no way that I could have an injury. I had reduced my mileage and tapered properly. My regular 120km a week had become 60, soon to become 10. I hadn't run in 2 days. There was no way I could be injured.
I had taken my pacers on a short night run on the trails in High Park. We see a coyote in the park, is that a good or bad omen? Gregoire steps in a deep gopher hole and hurts his ankle. Mark pulls up lame with pain in his calf from a slight injury he got on the previous Sunday. We are dropping like flies.

Wednesday - I did my last run before Sulphur which was a really fun 5k relay race to raise money for the YMCA. I was careful not to race this relay so I kept my pacing somewhere between my 10k and HM pace. I was not suffering from Phantom pain at all, it was real pain, very real pain. I did not sleep well, I was in full freakout mode.

Thursday - more of the same with the ankle being sore as well as the foot. Another sleepless night followed. Man, I am screwed. I talked to a couple of my running buddies. They were all saying things like “you will be fine” and “it will be great”. I knew that I would be attempting to race no matter what, but trying to run a 100 miler when you are hurt already seemed foolhardy.

Friday
I am exhausted. I am now freaking out about freaking out. This is ridiculous. We head to Ancaster for the MANDATORY pre-race dinner. Kim is driving and coming for the dinner. She was supposed to run the 25k race, but injured her ITB at the Mississauga Marathon. The physiotherapist tells her not to run on Friday morning. She is not very happy about this. My foot hurts. The hour drive from Toronto takes us almost 3 hours due to traffic and road construction. We are super late for the dinner and night before kit pickup seems out of question. We miss a lane change and now are totally lost. Our printed out google map is so small that there are almost no street names on it. I completely lose it and have a meltdown of epic proportions. It is not pretty. I am mad at everything and nothing all at once. I suggest saying the hell with the whole thing. Kimmy keeps her head and assures me that we will find it and not to worry. Something very strange happens, there is a moment of complete serenity in our car. Kim retraces our steps and gets us back on track. I am saved by my most important crew member long before the actual race. We find the pre-race dinner in time and as we get out of car I realize that my foot no longer hurts to walk on.

The race dinner is held at a banquet hall and is very cool and laid back. The food is actually quite good. I meet a number of people that I have seen out at previous races, but had not met before. I also meet some people that follow my blog. I really am amazed when I meet other readers and bloggers. It seems strange to me that someone is actually reading this. You are reading this. Weird isn't it. The drive back to Toronto is the polar opposite of the drive out to Hamilton. Quick, easy and relaxed. My foot no longer hurts at all.


The race
On Saturday morning we get to the 6 AM race start with lots of time to spare. I have plenty of time to chat with people. I talk for a while with JD and Jamie who are both running the 50 miler. I also chat some with fellow bloggers, John McAllister who is doing his first 100 miler and with stacey who is doing the 50. I met a couple other people who read this blog as well.

The weather forecast is saying that it's going to be a very hot day, but at 6 AM it's cool, sunny and clear a seemingly perfect day for a trail run. I am pumped to get going. I have trained for 7 months with Sulphur as my target race (much to the chagrin of my road running buddies and coach). The prolonged taper has left my legs feeling fantastic and full of jump.

I ran the course last year when I did the 25k version of the race so I am familiar with the route. It is a nice course which is 20k long. I will run this loop 8 times for 160k. The course is not that technical, but is hilly (aren't they all). I have three goals set, 22 hr (yeah now that's funny), sub 24 hr (could happen) and just finish. I have meticulously charted what my paces should be for each loop (getting slower with each loop). I have never run a race longer then 50 miles so I have no idea what will happen to my body past that point. I do know that it will involve pain, but I am well trained. I have told every person I have ever met that I am running this race so DNF is not really an option. I have told my crew not to let me quit unless I need to be taken to a hospital. I am going with the if the bone ain't showing keep on going approach. Let the games begin.



Loop 1 (1 - 20k) – Just how fast can I run this thing.
I am full of energy right out of the gate. There are around 150 runners doing the 50 and 100 mile races. We are tightly packed together at first, but soon the pack begins to thin out. I run alone for awhile and pass a group of runners that I know are mostly 100 milers. I think briefly about whether this is such a wise idea. Most of them put up 50k finishing times very close to mine and they are all experienced 100 miler racers. Time to ignore that little voice of reason. Soon I catch up to Jamie and then end up running along with him. JD finds us a few K later and we run in a pack for the rest of the first loop. I try to stay as disciplined as possible walking most of the uphills and taking gels every 45 minutes. The course seems to be hillier then I remembered.

I am ignoring the voice that tells me I should not be pacing with guys doing half the distance that I am. The voice is telling me to slow down, but I am enjoying the run to much. Shush little voice I don't want to hear about it right now. JD takes a bad spill crossing a wooden bridge during this loop. He went down hard, but bounced back up right away and shook it off. I am sure I will do the same thing at some point in the next 24 hours.

I finish the loop in 2:05. This is way too fast and I know it. I vow to rein it in on lap 2.



Loop 2 (20-40k) – I am slowing down, honest / I am the walrus goo goo g' joob.
I spend less then 1 minute at base camp and am back on the trail soon running with JD and Jamie again. Refuelling is going fine. I am taking gels or cliff shots every 45 minutes or so and carrying my own eload. I run most of this lap with JD and Jamie. I feel really great and am enjoying the trails. I am the walrus goo goo g' joob. I am running like a maniac, a stupid, arrogant maniac. I have somehow forgotten the most important rule of racing... STICK WITH THE PLAN! The longer the race, the more important to stick with the plan early and adjust it late in the race. THE PLAN was made based on rational, logical decisions taking into account training, experience and overall goals. Making up a new plan during the early stages of a race is just foolish. I know this because I have done the same thing before and it never works out well, unless the decision was to go slower than planned and that has never happened in the history of racing, or so I am told. Soon we are on the back half of the loop. Its only around 9am, but it is already getting hot. As we push along the top of the ravine at the 15k point in the loop we are exposed to the sun and it becomes clear that it's going to get very hot. JD at some point asks me if I am planning to kill myself (in reference to the pace I am running). JD and Jamie start with some good natured ribbing about how they should stick around after their 50 miler to see at what loop I actually blow up. We all have a good laugh, but I am well aware that underneath the humour is a kernel of truth that I may not be able to avoid later on. Seriously how much could it really fall apart? HA!

The 25k and 50k runners are now on the course. Some of the aid stations are getting really jammed up with runners. Except for that I really don't notice them. I am in the zone.

Faster than my pace charts again. Finish in 2:16. I tell myself this is good, I know that's a lie that even I am not believing.



Loop 3 (40-60k) – Clearing with a chance of fog, somebody turn off that alarm.
I hammer through the start/finish aid station once again. Up to this point in the race I have been refuelling and hydrating well. Also thank god for salt sticks, I am dropping a cap every hour or so. I run some of this leg with the guys and some on my own (they are somewhere behind me). I am pushing and it is getting very hot out. I take coke and ginger ale and fruit at every aid station as well as my own eload. Its very hot, I am finding it harder and harder to stomach gels. I am getting loopy in the head, just a little, but its starting. I force myself to keep gelling which is not easy. The fog is starting to roll in ever so slightly (no not on the course dummy). My legs feel great, however, so no worries there. Alarm bells are ringing just under the surface as I past 55k. I decide to pay attention to them and slow it down some before I am forced to. I am now wondering if its already too late. I walk the big uphills and run everything else. I run a good chuck of this lap with a guy from Haliburton who is also doing his first 100. We are both worried that we have gone out to fast.

I finish the lap in 2:30 which is in line with what I should actually be running. Much of that is due to my purposeful slowdown, but some is due to the heat. I still feel relatively good.



Loop 4 (60-80k) Its too late to say I'm sorry.
Quick changeover and I am back at it. I ask Kim to start meeting me at the 10k aid station in case I need anything from my drop bag. I also just want to see a familiar face. I am pretty sure a big struggle is coming my way. I am moving slower and I am not getting enough food into me. It is brutally hot. I start doing the sunny day math in my head. It is around 2 o'clock I know there will be no cool down until 7ish. That means 5 more hours in this heat. I try to gel, but give it up as I am sure that forcing it down will inducing barfing. Still hydrating well, but this not eating is worrying. I try to eat some potatoes at an aid station. They are my food fail safe and never fail me. I can only get one piece down, not good. My legs are beginning to tire. I am starting to struggle just a little. During this lap I pass 2 different runners that are limping very badly. I also see a number of faster runners passing me going in the other direction (well ahead of me). Most of them seem to be struggling as well, I guess its not just me.

I finish the loop in 3:02 . I have set a new 50 mile PB for myself something I definitely didn't want to do. I tell Kim to forget about the pace charts from this point forward. She tells me I am doing well and right on my chart times, but I know it doesn't matter anymore. This run is about to become all about the will to finish and I know it. I am forced to sit and soak my head in the ice water from our cooler. The heat is now crippling. I stick a bunch of ice in my hat to keep my head cool. I would keep ice in my hat for the rest daylight running hours. I get an avocado sandwich from Kim and head back out.

Loop 5 (80-100k) Dream-state / Use your Illusions / Into the darkness
The sandwich doesn't work out at all. Its dry and I have trouble swallowing it. I only get a bite or two down. I was planning on running with music this lap, but forgot my ipod at base camp. Crap. Runners have thinned out on the course with mostly just the 100 mile runners left and we seem to be few and far between. This is the farthest that I have ever run in my life and I am fading, but I keep moving forward. I am still running the downhills and flats, but at a much slower pace. I am also now having stomach issues. There is a big old giant hole in my gut and the heed and eload just seem to slosh around in it. No food will be going in anytime soon and staying down that's for sure. I consider making myself vomit and starting fresh, but the heat makes losing any fluids seem like a bad idea. I picture myself bent over vomiting for the next few hours on the side of the trail. This doesn't help my gut at all. Somewhere around the 5k mark I break the cardinal rule of distance running and begin to think of how far I still have left to go. I begin to believe that this might not be possible and slip over into the dark side. I am seeing the same hills, trees and roots over and over again. I have begun to hate each and everyone of them. I think I may have actually swore at a few of the hills. I manage to reach the 10k aid station and see Kim. I am really struggling both physically and mentally. I eat some M&Ms and fruit. I am sure its apparent to all that I am on the edge. They tell me to eat some cucumbers at the aid station. I do, they are soaked in vinegar. The aid station people tell me the vinegar will help balance the levels in my blood or something like that. I figure they have seen all kinds of crashing runners so they must know what they are doing. Kim tells me that Gregoire and Mark (my pacers) have arrived at the main base camp. I get back to running. I am losing too much time at the aid stations, but it can't be helped. My visit with Kim has pulled me back from the darkside, but my stomach is a big problem. Along the road a car stops and some guy asks me for directions. I tell him I don't know I am not from around here. He drives away. When he first pulls up I am hoping that girls will jump out and offer me a ride just like in a ZZ Top video, but no such luck. I would quit if the ZZ Top girls asked me to. The next day I am not even sure that this actually happened, but Kim said she saw some car stop beside me as she was driving out from the aid station.

At the 15k aid station, except for my stomach, I am feeling okay. It's starting to cool off as well.
I finish the loop in 3:39 still standing. Said hello to Gregoire and Mark. Kim told me that JD had finished the 50 miler okay and people were starting to DNF in 100.
CREW PICS



Loop 6 (100-120k) Into the actual darkness
I grabbed my ipod for this loop. Pacers are not allowed on the course until 8pm so Gregoire talked to the race director and got permission to join me at the 10k point. I grabbed a grill cheese sandwich and headed out. I hoped the sandwich would help with my stomach issues, but I could not swallow it down at all. I ended up only eating a bite or two. Darkness started to set in quickly and I was soon running by headlamp. It had cooled, but was still warm. I had not gotten any real food into me in many hours and the heat had beaten me to a pulp. I slowed down even more, but enjoyed the darkness and solitude. Just me and my tunes. I hit the 10k station and met Kim and Gregoire. They had soup there so I had some and it did just the trick. We had to wait for it to be heated so lost some time, but I didn't care I had to get something into me. My stomach calmed down and Gregoire led me back out onto the trails. It was nice to have someone to run with, even if it was at a very slow pace. I was feeling better and grabbed more soup at the next aid station. This 10k went pretty well. I asked Gregoire if I was in last place yet. He laughed and told me that I was right in the middle of the pack and since he had shown up, there were a lot of people dropping out. He said that the standings had just about flipped upside down from early in the day with many of the leaders being forced to quit. Apparently going out to fast and overheating had been a common theme for the day. We didn't see much wildlife except for raccoons which Gregoire felt was a rip off. Finally, just before the end of the loop, we saw our first deer watching us from the woods. This made Gregoire's day, errr night.

Finished the loop in 4:08, but time was no longer a factor for me. My goal was to just make it to the finish and with my pacers now on the course with me I felt my chances were pretty good.



Loop 7 (120-140k) Something goes pop in the night.
I sat in the aid station and tried to get some more soup into me. I also changed into long sleeves as it was getting colder. Mark paced me for this loop. He is doing a pod cast of the race and recorded some stuff on the trail. I am afraid of what is on those tapes. I will post a link to the podcast once it's done.
After sitting my legs were really stiff so we walked some at the start of the loop. At some point I asked Mark how long it had taken us on the loop so far. When he told me I was totally freaked out at how slow we were. I tried to pick it up some and we slowly worked our way through the loop. I continued with the eating soup trend. Mark did a great job dancing between keeping me going, talking and letting me focus with silence when needed. My running pace was now a normal person's walking pace. Much of this loop is lost to me now as I was way past exhaustion. Somewhere towards the end of the loop, as I worked my way up a hill, I felt something pop on the top of my right ankle/lower leg. I really hurt bad. I actually said “what the fuck was that” out loud. After the race I couldn't remember when that happened or if I actually did say anything out loud which kind of gives you an idea of my mental state. After checking Mark told me where and when it happened (around the 135k mark) although he didn't know it was my ankle and I didn't volunteer that information. At the time this pain soon faded into the lump of all the other pain in my body. Just after the 15k point we passed another runner and his pacer. He was at the side of the trail barfing like crazy. In my own pain I realized that at this point in the race most would be just as bad off as I was. There is no such thing as an easy 100 miler.

I hobbled in finishing in 4:53 so slow I may as well been walking backwards.



Loop 8 (140-160k) Are we there yet / Just don't pass out.
Small rest at base camp. Legs are toast, but head out for the last lap with Gregoire. Even when I try to run I am barely moving. My quads are crippled and I am in nutrition deficit big time. Uphills become easier to take then downhills. I take solace in the fact that each part of the trail I leave behind me is the last time I will be seeing it. I am running on nothing but will power, fear of failure and Gregoire's encouragement. We see a bunch of deer which Gregoire loves. I am too tired to care. As we stop at each aid station for the last time, I find that they are shimmering and swimming before my eyes. I am totally out of it. Just keep going and don't pass out becomes my internal motto. After the 10k aid station I can no longer run at all. My ankle that went pop and my quads will not work. I want to run, but I physically am not capable of such an enormous feat. I am in a death shuffle, but still moving forward. I will finish, now it's just a matter of when. Gregoire does a tremendous job of keeping me focused on moving. He tries to keep me eating, but I am resistant. At the 15k aid station I eat a pile of oranges and melon. I think Gregoire might start dancing he is so happy. I think that's awesome. I cannot manoeuvre the downhills at all now and in the last 3k I am forced to step sideways down the hills. Someone on the trail asks me if I am okay as we pass (a non-runner). I think I might have grunted at them. We get to the last aid station with 1 mile left. They offer me 4 strawberries that they have left which I eat with reckless abandon. Gregoire makes some joke about me eating the strawberries and being from the east coast but I can't remember what was said. I make a joke about the person asking me if I was okay on the trail. Of course I am not okay who the hell is okay after running 99 miles? We head off for the last mile and the last trip up the hill known as the Gulch. I tell Gregoire I am not so worried about the uphill, but very worried about the downhill on the other side. A runner passes us and I lose a place in the last mile. This pisses me off, but I can't do anything about it. I am physically incapable of preventing it. I struggle up the hill and down the other side. Then we are headed into the finish. I come into the end. It is surreal beyond description. Other runners are applauding I want to run the last 100 meters, but can't do it. I finally cross the finish line and am so happy.



Post race
I get my first ever belt buckle from the race director and then find a chair in the shade where I help cheer in the last runners that are still coming in. I am so happy to be done, but also so grateful for all the support that I have from Kim, Gregoire and Mark. While I sit and drink a beer I chat with Helen M., the race director for Haliburton. She asked me how my first 100 was and if I will do it again. I tell her that I am already planning to run the 100 at Haliburton. She laughs and tells me that usually it takes a couple of days after a runner's first 100 before they decide to do it again. I know that this will make my road running buddies shake there heads (later that week my friend Rob Campbell tells me he will not speak to me or Kim again until I come to my senses, I think he is joking but maybe only kind of).



If you are still reading this then you should really stop slacking and get back to work.
Final Finishing time
28:21:07
Place 31/61

Contest Winners .... Successful First 100 Miler Finish at Sulphur Springs

Sulphur Springs a Success
I was able to successfully finish my first 100 Miler at Sulphur Springs over the weekend. Finished 30th overall in 28:21:07. Now I hurt, seriously, really really hurt.

A huge THANK YOU to my fellow Longboat runners Mark Stoller and Gregoire Bonhomme who guided me through the last incredibly difficult 50k. Also Thanks Kim for all the help crewing and taking care of me all day. There is no way I would have been able to do this without your help and support.

I should have a full race report up in the next couple of days.

Contest Winners
Who won some of my Crap?

Greg (who follows me on Networkedblogs)
and
Tara at http://taralovestorun.blogspot.com/

Congrats. Please email me so I can ship this stuff out