McLennan's Grit

I was on the receiving end of a little trail magic this weekend at McLennan's Grit 12-HR Run in Summerland. The kind event organizers graciously allowed me to register at the 11th hour (i.e. the day before) and I showed up race morning with no plan and low expectations. Based on my lack of training --  or even recent long runs -- I didn't expect to be able to do more than 50km, and then hoped to feel well enough to at least walk a few more laps before calling it a day. 

No one was more surprised than I was when 50km rolled around and I was feeling great so I revised my plan to aim for 60km of running, which became 70km and then 80km. At that point, I was walking some, but still running at least half of each 5km lap. I hit 90km with over an hour left on the clock and was very tempted to stop yet I pushed on knowing that I could walk the entire lap and still finish within the 12 hour cut-off. That final lap was a slog, but it got me the women's course record (!!) so was worth it.

Photo credit: Louise Blais

It's no secret that I have had stomach issues at many...most...of my ultras and it's one of the main reasons that I stopped doing them. This weekend, I had no GI upset and I think a big part of that was due to the fact that the weather was unseasonably cool for June. The skies were overcast for much of the day and we even had some light showers in the morning, which was perfect for me and my temperamental gut! I know I won't always be so fortunate weather-wise, but it was a nice change to only be concerned about calories in and not all the ones lost alongside the trail!

I had a number of people come up to me after that race and comment on how happy I looked out there and I absolutely was. I love trails and running -- the longer the better. However, for the past few years, I've been struggling with injuries, illness and a general sense of blah that has kept me from doing what I most enjoy and I wasn't sure if I'd ever get back to it. Being out there this weekend literally filled me with joy and I probably was grinning like an idiot and that's okay. It's better than being a grump on the couch.  

After the race, Dave said to me, "It's like you got away with something." And that's kind of how it feels. On paper (or Strava) there's no way I should have been able to run 95km, yet I did without so much as a blister. Hence, trail magic!

Will I race again? I don't know. I had fun this weekend, but there's a lot about racing that I don't miss so we'll see. Perhaps the temptation to get 20 laps/100km at next year's Grit may prove too strong to resist. 😉

Tucson Marathon

I ran my first marathon 20 years ago in Vancouver. Despite being appallingly under-trained, I went in with the over-confident attitude that only a naive (arrogant?) 20-year-old can have. "How bad can it be?" I thought to myself. Really, really bad it turns out. Horrendous even. There were tears, blisters, cursing and chaffing. It was a massive suffer-fest that took me nearly 5 hours to complete (4:51 to be exact) and I couldn't walk properly for weeks afterwards.

I certainly didn't shuffle away with the sense that marathon running was "my thing".  But, oddly enough, something about it made me happy. And somewhere along the way, it actually became my thing. Go figure!? When it comes to running, what I lack in natural ability, I make up in sheer determination. I think that's how, two decades later, I ended up with a PR and win at the Tucson Marathon. Not talented, just stubborn.

Waiting for the race to start.

Obviously, though, simply being obstinate will not win you a marathon. You need the support of others and I've got some pretty amazing people on my side. My husband is at the top of that list for so many reasons. Without him, I'd never make it to a single race start. Seriously, I can't read maps, I'm terrible with directions and I hate driving. Most importantly, he believes in me even when I don't believe in myself. As well, I have the good fortune of training with David Roche of Some Work, All Play Running and the progress I've made under his guidance these past two years is remarkable. (I've PR'd in almost every distance. At 40! WTF?!)

I definitely didn't go into the Tucson Marathon with any expectation of winning. I consider myself a trail runner who decides to do a marathon every few years and then regrets it. This time around, my only goal was to go under 3-hours (which has been my goal for more years than I care to admit). I had run a 3:04 at the Cascade trail marathon in July without much preparation and got the idea in my head that this was the year to give sub-3 another go. I selected the Tucson Marathon because I thought the Arizona weather in December would be ideal, it was an opportunity to visit my parents and in-laws and the downhill course profile was very appealing.

Easy cruising in the early miles.

My marathon specific training started in the fall and went extremely well. I didn't have any issues with injury or illness, and the weather this year could not have been better. I fully expected snowy streets to force me onto the treadmill for many of my long runs, but it never happened. I was able to log almost every mile outdoors. Based on my training efforts and a 20km race I did in November, I knew I was on track for a 2:58-3:02 marathon. Meaning that to go under 3 hours would require race day perfection - there would be no margin for error. One bathroom break or loose shoelace could make all the difference. I knew this going in so I think that's why I didn't stress when faced with the slightest of headwinds. Oftentimes, a headwind isn't a big deal unless it's a point-to-point course (like Tucson) in which case you'd better learn to love it because you're going to be stuck with it.

I was a little sad to see that I losing a couple of seconds per kilometre once the winds picked up, but as I was otherwise feeling great and having a fantastic race, I didn't let it get to me and actually stopped looking at my watch entirely at about 30kms. For the most part, the course is very open and runs alongside the Tucson-Globe Highway. There is one 5km out-and-back section around the halfway point where you get your only opportunity to see where you are in the field. I knew I was the third woman and was curious to see how far ahead the top two ladies were and how they looked. I also wanted to get a sense of the gap between me and the ladies behind me.

Other than a headwind, the weather was perfect!

Fortunately, the turnaround confirmed for me that I could comfortably hold my pace and position and just settle in for the second half. I was not going to catch the ladies ahead of me who were looking strong and relaxed and showed no signs of fatigue, and there was enough distance between me and the next couple of ladies that I didn't feel vulnerable. Mentally, this was my happy place. I was following my race plan, feeling amazing and only had a half marathon to go. Sweet!

Somewhere around three miles from the finish, I realized that I was gaining on the 2nd place woman which suprised me. As I was still feeling pretty damn good, I decided to go for the pass. I did it with the best race face I could muster and didn't look back. I still feel like an ass for not saying anything to her but sometimes saying something seems insincere (i.e. "you look great", "way to go", "keep it up" etc. - when the person is clearly not having a good time) and I'm not a very chatty race person anyway. (We did talk at the finish and she is absolutely lovely. Hi Carrie if you're reading this!)

At this point in the race, we had caught up with some of the half marathoners so there were a lot of runners out on the course. With about a mile to go, I looked up and spotted what appeared to be the blue shirt of the lead marathon lady. I had assumed that she was long done by now and decided that she must be a half marathoner with a similar shirt. It wasn't until I was right behind her that I realized it was the leading woman and she was hurting. Still running well and feeling the pull of the finish line just around the corner, I passed her but indicated that she follow me so that we could finish together. Again, I felt bad going ahead so close to the finish when she had lead the whole race.

Clearly, though, she didn't have anything left so I continued on alone. I pushed hard in that final mile with "oh shit oh shit of shit" running through my head. I didn't think she would catch me but I also didn't want to let up just in case. I was ready to be done. When I crossed the finish line in 3:01:32 it was not disappointment I felt for missing my sub-3 goal, it was sheer joy for having run my best marathon ever and feeling so good in the process. Winning was the cherry on top. (Results here.)

Finish lines are always a welcome sight for tired legs.

This year of running has probably been my most successful, both in terms of results and enjoyment. I still can't believe all that I've done without even the slightest hint of injury or burnout. And the fact that I turned 40 in September and am now racing as a Master with better times than I had in my twenties just adds to my awe of what the body is capable of when we treat it right and have a positive (and realistic) attitude.

I'm now in the process of planning my races for 2019 and there will be another road marathon on the schedule. I still haven't given up on my dream of a sub-3 hour marathon. If anything, there's more fuel in the fire now!

For the holidays and New Year, I wish you health, inspiration and time to pursue the things that make you happy!

Frosty Mtn and the TNF Dirty Feet Tunnel Run

Frosty Mountain 50k

By the time September comes around, I'm usually too busy and excited about the race that we put on (insert utterly shameless plug for the Mighty Quail Trail 100k here) to do more than get in a few runs and, if I'm lucky, maybe even a race. 

Race reports, though, never seem to get written which means outstanding events like Frosty Mountain are overlooked. Why this race isn't more popular and doesn't sell out like so many less scenic and more expensive events, I'll never understand. Frosty Mountain rocks! If you haven't done it, do it! Let 2019 be your year to discover this gem of a race. Both the 27k and 50k courses offer a satisfying challenge and lots of stellar views. There's a 10k too but I haven't done it so can't vouch for its awesomeness.

There's something about Frosty that attracts kooky people and I think I met most of them this year. (And, just to clarify, I mean fun kooky, not if I met them alone in a dark alley I would run away screaming kind of kooky.) For example, there was the fleece jacket guy, who, despite mild temperatures, claimed he didn't need to ditch his fuzzy sweater because he was getting enough air circulation through the pit zips. I figured he must have been at least a little uncomfortable as I was wearing far less and feeling quite toasty. Then I met another runner who wanted to tell me about his chaffed balls and I decided that he deserved the prize for the worst race day outfit. And perhaps the biggest overshare to a stranger...

Anyway, I finished the race first woman and second overall in a time of 5:28:26 - just over a minute behind the top man and less than three minutes off the women's course record. Will I be back? You betcha!

Results here.

The North Face Dirty Feet Tunnel Run 20k

This was my fourth - and fastest! - TNF Dirty Feet Tunnel Run. I was sort of using it to test my fitness for the Tucson Marathon next month where I'm aiming for a PR. Having met my goal of going under 1:25 at the Tunnel Run, I'm hoping that will boost my confidence for the marathon, which I'm still expecting to be hard AF!?

This is THE tunnel!

My Dirty Feet friends, Phil, Grace and Pickles (the dog), put on this great race and I try to do it every year if we're in town. Out and back runs on the KVR trail are the bread-and-butter of my workouts so it's a surface and grade that I'm very comfortable with. And being a local race usually means I'll see lots of people I know. 

Because the race is held around Halloween, costumes are encouraged and there are some great ones! I'm always amazed by what some people are willing to run 10k/20k in (the race can be done solo or as a relay in teams of two) and also curious about how these outfits are cleaned afterwards. I dressed up one year but didn't find wearing what was essentially a gigantic polyester tent very conducive to running fast so have stuck with my usual race kit ever since. So boring, I know.

Results here.

Less than 4k to the finish.

Based on these two write-ups, it would seem that I'm preoccupied with "proper" race attire. I'm really not, but I have done my share of overheating and chaffing in the past and would happily help others avoid making the mistakes I've made. However, as most people don't appreciate unsolicited advice, I'll just keep my thoughts on race day fashions to myself...and my blog. ;)

Idaho Peak Ultra

Had you asked me immediately after crossing the finish line if I enjoyed the Idaho Peak Ultra, I think I would have had a hard time answering. My initial feeling upon finishing is that I was very glad to be done and wouldn't want to do it again. With hindsight, though, I can honestly say that it was a great race and I will likely go back next year.

Finally finished!

There aren't a lot of races that I want to return to, especially in consecutive years, but sometimes you have to make exceptions to your own silly, arbitrary rules. There are two main reasons I'd go back to Idaho Peak. One is completely ego driven - at the finish, I found out that I'd missed the course record by about two minutes and since I don't feel like I ran my best race this year, I want to see how I do when I'm not fighting a migraine. And on a day that's a few (or 10!) degrees cooler.  

The second - and more important factor - is that I received this highly unusual trophy that is mine for the year, but must be returned. I don't imagine I can easily ship it through Canada Post so I guess I'll be hand delivering it and if I'm going to be in the neighbourhood anyway, I might as well race, right.

One of a kind trophy art

My one regret for this race was underestimating the elevation gain (approximately 2,200 metres over 45km according to the race website, although my Garmin showed it being a bit less for both elevation and distance). Whatever the exact numbers are, it's a shitload of climbing, coming almost entirely in the first half. When Dave commented on the vert after looking at the course profile, I should have listened because the guy knows numbers and can climb like a goat. However, I brazenly disregarded his concern knowing that I like climbing and generally do well at it. How bad can it really be?

Well, let me just say that after 18 kilometres of climbing, I didn't like climbing very much anymore and couldn't wait to start descending which is a new and scary feeling for me. The photo below does not do justice to the steepness of the last climb up to the peak. I was scrambling up using my hands for sections and worried that if I leaned too far back, I'd go ass over tea kettle down the mountain.

Final push up to the Idaho Peak lookout.

By far, the best views of the course were along the ridgeline from the fire lookout tower. I was mostly focused on the trail and darting around day hikers, but occasionally I'd look up and be absolutely blown away by the beauty around me.

The reward for all that climbing

After reaching the high point, it was finally time to switch into downhill mode. I blew through the second aid station without stopping and Dave let me know that there were two women who were only a minute or so behind me at the first aid station. It was not exactly what I wanted to hear as I was still feeling crappy with a throbbing head and it was starting to get hot. I would have preferred a larger gap between me and the other ladies, but what are you going to do. Just keep running, I guess! 

Knowing that I don't do the downs as well as the ups, I tried to stay focused on keeping a consistent pace and effort. And not falling on my face. I saw Dave again (he was biking parts of the course) between the third and fourth aid stations and he let me know that I had increased my lead significantly by the second aid station so I felt a bit less pressure but didn't want to ease up much just in case.

The final few kilometres of the race followed the river and included a cable car crossing, which I thought was going to be gimmicky, but was actually quite fun and the volunteers there were very efficient and didn't waste any time sending me across. 

The Kootenay Sufferfest crew, who puts on this race and some other very cool events (running, biking and multi-sport), are doing a great job of promoting tourism and trail use in one of my favourite areas of BC and it makes me happy to support them and their efforts! 

Race results here:

  

Cascade Super Marathon

When I sent an email to my coach (David Roche) at the end of May saying: 1. that I wanted to add a marathon to my summer race plans 2. said marathon was taking place in one month and 3. I wanted it to be my fastest marathon ever; I'm pretty sure his initial reaction must have been "ARE YOU CRAZY?!? (He probably would have inserted an F bomb in there too because he's very expressive that way.)

Fortunately, David is a wise man and probably realized that I was foolish enough to attempt it with or without his blessing so he'd better get on board and try to minimize the damage that I might inflict on myself; thus, undoing all the careful and cautious post-injury running babysteps we've taken together over the past year and a half.

His one caveat to agreeing to this last minute marathon was that I would scrap my plan to do the Fragrance Lake Half Marathon three weeks before it. To which I relied, "um, nope, I think I'll still do that one too." (Race report here.) Good lord, who knew I was so difficult?? (Lord to Stacey: EVERYONE knew! Your husband, parents, brother, friends, colleagues, neighbours, even the freakin' mailman had his suspicions and he's only been on the job a week.)

So long story short, I did the marathon and it was AWESOME! I won't bore you with all the details of what I ate the night before or how many trips I took to the porta potty race morning, but I will say that I had as perfect a race as I could have hoped for.

Nearing the turnaround at mile 2.5.

Being an old rail bed, the mostly downhill course was fast and slightly more forgiving than asphalt as the surface was comprised of dirt and gravel. There was a very cool 2.4 mile tunnel that we ran through requiring flashlights because it was so dark inside. Race day temperatures where mild and calm and, thanks to all the aid stations, I didn't have to carry anything for hydration, which was nice for a change.

One of several trestle bridges we crossed.

Like I said, it was a good day. The race was well organized and everything went smoothly, yet I still missed my long sought after goal of a sub-3 hour marathon by four minutes and 57 seconds. Sigh...I guess that means I'm going to have to do another one of these damn things!? (Full results here.) Instead of dwelling on what I didn't achieve, I'm going to celebrate the fact that I won the women's race and got a marathon personal best time by over two minutes. That, my friends, deserves a woo hoo! And also a round (or two) of beers. ;)

I have no plans to go to Boston, but it's nice to have qualified!

There's a very good chance this won't be my last Cascade Super Marathon. I would definitely consider returning for another sub-3 hour attempt. But next time I'll give myself more than a month to train for it. (You're welcome, coach!)

Fragrance Lake Half Marathon

If I'm drinking beer at 11am on a Saturday, it's either been a really good or a really bad day. This time, fortunately, it was the former. I'd only decided to do the Fragrance Lake Half Marathon about a week in advance and wasn't specifically trained or tapered for it, but like most of my races this year, I just wanted to run fun trails, visit new places and meet cool people, and I succeeded. 

I love the trail running community and am continually impressed with the amazing people that I meet. This weekend, I had the pleasure of sharing a few miles and laughs with my SWAP teammate, Nikki, right from the start which put me in a really good mood and filled me with positive energy. 

Me and Nikki cruising along the Interurban trail

I had run parts of the Fragrance Lake course before when I raced Chuckanut 50km and the Bellingham Trail Marathon so I had an idea what to expect. With over 3,300 feet of vertical, it's definitely not an easy race, but I knew I'd be okay on the climb (always my favourite part), could handle the quad-pounding descent if the footing wasn't too tricky (it wasn't) and then I'd just have to try not to die on the technical ridge trail (slick from heavy rainfall the day prior...ugh). 

Although, I didn't exactly enjoy the ridge trail, I did survive it with no blood shed or bones broken so that's something. I know I lost a fair bit of time along that section (exacerbated by an emergent yet still annoying "pit stop"!?) so I expected someone to overtake me, but no one did. Whew!

Love the up!

Once Nikki and I split up at the start of the climb, I ran almost entirely alone. The second place man was within sight for most of the first half but then I caught him near the top of the climb. He later passed me in the final kilometre which burns me a bit because I thought I was doing pretty well on the downhill. I guess I'm going to have to work on my finishing kick!  

After the race, I had a nice chat with Maria Dalzot who was the OVERALL winner and holds the women's course record. I'm totally okay with coming in second to an elite runner like Maria! It's also pretty awesome to see four women in the top 10. 

Full results here. 

Top 3 ladies - speedy and colourful :)

Thanks to Tad Davis for the photos and to Destination Trail for putting on this fantastic race!

And, as always, my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to my husband Dave and coach David for their roles in getting me to the starting line of every race happy and healthy. 

9 Months, 8 Races Later

I'm back! Now before I start making excuses for essentially abandoning this blog, I'd like to say this...I love running again! It's true. For awhile (hmm, like most of 2014-2016) I didn't, which really sucked because running has always been my thing, my go-to happy place. Except when it wasn't. Those times when my hamstring throbbed after every run and my stomach revolted during every race just left me feeling sad, frustrated and empty.

But I kept on running (and occasionally racing) partly out of habit but mostly because I thought I could force happiness. It didn't work - shocking, I know! However, things have finally turned around. My hamstring is nearly back to normal and I am getting some speed back in these old legs thanks to Coach David. (I never expected to be posting some of my fastest times at almost 40!!?)

I've done eight races since my last blog entry and as I have neither the memory nor patience to write that many recaps, I'm going to be lazy and simply add a few pics and words about some of them.

Sun Mountain 25km
I think my face says it all: I love this race! This photo was taken just past the halfway point of one of my all-time favourite trail running events. Put on by Race Director extraordinaire James Varner of Rainshadow Running, the Sun Mountain 50km was my first ever ultra (and blog post!) and will forever hold a special place in my heart. I have been to this race four times now, having also run the 50-mile and 100km distances, and always had a blast. I thrive on these trails and this course has been kind to me. This year, I was second woman and sixth overall. So much fun!

Photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama Photography

Leona Divide 50km
My first big race of 2018 and the kick-off to our California road trip. I lucked out with great weather and a beautiful course, consisting mostly of the Pacific Crest Trail. My favourite takeaway from Leona Divide is running almost 40 kilometres with this amazing gal. Not only an incredibly talented runner, but also an absolute sweetheart and it was wonderful to share the trails with her. We were both aiming for a sub-5 hour finish and decided to work together to make it happen. Even if my stomach hadn't started turning during the final 5 miles of the race forcing me to drop back, I would still have been rooting for Emma to take the win. She's just that nice. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to catch the 1st place lady but finished strong in 2nd and I was about 5 minutes behind her in 3rd. (Three ladies in the top 10 - woo hoo!!) We both easily broke 5 hours and made the list of top 10 fastest times ever.

Photo credit: Rudy (Emma's man)

Interior Running Association (IRA) Races
I'm pretty sure at some point I said (with a sneer) there's no way I'd ever go back to road racing. Well, never say never. I've done two IRA road races this year (the Oliver 10km and Blossom 10-miler) and enjoyed them way more than I was expecting. Shifting focus from 50-plus mile events to mostly 25- and 50-kilometre races means racing shorter distances more often and at a faster pace. I find both of those things kind of scary, but that's probably why it's good for me to do them. It's also nice to occasionally be social (as an introvert I struggle with this) and to support the local running community. Plus, there are good prizes like wine!

Photo credit: Vlad Zamecnik

Dirty Feet 20km Tunnel Run
This is always a fun end-of-year race to do. Phil and Grace Hiom of Dirty Feet have it dialed in terms of putting on a well organized and attended event with a fun, low-key vibe. I've done this race at least three times and what makes this one memorable is that I decided to run to and from the race, almost doubling the distance. My intent wasn't to be heroic. Quite the opposite actually. As you can see from the photo below, conditions were not ideal and since I hate winter driving, I decided it would be safer to run to the race.

Photo credit: Phil Hiom

Frosty Mountain 27km

I don't know why I didn't do a write-up for this one - it was my best race of the year! Maybe that's why. I think bad races are easier to write about because inevitably something funny and/or embarrassing happens that you're going to want to share with a bunch of random strangers on the Internet. Good races are just plain boring. On this occasion, though, I'll take boring.

A former coach used to encourage me to "go Kamikaze" in races, but it's just not in my DNA to go all out. My self-preservation instincts are too strong. I've probably done more than 100 races over the past two decades and can recall exactly three times when this crazy competitive drive kicked in and it was both terrifying and exhilarating. Anyway, Frosty was one of those times when I decided to go for it. I had a perfect race, winning outright and setting a new women's course record. (My father-in-law is still in disbelief that I, a girl, could beat ALL the boys. Every time he brings it up, it makes me smile.)

Photo credit: Daryl Spencer

Mighty Quail 100km

Frosty might have been my best race of 2017, but the Mighty Quail 100km was by far my favourite. I didn't run it, but instead helped organize it, along with Dave and our friends Andrew and Magda. It was probably one of the most stressful and satisfying things I've ever been involved with and I am so proud of what we created. Find out more at: www.mightyquail.com.

Photo credit: Aaron Barry Photography

Since the theme of this post seems to be love, friendship and gratitude, I'm going to wrap things up by thanking my husband Dave for his support through all my racing highs and lows. I think my struggles with running and injuries have often been harder on him as I have a selective memory and forget the really bad times. I'm pretty sure all he wants is for me to retire from racing and yet he knows how happy it makes me when things are going well so he's willing to stay up late scrolling through event calendars with me and planning all our holidays around my race schedule. What a guy!

I'm also grateful for my wonderful friends who put up with me even though I often can't do anything with them because I'm going for a run, recovering from a run or going to bed early because I have to run in the morning. And they refrain from making piggy noises when I eat twice as much as everyone else at the table!