My final race of the season is The North Face San Francisco Endurance Challenge on Saturday. I'm excited to return to this race with more experience and better fitness than when I ran it last year as only my second 50-miler ever.
Check out www.irunfar.com for excellent pre-race (and race day) coverage.
Men's preview
Women's preview
In 2011, we were fortunate to have perfect weather for race day. Not so this year. Rain and wind warnings for the Bay Area are in effect so I've packed waterproof gear for what promises to be a wet and blustery weekend. Not my favourite conditions to run in, but at least I've had some practice this year (Chuckanut and the Mountain Running Nationals come to mind).
And what a year it's been. With my running season ending, it's a good time for reflection. I'm so grateful for all the ways that running has enriched my life. The people I've met, the places I've seen, the goals I've accomplished and the failures I've learned from. There's been breakthroughs and breakdowns. PRs and DNFs. I've smiled, cried and laughed lots (often on the same run!). My trail running has improved; sadly, my trail singing has not.
Regardless of my result on Saturday, I'm thrilled with how this year has played out and have eagerly started planning my race schedule for 2013. There's much to look forward to: my first stage race (TransRockies), my first 100-miler (fingers crossed I get into Western States), a fast road marathon attempt and possibly another World Championships.
Next week, I will post my TNF SF race report and I also have an exciting announcement. Well, I think it's exciting anyway. If you're bored and curious, check back in a few days.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Bellingham Trail Marathon Race Report
I often dream about running and racing, probably because I'm boring and don't have a lot of other interests. One of my recurring race dreams is getting caught in the porta potty with my shorts down when the race starts. Well, that's pretty much what happened to me at the Bellingham Trail Marathon.
It was a cool morning so even after my warm-up run, I kept jogging around to stay warm. My final parking lot lap took me right past the washrooms and, because there was no line up, I decided to pop in for one last reassurance pee. I was exiting my stall when I heard Candice, the race director, counting down the race start. I broke into a sprint to cover the few hundred metres between me and the starting line, giving Dave a sheepish grin on my way by as I recalled his earlier warning not to dawdle as I have cut it close for my last couple of races causing us both undue stress.
I then had to find my way from the back of the pack up closer to the front because I wanted to be in a good position when we hit the narrow trail very early in the race. I'm sure I was on the receiving end of some dirty looks as I not so gracefully maneuvered around the other runners to move up. My apologies to anyone I may have jostled along the way! The resulting adrenaline rush did, however, give me a fantastic boost for the first couple of kilometres.
As Dave and I had pre-run the course the day before (I did the first and last few kilometres and he did the rest), I knew what to expect on the Lake Padden trails and was excited to be back on them. These trails are fun! If I lived in the area, I'm sure I would run them a lot. They were rolling and not super technical but not boring either. After some gradual climbing, there was a sweet downhill section. I was cruising along nicely until one misstep caused me to roll my right ankle with a loud snap or pop - no crackle - and I stumbled, followed by some hopping and cursing.
I figured my day was probably over. Then, I heard someone coming down the trail behind me and the competitor in me took over and forced to take a few steps on me on my injured foot (yep, the same one that I had dropped a desk on not so long ago). Surprisingly, it didn't hurt too much. It didn't feel right, but it felt good enough to continue so I put it out of my mind and carried on.
Once we left the Lake Padden trails, there was a short road section that connected the Interurban trail with Chuckanut Mountain. I had run parts of most of these trails for the Chuckanut 50km in March and knew them to be beautiful yet challenging. Aside from a few guys I leap-frogged with, I mainly ran this section alone. There were some long climbs and some steep climbs and a few long AND steep climbs. I ran what I could and worked on my power hike when I needed to conserve energy.
At the top of the infamous Chinscraper climb, I was greeted with a few light snowflakes. Fortunately, it was nothing like the blizzard that assaulted us at the higher elevations for the Chuckanut 50km. I had struggled on the technical ridge section then but was able to take it on with more confidence this go 'round most likely due to better conditions and more trail running experience.
After the ridge, it was a loooong descent down to the Interurban trail and then back up the hill to Lake Padden and the finish. I thought that I might be the top woman but I didn't know for certain until about 8km from the finish and even then I didn't know how much of a lead I had so I didn't let up even though my legs were screaming at me to stop. I reached the finish line in 3:59 which was good enough for 7th overall and top woman. Full results are available here.
Ankle update: Although my ankle was sore after the race, I could still walk on it. I didn't actually get around to taking a good look at it until we got home a day and a half later. I was then alarmed to see that it was extremely swollen and bruised. Four days later, almost all the swelling is gone and most of the bruising too. Whew! Back to TNF San Fran preparations.
It was a cool morning so even after my warm-up run, I kept jogging around to stay warm. My final parking lot lap took me right past the washrooms and, because there was no line up, I decided to pop in for one last reassurance pee. I was exiting my stall when I heard Candice, the race director, counting down the race start. I broke into a sprint to cover the few hundred metres between me and the starting line, giving Dave a sheepish grin on my way by as I recalled his earlier warning not to dawdle as I have cut it close for my last couple of races causing us both undue stress.
I then had to find my way from the back of the pack up closer to the front because I wanted to be in a good position when we hit the narrow trail very early in the race. I'm sure I was on the receiving end of some dirty looks as I not so gracefully maneuvered around the other runners to move up. My apologies to anyone I may have jostled along the way! The resulting adrenaline rush did, however, give me a fantastic boost for the first couple of kilometres.
As Dave and I had pre-run the course the day before (I did the first and last few kilometres and he did the rest), I knew what to expect on the Lake Padden trails and was excited to be back on them. These trails are fun! If I lived in the area, I'm sure I would run them a lot. They were rolling and not super technical but not boring either. After some gradual climbing, there was a sweet downhill section. I was cruising along nicely until one misstep caused me to roll my right ankle with a loud snap or pop - no crackle - and I stumbled, followed by some hopping and cursing.
I figured my day was probably over. Then, I heard someone coming down the trail behind me and the competitor in me took over and forced to take a few steps on me on my injured foot (yep, the same one that I had dropped a desk on not so long ago). Surprisingly, it didn't hurt too much. It didn't feel right, but it felt good enough to continue so I put it out of my mind and carried on.
Once we left the Lake Padden trails, there was a short road section that connected the Interurban trail with Chuckanut Mountain. I had run parts of most of these trails for the Chuckanut 50km in March and knew them to be beautiful yet challenging. Aside from a few guys I leap-frogged with, I mainly ran this section alone. There were some long climbs and some steep climbs and a few long AND steep climbs. I ran what I could and worked on my power hike when I needed to conserve energy.
At the top of the infamous Chinscraper climb, I was greeted with a few light snowflakes. Fortunately, it was nothing like the blizzard that assaulted us at the higher elevations for the Chuckanut 50km. I had struggled on the technical ridge section then but was able to take it on with more confidence this go 'round most likely due to better conditions and more trail running experience.
After the ridge, it was a loooong descent down to the Interurban trail and then back up the hill to Lake Padden and the finish. I thought that I might be the top woman but I didn't know for certain until about 8km from the finish and even then I didn't know how much of a lead I had so I didn't let up even though my legs were screaming at me to stop. I reached the finish line in 3:59 which was good enough for 7th overall and top woman. Full results are available here.
Ankle update: Although my ankle was sore after the race, I could still walk on it. I didn't actually get around to taking a good look at it until we got home a day and a half later. I was then alarmed to see that it was extremely swollen and bruised. Four days later, almost all the swelling is gone and most of the bruising too. Whew! Back to TNF San Fran preparations.
Monday, November 5, 2012
The North Face Dirty Feet Tunnel Run
After a two-month hiatus from racing (thanks to my DNF at Flagline), I was itching to pin on a race number and find a starting line somewhere. Fortunately, I didn't have to look far as there happened to be a race taking place just a few miles down the road from my house. The North Face Dirty Feet Tunnel Run proved to be the perfect fix for my race withdrawal.
A straightforward out-and-back 20km course along the stunningly beautiful Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) trail that rises above Okanagan Lake, offering spectacular views of the valley. With a gentle 2-3% grade and a hard-packed mixed gravel surface, it's really more road than trail but who really cares.
Having participated in a Dirty Feet race in Kelowna last year, I knew it was going to be fun and well organized (two things I look for in an event) and I wasn't disappointed. The course was ridiculously well marked (and re-marked the morning of after 3kms of flagging went "missing" overnight!?), there were happy, smiling runners and volunteers everywhere and the post-race refreshments included a vat of hot veggie soup. And there were tons of draw prizes. What more could you want?
The race was split between solo racers and relay teams (two runners x 10km) and there were about 120 participants. It was a mass start but because the trail is wide and there weren't hordes of runners, elbow room wasn't an issue. I ran near the front for most of the race and tried to keep the top two men in sight. I lost a bit of time on them at the halfway point but was able to maintain my third place position and finish in 1:27 as the top woman. Full results are available here.
It was a good day to be hanging out with some new and long lost runner friends. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with more runner friends at the Bellingham Trail Marathon next weekend (which I'm doing strictly as a training run as I don't want to jeopardize my build up for TNF San Francisco...or piss off my coach - ha, ha!).
So for this race, I wore:
A straightforward out-and-back 20km course along the stunningly beautiful Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) trail that rises above Okanagan Lake, offering spectacular views of the valley. With a gentle 2-3% grade and a hard-packed mixed gravel surface, it's really more road than trail but who really cares.
Having participated in a Dirty Feet race in Kelowna last year, I knew it was going to be fun and well organized (two things I look for in an event) and I wasn't disappointed. The course was ridiculously well marked (and re-marked the morning of after 3kms of flagging went "missing" overnight!?), there were happy, smiling runners and volunteers everywhere and the post-race refreshments included a vat of hot veggie soup. And there were tons of draw prizes. What more could you want?
The race was split between solo racers and relay teams (two runners x 10km) and there were about 120 participants. It was a mass start but because the trail is wide and there weren't hordes of runners, elbow room wasn't an issue. I ran near the front for most of the race and tried to keep the top two men in sight. I lost a bit of time on them at the halfway point but was able to maintain my third place position and finish in 1:27 as the top woman. Full results are available here.
It was a good day to be hanging out with some new and long lost runner friends. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with more runner friends at the Bellingham Trail Marathon next weekend (which I'm doing strictly as a training run as I don't want to jeopardize my build up for TNF San Francisco...or piss off my coach - ha, ha!).
So for this race, I wore:
- Brooks Pure Grits (my new fav "go to" race shoe for shorter distances)
- old New Balance split shorts
- new SmartWool tee
- mid-weight Injinji toesocks
Friday, October 26, 2012
Fall Follies
Autumn is one of my four favourite seasons. What's not to love? Sweaters, hot tea, good books, fresh baking, fall colours, my birthday. These things all make me happy. Along with many reasons to smile, this autumn arrived with its share of challenges...
Dave and I returned from Italy with a parasitic souvenir (dientamoeba fragilis) that totally wiped us out for about three weeks. (Food Safe 101: Wash your hands people! It doesn't take long and soap is cheap.) During this time, we moved into a new house. During the move, a desk collapsed on my foot. But wait, that's not all.
Then, on one of my first long runs post-parasite etc., I caught a toe on the only rock for miles, went airborne and landed smack dab on my left knee cap. After screaming bloody murder for several minutes and lying like a gimp on the trail afraid to move because I was certain my knee cap was shattered, I limp-shuffled back to the car. Boo!
But that's all in the past. I have had two blissfully dull and uneventful two weeks in which I have caused no further damage to my body and actually done some decent training (albeit with a still sore foot and knee). And that's important because The North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco is just a few weeks away and I need to get back into race shape. (Click here to read my 2011 TNF EC race report.)
My goal for the next month is to stay healthy and be nice to my body i.e. no klutzy Cleveland. If I can manage that, then I should have a good race. And even if the race doesn't go well, it's still way better than being sick and injured.
Happy Autumn!
Dave and I returned from Italy with a parasitic souvenir (dientamoeba fragilis) that totally wiped us out for about three weeks. (Food Safe 101: Wash your hands people! It doesn't take long and soap is cheap.) During this time, we moved into a new house. During the move, a desk collapsed on my foot. But wait, that's not all.
Then, on one of my first long runs post-parasite etc., I caught a toe on the only rock for miles, went airborne and landed smack dab on my left knee cap. After screaming bloody murder for several minutes and lying like a gimp on the trail afraid to move because I was certain my knee cap was shattered, I limp-shuffled back to the car. Boo!
But that's all in the past. I have had two blissfully dull and uneventful two weeks in which I have caused no further damage to my body and actually done some decent training (albeit with a still sore foot and knee). And that's important because The North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco is just a few weeks away and I need to get back into race shape. (Click here to read my 2011 TNF EC race report.)
My goal for the next month is to stay healthy and be nice to my body i.e. no klutzy Cleveland. If I can manage that, then I should have a good race. And even if the race doesn't go well, it's still way better than being sick and injured.
Happy Autumn!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Flagline 50km Race Report
Like my race, this report will be short. The Flagline 50km in Bend, Oregon was supposed to be my big fall race. I had trained hard for it and was hoping for a good result. Unfortunately, for the two weeks leading up to it, I suffered from horrible diarrhea, nausea and vomiting among other unpleasant symptoms.
It seems I contracted something nasty while in Italy for the World Mountain Running Championships earlier this month. (I've since found out that half the members of the Canadian and USA teams that participated are sick with the same undiagnosed illness. One of our Canadian guys even ended up in hospital!)
As we were going to Bend anyway for Dave's adventure race, I decided to wait and see how I felt closer to the weekend before deciding whether to race or not. (Due to fire activity in the area and concerns about the air quality, there was a possibility that the race would be cancelled.) I didn't feel terrible race morning so I threw on my gear and headed to the start line, which was located at the base of Mount Bachelor. The weather was perfect and the sky was clear and smoke-free.
Many exceptional athletes live and train in Bend, and as Flagline was the USA 50km national championships this year, a number of the top American runners were there. I got in a good 20 minute warm-up and was still feeling okay so I was optimistic that I could pull this thing off even though I hadn't been able to eat or run much in weeks. I'd be well-rested and light on my feet, right? Wrong!
Without much ado, the race was underway. I actually felt pretty good for the first 10km of the race, which was a nice mainly single-track trail through the woods climbing up to some scenic lookouts. Over the next 10km, my energy started to fade until there was nothing left. My legs had no race in them and my stomach was starting to feel that oh so familiar queasy feeling. I made the wise - albeit difficult - decision to drop at 25km and then jogged and walked another 5km back to my car. Even though dropping out of the race was the right thing to do under the circumstances, I'm still grappling with it. Quitting never feels good even if it's for the right reasons.
I'm feeling a bit better this week but am still not quite right so I'm going to go to the doctor today and get some tests done so I know exactly what I'm dealing with. For now, my ability to train is limited because my energy is low and my stomach is volatile. The only race left on my calendar this year is The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-miler in December. Hopefully I will shake this bug soon so I can get in some good prep for it. Until then, my focus is simply getting healthy.
It seems I contracted something nasty while in Italy for the World Mountain Running Championships earlier this month. (I've since found out that half the members of the Canadian and USA teams that participated are sick with the same undiagnosed illness. One of our Canadian guys even ended up in hospital!)
As we were going to Bend anyway for Dave's adventure race, I decided to wait and see how I felt closer to the weekend before deciding whether to race or not. (Due to fire activity in the area and concerns about the air quality, there was a possibility that the race would be cancelled.) I didn't feel terrible race morning so I threw on my gear and headed to the start line, which was located at the base of Mount Bachelor. The weather was perfect and the sky was clear and smoke-free.
Many exceptional athletes live and train in Bend, and as Flagline was the USA 50km national championships this year, a number of the top American runners were there. I got in a good 20 minute warm-up and was still feeling okay so I was optimistic that I could pull this thing off even though I hadn't been able to eat or run much in weeks. I'd be well-rested and light on my feet, right? Wrong!
Without much ado, the race was underway. I actually felt pretty good for the first 10km of the race, which was a nice mainly single-track trail through the woods climbing up to some scenic lookouts. Over the next 10km, my energy started to fade until there was nothing left. My legs had no race in them and my stomach was starting to feel that oh so familiar queasy feeling. I made the wise - albeit difficult - decision to drop at 25km and then jogged and walked another 5km back to my car. Even though dropping out of the race was the right thing to do under the circumstances, I'm still grappling with it. Quitting never feels good even if it's for the right reasons.
I'm feeling a bit better this week but am still not quite right so I'm going to go to the doctor today and get some tests done so I know exactly what I'm dealing with. For now, my ability to train is limited because my energy is low and my stomach is volatile. The only race left on my calendar this year is The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-miler in December. Hopefully I will shake this bug soon so I can get in some good prep for it. Until then, my focus is simply getting healthy.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
In the news
My friend (and former Camosun College classmate) wrote this nice article about the race for our local paper, the Penticton Western News. Click here to check it out.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
2012 World Mountain Running Championships
The 2012 World Mountain Running Championships took place September 2 in Ponte di Legno, Italy. Team Canada consisted of four senior women, six senior men, one junior, a number of spouses and family members and our awesome manager, Adrian. I may be biased, but I think our team was the nicest! I enjoyed every one's company immensely.
Having arrived almost a week early, Dave and I had a some time in Milan to wander around, visit the famous cathedral, Duomo di Milano, and eat copious amounts of gelato. I was almost distracted enough to forgot the reason we had come on this trip and then it was time to repack our bags and catch the shuttle to Ponte di Legno.
What should have been a three hour bus ride turned into five and half thanks to heavy traffic, pouring rain and windy mountain roads. We eventually arrived at our hotel, which wasn't in Ponte di Legno at all but significantly higher in Passo Tonale where the race would finish. It was after 10 pm and we were all famished so we raided the cafeteria and devoured whatever scraps of food were leftover from dinner.
Then it was off to our very basic but adequate rooms to get some sleep. I was virtually comatose seconds after my head hit the pillow and slept soundly through the night only to be awoken by heavy rainfall in the morning. The rain was to last most of the next 48 hours. I hadn't packed for the possibility of such prolonged and substantial showers so wasn't that enthused about venturing out. Plus, we were at elevation so it was pretty darn chilly. In fact, the snow line wasn't much above our hotel.
Eventually, a few of us did head out to run the women's course. It was a challenging course due to some super steep climbs but none of it was too technical and most of the trail was wide open for passing so I was reassured. My confidence took a hit later in the day, however, when one of the guys warned us about how physical the race would be and to expect lots of pushing and shoving. That stressed me out..a lot. (It was a non-issue. Maybe the ladies at the front of the pack were throwing elbows but us middle packers were quite civilized. Thank goodness!)
My parents arrived in Ponte di Legno on Friday and we had a nice visit with them. On Saturday morning, Dave and I checked out of of the shops in the village, which was very picturesque even in the rain. That evening, the athletes were paraded (literally) through town to the sports hall for the opening ceremonies.
Race day dawned with near perfect weather. The late start time allowed for a leisurely morning so we took our time getting up and lingered over breakfast. I got in a solid 30 minute warm up run down in the village and it was one of the best parts of the weekend for me. Being alone in the forest on a pretty trail. That's why I run. I like racing because it allows me to push myself in a way that I am unable to in training, but the rest of the hoopla and hype I don't need.
After receiving some final words of encouragement from Dave and my parents, I headed over to the starting corral with the rest of the women to await the final countdown. And then we were off. I found the first couple of kilometers extremely fast coming from an ultra running background where most races begin at a fairly pedestrian pace. I tried to keep in the mix as we en masse navigated the cobbled streets full of tight turns, stray dogs and decorative planters.
My watch wasn't working so I don't know my exact pace, but I could tell by my breathing and how I felt that I was working hard and I just tried to keep that intensity up. For most of the race, I ran closely with my Team Canada teammate, Catrin, an elite road runner from Victoria. We finished in just over 55 minutes(about 8:30 minutes behind the winner) for 50th and 51st place, with Shannon and Mirabelle not too far behind us in 65th and 78th. The Canadian men's team also posted some good individual results and placed well in the team competition.
I'm proud of how we did. Do I wish I'd placed higher? Sure, but I'd guess that everyone except the winner thinks that. Participating in a world championships was an amazing experience and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to do it, but I don't think that this type of competition is necessarily my thing. Call me crazy but I'd much rather run 80 kilometers than eight!
For more info about the race, go to the Canadian Trail & Mountain Running website.
Having arrived almost a week early, Dave and I had a some time in Milan to wander around, visit the famous cathedral, Duomo di Milano, and eat copious amounts of gelato. I was almost distracted enough to forgot the reason we had come on this trip and then it was time to repack our bags and catch the shuttle to Ponte di Legno.
What should have been a three hour bus ride turned into five and half thanks to heavy traffic, pouring rain and windy mountain roads. We eventually arrived at our hotel, which wasn't in Ponte di Legno at all but significantly higher in Passo Tonale where the race would finish. It was after 10 pm and we were all famished so we raided the cafeteria and devoured whatever scraps of food were leftover from dinner.
Then it was off to our very basic but adequate rooms to get some sleep. I was virtually comatose seconds after my head hit the pillow and slept soundly through the night only to be awoken by heavy rainfall in the morning. The rain was to last most of the next 48 hours. I hadn't packed for the possibility of such prolonged and substantial showers so wasn't that enthused about venturing out. Plus, we were at elevation so it was pretty darn chilly. In fact, the snow line wasn't much above our hotel.
Eventually, a few of us did head out to run the women's course. It was a challenging course due to some super steep climbs but none of it was too technical and most of the trail was wide open for passing so I was reassured. My confidence took a hit later in the day, however, when one of the guys warned us about how physical the race would be and to expect lots of pushing and shoving. That stressed me out..a lot. (It was a non-issue. Maybe the ladies at the front of the pack were throwing elbows but us middle packers were quite civilized. Thank goodness!)
My parents arrived in Ponte di Legno on Friday and we had a nice visit with them. On Saturday morning, Dave and I checked out of of the shops in the village, which was very picturesque even in the rain. That evening, the athletes were paraded (literally) through town to the sports hall for the opening ceremonies.
Race day dawned with near perfect weather. The late start time allowed for a leisurely morning so we took our time getting up and lingered over breakfast. I got in a solid 30 minute warm up run down in the village and it was one of the best parts of the weekend for me. Being alone in the forest on a pretty trail. That's why I run. I like racing because it allows me to push myself in a way that I am unable to in training, but the rest of the hoopla and hype I don't need.
After receiving some final words of encouragement from Dave and my parents, I headed over to the starting corral with the rest of the women to await the final countdown. And then we were off. I found the first couple of kilometers extremely fast coming from an ultra running background where most races begin at a fairly pedestrian pace. I tried to keep in the mix as we en masse navigated the cobbled streets full of tight turns, stray dogs and decorative planters.
My watch wasn't working so I don't know my exact pace, but I could tell by my breathing and how I felt that I was working hard and I just tried to keep that intensity up. For most of the race, I ran closely with my Team Canada teammate, Catrin, an elite road runner from Victoria. We finished in just over 55 minutes(about 8:30 minutes behind the winner) for 50th and 51st place, with Shannon and Mirabelle not too far behind us in 65th and 78th. The Canadian men's team also posted some good individual results and placed well in the team competition.
I'm proud of how we did. Do I wish I'd placed higher? Sure, but I'd guess that everyone except the winner thinks that. Participating in a world championships was an amazing experience and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to do it, but I don't think that this type of competition is necessarily my thing. Call me crazy but I'd much rather run 80 kilometers than eight!
For more info about the race, go to the Canadian Trail & Mountain Running website.
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