Creemore Vertical Challenge 50k

Quick update: I'm now 9th in the men's 40-49 division in the Ontario Ultra Series standings after 5 races. Somehow, that doesn't seem right but I'll take it! Now with the race report.

Despite nagging pain in my right heel, on Thurday I finally decided to enter the Creemore Vertical Challenge 50k. There was a 25k option, but hey, why go all the way up there to run 25k when you can run 50? Got up early, picked up my Zip car at 5am and I got there around 7:15, for an 8am start. I followed the route proposed by my Garmin car GPS. You should have seen some of the so-called roads. At some point I ended up in a single track unpaved path, deep in the bush. Their route algorithm can be scary at times.

I get my packet and sit down to put my shoes on. I take my La Sportiva Crosslites out of the bag and wtf? No insoles. I took them out to let the shoes dry, but I FORGOT THEM AT HOME. Thank God, I always bring two pairs of shoes so I decide to run in my Mizuno Wave Rider 12.

There were quite a few people, I would say about 150. We all started at 8am sharp. The course, as described on their web page is "a 25 K hourglass loop with 50% trail, 50% country road and almost no cliffs. The course is hilly (60% uphill and 30% downhill), climbing the Niagara Escarpment twice with about 875 metres (2900 feet) of vertical ascent per loop."

From the start I ran with two runners which I knew from previous races have a pace similar to mine, Kinga and Steve. We ran the first loop real easy, chatting a lot and talking with others. This early in the race, there are a lot of runners around so it's easy to engage in short conversations with another group and then one pack moves on at their chosen pace. There were aid stations at every 5km. I made an effort to spend as little time as possible at the aid stations. I've been known to lose a lot of time there. I just downed two cups of Heed (yuck), grabbed some food and moved on, eating while walking or running.

The course was hilly. Some of the so-called hills were LONG, so since we walked the hills, it felt like a lot of walking. The downhills were much steeper than the uphills, making me wonder about whether my quads would be able to take the punishment on the second loop. I train mainly on flat-ish paved trails, so those steep hills are always a challenge for me.

All along, we had been talking about a finish in the 6:00 to 6:30 range. This was not to be. Kinga, just as during the Niagara Ultra two weeks ago, discovered her competitive streak and saw someone ahead that "she had to pass". We picked up the pace, running under 5min/km for much of the last 5k in that first loop. At the start area, Steve said he would change his shirt, so Kinga and I raced to the porta-potties and took care of business. I ran to my bags and downed half a bottle of Accelerade. I saw Kinga running towards me but we couldn't see Steve so we just took off. It's a race, after all. I noticed that Kinga was still pushing the pace. We had finished the first loop in 2:54, so now she was bent on breaking 6 hours. We then see some people across a field. Kinga thinks Steve is ahead Again, I feel the pace quicken. A few km later, we catch up and yes, this is Steve and another runner. He didn't change his shirt after all and had just kept running.

So we keep moving, at a pace I'm still comfortable with, but which is definitely faster than I had expected to run. Just before the first hills, I pop two Excedrins, because my feet are just screaming. My right heel hurts a bit, but the worse is always my soles which start hurting in the 30km range. After we hit the first hills, Steve decides to slow down and runs with someone he knows who is right behind us. We keep pushing the pace a bit and slowly overtake runners. Our slow first loop is paying off. The hills, barely difficult on the first loop, are getting to me. Some of the downhills are beating up my quads and feet something fierce. Then it's uphill again, cresting a hill only to see that it wasn't the end after all and there's more to come. At 40k, Kinga sees a woman going up a hill ahead and says "I know her" and starts running up the fucking hill. No way. I keep walking. I kept her in my sights up until the end, but I never caught up to her. At about the 35k mark, my Nathan Hydration pack bladder split open and I lost most of my water, so now I'm real carefull to drink plenty of liquids at the aid stations. My nutrition is going well.

At 45k, I'm ready to be finished. The last few km are a bit challenging, with muddy ascents and descents using ropes as well as a section where you have to balance on top of a 30in plastic drainage tube to cross a muddy puddle. Running down a steep incline, my hamstings start cramping and I have to ask someone ahead of me to move over, 'cause I can't break no more.

Then it's over. I finish the second loop in 2:51 for a total time of 5:45, way faster than originally planned. Kinga had finished 2 minutes ahead in 5:43. Then it's time for pizza, beer, more pizza and the long drive home.

Cooling off. I'm on the left.

This has been my most "intelligent" trail race yet. I didn't linger at the aid stations. Easy start. Negative splits. Good pace. Best time for a trail 50k despite the challenging course, thanks mostly to Kinga's pacing. I will remember those lessons.

The Best Laid Plans...

Here is a simple fact: I don't want to do Ironman 70.3 Muskoka. I want to run the 50 miler at Haliburton instead. There's a 100 miler there as well but I'm not "feeling" that distance yet. Haliburton is on September 12 and Muskoka on the 13th. I don't think it's doable. The money is spent no matter what. Haliburton is 65 bucks and I'm pretty sure that lodging is much cheaper there so I don't think that changing my mind would cost actual money. So much for registering early. I just can't seem to get into the triathlon groove. I'm going to do the minimum for triathlon Saguenay and then it's RUNNING baby!

Crazy Stuff

I'm looking at maybe signing up for the K-Rock Ultra next Winter. That race is part of the Rock and Ice Ultra, which offers 3 separate races: the Cold Foot Classic is a 50km one-day race; the K-Rock Ultra is a 3-day, 3-stage, 135km race; the DIamond Ultra is a 6 day, 6 stages 225km race. I exchanged emails with a trainer who raced up there a few times and he feels this is something I should be able to do. I am so stoked about this! My wife thinks this is the stupidest idea I've ever had, but she's ok with it, although I have a feeling this is going to cost me.

Injury Update

My right foot is slowly coming back, I think. Running the Niagara Ultra didn't make it worse. I've been running short runs, about 4 miles, twice/week in my Vibram Five Fingers. I've also been walking in them quite a bit. All this is done in the hopes of slowly strengthening my feet.

Training

It's difficult to train without a goal. This is another reason I need to switch to Haliburton: I didn't give a shit about Muskoka. Knowing I have another 50 miler coming gives me an exciting goal I can look forward to.

My volume is still pretty low, in the 50 to 75km per week. I'm going to start ramping up again and try to maintain it between 65 and 100km. The next race on the OUS schecule is the Creemore Vertical Challenge, another 50km race, on July 4th, which is basically a week from now. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it. My legs came back really fast from Niagara and I'm feeling good. I need the hill workout!

Niagara 50k Race Report

Well, it is done. Yesterday, my youngest daughter and I got up at 4am for the 2h drive to Niagara-on-the-lake, where I participated to the Niagara 50k Ultra. I ran this race on a whim. Last weekend, I was looking at my training journal and figured that if I didn't up the running volume soon, I wouldn't be able to run longuer distances soon. This is silly, because that was supposed to be the plan all along: switch to triathlon training, lower the running volume, rest a bit. The problem is that I LIKE running long and the Ultra season is NOW.

Anyway, I decided to sign up if the weather looked nice. All week, the long term forecasts agreed on one thing: Saturday would be wet. Finally, I broke down on Wednesday before the online registration closed and signed up anyway. I told my wife that as a father's day present I would be racing a small race on Saturday morning but that I would be back for a family dinner we had that day. Gulp!

So here I am, on the starting line of a 50k. My daughter is volunteering somewhere on the course. The course is out-and-back, paved (asphalt and sidewalks), and goes along the Niagara river from Niagara-on-the-lake to Niagara Falls. The views are nice. Of course, the 50k turn around is right in front of the Falls and THAT view is quite impressive. Because it was so rainy, we had the place pretty much to ourselves and it was great. Apparently in previous years, some people missed the turnaround because they got lost in the crowd.

I started the race at a comfortable pace, around 5:20/km (8:35/mi). Felt like I could run like that forever. I started with two girls (women, ladies, chicks?) I had run with at previous ultras, Kinga and Lee Anne. After a few km, Lee Anne decided that the pace was a bit too fast for her and fell back a bit. Kinga and I kept going. The course is not too hilly. They call it rolling hills. The only problem with that description is that one tends to imagine short gentle hills. Reality is that the ups and downs are looong, so on the way back, I felt like I was going up almost the whole way.

There was no rain until we were about 8km in, then there was a light mist for a few minutes. After that it was just plain raining. I didn't mind the rain, but the puddles became quite large and going around them became impossible so my shoes and feet were completely soaked for the whole second 25k.

There were aid stations every 5km or so. They were well stocked and the volunteers were very nice. They had Heed instead of my usual Gatorade but it got the job done. I just find Heed not to taste sweet enough and I don't get the same psychological boost of knowing I just got some carbs in. Know what I mean? I walked the aid stations but other than that I ran the whole course even the uphills, one of which was substancial (in my book).

21.1 km in, we passed the marathon turnaround and kept going. What's an extra 4 km between friends?

At the 25k turnaround, I felt really good although my feet were starting to hurt. I had taken two Excedrins at 6am so I decided to wait and see. My feet always get sore when I run long distances and it's worse on road because on trails, I run slower and walk the hills. This continuous pounding was getting to me. After the turn around, I don't think anybody passed me and I was slowly passing people. Most were probably marathoners but I did recognize a few ultra runners as well. My pace for the first 25km was 5:39 and it was 5:38 for the second one. Even splits! Of course, the pace varies quite a bit with the long up and down hills.

By 35km, my feet were a distraction and I have two sore spots that I have never experienced before: my left hip and lower back. The faster pace on hard pavement is doing me in. I broke down and got my pill box from my mini-fanny pack. I took one Excedrin before I got to the aid station and washed it down with Heed once I got there. I knew I had this major downhill coming and hoped that would help numb my feet a bit. I think it did.

Despite the discomfort, going down that hill fet great because that meant I was getting close to the finish. Close is a relative term. What felt close on the way out, feels a lot further on the way back.

With about 10k to go, I'm running hard now. I'm back to a 5:20/km(8:35/mi) pace or better and it doesn't feel so easy anymore. My biggest problem at this point is that I'm bored out of my mind. I have no one to talk to and probably wouldn't be much company if I did. Almost 4 hours in and close to an hour to go. That spot, between 35km and 40km, was my low point mentally. Sounds like a cliche, but it works: "aid station to aid station". The end of the race may feel far away, but the next aid station is much closer and it's nice to have a milestone to aim for.

Anyway. That last 10k lasted forever (like this race report). The rain finally stopped, but my feet never dried because I was too tired to run around the puddles and just ran straight through them.

I got to the finish with a time of 4:46:20, about in the middle of my best case (4:20)/worst case(5:00) scenarios. I wasn't sure how recovered I was from Sulphur Springs and the race turned out allright. I got my medal and got my shoes and socks off to change into my sandals. Despite the wet run, not a single blister. Awesome! Got me some food, didn't get my free beer because of my long drive. I got a large Iced Capuccino at Tim Horton and drove back home with my daughter snoring away in the passenger seat.

Chip Time: 4:46:20

Pace: 5:44/km (9:13/mi)

Rank (overall): 38/148

Rank (gender): 35/101

Rank (M40-49): 17/35

Later at the family dinner, which was at my brother-in-law's and had people from both his and his wife's side of the family, I got some strange looks from a few people (and my wife) when it became known that I had run 50km in the mornings. "WHY?" Why indeed? The person who asked was almost aggressive in the way she asked. I just smiled and said I didn't have an answer to that question. To a non-runner, there is no acceptable answer to that question.

Doesn't matter why. Maybe I have deep psychological scars. Maybe I'm over-compensating for some perceived weakness. Ah, ah, ah! Really, who gives a shit? I'm all growed up, I like to run and I will run as much as I please.

Niagara 50K Ultra, Here I Come

Well, who would have thunk that one day I would sign up for a 50k race on a whim? Well I did. It's been 4 weeks since Sulphur Springs. I've lowered my volume quite a bit but I've done weekly 20k runs, so although I don't expect to set the world on fire, I'm pretty sure the fitness is still there to run a decent race.

It looks like the weather is going to be miserable, but like we used to say in Quebec, "On est pas fait en chocolat", "we're not made out of chocolate"!

Lakeside Sprint Triathlon 2009

Yesterday's race was a perfect demonstration of the concept of specificity of training. Having not been in the water since my last triathlon last year and having been on my bike only maybe 5 times, my race went as well as could be expected. The swim and bike were marginal and the run was good. But I'm betting ahead of myself.

Lakeside is a two hour drive from my house but the race start is at 10am so I didn't have to get up too early. I got there with plenty of time to space and got a prime spot on the rack. To me, a prime spot means either end of the rack, where you can put your stuff in between the bike and the rack leg.

It was freezing cold and with over an hour to wait, I decided to put on my wet suit to keep warm. At ten sharp, the race started. I was in the 3rd wave so I swam around a bit and shot the shit with some other people. Then I did what I had never done before, I actually peed in my wetsuit. I had been locked up in there for a while and the thought of riding and running on a full bladder broke me down. Relieved and warm (heeew), I got ready and then we went. 

For some reason, I had a hard time finding my pace. I think I started a bit too far back and I had some trouble passing other swimmers. At the halfway mark I was done, but thnks to the magic of wetsuit I just kept on moving my arms. Forward motion. My chip didn't register at the first mat, so I don't have an exact time for my swim but the total for the swim and T1 is 12min 38sec, only marginally slower than last year's 12:01. I think my T1 was much faster this year, but who knows.

My plan on the bike was to go as hard as I could and I did. A few km in I was wondering how I was going to finish. My thighs were just hurting. I was passing quite a few people from prior waves. A few guys passed me as well, but not too many. It was an out and back course and I saw a big bunch of about 10 of the faster racers on their way back, bunched like a they were on the Tour. People are so greedy. It really pissed me off. NO DRAFTING, YOU FUCKING LOOSERS, YOUR FINISHING TIME IS MEANINGLESS. YOU ARE LYING TO YOURSELF AND THAT'S SAD. Anyway, before it actually registered in my brain, I had blown past them and I didn't have time to share my feelings with them. I finished the bike in 35:20 (for 18km). That was a full 4 minutes slower than last year but the course had changed and I checked other competitors and they all had at least a 3 minutes slow down, so my strategy of going all out allowed me so do ok.

T-2 felt like a blur and then it was time to run. It's really hard to begin a run when you are already huffing and puffing, and your legs feel like jello. I just looked ahead and ran hard hard as I dared. I didn't have my Garmin so I had no idea how fast I was going. I passed a lot of people and I don't remember anyone passing me. I ran the 4k course in 17:58, a 4:30min/km (7:10min/mi) pace, 1min 30sec faster than last year. I was hoping for a bit better but I don't think I'm recovered fully from my 50 miler two weeks ago.

SO my final time was 1h07min22sec, exactly 2 minutes slower than last year but considering the slower bike route and my lack of swim/bike training, I'm happy with my time. I finished 78th/310, 15/29 in the 45-49AG.

First Triathlon of 2009

Despite my lack of tri-excitement, I'm racing tomorrow at the Sprint Lakeside Triathlon somewhere between London (ON) and Kitchener, a two hour drive from here. Last year, that same race was my first triathlon ever. It's a nice short, flat course. It's short, even for a sprint: 500m swim, 18km ride, 4k run. My time last year: 1:05:22. I had actually trained. 

Tomorrow, I will try a different strategy. In my prior races, I've always held back on the bike but tomorrow, I'm going to bust my legs on the bike. It might not mean much, since I haven't biked much, but still I'm going to do my best. I'll do whatever I can on the run. With my sore foot and my legs still recovering from my 50 miler, it might not be my best run ever. 

My swim strategy won't really change: forward movement. Thank God for wetsuits.

To be honest, I feel pretty good about tomorrow. I can work hard for an hour!

Quick Update

It's been over a week now since the race and I thought I'd give a quick update.

Recovery from the race has been interesting. The first couple of days were a bit harsh, specially when I got up after sitting for a while. Things got better quickly starting on Tuesday. I went for an easy 4 mile run and it went pretty good. I ran a few more times and rode my bike once.

My right heel is giving me some grief. I'm not so sure it's the Achilles tendon anymore. The pain is lower down and it could be a bursitis of some sort. I'm going to maintain a very low volume and try to bike more for a few weeks.

Mentally and emotionaly, I feel a bit disconnected. The start of the triathlon season is not getting me excited. I have the Laside Sprint Tri this weekend and I couldn't care less, probably because I didn't train for it. Also, I've come to appreciate the low-key ultra races and compared to that, the thought of a busy triathlon transition area feels overdone, with the $5000 bikes and all that. The weather has been really cold, I hope the lake won't be freezing...

That's it for now. Physically ok, but struggling to get back on track.