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I'm a hospital pharmacist living in rural Nova Scotia. I like to get up early and run long distances.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Capes 100K Race Report (Or, running 100K while competing in an eating contest...)



This story starts with a phone call from my son’s school.

It’s mid-June 2018. Graduation is coming up in a few weeks.  My daughter had graduated the previous year so I had no intention of attending this year’s ceremony.

Then we got the call.

School Secretary: “Good morning. Just wondering if you are planning to come to the graduation”
Wife: “No, we weren’t planning on it...”
SS: “Well, you might want to come, your kid is getting an award”

The boy was only in Grade 10 but was taking Biology 12. He had been working really hard trying to get the highest mark in the class.  Turns out he did it!

So, in the meantime, there’s talk on the Nova Scotia Trail Running socials about plans for the first 100 miler to be held in Atlantic Canada, The Capes 100 in August 2019. Interesting, but 100 miles? That’s a big jump from my previous longest run of 54K.  Over the course of the next couple of weeks, it is determined that there will be 50K, 100K and 100 mile options.

So what does graduation have to do with all of this?

Well, I’m sitting at the back of the auditorium on the bleachers bored to tears, waiting to watch my kid get his award and one of the teachers, Mr. Merrett walks by and says “Hey, are you going to sign up for that 100?”

I kind of know this guy, but not really. He was my daughter's gym teacher the year before. I think we must have met through his wife, Tanya, who works at the same hospital as me. They are runners so we’d see each other at local races and chit chat a bit.  Over the prior year we had been out on a few group trail runs organized by Jonathan (more on him later).

“Thinking about it”, I replied.

And that was the beginning of something epic.



Signing up for a race well over a year ahead of time is something I’ve never done before. But there is so much excitement about this race, it’s a given that it will sell out.
It does.

Months go by. In November I ran the Road to Hope Half-Marathon in Hamilton and shut down my season after that.












Then in late November, Sonofa Gunofa Run sells out in about 3 hours. Luckily, Sean saw the notification.

SGR 2019 is ideally scheduled 4 weeks before Capes 100. A great way to get your last long run in.

Once 2019 rolled around, I realized that I’d have to start planning out how I was going to go about training for a 100K race.  First thing was to get a grip on my eating. The holidays had just happened but this year things were a bit different. In early December, I started a nutrition plan to help me drop some weight. I was able to get through the holidays without gaining any weight! It was a slow but steady process and I dropped around 18 pounds. I figured that the less of me there was to lug up all the hills in Cape Chignecto Park, the better.

Then, even though I didn’t know it at the time, something happened that put all the building blocks of our training plan in to place.  The Halifax Mooseheads won the right to hold the Memorial Cup during the long weekend in May.

What does a hockey tournament have to do with a 100K training plan? Victoria Day weekend is when the Blue Nose Marathon happens. Due to the Memorial Cup, the BNM was moved to the first weekend in June.  As a result, our local Bean There Run That Marathon (which was scheduled for the first weekend of June) got moved to the first weekend in May.

Training for a spring marathon is not my most favourite thing in the world.  The combination of short days and cold temps does nothing to inspire me to get out and run.  But, I made a point of getting outside for my long runs on the weekend. I think there was only one weekend that I had to pound it out on the treadmill.

Sean and I had our first run together in mid March.  It was about 6 weeks out from the Bean, so getting close to peak marathon training. We spent 32K talking about the upcoming races, training plans, gear and all that.

I mentioned that maybe it might be a good idea to sign up for the Wascally Wabbit in June. It has three distances to choose from, 27.5K, 55K and 87.5K.  My thinking was this: full marathon in May (the Bean), 55K in June (WW), 70-80K in July (SGR) and finally, 100K in August (Capes).
Sean agreed. Not a bad idea.

After that run, I realized that I really had no training plan in place for when I finished the Bean.  I had bought a couple of books but the training plans in each of them were not really what I was looking for.  It just so happened that I had an ad pop up on FB for Ultrarunning Magazine.  It mentioned
free training plans with a subscription so I had a look. I don't remember if I was able to see the plan before I bought the subscription or not but the Beginner 100K plan was just what I was looking for.
AND, the scheduled 50K and 50 Mile races within the schedule lined up PERFECTLY with our races.  It could not have been any more perfect.

The Bean went pretty good. My plan was to try and go under 3:30 (I didn't) and Sean's plan was to take it nice and slow (he didn't).  We ran most of the race together until I fell off the pace with about 6K to go.  We had been behind another couple of guys the whole race and he was able to overtake one of them in the last 1K and came in 2nd.  I was 4th in 3:37:47.
I was sore for a few days afterward. I was a bit concerned about the amount of running I had to do the next week. Normally, I don't run at all for a couple of weeks post marathon.  I was pretty sore up until about Thursday after the marathon but ended up recovering pretty well.

So once this race was over, it was time to focus on getting in some time on the trails. Family commitments kept us from getting out on the trails together very often.  I travelled to different areas to get my runs in: Roxbury Road, Cape Split & Keji.

Sean power hiking up the "bobsled run"
Then mid-June came and it was time for the Wascally Wabbit 55K Race.  It consisted of 2 - 27.5K loops. It was muddy and wet. It was awesome.  As we ran we fell into a routine - run the flats and downs, power hike the ups.

I did take a tumble but luckily I didn't get hurt.
This would be a recurring theme throughout our training...

During one moment close to the end Sean came up with a brilliant idea. Not sure if it was because of dehydration, hypoglycemia, or delirium but his idea was to somehow get a local brewery, Lazy Bear Brewing, to sponsor us and give us free beer.

And that's how Lazy Bear Runners came to be.



Looking pretty spry after 55K. JK my calves are killing me!
Jonathan originally got placed on the waitlist for Capes but then they opened up more spots so he got in for the 50K.  Again, I didn't know him all that well but I knew who he was.  He had organized a few Thursday night trail runs in and around the Digby area the previous fall.  If you ever want to know anything about the trails or back roads in Digby County, Jonathan is your man.

Shortly after the race we pitched the LBR idea to him and he was immediately on board.

Now we just had to talk to Lazy Bear Brewery. In time...

We were amazed that we recovered so quickly from WW.  I logged 79K the week after the race. Crazy!

We got in a few runs together over the next 4 weeks.  On our long run the week before SGR, I managed to slip on a rock and fall backwards. I only remember hitting my elbow on the rock and that's what hurt at the moment. But as we ran my left wrist started to feel funny. Over the net 24 hours it became so swollen I was convinced I had broken it.  My first thought was "Wow, my cast is really going to stink after the race next weekend..."

Luckily, I work at the hospital so I was seem fairly quickly on Monday morning. X-rays showed NO break which was a relief. It still hurt but knowing it was just a sprain put my mind at ease.

Sean's wife, Tanya,  joined us for SGR
SGR is a Big's Backyard Ultra type off race. At the top of the hour everyone lines up and has one hour to complete a 5.8K loop.  As long as you are in the start pen at the top of the hour you can continue. If you don't make it back in time you're done.

Our goal was 12 - 14 loops. Sean did this race last year and ran 10 loops.  He knew what to expect. I didn't.  

The first loop was excruciatingly SLOW.  I was worried that we wouldn't make it back in time to continue. I thought I would have 15 - 20 minutes after each loop to refuel and rehydrate. In actuality it was more like 5 - 7 minutes.

14 loops (81.2K) done!
As the day progressed and people dropped out the trail was less congested and lap times got  bit quicker.
That day I learned about the power of Coke. Every time I drank a flask of Coke, I would have an amazing run on the next loop.

After the 10th loop, I had run further than I ever had before. Once we started the 11th, we were both in uncharted territory.

After the 12th loop we realized that if we dropped now, our official distance would be 69.8K.  69.8K.  Let's do one more, the will give us 75.4K.  Yeah that sounds good.  I blasted through that 13th lap. I wanted to be done so badly.  I get to the finish and wait for Sean. When he gets there he says he's going for one more.  Well, I guess, so am I.
So we ended up with 14 laps - 81.2K and 2310m of vertical gain. Again, I was surprised at how I was able to log 70K+ the next week.

Our build up is going perfectly. One more week to go before a 4 week taper.

Our local Scallywag Run was in early August. Jonathan and I ran it while Sean cheered us (and his wife) on. After the race we headed to the Lazy Bear Brewery for some refreshments and Sean pitched the Lazy Bear Running idea to the owner. He was on board! So exciting! Plans are in progress to get this idea up and running. Stay tuned!

We were feeling really good about the Capes 100K.

Until...















We were out for an easy 45 minute run 12 days before Capes. About 5 minutes into the run I took a hard fall.  Scraped elbow, 2 skinned knees, sprained ring finger, several other scrapes and a bruise just below where one of the quads attaches to the pelvis.
Holy shit!  Luckily, nothing is broken and it's mostly just surface wounds.

Then, the next night I trip and fall again. Two nights later, again.  What on earth is going on??
Then, I clue in.  I'm wearing my new glasses with progressive lenses.  When I'm looking down the trail, everything up close gets blurry. In order for me to see directly in front of my feet, I basically have to run with my chin on my chest (you older people will know what I mean).  Luckily, I had an old pair with regular lenses.  Things seem to be better after that but now I'm worried about being in Cape Chignecto park and REALLY hurting myself.

So now, Capes 100 Weekend is here.  My wounds have mostly scabbed over and fallen off. I ran my last run one week out from the race.  Any runs that were on the schedule that last week were done at walking pace.

We met up in Parrsboro where we had rented a house for the weekend.  Jonathan and Megan were already set up at the farm. Tanya was driving as far as Truro Friday night and would drive in to the start on Saturday morning.  We got to the farm late afternoon, got signed in, dropped off the drop bags and picked up our bibs and swag.  We hung out at the farm for a bit with Jonathan and Megan, then we all headed down to Advocate Harbour for the pre-race meal.

The meal was pretty good but not outstanding.  Lasagna, salad and a roll with a brownie for dessert.

Got to talk with Andy Leblanc for a bit.

After the mandatory pre-race meeting we got back into the car and headed back to Parrsboro to get our gear organized for the morning.  I guess we must have been nervous because we didn't talk too much.

I think I got some sleep, I'm not sure how much though.  I tossed and turned and drifted in and out of sleep most of the night but I was dead to the world when the alarm went off at 3:30am.  Sean had been up for a good half-hour already and I hadn't heard him moving about.

The Lazy Bears. Photo: Megan Moore

I had my usual pre race breakfast: toast with peanut butter and honey, a banana and coffee.  It did its usual magic on my GI.  Then it was time to get to the farm. The drive in seemed to take longer than it had the previous day. In the dark, the twisty, turns roads were just a bit tougher to negotiate.  Throw in some fog and that makes things a bit worse.  Anyway, we made it there a little before 5:30am.
Took a few pre race photos.
In all of the excitement I forgot to start my watch until right before the gun went off.
Spencer's Island


We started the race at the back of the pack. None of us were going to be winning this race.  We were happy to be running with Jonathan for the first 25K.  We had tried several times over the summer for the three of us to get out for a run together and had only managed to do it once.

Almost immediately after starting we came to a complete stand still.  There were three brook crossings within the first few hundred meters. With no one really wanting wet feet this early in the race, all 300+ runners took our time and one by one tip toed across the stepping stones in the brook.  The good thing was that after that there was never really any congestion on the trail.
The lazy Bears and "Frozen" Ed Furtaw
The next section was on the beach.  It was tough to run in so we walked. Trying to find a spot with good footing was rather futile. We were able to have a quick chat with "Frozen" Ed Furtaw.  He was the first to finish the Barkley Marathons back in 1988.  He was such a nice guy, so personable. Literally everyone wanted to get a selfie with him and he obliged every one.

Once the beach section was over we headed onto some sweet ATV trails. Next section was a gravel road leading in to the Cape d'Or lighthouse. We made a mental note of the steep decline of the road, knowing that we would have to climb back up this in several   hours. Sean and I would have to do it in the dark. 
All smiles at Cape d'Or aid station (13K)
We got to the first aid station right on schedule.  All of the volunteers were so eager to help fill our water bottles.
There was a great selection of nutrition available.
I had a couple glasses of Coke and a few chips.
I had already eaten a gel and a Larabar so I wasn't too hungry at this point but I wanted to make sure eat early and often.
I had made up little sandwich baggies of gels, Larabars, trail mix and Life Savers for each 10K. I carried the first three with me and had the other seven in the drop bag at Reid's Place.  This way, I wouldn't have to think too much about my nutrition. My thinking was that as long as I knew where I was on the course I could figure out if I had to eat or not.  
We planned to take our time at the aid stations. We wanted to make sure we got enough to eat, drank a bunch of fluids and filled our water bottles.  I think that we didn't suffer time wise for doing this. At almost every aid station, especially those later on, we would see people coming in to the aid stations, rushing in and out only for us to overtake them before reaching the next aid station.  I think there's a lot to be said of having a seat and guzzling Coke.

We weren't at Cape d'Or too long though, it was still early and we were still feeling fresh.

Next stop was ADDA where our support crew (Tanya and Megan) and drop bags were waiting for us.

A few K before coming in to ADDA, I realized that my breakfast hadn't completely done its job so I went off to the washroom.  It was nice to get to wash my hands.

Coming in to ADDA Campground (20K) Photo: Megan Moore
 The aid station once again was well stocked with a variety of sweet and salty items.
Again, I downed a few glasses of Coke had some chips, watermelon and a banana refilled my flasks and then we were off.  Although Jonathan would see them again in 10K, Sean and I wouldn't see them again for 60K.

As we headed out of ADDA, the faster 50K runners were on their way back to the farm.  We knew that soon we would have to say goodbye to Jonathan as he would turn around at 25K and head back to the farm by himself.

When it came time to part ways, he gave each of us a hug and he turned for home.  However, we had a long way to go before we would see the finish line.  The rest of the way to the next aid station was pretty flat and runnable. We probably ran it too fast.

Eatonville Road (photo: Jodi Isenor)
Next stop was Ried's Place aid station. Here we had access to our drop bags. I hadn't utilized the drop bag service at 20K as I had everything I needed on me. Plus, I had a few things in Sean's car that I could access on the way back through ADDA. I had packed an extra pair of shoes, a change of clothes, my baggies and 3 bags of Munchos.  Munchos have become my ultra racing go to. They are so, so salty.  No need for salt tabs when you have access to Munchos.  

There were some chairs in the aid station and we took full advantage of them. We lingered here for a good 15 minutes.  I didn't really access anything out of my drop bag other than the Munchos.

We were right on our targeted pace.  I had allowed for an average pace of 1:30/10K for the first half of the race and 2:00/10K for the second half.  We left Reid's Place about 8 minutes ahead of schedule.

We almost immediately headed up hill and would
continue for the next 5K or so.  At this point we were walking almost any incline but we still were maintaining 9:00/km pace.
Something's funny, not sure what. Eatonville Aid Station
Photo:@thiswildair
 I don't really remember too much heading in to Eatonville aid station (40K).  We had been running a fair bit as it was downhill.  At one point Sean said he was walking in to the aid station. I was like, "OK, I wonder how much father?" "Uh, it's right there..."  I was so focused on my foot placement, I hadn't noticed we were there. 

At this point my Suunto Ambit2 battery was near depletion so I took this opportunity to dig out the charging cable and battery pack I was carrying.  I wasn't able to wear it while it was charging (but it continued to record) so I stuffed it in my pack.  Again, I drank some Coke and refilled my flasks with water.  Had a few chips. I was carrying flapjacks I had made so I had one of those.  I'm not talking pancakes here. By flapjacks, I'm referring to a sweet tray-baked oat bar.  I fell in love with them in Scotland last year and they are very commonly used by fell runners in the UK.
Walking in to Big Bauld Aid Station (50K)
Photo: Andrew Wagstaf

Getting toasty at Big Bauld Bunkhouse
Up until now, the weather had been relatively cool and overcast. It actually was spitting rain as we approached Eatonville. However, by the time we left Eatonville the clouds had dissipated and the temp started to climb.  It was now about 1:00pm and the hottest part of the day. The climb out of Eatonville was long, about 8K. There was not much running.  At this point I had dug out my poles just to distract myself from the long uphill.  The last 3K into Big Bauld Aid Station (51K) were downhill. I think it was in this section when Sean nearly took a face plant.  That was really the only scare either of us had during the entire race.  Lots of stumbling over rocks and roots but no falls.
We went by a couple of guys who told us we were looking fresh.
"We don't feel like it", I said.
"Or smell like it", said Sean. LOL!

Again, we took our time getting refuelled.  At one point we were the only ones there and then all of a sudden there were 15!  Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get in and out but we just relaxed for a good 10 - 15 minutes.
Refugee Cove. We were clueless as to what was ahead.



Once we left Big Bauld, we entered Cape Chignecto Park.  In the course description, the part of the course within the park is described as "sweet single track". This was not what I thought "sweet single track" was...  This was tough and technical terrain.  We ended up walking every single step within the boundary of the park.  We just didn't want to risk pushing it and getting injured.

This section between Big Bauld and Arch Gulch was the longest that we would go between aid stations and although it was the most difficult, it was the most beautiful as well.  We actually had to take a break between the aid stations to rest and refuel. And we, like so
 many others, ran out of water.  It took us so long we were starting to think we were off course. Then, we saw another runner up ahead and that eased our minds.

I was never as happy to see anything or anyone as I was when we got to the Arch Gulch Aid Station (64K).  I knew that the posted distances between aid stations were 'soft' but I was not expecting the extra 3K.  We spent a little bit longer time here than we had at other aid stations, not only to refuel and rehydrate, but to steel ourselves for what lay ahead: Big Insanity.  The climb out of Mill Cove was brutal: a climb of about 160m over a distance of 1.3K.  I was sweating so hard I couldn't even get a good grip on my poles! We sat on a bench for a good while to get out heart rates down a bit and were passed by a young gun who was just crushing it up that hill. It wasn't long before he was out of sight but once were were at the top we caught up and passed him.

Two more decent climbs later, we were out of the park and back at Ried's Place (70K). It had taken us about 7:30 to do the 40K loop.  At Reid's Place we were greeted by some enthusiastic young ladies who were offering up the tastiest freezies I've ever eaten. They were so excited to be able to help us. We just sat in the chairs and they brought the food right over to us!  We lingered here about 20 minutes. I dumped some stuff out of my pack and put it in my drop bag. Not likely that I'd be eating any of it now.

As we left, we'd now be running in familiar territory. The last 30K was (almost) the exact same route as the first 30K. We ran for a bit along the flat Dyke Marsh.  We walked the uphills and tried to run the flats and downhills.  About halfway to ADDA, I noticed I was starting to get some chafing on my ass cheeks. This has never happened to me before. Oh, I've had chafing but not here. I had a small tin cocoa butter in my first aid kit so I dug that out and applied it as best I could.

The smile belies what's going on under the shorts!
Photo:David Garlock
We ran into ADDA (82K). It would be the last steps we would run during the race.
As we came into the campground all of the campers were lined up along the course and cheering us on which was so nice after being by ourselves for so long. I almost shed a tear. Our crew (Jonathan was with them now) said we were still looking really good.  I guess the smiles as we crossed the timing mat say it all.

It was here that we lingered the longest.

First thing was to get out of the clothes I was wearing.  I had left a change of clothes in the crew car to change into at the end of the race but there would be none of that - I needed dry clothes (and  a copious amount of lube) NOW!  I went off to the washroom to change. When I got back, I realize I had left my sopping, sweaty, stinky shorts on the bathroom stall floor. Without missing a beat, Jonathan hopped up and went to retrieve them for me.  I was so sorry he had to touch them. I owe him big time.  We got the lowdown from Jonathan about his race (he crushed it!). I got some more Coke and food - the
Heading out of ADDA (82K) Photo: Jonathan Riley
quesadillas and beef jerky were really hitting the spot.

So, fed and lubed we headed out for the last 20K.
It was only 7K to the next aid station and when we would see our crew again.
As we left ADDA, my watch beeped signalling we had gone 82K - officially our longest distance ever. *fist bumps*
It got dark during this section. We didn't talk too much.


Texting my wife to let her know I'm not dead.
Photo: Jonathan  Riley
When we got to Cape d'Or the crew was waiting for us. At this point, I was pretty 'zoned out' just sitting there - the less than optimal sleep the night before, the early morning and the effects of the day all seemed to be catching up to me.  I tried not to think about how long it was going to take to cover those last 13K (which ended up being 15.4K...)
My wife texted: You can run 13K in your sleep. You got this.
One of the volunteers gave me some words of encouragement. "Yeah, who can't run 13K?" I said.  "Or walk" he said. Yeah, or walk.

Once we were refuelled, we headed out.  At this point, the downhills were making my quads start to scream. Walking uphill was almost easier in a sense.  We knew there was a big incline coming before we got on the ATV trails again.  We were extra cautious to not miss the turn onto the trail.  My GPS battery was almost dead again so I attached the battery pack again and strapped my watch to my pack. In the dark I couldn't see the display clearly (no bifocals, LOL!) but it would beep every 1K. I lost count of the beeps and really had no idea how far we were from the finish. We know we would have to go back on the beach for a bit so we kept waiting to hit that section. And waiting. And waiting.  Once, we thought we had missed a turn but were relieved when we saw the next marker.

We finally hit the beach.  The full moon was out and reflecting on the water. It was beautiful. I should have stopped and taken a photo but I just wanted to be done. Back on the road, this last section was new and not the same as when we went out.  Because it was unfamiliar and in the dark (and, by this time our headlamps had powered down to the lowest setting) it was hard to see the reflective tape on the route markers.  I must have been getting a bit brain dead because I kept saying none of this looks familiar. Finally Sean tells me because it isn't. Duh.

We hit the Old Shipyard Beach Campground and a nice volunteer tells us we are about 2.5K from the finish. Just up the hill and take a right. Right. More hills.  We are still walking but averaging less than 10 min/km.  I think I could have run it in - I wanted to be finished so badly - but we had decided to 'run' this together and I wasn't about to ditch Sean at this point.  After what felt like an hour (thought it was probably 20 minutes) we see another volunteer - cross the road and the farm is just up on your left. Hallelujah!

Once we turned the corner and saw the finish chute, I thought we might break into a jog but we didn't. We just walked faster. Honestly, I think we were probably walking faster than we could have run anyways, if that even makes sense.  Race volunteers were asking if we were 100K - Yes! - and making sure we ran over the right timing mat.

And, we're done! 17:13:46
Photo: Jonathan Riley
We crossed the finish together. Jonathan and Megan were there to congratulate us though I guess it was by luck that they were.  They had fallen asleep in their truck waiting for us (as did Tanya) and just happened to get woken up when the people that came in before us finished.
The finish was kind of weird.  I thought I would cry (I didn't). Thought I'd want a beer (I didn't). Thought I'd be ravenous (I wasn't).  I just wanted to sleep.  So, we packed up and left.

Sean drove back to Parrsboro with a cramping leg.  I (hesitantly - I wasn't sure I'd stay awake) offered to drive but he declined.  Once back to the house, a quick shower and a very careful stair climb and I was off to bed.

The next day I was sore but not 'I just ran 100K sore'.  Went out for breakfast with the gang, talked about our races and had a few laughs.  It started to rain quite heavily and we couldn't help but think of the 100 milers still out there on the course.

I went back to the race start to pick up our drop bags.  It looked like an episode of the Walking Dead.
I was spaced out after 100K I can't imagine how some of these 100 milers were feeling.

It was a long drive home but thankfully my new car has cruise control. I took the week after Capes off from work but I'm not sure I had to.  The only real issue I had was some fairly significant lower leg swelling.  My shoes all felt like they were too small.  On Thursday, I had some massage done and that really got the fluid moving out of my legs. I noticed a difference almost immediately and this was confirmed when I put on my shoes after the appointment.  I will be sure to book an appointment next time.

Yep. Next time. For a few days after Capes, I wasn't too sure but as time has passed, I'm already making plans for next year.

I think we did almost everything right.  We didn't go out too fast and we finished strong. We took our time at aid stations and rested which I think helped us maintain our pace.  I can't say enough good things about the training plan I got from Ultrarunning Magazine. I loved just running for time rather than distance. I've downloaded all of their training plans for future reference.

We ran out of water between Big Bauld and Arch Gulch aid stations but so did a lot of other people. Knowing what we know now, we can better prepare for that next time.
I wouldn't spend so much time worrying about drop bags next time. The aid stations were so well stocked I didn't really need anything in my vest or drop bag.  I will put Munchos and a change of clothes in a drop bag but not much else.
We need to find some really big hills to train on.
I'll put lube in and on every nook and cranny from my belly button to mid thigh - you never know what's going to chafe that never has before.
I'll put duct tape on my heels and the balls of my feet. Those were the spots that gave me the most trouble during the race.  I ended up with 3 blisters - one on each of my heels and one on my thumb (from my poles).

I had a really great experience at Capes 100 but the best time was had spending time on the trails with my fellow Lazy Bears. Can't wait to do it all again!







Tuesday, May 26, 2015

When results don't meet expectations...

I've had a few weeks to process my performance at the Wascally Wabbit V  a few weeks ago. My result was far from what I had expected and I was a bit disappointed in myself.

This is really the first time that I have set a goal and been unable to attain it. I signed up for the 60K option but ended up dropping down a distance to 38K. I've always kind of been able to shut off my brain and not think too much about the task ahead and just run, but not this day.

Here's what I think went wrong:


  1. Not enough sleep.  The last time I ran this race, I drove there the night before and stayed in a hotel.  This year, I decided to save a few bucks and just get up the morning of the race.  It's a 3 hour drive and a 7am start, so I was up at 3am and on the road shortly thereafter.  I probably got about 3 hours of sleep.  I usually don't have any trouble sleeping the night before a race and I don't require a large amount of sleep, but maybe an extra 3 hours of shut-eye would have been helpful.
  2. Snow.  Huh? Well, because of all the snow that we received this winter, the original course had to be changed. Actually it was changed twice, the last time being 2 days before the race.  The new course was more logging roads and less single/double track. A 6K loop consisted of mostly woodland trail and a 10K loop was mostly logging road. 
  3. My trail shoes. I hate them. They have absolutely no cushioning and my feet were killing me. Also, I didn't get enough training in them. I switched them out for a pair of non-trail shoes and they felt better, but I had already decided that I was running my last 6K loop.
  4. The hills. I ran this race three years ago and was expecting the same type of terrain.  I think that if the original course had been kept, it might have been OK.  The 6K loop was fine, it was pretty much the same as it was 3 years ago. However, the 10K loop had much bigger hills than I was expecting. 
  5. Training.  I thought that I had got in some good training in the weeks before the race.  My longest training run was 38K and I had a few 60K+ weeks.  The plan I followed was a 50K plan and I figured that I could gut out the last 10K.  I'm not sure that the training schedule is at fault, I think it was not enough hill training.
  6. Mentally not there. Because of the course changes, the 60K race that I signed up for became a 64K race. I figured 60K was going to take all I had and now I had an extra 4K? Doesn't sound like much...
I regret dropping at 38K. I could have done it. It wasn't even noon when I finished and I had all afternoon to go another 22K.  And then there was the inevitable "how did your race go?" questions that I had to deal with.  It's not fun having to tell people you failed.

But, what I considered failure, everyone else considered an accomplishment. Even though most of the people who inquire about my results are not runners, I have to assume that they are genuinely interested in my results and seeing me succeed. I realize that most people are never going to run 1K, let alone 38K. I've had to change my response to the question from "I only got to 38K" to "I got to 38K". It's all about perspective. 


As time has passed, I've decided to let myself feel like it's OK to have failed. You learn from your mistakes and move on.  I will be back to finish what I set out to do.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

PEI Marathon 2014

The PEI Marathon was a couple of weekends ago.  Figured I should document the experience, though it wasn't much to brag about.

But before that, let's go back to 3 weeks before the marathon.  I was out on the R2T on a lovely Sunday afternoon for my LSD run.  I was 13K into a 15K run when I tripped and fell.  I don't even really know what happened. I guess I just tripped over my own feet.  Anyway, I went down and scraped up my knee, arm and shoulder. I also managed to either pull an intercostal muscle or bruise/crack a rib.  Even now, five weeks later, it's still not back to normal.

A rib injury sucks.  There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatories. I took three days off and then resumed training.   It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't unbearable.  I ran 10K on Thursday, 5K on Friday and 20K on Saturday.  Then, when I headed out for my planned 10K run on Sunday, I realized something was really wrong.  Instead of a dull ache in my side, I was feeling a sharp pain and it was difficult to breathe in and out.  I cut the run down to 3K and decided I had better rest a bit more.

Eight days later I resumed training.  I got three more runs in before the marathon: 3K, 3K, and 5K.

Then it was marathon day.  I was definitely not over trained...

I wasn't really sure how it was going to go.  I wanted to get a PB, or even a course PB.  This is the first time I have run the same course twice.  I ran a 3:58:56 here four years ago.  I decided to follow the 4:00 pace bunny.  What I didn't realize was that she was doing the 10:1 race plan.  Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute.  This means you actually have to run a faster than 5:41 min/km pace to make up for the walking.  I kept with her for a while, but I had to stop to pee and I got dropped.  I decided to go back to my own pace.

I felt pretty good for a long time.  I made it to the halfway mark in 1:59:48 which was right where I wanted to be.  I'm pretty good at maintaining a fairly steady pace throughout a marathon and usually have enough left in the tank at the end of a race to crank up the speed at the end of a race. I was able to maintain this pace for quite a while. I hit the 29K marker in 2:46:00.  Then the wheels fell off...

The last 13.2K were brutal. It was a struggle just to put one foot in front of the other.  During this time, I took quite a few walk breaks.  At one point I was walking downhill.  That was around the point when the cramps set in, around the 37K mark. Managed to cross the finish line in 4:08:23.

So, that's 5:43 min/km for the first 29K and 6:15 min/km for the last 13.2K.  Huh?

I imagine it was due to a number of factors:  lack of training in the 5 weeks leading up to the race, three previous marathons this year, the cracked/bruised rib...  In hindsight, I probably should have deferred or run a shorter race.

However, I had one of the best weekends I think I have ever had.  Spent the weekend with running friends, old and new, and had a great time. Also got to see a few old friends from my UPEI days which is always fun.  I love PEI.

We are all planning to go to Toronto next fall for the Waterfront Marathon.  That will be fun, no matter what the result of the marathon.

So, while it wasn't my best time, it also wasn't my worst.  I still think I have another PB in me, but it wasn't to be on this day.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Vegas Trip Report - Part 3 - Death Valley

So, I was thinking the other day, that I really have to do another post about our Vegas trip before Father time does a job on my memory.
After a day of recuperation from our adventure at The Grand Canyon, we decided to head over to The Golden State and visit Death Valley National Park.  It's only about a two hour drive from Vegas.
Death Valley National Park is HUGE!  We kept to the area of the park near Furnace Creek and Badwater.  I had a particular interest in traveling on the Badwater Road as I had recently watched a documentary on the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. More on that later.

The first stop on the list was Dantes View, elevation 1669m (5475 ft). In the background, you can see the Valley floor, elevation -86m (-282 ft).

It was fairly chilly up here, and there was a stiff breeze blowing.  I think that is the Panamint Range in the background.

 Such an awesome view from up here.




Next stop was Zabriske Point.  A lot of geology going on here.  More than I care to elaborate on.  It was quite beautiful.  And a lot hotter than our last stop.



Decided to have a pit stop in the aptly named Furnace Creek area.  Had a look in the Visitor Center.

Picked up a few souvenirs at the gift shop. And an ice cream sandwich.  Had to eat it quick before it melted.  Mind you it was Death Valley and it was 'only' 92F (33C), BUT IT WAS MARCH!  Barely even spring.  It rarely gets this hot in mid-July here.

But it was a dry heat, LOL!

It definitely was not the stifling, oppressive humidity that I'm used to.  Something I never realized until I got home was that I had chapped lips while we were on vacation.  The arid air just sucked the water right out of me.  I think we went through a case of water this day.
So, here I am at Badwater Basin, lowest spot in North America.  It's March 30th.  33C.  It's friggin' HOT!

Fast forward 4 months. This is when the Badwater 135 ultramarathon takes place. It covers 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental US.  Temps can reach 130F (55C!!).  The people who run this are machines!!
 So, I decided to stage MY version of the Badwater 135.

135 FEET, that is...

Yeah, that's right, I ran Badwater. I'm badass!
Also took a walk out onto the salt flats.  The valley floor stretches about 5 miles to the other side.  One can walk to the other side if they so desire. We didn't.

It looks like winter in the pic, but it's salt
Here's a nice little hike we took through Natural Bridge Canyon. 


My pictures never seem to do justice, but  here is someone who knows a lot more about how to take a great pic. Kind of neat.


Next on our tour was Artist's Palette.  It's on Artist's Drive, a nine-mile side road off the main road through Death Valley.

The colours were just amazing.  The colours are created from the oxidation of different metals. Red, pink and yellow are from iron salts, green is from decomposing tuff-derived mica, and manganese produces the purple.




By this time we were nearing the point of heat exhaustion (not really, but that heat just sucks the life right out of you) and we were getting hungry (yet another day of surviving on water and granola bars) so we headed back to Vegas.  It was a nice side trip and I was glad I took the time to see it.  In some spots, the terrain looked like what I would imagine it looks like on the moon.  Very little vegetation in spots and large boulders that have fallen from the surrounding mountains.  Yet, in some spots, living things have found a way to survive, like the Death Valley Pupfish.  A truly amazing spot.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Bluenose HM Report

I headed down to Halifax early Saturday am. Stopped at Suzie's Cupcakes and got  cupcake for after the race. It was called "Sweet & Salty".  I called it delicious!!

I stayed at Cambridge Suites which is really nice, and close to the start line.  Got there around 1pm, but the room wasn't ready yet, so I parked the car and headed out on foot.

First stop was race packet pick-up. It was fairly painless.  The expo was underwhelming.  Heard John Stanton (founder of Running room) speak, and picked up a few pointers.

Went to MEC to look at hydration packs for trail running. Didn't get one. Went to TAO. Got nothing.  My heel was acting up a bit so I went back to the hotel. My room was ready so I just relaxed in the room for the rest of the afternoon. Plus it rained.

Met Nancy, Paul, James and Angie for dinner at Boston Pizza. Had the chipotle bacon penne.  Was tasty. Spent some time afterwards hanging out.

Went to sleep at about midnight, which is normal for me.  There was some commotion happening in the hallway for a lot of the evening so I put in my ear plugs.  Had a good nights sleep. Up at 6am.  Had some coffee and breakfast. Evacuated...  The heel was feeling pretty good.

Met the gang at their hotel, The Prince George. It was really chilly this morning.  The forecast was calling for temps of 16C which is getting up there.  It wasn't anywhere near that, more like 6C.  Perfect.

Saw the guys off on their race, the 10K, then got lined up for mine.  Saw some fellow SWNDHA workers, so I wished them well.  The race started at 9:25am.  Marathoners went out at 9am, 10K started at 9:10, then the HM.  Last year was a bit different set up and I remember that there were a lot of walkers that we had to run around, but it didn't seem that bad this year. 

The race got bottle necked about 100m into the race so my pace was down for the first bit.  I didn't really have a plan, I decided that I would just run and see how I felt.  I was going for a 1:50 goal time, but really wanted to get a PB.  The heel was feeling great, no stiffness like during my training runs. 

About 4-5K I started getting a pain in my gut. Not like a "Oh great, I'm gonna be the guy who craps his pants" cramp, but different.  I focused more on my breathing and it resolved.  I think I was running a bit faster than I was supposed to. Around 7.5K, I could smell bacon! There were gals sitting out on the porch eating what appeared to be BLT's.   Made it to 8K in 40:00 and 10K in around 50:00.  5:00/km which is on pace for a 1:45:30 finish time.  At that point, I was quite sure I would get my 1:50 goal. Well, I might as well go for the PB right??

I'd say the first 11K of the race is a net downhill.  The first major climb is at around the 11.5-12K mark in Point Pleasant Park. I think it's called Serpentine Road.  It's where I lost my mojo last year.  I did lose some time in this part of the race.  At 12K my time was 1:00:35.

Honestly, at this point I could no longer do math in my head to see how I was for pacing.  For the next 5K, I just glanced at my Garmin and if the pace was 8:24/mile then I was good. (that's the pace needed for a 1:50 finish)  Miles? Huh?  Yeah, I train using miles.  Not sure if it's wise or not but it's a mental thing for me.  Ten miles seems like it's less than 16K.  I know, stupid right.

The next part of the course, from 13K to 18K is a very gradual uphill.

At 17K, I'm not exactly sure what my time was but I knew that if I added 20 minutes to the current time, then that would approximate my finish time.  I didn't worry too much about that pesky 0.1K at the end, I figured I'd run the last K faster anyway. 

My calves started feeling twingey around the 18K mark.  Gah!  Thankfully, they kept relatively quiet.  from 18K to 21K is mostly a gradual downhill, with the exception of on very large downhill.  And the last 0.1K is UPHILL!!! Ugh! 

I honestly don't remember much about the last kms of the race.  A guy came up beside me and said something like "not much further now" or something or other. I agreed. We ran beside one another for a bit. I guess I must have passed him.  He came up to me afterward and told me so.  I did pass a lot of people in that last couple of kms.  I guess that has always kind of been my strategy. Save a bit for the end. There were not a lot of km markers toward the end of the race. Well, I didn't see them anyway.  I knew my GPS was a bit off so it would have been nice to know how far there was left to go.  I think there was a marker at the 20K mark, but there didn't seem to be a lot between 13 and 20. I didn't take a lot of wa ter/gatorade at the aid stations. They get so back logged and people just come to a dead stop which is really annoying. I avoid them if I can.  It was quite cool today, so I wasn't sweating profusely. I'm not used to hydrating much during training runs anyway, and I didn't want to upset my stomach. Or lose too much time.

The crowds were AWESOME!! I gave some kid a high five, LOL!  Our bid numbers are personalized so people are screaming "GO IAN!!"  It was so cool!

Clock time was 1:46:09  Chip time was 1:45:46.  pace 5:02/K.  221st place.  A personal best.  Yay me!

Now it's time to eat that cupcake...

My splits.  They're a bit off. I think the Garmin was a bit off today.  It read 12.96 miles when I crossed the finish line...

Mile 1:  10:08
Mile 2:   7:43
Mile 3:   7:41
Mile 4:   8:01
Mile 5:   8:34
Mile 6:   8:00
Mile 7:   8:21
Mile 8:   7:54
Mile 9:   8:22
Mile 10: 8:19
Mile 11: 8:03
Mile 12: 7:42
Mile 13: 6:53

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Vegas Trip Report - Part 2 - THE GRAND CANYON

The Grand Canyon is just that. Grand.

We started out on our journey at about 7:00am on Monday morning.  I knew it was going to be quite a lengthy drive, about 4.5 hours so I wanted to get an early start.  Luckily, we still hadn't adjusted to PST so it was really like 11:00am for us!!

We got there just before noon (had to make a couple of pit stops).


Got the car parked and headed to the Visitor Center.  Forecast high was 59F. About 15C.  Not bad, but not scorching either.  It was kind of windy as well.  DW asks "Do we need sunscreen?"  NAH!

Once we got our bearings, we headed to the Rim Trail.  I can't fully describe the feeling of seeing that first glimpse of the canyon.  It's AMAZING!!  I had dreamed of this moment for ages and it was finally here.






The pictures just don't do it justice








Still some snow on the ground in the canyon







The Rim Trail stretches 12 miles along the south rim.  Awesome vistas the entire way.  We walked most of it, nearly 10 miles.  Quite a distance but it was relatively flat.  The first few miles took a while to walk because I was stopping at every turn to take pictures.







Spectacular vistas at every turn!






Shadows starting to creep into the canyon.








As you can see from the pictures, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Hmmm maybe sunscreen wasn't such a bad idea after all.






Wow, I look so excited to be there.  I brought the GPS to grab a few virtual caches while here.  And oh, there's a cloud. I was mistaken.
We attempted to hike down into the canyon.  This is the Bright Angel Trail.  We hiked to the first tunnel (just left of centre, 2/10 mile from the rim).  It was kind of muddy, but not bad.  The further down we got, the icier it got.  A couple of hikers coming back up the trail told us that they had to put on their crampons, so we decided to turn back.






We even had a wildlife encounter!
I think these are caribou.  They couldn't have cared less that we were even there.


There were four all together.  We also saw 4 or 5 deer back at the bus depot later in the afternoon, but I was too exhausted to dig out my camera to take a picture.









My attempt at a panoramic pic.  Not bad, but not great.

Well, I guess there were a few clouds, but not enough to shade us.  We both got terrible sunburns.  My forehead was the worst.  It was so bad it actually blistered. Then it peeled. Then it peeled again. 

We did not think it was very warm at all. And the breeze was quite chilly.  Maybe it's due to the elevation? I mean we are well over a mile closer to the sun than we're used to...





Well, I look a bit more pleased in this pic.  DW was very nervous about me falling to my death, but I was careful.  
Apparently (and surprisingly...) very few people fall into the canyon.  Between 1990 and 2002, 13 people died from falling into the canyon.
Far more people die in the canyon from hiking and being unprepared.
There was a poster that I read that told the story of Boston Marathon finisher, Margaret Bradley, who died in the canyon.  She and her companion set out on July 9, 2004 for a 27-mile run. They had only two water bottles, some fruit, and three protein bars. 
While her companion made it out of the canyon, she was found dead, two days later. Sad.





We had a great afternoon at Grand Canyon.  We headed back to Vegas around 6pm.  I wish we had stayed around for the sunset, but I was a little bit nervous about driving all the way back to Vegas in the dark, and as I said, we still hadn't adjusted to PST, so it was already 10pm to us.  

The drive back was only about 4 hours (no pit stops).  The sky was pretty dark until we got about 50 miles from Vegas.  Then we could see the 'glow'.  Vegas is surrounded by mountains. When we just outside of the city, there was an incline that we had to drive up. Just as we came to the crest of the ridge, Vegas came into view and what a sight it was. Six hundred square miles of lights as far as the eye can see.  Wish I had thought to take a picture.

Made it back to the hotel without taking a wrong turn. Crashed into bed. Hard.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Vegas Trip Report - Part 2 - THE FOOD

Let me just start by saying that if the portion sizes in Vegas are any indication of what it's like in the rest of the US, it's not a wonder they are the fattest people in the developed world...  Don't get me wrong, the food was great, and there was a lot of it, but we just couldn't eat three meals a day. Most of the time, if we ate a big meal, that was the ONLY meal we ate.

Anyway, when we arrived, I wasn't in the mood to eat much of anything.  I'm not sure if I caught a bug or ate something I shouldn't have, but I the first thing I did when we got to our hotel, was vomit.  Then I went to bed.  Slept for 3 hours, then felt fine.  I've come to the realization that it's just not a vacation until I hurl.  Same thing happened in Disney. I don't remember what I ate (or if I ate) on that first day.

Sunday morning, we stumbled upon Jean Phillipe Patisserie.  It was the first of many stops I would make at JP in the coming week for coffee, gelato and these:



When I die and get to heaven, there had better be lots of these because it's all I'm going to eat.  I didn't try the sugar but did try the nutella. It didn't hold a flame to the dulce de leche.  Mmm mmm mmm TASTY!!!  I wonder if they deliver to Canada???

Sunday for lunch we stopped at a little deli called Greenberg's Deli in the New York, New York hotel.



They even had a sandwich named after the kids:


But, I went with the Italian Stallion, which was served with chips and a pickle:


DW went with the Beef 'n' cheddar  which was HUGE. Seriously, it could have fed both of us:

I mean c'mon, look at the size of that thing!!!

I don't remember what we ate for supper that night.  Probably nothing. There's no pictures, so it was obviously not memorable.

Monday we ate granola bars and drank water at the Grand Canyon. Stopped at Wendy's in Tusayan, AZ.

Tuesday probably was the best day, food wise.  I had borrowed a travel guide from a co-worker. In it there was a recommendation to eat at a place called Hash house a go go. It was a bit of a drive away from the strip and I was not real comfortable driving in Vegas at that point but we thought we would give it a try.  Getting there was actually pretty easy.  Once we sat down, we immediately knew that this was going to be quite the experience.  My jaw literally dropped when I saw some of the dishes that we coming to the tables.  There was so much to choose from but I ended up ordering this:


I forget what it was called exactly, Detroit House Hash or something like that.


It was the first time I had ever been served a meal in a cast iron frying pan. DW got a Farm Scramble with onion, swiss, bacon and avacado.  Needless to say, neither of us managed to clean our plates/frying pans.

This place was so cool, I bought the T-shirt.  We'll revisit this place later on in the post.  I want to try the french toast...

We ate an early supper at Rainforest Cafe at MGM.  DW was meeting up with a cousin she hadn't seen in about 25 years.  I had nachos which were smothered with a process cheese type goo.  They were just OK. DW ate the fish and chips. Shocking!  It's usually that or a quesadilla. We had a great dinner and chat.  Felt like I had known them my whole life. 

Wednesday was our trip to Death Valley.  Breakfast was courtesy of my good friend JP...


I had already eaten the brioche :)

We managed to sustain ourselves on a box of Fibre 1 bars and a flat of H20 for most of the day.  Dinner that night was at PF Chang's.

 Kung Pao Chicken. Spicy!!


Don't remember what this was called.  Almond Chicken, maybe?

It was quite a nice place. first time We had ever eaten there.  I'd describe it as a Chinese version of East Side Mario's.  It wasn't terribly expensive. We had tried to get a table on Saturday (or maybe it was Sunday?) night which was a total lost cause.  Wednesday nights are visibly less busy.  Glad I was able to try this place out.

Thursday we ate at Olive Garden.  This place is always on our list of places to go whenever we get to the US.  So delicious.  Brought two bottles of their Italian salad dressing back.  It never even dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to bring them in my carry on and that I'd have to put them in my checked luggage.  They made it home safely.

Friday, we made a return trip to HHAGG.  I had been dreaming of the French toast all week. Couldn't wait to get back.  Well as it turns out DW and I had a little bit of a misunderstanding. I thought we were going to go eat first and then go hiking in Red Rock Canyon.  She thought we were doing the opposite.  Turns out her plan made more sense.  So by the time we made it back into Vegas it was 1 pm.  Luckily they were still serving breakfast. And lunch.  Long story, short, I ended up getting this:

Mashed taters + biscuit + meatloaf + gravy of some sort + fried onions = TASTY!

Looking back, I wish I had got the French Toast like I had planned. I mean, it was good, but I'm not a real big fan of mashed potatoes.  I basically just wanted the meatloaf.  DW got a One Pound stuffed Burger with mushrooms and Swiss. It was huge! Even I couldn't get my mouth around it. She ended up taking one of the patties out of the burger completely.


Unfortunately, she forgot to tell them to cook it 'well done' and it was a touch too pink for her on the inside.  No big deal, she just ate the outside of the burger.

Even Man v. Food loves this place!

The second time back at HHAGG was a little bit less amazing, possibly because we knew what to expect.

That's it for the culinary highlights of the trip. Oh, on Saturday we ate supper at Wolfgang Puck Express in  the airport in Vegas. It was actually quite good. Big portions for the price. We had a 'personal' pizza and salad. Forgot to take pics.

Didn't gain a single pound.

Yay me!