Running – Page 2 – My Active Lifetime

May 8, 2016 Running

92.2 km Running Weekend!

The year 2016 threw a slight curve my way when the first weekend in May ended up being the 1st of May. A really excellent trail race I love to run called Pick your Poison which is usually a weekend before the Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon ended up being the day before the marathon! This left me with the dilemma of either missing the 50K trail race or missing the marathon which really wasn't an option. I do the website for the Toronto Marathon and the race director is my partner in the Collingwood Half Marathon. My entry was free and I wouldn't miss race weekend. So of course I had to do the races back to back to use them as a training weekend.

After posting my intention to run two significant races back to back on Facebook, my ultra running friend Bert Starke took notice. Within about 2 minutes he had decided that he was in for this crazy adventure as well! Bert, a paramedic in Calgary, Alberta was going to be visiting family in Montreal and Ottawa anyway so decided it would be worth the drive to meet me for these races.

The Race Expo & Reception
In order to promote the Collingwood Half Marathon, I worked at a booth Friday at the Toronto Marathon expo. Bert happily jumped in to help greeting all sorts of runners from all over the world.

Later that evening we were guests of the race director's reception where I had a chance to catch up with everyone including my Kenyan elite athletes that I coach and several other race directors and organizers.

After the reception it was off to bed for us to wake up early for the drive to Horseshoe Valley for the Pick your Poison trail race. My son Tom was primed and ready to take over the booth for us Saturday.

Pick your Poison
The Pick your Poison trail race is aptly named because you can pick 12.5 km, 25 km or 50km by doing 1, 2 or 4 laps of the course. The course is located at a private ski club and is incredibly hilly, technical, and can include some late spring corn snow.

This year we had the driest conditions I remember, pleasant warm sunshine and no corn snow! I had thought I'd have my new PR on the course but it was not to be. On leg 4 about 43 km into the race I develop severe groin cramps as well as calf cramps. This resulted in my 5:20 target time being turned into a 5:55 cramp walk off. I persisted though and finished the race.

As for Bert, he had a super fast race finishing in just under 5:15 with none of the cramp issues. His Icebug shoes with the tiny spikes were basically overkill as the course served up amazing conditions.

Pick your Poison is one of the Ontario Ultra Series races and certainly deserves your attention. You will be pleased with the organization of the event with well stocked aid tables, 3 of which are on course. The friendly crowd of runners and volunteers feels like family. Race director Adam Hill who is an excellent ultra runner himself really cares and puts on an excellent event.

Bert and I hurried back to Toronto to get a good night's sleep and some carbs to prepare for the marathon in the morning!

For more information about Pick your Poison visit: http://www.outrace.ca

The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon
Morning had come very quickly for Bert and I as we woke to a persistent rain and cold conditions in Toronto. We managed to drag ourselves out of bed, consume some carb and load up for the shuttle bus to the starting line.

Our intention was to simply use the race as a training run for our 100 mile race coming in July as well as afford an opportunity for me to give Bert a tour of Toronto on foot. The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon is by far the most scenic marathon with the most historical landmarks in Toronto. As long as we came in under 4 hours we really had no pressure.

We also ran into my friends Yvonne and Marie who were also out braving the elements to finish yet another marathon. Camaraderie is one of the beautiful aspects of running!

We arrived at the starting line where I met up with one of the women I coach (Natalie). Nat was feeling the nerves of race morning and hoping to hit my A goal time of 3:30. I calmed her nerves and let her get into the mental zone and concentrate on what she had to accomplish.

Bert and I were feeling surprisingly fresh considering we had finished a 50k trail race a mere 17 hours earlier. We went out and began thoroughly enjoying the race with the enthusiastic supporters cheering us along despite the rain for most of the course. It is really quite touching when so many people brave the elements to stand in the rain and cheer.

We had a few highs and lows where pace would increase then decrease. I continued my travelogue of the city for Bert naming such landmarks as Casa Loma, the Rosedale Valley, St. Lawrence Market, the waterfront etc. We continued this banter and enjoyed the light misting rain until all hell broke loose!

We were 8 km from the finish coming back from the Humberview Park turnaround running into a crazy wind with gusts that threatened to blow our running hats off. The temperature had dropped and the rain intensified to the point where it seemed like we have gone swimming in our running clothes. At that point it became a simple matter of trading the suffering out on the course for a feeling of just wanting to get it over with. Our pace had actually picked up in those last kilometres as a result.

With 500 metres to go the cheering had become deafening! Not only the enthusiastic students working the hydration tables, but the general public at Ontario Place had swelled to the point where it was a roar. Bert had said thank you so many times along the way because it was such an uplifting race and he was so happy to be there. We rounded the last turn and crossed the timing mat with our hands in the air celebrating putting 50k of trail and 42.2k of road behind us within 24 hours! the 92.2k weekend was in the books.

As for my athlete Natalie, she nailed my assigned A time within 24 seconds! 3:30 was hers and she could not be more happy. I could not be more proud!

After the race our core temperatures plummeted and we immediately headed to the medical tent where the nurses assessed us and wrapped us in hospital blankets and hugs near the heaters.

After a shuttle ride back to the Hilton we had the best hot showers ever in our lives. We parted ways as Bert drove to Ottawa to his sister's place and my son Tom and I drove home to Collingwood but not without a stop first!

The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon is highly recommended for it's fast downhill course, it's scenic quality and historical landmarks. It really is a running tour of Toronto! For more information visit: www.torontomarathon.com

Ugali the Kenyan Wonder Fuel
Heading home after the marathon my son Tom and I stopped at Sammy Chumba's for the traditional Kenyan staple dish of Ugali.

Sammy was 2nd place with a 2:23 time last year at Toronto Marathon and was on pace to win this year but sadly developed some calf cramps due to the cold weather which was not something he is used to.

Ugali is made with corn flour some salt and water. It's boiled to form a solid cake and is often served with vegetable stew and meat when available. As a no meat athlete I was happy to eat the Ugali and vegetables.

Conclusion
This sort of weekend is certainly not the usual thing for most runners. In fact most marathoners taper for a week or two before the event to come into it fresh. Could Bert and I have run the marathon half an hour faster? Sure! But in this case it was more about solid back to back runs to prepare for 100 miles. It's the sort of quality training that must be done to survive that distance.

We will definitely have another crazy weekend like this but until then, I'll see Bert again in July as we run the Sinister 7 100 mile trail race in the Crowsnest Pass Alberta.

Got a race story you would like to tell? Please email info@myactivelifetime.com to feature it here!

November 6, 2015 Running

Running the Rideau Trail from Kingston to Ottawa

A few weeks ago I was cheerfully enjoying the kind of easy running that comes after a long hard season in which I ran 6 ultra trail races. This restful time was soon shattered when my friend Noel Paine posted an idea on Facebook about doing something epic to celebrate his 40th birthday. That something was to run the Rideau Trail from end to end starting in Kingston and ending in Ottawa where he lives.

After a careful period of consideration (about 1 minute) I messaged Noel offering to run it with him. But wait you say...I'm supposed to be enjoying the off-season and recovering for the next training cycle. The idea of running this multi-day run just seemed too compelling and I knew I had to do it.

Our first plans were based on Noel's idea to run all the trail bits which add up to 327 km and the audacious part was the idea of attempting the fastest known time. In the end this was not to be but we ultra runners are eternal optimists or else we would not even start half the events we enter.

And so after much consultation, planning (mostly Noel's) and building our war chests of gear and nutrition we were off and running with a date set and crews selected and committed. Perhaps we should have been committed.

I suggested that we might accept pledges towards the Canadian Cancer Society as well to truly put the icing on the cake. This was done and it ultimately resulted in over $1,000 raised!

It was time for the talk to end and the action to begin!

After arriving in Kingston from Collingwood, we met up with Noel, his wife Stéphanie and father-in-law Jacques. We transferred some bags and food containers and headed to city hall to begin.

After some hugs and well wishes and the mandatory photos we set out into the dark city streets heading west towards my son's St. Lawrence College where we turned north to head for the trail and to cross under the 401 highway.

The K&P Railway trail is dead straight and is the former trackbed of a long defunct railway that once transported Sir John A. MacDonald! With the brisk crosswind and the visual image of running through a tunnel of trees towards a black hole it was quite spooky and we wondered if the ghost of Sir John A. MacDonald might make an appearance. It was counterintuitive to run away from the light and security of Kingston into the darkness and the unknown trail.

The darkness did throw us off at one point where we mistook a side trail for a place we thought we had to turn. Having committed to that trail and not wanting to go back, we continued by road checking our position by the hydro lines and other landmarks.

Other than stopping occasionally to check our map and waypoints we continued at a fairly brisk pace putting 40 kilometres behind us that first evening from 8:30 till about 12:30. This placed us in the tiny town of Sydenham at our white van with the futon in the back parked at a lumber yard at the end of a skinny part of a lake.

The quick meal and change to dry clothes removed the chill that comes after running and sweating. We settled into the futon for a quick 4 hour nap. A long day awaited us on the Friday but we still felt confident.

We piled out of the van after having a nice Oatmeal breakfast and loading up our running packs. Our initial pace was fast walking for a good distance to warm up the legs for the trail running to come. The nearly full moon and stars were amazing as we moved briskly to stay warm.

Around the Gould Lake trail system entrance we stopped to take on water and fuel and use the washrooms. From this point we began some serious trail running. the terrain was technical but nothing crazy at first. Although we seemingly took an extra loop of 10k we were still feeling strong and in good spirits.

After Gould we passed North Otter Lake, Buck Lake and crossed over some huge domes of rock that culminated in a view from the top of telescope hill. The trail meandered quite a bit causing us to be turning south, then east, then north again then east then south. We felt like we were definitely going a long way, certainly longer than you could by road.

The trail at this stage became more hilly and challenging with some mud and water in places before breaking out at the road somewhere around a place called Bedford Mills. We ate peanut butter and honey sandwiches and boiled eggs and whatever else we could take in. Calories were needed and I felt constantly hungry due to the running.

We ran down the road to the next trail entrance full of fuel and carrying our packs full of food and water. We headed into more technical single track that soon gave way to some long country back roads suitable for ATV's. This was going to be a long leg. It wasn't until the evening that we realized just how long!

We came upon sections of pure swamp in which the main trail road was completely flooded with no way around. We had no choice but to wade through water over the ankles for about 200 metres. This was the beginning of trouble as the water was the beginning of blisters.

In the late afternoon after checking the maps and thinking we were not too far from breaking out to road again I stopped near a beautiful lake as the lowering sun made a beautiful light and cast shadows of trees on the orange leafy trails. Noel had gone ahead as I took photos of this beautiful moment and paused to take on drink and to have a bio break. By the time I started moving again he was gone along with maps and waypoints. I was not yet too concerned because I believed we would be out of the woods soon.

Later again in the afternoon I noticed that the sun was setting a little faster than I'd like it to. Noel must have been way ahead on the trail because the forest was deadly silent. I kept running as fast as I dared on the rough terrain obscured by leaves, constantly looking for the ubiquitous orange arrows that marked the trail. It turned and turned and climbed and descended in a seemingly never-ending procession. Although it was very pretty and quite impressive, my mind would not relax as I started wondering if the trail would ever end.

At the point where the sun went down it was getting dark in the forest and I wasn't thinking straight. I stopped to eat my last calories and drink the last of my water, put on my headlamp and jacket and take stock. My iPhone was down to 5% so I put it on airplane mode to make it last in case I needed an emergency call. I began slowly running from orange arrow to orange arrow searching with the beam of my headlamp and often having to backtrack since the trail was totally obscured by leaves.

After what seemed like hours of this I came to a stretch after crossing a river where the trail went dead straight. I saw no orange arrows for about half a kilometre but remembered I was looking for a road. All of a sudden the trail dead ended and there was the orange arrow turned on it's side pointing hard right! I had reached the road.

The road was long and I was beginning to question myself and if it was the right road. I ran as fast as I could until I spotted a light in the distance! It was Noel's headlamp! The relief was so intense and I was happy to get in the car and eat pizza!

We decided to call it quits for the night as we were on the doorstep of Perth and a wonderful couple Noel had contacted to ask about the trail had offered their house to us! Actually not just their house but everything in it and we could bring our crew too!

Arriving at the house our hosts Jack and Johanne Tannett had left a series of notes on where the food was, the showers, beds and everything else! They had left us home made soup and fresh baked biscuits. A note on the fridge said help yourself to anything you find useful. That hot shower felt like no other shower ever. Delicious and followed by the sleep of the dead I knew we would be in good shape for another long day in the morning.

The morning started cold with a -5 C temperature and frost on the ground. Our hosts provided coffee and oatmeal and a last minute briefing about how to avoid a couple of trail vortex areas on the way to Port Elmsley. It's not that we don't like trail, but more that we had a very specific timeline we had to keep in order to return to our day jobs! What this meant was running the shoulder of the highway to speed up our progress.

We began our warmup walk through the beautiful town of Perth which reminded us of an English town with it's stone work style of older buildings downtown. A river runs straight through the middle of town.

On the way to Port Elmsley we were talking about how these towns are able to exist and what drives them. Where do people work? What motivates them? It wasn't long before we had some answers as we ran past a huge 3M factory. Perhaps tape was being made in there.

I found that my right achilles had tightened right up to excruciating level and that I was developing large blisters under the ball of the foot and the toes from having wet feet the previous day. This was going to be an agonizing day. We ran at a decent pace through Port Elmsley and on to Smith's Falls where the trail became interesting.

Following the orange triangles and the turn by turn instructions we ended up on the wrong side of the canal and went around a large park only to find we were right back where we started from but an hour late! Yes the Rideau trail run had officially been reclassified "the Rideau Trail Experience!" Sort of like a cover band rather than a concert by the real band.

Arriving at the van it seemed they were a little concerned as to what took us so long. Susan and Tom in the car and Jacques and Mark in the van were troopers for putting up with what must have been a boring weekend of waiting around. We could not have done it without them!

Freshly fuelled we set out again for periods of running and walking before heading into the trail again. The trail here was quite flooded and barely passable. Straight as an arrow and fairly uninteresting we elected to rejoin roads connecting with towns like Merrickville and Andrewsville along the way. These little hamlets were getting prepared for the trick or treating to follow. It was not only Noel's 40th birthday but it was Halloween too!

We came upon a small town where we crossed an old wooden decked iron bridge over the Rideau River. This town of Burritt's Rapids meant to us that we were making good progress towards our goal.

Just past Burritt's Rapids my blisters became nearly unbearable. It was on a super long straight section of road running on the shoulder and at sunset when we had put on our headlamps that I had to get in the van to look after my blisters. Upon removing my shoes they inflated like balloons. Jacques pulled out the first aid kit and I took out the scissors and cut holes in the blisters to drain them. After covering them with second skin patches they felt so much better. At this point we were so close to where we had to be for the night that we decided to stop.

While sitting there patching my feet, we stopped and Noel came running up to the van super fast. I was thinking wow where did that energy come from? The man was positively crushing km's. Then he showed us chocolate and when asked where he got it we found out he went trick or treating! Yes dressed up as an ultra runner he was able to coax some chocolate from a nice Vietnamese couple.

The search for a place to crash with showers was our next task. Jacques found one hotel that was cheap but was so dirty he wouldn't dare subject us to it. The other was expensive and fully booked. So Jacques had a light come on over his head and generously offered to drive us to his place in Hull since we were only 27 km from our finish line!

The hot showers and food were superb and again we slept like zombies! This was another oasis in the run to help us recharge for yet another day of pain. Noel Paine was to have his turn with pain in the morning.

Sunday we woke up at Jacque's place and I was full of energy and ready to rock our last 27 km with my feet feeling a lot better. I don't know if Noel realized how bad his shin was feeling at that point but it was about to cause him grief.

We set out in the van for the point we left off the previous night. Along the way we picked up Noel's friend Bridget Roussy and headed on to the starting point. Piling out of the van we began a warmup walk. At this point Noel realized that his shin had swollen up and that running was nearly impossible without complete agony. The good news was that the pain was tolerable if he speed walked and Noel is a super fast walker setting a pace that equals a jog for most people.

About 5 km into the last run we were joined by my friend Marc Pelosse. It was great to see him again and awesome to have his encouragement as we left the countryside and started seeing suburban landscapes instead. We knew Ottawa was coming up soon!

After bidding goodbye to Marc we had about 10K to go as we passed the ominously named experimental farm and continued into the urban neighbourhoods of Ottawa. With the kind of pain Noel was in we thought it better to take the most direct route.

After winding our way through the streets we were finally in striking distance of the goal. We saw the monument to those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I felt quite emotional at this point thinking about what that monument means especially seeing how wonderfully the guards went about their duty.

In this area there is a set of stairs down to the side of the canal which we ran down and then it was a couple of hundred metres to the trailhead sign! Noel and I broke into a faster run and he let out some primal screams that must have had the Sunday trail walkers wondering what could be wrong with this man! I was emotional yet not seriously so because I could stop laughing at Noel's grunting and laughing because it just felt amazing.

Our welcoming committee was load and happy having commandeered a now useless election sign to use as a welcoming sign. Noel was reunited with Stéphanie and his tiny daughter who was asleep in her stroller blissfully. It was a very touching moment for me to see this reunion of Noel with his family. Stéphanie had brought her extended family as well and they were so amazing. It really made for a beautiful finish.

I had at that moment realized not only what a bad-ass Noel was for fighting through the pain, but that I had a new friend for life. You can't go through this kind of weekend without becoming good friends. People had no idea we had only met in person for the first time on the Thursday night! I think people thought we had been friends for years. Running is such a great sport because it seems to attract really nice people. That statement definitely held true on this Rideau Trail Experience!

Noel and I would like to thank all the people and companies that made this possible.

Jacques "Almost There" Seguin
Stéphanie "Amazing" Seguin
Mark "Pepsi Warmer" Theriault
Bridget "There till the end" Roussy
Susan & Thomas Brindisi
Marc Pelosse
Claude "The Van Man"
Grandma "What can I do Instead?"
Leanne "Social Media" Richardson
Rideau Trail Association
Bruce "End to End" Watts
Jack & Johanne Tannett
Allison Mowat
Jason "Shower" Silver
Tyler "HOKA" Chara
David "NB" Korrell
The Running Goat
Bill "Trail Advice" Murdoch
Derrick "Ultra" Spafford

Some Birthday fun courtesy of Leanne "Social Media" Richardson!

Noel

Muscle Milk Canada
New Balance Canada
Polar Canada

Nick

2XU XTRM, 2XU Canada
Clif
Toronto Marathon

Links

Rideau Trail Association: rideautrail.org

Ontario Trails Council: ontariotrails.on.ca

Noel's Blog: A 258-Kilometre 2.5-day Birthday run Adventure | No Paine No Gain "a van to follow me, a friend (Nick Brindisi)(Collingwood half-marathon race director) to run with and maps, binders, gear, food and family and..."

Canadian Cancer Society

With the generous donations of our friends & family we were able to raise $1,050 towards cancer research! It's not too late to donate using the link below.

Click to donate to Canadian Cancer Society!

September 22, 2015 Running

Haliburton Forest 100 Mile Trail Race

Peter Taylor with the yellow hood and I with the red socks and plastic at the finish! — Peter Taylor with the yellow hood and Nick Brindisi with the red socks and plastic at the finish!

haliburton Forest Race Report
The weather on Friday night was picture perfect for running. We pitched our tents taking care to kick the horse poop out of the way. It’s like a tradition and it’s bad luck to not play a little horse soccer. It was like visiting my long lost tribe. Those amazing people who run a really long way in the forest in all conditions, their support crews, volunteers and everyone who makes this experience so awesome!

Planning and bringing everything you might need is important.

We hung around having a little beer and some food to pre-load our carbs in a way that would not cause any gastric distress. Old stories were brought out and newer ones too! Lots of laughs and shared experiences came out.

Race Morning
Despite a poor nights sleep in tent I was stoked. The tent city at any trail race is like sleeping in a field of water buffalo with the snoring, farting and then the wolves joined in! I just meditated and let all the thoughts about the race go out of my head until sleep came. When it came time for my iPhone to wake me up with my usual & appropriate “Shock the Monkey” by Peter Gabriel I was already awake.

Lap 1 – 50 miles
I had planned for 24 hours or less and ran the first 80k in 11:30 which was 23 minutes slower than I did 80k there last year. You want to go out slower in one of these 100 milers. Plan A was so far so good. Nutrition was right on, hydration was perfect and my feet and legs felt really amazing considering. After the turn-around Peter Taylor gave me some nutritional potions to take on the 2nd lap and helped change my socks to my 2XU Canadian flag compression socks. I needed & appreciated their support for the 2nd 50 mile lap.

dirty shoes and a belt buckle — My muddy shoes and the best belt buckle I own!

Lap 2 – 50 miles of hell
All hell broke loose at 120 km at aid station 7 with 40 km left to go. The torrential monsoon had begun. It rained consistently from 1am till finishing noon on Sunday. The trail became a soupy mess with ankle deep mud in places, slick mud on rocks and water flowing over the trails. Because I was tensing my legs a lot in trying to maintain balance on this course, my hip tightened up so painfully that I could hardly push off on the left side. There is nothing more disheartening than running alone in the dark up and down the Hali hills by headlamp tripping over rocks and roots getting poured on.

I was really at a low by 3am when I realized that there was no way I could keep up any meaningful pace with my hip and with the hockey rink like traction on the trails. Also I began sleep running. This was quite an odd experience. It’s something Dean Karnazes had talked to me about back in July when he was telling me about his Badwater experience. Basically I nodded off and woke up with a gasp quite a few times realizing I was still running and that I was almost off the trail. Another runner came up behind me and asked if I was ok. He helped remind me that a couple of gels might help with their caffeine. I had a couple of them and continued on feeling miserable but awake.

Keeping core temperature up is key to this whole process and the plastic rain poncho kept me dry and with the layers underneath I was warm.

Kept eating 250 calories an hour with some of the amazing fare from the 7 aid stations on the course. Everything from home made soup to burritos, potatoes with sea salt, every kind of drink concoction etc.

100 mile feet — My feet after the 100 mile punishment. The nurse did a great job of draining my blisters by syringe!

So this horrific last 40 km extended my 2nd 80k lap and now I was flirting with the 30 hour time limit with my excruciating hip and slipping all over the hills on mud. I got to the last 10k lap of the lake and was told I had just over 2 hours to meet cutoff. That loop is gnarly but I told myself pain is temporary but failure is forever. I ignored the pain and pushed anyway.

The Finish!
I came around the lake and had just 8.5 minutes to run up the hill to the finish 2.5k away. That’s a tall order “sprinting” after 157.5 km but I tried my best. I arrived 4 minutes late, but race director Helen Malmberg gave me the buckle anyway perhaps because of the inhuman conditions or because nobody usually sprints at the end of these things.

Thanks!
So much thanks to Peter Taylor for crewing second to none. Thanks Marc Pelosse for throwing down a crazy fast 100 mile good enough to win the race before the monsoon started and for also being so supportive. So nice to see Andrea Moritz bringing her positively and support to us for this event. Thanks to my sponsor 2XU and the 2XU XTRM team whose running wear and compression garments are 2nd to none. Thanks to Helen Malmberg the race director, Don Kuzenko, the guy who is so good at aiding runners in so many ways that it feels like coming into port after a night on stormy seas and all other volunteers! Thanks to the nursing staff who drained my blisters.

Conclusion
I’ll be back next year to run the Haliburton Forest again. Having run the 50 mile and the 25K there in previous years I had no idea how completely engrossing the 100 could be. It may lack the huge rocky mountains of races like Sinister 7 but it makes up for it with never ending smaller sized hills. It seems like you are always climbing and descending. There are always muddy bogs, rocks, roots and very technical running, but without the pouring rain I know I’ll be faster next year! I can’t wait.

Race information: http://www.haliburtonforest100.org

July 23, 2015 Running

The North Face Endurance Challenge Blue Mountain Ontario

Growing up in Collingwood, Ontario was like an amazing adventure with so many active things to do. With the ski hill formed by the Niagara Escarpment and it’s huge network of hiking trails, Georgian Bay and all the other opportunities for fitness it was and is a great place to live. So when the North Face Endurance Challenge rolled into town for it’s only Canadian stop I jumped at the opportunity to run on my home turf where I knew pretty much everyone!

Pre Race

On the Thursday before the race I had the pleasure of joining the group who did a quick 5k trail run with Dean Karnazes! For those who may not know, some of Dean’s amazing feats include running 50 marathons in 50 days across the USA, finishing the Badwater ultra marathon across Death Valley – the hottest place on earth and a 3 day run that saw him sleep running on the 2nd night!

We set off on the run and I had a chance to talk to Dean who for all his fame is a truly humble ambassador of the sport. He actually remembered me from our talk last year which I find incredible given how many people he meets each year. We ran down “the Grind” which is a trail that we would be running up on the Saturday morning, twice in the case of the 50 miler. So great to share running stories with a great runner like Dean. I hope to see him at the Sinister 7 race in the summer of 2016 which he said was one he would like to do.

Race Day!

The day of the race came quickly and I was ready. I was sure my training was in place and taper had gone well. The only concern I had was the severe heat and humidity warning issued by Environment Canada for the day. That plus the remnants of a stomach bug I had gotten Wednesday before the race.

The alarm went early at 3:45 am and I was mobilized getting my peanut butter and honey toast eaten and already drinking fluids. The cooler and my war chest of stuff I need like fresh clothes, alternate hats, shoes etc was ready.

Start to 12.5k

The start of the GoreTex 50 miler came in two waves at 5 am and 5:02 am to try and reduce crowding on the trails. I left in the 5:02 am wave and picked my way across from the Blue Mountain Village to a trail called “The Grind” which climbs the ski hill to the top. At the top we traversed to the Bruce trail Mission road segment and up the 6th st. extension. After passing the 1st aid station the heat of the day was already above 25 C. We continued through the forest trails as the first light of day highlighted some of the trees in a ruddy reddish hue. The sunrise in the forest was truly spectacular!

We descended through more winding forest trails that took us to the top of Southern Comfort trail where aid station #2 was located. I was trying to hide queasy feeling from the stomach bug I had contracted 3 days earlier. I forced down my magic mixture of puree potatoes mixed with copious amounts of sea salt knowing that soon I’d be sweating even more and it was getting hotter!

12.5k to 25k

After running across the ski hill dipping down and up to add elevation gain we ended up ad aid station 3 which had a port hottie much to my relief. At that point I was doubled over with stomach cramps and needed relief. I loaded up with ice water and gels and continued down the road.

After a brief road section we dipped into the forest and ran the Bruce trail into the Beaver Valley sections. I was still queasy but pushed through it. Emerging from the forest we followed a road that twisted back to the north to the 25k aid station. At this aid station the temperature was already over 30 C. I fuelled up on bananas, lots of flat coke to settle my stomach, and filled my hand bottle with the Clif lime electrolyte drink rather than water. This was a crucial decision that kept me in the game later.

25k to 40k

This section is exceedingly difficult for many reasons, the first of which was climbing steeply on exposed pavement followed by climbing a gravel road into the Loree Forest. Once in the forest there was lots of cover provided from the sun and the trail becomes less technical and easier. On the 2nd half of the Loree loop it gets very rough and technical with tons of exposed rock and roots.

After emerging from the Loree Forest you descend a steep ravine into a valley, cross a stream and climb right back up only to descend again into another ravine. The climb out of the 2nd ravine is a mud staircase reinforced with 4×4 lumber and has a rope railing because of the steepness. After a jaunt through the woods I was back to the 3rd aid station.

From there the course takes the lower set of trails and meanders down and up adding yet more vertical to the run. By the time I returned to aid station 2 heat was a huge factor. the temperature was reaching late morning/noon highs of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F)! Humidity was now so high that the Humidex was nearing the mid 40’s (114 F).

At this final aid station on the loop I took another portion of my salted potatoes and careened down the wild descent called “the Cascades” through mud and over the bridges. It’s at least cooler in the forest and I was able to drench my hat in the stream. After this section you come to the 40K turn-around station and brace for the second time up the Grind!

The second Lap to 80k (Finish)

Without describing the course all over again I’ll simply note some interesting things about the 2nd lap.

I had an ice shower at the 46 km mark thanks to the spectacular aid station people at the top of the 6th street extension. I’m now putting ice in my hat and the Buff around my neck at every station.

I had some relief at the Southern Comfort aid station after the cramps in my stomach had gone away! Drank copies amounts of water plus electrolytes and continued on.

No problems through to the 2nd time climbing the road to the Loree Forest. Approaching the aid station at 67 km my legs began cramping in the groin and tops of the calf muscles. I was well trained but the heat was causing the problem with cramps. I filled my entire bottle with electrolyte and ate some salty snacks.

While at the 67 km station a big localized rain storm moved through the Loree forest lasting about 10 minutes then disappearing. Not one cooling drop fell on me but the rain turned the Loree Forest trails into a muddy quagmire making it nearly impossible to run without falling.

The climb into Loree was on pavement that had been drenched and now was exposed to the beating sun which was evaporating the road water into steam! I ran out of my hand bottle water at the 70 km mark and survived to the 72k mark where my friend John Smeh, one of the race organizers was located.

I placed my hands on the aid table to prevent collapse. I was super dizzy and could not catch my breath at all. Core temperature was dangerously high. The amazing volunteers put a huge bag of ice on the back of my neck and put ice in my Buff around my neck and into my hat. I got a cold water shower and drank a litre of ice water. As soon as my core temp came down I was back to normal breathing. I told John thanks for the pep talk and that I would never quit unless a doctor forced me to and continued on my way to the finish.

The Finish

After all the climbs and descents coming across the ski hill I climbed the last hill to the final aid station. A volunteer was yelling at me to lift my head and put my shoulders back and open my diaphragm. He yelled this about 10 times and although he meant well I assured him he wasn’t helping and that I’ve been running these hills for 42 of my 52 years and was getting plenty of air!

One more dive down the Cascades with 1.6k to go and I’m tasting the finish. Passed 3 people on the run across to the finish chute! The best feeling in the world was crossing the timing pad at the village. These are the moments of pure joy in running races that you remember.

The extreme conditions made for a 1.5 hour slower (12.5 hours) than personal record time (11 hours). Still I’m super happy to be included in the finishers and 3rd for my age group on a day where there were many DNF results. I was happy not to drop out and look forward to the Halliburton 100 mile race!

Remember that 52 is the new 32 and that anything is possible at any age if you put in the work, never waver from your goals and then have the resolve to never take the easy way out and drop out. You will know more about yourself every time!

Race Information

The North Face Endurance Challenge Website

Other North Face Endurance Challenge Race Locations

Charity

I ran this race to raise money and awareness for our local shelter for victims of domestic violence called My Friend’s House. Thanks to all who donated!! My Facebook page for this: https://www.facebook.com/run50milesinmyshoes

July 9, 2015 Running

Summer Ultra Training

With the North Face Gore-tex 50 mile race looming 10 days out I’ve been peaking with my training and moved on to a gradual taper. It’s all about staying fresh and moving from now till the race.

The buildup for a trail ultra works like the buildup for any other race except the quantity of training is on a different scale. Where road racers concentrate on distances and split times, trail ultra runners measure their training in hours and vertical feet. The successful trail runner trains for long periods of time running and for climbing more than nailing their splits. It’s not that trail runners don’t care about being able to run fast, it’s just a shift in emphasis.

Early on in the late winter and spring I had been building up the length of time of my runs and adding in more hill climbing despite the snow. Then in April I had run 44 km in the spring runoff event in early April followed by the Pick your Poison 50K trail race at the end of April. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective my early buildup had been by the fact that I had beaten my previous year’s effort by nearly a hour at 5:38! With this encouraging result I began an even more intense phase of training with my sights set on my firs 50 mile (80 km) race of 2015.

Hell Month

June was 42 hours of quality training. The format was hard weeks alternating with easier weeks. The hard weeks ended up being 150 km but more importantly they contained long slow runs on trail of up to 53 km in length.

Long runs themselves are good preparation, but loafing along in the aerobic grey area doesn’t help build your lactate threshold or pain tolerance and let’s face it ultras bring pain. So adding vertical climbs and varying the pace to push then back off and push again helped simulate going to the edge of my capability followed by dialling the pace back to partially recover was the ticket.

Added to the long runs were back to back to back efforts such as 35k, 25k, 25k over 3 days in a row followed by a recovery day. All of these were on trail and all had lots of climbing.

Other workouts were climb only runs with up to 5 times up and down our local ski hill. Think of these as hill repeats of 730 feet gain.

Once a week I liked to run fast like 4:40 km pace for a shorter distance of 10 to 15 km because running faster uses different muscles and feels refreshing.

Inspiration and Taper

With 10 days to go it’s time to gradually taper. The money is in the bank and ready to spend. I won’t be getting any fitter by training more so I run for no longer than 2 hours. Sometimes 1 hour is enough.

In order to taper successfully and run less after running has been such a large part of your life it’s a good idea to do a few things. Remember to trust the hard work you have done and never try to cram more running in and derail the building up process you are undergoing. Sleep a good solid 8 hours every night. Drink a lot of water and adjust your diet for the reduced calorie burn. If you drink alcoholic beverages consider quitting them for a few weeks.

Lastly turn the easy runs you are doing into fun! Look to other running friends for inspiration and take pleasure in their accomplishments.

I recently had the pleasure of running with a Kenyan Athlete I coach named Sammy Kibet Chumba who has run 63 minutes in the half marathon and 2:17 in the marathon. Obviously he is at a completely different level than I am with his running. However running with him was fun for him because he rarely runs trails and fun for me because we were taking it easy and just enjoying the run.

Enjoy your training and enjoy your racing! You have taken the time to build up to it and if you don’t reach your goal time then be happy with your alternate goal time. So much can happen over the course of 50 miles so enjoy it, race hard and have no regrets!

Nick Brindisi is a running coach and 2XU athlete & product ambassador
Instill Coaching Website >

December 5, 2014 Gear Reviews, Running

2XU Thermal Compression Tights

Winter running is absolutely essential if a runner has any intentions of competing in events during the spring season. Even if you are not competitive but want to stay fit over the winter with various outdoor activities including running, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, you need the appropriate garments! You need to stay warm but not too warm because too much sweat means getting cold.

In addition to temperature control provided by winter running garments it is a good idea to add compression to what you wear to rev up your training. Compression helps increase your performance and enhance recovery. According to the company 2XU, their compression garments can provide the following benefits:

Greater oxygenation of the blood for faster recovery
Reduced Fatigue through less muscle oscillation
Reduced muscle soreness
Reduced long-term overuse injuries
Faster muscle warm up pre-exercise
Greater power output
Heightened proprioception – awareness of limb placement for agility

Product Evaluation
I recently had the pleasure of testing some Thermal Compression Tights from 2XU on a 7 km test run to experience these benefits first-hand.

Gear: 2XU Thermal Compression Tights

Test: 7 km winter run on a regular loop run both with and without the tights. I would make every effort to run at the same perceived energy output and pace.

Conditions: -1 Celsius with light snow and light winds

Results:

Run 1 without 2XU Thermal Compression Tights: 7.1 km in 37:13 with an average pace per km of 5:12
Run 2 with 2XU Thermal Compression Tights: 7.1 km in 33:47 with an average pace per km of 4:47

That is quite a nice improvement for the same course, and the same effort level. Can’t wait to go on a 35 km run and really put them to the test.

Feedback:

Today was about -1 temperature and the wind was brisk off Georgian Bay. They were literally like furnaces on my legs! I feel like I’d be comfortable down to -10 in these with no further protection. I felt that they reduced muscle bounce in the calf area particularly. I actually land lightly when I’m running, but there is a certain amount of bounce in the muscles no matter how soft you land. This reduces fatigue over time so I’m very keen to do a 35k this weekend with them. I left them on for an hour after running and notice a difference in how fresh my legs felt. I’ve used compression socks before but never the whole lower body. It’s quite a pleasant change and I think I’m going to have the best 2015 season ever.

I highly recommend this product, look forward to longer runs and will be testing 2XU arm sleeves next! For more information visit 2xu.com

October 13, 2014 Running

TRAIL RUNNING DREAM & TRAIL RUNNING WIPPTAL CAMP

TRAIL RUNNING DREAM and TRAIL RUNNING WIPPTAL CAMP has come to the end…It’s amazing how 6 days can be a formation of new made incredible friendships..and family…laughter and blazin good times…and memories and pictures to last ongoing…I am sad to leave this group as they all have been amazing and always when I think back to this 6 days..it will make me SMILE big…[mapsmarker marker=”1″]

This group has ROCKED!
I awoke as the 6am Church bells rang..as they do everyday…I laughed out loud and thought of our Danish Friend Dan who is awakened everyday at 6am from these bells..I never am but today I was…
Our last run day started with early morn Power Yoga.as usual…then our RUN took us up up up…as they all dug in deep with fatigued legs and bodies…we ran across the incredible rolling high alpine road at the Austrian/Italian Border…until we came to our steep downhill ….some put there arms out and FLEW down down down to the lake…other people had to grind it out with knees that were screaming at them…but I tell you..there was NO COMPLAINING…ever……just a JOY to be right there! This 21km day and over a 1000m up and down.

After we had an ice cold dip in the Obenberger Lake..back to Almi’s…re fuel ..a POWER NAP and then it was MOUNTAIN RUNNER’s BOOTCAMP..for those WHO WANTED MORE…and more they got…more running too! More sweat, partner pushing, good cheer and hard breathing….perfect before a Almi’s Berghotel 4 course dinner!

I want to thank you all my new brothers and sisters of Sweden and Danmark… for all your enthusiasm, your energy and love of it all! You made it so much FUN FOR US!

CONGRATULATIONS to you all
100km and 5000m accomplished!

Whoooohooooo! Until next time! BE A HILL SEEKER and Keep Swooshing the downhills!
Big Hug
Karrie

If you would like to join Karrie for a 2015 Trail Running Camp see details below:

September 12, 2014 Running

Haliburton 50 mile race report…”Chicken Soup”

Well I have to start talking about chicken soup because I’ve finally found this is the food I need to run long well. I’m not talking about the the boxed broth with no sodium added gluten free blah blah blah, I’m talking about the kind your granny made you boiling all the fat and marrow out of the bones on the stove. Add salt? Hell ya. If it sits in the fridge it should turn into a fatty jelly.

When you’re out there for five, ten, fifteen hours etc there is no way you can eat enough calories and gels (which I also use). So when I spent the day before preparing my soup and dumped it down the drain I felt like an idiot. I was multitasking and just not thinking. Damn!

So my buddy Nick and I are off to haliburton the Friday before the race and I managed to find some legit homemade soup for a steep cost of $15 for maybe a litre and a half. At this point I didn’t care I probably would have paid more.

We arrive at a decent time to set up our tent, heat the soup up to put in my drop bags. settle in for an early night after a couple of beers for a thunder and lightning show that helped clear out the massive amount of humidity.

Up at 4:30 after a restless sleep getting half a bagel in me and line up for the six am start. I was sluggish and tired for the first 10 km feeling out my legs and trying to get into a positive place in my head for my body to move well. The terrain in Hali is a mix of technical roots and rocks on the Canadian Shield. Plus a nice amount of fire roads to help spin your legs at different speeds. When I got to the 10 km aid station I filled up a 250ml container with the fatty magic, followed by a sip of water and a gel. Good to go and feeling alert and strong- time to press on.

I think what I love about running ultras is navigating through the ups and downs with simple positive thoughts, or really no thought all. Just the primal feeling of running on the earth and feeding yourself what you need. I’ve had a few years figuring out what it takes to finish and sometimes when the day goes right, how to race. Haliburton 50 is forty km out and forty back which is kind of cool because you can gauge what place you’re at and how far someone might be behind you. For a technical course this was motivation to keep moving steady.

I came in at 3:45 at the half way point barely ahead of three other guys and was passed at around 41 km putting me in second. Perfect. Nice to chase and be chased. More soup, gel, and water. Just keep steady and run the hills or power walk the really steep stuff. My hips are feeling tight and my effort is bringing my legs close to cramping which happened a few times but I’m managing ok. Looking at my watch I know if I can keep this pace I will come in a sub 8 hour which is my ultimate goal.

Time actually goes fast when you feel the zone. A place with no thought. Just be in your body and move. Now I’m at aid station 2 again and I know I only have 12 km to go. I’m told first place guy is 8 minutes ahead and I have no idea who’s behind but it really doesn’t matter. At this point I know I have to average 10 km an hour to do a sub 8 and I had to stick a solid effort. More gel, the last of soup and push the pace. Pushing the pain and negative thoughts out, just focus on being present and smile into the suffering. The finish is near and then it’s here. 7:56. 2nd place and a personal best by 20 minutes. Yes!

So now my race is over and the next bit of fun begins. Beers, eating a great dinner and then a second dinner and a third. Sitting by the fire sharing stories of the day and days to come with new and old friends. Cheering on the 100 mile runners all night and morning to noon. So much inspiration sponged in my soul. Thinking and dreaming of what’s next. Feeling lucky and vibrant to be healthy.

Peter Taylor.

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92.2 km Running Weekend!

Toronto Marathon Expo & Race Director's Reception

Pick Your Poison 50K Trail Race

Muddy, Salty Legs Post Race

Toronto Marathon Start

Cold Wet Final 8K

Nick & Bert after 92.2K Finish

With Ephraim Mwaura

Ugali with Sammy Chumba

Visiting my sponsor 2XU