Looking Ahead

   It's been a great summer, relaxing and not training for anything has brought about a renewed love for running. I've spent some quality time riding my bike this summer and decided next year for a twist I'd try a triathlon. The early plan is to stick to some shorter trail races for training(can't leave the trails behind completely)  and get in plenty of biking and swimming.
       I'll try to update as the months go by and see how it goes. So far longest ride on the bike has been a 125km  adventure with friends, it was supposed to be 100 but the "ish" grows with each change in sport. The longest swim 1.5km which is way harder than I remember it being.
    Excited to see where this all goes and interested in seeing how it evolves into the next adventure. See everybody on the trails, or road ,or lake.


  

California Dreaming ,Western States 2015

  I don't really know where to start with this one,Western was always a dream in the back of my mind,the someday I never really expected to materialize. The chances of getting through the lottery to enter are hard enough,combined with getting the necessary time off work and finances all coming together at once I really never expected to get there. It was a dream and sometimes that's enough to keep you going when the miles of running start to pile up. We dream of getting faster, of seeing new places and sometimes when work and life pile up we just dream of getting out the door and running till we can no longer take another step.
   Last year I decided to race Oil Creek 100 to get a qualifier for the W.S. lottery, I enjoyed the race and joked with Robyn while filling out the forms to enter W.S. after all nobody gets in with just one ticket.I had friends who were on their 5th or 6th year of entering so come lottery day we didn't even bother to follow the results. I found out while looking at a facebook post at Starbucks, while walking back to the car I couldn't hide my ear to ear grin,lucky for me my loving wife had also read the posts and the decision was instantly made to vacation in California in June.
  Training for this one would not be my usual process however, injuries from earlier in the year had me at a plan to not run any 100s till the fall, my Achilles was being its usual tempermental self and the new position at work meant throwing out my old training plans and starting from scratch. It was time to try something new and that started with Kathy Chesney from Ayr Physio, her approach of assessing my running form and strengthening my weak areas while making some adjustments to the way I run has paid back huge. That problematic Achilles is a thing of the past and my hill climbing is stronger than ever, its amazing how some tiny adjustments to form paid back such huge dividends. Winter runs were 80% road this year with an awesome group of people from Paris Runners Den who were gearing up for spring marathons, it seemed like each week got faster and further while the group runs made it much easier to get out in a really cold winter.
   Three weeks prerace I made an unusual adjustment for me, the new schedule had me running 6 days a week and with the mileage I was suddenly finding it hard to do anything, it was beyond the normal feeling of tired but running and I was starting to see a decrease in performance. I backed way off on running and did an unusually long taper this was not where I wanted to be and I was constantly reading posts about the heat at W.S. I was easing into a full blown taper nightmare. Lucky for me Robyn is used to telling me to suck it up during my taper tantrums while reassuring me that everything will be fine, I was over trained and stressed some rest and everything would come together.
   This brings us to race week,a smooth flight into Sacramento and an easy 2 hour drive brought us to the base of the mountain in Squaw Valley.Squaw in itself was beautiful and I instantly fell in love, a quick run part way up the mountain gave me my first lesson on how to behave in this race, slow and steady. Elevation was a new thing for me and the heat was definitely not in my favour ,my race plan was to get under the 24 hour mark and get the silver buckle but I was starting to think even that was optimistic. At the race kit pick up I met my friend Iris Cooper, probably the most effective heat runner I know due to her multiple Badwater finishes and got some tips that I took straight to heart, one of them was a cooling cloth around my neck that made a huge difference on race day.
   Race morning was warm and as I approached the starting line I was greeted by my amazing crew, I cant say thank-you enough to the group of people who travelled across the country just to support me. Some get a crew of one or two but I had an army and my own cheering section as I came through aid stations. It was simply amazing. The race itself is definitely the hardest but most beautiful I have ever competed in, every view was like looking at a postcard. The first climb was what had scared me the most while looking at the course profile and it was tough but it didn't hold a candle to what was to come through the heat of the day in the Canyons, massive switch back climbs and descents in temperatures well over 100 degrees were punishing. I kept thanking myself for holding back at the start while re assuring myself that if I could hold some for the last 60km after Foresthill it would be fine.
  The climb through Volcano canyon into Foresthill things were getting better, the heat of the day had broken and my body was starting to feel good, meeting my crew we ran strong into Foresthill aid station, I never change shoes but today I made the exception a whole day of sweat and dust and river crossings had my trusty Cascadias looking a little worse for wear. Fresh shoes and a pacer who was ready to roll I felt like a new man heading back out. We moved quickly through the next 25km and Rucky Chucky river crossing was in front of me long before I expected it, maybe the plan might actually work. I swapped pacers going into the river,probably not the nicest thing to do to a fresh pacer at 10pm but these guys are amazing and their only concern was keeping me on track. Rucky Chucky brought some emotions as this was the place where I was sure we could get done and pretty sure we would hit my 24 hour cut off. The next 15k was steady and while I was feeling the miles we were still getting in some good sections of fairly quick running, neither of us had a working watch at this point so it was just a guess that we were on pace. Coming into the Brown's Bar aid station I asked a volunteer the time, we were well ahead of pace now and it was what I needed to boost my spirit we took off quick from here to highway 49. One last pacer swap and 10ish km to go it felt amazing, we were still passing people and it was smooth sailing. I took time to look over no hands bridge and take it all in,I was here, running Western States and it was everything I had imagined and so much more.
The entry into Auburn is like a dream, big screen of the finish line with 3km to go you feel like your floating your whole crew can run with you at the end and my wife joined me as we rounded the track for the final .2 crossing under the finish banner I was still in awe ,it was done 22:41:29 well under my goal and I felt good.
   I cant thank all my friends,family, crew and pacers enough,you made this experience one I'll never forget ,your support though it all was amazing. Thank you to my wonderful wife for putting up with this ridiculous hobby I love so much. Finally thank you to the 1700 volunteers at Western States if any of you read this you really are the heart of this great event.

Dreams do come true.

Oil Creek 100 miler

 I wasn't entirely sure where to start with this post but the last few months have brought some interesting changes and new challenges. A promotion at work came with a drastic schedule change and suddenly the ability to base my entire training schedule on long back to back runs every three days is gone. After seeing some really low numbers in my weekly mileage I needed to sit down and come up with an entirely new plan to continue doing what I love while leaving plenty of time for the challenges brought on by a new career.
   I sat down and worked out a quick plan that included a lot more quality fast runs to work my body harder in a short time with my only real long runs being my Saturday easy long trail adventures. As the weeks quickly went by I noticed a definite improvement in speed but was struggling with the long runs due to the intensity of the week and a few flare ups of the old faithful Achilles pain that always seems to crop up when I least want it to.
  Two weeks prior to the race everyone at work was coughing and sneezing, colds were everywhere I looked, allergies were playing all kinds of games with my head and I was really unsure of how things would go in this race. I looked back at my calendar and mileage was ridiculously low coming into a 100 compared to my usual and I promised myself I'd just go out slow and plan on a finish. There was no way I was going to DNF this one and with all the doubts I had to stick to a safe plan.
  OC100 takes place in Titusville,PA it's a beautiful trail and the fall colours do wonders to make it appear even more visually stunning. The fall colours also cover all the rocks and roots that make the fairly technical trail with 17,785 feet of elevation gain rather interesting to run on. The course is marked extremely well and the aid stations are well spaced and have their own competition on race day to out do each other with both decorations and amazing support for the runners. With 3 50km loops and a final 10km "going home" loop it is a great layout for a race and little planning is required to get the right equipment into the right drop bags.
  Loop 1 with a 5am start I felt good, I stuck with my plan started out fairly easy moved out towards the front so as not to get totally caught in the "train" once we hit single track then counted back 8 runners and settled in to a comfortable pace. Things felt good all lap and at some point I moved up 1 or 2 places due to short stops in aid stations. Loop 2 the Achilles flared up a bit and near the 70km mark I was feeling a little discouraged so I forgot to gel,by 80 km I felt the slight dizzy feel and total flat energy level reminding me of the mistake. I quickly had a Roctane gel and made a plan for the next aid station....emergency food. I don't usually eat solids in a race and looking at the aid station food the only thing interesting to me was a slice of pizza, turns out it was the best pizza ever,suddenly my body came right back around the little bit of warmth on a cold day and loads of salt in the pizza worked wonders. The rest of the day it was gel then pizza then gel and I felt great, probably will never work again but I wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth that day. Loop 3 was gradually into the dark and I always enjoy running in my little bubble of light so thoroughly enjoyed it. Going home loop is a neat little trick mostly uphill somehow it is like a final little slap in the face just to see what your really made of, to emphasize this fact the final hill has been aptly named "The Hill of Truth".
   I finished up in 4th place with a time of 21:36 good enough for the sub 22 hour gold buckle, way better than I expected and enough to let me know with a few tweaks to the training I can still be competitive with a lot less time input if I do this right. The race was amazing super challenging and lives up to its hype in every way.
 My ever trusty Brooks Cascadias performed flawlessly in the conditions digging in nicely to grab traction both up and down some fairly sketchy hills,I just can't say enough good things about these shoes. My GU energy gels worked wonders and while I did add a little substitute pizza for a change who can blame a guy after consuming 32 gels in a day and the new root beer flavour is a great chaser for a slice of pizza.

Changes and Adjustments

 Its been a while since I posted anything and the changes this summer have definitely kept things interesting. After my race at Sulphur there was definitely some feelings of disappointment, it doesn't seem to matter how much you prepare yourself for the chance that it isn't always going to come together the way you plan it still sucks for awhile.
    I pushed hard through June and July training through a race in mid July and doing fairly well considering. It was the inaugural event for the North Face Endurance Challenge in Ontario and they laid out a very challenging race. It was well organized and the views along the trail had me wandering the wrong way more than once. At the end of the day I was pleasantly surprised with a top ten finish.
 August has brought some changes in my career and I suddenly find myself living with a Monday to Friday career, for someone who was used to training long every two to three days it has flipped my running schedule upside down. At first I was nervous as to how this would unfold but I'm finding it interesting how my body is reacting to the changes. I guess you never realize how much you adapt to a particular form of training until you are forced to make some drastic changes. Some of my recent shorter runs have left my legs feeling just as taxed as previous long runs and while it may not be entirely perfect training for a 100 miler it will definitely be interesting to see how it pays off in October at the Oil Creek 100.
   Regardless of what happens this summer has definitely been an interesting ride. Coffee and Gu for breakfast, watching the sun come up every morning, I'll get used to this yet.
 

A Little Too Fast-DNF

 Sulphur Springs 100 this year I was ready to go. I was in good shape going in with no real issues and in the back of my mind was sure if everything came together on race day there was a good possibility of beating my course record from last year.

 

 

Unfortunately that was not the way things unfolded on race day.  Out of bed the temperature was noticeably warmer than last year I had done almost no warm weather running yet this year but chose to ignore this warning sign anyway,mistake #1. At the start line I had plans to match last years first loop time of 1.38 instead I went off like a 25k runner and turned in a first loop time of 1.32, mistake #2 and I'm sure the undoing of the rest of the day. Had I played it smart at this point and backed way off I might have recovered from this but the all or nothing plan was in place and I was sticking to it. I could go on with the gory details of how things fell apart from here but the long and short is I suffered severe leg cramping and decided after walk/running my fifth loop it was time to realize that further pushing was going to ruin my plans for the other races this summer. I made the hardest decision to make in a race and after sitting in the aid station for 30 minutes considering I pulled from the race. The support of my fellow runners was amazing, it was difficult to do this after such an amazing race last year but with every ones support I was positive I was making the right decision. We had an amazing afternoon, re-hydrating and watching other racers charge to their goals, some completed some didn't but the spirit shown during races like these is an amazing thing to witness.

 

I guess to sum it all up I'm glad I took the chance, mistakes happen but without failure you never know what the possibilities really are. I will continue to race as fast as I possibly can and try to learn from the errors along the way. Thank-you to all my friends and sponsors for your support.

 

 

 

 

Cascadia 9 and Almost Sulphur Time

    Now that the trails are ice free and training has hit its peak for Sulphur Springs 100 I've had a good chance to test out the updates to the Brooks Cascadia 9. The subtle changes made to the shoe for this year have made a huge difference in fit and performance.  I  loved the shoe last year but always felt the toe box was a little restrictive but thought it had to be this way to prevent my toes from getting destroyed on the downhills.Somehow they managed to tweak the design to not only firmly lock the foot in place but allow for some give in the toe box to really up the overall comfort of the shoe,I think this  comes partly from the seam free bonded upper. That coupled with a slight drop in the heel have really made a great shoe awesome I couldn't be happier with the update,as runners we always get nervous when the new model of an old favorite comes out but this time they made a perfect shoe.

On a completely different note training has gone fairly well this winter, with Sulphur right around the corner  things a right where they should be for early May,I'm a little cranky, sore and over trained just like I normally am this time of year. I'm trying something new and seeing a RMT to help work out the aches and pains and will update on how that goes in the future. My beautiful and somehow understanding wife is looking forward to my taper so a few things get done around the house(I thought I was doing pretty good getting the Christmas lights down for Easter) and I'm excited to see how the training has worked out. I chose to largely mimic last years plan and so far it seems to be going fairly well. It never fails though when you look back at your training logs you feel like you could have done just a little more.  Oh well time to trust to the process and begin the taper in just a couple more days, unlike my high school English exam there is no cramming for an ultra if you want good results.Looking forward to seeing all my running friends at the race and enjoying some trails together.

Mixed Surface Training for Fast Results

   I love running trails,spring,summer,fall or winter I really enjoy being out as far as I can get on whatever dirt surface comes my way. That being said I have come to realize that there is a certain benefit to training  on other surfaces as well to really maximize your potential as a runner.
  The trail will train your strength and agility ,you learn quickly how to scan further ahead and plan your footsteps through technical sections. Winter running can be especially good for this in southern Ontario as the trails are usually multi-use in nature and horses bikes and day hikers on a warm day can leave a really rough trail surface that leaves no time for day dreaming or distraction. The various ways of transforming your footwear for winter, traction aids or snowshoes make your feet significantly heavier supplying an added training benefit. The trails also teach you quickly how to change up your stride for sudden inclines or wild descents were it is everything you can do just to remain upright.


Haliburton,Ontario.Fast downhill but watch your step.
 

   Road running has the distinct benefit of being able to focus on consistent fast pace without having to pay attention to the placement of every step,also the grades are significantly more gradual to allow vehicles the benefit of staying on all four tires.  This consistent fast running pays off huge when you return to the trail as you become much more comfortable with the quick turnover and find yourself naturally moving at this new pace.Choosing your routes to travel down quieter country roads allows you to avoid traffic and take time to look around and enjoy the view.


Paris,Ontario

  Finally there is the treadmill, viewed by some as good others as evil, it has real benefits if used as part of a mixed surface training schedule. Don't let it become your escape from winter running because you'll be sure to miss out on the benefits of the strength training supplied by the snow and psychological effect of surviving the worst winter can throw at you,but don't be afraid to use it either. Real benefits can be gained from a treadmill run,not relying entirely on yourself to set the pace but being at the mercy of the rotating belt is a great tool for speed work or tempo runs in the dead of winter. Also being able to set the room temperature with a treadmill in the house can give you a real advantage in  hot or humid race conditions that may occur early in the year.
      At the end of the day this is just my personal opinion, the trails are still my first love but there is a great deal of fun to be found in flying down a country road or soaking your clothes in sweat during a speed session in the middle of January. After all variety is the spice of life right?





February Sun

 It might still be cold but there is nothing like a sunny day in February to give you that feeling that winter is losing its grip and soon the layers will start coming off. Today offered some perfect winter conditions with it being cold enough to be hard packed snow but the sun gave just enough warmth to encourage some really fast splits through the less technical sections of trail. Thought I'd share a couple pics from the run.

 

Winter Single Track

A  Really Welcome Sign

Stopping for a Gu Energy Gel to enjoy the view

                                              View from the High Point of the route

Winter Strength for Spring Speed

Winter is definitely not the easiest time to motivate yourself to run, there are countless excuses to skip a training day. The upside to winter training is that the conditions and piles of clothing force us to slow our pace a little and focus on the strength portion of our training. Giant leaps forward can be made by just taking that first step out the door. Having a variety of footwear ready to go helps as well. I keep a couple pairs of Brooks Cascadias  in the winter rotation of shoes, one pair has 8 screws per shoe ,one pair 16 depending on just how bad the trail conditions are. Also this year my wonderful wife and sister bought me a pair of snowshoes which means I can continue to run trails as long as it doesn't turn into a pot holed icy mess which lucky for me has only happened twice so far this year.

Snow shoe run, first tracks on the hill
 

               Pick a spring race to have a goal and enjoy the trials of winter running,the results are guaranteed to pay off with increases in speed this spring. As an added bonus your going to see some beautiful winter scenery that everyone stuck in front of their television are going to miss for sure.

If that's still not enough to get out try Gu Energy's new Salted Caramel Gel, tastes so good its like having a forbidden dessert on your run.

Happy New Year!

   If nothing else running has taught me absolutely nothing is impossible, if you decide to do something and follow that decision with a lot of effort sometimes you achieve things you never imagined.
  December 24th I received an email from Gu Energy informing me I had been accepted into the 2014 Gu Energy Pro program, an amazing opportunity for someone who consumes gels at the rate I do. Had you told me when I started running as an overweight ex-smoker that I'd be receiving endorsements to do something I love I probably would have laughed at you. I remember like it was yesterday the feeling at the end of one of my first runs over 30 km, the group had turned left to add on a couple extra kilometres  and I was in a very basic survival mode just trying to keep up a steady movement on the quickest route back to my car. Today I ran that route just for fun and added on the couple extra while picking up the pace for the last 5k, tomorrow I'll repeat it again as I start to ramp up distance to build for another year of racing.
   I took some time to relax after the Road to Hope Marathon and let things heal up again as the speed work right after the Haliburton Forest 100 left me feeling pretty sore. I took the time to go out for a couple group runs with some amazing people I have met through the Ultra community and am feeling inspired to start training again. This year will be a very similar training plan to last year with the exception of some speed work on the new treadmill, I never thought I would enjoy this but after a month of having it I can appreciate the time savings of being able to incorporate speed work and laundry into the same hours of the day.

That's it for now, wishing everyone a happy new year and may your first step out the door come easy.

Road 2 Hope

 

   During the short training period I had for the Hamilton Marathon I continually heard the same thing  "a marathon, that's like a sprint for you right".This or "that will be a walk in the park for you",it would be nice if this was anywhere near the truth.The truth is the marathon hurts,every time,no matter what you've run before. Ultras are a long drawn out period of pain,the mind adjusts and sometimes even forgets the pain but in a marathon you jam all that pain into a full speed assault on a 42km run and just hope you hold it together until the finish. There was definitely some advantage in the fact that mentally the distance was not nearly as intimidating as it had once been.
    Training for this event was largely based on shorter tempo runs, my friend Henry once told me you can't run a three hour marathon without running a forty minute 10k first and I used that theory as the building block in my training.The sudden switch to pavement after a whole year of trail running played havoc on my Achilles and feet,while it was a lot of fun to hammer out some shorter runs I'm looking forward to the return to soft muddy trails.
   Race day temps were perfect and I had a sub three hour goal in mind. Gord from Hamilton Runners Den had recommended holding pace and letting the downhill in the second half help me run a negative split in the second half unfortunately the wind had other ideas. The turn onto the downhill section brought little to no advantage this year,the wind was pushing hard into my face all the way down leaving me feeling like there was very little left in the tank when we got back into a more sheltered section. Looking back at  my Garmin I actually accelerated after the downhill. The end result,3:00:41 a personal best in the marathon by 15:19 . I definitely have no regrets,every race is a stepping stone and I really think the sub 3 is coming yet.

  Road 2 Hope Marathon is a great event,it's well organized and the course is definitely fast and interesting,if your looking for that Boston Qualifier this is the race to do it in!

Now back to some mud!

 

The October Wind Down

  It feels great to be able to let go of the strict training schedule for a little while and just enjoy running for the fun of it.Sure the Road to Hope Marathon is just around the corner but the key races I really wanted to focus on are over and there are no major injuries to contend with so I'm happy. I ran a little on the road through the end of September and first two weeks of October but with the leaves changing and cool weather coming  it was time to give the feet a break and get back on the trails again.

  I'm  looking forward to racing in Hamilton this weekend, the marathon course is fast and the thrill of the start line of a big race is always an awesome feeling. On the other hand I'm also looking forward to the slow build of miles on some beautiful trails leading into another winter of strength training, I'm sure there is a little more speed in these legs just a matter of coaxing it out.

P.S. Gu Energy has a new flavour "Salted Caramel" this should definitely help in the snow it tastes amazing.

Exciting news Hamilton Runners Den with the co operation of Brooks will be taking care of my Cascadia needs next year. Runners Den has always been great to me and I can't say enough about how much I love the Cascadia!

Haliburton 100 Mile Victory

 

 

The elusive Haliburton victory is finally mine,still hard to believe. I ran the course this year in 18.36:03 a personal best for me in this race by more than an hour.Trying to summarize everything that went into this race will be tough,but first and most importantly I need to thank my wife Robyn,between the long hours training and trying to balance our busy schedules she does an amazing job supporting me.Waiting at a finish line for almost 19 hours for someone to finish a race while hearing horror stories of injuries in the forest and bear sightings has to be a ridiculously stressful event in itself,but she does it for me time and again.

 

The race went really smooth this year,trails were in good condition and the weather was as good as it gets for a September race.I ran a large portion of the first half of the race with my friend Mitch who was completing his first 50 miler and had a great race with a second place finish,having someone to run with for this long in a race was a first for me and a welcome diversion from the job at hand.Going into the second half of the race there was the feeling of running out front with no idea of how close second place was keeping the pressure on so I continued to push as hard as possible.Haliburton is a double out and back course with a loop at the end so as I started to see some familiar faces of friends and other racers I received excellent motivation.You cant help but be inspired watching each individual runner work through their own struggles,everyone travels through highs and lows during these long events and the cheering and smiles from everyone along the way really helps keep you thinking positive.Near the end of the race my stomach was giving me some difficulty,I think it was largely due to the humidity of the day and miscalculating my salt intake early on in the race.The last 10k was a struggle but the aid station volunteers were amazing,a few huge smiles and handshakes and I pulled it together for a strong run into the finish.

 

Haliburton is a very beautiful course and I definitely encourage anyone to try one of the events there,Helen, the race director puts her heart and soul into the event and it really shows.The fact that it is a more remote location encourages everyone to camp on site and the result is more of a family reunion feel than a race,if you get the chance go,you won't regret it.

 

My gear for this race was the Sugoi Titan 2 in 1 short and Ready T,these shorts are amazingly comfortable and light. Shoes were of my Brooks Cascadias as usual they performed perfect with not a single blister after 100 miles and for a first time I didn't even lose any more toenails.

 

Thanks again to all my friends for the congratulations and encouragement,I am truly blessed by all of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recovered and Training Again

   It feels good to be  running stronger again, the first two weeks after Sulphur I had a very clear feeling of how much harder I had pushed myself than in previous races. That clear feeling was felt most obviously in my quads which remained very sore for at least a full week,and on 20-30k runs in the second week they started to become weak after the first 10k. Sometime in the third week things felt a little more normal and I really enjoyed a couple trips around the "waterfall loop" a 40k circuit that tests the body over a real variety of trails,while raising your spirits with some spectacular views.
I think its trails like this that makes ultra running so attractive to me,the ability to cover a lot of ground and see so many different things up close and in a way that many people miss the opportunity to enjoy.
   June 25th brings the 8th  anniversary of my wedding and I am truly blessed to have a wife who understands the demands of trying to race these distances and supports me in my training and racing.Sometimes the demands are high and even spectating at a race that lasts over 24 hours makes for an extremely long day.I know that when I over train I get a little miserable but that doesn't hold a candle to the panic I express if someone so much as sneezes during the final week of my taper,but she supports me through it all.Her own racing continues to improve ,running a personal best this year in the 50k at Sulphur, I was so proud of her it was a great accomplishment!
  Hopefully I can get a few more groups out for a training run in the months to come,we had a great group out two weeks ago and I'm looking forward to following the Ontario group as they run Badwater 135 in a few weeks. Enjoy the trails and the feeling of accomplishment that a tough summer run brings.

Sulphur Springs 100 miler

I' m at a bit of a loss on where to start with this entry, Sulphur  Springs 100 is my home race and that being said the one race I have always wanted to win. The last two years I had managed second place finishes once in 19.17 and the second time with 17.53 last year the winner was Glen Redpath with a time of 15.40. After last year I knew I would need to change a few things in order to finish first, but what it would take I wasn't sure.
  I started with a look at past training plans and what seemed to work best for me and what didn't. I had made some impressive gains in races following high volume training so that had to stay ,but real long single runs took too long to recover from. I had shunned speed work during the lead up months to ultras in the past and to hold the kind of pace I wanted I knew it would need to be included this time. Also a good look in the mirror told me that my nutrition could definitely be changed a lot and this was the easiest step of all, so I started there.
    Pasta, while it may benefit some did me no favours so I switched it out for brown rice and occasionally quinoa. Thanks to my Dad's arthritis I learned red meat causes excessive swelling in the joints so it went completely to be replaced with fish, turkey and chicken. I found a shop at the local farmers market that has some amazing homemade turkey meatloaf, broils, schnitzel, sausage and the best wheat free turkey burgers ever so thanks to Oegema Farms this was a welcome change. My friend Krista Duchene posted some great kale salad pictures on her blog and a huge bowl of kale salad has become my afternoon snack everyday now and I absolutely am hooked on it, kale with feta and balsamic vinegar being one of my favorites.
   Training wise I went with a lot of back to back runs, January to March around 280 km in a two week period with 10k runs at Paris Runners Den whenever I could for the Monday and Wednesday night runs, I used the group runs at night as my speed work. March to race day my longest 2 week period was 440km and speed work became my run to and from work, a 7km trip.Injuries stayed minimal leaving out the huge single runs in exchange for more back to back with my most serious injury being a swollen joint on my big toe that switched me back to my old faithful Brooks Cascadia shoe.
  Race day this year my weight was 174 last year was 192 , definitely a bonus. Race day weather was cool and looked like it would stay that way, it was a perfect day to run.  Sulphur is a 20km loop coarse with some rolling hills that somehow get bigger as the day goes on, a mystery yet to be explained. My first loop was just under 1.40 faster than planned but feeling easy second loop was 1.43 still felt great. Loop three is usually when you first realize this is going to be a long day but it went by well in 1.49 followed by 1.55 for the fourth. I had never run out front of a race for this long and it is a different experience, every step your wondering who is chasing and how close behind you they are. Half way through loop five I looked at my watch and realized if I could hold it together I had a chance at the coarse record, this was not something I had planned for at all. 2.0 for lap five followed by 2.03 on six, my quads were starting to really hurt and I was doing everything to relax and remember "running is fun". I remember saying a prayer near the end of six, things were really sore and 40km is still a long way to go, mentally that moment of prayer helped a lot. Seven is always a tough lap for me for some reason but it went by quick in 2.09 and for the last lap my friend Mitch was waiting to pace me through. I was a bit of a whiner by this point but Mitch kept reminding me how much I'd regret it tomorrow if I missed the record by just a little so we pushed the flats and down hills recovering on the ups ,I couldn't have asked for a more perfect pacer on this lap as my legs were screaming for mercy but somehow he kept me moving. The final lap ended in 2.16 ,the feeling coming across the finish line with all of my running friends and my beautiful wife cheering will not be one I ever forget. The ultra running community is like a family and it felt amazing to get all the congratulations following the race. Final time was 15:37:24  a new coarse record and first place overall at Sulphur springs.....finally. I stayed the night and until the finish the next day getting to witness some amazing performances by the other runners Laura Perry broke the women's coarse record in 18:57:59 ,while others completed there first 100 with the giant smile and look of determination on their faces that can only be found by those of us that are just a little crazy.
  Looking forward to a few days off and a couple long swims to help the legs recover, thank-you to everyone who supported me it felt great!

Sponsorship free product endorsements:
Gu energy gels - 29 gels in one day, no stomach issues
Sugoi - Titan 4" 2 in 1 shorts-no chafing at all :)
Brooks- Cascadia trail shoes

Positive Signs

 It's been a long winter and a colder spring then last year but this was definitely a welcome sign at the trail head today! Through the winter I get used to seeing a fairly consistent group of people hiking through the Dundas and Ancaster trails,an elderly woman with her German Shepard who counts down the weeks to my race and when I stop to chat in passing is always encouraging. She is definitely a hero of mine as I notice she covers no less than 5km no matter the weather or trail conditions. There is also a younger(mid to late 50's)couple with a brown collie,I swear that collie is part ultra runner,when he injured his paw this winter he carried a stick instead of his trusty orange ball "to slow him down a bit" his owner said. Now that the warm weather group has joined in and suddenly there are people with strollers,bikes,wrist weights,umbrellas and cameras all over. A friend said to me he dislikes it when the trails get crowded but i see it as just another sign of spring.
  Training is going well this year,the last several weeks mileage was higher than I have ever been to before and I could definitely start to feel the aches and pains.Last week I noticed the aches come to a point that everything hurt and there was little to no recovery from one days long run to the next.I was beginning to get that miserable feeling that comes with over training and decided since it was my weekend to work anyway it was time for a recovery break.Friday,Saturday and Sunday there was no running,by Sunday I had a craving to ride my bike to work but a quick look at the notes in my logbook reminded me to rest. This morning I went out for my first run in three days and it felt great,an easy paced 40k and nothing hurt,it was rainy but warm and I felt on top of the world.Hopefully with some careful attention in the next several weeks I can carry this feeling into the Sulphur springs 100 miler.Looking forward to the first week of slightly reduced distance and finding out how the winters work will pay off in the spring.

 As far as my shoe trials,after experimenting with several different ones for my longer runs I'm back in my tried and true Brooks Cascadia. The saucony shoes were amazing but once the weekly distance exceeded 160km they just didn't allow enough room in the toe box for my slightly swollen toes. I definitely plan on running a mix of both shoes in my shorter distance runs as the lighter feel and lower heel/toe was great. Other gear I've fallen in love with lately includes my Sugoi Titan 2in1 shorts and Titan short sleeve top,the shorts are great with a non chafing liner and the shirt has a nice fit and doesn't chafe even when wet. Also my mountain hardware plasmic jacket,I bought this jacket last year not even thinking about running in it,but with the weather this spring it became my go to jacket for wet snow,rain ,wind and everything else the days threw at me.It breathes well and performed flawlessly every run.

Around the Bay

 Hamilton's Around the Bay 30k road race is one of the more popular local races,unfortunately my first experience with it in 2009 left me with a bitter feeling towards the race. I had been training for a marathon and was feeling quite proud of my progress,my long runs had been over the 30k distance and I was a lean mean running machine. Leaving the start line in the pouring rain I was on fire,flying along with the greatest of ease,17km later I was a wreck my legs were cramping and I was feeling sorry for myself.I went on to finish in 2 hours and 32 minutes, it was a finish but not what I had anticipated at the start and walking up the hills with the horrible leg cramps left me never wanting to see the race again.

  Fortunately time heals all and several years of waiting at the base of the largest hill to run up with friends I have made while running I decided it was time to make amends with the Bay race. I signed up late in the fall   last year after qualifying for the "A" start corral in the Hamilton half marathon and was actually excited to run.As race day came closer I realized I would need to adjust my training a little to accommodate the race but really didn't want to lose too much time as the countdown to the Sulphur Springs 100 miler is quickly closing in.The decision was made to drop 1 long run from the front of the week to allow for a bit of a recovery for the Bay, then I would race at a relatively survivable pace and just enjoy the race.

   Race day was perfect weather and at the starting line I was relaxed,I planned to run just under 2 hours and 15 minutes to achieve a silver medal and put the bad feelings behind me,in the back of my mind I knew a 2.10 would be possible if things went well.The race start was fast as everyone takes off to try and get some open road,I didn't worry too much when my first 5k was faster than I wanted to be.The second 5k somehow slipped by too fast as well,at this point I took a quick assessment of how I was feeling and decided to push the pace for another 10 I was feeling good. At the 17km mark doubt crept in ,am I making the same mistake again,this is the fall apart point,am I running too fast? I did another assessment and decided no things are good,smarten up ditch the negative thoughts and go, the hills are coming and unlike 2009 that is where I feel good now. Now that the brain was back under control the ease came back to my stride,I let the hills loosen things up a bit waved or smiled to a few friends who were spectating and hit the big hill .I knew Mike would be waiting to run up the hill with me and its amazing what a distraction can do to take the bite out of a hill,a few more km and it was all over 2 hours and 7 minutes.

  I'm definitely glad I ran it again,it's amazing how far things have come since 2009. I think the biggest change has been the mental side of running and how to drop the negative feelings,every race has a low point or tough spot but being able to put it aside and not dwell on it has made a huge difference. It doesn't hurt that I have realized I can't charge out full speed and expect not to turn into a stiff legged zombie at the finish line.
 

First Hints of Spring

  Had a great run this morning,five degrees and you could feel the heat of the sun on your face,it really doesn't get any better than that in March.Everywhere I looked as I ran through the trails there was activity,snow melting off rocks, squirrels running across logs and a group of deer feeding in a newly exposed clearing in the trees. The trails were a little sketchy at times with ice and ruts but overall it was a good day to run.

 I guess part of what made this day so perfect is the fact that Wednesday night I was hit with a stomach bug that took me to a childlike state.I was curled in the fetal position on the couch,moving only to ingest some chicken broth made by my wonderful wife and once to call my mom like any grown man needs to when truly sick. Thursday brought more of the same and I really didn't start to feel better till late afternoon.Feeling much better now and from the state of the trails today I guess tomorrows long run will be back on the road to get a decent workout in,here's hoping for more sunny days for us all.

P.S. Mom called back last night to make sure I was feeling better,you can't beat a good mom.

Inspiration by treadmill

  The latest sloppy winter mess finally drove me to a place I never thought I would go,the treadmill. Tuesday night after work I was watching the weather forecast and I decided if I woke up and it was really messy I'd give it a try.I have listened to my friend James speak highly of treadmill training in the face of uncertain weather so how bad could it be, he's an intelligent man and dedicated runner with some excellent marathon finishing times.
  I further stoked my enthusiasm with some new songs on the ipod and thoughts of running free of all my winter gear in a nice warm place with dry feet the entire time,a welcome relief after months of pruned appendages.I arrived at the gym early selected a sturdy looking machine in the back row with a good view of the dozen or so televisions and started poking at the buttons to fire it up. This is when some alarm bells should have started going off, the timer maxed out at  ninety nine minutes, no consideration for someone wanting to get a long run in.Oh well I guess I can restart at a nice even mileage say 10 miles, poked a few more buttons for a nice steady pace of 8.13 per mile and away I went this was going to be a piece of cake. Ten minutes passed I had found the incline button and set a steady grade of 4(whatever that means but it felt good) and was questioning myself as to why I hadn't tried this before,so nice and warm.Twenty minutes in and I realized all the daytime t.v. shows were about buying, building or renovating your home,one t.v. playing the same 2 minutes of news over and over and a cooking channel of all things, not overly exciting after all. Thirty minutes in cranked the tunes,who cares about some rich guy trying to decide which three million dollar home he likes more but my feet are warm. One hour in my wife waves as she comes in to see her trainer,this will help pass some time, I can watch and maybe pick up some tips for core exercises from what my wife has shown me this trainer has some excellent ones that really work. Nope they are around the corner in another area,so much for that idea.Two hours in the t.v.'s are driving me crazy the clock seems to have stopped and I think when I'm not paying attention the treadmill is counting miles backwards.
  It really fell apart from there,I managed to finish the planned marathon but it was pretty ugly,at twenty miles I actually dropped the pace to get it done and by the time I hit twenty six I was begging for wet feet and a cold wind blowing in my face. Would I do it again? Not for awhile but in hindsight I can see some benefits, definitely an advantage to the ground controlling your pace for keeping things steady and your feet stay dry, that's about it.

  Today I hit the trails feeling inspired,it didn't matter how wet my feet were I was outside and felt alive. It started out cool and lightly snowing but postcard perfect to look at, a couple other sets of footprints on the main trail but none as I headed up the escarpment. It warmed up after an hour and started to rain lightly but that's OK it was way better than the treadmill.Two hours in the snow was soft and several spots I broke through the ice crust under the slush to find myself shin deep in water but again yesterdays treadmill experience had me laughing off any discomfort. At the end of the day I squeezed in thirty six kilometres I was cold wet and extremely happy, who knows that treadmill might be good for something after all.

  The good news is everything was slippery so the ground and rocks were the least of my worries.

Road Miles

 All my excitement over the snow is over now,I'm ready for spring,really ready! The beautiful snowy trails have melted and re-frozen into a pot-holed icy mess.I'm sick of trying to figure out just how many layers it will take to get through a long road run and as usual the roads are taking there toll,aches and pains from to many miles on a surface that is just too flat.
  The only upside has been getting in some faster runs than normal and getting some longer miles in my Saucony Triumph 10's,a shoe I switched to for my longer road runs after deciding the Asics Nimbus was just too much shoe. The Triumph has been great,providing the protection needed for multiple long runs in one week while still feeling light and responsive on the feet. Fast looking colour too!


 Hopefully the next couple weeks brings a good thaw ,I'm definitely ready for some mud and sunshine. Three out of four groundhogs said yes to an early spring......so bring it!