SQUAMISH 50 Training Report

Well, the Squamish 50k race is only NINE days away. I've been very silent on the training blogs this year. Here's why:

Red Flags . . . Everywhere!!

1. I've been focused on the actual training, both mental and physical and didn't want to distract that with ideas of what was happening versus what was really happening (does that even make sense?!)

2. Summer is mad busy. Work is stacked with events at the restaurant, plus staffing, schedules and lots of other moving parts, plus my kids are off school and they're fun to play with, and then there's the training of course. Time was spent on all those things and I didn't want to impose the blog into that scenario.

Squamish Back Country: Sky Pilot Ridge
Photo Credit: Leona Shaw

So what's been happening to date? Well, I managed to get WAY more elevation training in this year than last year. I focused on climbing, climbing and more climbing. Very little flat running. Breaking up the types of runs (Fartleks, Long Slow Distance, Climb Focus, DownHill Focus etc). No two runs a week were the same. I did whatever I could to break up the style of running or the focus of the run.

We Run Mas Going Up Galactic (aka The Big Climb for #SQ50)

I also went back to the same routes every few weeks, and saw HUGE gains in performance. For example, I did a "recovery" run on Thursday around Buntzen Lake that was easy effort for me. Well, after uploading to Strava, I broke two PR's and was only a few minutes off my PR for the whole circuit. I barely broke a sweat on that run, so HUGE confidence boost there and measurable signs of gains in efficiency and speed.

Making Plans on a 35k Run
Photo Credit: Elaine Fung

This last Monday, Alanna, my wife and I did the Galactic climb and Powersmart descent as our final long run distance, ran into a MASSIVE bear only 12' feet away. There's speed training for ya!
Our We Run Mas group runs have been superb, plus I got to be a pre-sweep for Cypress 5 peaks (running with 100 flags is interesting!) and although I'm not a high mileage runner, I feel really good going into Squamish50 this year with the variety and freshness that the training season brought.

My Wife at the Peak of Galactic (pre-Bear Encounter)

So why so much progress? Several reasons:

1. Experience: Last year I just tried to stack the distances week to week, and inevitably got tired, hurt or lacked consistency. I have way more to look back on and really paid attention to the feedback I was getting from one run to another.
I don't follow training plans. Matt Fitzgerald's book was a huge help in relying on my feeling to get things done. Little golden nuggets, like Erik Bjorklund's trail advice of, "It's training, take care of the little issues as they happen. Forget the pace, forget the finish time. Worry about those on race day. Don't let a sore this or that get away from you in training." That was the essence of what he said, and it stuck with me. I have no problems stopping on a training run, stretching something out, loosening up a shoulder, or changing the route to ensure an ankle or other wiggly bit doesn't get aggravated.

Squamish 50 Course #SQ50

2. Worked on the Weaknesses: I really focused on my weakness - Uphill. In a previous post, I discussed this in detail, and the benefits have been compounding. Hills that were once non-runnable to me have now become runnable, and sections of long ascents also are less of a burden and far more enjoyable. I also tackled some really steep, extended climbs which put once monumental efforts into perspective.

Charles, Colin and I on Sea to Summit Trail

3. Speed: I chose my spots and really went fast on certain training runs. In the past, I used to treat all my runs as fast tempo paces. This limited my upper limit, since the legs and cardio were too taxed to get into the upper limits of my full velocity. By relaxing on the "recovery" sections, and allowing myself to run comfortably for extended periods, my speed portions were screaming fast. I was tapping into the mid to high 3 minute per km paces, even on technical terrain. Granted, not for very long, but ability to go there was a sign that my regular efforts were developing efficiency, strength and synergetic output.

Paris: 1st Race = 1st Place (in age cat.) @ 5Peaks Cypress

4. Discomfort Through Racing: I've become fine with being uncomfortable. The threshold for pain has increased, and this has allowed me to dig deep where it mattered. The single-most beneficial tool I did to achieve this was my race schedule. I raced a lot this season (9 races in total since last year's SQ50 attempt). Racing allows you to push a bit more, even if you're not going for a PR or an A race effort. The rules change just a little, and this in turn brings a more primal energy to the fore. The secondary aspect to this is that I was always training for something. With a race always 3 to 6 weeks away, I had no excuses and always had my eyes on a prize. The specifics of the races also allowed me to focus on the aspects of that one event that I wanted to focus on and conquer.

A text chat between Kevin and Justin sums it up!

5. Nutrition: Last but not least, is fuelling. I was open to anything and everything to rectify the stomach issues of nausea, puking and calorie deficit. That open minded desperation led me to Infinit Nutrition, and it has been one of the biggest impacts on my endurance training. It allowed me to focus on the other aspects of my training without worrying about the ticking time bomb that was my gut to take me down. It's a staple of my run requirements, and the one time I ran out of product, the differences were huge. With it, I feel great, energized and recovered after every run. I'm sure I'll have moments of "regular" gut issues from heat, hard efforts and other such things, but not anything like what would sideline me before.
I also had a chance to run with Darcy from Infinit on his vacation out west, and we kicked up some dirt on the North Shore, which was a blast!

Sky Pilot Ridge, Squamish Back Country
Photo Credit: Leona Shaw

I have one last climb on Sunday (We're doing Diez Vista from Sasamat  Lake up, then down to Buntzen, then up again and then down to Sasamat again). It'll be a low energy output elevation day with super smooth and easy downhill. Then it's beer, junk food and beer for the rest of the taper week. 50k Race day is on Aug 17th.

We Are Puny!
Photo Credit: Leona Shaw

I also have the pleasure and honour to be the Logistics Coordinator for the race this year, so the whole weekend from Friday to Monday will be jam packed with helping manage the guts of putting on such a crazy event. Working with the whole team has been awesome and eye opening. Hats off to Gary, Geoff, Sarah, Dianna and all the volunteers who are involved (including our running group). It's an immense undertaking, but one that has proved fulfilling in rounding out being a part of the trail community. iRunfar, live streaming cameras, Ginger Runner and a few other media majors are gonna be on hand too, so that's gonna be choice!

Post 35k Long Run Picnic

So, next blog report will be a Squamish 50 Race report with behind the scenes action on the planning and execution also! I'm feeling great about my personal race day, and can't wait to run with so many friends on my A race of the season!!

We Run Mas
"Dysfunctional Family"

RACE REPORT: BUCKIN' HELL

Okay, so this race report is way overdue.

Work schedule, kids off school, and all the other real life situations as delayed the update, but here's the skinny . . .

Buckin' Hell is a race put on by the super stellar and rock star team of Geoff Langford and Gary Robbins who direct the Coast Mountain Trail Series! Their significant others, Amber and Linda are both behind the scenes wizards also, with Dianna C. as the volunteer coordinator.

The course is brand new for 2014, and in one simple word, it's EPIC! Hands down the most challenging 21.1k distance I have ever run. There's a 15k option also, which is nothing to shake a stick at (or "at which to shake a stick" for the grammar police out there).

Alanna and I ready to represent the back of the pack!

The course takes place entirely on the Mount Seymour side of the North Shore, follows the BP up, then down singletrack to the base of the Seymour Grind, then back up Old Buck trail to the Deep Cove lookout on top of Seymour before descending 3 Chop back into Deep Cove start/finish line.

There were some seriously fast people towing the line on this race. Ellie Greenwood (she won a little race called Camrades in South Africa last month), Chloe Gendron, Jackie Muir, Graeme Wilson, Oliver Utting . . . you know, gals and guys that eat hills for breakfast. It wasn't a huge field, and I was expecting to be taking up the back of the pack on this run.

The weather was perfect, and after the quick countdown which started at 4, 3, 2, 1 we were off. I felt really good on the first ascent and section to Quarry rock, practicing my new found uphill muscles and technique.

Chris Thorn has the moves (photo credit: Solana Klassen)

 I fell into stride with Chris Thorn, and we wove our way up BP to Mushroom trail, passing our friend, field marshall and Altra ambassador Elaine Fung who was rocking a guitar to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven".
Before descending Dale's into Forever After, I tightened my laces and then dropped into the singletrack. I'd not run this trail before, and the signs that read, "SLOW DOWN" were aptly placed before rock shelf drop offs that you had to go down to continue. I ran this section with a lady named Maiggen who had mountain biked these sections, so her savvy on the ups and downs was good to have. We went up the Seymour grind together also, and I felt great on that climb. Fresh as a daisy.

Hi-Five from Andy (photo credit: Solana Klassen)

She split off at the 15k junction, and Solana and Andy were there to direct me up the Ol' Buck. The climb was long. And then it kept going. Before reaching the top, I saw Chris and David Appleby coming down the trail heading to 3 Chop. Both looked super fluid and very strong. Despite my slower pace than them, I also felt strong, despite having run out of fluid for the last 30 minutes. I emptied my backup ziplock of Infinit Nutrition on the climb to get ready for the aid station at the top.

Top of Seymour...need water

Dave Papineau (who recently robbed my Sugar Mountain descent on Strava - damn you Dave!!), yelled at my family who were waiting for me at the top that I was coming. My fam is awesome, always supporting me and my friends on runs and races. My boys ran with me to the buffet, and I filled up on water to mix with my fuel. The view was amazing. At this point, the total elevation was close to 4000' feet! Yup, no wimpy elevation for this little run! (It finishes with 4300' feet total gain.)

I took off, feeling really good and headed to 3 Chop, also a new trail for me to explore. It's crazy. Straight down the mountain, huge drop offs and mega technical. Going down 3 Chop is not for the faint of heart. No joke. Later I found out that a number of 21k runners (including Dave A. who wiped out on this section) and much blood was spilled by many.

David A. knocked his head down 3 Chop, still rocked the course!

Colin Aldous (married to Alanna) marshaled the Indian River Road section, and I shared my disbelief on the descent.
The return to Deep Cove was fast and furious as I know the trail section really well. I moved along at the 80% effort on this race (I had a 10 hour shift at work after, and 7 1/2 long run the next day setup with zero chance to sleep Sat night) and ran into the finish line feeling really good.

Short shorts for the win!

Coming down Dale's

Deep Cove Descent (photo credit: previous three shots CMTS)

The course was super fun, and had about 33 centimeters of flat terrain. It's not for the meek, that's for sure, and I would consider it an advanced 21k trail run. To put it in perspective, my flat 1/2 marathon PR is 1 hour 41 minutes; compare that with the finish time below. Gary says he has plans to have this be a part of a proposed 50k in 2015, which is definitely on my to do list if it manifests!!

The final details:

Official Time 3:24:10 
Placing: 32nd place out of 38 finishers (40 starters)

Strava Report Click Here

After some exciting finish line festivities (with a NKOTB karaoke by Gary that is to this day is stuck in my head), a hand stand that won me a hat, and other such jovial shenanigans, we headed out as I had to work.

This is a must do race for me. It's hard, fun and challenging. Everything I like about trail running.
Plus I WON this race entry for a caption contest so that was extremely rad!

PS: I had an awesome long run in Squamish the next day with another 5,000 feet of climbing.
PPS: Our friends Spring has decided that she's going to become an elite athlete. Something has clicked with her, and she's destroying the trails with a 4th place female finish in a solid field!

Spring and I; it's a short short face off

Up Next: More training before the Squamish 50 in August!

Trail Running: The Uphill Battle

Squamish Mountains on the Sea to Sky
photo credit: Alley Vause

For those who have been following along, you know that I've been actively addressing my weaknesses of uphill training. Specifically going faster without destroying myself in the process.
The Murph training run was the first step, and since then, I've been engaging all the people I know who rock the uphills sections, such as Dave Cressman from Distance Runwear in Vancouver (his store is awesome, go buy his stuff and make it your stuff), and the manner in which they do so. Here's what I learned, and what I've been practising in training.

I've broken the sections into different terrain types with trail examples in the Vancouver/Westcoast area (cause that's what I know and run and love) and what the differences are in form and technique.

The disclaimer here is that I'm still learning the specifics on a physiological level. Sharing it from the perspective of a beginner trying to figure it out. If you have comments, advice, tips or feedback, I'd love to hear from you and drop your words in the comment box below!

SERVICE ROAD (examples: Old Mountain Highway North Vancouver, Northside Connector Squamish etc.)

Nelson Park Service Road West Van
aka Start line for Knee Knacker

This is the simplest form of uphill running, but can also be dangerous when it comes to pacing. Unless it gets excessively steep, then running most of it ought to be possible. The key here for me thus far has been cadence. As long as my cadence is hitting that 180 bpm, then all is good. This means shortening the stride and keeping the steps at a foot or less. Over striding is easy to do and can really compromise the rest of the run.
Mentally, these sections are hard. Service roads tend to be very boring, and if they carry on for more than a couple of kilometres then keeping your head in the game is key.

GRAVEL or STONE PATH (examples: Incline Trail Golden Ears, Cardiac Trail Burnaby Mountain)

Sugar Mountain Buntzen Lake

Running up these paths requires a real change to technique. This is where I was making a lot of mistakes before, and since using a very disciplined approach have seen huge gains in both speed and effort. I've been using a very short step. The moving foot goes no further than halfway past my supporting foot. There's a lot of knee drive, a forward lean at the ankles. In essence you're just lifting your foot a little, falling forward and catching yourself, which drives you up the hill.

I've found that focusing on the technique of this, before factoring in speed, is an important detail. As my comfort level of the technique has increased, I've been forcing a higher cadence and more "push off" with the back leg. My personal uphill segments have gone up dramatically in short sessions and that will in time play into better results over longer distances with continued perseverance.

Majority of this style of uphill was instructed to me by Mike Murphy.

SWITCHBACKS SINGLE TRACK (examples: Made in the Shade Squamish, Eagle Trail Buntzen Lake, Climb Trail Squamish)

Climb Trail Squamish
Go 1km to the right, then 1km to the left, and you'll be where Serenity and I are standing!

Weaving back and forth up a hill can psyche you out. Largely because you're not actually running on a very steep incline, but the distances can be deceiving. The mental game of seeing the trail you were just on 1 minute ago lying a mere 10 feet below you in the opposite direction can mess with your head. At least it messes with my head. The thing I focus on when going up runnable switchbacks is relaxing the mind. I've been using the mantra, "You'll get there when you get there," to keep my head in the game. Generally, the technique is similar to both the Service Road and Gravel or Stone Path systems mentioned above. Stay relaxed, don't over-stride, and cruise up the hill without going redline on the heart rate. 80% effort is the ideal perceived pace for most mid to long distances as sustainable and efficient.

If the switchback gets steep and/or technical, then changing gears into either power hiking or leaping (mentioned below) becomes necessary, but assuming that the majority is just a steady grade up, then a steady state run that conserves energy is what has been working for me.

NON-TECHNICAL SINGLE TRACK (examples: Lakeview Trail Buntzen Lake, Lynn Loop East Ascent North Vancouver)

Garibaldi Squamish

In most parks or "family day hiker" environments, the trails can go up and down with a reasonably wide path consisting of mild roots, rocks and soft but compact dirt. For training, I've found these trails to be perfect places to do time trials on progress. If a one kilometre section took 7:00 minutes to run a month ago, how long is it to run today? Hitting these sections with a bit more of an aggressive approach, pushing the heart rate as a hill repeat and seeing where the bar has changed has been awesome. That 7:00 minutes drops to 6:50 or 6:00 or even less and the progress is measurable. Using a landmark to gauge is also great. Last time, I hit that stump before I gassed and had to walk instead of run. Next time, I have to run at least 10 feet or further past the stump. As the goal keeps shifting you get stronger and suddenly you've run the whole hill. 

As far as exertion is concerned, managing the run's effort on the same scale is good unless you're treating it as a hill repeat. On a long run, go as far as you can and really pay attention to not over striding and pushing with the back leg versus pulling with the lead leg. Dave at Distance Runwear and I had a long discussion on this kind of running, and since putting it in practice the first few runs my lower back and hips were on fire for days after as I shifted the power to more suitable (but underused) muscles and tissues. I've started to feel the rewards of adaptation now, and hope to see further progress in the coming weeks!

TECHNICAL SINGLE TRACK (examples: Debeck's Hill Squamish, Grouse Grind or BCMC North Vancouver, Diez Vista Buntzen Lake, Seymour Grind BP North Vancouver)

Baden Powell along Grouse Mountain

This is the crazy one. I didn't figure this one out until that conversation with Dave. He knows how to kill it on this type of terrain, and shared some great tips. He has a sub 40 minute GG time, so I figure he knows what he's talking about. Leaping is the technique of choice here according to Dave to run fast up a mountain. This is where it becomes especially important on not "pulling" with the lead leg. I found that once I was paying attention to where the forces in my leg were coming from, I was indeed pulling with my lead leg and not pushing with a lot of force with the rear/supporting leg which is preferred.
The major problem with pulling is that the lead leg is generally over extended on a steep slope, and then is forced to pull your entire body weight from a position that is past the mobility of the muscle to accommodate. Fatigue sets in quickly, and the goal of staying at 80% or sub anaerobic is destroyed.
With leaping, you raise your lead leg, and just before it lands on the upper section, you push off hard with the back leg and land on the lead leg, allowing your momentum to roll you forward into the hill before repeating over and over. A strong arm swing goes a long way also.
This takes time, training and muscular strength. Hill repeats, squats, lunges and single leg squats with weight are all very beneficial in this regards.
Personally, I can do this technique for a few minutes only at this point, but the dudes who are killing it up the Grind and BCMC are hitting 30 to 40 minutes with this aggressive form. I don't know first hand if anyone uses this on an ultra distance, but taking smaller lunges has proved beneficial, even on 30k or 40k runs for me thus far.

ROCKY SCRAMBLES (examples: Hanes Valley North Vancouver, Black Mountain North Vancouver)

Hanes Valley

Depending on the size of the rocks, bear crawling is the way to go. Hand over hand, like spider man going up a wall. Start working your core strength, since you're using all fours to get up the hill. There's lots of upper body pulling, and core strength required to accomplish this well. I have strong upper body strength, and have had no issues with seriously steep scrambles that require you to use both hands and feet. Meanwhile, I've seen hill climbers who are stronger than I am by exponential amounts go at a slower pace up these almost rock climbing like situations because of under developed core, back, shoulder and arm strength.
These types of scrambles really remind me of being a kid and exploring the ravines around our houses in Coquitlam, BC so I don't take them too seriously, and therefore they're super fun for me. There's normally a mix of all the other forms of uphill running from above mixed in also as you transition from one section to the next.

Chains on Crown Mountain

MIXING IT ALL UP

Depending on the specifics of the trail and/or course that you're running, you may end up switching your form rapidly. You could have a few meters of technical single track with a gravel connector for a hundred meters that links into a rock scramble. Being adaptable is important. Historically, I would gas out on the sections that I was weakest at, mainly due to poor form, but with concentrated effort and awareness what I was doing (and what I'm supposed to be doing) has changed my trail running world.

DOWNHILL DEMONS OR ANGELS

Me, Alley, Vera

No matter how well you run uphill, going too hard downhill can trash your quads and kill your uphill efforts for later. While I won't spend this post discussing downhill technique, which I love, it's important to be steady in your approach. I recently went on a Mount Seymour run with my friends Vera and Alley, and the thing I noticed, especially with Vera (who had a 3rd place finish at Diez Vista 50k) is that she doesn't really change gears too hard between the ups and the downs. She's steady on both, as though she's hooked to a chain that is pulling at a constant speed and flowing through the terrain. I don't run like that at all. I'm all bursts of speed in downs, some flats and minor rollers, and then super slow on the ups. My relative pace and effort is like how I drive a stick shift; constant heel toe in the corners, powering off the line, and then getting stuck in traffic (that's the bonk in this analogy). 

Vera: She's steady as she goes. And she likes grapefruit radlers!
photo credit: Elaine Fung

Hence one of my goals is to run more steady. Stay true to form, and maintain a constant effort where possible throughout a long run without blowing up. It's gonna take a lot of willpower to build that up!

THIS WEEKEND

I have an epic weekend planned. I'm running the new Coast Mountain Trail Series course for Buckin' Hell which goes up and down Mount Seymour on two different faces this Saturday. It has 4300' feet of ascent and 4300' feet of descent in 21k. Yup, that's 8600' feet of elevation change in a short distance. It's the equivalent of a 43,000' foot 100k if you extrapolated the elevation change over a longer distance (or just ran it five times)! It's the perfect scenario to practice my uphill on some of the gnarliest terrain on the north shore.

Buckin' Hell: New Course for 2014

Then on Sunday there's the Squamish 50 Orientation run that will take us up and down Debeck's Hill, and then up Galactic Scheisse and down Powersmart for an approx ascent of over 5000' feet and 10,000' feet of elevation change in 37 kilometres of distance. All on fatigued legs, which is perfect because that's what we do in Ultra training. We race on Saturday and then do long runs on Sunday. We're cool like that.

The RACES!

Squamish 50 is a mere eight weeks away (wait, what?!). I'm doing the 50k distance this year, and helping co-ordinate logistics on the 50 miler the day before, so it'll be an epic weekend!

Then four weeks after that is Meet Your Maker 50 Mile. The season sneaks up fast, and I'm super stoked to finally know (at least academically) how to run uphill now! I also embrace it with a positive, fun and much more relaxed approach mentally, instead of the old dread, fear and angst of days past. It makes a huge difference. --[ UPDATE!! Just got an email as of June 19th, that Meet Your Maker has been cancelled. Boo. Will look for another race! ]

Of Mice and Men (or dogs) Squamish

A bunch of our friends did the Vancouver 100 two weekends ago, and seeing them push through, as we helped crew and pace their day was amazing and inspiring. It makes your own personal training that much more focused and the determination to join their ranks, feel success and push the boundaries as simply epic.

Have fun out there, and I'll catch ya on the downhill!

~ Ed

Race Report: Iron Knee 24k, Redemption

Race Day May 25, 2014

Alley, Leona, Gordon, Catherine, Emma Lee, Sean
Me, Elaine

A lot can happen in one year! In 2013, the Iron Knee was my 2nd official "trail" race, and I was still bewildered by the whole thing. Fast forward to yesterday, and I had one of the best racing days of my life!

For some background, the Iron Knee is a race put on by Mountain Madness, run by RD and super cool guy Peter Watson. He also does the Fat Dog Ultra Series, which is an immense undertaking. There are two distances on this particular race, the Iron Knee 24k & the Tender Knee 10k.

Being involved in the Ultra distance level of competition for my A races, the shorter races of 16k to 24k are the ideal way for me to get my kicks out with some hard efforts and speed along wherever I can. I also had a bone to pick with this race from last year's disastrous first 5k, so I was interested in slaying this beast with glory. The goal: run hard!

We had a great turn out of friends from our running group We Run Mas. We all know each other well over the past few years, and tend to be a pretty chill set of people; no uber-Alphas here. We chatted and did some warm ups before the race. Sean was tackling this distance for the first time, but is naturally a fast dude with great technical ability. Gordon, Alley and I were using it as a training race for Summer Ultras. Everyone else had their own game plans.

I bought a pair of Salomon Sense Pro's two days prior and hadn't worn them yet. Do I race in them or not? Well, they were damn comfortable and I wanted to run the Squamish 42 orientation run in them the following week, so I decided to succumb to peer pressure from my boys and Emma Lee who was also in new Salomons! So they stayed on my feet, and wow, best decision ever. Aside from two stops on the race to adjust the right shoe laces (I did it up too tight), they were like rockets on my feet! More on this soon.

New Kicks, Don't wear 'em on race day . . . fu@k that! They're arrrsum!!

Peter Watson does the standard pre-race brief, and then we line up. I move to the left side, and then he does a stuttered countdown as he tries to sync the Tender Knee races who are in Lynn Valley with our start. It's something like this, "5, 4, 3 . . . .2 . . . . .. and. . . ..1 - GO!" Oh trail races, how I love thee.

So we're off. I have a plan to run the entire first climb up Nancy Greene Way, which is 1.2k of road uphill to Grouse parking lot. I'm settled into the middle of the pack, and a few people pass me on the way up, but I also pass a few along the way! Yay hill training.

We cut right heading to Skyline Drive, and I see Gary Robbins aka "G Money" marshalling/cheering as we go. High five, and I carry on. I'm paying special attention to the runners around me on this race. I glance ahead to see colours, shoes and packs and start taking mental notes. I want to pass all those people. I also take notice of anyone who passes me on the uphill sections. I feel like Arya Stark from Game of Thrones with her list of people that she wants to terminate. These runners are all on my list, just not in an illegal/criminal way.

Arya Stark: Not Today

The Skyline road is a "recovery" section for me. I had this in mind from the get go, so fast walk up as a few more runners get on my list. Kate runs past, and we run to the drop into Mosquito Creek together. We talk about how it's nice to meet face to face after meeting on FB, and I pass her shortly on the descent before she rips up the technical undulating uphill of BP.

I'm carrying a single 20oz handheld bottle of Infinit Nutrition with 290 calories of fuel plus all my electrolytes and fluid, so I'm not stopping or replenishing at any aid stations.

As we carry on along the BP coasting along the Mount Fromme section, I'm picking off the runners I saw on the service road leading to Skyline. A runner here, a runner there. I pay attention, ensuring they don't pass me again. I see a group of four on the gradual downhill leading to Mountain Highway about 1k out from the fountain and next aid station and reel them in. Everytime I see a root section, steep rocks or big jump, that's when I turn it on and push a hard burst to get past, calling out, "On your left," each time.

Before Old Mountain Highway, there's a steep part, and I see another group of 5 going slow down the incline. I call out and jump down the trail, push past the gravel connector and back into the BP heading to Lynn Valley. I'm having a blast passing people! So fun, and the Cap Crusher experience is a huge factor in pushing this feeling and embracing my mini race amongst the pack.

After the steps, I run towards Lynn Headwaters and am feeling good. I plan on using Cedar Mills to LSCR as another recovery section, and I get passed by one runner. I don't see him again and he was cooking on the flat sections. Sometimes you gotta let one get away.

I see my family by the bridge that crosses Lynn Headwaters, and my youngest son runs with me for a quick stretch, after I high five my cheer team.

High Fives to my boys!
Photo Credit: My wife of course

As we pass Rice Lake, a girl named Marina runs with me stride for stride. We get to know each other for a few kilometres and go through LSCR aid station together, again without stopping. We're moving at a solid pace, and my splits on the 3k section are 5:08, 4:33 & 4:45. In other words, I'm running my 10k pace & effort on a mid-distance trail run! Superb! I catch up to Gordon on this section, and tell him I have to make up time before the Seymour Grind comes up. He and Marina both pass me on the Mystery Creek climb and I don't see them again. No matter, I wasn't expecting to reel in anyone this late in the race. Of course, it ain't over 'til it's over!

The Seymour Grind is a mulch, twig ridden climb that has an elevation gain of 300m in 3km. It's not the steepest thing you've ever seen, but it's also not too exciting. I put a mantra in my head, "You'll get there when you get there." I powerhike, baby step run, and walk the whole way up, and get passed by three people. One I don't see again, the other two will get on my list.

I love the signs that Peter puts out on the grind, and read all of them. It makes it easy to walk/run, read and break the hill into small sections. Once the last few hundred meters comes up, I run to the top and am greeted with cheers from the aid station workers. It took me 19 minutes to complete the climb. I know it's downhill after this into the Deep Cove descent, so I turn onto the trail and BANG, cramp. Right calf. I stop for a few seconds, stretch it, and two girls run past me as I stretch it out. The two girls run down the hill, hollering in joy, and I put them on my list.

I was expecting to push hard on this straight downhill to Old Buck, but I dial it back and let my legs relax. I'm talking to myself and saying stuff like, "Downhill, this is what I'm built for, I don't cramp on downhill. Cramp at the finish line!" and "NOT NOW!!"

The right turn after Old Buck, and I'm feeling better, downed the rest of my fuel and start to pick up the pace again. I pass two guys who were faster on the Seymour Grind, one of whom was on the side of the trail in full leg cramp, and now my eyes are on catching up to the two girls.

As I exit like a Viper out the Battlestar Galactica onto Indian River Road; I see the two girls about 300m ahead. Time to turn it up! I start running interval level pace and am pushing on the road section at sub 4 minute pace. I dive into the trail, and as Quarry rock comes up, they're right in front of me. I'd rather be the chaser than the chased, so I keep pace behind them, stride for stride. I find out their names are Jordana and Claire. I'm having a hard time not going too fast, but I know that there's three sets of stairs coming up mixed in with the downhill parts. We're calling out "Runner!" as much as we can to give warning to the day hikers and families on the trail, and Jordana yells back at me, "How did you catch us?!" I know they want to stay in front of me, and are pushing to keep me from passing. Jordana calls out, "Come on Claire. Come on!!" It's a three person race, and I'm having a hoot!

Claire seems to be fading with the effort (relative term here, she was still kicking ass), and I punch in between the two friends and divide them. Claire drops back. Now I have Jordana to race. We hit the last descent, and I call out to her I'm passing on her left. She kicks it up, and I start leaping like a mad person, channelling my inner Gary. Just as I pass her, both of my calves seize up, and I start yelling, "Not now! Not NOW! NOT NOW" over and over, down the final steps, see the marshall, "NOT NOW!" and run into the final chute towards the finish line. I'm trying to run fast, but can't follow a proper form with both legs revolting, so it's all mental. I hear the cheers, and cross the finish line! Jordana finishes 2 seconds behind me, and Claire 2 second behind her. Thank goodness there wasn't an additional 10 meters to the end. I would've been chicked.


Hugs, congratulations from my family and friends, and then we cheer the rest of our crew in.

Here's my official stats :
67th out of 176 runners
PR 2:30:19 (26 minutes faster than last year!!)

Here's the Strava report

Full Race Results

We were planning on a bbq after, but the rain was pouring down, and I was feeling a little depleted, so we left after everyone came in.

Elaine has a new finish line pose (tm)

A few of our crew decided to tailgate at Panorama Park, which looked like fun. Next time we'll really do it up!

Tailgate Party

These two were up to no good!!

Live Facebook Tweeters

And here's our epic finisher's pic!

Mmm, chocolate!

Next up: 42k training run in Squamish next Sunday!!

The Mental Push: How to Play on the Edge

I've been listening to, reading and researching a lot on the mental game of running. As my physical journey has found better habits and solutions, I suppose it's natural that the mind/brain/mental side of the sport starts to become a focus. It's an important variable of the athletic pursuit, one that is marketed by the products we love, and used as motivation to keep the spirit of the sport alive.

Nike: Great Motivators!
Photo: Nike

But what does it mean? What is the "Mental Game"?

One of the elements that seems to come to the fore, especially when it comes to elite level performers, is the inclusion of the struggle of excellence being "fun". We see images of Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg laughing as they frolic through the European mountains. Local heroes like Gary Robbins, Adam Campbell and Ellie Greenwood push themselves daily on the North Shore mountains with addicted glee, playful ascents and descents, snow running and mud clomping to achieve their goals. They embrace the struggle and approach it with both a serious and focused effort, but it's all wrapped in a bubble of play. And they're killing it! Breaking course records, winning on a global international level, and maintaing positive ambassadorship of the sport.

Emelie & Kilian "training"
Photo Credit: Suunto

So what makes us weekend warriors tick, and how do we embrace that playfulness and incorporate it into our training and racing?

Matt Fitzgerald, in his book "Run, the Mind-Body Method of Running By Feel" talks about how elite athletes always talk about the fun of what they do. "The more we enjoy training, the better we perform," he states in his intro. All too often, when I'm out running with my friends, there's someone, often me, but not always, who is suffering. We hit a hill, and the words, "Ugh, this is gonna suck," or we approach a treacherous technical downhill with dust and rocks and someone mentions, "Sheesh, hope I don't roll an ankle!" This kind of pre-disposed negativity towards an obstacle, when conquered, will make you stronger, but we often don't see it and let that negativity taint our experience.

Published by Velopress

After my last training session with Mike Murphy, I've come to love running uphill. I'm still not good at it, but I really like it when a hill comes up. It's an opportunity to raise my game (pardon the pun). I know the more I do it, that physiologically, the gains will occur, but also mentally, I've pre-framed my mind to feel success with each painful step versus, well, pain! So what's happening on the brain side of things when this occurs. Through my exploration, the thresholds in the brain shift. The feedback that occurs to the brain from the muscles, cardiovascular system and other working parts of the body at some point hit a "safety" system that then triggers fatigue. The more we train, the further that threshold is pushed, so as time goes on, a 2 minute hill repeat that induced fatigue might take 2 minutes and 20 seconds before the fatigue sets in. With further training, it pushes into 3, 4 or 20 minutes! Physically, you're stronger, and the brain recognizes that, in essence giving you a  mental edge on your effort. But the reverse is also true.

The brain sends signals to your muscles on how many fibres to engage, how much oxygen to send, what hormones are needed, and manages other things, such as electrolytes, protein breakdown, and glycogen/fat burning for energy. The muscles don't do this on their own. They aren't compartmentalized aspects of our bodies that just happen to synergistically develop the ability to function as a whole entity. The brain, called the "Central Governing System" by Prof. Tim Noakes makes it all work.

To this effect, our emotional and conscious approach to our training have a major impact on the outcome of that training. The belief that we can make it happen, will benefit from the effort, and the growth of the outcome develops our brain to measure effort differently. In endurance training, when first getting started, the brain starts to panic, and thinks you're going to die. So you reach that point in a long run, start to feel a deep seated fatigue, and slow down. The brain is downsizing the amount of muscle fibre it is recruiting and slows down the metabolic systems to make you stop. So, an early stage long run ought to bring you close to that point and then finish. With a few more weeks of training, the distance and/or time is extended. The brain recognizes that last time this happened, you didn't die, so it allows a further effort. Fatigue doesn't set in for an additional amount of time and you went further. This is one of the goals of Long Run days, one of the most important components to endurance training and racing.

I am also fond of speed training. Not because I need it to go faster, because in a 50k effort, there's only so fast I'll be able to go, but speed sessions also make you hurt a little. It's instant mental fortitude. Like doing weights for your brain. Whether it's a 1000m or 1 mile repeat at faster than 5k pace, the amount of mental energy that's required to complete the interval, recover, and do 2, 3 or 5 more reps is immense. The final reps are mind blasting, and physically exhausting. The benefits of that sensation in a 30 minute interval training session include all the physical parts, like leg turn over, lactic threshold adaptation and tightness of form, but they also force your brain to deal with it. From an endurance perspective, when the hard part hits on a 50k or 50 mile race, you have the memory and experience of dealing with that similar sensation, accepting it, and moving onwards and forwards.

Mental and physical growth are intertwined. The stronger you get, the harder you can push, the faster you can do the same distance and further you can go. Elite athletes learn to reach a point of discomfort, have confidence in their physical capacity to deal with it, and then live there for as long as it takes. Amateur athletes often cut themselves short. On a race or hard training run, they won't allow themselves to get into the hole. "Keep it safe," their mind says, and they dial it back. This works, and is a good thing to prevent injury, ensure a week of training versus one day of recklessness that hurts subsequent training days and forces too many rests, but when done with the proper intent and playful approach, it can be a very good thing to push the mental envelope.

We're cool like that!

A lot of my personal running friends are much faster than I am. I have to push on the days we go out together and I like that feeling. On other days, I like slower relaxed runs where we just cruise along, have zero time goals, and take lots of pictures. I think it's a balance. The only way to get faster is to run faster. The only way to run further is to run slower, but farther. It's not really that complicated. When race day comes, it's supposed to hurt. There will be moments of discomfort, of digging deep, and pushing the limits. Ideally, that feeling isn't a new one. The training leading into the race, past months of hard efforts, and past races all come back and provide the experience to deal with the situation. Those memories, and the feelings that are associated with them exist in the brain. The mental tool box has a lot of tools in it to deal with the problem, and you find a solution that is translated into a better performance.

So the next time you're out on the trail, and you hear joyous screaming on a steep climb, laughter and howls on jumps and treacherous descents, and some "Yeehaw's" on the switchbacks, rest assured, that's the brain being trained.

So, let's go play in the forest. 

Training with Elite Runner Mike Murphy, Night Running and 5Peaks Race Report!

The Murph

Holy $h!tballs! Are you serious?! Train with an Elite? Umm yea.

Solana who is RD for the BC chapter of 5 Peaks posts to the FB group that Mike Murphy is doing a free training/orientation run. The training session was happening on May 3rd, a week before the actual race! Perfect.

Here's what the post stated: "Defending champion of the 2013 Golden Ears Enduro Race, and my good friend Mike Murphy is hosting an advanced orientation run of the Enduro course for the upcoming May 10th race. 

Murph will be leading a modified run focusing on the Incline Climb trail, and the technical Eric Dunning downhill. This section will be run more than once, and Murph will be revealing some tips and tricks on mastering the gnarly sections of this race.

This is not for beginners, but you do not need to be able to keep up with Murph to attend (who can really?) you just need to be ready to FEEL THE PAIN!

This is a great opportunity to get out and run with an elite athlete from our community, and pick his brain!

Runners should be prepared for a 90 minute run, with lots of elevation! Get ready to burn! Bring water and fuel! "

Okay, so signing up and getting my butt over to the meeting point on the practice morning was no problem. We met up and got to chat about the plan for the day. There were 7 of us plus Mike, which was perfect since it made for a great chance to get a lot of one on one input and feedback.

Nicole, me, Mike, Andy J, Sarah, Tall Mike, Carson, Jan & my dog Flash's butt

We cruised at a super easy warm up pace along the undulating trail to the Incline trail and then Mike gave us his first official training of the day, aside from all the other nuggets he was sharing as we ran together. For the first ascent, he suggested we break the climb into 3 parts. He said that our 10k race pace per kilometre was how long each 1/3 would take. Okay, so I run a 4:20 to 4:30 pace per km on a 10k, so it ought to take me13:30 to get up this hill. The Incline trail is 1km distance with just short of 1000' feet of elevation. It's a straight up dirt and rock climb. My first ascent takes me 13:24. Damn Mike knows his stuff!! 

And they're off! 

Mike Coaching the Minions

Incline is no joke!

Before we do the Eric Dunning downhill, Mike gives us advice on attacking the descent. Look 15' feet ahead, no brakes, and flow with the trail. Our goal is to get orientated with the lefts and rights and where to push and where to pace. Of course, I love downhill, so once we get going I have a blast crashing down the single track. About halfway down, Mike comes flying by my right shoulder like I'm standing still. I'm clipping along at a 4:10 pace per km at the fast bits, and he must be going at least a minute per km faster. I swear squirrels exploded, bushes caught fire, and forest creatures weeped at the pending apocalypse of the Murph's destruction. 

Once we hit the bottom, we waited for the last of the group, and then set off up the service road to do it all again. This time, with a couple of different goals.

For the second ascent, we were going to work solely on technique: power hiking and uphill running. Mike was running up and down the hill from lead to back and every person in between, adjusting our body angle, cadence, foot strike, muscle use, and positioning. It was simply awesome, and it made me realize that I was literally doing all my uphills wrong. I was struggling with the running angle, and the power hiking was easier to grasp for me. Using rocks to save my calves was a huge help and the whole section was more information and direct hands on experience in 20 minutes than I had experienced in a year and a half of trail running. 

After reaching the top, we shook out the legs with a bit of jogging and then the descent part two was up. Here's the instructions: Push HARD for 10 seconds on the downhill. Way past comfort zone and much faster than we were used to running on technical single track. The 20 seconds break, where we slow it down, dial back the pace and recover. The recovery was supposed to be very chill, almost like a trot. Then back to 10 seconds of pushing at sprint level pace. Watch the vid I linked at the end of this blog for some bits and pieces of the day!

Okay, let's do this thing! Wow! What a fun way to experience a downhill. I run fast downhill, but generally as you get further into it, you slow down because there's only so much you can do for a fast 15 to 20 minutes of aggressive pacing. Doing it with this 10/20 system was basically a fast interval type training that allowed us to experience the trail coming at us at a much quicker pace, which when we were running at our regular "fast" pace would seem slower and hence more manageable. Brilliant.

While the total descent time was slower than the first descent, the individual 10 second sections were much faster (sub 4min per km). After meeting up at the bottom , we ran back to the parking area and promised to see each other in a week for race day!

The quality of Mike's coaching was amazing. Anyone that's ever met him knows he's the most chill and kind dude out there (he gave away all the stuff he won from his last race to crowd members!). I learned a ton, as did everyone else that day, and made some new friends.

I returned two days later with my wife and we did a double repeat of the Incline and Eric Dunning using the tips he gave. On my second climb on Monday, it clicked! My angle and technique for running up the steep hill suddenly felt "right" and I ran up the hill. Literally. I've never run up a hill like that, and it felt great. My heart rate was under control and my legs were great. I was stoked for race day.

But first, we had a night run planned on Wednesday!!

The Night Run

Doris, Avery and I were set to do a night run where we could play with our headlamps, figure out some tricky trail sections along the Baden Powell from Grouse heading to Lynn Valley. This area is very technical and not too runnable, which on the surface seems like a bad idea, but in reality keeps the pace slow and careful. With Doris, Andy H. and Vera all doing the Van 100k in a few weeks, and me pacing Andy for that event, we figured getting to know the trails in the dark would be a great idea, since the final 25k from Cleveland Dam to Deep Cove would likely be run at night.

We met up at 8:30 pm on the Wed night, and started with no headlamps in the fading twilight. This allowed our eyes to naturally adjust to the light. Once it darkened, we went full beam. Avery and I took up the back and Doris led the pack. I was joking with Avery that it's always the last person in the scary movies who disappears first. We were having fun with our darkness.

By the time we passed Mosquito Creek, and headed along the Mt. Fromme section it was dark as it was gonna get for a clear night. Once we hit 60 minutes we stopped, turned off the headlamps and stood in the dark. Here's our selfie.

We Look GREAT!

It was PITCH black! Very cool being in the middle of the woods like that.

We turned back (shooting for an hour one direction and then an hour return). As we got to the creek again, suddenly a scream from the dark charged at us! Avery, who was in front screamed a little (so much for a bigger guy protecting us!) lol

It was Alicia Woodside, local Ultra runner and super fast girl with a guy friend of hers. She figured she'd have a laugh. After a little chat, and me noticing that they had zero gear and one headlamp, the two forest fairies disappeared into the darkness. 

Alicia scares people in the dark

We made it back to the side of Grouse Mt. and we took one wrong turn that took us up a section of Old BCMC. I started raising questions of the steepness of the slope and the rock scramble, and Doris noticed the tree marker was incorrect. We turned back and were only 10 minutes off course.

The final downhill into the Grouse section was pretty quick. We had adapted to the dark, and were moving at a decent clip along the trail given the terrain and lighting. 

Here's the Strava for the night run 

We got back to the cars with a negative split and were excited for the race that was taking place on Saturday.

5Peaks Golden Ears: Enduro & Sport Course!

The Saturday morning was calling for rain. Typical, as the shoulder days were warm and dry. We went early to avoid the rush and the set up was awesome. This was Solana's first race as RD, and the whole thing from start to finish was top notch. From registration, to booths, and the overall vibe were excellent.

Registration, Buff Booth, MEC Booth, Salomon Booth, it was CRAZY!!

We signed in and then the waves of runners started coming. We saw all the usual suspects, too many to name, but there were lots of morning hugs, high fives, and fist pumps. We spoke about the BMO marathon that a bunch of people raced on the previous Sunday (we were cheering like crazy in multiple places for that event, which was a hoot.)

Russel, post BMO recovery run?!

Gordon, also post BMO recovery run?!!

Before the race, talking with Chloe, she mentioned she wasn't racing since she had over trained for the week in mileage. Of course, then we see her as the rabbit for the kids 3k! She gets a quick head start and the kids rip after her. The pace was frantic and Chloe ended up getting in a pretty serious speed session. Too funny.

Chloe. And she thought she was there just for support.

My goal time for the race was sub 1:30, but anywhere from 1:20 to 1:29 would be great, since it was my first time on the actual full course (aside from the Incline repeats on Saturday and Monday, I hadn't run the other sections).

We staged up in the back of the second wave. Last year at Buntzen I was in the 3rd wave, but I found too much weaving for my liking so I pushed for wave 2 instead. It was good positioning for me and most of the passing or being passed happened smoothly and naturally.

The course was very well marked. Colin and Andy took off after the first water crossing, and my legs felt heavy on the first 4k. It normally takes me a bit to get warmed up, but Sean and I did a warm up jog before the start. It wasn't enough. I figure my lack of sleep the whole week played a factor. Next time I'm gonna do a 4k warm up for a shorter race.

Once I got to the Incline trail, I felt good. And for the first time in a race ever, I passed people going uphill! Thanks Mike!! I only got passed by a handful of people, and most of those I passed again on the descent. I looked back and it was awesome seeing a whole string of runners for hundreds of meters going up the mountain. Joseph, who I ran with at Sun Run, was supposed to be running but the Sun Run push injured his hip. I promised him I'd scream his name at the top of the Incline trail before the descent, so I breathed deep, turned to the forrest and yelled out, "Jo!!!!!" The runners behind me must have been rather confused. No mind, there was a  fast downhill to come!

I pass three dudes on the way down and then another couple of people on the road to the next climb to the waterfall. My dead legs are long forgotten, and I feel really good. Lots of little water crossings, an undulating net climb (that in hindsight would have been good to train on because there's no real up, just kind of up, then a turn, then kind of more up etc.. It would have been nice to know where to push, and I went a bit softer on this than I should have), and then a rocky descent finishes this section. There's a tall guy with a massive stride and smooth flowing style over the wet rocks and roots cruising along ahead of me, and I use him as my "pacer" and race to keep him in sight. We cross the road seconds apart, see Melanie marshalling, give her a quick high five and push into the flowing woods on the other side.

By the time we hit the last km, his base pace is better than mine and I lose him in the final twists.

We crash through the river again and the beach front is there with the finish line in the distance. My kids are on the side, as is my wife, and they cheer me in, along with our friends Sean and Elaine who did the slightly shorter Sport distance. Sean even got a podium and medal for 3rd place in his age category!! Woo hoo!!

Feeling good

I feel great at the finish and had a fun and enjoyable race. Final time is 1:26:02. 79th place out of 181 finishers. Once again, solid mid-pack. Happy with that.

Strava Race Report

We headed out shortly after our last friends finished the race, and then made for home to cook a post race brunch before they came over for bacon, eggs, granola, bacon, tea, and champagne (and bacon). 

Melissa, first official trail race! 

Elaine's glorious finish line pose!! 

Doris, cruising in like it ain't no thang.

Brunch

Bacon

A super fun week of training with an awesome first time on the Golden Ears course. 

Click this link below for moving pictures!!

Here's a quickly edited video that I put together from my iPhone

Coming up: Iron Knee 25k, Squamish 50 training run 42k, and Van 100 crew and pacing!! 

Bring it!

We Run Mas Crew for the day! #wrm
Back Row: Lucien, Paris, Geoff L., Photobomber with red hair
Middle Row: Elaine, Melissa, Colin, Andy J, Avery, Doris
Kneeling: Sean, Ed