SQUAMISH 50 KM SUFFERFEST 2013

I EXPECTED Gary Robbins to make it a tough course, and he EXCEEDED expectations!

9000ft (2700 m) Up/ 9500ft (2900m) down , and like, 98% technical trail, and in 30 degree heat.
= CONQUERING a new level of discomfort!!!!

 Race summarized by my thoughts:

Start: " My calf is cramping already? Gotta slow down"
            .... " Is that an old lady and her grandchildren passing me?"
9 Km: " oh GOOD, a hill, I can powerhike and maybe get the feeling back into my foot"
13 km (and 800 m, 2600 ft up): "when will the hill stop !!, I'm STILL going up ! Up, up, up "
14 km: " Yaaay Down !!!"... Yaay, wa hoooo... hooo. hooooo..., "
20 km: "yoo hooo! hoo..oooh, OK, still going down here..still down...more down will it ever end?" 
             "Achilles is going to snap off anytime now. I'll pull out at 23 km aid station.
             Good idea. I'm a Physio, I know its the smart thing to do. "

25 km: " why am I still running? , IDIOT"
                                            .... Oh yeah,  THIS IS why ( Pic below ) I want to see more!

26 km:  "Its freakin' HOT up this hill !  "I... don't...feel...so..good...better eat "

              " Bar?- ugh!, try a gel?-double ugh!thank god for Carbopro or I'd fall over"
             "what, bra chaffing too? , and why are my socks falling off? anything else?" Bring it !



28 km: "This hill looked much easier in the elevation profile"

             "Thats it, I think I've passed out and I'm in a nightmare of neverending switchbacks"






30 km: "Finally, downhill to the next aid station, I'll pull out the lube for the chaffing.

   ( I  look down)-->toe grab, FLY  foreward over an embankment!!
             but my inner monkey kicked in and  I grabbed a tree mid-air and 180 swing myself back   onto the trail! Impressed with myself, Feelin' pretty cool at that point, but knowing my shoulder is gonna hurt later.

33 km:  " That was the longest 5 miles  I've ever ran in my                life" (between 15-20 mi aid stn, 400 m up)
             " Soo HOT in the back valley here! The sun is relentless, not even a breeze-thats it! I'm

                        never doing a desert race  ... take me back to the trails!"
              - I could wring the sweat out of my shirt at this point, just drenched!
              -My ears clogged up and it felt like I was running in a tunnell, ...and I find out later this is due to decreased blood volume(dehydration) affecting the inner ear fluid.http://www.livestrong.com/article/494974-signs-of-dehydration-in-the-ears-while-running-sweating-during-ironman/  K, duh, drink more! but I was already drinking almost double normal and was afraid of that old hyponatremia fear... Still learning obviously.


 34 km:

 " what? ANOTHER HILL ? Gary Robbins (course designer) is a Very Very BAAAD MAN".   Nice guy, but starting to think he is a SADIST!" Oh, look how sweet  and happy he looks in this pic on race day... but if you look DEEPER, there is a Glimmer of evil in those eyes.

Only those who run his races, truly know that glimmer.

 

40 Km:" Oh, starting to cramp up- grab more trusty salt tablets... what! they fell out! really?

               ( I held myself together by sucking the salt off my pretzels.)

43 km: " Quads cramping BAD... but they look kinda cool
                   .... really muscular...wish I took a pic. " 
                  But it FELT like they looked like this   ----------->>>>

44 km: " I thought we DESCEND into Squamish, why am I STILL going UPHILL? "
             " I got Nothing, I'm walking up the hills"
- Looking at my splits, this last  10km was super slow. I guess the heat/cramping got to me and  'the wheels fell off ' at 40 km. Could only march up the hills, even walked some flats. Ran out of Drive.

46 km: "Finally, Down to the finish"
49 km: (on the road, into town) " Thats it, I've lost interest, its too hot,
               I'm going to DNF now"(joking)
                
       So, I start walking, then Mr. Jason Louttit (amazing runner) see's me walking, gives me crap and says 'its only 400 m away, run it " Fine, I ran it in, only cuz he told me to.



I felt like the 'running gods' threw the book at me this race. So many running issues I never experienced before  ALL happened on this day. Maybe it was the 30 deg heat, the tough course, or maybe just a bad day for me. In the end with my 8 hour finish time was my slowest 50 km time ever,I should be mad,  strangely,  I'm very  pleased with a  new milestone: overcoming pain, nausea, cramping etc. I've done several 50 kms, but this one is the first to really PUSH my limits, really, thinking " I can't go anymore" ... but I did, I FINISHED !!!  and learned so much!


Kudo's to the Race directors of Squamish 50, if it wasn't for their great organization,  aid stations/volunteers, and beauty views to keep me going,  I probably would not have finished the  super challenging, technical course they presented.

GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS RACE
-You'll conquer a new level of 'discomfort'
- You will be challenged! your limits will be pushed!
-Fabulous trail markings... you will NOT get lost
-Amazing view's
-Great Race directors, they have it ALL covered.
-Excellent aid stations. Even a suprise Freezie station!Loved the freezie guy.
-Beer gardens at the finish.
-Nice Swag bags
-Meal ticket at the finish line .
-Beautiful medals

So, if you're in for a Sadistic, Punishing,Challenging 50 km, where you're safely taken care of, sign up for this next year:  August 9, 10, 11 for 25 km/50km/50 mile... or all 3!
http://www.squamish50.com/index.html

Heather V.
As I get more pics of the race, I'll add them. I tried to add Mr. Robbin's athlete site, but it appears to have been hacked, will try later.

Jim's Comeback Race

9 Months Post Pulmonary Embolism.... Not many people would go into a 50 Km race- But Jim did!

4 Months of Running ....Not many people would be ready for a 50 Km race- But Jim was !

He trained hard, got his nutrition downpat and was feeling confident.

Jim decides to do "SCORCHED SOLE" in Kelowna. He heard it was  "EASY"  previous years.

BUT,

The race director this year decided to make it much more difficult- giving it about  a 2850 meter elevation gain, in the Kelowna desert heat, with no cover!  Thats about 400m more gain than Knee knacker.

MY VERSION OF SCORCHED SOLE FROM HOME I Wait....

7 hours in I'm expecting a   finish line call... no calll. Hmmmm. Finally, 10 hrs  pass and I get a call from his training partner who just crossed the finish line without him. Now I'm worried. At this point I would rather be running the race than waiting!  Apparently, elites who take 5-6 hrs to finish  a race took 7-8 to finish this one.

And wait....

I get random calls from other friends they dropped down from the 50 mile to 50 km as the trail had so much bushwacking it was difficult to run in. They saw Jim at an aid station, sitting in a chair  with reports of  back spasms. They figured he planned to DNF.

"Thats what she said"- Being married to a Physio, one would think he would work on his CORE. But nooo, he did not.  Apparently he was running great till it broke down on him, then every step hurt. Chair!

Impatience is a virtue?

Jim waits in the chair for about an hour and 1/2  with a group of people also thinking of DNF'g . He was told he had to wait until takedown to get a ride back. He is not a patient man, so he got up, and  gutted it out to the finish line.  Everyone was suprised to see him cross 11 hours later!!

JIMS SCORCHED SOLE RACE REPORT:

It was HOT,

It was LONG,

It was STEEP

It was a lot of BUSHWACKING.

A lot shorter than my race reports!-. A man of few words.  He did later say how beautiful the area was, so he did manage to enjoy the journey :-)

IN THE END

Jim was proud and happy that he finished and he served as an INSPRATION to me. If he can gut out 11 hours in a 50 km with only a few months of training ... could I pull off a 50 mile ???

I ask : "So, has this turned you off from 50 Km's forever? "

His answer: "No, eventually I will forget and go in another one"
Don't we all. ....Dont' we all !


Heather

Sucking it up at CHUCKANUT 2011

This entry is a bit late... Chuckanut was in March.  But then I was busy with 'life events'. Plus, I got a new video camera just before the race and had to figure out the software.

Hot tip: Learn how to use your new camera BEFORE using it on a race. It was probably dangerous fiddling with the buttons while running along a ridge and a technical trail. Oh well,  I lived.

Chuckanut was to be a 'training race' for my running friends in preparation for Capitol Peaks 50 mile. Unfortunately, I had a miserable cold, but I sucked it up and in the end  the misery of the cold  was offset by such a beautiful day and a wonderful race!  Funny, I drank a LOT of water, and it all seemed to fall out of my nose... by the end of the run my sinus's were clear !!

 Hope this choppy video sums it up:

I was so happy to meet up with one of my training partners at the end.  We agreed not to  have a 'race sprint' against each other to the finish line, (to save ourselves for the next race).  We pushed forward, for a nice, easy cruise across the finish line together... awwww.. Thats what friends are for :-)

And now, I have to prepare for an 80 K (50 mile).... I'm afraid, very afraid......

Heather

New Years Day FAT ASS 50 K

So Exactly how much can I Drink on New Years Eve, and still manage to run 50 km's the next day?  That was the question !  I started off 2011 with a bunch of firsts; 

My FIRST CLUB FAT ASS event

The FIRST time I DROVE DOWNTOWN Vancouver ( slight fear of driving)

The FIRST time I was relatively SOBER on New Years eve in years!

At the Start:

A beautiful, crisp, cool, clear day it was.  The fatassers casually hung around the starting 'line' ... which is a fire hydrant of all things.  We listen to pre-race instructions, take the club picture, and off we go...many of us enjoying passing Gary Robbins who was  running (on crutches)- a first and last time that will ever happen.

Stanley Park:

I read the map and instructions, which would have worked if I was WALKING it, but at the pace we were going, I just kept up with the group I was in (which was going faster than I planned).  One trail  was just above the seawall, had beautiful views and no people.  We ran thru paths that I never knew existed-beautiful ! I held onto the 8:00-8:30 min/mile as long as I could to stay with the group. Once we got spat out onto the beach, I slowed down into a more comfortable pace and took in the amazing scenery. A lovely run along the seawall then up and over the Burrard St Bridge.

Kits/Spanish Banks:

This is where I met Ray Levasseur, who kept me company and guidance from here  and all the way through Pacific Spirit Park. I had a lovely visit with him and was sad to leave his side in the second half of the run,

Pacific Spirit Park:

 Wide, runable trails, oldgrowth Cedars, and a myriad of interconnecting trails.  At the 25 km turnaround, I felt great so I kicked it up a bit and picked up a new running partner 'Mark'. As two newbies, Mark and I took a few wrong turns, and I was really missing my former guide Ray.

Going through Point Grey, I did ask a little old lady if I was on the right course to the Burrard St bridge and she said "yes dear, but its a long ways away"... if she only knew how far I had already gone... and still had to go!

Back to the Finish:

Once finding my way back to Spanish Banks, I retraced my steps back. 

Going through the POLAR BEAR SWIM event was a definate mistake. I was slowed to a shuffling walk to get past the crowds.  About 25 miles in my left ITB was starting to scream at me, the lateral knee pain was annoying, but bearable. I was worried I took the wrong side of Lost lagoon lake, until someone yelled at me " Go Fat Ass !!"...so I must have been on track.

Heading to the finish... 4:57.... 4:58.... I can do it, I can get in under 5 hrs ! then RRrrrrring ! wtf? my phone?

My transcendental running state was interrupted by reality.

I answer,  "Hello?"

My daughter replies " Hi Mom, Can you pick me up at Sandy's"

I answer "Um,,, I'm kinda busy right now, can I get back to you"

 4:59:58 I finish!

And pleased with the fact that my Last 10 miles were faster than my first 10.

Things I learned: 

* Don't try to squeak the last few miles out of a dying pair of trail runners on a 50 km

 - especially on a flat course like this. My feet are mad at me today.

*Avoid the 'Polar Bear Swim'- should take a few minutes off the run next time 

*Although a few celebrational glasses of wine felt great at the time- it is not a good 'recovery' drink.

Heather