Monday, May 31, 2010

Last run in May 2010


Feeling absolutely great after Saturdays Ultra. It was 29C and humid this afternoon. I applied a little of my new found knowledge and dialed the pace back to a comfortable level for the heat. Managed to get 10.2K in at an avg 6:06 pace.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sulphur Springs 50K Trail Race

Just completed my 3rd 50K Ultra of 2010. The day turned out to be rather warm and a few more lessons were learned.

The day started early , up at 2:30 am after 6 hours of unusually solid sleep. Sleeping well before a race is a bad Oman. I find that restless sleep usually leads to great results! It was breakfast , coffee , hot tub, get ready I a was off to the race at 4:15. Arrived about 6:15 , too late to see the 50 and 100 milers off. Chatted here and there with people I haven't seen in awhile and bumped into Run Mania folks , Nature Girl , Chainsawbaby,Doonst, b_squared, dgrant, casual-runner, AlfiefromPickering and Mid_packer. Biggest suprise of the day was seeing Ann Marie Burmeiste from Durham. This was a first her first trail race and a new distance! She completed the Run in 3hrs finishing 129th out of 184 competitors.

It was already starting to get warm when the race started at 07:30 am, around 18C. Stuck with Annie until her 2.5K turnaround. My objective was a 6 minute pace, crossed the 10K Matt in 56 minutes , a little fast but not too bad. With 10K behind I headed back out on the 20K Loop. I was feeling good, did my first Gel , was drinking plenty of Gator Aide and Water. At 20K I did 4 Eload Caps as a precaution , I repeated this at 30 and 40K too. I was running everything at a comfortable pace , keeping the avg near my 6:00 min/k goal. Finished the loop in 2hrs4min, that's 30K done in 3 hours...just as I planned! Last year the "20K loop" was closer to "18K" , 50Kers were reporting a distance around 46K in 2009. That certainly wasn't the case this year! The loop was allot closer to 20K , my Garmin said 19.6K. Heading back out for my 2nd 20K loop at 10:30 I was starting to over heat. I had a feeling that this was going to be a factor! A few Ks in I started to take walking breaks to cool down and recover my heart rate. I wasn't dehydrating as I was drinking a cup of Water , Head and Coke every aide stop plus I was drinking in between from my water bottle. I was really sweating , there was almost no breeze in the Forest and as the Sun got higher in the sky we were more exposed. Around 40K the walk breaks were becoming more frequent and I was logging 10min Ks! I couldn't even run the downhills without being totally drained and having to walk to recover. With 10K to go I was constantly squirting small amounts of water on my head. I was also getting cups of Ice at Aid stations and eating it straight up. The Ice , Water and walks helped me to come around and I was able to run the last 5K , 3K of it was downhill. Last 5Ks were 6:34, 6:03, 7:09, 7:32 ( Gulch) and 8:15 ( Gulch ).... much better then the previous 5K of 9:43, 9:01, 10:33, 7:53 and 10:57 ( Big Climb).

I finished in 5:45:09 , 35th out of 89 participants, 31st out of 53 males and 11th out of 15 in my AG.

I stuck around for an hour or so after I was done. Driving away the I the car registered 30C. I am sure that the last couple of hours I was running temps were in the mid to high 20's. The way things are going this year I better get use to running in the Heat. The next time I run in these sorts of conditions I am going to reevaluate my expectations and pick a new goal. Instead of a 6:00 pace a 6:30 pace would have been a more reasonable.

Run Clinic

Last session of the 5K Run Clinic yesterday, 4.7K done on a hot night.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Lunch

Feeling good at lunch ...ready for Sulphur! Another 5K logged.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Lunch Run

Some days you just have to get away at lunch and well today was one of those days. 0.5K warm up , 5K at a 4:50 pace them a 0.5K cool down

Monday, May 24, 2010

Trail again


A little shorter and slower today , 10.8K trail run done. Temps were in the mid 20s , humidity was building and exposure to the Sun really hampered my pace. Sure hope Sulphur is a little cooler on Saturday!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Trail Sunday


18.6K trail run done on a warm afternoon. Didn't really intend on going quiet that long but it was so nice. Got a little hot near the end of the run. Cool down was a icy cold Blue while floating around the pool .... I love Summer!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Trail Run


Did a 15K trail Run today , originally I wanted to go longer but I am still a bit tired from the Marathon last Sunday and I wanted to catch the hockey game at 3pm. Managed an avg 6:35 pace which I would call a moderate effort for the trails around home. Nearing the end of the run my mind was wondering and I was on auto pilot. I learned that Porky Pines don't pay any attention to Bear Bells. Stopped just a few feet short of running into the prickly guy...they are pretty camouflaged and I was surprised by its presence on the trail!

Run Clinic


8.1 Ks done with the Run Clinic last night.. It was a slow go coming back , the 12-13 year olds weren't in a running mood. I was quiet OK with it...I have no muscle pain after Sundays Marathon but I am still feeling a bit tired. Trail run on the books for today...rain/overcast ands 20C will make for some pretty comfortable conditions.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Lunch Run

Lunch Run again today , 0,5K warm up , 4K at a 4:50 pace then a 0.5K cooldown.

Lunch yesterday

Forgot to Blog it , Lunch Run 5K yesterday.

LUNCH Run and Run Clinic today as well as a trail LSD on Saturday ... thinking around 3hrs 30K. Suppose to have showers on Saturday so it will be a sweet run, warm and wet!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Lunch Run

Another lunch run down , 5K ...0.5K warm up then 4K at a 4:50 pace then a 0.5K cool down.

Almost no pain after Sundays Marathon. I will be ready for my LSD on the weekend.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Next Mary

Have been discussing the topic of the Fade on Run Mania http://www.runningmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=38260 . It’s been a couple of days since I blogged Mississauga. Looking back I believe I made two mistakes that cost my 3hr30min goal.

1) Going out at a 4:44 pace for the first ½ was dumb. Should have stuck to a 5:00 pace looking for a slightly negative split.
2) Not enough calories.

Based on the discussion and my own reflection I have already formulated a race plan for Scotia in the Fall

5:00 pace … sticking to it
Gel every 20 minutes …GU Roctane
Water as required
Eload at 20K and 30K or as required
Get to 38K in one piece then use up what ever fuel is left in the tank.

Seems simple enough , might have to pick up another Mary before Scotia!

Back at it

Not nearly as much pain as I expected after Sunday. Did a 5K run at lunch , 1K to get up to a 5:30 pace then I held it for 3.5K then did a 0.5K cool down.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Mississauga Marathon 2010

What a great day for a Marathon! Temps around 10C , Sun and a light Breeze and a really nice course through an urban gem ...Mississauga!

Usual morning routine , the alarm went off at 2am, Breakfast , Hot Tub and I was out the door by 3:15am. Made it to the hotel that the Saugeen Tri Club was staying by 5:00 am. I spent an hour at the Hotel , picked up my race kit and did my final preparation. Parking at Square 1 took awhile because of the traffic but I manged to arrive a little less then an hour before the race started. I waited quietly next to the start area.

I seeded my self between the 3:30 and 3:15 pace Bunnies ... that was the last time I saw these guys! I was across the timing mat around a minute after the race started. I figure the that the first K or 2 would be really slow due to congestion but the road was wide and there was no problem at all. My race plan was simple , 4:50 pace for as long as I can and nutrition was a no brainier, a GU Roctanes consumed every 30minutes and water was the beverage of the day and I had 8 Eload Tabs and two 1000mg doses of Salt. I kept getting a wee bit faster through the first 5K . I was going to pull back a bit but I felt great and wanted to see what would happen. There were quiet a few long gentle down hills in the first half ... I logged 6Ks at 4:3X pace , 4:50 was my goal. I was religious about the Gels , 30/60/90 minutes. Was washing them down with water being careful to get enough in me. Made it to the half in 1:40 , avg pace 4:44. 6 Seconds/K too fast but I felt good and figured I could sustain the pace past 30K. Passing 22K I felt a bit of a cramp coming on. I ran with it for a couple of Ks but it wasn't going away and it was starting to slow me down. At 24K I dug out 4 Eload Caps and downed them with a good amount of water. The cramp and the delay in getting the Eload in made for a 5:34 K .... my slowest of yet! I had a visions of my last Marathon in Nov 09 , the Hamilton Road for Hope. I blew up at 26K and never recovered! The Eload did the trick really fast and I was back on track with a 4:42 27th K ... one test passed. Although I was feeling significantly better I was beginning to slow down, I wasn't panicking ... time in the bank and it wasn't that bad but I was beginning to watch my avg pace start to increase. Made it through 30K in 2hrs30min , this is when I began to doubt whether I would be able to break 3hrs30min. Doable I thought but I was really starting to feel fatigued. The Gels at 30 min intervals didn't seem to be enough... I was watching the clock! I was starting to run in waves, I would feel bad and slow down for a bit and then I would pick it back up for awhile , pace was anywhere between 5:09 and 5:57. There were a few gentle long climbs in this part of the course but I was really having a tough time keeping pace. It was also getting warm and the Sun was getting high in the Sky. I downed 1000mg of Salt at around 34K .. lots of water to go with it. Passed the 38K timing mat at 3hrs9min! Doing the math I realized that if I was able to pick up the pace I still had a shot at a Sub 3:30. I tried to go faster but I just didn't have any 5min K's left in me. Realizing that I wasn't going to achieve my goal I was resigned to a 3:35 finish...Plan B. Trying to pick up the pace did me and at around 39.5 K things started to go wrong . I had to walk. my vision suddenly narrowed like I was looking through a straw and it was getting dark. Feeling faint I had a profound moment of satisfaction knowing that I gave it all I had. The 40th K was done in 7:55 ... a combo of fast walk ...suffle...jog walk. Managed to get it together again and did the next K in 6:01. Just before I started the last K I walked for brief time then picked it up and finished the last one in 5:38.

My chip time was 3 hours 35 min 21 seconds. 4 mins 22 sec short of my BQ but a PB by 13min 13 seconds. It was a good day!


I learned a couple fo things in this race. I should have paced myself better in the first half. The planed 4min50 sec was a bit to aggressive. The 4min44sec pace that I logged wasn't good. I also feel that I was around 600 calories short. I am registered for STWM , race plan is a 4:59 pace , preventative eload at 20K and 30K , gels every 20 mins, salt just in case all washed down with ample water!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Yesterday

15K Kayak on the mighty Saugeen today...cross training I guess!

5k done Friday at lunch then 5.3K done Friday Eve with the Run Clinic.

Marathon tomorrow! Off to be ...alarm set for 2 am!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Lunch Run

6K done today , 0.5K warm up , 5K @ 4:50 pace then a 0.5K cool down.

Ankle hurt a bit for the first K then loosened up.

Yesterday

Missed yesterdays lunch run , another 5K at 4:50 done. Ankle was surprisingly much better. Then I ran the dog last night ... slamming down hard on the ankle and it is a little worse today ...lunch run tell.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Lunch again...

...another lunch run , today it was 5K. 0.5K warm up and cool down then 4K at a 4:50 pace.

Right Ankle hurt a bit at the start but settled down until I switched from a 4:50 to 6:00 pace.

Monday, May 10, 2010

2nd run today

After work I jumped on old bouncy and did a 12K run at my Marathon Cruise Control 4:50 pace followed by a 0.9K cool down. Right Ankle is bothering me a bit , seems like the kind of thing that you have to just run through, mild pain that disappears when I stop. My right Knee has been acting up a bit too! When I walk up stairs and step a certain way there is the odd moment of excruciating pain...weird. Its always my right something!

Lunch Run

6.5K done , 6K at a 4:50 pace with a cool down. Getting ready for Sundays Full.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Trillium 10K Road Race

I wasn't sure what to expect today. PYP 50K was only 7 days ago and its been awhile since I did any speed work. Until this week my objective was to PB , 42:XX. After last weekend and a few recovery runs my goal changed to breaking 45min but even this seemed aggressive.



Race day weather was really lousy , my Wife and two Sons were going to participate but they backed out. I don't blame them one bit. If your not prepared to be out in these conditions it can be pretty miserable. This Mount Forest race was where it all began for me, this was my 6th consecutive Trillium 10K. The number of participants has really grown. The first year there was around 100 racing in the in line skate / 5K and 10K Road Races , this year there were nearly 500! In spite of the cold 5C temp, rain and high winds there were more then 100 Race Day registrations.



The 09:30 am start was delayed , registration and race kit pick up was slower then they expected. . I started warming up at 9:15 and kept warming up until the race started at 9:53. The upper part of the arena has a running track , I did laps there until about 9:35. I was starting to get hot so I headed outside. I continued to jog in preparation for the race start. It was great to acclimatize to the rain, wind and cold and it made for a comfortable start.

Headed out watching the Garmin , not running fast for awhile made getting into a 4:20-4:30 pace a bit awkward. First 2K were done in 4:24 then 4:22. I was beginning to feel comfortable with the pace , the third K was the same as the 1st , 4:24. I was starting to get hot with the wind at my back so the Sagoi Firewall Jacket was undone to the belly and the ball cap came off. This is also the time that I realized that the wind was really pushing me along. I tried to pick it up a bit to bank a little time knowing that the wind would be a factor coming back. The 4th and 5th K were done in 4:22, 4:36 ...so much for banking time! The next 5K were grueling , we were pretty exposed for the first 2.5K back and then things improved a bit but the wind was a factor all the way. 6th K was done in 4:21 ... wind in my face I pushed hard, really hard . The extra effort would definitely be a factor in the 7th and 8th K. These two Ks were the slowest of the day , 4:34 and then 4:41. I was running head down with my right shoulder angled towards the wind. It was hard to breath , the wind was ramming air down the wind pipe. The last 2K were done in town , there was a bit of relief from the wind and I was able to complete the 9th K in 4:30. The Garmins AVG pace had climbed from a 4:23 at the turnaround to 4:27 through 9K. I figured that I only had to do a 5:00 last K to break 45 min. The only person to pass me in the final 5K was a women at the 9K mark. She was moving very well so I decided to try to keep on her heals. I was close but never managed to close in on her and completed the last K in 4:10...I didn't think I had that in me!



Garmin said I ran 9.99km in 44min19sec for an avg pace of 4:26/km. The official results gave me a chip time of 44:16, finished 20th out of 124 participants, there were 17 in the 40-49 age group and I was 3rd and I was 17th out of 73 males. This finish was 34 seconds faster them my last 10K October 2009 and it was 45 seconds off my 10k PB set in May 2009 at the Trillium race. I suspect that if the weather was better I would have been able to better last years time...but then again maybe not!

Lots of great food afterwards. It was pizza and yogurt washed down with water. Tons of great prizes. A road bike valued at $1,000 and a ticket anywhere Porter Airlines flys were up for grabs. All participants were entered in the draw, tons of other great running an non running giveaways.



Next weekend its Mississauga Full, today was encouraging!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Trying to run faster


Did a 12.8K Run in the Rain this afternoon. I am still feeling the effects of Saturdays Trail Run. Averaged a 5:24 pace today, didn't really have much pop in the legs today ... I tried to pick it up but it just wasn't sustainable. I felt like I could shuffle along for along time but the speed wasn't there. I was wearing my Acics Shoes, they are a stability shoe and just don't have the same feel as the Saucony Paramount's. It made me think about the rhythm of faster running and the feel of the shoe and how that all ties together. I get a really good Rhythm with the Paramount's, unlike any other show that I run in. Is like I am being propelled off the heal ...spring like to the toe. I don't think Saturday 10K will be a PB...they way I was going today I think I would be lucky to break 45 minutes.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Monday, May 3, 2010

Lunch Run

5K at lunch , legs are a little sore and I didn't feel that I had much stamina but I did manages 3.5K of the run at my 4:50 pace.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Pick Your Poison 50K Trail Run

2nd Ultra of the Year has been completed, did the Pick Your Poison 50K at Horseshoe today.

PYP quiet a reputation for being extremely tough. Last years inaugural event had more DNFs due to mud and just plain old tough slugging then any other OUS event. Changes were in order and this year, it was still tough but much more runnable .
Results ...



Race day started early , up an hour before my alarm at 4:00 am ... breakfast , hot tub and the I was dressed and out the door by 05:45. Arrived at 07:30 and bumped into Christie, aka Nature Girl. This was her first Ultra since Haliburton , she was both excited and nervous. Talked with JD, aka jdbegin for a bit and bumped into Sheldon, aka Doonst just prior to the start ... lots Run Mania http://www.runningmania.com/ folks to be found! In the final few minutes I relaxed quietly alone focused on the task ahead.

The race started without much fan fair. After a few last minute instructions from Adam the race director we were off! The course was a 12.5k loop through the Ski Club. We started off with a gradual climb across a few of the Runs and then headed into the Forest. About a K in the single tack the fun began. Lots of ups and downs with narrow dirt paths. I quickly became apparent to me that this course must have been a disaster during last years heavy rain.....and then I hear it , THUNDER...Oh SH#T guess I am going to get a taste of last years mud and then I prayed it would hold off for at least 2 loops. After slugging it out the first 5K I checked my Garmin and it said an AVG 8 min pace ... oh man , another 7hour Run seemed to be a real possibility. Then it happened... a gift from the Running Gods , the course opened up to single lane road , slightly downhill covered in wood chips. I changed my ruining stance from Trail to Road stretching out the legs and picking it up to a 4:30 pace. The easy running went on for a few Ks , it was a combo of tractor trails and flat single track through a Pine Forest. The Runners pretty much had the trail to ourselves. I passed an Elderly Woman out for a hike , one of the few people I would see that wasn't running or helping out. As I ran past she stopped and yelled at me " Hey you look like a Mohawk" I looked back and smiled she went on " You really do" she said "they use to run around here you know , you're bandanna ..... you really look like a Mohawk". I had a pretty good chuckle ...funny things happen on the trail. The last 4Ks of the loop were the toughest , back to the narrow paths that ran diagonally across the sides of very steep hills forever going up and down... never flat. This was also when the rain started .... I knew the rest of the day was going to be a real challenge. With about 1K to go in the loop you emerge from the Forest and you are on top of a Ski Hill above the start/finish... the view is spectacular and so was the lightening ...D'OH! Yup I was a little concerned , I have a great deal of respect for Mother Natures Light and Sound show and I was standing on the top of the World...not good at all. I quickly bled some elevation making it to the bottom without getting fried..YIKES! It was Raining really hard at the start finish. I was shirtless on the first loop and starting to get a bit of a chill on so I grabbed a compression shirt at the car. I find compression shirt acts like a wet suite! I also traded my Halo Sweat Band in for a Sugoi Running Cap. Putting a Ball Cap on while running on the rain is like wearing a raincoat. A couple of Ks into the second loop the rain let up. It wasn't long and I was heating up so off came the shirt, it was shorts and a ball cap and I was quiet comfortable in the light rain. The course was beginning to soften up but it wasn't too slippery yet. I made it through the first tough 5Ks in about the same time as the first loop and then I began to pick it up. The last 1/3 of the second loop I was trailing Ron Gehl and another fellow. Listening to these guy laughing and carrying on you would have thought it was two old buddies sitting at a bar somewhere yakking it up over a few beers. Ron has a distinctive laugh that puts a smile on your face. I am always hesitant to pass these legends of Ultra Running. They stopped at the second aide station and I kept going...it wasn't really like I was passing them! The light rain continued right through the second loop. The last few Ks of the second loop were really tough, it was starting to get quiet slippery and it was slowing me down. When I hit the start finish completing the second loop I commented to Adam on what a great course he laid out and how the rain was "just beginning to soften up the trail a bit" knowing very well that it was going to be tough...I love to put on the game face! The third lap would be my Music Lap , pulled out the Tunes and played it Rocking Loud. The rain was still coming down pretty hard and there was a bit more Thunder and Lightning. The continuing rain mad the last few Ks almost impossible , it was very slippery, skid marks everywhere. All I could do is to try an walk through the tough parts and I was still going down. In one had I had my MP3 Player the other was my Water Bottle. Dumb move on my part , using the hands in this section would have really helped. Completing the third loop I dropped the Mp3 and grabbed a light T contemplating that I may get cool near the end. As I passed by the start finish heading out for my final lap I loudly declared " This is my victory lap". The rain had stopped heading into the last loop and the sky was getting brighter. The slick mud that was lap 3 turned gummy and was allot easier to get traction. I was really starting to slow down but I thought I may be able to get it in in under 6 hours, this thought helped me to push through the last part of the day. In the tough slick forest in the first 1/3 of the course a fellow came up from behind and joined me through the rough section. He was new to trial running but had done quiet well in Seaton a couple of weeks earlier. My second cute moment of the day came when he was using his hand to negotiate a tricky spot he came in contact with a plant and asked if it was Poison Ivy, I looked and told him "No your OK that's a Trillium"! I was starting to get quiet Nauseous and beginning to cramp a bit , with 7K remaining I took 4 eload caps and downed it with a glass of water and then a glass of coke. I didn't eat or drink for the last hour running right by the last aide station with about 4K remaining. Entering into the last single track section I was passed by Steve Beach. He was surging, I saw him a few K into the loop and figured he was about 10 minutes behind me. I asked him if he thought he could get it under 6 hours and he replied "No" but we both agreed he would be close. I wish I could have kept on his heals but I just didn't have it in me. I literally crawled up the last hill emerging once again at the top of the Ski Run. The legs didn't have much left in them and I started to fly down the hill not able to put the breaks on. Crossed the finish line and let out a big cheer! Garmin said 6hrs5mins15seconds, 45.03 km I was pleased!


Watched and cheered as others crossed the finish. Watched Ron Gelh come in he wasn't that far behind me. JD came in grumbling something about why do we do this and "please excuse the expletives", I responded "JD I like your expletives because the F%$#ing World is Round"... if you follow his blog you will know what I am talking about. After a few minutes of recovery I headed to the car , downed three Advil and then I had the best darn Burger I have ever had after a race.


Almost 24hours have past since I finished. Aside from being really really hungry I have very little pain. After Seaton is was 5 times worse ... just what is it about Seaton?
Next week its the Trillium 10K , a week later the Mississauga Full then two weeks later its the Sulphur Springs 50K.

Run Clinic


Run Clinic last night, 4.7K done.