Chuckanut '09 edition

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this race other than sore legs for a few days afterwards and in regards to that, the race didn't disappoint. Other than finishing I was thinking about beating my last year's time but to do that would have meant more than two training runs on this course (or any other trails for that matter). Knowing that this was going to be an endurance run only, and not a race, took any pressure off I was feeling. Plus there was a LOT of talent out there racing today, probably the most I've seen at any race. The one person I was disappointed who wasn't running was Gary Robbins. He decided to recover a bit more from the Dirty Duo that he won a couple weeks ago and save himself for Diez Vista in April.

A beautiful, sunny, cold morning (the total opposite of last year) greeted the runners and at 8am we were off. I didn't even try and go to the front or keep anyone in sight for this one. I figured I was about thirty people back for the first flat six miles. I know last year on the first big climb I maxed out for too long and went too hard. This year I took more walk breaks to try and not kill the legs too early. I said to myself that when it stopped being fun I would walk. Not that I didn't push myself a bit, though.

There were no drop bags this year due to some road washouts so I carried two full bottles of CarboPro and a half bottle of CarboPro 1200. It worked out nicely that I only had to fill up both bottles once at aid station #3 which was at the top of a long climb up Cleator Road. Then it was a nice comfortable pace with two other runners across the ridge. I pulled ahead of these two on the way to Lost Lake which is usually pretty muddy on a dry year, and this year it was a total mud pit for a couple miles. It proved pointless to even try and dodge these areas and it took more energy anyways. Before the top of this section there was a hiker coming down the hill who told me I was in 20th. Arrg! I hate knowing where I am in a race unless I'm REALLY close to the end.

On the long downhill towards the beginning of the Chinscraper I took it easy because I could feel my IT bands protesting the unpracticed decent. Luckily I had enough in my bottles I didn't need to fill up again until the top of this next climb up Chinscraper because it's hard enough without a few extra pounds of water. There was an appropriate sign halfway up this climb that read, "Is Chinscraper getting longer and steeper, or am I just getting older and fatter?". Even in my anaerobic state I had to chuckle at that one because it felt true on both fronts.

I filled up one water bottle at the top of this last hard climb then "took off" (in my slow way) down to the last aid station to the final stretch of 6 long, long miles. On the other two occasions I've done this race I basically shuffled my way from here to the finish, having used up everything I had on the other sections of the course. This year as I was pounding my way through the ups and downs I told myself I wanted to save a little bit and try and maintain a more honourable pace along this stretch. I was planning to keep my heart rate between 155 and 160 which normally is around 80% of my max. I started this section and right away got the HR to 155, feeling good. I noticed also there were two guys off in the distance and I had to hold back instead of trying to catch them right away - 6 miles is a long way at this point in the race. Keeping in my zones I steadily moved up on these two guys but it took a while. As I got closer I noticed that one of them had on white socks and white running shoes. That in itself isn't unusual. What was strange was that the shoes and socks and even his legs were clean. After all that mud we went through everyone was at least a little covered. Then I saw he didn't have a timing chip on his ankle. I finally put two and two together when I saw him pass a water bottle to the other runner then get it passed back to him. This guy was pacing the other runner. I won't tell you what I thought about that (on a frickin' 50k course even!!) but it gave me more motivation to catch and pass them.

I was pretty much on my own through the last little wooded area and on to the last flat gravel section. I saw Mike Palichuk in the distance and felt bad passing him with a mile to go. Could have been worse like me last year getting passed in the last half kilometer to go from 4th to 5th. I finished in 4:33, 18 minutes slower than last year but feeling better than any other time I've done this race. Mission accomplished in regards to keeping it a training run and finishing strong for a change. The legs are still a bit sore though.

8 days to Chuckanut

It's ridiculous to think I'm in shape to run Chuckanut next weekend. I'm going to do it, however, and whatever happens, happens. I'd like to do as well as last year but by race-time in '08 I had numerous training runs on the mountain. This year has been twice. As much as I love that course it will beat me this year, but like they say, there's always next year.
My long runs the last few weeks have been all on the road only because it's easier to do the 7 min at 80% Hr and 3 min 65% Hr workouts that Ian wants me to do. In the trails you either go up or down for too long and keep the heart rate in the proper zone and I'm putting my faith in his plan for this year. The plan this year was to improve my 100km time. Seeing as the two biggest ones, in Belgium and England, are pancake flat, there's not a great need to be killing myself on 30 minute climbs at 90% Hr. The focus is on speed so that's what it's mostly been about. I think if I progress, injury-free, to more than one long run per week I'll make it on the trails to switch things up some. My last long run before Chuckanut was today but probably should have been earlier in the week because it trashed me some - 20miles in 2:20. I don't know how I'll pull off more than a four hour run in seven days. To top it off I gave blood today as well just to throw another handicap my way. I wanted to do it far enough out from Miwok on May 2nd that I'd be back to normal levels again.
Scared I am.

Close To Home

Yesterday I was out riding my bike when my good friend Evelyn called on the cell. I don't usually hear the phone when I'm riding, but I'm glad I did this time. I came to a stop on the side of 24th near 192nd st. She asked me if I read my emails this morning. Right away I knew it was something bad, don't ask me how, I just knew. I said I hadn't seen my emails since around 9am. She broke it to me that Doug Preston, whom we used to ride with a few years ago (and whom I hadn't seen in a year, but she talked to him at Costco a couple weeks ago) was hit head on by a car while riding his bike down Old Yale Road between 128st and Scott Road on Wednesday. He was killed instantly. If anyone knows that stretch of road it's a very steep hill and one can easily reach speeds of 60kph or more. Apparently the woman who hit him had fallen asleep at the wheel and drifted across the road and hit Doug. She had two small children in her car so it would have been much worse for her had she hit a car instead. It's strange to think that literally one or two seconds sooner or later and he would have either had more time to swerve out of her way or she would have drifted across the road behind him. I know how your reactions suffer at high speeds and I just hope Doug didn't have too much time to consider what was happening.
Needless to say I was not in the best mood for riding after that but as I continued on I thought a lot about Doug, life, and how things can change literally in a heartbeat.

Trail Running Again

Wow I'd have to look back in my '08 log to see the last time I ran in Chuckanut Mountain ... okay I just did and it was about ten days after the actual race last March. That was the last time so I haven't been to my favourite training grounds in over ten months. Way too long. I would have done more there in prep for the many trail races last season but I did Diez Vista in the beginning of Apri,l then the Sun Run, then the shin splints caught up with me. After that it was mostly riding with some races
thrown in for running training.

Today I ventured to Chuckanut and although my legs feel good now, they felt like crap during the steep hills and I'm sure I'll be walking funny tomorrow. I think my heart is in better shape than my legs but they can't admit it. A couple more weeks and I'll be ready for the race but too bad it's my only real trail race this year. The views were as far as the horizon, Mt. Baker loomed large, and the ocean was spectacular. Although I was doing a run by heart rate, I had to stop several times in my favourite spots to absorb the views and the total lack of man-made sounds. I only fell one time!! Amazing. No injuries. I didn't even injure my injured finger after my fight with the table saw (the saw always wins). This time I was cutting baseboards and near the end of a long cut the board kicked out and whacked my finger resulting in an avulsion of the tip and what felt like a broken middle knuckle.



This is what it looks like under the bandage (picture from google pictures, you can find anything there). It cut my nail nicely too. X-rays were negative for fractures of the knuckle which I figured because it feels better today and there's more mobility in it. Geez I've had more exciting injury stories than I have running stories. Good thing the house is almost done. It's amazing how fast I've learned to type with my third finger for the middle finger.

I got a DVD from Spartathlon yesterday that I'll try and load on the site. It's cool if you have an hour to kill to watch it.

Exercise-o-rama

The last week has been the most exercise-filled one I've had since November of last year. November 8 to be exact. Sure I've done a bit of swimming and biking to work here and there but no running because I wasn't sure the right foot would be happy or not. Frankly I was just scared that it would start to hurt again and really didn't want to go through another few weeks or more without running so I let the work in the bathroom take over (it's pretty much done, thank you very much, a few weeks longer than I wanted) and tried not to think about it. With the reno mostly done, I figured it was time to test it out.
Last Friday I did a 90 minute ride. Saturday was the first run - 60 minutes, 6.85 miles on dead flat road while Elias was at hockey practice. Sunday I did a roundabout ride to the rink to watch his game, about 90 minutes again, and was extremely happy that my foot felt pretty good from the day before. Monday was a 60 minute run through Crescent Park. Some light hills but nice soft terrain. Foot again felt good later in the day and the following one. Tuesday was 60 minutes on the stationary bike at work. Wednesday was 60 minutes on the treadmill then 30 minutes on the stationary bike later on. Thursday I did 60 minutes on the eliptical trainer at the gym. Friday was the longest bike in I don't even know how long, 68 km, 2.5 hours.
It was a week that I wanted to kick-start my cardio system again and I think it's been done. The foot feels good for now. I'm not wanting to push it so I will be taking it easy for the next month or so to make sure nothing else breaks down. With help from my massage therapist, Holly the Magnificent, the back is also feeling less sore and isn't as noticeable anymore but it's still there. Crossing my fingers.

Race Season, '09 edition

So after much thought I figured I'd sign up for the Chuckanut 50km again. Hopefully my foot will be feeling better and I actually get some miles in before the race. As I'm gearing up for a mostly road year again, my trail skills will definitely be lacking. I haven't done a whole lot in two months so it may just be a long day.
I'm still not decided on whether to do the Zane Grey 50 mile in April. Because it's supposedly really technical and hilly I'm not sure if it's the best idea to spend time training for it when that terrain is not my main focus. I may sign up for the Diez Vista 50km which is around the same time but no travelling and is doable on road training although it's very tough, too.
Of course those two in April will be out the window if my name gets drawn in the lottery for the Miwok 100km on May 2nd in San Francisco. This was the race I had to cancel last year because of shin splints. I've heard so many great things about it I'd love to give it a go. Plus it's more conducive to road training because it's not a technical trail but has 10,000 feet of elevation.
June is the main focus with the World 100km Championships in Belgium. I really want to focus on speed this year for this race. In the past the World's has always been a secondary race for me whether it's after an Ironman or in between other races which didn't leave me 100% prepared. Or I was coming off an injury and didn't feel fully trained. This year I hope things are different. I'll be revealing goal times when we get closer.
The summer will see the World Police/Fire Games come to Vancouver and for fun I'm entering some events. Not like I'll be ready for any of them but it'll be fun. I'm going to do the Grouse Grind, Seymour Hill Climb (cycling), half-marathon, and I was entered in the triathlon but I was called the other day by an airport firefighter, Steve Knowles, who asked if I'd be part of his relay team and do the bike for the tri. I'm leaning more and more towards it as it would save me some time by not having to practice my open water swimming or my bike to run workouts. I think I'll do that instead.
September in England is the Commonwealth 100km Championships. Not to be confused with the Commonwealth Games, this is just a race between Commonwealth countries. Can I say Commonwealth one more time? Commonwealth. Anyways, I thought this would be a cool thing to do and, having never been to England, would be a fun trip, hoping to visit with Ian again.
As a finish to the year I may again do the H2H with a possible twist at the end - I may turn it into an H2H2H where I return to Haney and the start line, 200km total. That depends alot on my crew (Carrie) and whether they (she) will want to be driving and supporting me for around 20 hours. Have to see how the body holds out this year. Things are always subject to change.
In 2010 I turn 40 so after all the "craziness", I have to think up something to do to celebrate that milestone.

Yet Another Setback (PG-13)

For all those who are sqeamish with viewing others' body areas or with young kids viewing or who are just tired of looking at my anatomy, don't look at the picture at the "bottom" of this entry.
Things were possibly starting to look up in that I did a 30 minute treadmill run last Sunday and didn't have any foot pain that I'd had before. Even the next day it felt pretty good. Sunday night, however, I did a little stupid that has set me back again for a few weeks. I guess I'd be more choked if the weather was better for running and riding and if I wasn't engrossed in doing the bathroom (yes, still the bathroom, Christmas has a habit of getting in the way of my renos). All things considered it couldn't have happened at a better time.
Long story short - I fell from a height of about six feet onto my stair railing on my lower back, then landed on the stairs, butt first. Initially I thought I heard a crack and thought some ribs might have gone. Once I could stand I knew something was up as every time I brought my right leg forward to walk there was a stabbing pain in my lower back, and I mean stabbing. I iced it for about an hour and it felt good sitting in a chair but once I got up it was a repeat of said stabbing pain. I figured I should go to emerg in case I was peeing blood or any other internal injuries like kidneys or something.
Long story even longer it took ten minutes to get out of the car, pay for parking, and get into the hospital doors because I could barely move and was terrified of slipping on ice.
Anyways, after x-rays, negative results with the urine tests, and 4 and a half hours waiting (now 2:30 a.m.) it took the doc ten minutes to tell me I had a soft tissue injury that should be better in a few days. I was sent home with tylenol with codeine and a prescription for more T3s. What fun. Every day I kept thinking I was getting better but then a couple days ago I would be walking and suddenly a searing, burning pain would halt me in my tracks eliciting a string of expletives from my mouth. I've been checking daily and the source of that burning pain is eminating from an area south of the border easily identified in the picture below:





In spite of everything I signed up for two races today. More on that tomorrow. Oh, and Happy New Year to everybody now let's get rid of this snow and do some training!!