Gary Robbins, Endurance Athlete

(video) 215km East Coast Trail Speed Record

2012-01-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

On Friday, August 20th, 2010, I set out to run the 215km long East Coast Trail from Cappahaden to St. John's in a non-stop speed record fashion. Exactly two weeks prior I had run the 75km (80km) West Coast Trail and messed up my hip (glute med) in the process. This would be the pain and injury I keep referencing in the film below, and why I was unable to run for so long following the completion of the ECT. I distinctly remember saying to my Mother the day before the ECT attempt that I needed another day or two to recover/prepare/sleep, to which she responded,

"You have to do this now. The extended forecast is turning nasty within hours of your anticipated completion. It's now or never. This is your day to do this."

Why do Mom's always have to be so damn right all the time?

I flew across Canada on the red-eye flight from Tuesday the 17th till Wednesday the 18th, departing Vancouver at 10pm and arriving in St. John's at 12:30pm the following day. I managed one full night of rest on the 18-19th, and then stayed at The Midnight Hill Manor in Renews the night before the attempt (I never got a chance to properly thank them for their incredible hospitality and support of Right To Play. THANK YOU Carol Ann and Bob)

Late on the night of the 19th, after finally feeling confident enough in my preparation, I managed less than four hours of rest before the 4am alarm went off. It was then or never. It did have to happen on that day. I remember thinking to myself that I would have DNS'ed (did not start) any other race with how I was feeling, right down to a 50k distance, yet I showed up and gave it everything I had in me. It was yet another amazing lesson in the power of the human mind and the ability to truly block out pain. I am incredibly proud of this run, and even if I had shown up that day 100% healthy and rested I doubt I would have been much faster anyways. I may just have enjoyed some of it a bit more...what am I saying? It was 35hours on my feet, how much can you ever really enjoy something like that anyways? (I loved every second of it)

The above is my official video, thanks to Erik Nachtrieb over at 1iOpen Productions for tirelessly working on this piece and trimming down my very rough, approximately eight hours of footage into what you see above.

I hope you enjoy it.

These are the people that made this run possible.
My Ma and Pa, my niece Kayla, brother Bryan, and his wonderful partner Heather

(Video) Taking The Stage At FEAT Canada

2012-01-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Back in October Sean Verret asked me if I'd like to join the line up of featured speakers for the first ever Canadian version of a FEAT night (Fascinating Expedition and Adventure Talks). The premise both scared and excited me and I said yes when everything inside of me was screaming no. I only have a handful of previous public speaking experience, and though I know I can banter and joke without question behind a mic, my last presentation left me feeling embarrassed for myself. I say this because at the time (two years ago) I simply did not know what it took to produce an engaging talk. I showed up to that one woefully under prepared, as I had left far too much for the last minute.

Fast forward to November 2011 and having learned from previous mistakes, I finally realized how much time something like this would take in advance of the night to get it right. Add to that the fact that the FEAT nights are very specific and the 'rules of engagement' are that you get 21 slides, that auto-scroll every 20 seconds, for a grand total of seven minutes. Once you start talking your slides start rolling, and the timer starts counting down. There is very little room for error or improv and as such I am not exaggerating when I say I put well over 40-50hrs into this thing before I took the stage on November 15th.

I was exceptionally nervous, even though I was among a group of supportive friends and peers. When I walked out on stage I did exactly as I had practiced. I took a deep breath, smiled, and tried to let it all flow. I had memorized the talk inside out and my plan was to easily reference the first few cue cards before finding my rhythm. I guess I was shaking so much that it was noticeable to most of the audience and all I could figure after the fact is that my shaking hands would not allow me to clearly reference my cue cards. Less than a minute in and I blurted out something like

"WHAT, THEY'RE NOT IN ORDER?" (when in fact they were)

Which was immediately followed by a numbing of my entire body and complete silence, as my world seemed to be shrinking before me. There were numerous umms, and ahhhs as I was completely rattled. The slides were rolling along and I actually turned to the organizers and said,

"Can I get a redo?"

To which the response was,

"Just talk."

Now at this point I was angry. Not at the organizers but at myself. You don't get redos in life, period. I'm thankful they simply told me to talk and left me to fend for myself. I had put so much time and effort into this thing that I doubted many others had prepared so thoroughly. Yet I somehow still found myself standing in front of an audience of 400-500 ppl looking dumbfounded and like I'd taken a wrong turn on my way to the bathroom and somehow ended up on stage.

As I was internally cursing myself all I could focus on was that I knew the damn talk intimately. It was MY TALK, how could I NOT know it. I looked up, the clock ticking away, now multiple slides behind, and just started rambling off all I could remember. I cut out little bits here and there as I knew I had to catch back up to my slides. I spoke like I did when I first left Newfoundland, when no one else could decipher a word I was saying because I can speak so fast. I continued plugging away and at exactly three minutes I finally managed to align my talk back up with my slides. I remember a huge sense of relief as this happened and again I was grateful for all the back end work I had put into the thing. Knowing my presentation so well, was all that salvaged it. This allowed for me to remove small tidbits along the way, to speed up my voice, and to know exactly when I was back on track.

Now for some reason FEAT edited out my 45second debacle, with a cut at 1m25s in. As funny as this is to say I kinda wish it were still in there as it would help explain why I was behind my auto-scrolling slides and speaking rather hurriedly to catch back up. It would also put on full display just how scared I was by the whole evening and how happy I was with myself, after the fact, for pulling it out of the ashes. I was seconds away from simply going down as the one presenter who couldn't handle the pressure. Thankfully I simply went down as the one guy who nearly botched it but somehow managed to pull his head out of his ass just in time to salvage the damn thing.

Have a watch, and feel free to let me know your thoughts. I would like to present again somewhere, sometime, and am wide open for constructive feedback.

And be sure to check out the next edition of FEAT here in North Vancouver on Feb 12th

GR

The Things You See (a dog riding a bike)

2012-01-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Went for a walk, got highly entertained. Unfortunately Roxy was out for a run (she trains harder than I do) as I would have loved to see her reaction to this as well. I'm still contemplating whether the dogs owner was just plain crazy, or crazy awesome?

A New 50 Miler Is Born: The Squamish50 (08-11-12)

2011-12-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

After a one year hiatus for the ten year old Stormy ultra marathon we're bringing it back with a bang for 2012. Same great location of Squamish, BC, same great date of August 11th, two new race directors (including yours truly), a new name, and a BRAND NEW COURSE!

I myself resided in Squamish for over three full years and I consider it to be where I first cut my teeth in the running world, in fact my first ever ultra was the 2005 Stormy 67k and my first ever 100miler was the 2008 Stormy100.

Though Stormy had continually changed and evolved from 64k to 67k to 50miles to 100miles, co-race director Geoff Langford and I are simply looking to create one hell of a 50miler that will knock your socks off, almost literally. We've also continued with the relay option, and added in a 21k run over the final portions of the course.

I've had a long standing vision of what I dreamed a 50mile run in a true trail town like Squamish could be, and I could not be more excited to finally piece it all together. For those who knew the Stormy Trail Race, Nine Mile Hill is officially dead! To clarify, we removed this heinous climb not due to the fact that it was uphill for six miles, but due to the fact that you were on logging roads for nearly seven miles by the time you completed the loop. In a town that posses well over a hundred kilometers of cushy, flowing singletrack, we considered this completely unacceptable. Stormy was born of a bike racing course (The Test Of Metal), and we're proud to offer up the very first running specific course to ever be designed in the trail haven of Squamish, BC.

In line with The Squamish50 mission of creating the best possible running course in Western Canada, we've completely retooled the first 20miles of the original route. This has allowed us to accomplish our goal of removing as much logging road as possible (we're down to just a few miles now), while still keeping and even adding to our overall vertical gain. In the end we came very close to 10,000 feet of climbing and descent, in a completely new point to point run. In fact over half of the Squamish50 course has never before been sanctioned in an ultra run. We've pieced together over 80% singletrack on a 95% unique route, as you'll cover just 2.5miles of the course twice, and for that we're confidently saying...

YOU-ARE-GOING-TO-LOVE-WHAT-WE'VE-CREATED-FOR-YOU!!

For full details check out our:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

We're also proud to announce that we've added an official race day photographer. Anyone who's run an ultra in the Pacific Northwest is sure to know the one and only Mr. Glenn Tachiyama. His work does speak for itself afterall.

Last but not least, on the topic of pictures, these are not Glenn's shots but we thought you might enjoy them, and we sincerely hope to see you out come race day. We are confident that we're really onto something special here and we simply can not wait to show it all off come August!

A Little Story That Has Nothing To Do With Running

2011-12-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

(If you scroll to the bottom ahead of reading it steals the punchline. It's a short posting I promise.)

Not sure why this just came to me but I realize it's been an awfully long time since I logged in here...

Way back in the spring, on the same day that I crashed my bike into the ever dangerous concrete floating street curb (it was ducking and diving so much it was impossible to avoid), I posed this video showing my neighbors gardening to gangster rap. I didn't know this lady at the time, and with her short plump build, constant stoic appearance, apparently over-sized offspring, affections for gangster rap, and incessant work ethic I pegged her for being Eastern European. It was obvious she was stuck here in North Vancouver after the boat she solo paddled across the Atlantic Ocean slammed into Nova Scotia, at which point she figured she could just walk home via Sarah Palin's bridge from Alaska to Russia. Upon completing her 8,000km trek on no sustenance other than rain water, she discovered that no such bridge existed. Undeterred, she settled on residing in North Vancouver until she could build yet another row boat off the land. Able to afford nothing but seedlings she had obviously taken to gardening in an attempt to grow a single oak tree before she turned 108 so she could row back to her homeland for her passing, much like the salmon returning to their coastal waterways in the fall.

With this highly intuitive and accurate knowledge of this lady firmly entrenched in my brain, she finally spoke to me one day in passing,

"You like fix?"

Thinking to myself, shit, did she just say that? There were painters here yesterday that aren't here today. Dammit she's gonna put me to work like the Canadian child they wouldn't let her adopt...act stupid...

"Umm...(awkward silence) what?"

"You like fix?"

Shit, she didn't even crack a smile. This lady is tougher than Bruce Willis in Die Hard, not Die Hard 2, 3, 4, or 5, THE ORIGINAL DIE HARD.

"Ummm" sweating bullets "Ummm" can't think, scared for life, just run, she knows where I live, SAY SOMETHING, "Whaaat?"

Now she's getting pissed. This is not what I want. She huffs a little and stares straight through my soul as if to say 'listen you little shit, you either help me fix my house or your gonna be my fertilizer'

"You like fix?"

Petrified that even the slightest delay may cost me my life,

"YES!" YES, please God have mercy on me, I'll fix anything you want lady!"

"Come"

Oh shit. Of course I have to follow her, please don't let this be in her basement, please don't have posters of Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Bates on your walls, please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you say lady, I'll dig six feet deep as long as it's not for me. I'll wear a skin suit if it fits. I'll put the lotion on the skin. Whatever you say lady just LET ME LIVEEEE!

"Take" as she points to a ladder.

At which point I stare 30 feet up in the air at her near vertical rooftop and contemplate faking an injury. She knows I was on crutches all winter, just fall down. Just fall over Gary. If you want to live FALL ONTO YOUR DAMN FACE NOW!

Then she has me set up the ladder under a tree in her yard, and SHE starts ascending it. Slowly, one agonizing rung at a time. Clang. Clang. Clang. The bell tolls for thee. Clang. What's she hiding up there? Body parts? Locusts? A treehouse of death? Is it...

"Catch"

OH NO, oh God NO what could it be...

"Figs. You like Figs?"

What's that they say? Something about books and covers and stuff. Of course I knew she was a sweet ole Italian lady named Rosa. Knew it all along I did.

GR

Taking The Stage

2011-11-12T21:16:00.001-08:00

I have very little experience in the realm of public speaking, though I do love attempting to engage an audience. A month back Sean Verret from FEAT Canada (no this has nothing to do with jones fractures thankfully) contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in presenting at The Centennial Theatre, which is only a block away from my house.

FEAT standing for "Fascinating Expedition and Adventure Talks" and was first held in South Africa one year ago. In all honesty the premise of it scared the crap outta me and I instantly dreamed up a dozen reasons to say no. This of course meant that I had to force myself to get past my fears and step up. I've had an undertone of excited stress ever since, and on this coming Tuesday November 15th I'll take the stage with eight other presenters. Here's the official write up, I hope you can make it out.

Inaugural FEAT Canada comes to Vancouver's North Shore

FEAT, an evening of adventure sport-themed talks, has crossed continents and the Atlantic Ocean to land in Canada for the first time. The first FEAT Canada evening will take place as a part of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) Fall Speaker Series in mid-November.

Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks (FEAT) was first held in South Africa a year ago. In this time there have been three FEAT events, presented in the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Created by adventure racer Lisa de Speville, FEAT invites speakers from a range of adventure disciplines to talk on recent accomplishments and expeditions. It’s a fast-paced, slideshow-based presentation format where each speaker has only seven minutes to tell their story. Far removed from a formal speaking platform, FEAT is social and fun and the audience is encouraged to interact with speakers; ooohhhs, aaaahhhs and laughter colour the theatre.

FEAT Canada’s line-up of nine speakers includes Jen Olson, Kevin Vallely, Megan Rose, Nicki Rehn, Paul Gleeson, Philip McKernan, Scott Frandsen, Gary Robbins, and Sebastian Salas. They’ll speak of adventurers and expeditions in the disciplines of rowing, cycling, mountain climbing, ultra-distance running, skiing and mountain biking.

“It's fantastic to have so many great speakers from the lower mainland, Vancouver Island and Alberta,” says Verret, who has enthusiastically leapt into the adventure of presenting FEAT Canada. “We truly are lucky to put together a line up rich in record holders, adventurers and motivators. The night will be a magical and inspirational.”

FEAT Canada will be held on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 at The Centennial Theatre in Lonsdale, North Vancouver, British Columbia. Tickets are $15 and they can be booked by contacting (604) 984-4484. or online here

FEAT Canada is made possible by the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF; www.vimff.org)

You’ll find FEAT Canada on the web at www.featcanada.ca. There’s the speaker line up as well as links to videos of talks from the FEAT South Africa events. FEAT is also on Twitter (@FEATCanada) and Facebook (FEATSA).

CONTACT: Sean Verret, sean@featcanada.ca, 604-365-7326

One Year Ago In Northern Quebec

2011-10-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Quick Reflection w/Pics - 1st Season Of Race Course Managing

2011-09-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Late last year I commented to a few friends on how I was looking to explore options for race course directing and design. Amazingly enough and shortly thereafter it all started falling into place, and this year I joined the teams for the Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing series, the 5 Peaks trail running series, and a forthcoming local Red Bull Divide and Conquer adventure race. I felt as though just being brought on board by these highly successful and established brands was a victory in and of itself.

Basically as the course director/manager I'm responsible for everything from the inception of the specific race course until its completion. Starting with assisting in course design, pre-race flagging, implementing a race day safety strategy, dispersing of volunteers, setting up aid stations, managing volunteers while runners are on course, addressing any on the fly emergencies, and then packing up and making it appear as though you were never there to begin with. It's a behind the scenes job and I truly loved every second of it.

Obviously unforeseen was that I would end up directing all but one of these six races while on crutches, or in a colossal sized walking boot. All in all though I'd consider this to be a highly successful first season from a course directing standpoint, and I learned something new at each and every turn along the way. Being thrown onto the mic as race day MC for the Whistler version of our 5 Peaks race was the most daunting and hence one of the most rewarding experiences of my summer.

Between these six races I saw over 2500 runners and adventure racers (obviously not 2500 individuals as most raced multiple times) and we had ONE person take a wrong turn for the entire season. We're still not quite sure how that person made the wrong turn, but either way, I liked our save percentage (to steal a hockey term). Having raced for several years now myself, there's nothing I hate more than getting lost while on a flagged course (and I'm exceptionally good at this) so it's at the very top of my list of things not to f-up, though 5 Peaks have certainly been leaders in this realm since their inception.

I'm really looking forward to being back on board with all races again in 2012...unless of course they're secretly looking for my replacement as I speak?

It was a pleasure to be a very small piece in the very large puzzle towards ensuring race day success, and I'll truly miss the monthly meeting of familiar and smiling faces. Our trail running community is as strong as any I've come across and we should be exceptionally proud of this.

Of course our access to beautiful locations certainly doesn't hurt, and as an example, here's how the season finale looked at Buntzen Lake yesterday morning. Thanks to all who frequented these races this year and I look forward to seeing you again in 2012.

First wave start of Sport and Enduro courses

Ghost kids 1k race

Original unaltered shot from top of posting. All pics were taken on an iPhone 4

Flooded beach due to an upper lake dam being spilled

Flooded beach made for spectacular shots

Trimmed and flipped. Otherwise unaltered. Water reflection on top

Trimmed and turned. Reflection on left. Otherwise unaltered.

Trimmed, flipped, and brightened with a filter

Trimmed, turned, and brightened with a filter, plus an added border

And finally, never, EVER leave your car keys unattended

Moving Right Along

2011-09-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

One week out and things seem to be moving along quite nicely. No pain in my foot which is a great sign, and the walking with a proper aircast, calf cut boot, has been a breeze.

My recent exchange with my Dr. and yet another reason why we've worked so well together...

Me to him:

Alright, quick quiz. Scales of 1-5 with 1 being "don't even think about it" and 5 being "you shoulda done it yesterday"

Biking on Trainer:
Road Biking:
Elyptical Trainer:
Water running:
Swimming with full kicking:
Gym workouts:
Kick Boxing:
Sky Diving:

Dr. Boyer to me:

OK to do if pain free:

Gym (just no heavy pushing with feet)

Biking on trainer (in a shoe is probably OK)

Water running and full swimming

More cautious:

Road biking (until you can control a bike pain free as cars tend to be big and dangerous)

Elliptical (again, give it a week or so and try in a shoe)

Kick boxing - seriously?

Sky Diving - Um, no

So there you have it. Apparently my skydiving career is on hold, which might prevent me from attaining my big break, as I surely would have auditioned for the role of Johnny Utah in the unfortunate remake of the truly classic Point Break. Other than that though, I’d have to say it’s been a great first week back on my feet.

And Roxy thinks so too.

Baby Steps - Latest X-Rays

2011-09-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell. I'm getting there, if ever so slightly.

The good news. I've been cleared to ditch the crutches and start walking with the assistance of an aircast style walking boot. Looks like I'm still 4-6 weeks away from getting back to my feet proper. Baby steps.

The Calm After The Storm

2011-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Well now that the biggest ultra of 2011 has come and gone, that being the UTMB in France just under two weeks ago, I can finally consider my season of dreaming of running to have come to a close.

Via Adam Campbell

Typically in past years I've taken extended downtime in the fall anyways, and as such, even though completely sidelined, there feels like a sudden closure on the year of running that never was. I know that there are still a lot of big ultras to round out the year, but going into 2011 it was all about UTMB for me. Even though I've known conclusively since early June that it would not happen, I never quite let go of the dream of attending the race until it actually began on August 26th.

In the end simply finishing would have meant finishing ahead of most of the top names in North American ultra running. Each runner with their own story and day of race issues, it certainly made for a very dramatic race to follow via online updates. I have no doubt that given this years outcome most, if not all, will be looking to attend again in 2012. I am no different of course and hopefully the lottery gods will smile down upon most of us again come December-January. It would be an honor to stand among a class of runners even half as deep as this year's race attracted.

Once it was all said and done the indefatigable Kilian Jornet laid sole claim to the top ultra runner in the world bragging rights, after what can only be described as an unbelievable season. Lizzie Hawker took the women's race, with two American's finishing in the top six. Those being Darcy Africa in third and Helen Cospolich in sixth.

Canada's Adam Campbell proudly flew the Red and White after an incredible 2nd place finish in the 100k'ish version of the race known as CCC. Massive congrats to him on what turned out to be damn near twice as long as he'd ever run before!

As for me I have my next x-ray in six short days time. Assuming all has gone according to plan in the last five weeks (of course nothing has to date) than I might just find myself finally off of these damn sticks. After 7.5 months on these things, dare I say I might not even know what to do with myself.

IF I am set free, I am most certainly looking forward to a fall season of walking, hiking, and road biking, while holding off on the running temptations until at least Jan of next year.

I know I've been on these things just a wee bit too long when while catching the final Harry Potter flick with my girlfriend this past weekend, I found myself wondering when Harry had gotten off his crutches...yeah, seriously.

GR

Musings From The Sidelines - Weekend Ultra Story Lines

2011-08-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of big races took place this past weekend and as always there were many story lines that emerged. A couple that stood out to me

(Hope Pass)

Ryan Sandes's 100 Mile Debut

South African Ryan Sandes won the Leadville 100 miler with the 3rd fastest time in the race's 28 year history. Yeah, that little race in Colorado that attracts one of the largest fields of any North American 100 miler. The race with a low point of 9,600 feet, and a high point of 12,620 while cresting Hope Pass...twice. That little race where the two fastest times ahead of this 100 mile rookie's performance are Matt "The Lung" Carpenter and Anton "My Bones Heal Faster Than Yours" Krupicka.

It's not like Sandes is inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination though, as he's the only person to ever sweep the Racing The Planet stage racing series. That does little to diminish the shocking caliber of his 100 mile debut however. And, if you happen to be keeping tabs, yes that another Salomon victory this year, and yes that's the 4th major US race to be won by an 'out of towner' since December.

NF 50 Champs - Heras

WS 100 - Jornet

Hardrock - Chorier

Leadville - Sandes

Can a U.S. runner finally snag victory at the most competitive race of the year, starting in France on Friday evening? (and yes my heart bleeds just a little bit every time I think about missing out on that starting line)

Dave Mackey Back Atop UROY 2011 Voting?

Dave Mackey got back to form again on the weekend by breaking yet another course record. This time at the Waldo 100k in Oregon. This one is summed up nicely right on their homepage: It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly.

Dave shaved just over four minutes off of Erik Skagg's 2009 effort, in which you may recall he ran himself straight into the hospital, which thankfully he eventually fully recovered from.

After Mackey finished 8th at Western States he seemed to fall out of favor with the UROY chatter, even though his 8th place finish was a pretty damn solid 16h36m effort.

It will be interested to see what the voters think come year’s end, though there is still a lot of racing to go. I'm curious if we'll see similar to past years, where there seems to be a weighted voting process associated with the distance of the runs upon one's resume. Though it's pretty hard to argue the stats:

-1st CR Bandera 100k

-1st Amercan River 50m

-1st Miwok 100k

-8th Western States 100m

-1st CR Waldo 100k

Canadian Back In The Mix

Canadian runner Chris Downie broke onto the scene a few years back with some impressive results, before seeming to disappear for about a year. Well it appears the BC native is back with a vengeance as he pulled off a very impressive 4th place finish at the above mentioned Waldo 100k on the weekend. Downie finished just ahead of Oregon's own Yassine Diboun, who is a highly regarded ultra runner, and all around great guy period.

I believe Chris's next race will be another Oregon gem, the Pine to Palm 100 miler in mid September, and I'll say right now that I'm picking him for a podium finish. Chris has shown nothing but success over longer distance runs while winning his first 100mile and 146km races.

Thoughts?

So whatdaya think? Is Ryan Sandes poised to become the next great 100 mile runner? Is Dave Mackey your pick for UROY through 2/3 of the year? Have you ever raced against Chris Downie and come away shocked that a man who looks like a football player can be so damn fast?

Funny Fridays - Tommy Tiernan (+Anderson Cooper Giggle Attack)

2011-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

I managed to get my first speeding ticket in over seven years a week back, and in a 30 year old Subaru held together with duct tape and spit I might add. I was initially upset over it but before I arrived home, just ten minutes later, I found myself swelling with pride as I'm quite confident that it's the first speeding ticket my 81 Subaru GLF has ever earned, given that I purchased her from an elderly family, as a second owner, and with but 80,000miles on the odo.

Tommy Tiernan's take on his speeding ticket:

and if you have a few more minutes on your hands I promise you won't regret watching his take on the all drug Olympics as well:

And as a last second addition here. Mr. Anderson Cooper has a pretty funny giggling breakdown last night. They have disabled embedding so you'll have to click here to watch the 69second video.

Enjoy your weekend!
GR

33 Days To Freedom (a nice x-ray)

2011-08-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

August 2nd, 2011

Thankfully I have finally had an image of my foot that looks positive, and for all intents and purposes I should be cleared of these sticks by my follow up x-ray on Sept 13th!

I headed into this thing last week (it's taken me a bit to catch up on here) knowing I was going to hear one of two things:

1) Your foot is finally healing properly and you should be off crutches within six weeks

OR

2) Your foot is not healing properly and you'll need surgery and be on crutches until December

In all honesty I had built up my defenses for the latter and was prepared for the worst. So much so that when I glanced at the initial x-ray myself I thought for sure I was headed to surgery, "Book me in Doc". As he looked at it properly though he was able to distinguish distinct healing lines upon the bone structure that suggest that I should be on the home stretch for this thing right now, which was obviously a massive relief.

I've said this continually to those close to me but recently noticed my rather large oversight in not posting it on my own blog: I'm fully aware of the fact that no matter what the circumstances of the last twelve months of my life have been, this will always boil down to 'just a broken foot'. It will eventually heal, I will eventually run again. If this is the worst thing that I have to tackle in the coming years than I'm an even more fortunate soul than I already feel that I am, simply through being born into a prosperous and free nation. I spent a full calendar year cycle touring impoverished and post war-torn countries, and though that was eight years back in my life, you never quite look at the world the same again. I don't say it with every blog posting as I've never felt the need to, but, it's never been lost on me for even a moment that I've been born with a silver spoon in my mouth simply based upon where I was geographically conceived (nice work Ma and Pa).

Running is not not life and death, no matter how we slice and dice it, it will always just be running. We can live, quite happily, without it. In the meantime though, I fully intend to appreciate every additional running step I'm granted upon my newly fused bone, starting early in the new year.

I can start back on my bike in six weeks though, which basically means my Christmas present, is arriving early...

"I feel happy of myself" (that link the closest you're getting to a FF this week)
GR

Progression Of Sport - Slacklining Competitions

2011-08-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I know a damn thing about slacklining cause that'd be the equivalent of me trying to teach you the fundamentals of Sepak Takraw (apparently you can kick each other in the nuts if you can jump high enough) However, this past weekend in Salt Lake City I was forced to do a double take as out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of trampoline style flying moves, that were being performed on a ONE INCH wide piece of nylon. Without question I sat my rump down and took it all in.

As it turned out I was watching the finals of the highest cash purse competition to date in the slacklining world, $2500 awarded over top three at the 1st Annual Gibbon Games. Two of the competitors I caught on film were an 80lb fourteen year old, and the 2010 World Champion. As you can see it was pretty crazy stuff, and any sport that features an "Atomic Butt-bounce" is pretty alright in my books.

From an outsiders perspective looking in, the first I'd ever really heard of slacklining was also in Utah, before the 2006 Primal Quest expedition race. Given that we were about to embark upon a 700km - 9 day (for us) race I didn't dare step up and try it out, and given my recent successes at cracking bones I'd say I made the right choice. A few of our friends did however give it a shot and the one thing burned into my memory was hearing this guy in the cowboy hat describe how it had taken him weeks of relentless efforts to figure out the basics, yet now (then) people were putting together the basics in under a day. Five years later almost to the month and I wonder if anyone could have envisioned the sport progressing this fast, this far, or more importantly in this specific direction? Pretty cool to see but now the question beckons, what's going to happen when the slacklining world begins to see cross over from the gymnastics world vs the now dominant climbing scene, AND is there any possible way that this sport is yet ready for spandex??

(Slacklining finding its roots in 2006)

Funny Fridays...on a Sunday

2011-08-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Sexy Scooter Song

Gotta thank Chris Downie for the forward on this one. Highlight sexy dance moves happen just over one minute in. I'm sorry...but not really,

I'm always on the hunt for funny vids to post. If you have something you think would work in here please drop me an email at robbins.runner@gmail.com and I'll be sure to properly thank you if it makes the cut.

GR

White River 50

2011-08-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

I had been told that the White River 50 miler was one of the absolute must attend races of the year here in the Pacific North West, ranking right up there with James Varner's Orcas Island 50k in Feb. In the end it certainly did not disappoint as I got to catch up on a lot of old friendships, and forge some new ones as well.

My scooter purchase has continually proven to be the best $500 I've spent in recent memory and I had a bit of fun chasing some of the runners around the course. Here's a short vid that I set to FFD, which I personally think makes it a bit of fun to watch. Congrats to everyone who participated, and hats off to the organizers for what appeared to be a flawlessly organized event.

Funny Fridays will be posted on Sunday afternoon: ~~Also, there won't be a Funny Fridays this week~~, I know, I know, huge sigh by seven people right. Personally I'm flying down to my first ever Outdoor Retailer in Utah and ~~nothing has readily found me this week that's worth posting~~. Have a great weekend playing in the sunshine!

GR

Pure Life Pursuits & UltrAspire

2011-08-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here's me backtracking to follow up on what I've posted on FB & Twitter but had forgotten to mention on here.

As of July 1st I have a new distribution company called Pure Life Pursuits Distribution (the website is pretty basic right now but it does all I need it to for the time being) and as of August 1st PLP is the official Canadian national distributor for the exciting new line up from Bryce Thatcher and the people at Elite Creators, called UltrAspire.

If you haven't heard of Bryce Thatcher specifically, here's all you need to know. He started this whole hydration pack thing way back when with the birth of the Ultimate Direction lineup. He followed that up by taking over the pack designs at Nathan and growing that company by 1000% in seven years...yeah that's the right number of zeros. Basically any innovations that have come into the hydration world over the last decade are more than likely directly attributed to Bryce's ingenious ways. Now he's producing his most progressive and refined lineup to date, under his own brand called UltrAspire.

UltrAspire already have some big ultra running names associated with the brand, such as Krissy Moehl, Karl Meltzer, Joe Grant, Duncan Callahan, and Matt Hart. Input from athletes such as these, combined with Bryce's own mountain speed record running history, ensure that each and every design is thoroughly thought out, impeccably tested, and tweaked to perfection before it makes it to market.

I was excited by the premise of this brand in March. Got further stoked when I saw the first version of the samples back in May, and nearly lost my shit when the final samples made their way to me just a few short weeks ago. Bar none, this stuff is honestly the best I've seen from any brand to date, and I'm exceptionally excited to be working with such an incredible group of people.

The first few packs will be available this fall with the majority of the line up available before years end. The official market launch will happen this weekend at the OR in Utah. If you happen to be there, be sure to swing by and check it all out. Fellow Canadians can expect to see this in stores by late fall and I'll be sure to update our Twitter feed along the way with any new developments.

To sum up how I feel about all this in two simple words: WOOO HOOO!!
GR

Marathon Swimming

2011-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

NO, not me. NO freakin way man, but I did get to crew for a friend of mine who just completed the 9km Bay Challenge swim route from Sandy Cove to Kits Beach in Vancouver, on July 24th.

The Bay Challenge is a race that originated in 1931 to celebrate the opening of the outdoor 50meter Kits Pool and they had 33 swimmers that year. I'd never even heard of it until Wade Repta mentioned it a few years back. When he put out the all call for a crew I jumped all over it (insert single legged jokes here) and recruited my girlfriend and a good buddy along for the boat ride.

In the end we had a rare sunny day and perfect temps to enjoy being out on the water all morning. Pics attached and massive congrats to Wader for completing the route in 4.5hrs!

Wade Repta Swims The Bay

Funny Fridays

2011-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Quite a while back I posted the infamous Louis C.K. clip of his appearance on Conan O'Brien (everything's amazing and nobody's happy). It was amazingly accurate and funny all at once and an instant online hit.

On Tuesday of this week a friend posted a nine minute version of this same comedian's stand-up routine, and I found myself laughing out loud while at the same time feeling quite guilty about it at times (thanks Emily). I actually love it when a comedian can do this to me, but as such I have to give the earmuffs warning on this one. If you're easily offended, skip it. If you're under age and have never in your life heard an f-bomb (or worse...much worse), get on outta here. If you take life a wee bit too seriously and like to find things to complain about, feel free, but consider yourself warned. However, If you like offensive humor and need a good laugh then click away...

GR

Electric Boogaloo

2011-07-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

(sick rhymes, sicker moves yo!)

The above has virtually nothing to do with my posting. In fact it has exactly 3.02748% to do with anything, ever, in the history of mankind. But damn they gots moves! Anyone else actually remember this stuff?

Anyways, personally life is rolling right along and overall things are great, HOWEVER, things were made even gooder (yes I love that word) after a recent acquisition of a new toy. I like to think of it as a problem solver, which is how I justified the $500 purchase. ($500.99 to be exact...ya know if ya sold it for $1 cheaper you could say it's under five hundred all in right? Anywho)

Problems that needed solving:

-the whole being sidelined all summer bit was getting old. Older still was the loss of the ability to 'walk' to accessible locations such as the coffee shop (sweaty mess if actually sunny), grocery store (backpack full of groc not conducive to crutching any actual distance), dog walks (dogs get bored and actually start gnawing on my one good stump)
-unnecessarily driving a 30 year old car around town. I love my car. I go to Seattle/Tacoma in it twice a month to see my beautiful girlfriend, but it's almost as old as I am and as such it enjoys lengthy breaks. Driving five minutes to spend ten minutes looking for a parking spot was getting old in a hurry
-loss of ability to freely move any real distance outside of a car, such as bike paths, trails, walking, etc. Beyond fitness, training, and racing, what I have missed more than anything throughout this process is the simple daily ability to get outside, cover some distance, breath some fresh air, and take in some sunshine
-an eventual 12km commute to my soon to be office for Pure Life Pursuits Distribution in Vancouver (oh yeah, I need to back track a posting on this one as I only mentioned on FB & Twitter, opps)

SO. After the better part of five hours of online research into what might work best I placed an order for the Super Turbo 800 Watt Elite...and it arrived just the other day. I have named her/him, Damiano Cunego or DC, because during the recent Tour De France I thought this was the coolest name of any of the lead riders, though Canada's own Ryder Hesjedal comes in a very close second.

GR

Montrail On A Roll - Hot New Shoes For 2012!

2011-07-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

I'm salivating! The new 2012 Montrail catalogue just found its way to me and on top of the plenitude of rad new colors, there are THREE brand new shoes, AND the debut of the long awaited OutDry on five others. Oh, and I have to ensure that I mention these won't be available until Feb 2012.

The highlights are definitely the three new kicks. Starting off with an even lighter version of a Rogue Racer called the Rogue Fly

Then The Badwater, which is being billed as a neutral, cushioned, hybrid.

and the third newbie being the Bajada in which Mr. iRunFar ran to a successful 31st placing at the Western States 100 last month in a time of 19h24m. Neutral, cushioned, and superior traction.

~~Check out the full 2012 catalogue below~~ and let the countdown to Feb begin!

We will return to your regularly scheduled program after OR in Utah in a few short weeks...until then here are some pics of the newbies plus the latest colours for the MM:

Rogue Fly

Bajada

Badwater

Mountain Masochist

Funny Fridays

2011-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Three quick ones to throw your way this week. Starting with how NOT to use a rowing machine, followed by the incomparable Will Ferrell, and finally just a friendly reminder, in case you'd already forgotten...or tried to.

Good Cop, Baby Cop from Will Ferrell

Funny Fridays

2011-07-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago I started posting funny Friday videos during the off season as a way to absolve myself of any blogging 'duties'. Well, my off season arrived early this year, and as such I give to you The Tololo Song! (via Laura Houston)
Try singing this one to pass the time during your next race, training day, or commute to work...

Best of luck too all the local Knee Knacker 50k runners tomorrow and all the current Hardrock 100 mile runners who started way too early this morning! Oh yeah, and Sinister Seven as well. Big weekend of racing. AND Badwater on Monday...huge weekend!
GR

Damn Sunshine

2011-07-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

What the hell weather gods? I thought I was pretty clear in my request for apocalyptic style weather patterns for the next eight weeks or so. I mean, how disgusted am I today. Not even a singular locust besieged North Vancouver residents this past long weekend. Happy Canada Day, Schmappy Canada Day I say. Independence Day, Schmindependence Day. How can people celebrate while I'M suffering like this?? I dunno really, but I'm sure Karma will certainly even things out eventually.

As the sun shone bright above and I realized that outdoor enthusiasts were sure to be hitting the trails en mass I figured the best place for me to hang out would be the local ER. I crutched on down there and grabbed a seat.

"Can we help you sir?"

"No, I'm fine thanks."

I sat there for three hours just waiting for the first athletic person to be dragged through the ER doors writhing in pain so I could point and laugh. When it became evident that no one was quite as hardcore as I am and they couldn't even break a singular bone on a beautiful day, I decided to go for a spin around the ward and garner as much personal attention as I could.

"Can we help you sir?"

"No, no, I'm fine thanks. Just fine. Just me and a JONES FRACTURE crutching on through your ward. Maybe you've heard of them before. They can be quite deadly ya know, and apparently I'm one of only 6% of the population who have survived not JUST ONE, but TWO of them. Yeah I know. I'm pretty bad ass right."

"Sir there are people in here with real issues. Can you please get out of our way"

"REAL ISSUES! HA! Maybe you should google your shit Doc. JONES FRACTURE. Spelled with a J!"

Eventually security escorted me out and instructed me to go play in traffic or something.

"Well I WOULD IF I COULD WALK DAMMIT!"

Some people.

Anyways, I ended up having to crutch on home and I had forgotten to pack my sunglasses forcing me to squint the entire time. I know, I know. Nightmare weekend right. Well get this. By the time I'd crutched the ten blocks I'd also sunburned my cranium. Seriously, why does the universe hate me right now? I contemplated heading back to the ER to get some ointment but since I'm so hardcore I figured I could tough it out.

Thoroughly disappointed in my apparent inability to thwart the good times of other active people I headed on down to Deep Cove and started throwing rocks at the stand up paddle boarders. Unfortunately my dog thought this was a game and I ended up having to stop cause people thought this was FUN. Gawd I HATE fun and anyone who is able to have FUN while I can't.

As a last ditch option I rented a kayak and paddled around shouting obscenities at anyone on the water sporting a smile.

LIFE SUCKS! Don't even try to sympathize cause you can't. I'd say, "I hope you had a great long weekend but I'd be lying through my teeth. I hope it rained on you, even if you were indoors."

If you took a word of this seriously please click here

Life is pretty awesome,
GR

Funny Fridays - Canada Day Edition

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some great video links that are too good not to share. Thanks to everyone who posted. Though you may have seen em all already, most are worth a second look.

Enjoy the 'top ten' +1, and whether you find yourself celebrating Canada Day today, Independence Day on Monday, or both if you happen to swing both ways (not that there's anything wrong with that), enjoy your weekend.

GR

Why I Hate X-Rays Version 6.0

2011-06-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS WRONG DAMMIT!!

(June 28th, 2011)

Much like the first time I went through this, the fracture has gotten worse before it decides to get better. Yesterdays six week out x-ray is virtually identical to the six week out x-ray that I had in mid December. I'm struggling to accept what this all means, even though it's pretty clearly laid out in front of me.

-It'll be September before it's even probable for me to take two steps in succession without metallic assistance
-I knew 2011 was a wash but now my 2012 racing season will be impacted as well
-I'll end up missing out on my second straight attempt to return to The HURT 100 in Jan
-I'll spend this entire summer on crutches and at least 7 out of 10 months completely sidelined
-There are no guarantees that this will follow the exact same trajectory as the initial break and as such the new BEST case scenario is 3.5 months on crutches, or another eight weeks

This was going to be a much more composed and polished blog posting in my head but it's morphed into an emotional based release instead of a sensible assessment of the overall situation. I wanted to touch upon the frustrations associated with the complete disconnect between mind and body and how these x-rays always manage to completely blindside me, but in the end I just need to get this out, accept it, and begin to move on.

Don't take this personally, but I hope it rains on every single runner, biker and outdoor enthusiast for the next eight weeks straight (uhhh, this is meant to read as a joke, if you take it personally or seriously and feel the need to slam me for it than by all means join the party below) and that we then somehow get an Indian Summer unlike anything the Pacific Northwest has ever seen before. I'm totally fine without the racing, but if I do not get at least one adventure hike/run to a mountain summit before the snow starts to fly again I may just lose my mind.

PS: Do me ONE FAVOR if you feel inclined to leave a comment. Please don't make it one of sympathy or pep talk based, as I'm way beyond that side of this already. I greatly appreciate people taking the time to leave a comment at all, but may I respectfully request the following or nothing: A link to something that's funny or entertaining. Whether that's a story, a video, a picture, a personal blog posting or whatever. If it's made you laugh or smile at some point than feel free to pass it along.

I'll leave it at that, and lookout HURT 2015, WS 2016, and UTMB 2017, there'll be no stopping me once I completely regrow all of my bones in a yet to be proven, properly tested (or in fact designed) exo-skeletal compression electrolyte infused infrared calcium depositor (patent pending)

GR

Distractions

2011-06-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

I got back into a kayak for the first time in over a year yesterday. It was the best thing I'd done in...well it was the best thing I'd done in five weeks to the day to be exact.

GR

Predictive Of Failure

2011-06-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't even logged into my blog since the day I posted my video almost a full month ago, and now that I'm here I'm struggling with what to say and how to say it.

It's been a long month, period. The entire process has been much more difficult than the first time around and the numbers can crush my spirits when I think about them...by the time I hopefully get off of these things again I'll have spent six of the past nine months on crutches, and that's the best case scenario. That fucking sucks. No matter how I attempt to spin it, it's just upsetting for me to think about. Given that I was on these things for three and a half months the first go around, and I am already four weeks in this time, I should ideally have less than six weeks to go, but as before it's one x-ray at a time right now, and again that's the best case scenario. I am currently refusing to process the worst case scenario.

(I'll specifically reference these xrays below)

Did I have surgery?
NO

Why the hell not? Am I stupid?

I automatically assumed that once my foot faltered for a second time that surgery would be the best course of action. I think the majority of people believe the same thing. We're programmed to. As a general rule we are taught through many mediums to place surgery ahead of natural healing. To place modern medicine ahead of naturopathic/eastern medicine. We look to pills to solve everything in today's age and 'putting a pin in it' is not the instant solution everyone believes it to be.

I sat down with my surgeon for over an hour on Thursday May 19th, having already booked in for surgery the following morning. He had me slotted for a fifteen minute consultation, assuming I was simply signing the paperwork and going about my day. I had questions. Lots and lots of questions. I was not afraid to have the surgery, it's a fairly straight forward procedure, I just needed to know if the potential benefits of the surgery made sense. I wasn't about to have a screw put into my foot without knowing the facts, and here's where an additional frustration lies...

Everyone seems to think they know what's best for you without even having the slightest insight into the nature of the problem. A Jones Fracture is not 'just' a broken foot. It's one of the most complex single fracture lines you can sustain within your foot, and as such no matter what course of action is chosen recovery is quite difficult. If one more person tells me to take a calcium supplement I'm going to impale them with a crutch, upload their picture to every social networking site on the planet, tag them with their own name and many additional four letter descriptors, and threaten to eat their children a la Mikey Mike, Hall Of Fame, Tyson (I've had a bone scan and it's come back as 100% good)

I spoke to the surgeon for a solid hour and not a single answer provided to me was conclusive. Most were 'ifs' and 'maybes' and 'most likelys' but the words that were never uttered no matter how the questions were phrased were:
SURGERY IS YOUR BEST OPTION

Surgery 'can be the better option for some people in some cases', but conversely that also means that 'non surgical healing can be the better option for some people in some cases'.

My thoughts when I broke my foot again in Hawaii was that I would obviously miss Western States on June 25th, but with surgery, six weeks sidelined, and a few months back on my feet I might just be able to make the starting line of UTMB in France on August 26th (yes in hindsight I now know how ridiculous this was). The estimated time line presented to me for recovery from surgery was 10-12 weeks. THREE MONTHS! That's what I just went through without surgery...why am I not hearing any benefits here??

Will the foot be conclusively stronger?
No guarantees

Is the recovery time significantly shorter?
No

Is it any less likely to refracture again?
No guarantees

I drove home (don't ask) and was completely uneasy about the whole thing. Surgery was now twelve hours away and nothing felt right about it. I did a bit more research and when I found a few specific studies around elite soccer players suffering from Jones Fractures my mind was effectively made up for me:

The return to play following a Jones fracture continues to be an enigma for the competitive soccer player. Caution and patience must be applied since re-injury to this area is common. Potential types of re-injury include a fracture with deformation of the screw, incomplete bone healing or non-union and compensatory injuries to the foot from the altered biomechanics. There are inherent risks with competitive sport and the athlete should understand that the Jones Fracture, even when repaired can create significant disability...

one must remember that this fracture site has a characteristically poor blood flow. Consequently, its healing rate may be slower than other types of fractures and the new bone may not reach peak strength until much later post-operatively...

Also, the traditional guideline of letting pain direct activity progression is not infallible because the athlete may be pain free or there may be only very minimal pain prior to re-injury. There are also many adjacent joints and bones that may generate a pain response due to disrupted mechanics or contact from the screw head

And Another Report

- out of 15 people who had surgery there were six treatment failures: four refractures and two symptomatic non-unions
- there was a higher proportion of elite athletes (division I or professional level) among the failure group (83%) compared with those without complications (11%) - return to full activity, especially among elite athletes, before complete radiographic union was predictive of failure

PREDICTIVE-OF-FAILURE

And this was WITH SURGERY!!!

I called off the surgery immediately. My summer was over anyways. My racing season was a wash. There was no rush. I needed a few days to come to terms with it all.

Hadn't I been counselled with 'pain as my limiting factor'? Wasn't I told that I should be good to go? Could all of this have been prevented? Would I have even listened at the time and really slowed down anyways?

There was a lot weighing on my mind, and none of it was made any easier by feeling like I was repeating my story to people every five minutes. I know the questions were coming from a place of genuine concern and caring, but I just did not want to talk about it. How could I when I was still so uncertain on so many aspects of it myself?

By the end of that first weekend I was confident I'd made the right decision. Knowing what I'd gone through the first time round had given me slight insights into what might and might not work. Back in late December early January I had an immediate healing response once I introduced regular acupuncture and ultrasound. As mentioned in a report above, lack of blood flow to the area is the number one complication in the healing process. I immediately referenced my friend Kim Graham at Thrive Total Fitness and began getting acupuncture 2-3 times a week. I unfortunately had no luck in attempting to land an at home ultrasound device this time around.

I had viewed enough x-rays of my own foot by now that I was certain what I'd seen in Hawaii was not quite as severe as what I'd seen way back in September, and then on my follow up xray in December. On top of all this, my foot itself looked completely different. The first time around the swelling continued right into my HURT trip, ten weeks out. This time however there was very little swelling initially and virtually none within the completion of the first few weeks. I requested a follow up x-ray here in BC on May 31st.

The x-ray on the left was taken two weeks post fracture in Hawaii. The x-ray on the right, SIX weeks post fracture in Oregon (travel insurance is your friend)

You don't have to be a Doctor to clearly see that although I definitively re-fractured the exact same line of my foot, it is not as severe as the initial break was. There is still some integrity to the initial healing process.

A few things can be taken from this, as reiterated by my own Doctor/Surgeon (and I should clarify that he's been great throughout this entire process). Given that the x-ray on the right was taken six full weeks after my initial injury and had yet to even begin to adhere to itself at all, there was serious question as to if I would in fact be able to naturally heal the bone. It's actually quite common for people to not gain union of this fracture through natural avenues and THEN surgery becomes the only real option. Some people still do not gain union of this bone even after surgery. It's a shitty situation no matter how you slice it.

So What Does It All Mean?

-Because I have recovered from a more severe version of this already there is no reason to believe that I won't be able to do so again. I WAS on the right path to a full recovery if I'd only been counselled slightly differently from the start

-PAIN is NOT the limiting factor in a full recovery from a Jones Fracture, TIME is

-Once I do get back onto my feet running will be seriously limited for an extended period of time. Vive le bicyclette, but Lance is going down

-The world is a nicer place when you're on crutches, people actually care, but I'd still toss em tomorrow if I could

-If The Canucks lose in game seven at home I'll join the looting just for the hell of it. Put in your pre-orders now but keep in mind it will need to fit into an average size backpack

-I think they should cancel Western States this year because of all the snow and roll over all 2011 entrants into 2012

-UTMB should be postponed until at least December so as to avoid a possible mudslide like last year, PLUS covering the course in the winter would be way cooler...and I only mean that literally

-WHAT the hell is Jersey Shore and WHY the fuck are they on TV? Seriously? I just got cable for the first time in over two years

-There are no shortcuts in life and Lebron James epitomizes what's wrong with our way of thinking in North American society. No professional athlete wants to take the time to build a franchise into a winner anymore, everybody wants weight loss and happiness in a magic pill or potion, and the majority think that surgery is an easy fix. It is not.

It's one day at a time right now, one foot in front of the...err...one foot in front of, uhh, itself I guess? Over and over and over again...

PS Here's the song you should definitely have in your head on your next run. You're welcome

Break Two, Take Two: Hawaiian Heli-Rescue

2011-05-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

MOMAR Burnaby Course Preview Video

2011-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Whether you are still on the fence, or already signed up and ready to go, here's a little insight into what you can look forward to come race day on May 28th...

Deep End - Capitol Peak 50m Race Report

2011-05-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

Having read most of Geoff Roes's race reports I'd have to say we couldn't have two more polar opposite takes on ultra running.

Geoff's typical report: Ran 100miles in eleven hours, felt challenged for eight minutes, managed to pull through

My typical report: Ran 50miles in fourteen hours, felt good for 43.7seconds, why do I do this to myself

Geoff: I found the meaning of life and everything in between

Me: I forget how to spell my first name and am no longer sure of if I have a middle name

Geoff: I got paid another $3,000 for my win

Me: I owe $500 in two parking fines and a speeding ticket

Geoff: I think I'll run another 50miles in training tomorrow and race another 100miler in six days

Me: If I get through 10miles of total training this week I'll be amazed. Where are my crutches, I might need them again

I already forget where I was going with this, if I even had a point to begin with. If you want stories of winning races while running backwards it's probably best to migrate on over to Geoff's blog right away. If you want to read about someone who nearly dropped out of a 50 mile race no fewer than fifty times than feel free to continue. (for the record, not only is Geoff a great guy, his father Don is pretty damn nice guy too)

Eight Months

That was the last time I ran anything even remotely close to 50miles. My 215km East Coast Trail run near the end of August was the last time I ran any real distance. Shortly after that I was injured and couldn't run for more than twenty minutes. Then I took a five week work stint in Northern Quebec jumping out of helicopters, and I ran a total of 1hr in those forty days. Upon my return to BC in Mid Oct my body felt great. I had twelve solid days of running, capped off by one 15mile/25km-3hr mountain run up The Black Tusk near Whistler. Then I flew to Oregon, then I broke my foot, then I spent three and a half months on crutches, then it took six weeks longer before I could even come remotely close to running, then I ran a half marathon, then a twenty miler, then a 10k, then on the Wednesday before the race I ran 21miles and I put in a total of 48miles on my feet in the six days leading up to the start, in an attempt to get my first 100mile week of training since August. Obviously I thought this all through, followed the 10% rule, and did it all by the book...ahh yeah, here was my rationale:

Western States 100 is on June 25th. Capitol Peak 50miler was on April 30th. That's exactly eight weeks. If I couldn't get through a 50mile race that was basically in May, how in the hell did I intend to make it through WS in June!? It was time for a test, period.

(Photo Credit Glenn Tachiyama) (This is ~1/3 of the way into the race and I was getting all the test I could handle and more)

My goal going in was a) just to finish and b) to attempt to finish top three. I like top three. I don't like fourth, fifth is better than fourth sometimes, but fourth is better than sixth, and sixth is better than seventh but nowhere near as nice as fifth. Second is up for debate. You win second great, you lose first not so great...where the hell was I?

GO!

I figured with Rod Bien and Adam Hewey both in race season shape that the top two placings were spoken for, but that didn't mean I couldn't play with the fast kids for at least a bit off the start...I started off too fast, and I knew it, but for the first time in a long time my mind and body were not in agreement on the speeds we should be running. Mind = Faster, Body = NO, Mind = Faster, Body = You Must Be Kidding Me, Mind = Faster, Body = I'll Puke, I'll Shit, Or I'll Cry, But One Way Or Another You Are Slowing The F Down!

Conversions

My watch rolls kilometers. The race was in miles.
1k-2k-3k-4k, "We're rolling right along, still feeling strong"
5k-6k-7k-8k, "Good stuff, only 42...? Only, ahh, err, hang on a second here...hmmm"
I KNEW I had signed up for a 50miler, I just hadn't bothered to really think about what that meant in my terms.
"Uhhh, so, carry a one, multiple by twelve, subtract a seven, add three, divide by six, YOU'RE RUNNING 80KM TODAY! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME GARY! SERIOUSLY ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"
"Calm down, calm down. You got this."
"72 KILOMETERS TO GO! SEVENTY TWO FUCKING KILOMETERS TO GO...GAWD I HATE YOU SOMETIMES!!"

Rod had decided he didn't want to share his gels with the rest of us and he went about playing in the mud solo off the start. Adam left me for dead 1/2 way through the first major climb. I don't know what I said wrong but he definitely kicked mud on me, intentionally, as he passed by and disappeared over the horizon. I was left with a group of three that slowly dwindled to one. Gennadii Tertychnyi is a Ukrainian born, Washington resident. He is a mountaineer and ran the race the year before. He said he forgot to eat, anything, and he couldn't understand why he slowed to the finish. He placed 7th last year. He has circumnavigated the entire 93mile Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, self supported, in 28 hours. He thought it was slow. I did not. I was later told this is probably an unreported Fastest Known Time. He spoke with a thick accent and I struggled to understand much of what he was saying to me. He was a very nice guy, but I wanted him gone. I was third, he was fourth. I hated fourth which by default meant that I hated him being there. I knew I was pulling him along, and to make matters worse he was eating when I was eating. He was using me as his on the fly teacher.

"Hey Gennadi. This is the part of the race where I usually lay down and do ten minutes of power yoga. I have terrible form though and it's embarrassing so I'll just go on ahead a bit and do it solo. You hang out here and work on your downward cat or something. It'll help your finish time, I swear."

I appreciated being pushed. It kept me honest when all I really wanted to do was lay down and die. I seriously faced lows in this 50miler that rivaled some of the lows I've faced in 100milers. It was a torturous reintroduction to the ultra running world and my only saving grace was that I stayed on top of my nutrition for 90% of it.

Just over half way there is a turn around on an out and back. Rod already had 15minutes on us but Adam was less than two minutes ahead. I knew we weren't catching him. I felt like I'd been in survival mode for hours already, but that didn't mean I couldn't play with his mind a little...

"Hey Adam! Man you look SLOW today. You hurtin? You look like you're hurtin. I'm just sayin, you look really, REALLY rough right now. You know we're only half way through this thing right? I think you can still choose the 55km distance if you call it at the next aid station. Anyways, I'll see ya again in a few short minutes when I catch up to ya. Don't slow down and wait, I know I can close the gap, I mean, man, if you could only see yourself in a mirror right now. WOW, you must really be hurting! NICE DAY EH!"

Adam might claim we simply exchanged smiles and 'nice job' comments, but he's a liar.

I knew I would not see Mr. Hewey until the finish line.

My girlfriend was also running the 50miles. On the out and back I had finally managed to gain a gap on my Ukrainian shadow. Then I spotted my gf and stopped for a sob session,

"My EVERYTHING HURTS! Wha-wha-wha. I want my Mommy. Wha-wha-wha."

"Well think of Dolphins and Butterflies and you'll perk right up honey!"

"Dammit here comes Borat. I gotta go."

I thought I was gonna drop outta this thing no fewer than six distinct times. Then I had a flashback. Circa 2005. A younger, less lean, much slower version of myself, albeit with a full head of hair...hmm, which would I choose...was in conversation with a close friend.

"I've never made it through ANY race, of ANY distance, without wanting to drop out at least once, most often twice, and sometimes I just lose count altogether."

YES! I said this! I meant this! This is my truth that I had somehow forgotten. Racing sucks. I still have no idea why I subject myself to all the unnecessary pain but I do, and I'M GOOD AT IT! YEAH, I wanna drop out! I'm doing something right out here today!! Woo Hoo, I hate my life right now, do dah, do dah, I hate my life right now, do dah, do dah, day!

Aid Station 8 (Thanks Owen for your help)

Fifteen miles to go. Almost all downhill to the next and final aid station. Gennadi and I entered and exited together. I had long since lost the mental capacity to decipher what he was saying to me so I simply gave him a smile and threw my forearm into his shoulder. He smiled back like he thought I was being friendly but I was actually swinging a left hook with all the power I had remaining in my body at that moment and I came up short. He was taller and bigger than myself and I figured I had no choice left but to attempt to outrun him.

Half way down the thirty minute descent and he was still hanging tough.

"That's IT! Seriously, I'll break my foot again if I have to but this is ending NOW! I'm NOT going into the final eight miles in a head to head battle."

I opened it up and was thankful to gain a gap within a minute. I then capitalized on this and started re-routing as much flagging as I could while on the fly. Usually I carry a spare roll in my pocket for instances just like this but it must have fallen out somewhere over the first 42miles.

The final eight miles were a mix of pure physical fatigue with slight injections of adrenaline from the realization that I was actually going to make it through fifty miles of running. I was going to finish my first ultra distance in over eight full months. I was going to finish third. I was going to e-mail my foot Doctor and say "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah" Since he had said I'd be lucky to get through 10km within eight weeks. I'd been off crutches for twelve weeks and back to running for six weeks. This race was more of a mind bender than a Rubik's Cube once you attempt to remove and replace all the stickers on it...yeah, don't act like you haven't done it too...but now I could spot the finish line. I'd made it...and my reward for doing so...I get to run 100 miles in eight more weeks...DOHHHHHH!

*This was only my second ever 50mile course, having run the Mountain Masochist 50m in 08 & 09, and I must admit, this distance entices me like never before. It's not 50k, it's not 100miles, it's somewhere in between and as such has its own set of rules. I'm looking forward to pursuing more of these in the future*

Thanks to the RD John Pearch for a great day out and an immaculately flagged course.
Full Results

GR

Win FREE MOMAR Entry + 10 Q's With One Of Canada's Top Adventure Racers

2011-04-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

Todd Nowack is a Victoria based, Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing sponsored athlete. On July 23rd he'll be captaining a co-ed team of four racers against the most challenging endurance event in North America in 2011, Raid The North Extreme.

Tell us a bit about your racing history. For those who don’t know, where did you get started with it all?

Like many other adventure athletes on the west coast, I got into adventure racing with the MOMAR and have kept going ever since. I was an avid mountain biker and was just getting into trail running and various other outdoor pursuits when I was asked to team up with the infamous ‘Snot Sisters’ to be a ‘Booger Brother’ in the Cumberland 2005 event. We ended up winning the team-of-4 co-ed category and that race got me hooked.

How many MOMAR races have you done to date and how many of those have you won?

I have done all the races since the Cumberland 2005 MOMAR with the exception of 2009 when I was living in Norway. This makes it 12 total races with 7 overall wins: 2 solo, 4 with teammate extraordinaire Gary Robbins (Editors Note: I DID NOT add that but I will leave it in since it has a nice ring to it) and 1 with Natasha Dilay (only team-of-2 co-ed to ever take an overall title).

What was your favorite MOMAR experience and/or course to date?

‘Three-peating’ in 2007 at the Cumberland MOMAR with yourself. We had won the previous two races of the year and had lots of pressure to win as no racers had ever won all MOMARs in one year. Winning that race was definitely a highlight but the feeling of being completely dialed in during that race still hangs with me. I think that was the first time where we both really knew exactly how hard we could push, when to back off, and how to flow from control to control while being efficient. I still have memories of us ‘running’ through the town of Cumberland like scarecrows with cramps everywhere, our legs stiff like pencils, and our arms and back stuck like the Tin-Man from Wizard of Oz while Brian is yelling at us that we could sit down and have a coffee and still win. Memorable times. Favourite course would have to be one of the incarnations in Cumberland. The single-track riding is phenomenal, the area is beautiful and the community is fantastic! (Another Note: I swear I did not know that would be his answer, and I did not add it after the fact myself! PS Couldn't agree more Todd)

Will we be seeing you lining up for our first ever Burnaby MOMAR race?

Yep. I will be there racing solo and looking to have yet another great time and experience.

Have you ever raced an expedition race like RTNX before?

I’ve done two other expedition races (RTNX 2007, and the Baja Travesia 2007). I’ve also done some 24 hour and 36 hour races, and some orienteering ‘Rogaine’ events. I have yet to have success in expeditions with brutal 20+ foot swell kayak conditions in Baja that wiped out several teams including leaving us unranked due to abandoning one of our kayaks and gear. In RTNX 2007, we had some really bad luck with tearing our inflatable kayak open (even though we were being extremely careful and watched other teams literally drag their boats over sharp rocks) this situation delayed our paddle by many hours pushing it into the night where I ended up suffering from hypothermia after my body temperature had dropped by 3 degrees due to being exposed in our open cockpit kayaks.

What did you learn from these previous experiences that you feel you can apply towards your next shot at this format of race?

Eat lots of pizza and drink lots of beer to make sure that you have a good spare tire to keep you warm in times of need. Seriously though, I think these races come down to fitness, experience and a bit of luck. Had we been able to make it out of the swell and get to the checkpoint in Baja (which was literally right there) we would have continued ranked and placed close to the top. RTNX would have been the same had it not been for a piece of rusted rebar that was sticking up out of the beach and virtually invisible. Either way, luck would not have it. For this coming race, I’m going to bring all the fitness and experience I have, stay out of trouble and race smart. I’m done with this bad luck stuff ;)

Tell us a bit about your teammates?

Pete Cameron and Leanne Mueller are a very strong and experienced adventure racing couple based out of Ontario that have partaken in numerous races over the years and are always contenders in any event that they enter. I met them at Raid the North Extreme in 2007 and had the pleasure of racing head-to-head with them during the final stage of the race. In 2009, we had teamed up to race the biggest race of the year, Explore Sweden, but due to some technical issues, were not able to race together. So, it seems fitting that we are teamed up again. While I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting our fourth member, James Galipeau, I have only heard good things about him, one of which being that he is a team strongman (able to take extra gear, pull others, put his head down and never stop). The great thing about this team is that we have three solid navigators (Pete, Leanne, and myself) who all have proven race navigation experience and all of whom we can count on for pre-race mapping work, route choices, race time decisions, etc; this is an incredible advantage . I have never been in this situation and cannot say how incredible this will be knowing that we can trade off navigating when the mind begins to crumble after countless hours of no sleep and physical hardship.

How is the rest of the field stacking up this year? Where would you place yourselves, and what are your racing goals for RTNX?

Being that Primal Quest is no longer and there are no other large events going on in North America, RTNX has virtually sold out with a great number of strong teams signing up which is awesome to see. Compared to 2007, the field will almost be double. In terms of our placement and goals, a great thing I learned from speaking with my teammates is that we all really have a similar approach to racing; we race against ourselves and where we end up at the finish is where we end up. As long as we all put in our best possible effort during the entire race, I don’t think any of us would care what place we came in. That being said, of course were shooting for first. J

Rumor has it you were injured throughout the winter. How has your training been going lately, and describe for us what a typical week of training might look like right now?

I have been suffering with an ‘upper body injury’ (insert NHL pun here) that I am still recovering from. While I’m still not 100%, I keep in shape on my bike commuting long distances, rolling my kayak down to the beautiful waters off Brentwood Bay to partake in long paddles, and doing lots of walking and hiking off-trail through the forest to simulate expedition racing conditions. I’ve been playing it on the safe side and not running much so I’ll have to see how I fare on my legs on the new MOMAR Burnaby course.

What’s one piece of advice that you have received or learned over the years that you would pass on to new and aspiring adventure racers?

Learn how to navigate. Join a local orienteering club and get to the point where you can run while reading a map and navigate on and off trail; this is a very rewarding experience and will enhance your outdoor pursuits. Don't train, just get out lots, compete here and there, and have fun! I've never trained a day in my life J

Great stuff Todd! Thanks for your time and best of luck at the race this summer. I know I'll personally be glued to my computer looking for live updates and cheering you guys along.

NOW, to be entered into the FREE MOMAR entry, which can be claimed at either of the 2011 venues,

Burnaby May 28th

Cumberland Sept 24th

Simply leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, good luck with the draw, and I hope to see you out on course during the first race in exactly four weeks time!

10k PB - Really? (Vancouver Sun Run)

2011-04-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

I ran my fourth ever 10k road race this past Sunday, and all of them have been over the same Vancouver Sun Run route. The good part about this is that I got a true gauge of fitness, though against a comparative time from five years ago. (my only road racing experience is 10k x4, 21.1k x5)

My previous Sun Run times
2004 42m18s
2005 37m51s
2006 36m36s

2011 36m07s

Don't bother trying to verify this online as I ran under an alias to fill in for an injured runner on a corporate team. In all honesty, had I had any idea that I might be fit enough to run The Sun Run a few months ago I surely would have signed up, and planned a better 72hr pre-race regime. In the end I got an email at the EXACT RIGHT minute on Friday night.

Following The Peterson Ridge Rumble 20miler on the previous Sunday I had a terrible week of running. I wasn't particularly sore, I just possessed almost zero energy reserves and I didn't even attempt a run until the Wed night, where I did a 10k mountain run as part of The Knee Knacker group. That went very average but the following morning's 10k run was the worst I'd had in weeks. I decided to sleep for over ten hours on Thursday night, and I was pleasantly surprised to bounce back with a very solid 21k technical mountain run on Friday afternoon.

I was suffering from a runners high, I got the invite, and I said YES immediately. Sure, I thought, I'D LOVE TO DO THE SUN RUN ON SUNDAY!

An hour later I was wondering what I'd agreed to. The very next morning I tacked on an additional 15km, 5 Peaks course scouting run, and ended up heading to bed on Saturday night wondering why I was so dumb sometimes.

(Seabus to the race start on Sunday morning)

I figured since I was running under an alias there was ZERO self pressure around a time being associated with my name, in fact I told the alias runner that he'd better buy me some beer or he'd be in for the slowest 10k time of his life.

(sneaking into the fast people starters chute)

(over 50,000 people lined up and ready to rock)

Even when the gun went off I was still saying to myself that I might not be racing the thing.
"Just run smart. Just enjoy the day. Just savoir being back running again."

I opened with a 7min flat 2KM split.
"Ok, ok, I guess we're racing this thing after all"

2KM till 4KM: 10k road runs SUCK!

4KM till 5KM: Why are so many woman ahead of me!??

5KM: Who put this G-D BRIDGE HERE, WHY is it so steep, and HOW is that girl passing me making this look so easy!

6KM till 7KM: Is there an ally-way that I can divert into, disappear from this race, walk home, and never think about this type of thing again?

7.5KM: Adam and Lauren Campbell SCREAM at me and jump out from the sidelines. It's enough to scare the shit outta me an hence triggers my fight or flight response and helps to propel me faster

8KM: The guy in front of me is old enough to be my Father. WHY THE F can't I catch him!

9KM: ARE YOU KIDDING ME, ANOTHER BRIDGE!

The wheels really did start to fall off as I hit The Cambie Street Bridge. You can virtually see the finish line from here yet my legs started to quiver. I had a vivid mental image scrolling though my head.

If you did any time in Boy-Scouts you'd undoubtedly remember the cars that you used to make out pre-packaged blocks of wood and race against other Scouts on a pre-made track. (I have a whole other story here for a future posting)
Well all I could picture was that I was in one of these blocks of wood and my two front wheels were hanging on by a thread. The singular pin wasn't driven in deep enough and the wheels were now an inch off the frame, a fraction of an inch from falling off altogether. I reached out, pushed the wheels back in place, and duct taped over the 'lugs'. Of course while I was doing all of this in my head the people around me promptly dropped me.

I crested the bridge and could see the finish. I figured the 'duct tape' would hold and the runners I'd been suffering with for the better part of the last five kilometers had all left me for dead. They had easily opened up a 100+ meter lead over me. As I came down and into the final finishers chute I looked off in the distance and watched the clock click over 35minutes. Early on I had allowed myself to believe in a sub 36min finish, and now it was all laid out in front of me.

I pushed harder than I had in the last five years, period. Since I had found myself in this exact same scenario in fact, during my 2006 running of the race. I got tunnel vision, both figuratively and literally, as I was pushing as hard as my battered body would allow. I caught and passed every runner that had left me for dead on the final bridge, but I didn't even care. I was fixated on the clock. I was staring through the finish line and hoping beyond hope that I could still crack 36minutes.

35.52 F@#K
35.53 ME
35.54 SIDEWAYS
35.55 I
35.56 CAN
35.57 TASTE
35.58 BLOOD
35.59 DAM-
36.00 IT. I
36.01 WASN'T
36.02 EVEN
36.03 CLOSE

In the end they took gun time anyways and my official time was 36m07s. I'LL TAKE IT! I mean I am truly, truly, ecstatic with that time given the circumstances. I think I have a 34mXXs in me before the end of the season though, and the funny thing is, I really liked the whole experience and I plan to do another one soon.

Last I heard, our corporate team won! Sweet.
GR

FREEBIE GIVEAWAY: Vancouver Trail Running Guidebook

2011-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I've got some really fun prizes to give away over the next month, including:

a Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing Entry

a Drymax Socks price package

a brand new pair of Montrail Rogue Racers

a new for 2011, 200 lumen Princeton Tec Apex Pro headlamp (the annual Roxy draw)

BUT FIRST UP...

IT'S HERE, and author Rich Wheater has been kind enough to spot me one of the very first books to hit the shelves as a FREE giveaway, right here, right now.

Vancouver Trail Running is a first edition guide book and as such it fills a massive gap in our local scene for relevant, accurate trail information. As with any first edition there is some room for improvement, but overall the pictures are engaging, the information flows nicely, and each route is accompanied by an adjacent trail map.

Elevation profiles are also added, though they are slightly small to get a fair estimation of exactly how much climbing each route really posses. Thankfully there is a fully functional legend for each run, which is complete with a heart (attack) guide, ranked from 1-3 and referred to as the 'burl factor'. This alone should clarify the possible need to pack your very own defibrillator.

My hat really goes off to Rich with what he's accomplished here, and I have no doubt that much like the 2005 release of Scrambles In Southwestern BC, this book will become a veritable bible for travellers and locals alike. In fact, these two books combined, would provide all the necessary information for one incredibly fun filled adventure/running summer!

ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO BE ENTERED IS,
tell me the square root of Pi...all of it...
(random draw from all comments will take place on Wednesday, April 20th at 8pm-ish)

GR

Full Circle + Roxy's 1st W! (Peterson Ridge Rumble 20miler)

2011-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

I headed down to Sisters, Oregon this past weekend to attempt my first real racing experience since July of last year. In July I ran our local Knee Knacker 50k, but that race was just two weeks after Western States and I kinda consider Western to be my last real race. That's over NINE full months without a true test. There were of course two speed attempts and a few days on crutches thrown into that nine month span, but all in all, it had been a hell of a long time since I'd really tasted and savored the camaraderie of competition.

The Peterson Ridge Rumble is organized by Montrail teammate Sean (P-Diddy) Meissner and offers two distances to choose from, those being 20 and 40 miles. I had always known of the shorter version of this race as Sean allows for a DOG category and I'd dreamed for years of bringing my pooch Roxy along and tackling the race together. Heading into the weekend this did not seem like a reality though, as my dog had 'acquired' almost as much weight as I had during my extended hiatus - to the tone of jumping up from around 55lbs to over 70lbs, which is of course almost 30% of her own body mass. Since I see her on a daily basis it never fully dawned on me why so many people lead into their greetings with her with,

"You've gotten fat Roxy!"

Then I pulled up a not so long ago picture for my own reference and couldn't help but laugh.

My dog now had a bulging waistline and I did my best to ignore the fact that her winter ski jacket from just two seasons ago wouldn't even adhere to itself once stretched around her belly.

Knowing this and seeing her struggles to keep up on even shorter runs over the last month I had no intentions of running my dog in the 20mile race. The initial plan was to run solo before trucking her back out on course and allowing her to run the closing portion with my girlfriend. Once the anticipation of the impending race started to build however, with howls of excitement from all around, she peered up at me with an all knowing glare,

"You CAN'T SERIOUSLY intend to leave me here at the finish while all these other dogs get to run this race with their owners? I thought you loved me!?"

A backup plan ensued after I expressed my concerns with with Leslie Gerein's significant other Keith Brodsky. Keith was out for a leisurely scenic run and we agreed should my dog really start to suffer or fall apart I'd leash her at an aid station and Keith would grab her on his way past. I honestly lined up for the start assuming no other scenario to unfold on the day, and I was excited at the prospect of running even half the race with my pooch, as it was simply too far to drive and too cool a concept not to enjoy with my now five year old pup.

The full circle part about this on a personal level was that I had broken my foot and significantly altered my own path over the last six months, just 40miles from where I was now standing in Sisters. I saw a T-Shirt in town advertising the Mt Bachelor ski resort of which Sunriver services and I couldn't help but cringe a little. That fateful date in October started out like any other and I still struggle to understand how I could sustain such a significant injury over such buff terrain. Here I was, just down the street, on an almost identical surface, and about to attempt my first race back. Was there another 'one wrong step' awaiting me out on those plush Oregon trails once more? It wasn't trepidation as much as a simple recognition. I wasn't fighting to get back on the horse, but the horse was reminding me that it had bucked me once before without warning and that I simply needed a reminder not to take anything for granted.

The course is mostly single track with a few climbs thrown in and the Garmin showed around 1000 feet of gain and loss. There were a few fast guys and a few fast dogs all mulling about as we waited for Meissner to get the show started. Roxy employed her now perfected cool as ice persona to intimidate all other four legged competitors, yet as soon as the countdown hit one she bolted to the front of the pack.

I take great pride in how much effort I put into training her and as she realized she'd already dropped me I loved seeing her pull aside to find me in the crowd verses simply stopping short and/or freaking out in the excited energy of the moment. I witnessed more than a few dogs loose their minds and a couple of runners take aggressive bumps that I was surprised they stayed upright throughout. It was like Nascar, "bumpin' is racin'!"

(DAD! Let's GO already!!) (these two pics thanks to Janine Beaudry)

My goal with the race was to run as hard as I could for as long as I could and to take stock from there as to where my fitness was. Essentially I intended to run a smart race but fully expected to blow up at some point and I was fine with that. I've only been back on my feet for four weeks after the better part of five months off and I trying to be as realistic as possible with my goals.

The race opened fast, as was to be expected, and I drifted back to around 10th as I tried to compose myself and get my breathing under control. Roxy was making out fine and as we closed in on the 5km point where you duck into the forest and start enjoying some singletrack. I managed to bridge up to and pass a few runners in front of me right as we hit the junction.

We knocked down the first 10k in 42min, and the half marathon distance in 1h32m. During this span I had many thoughts floating through my cranium.

-Can Roxy keep this pace?

-Can I keep this pace?

-This is harder than I remember, racing I mean, this kinda sucks right now

-I don't think I want to run this fast anymore, can I walk now please?

-You pansy, shut up and enjoy the fact that you can even still do this type of thing

-Alright, here's the deal. We WON'T stop running due to mental weakness. Let's just keep this pace and when the legs truly give out your free to whimper and cry and walk

-Whoa, I think I'm finding a groove. Where did this energy come from? This almost feels good again!

-I LOVE THIS

-Is my dog still alive, I can't hear her dog tags?

-There she is, the tags are stuck to her drooping tongue

-She's actually SMILING! I'm so happy I brought her along for this

-It's going to take a bit to get used to gels again

-Oh yeah, I should probably take an electrolyte tab or two while I'm at it

-I'm catching people, SWEET!

-This is a REALLY NICE TRAIL, flat as f#@k, but nice

-Oh a climb! I'm gonna enjoy thi....uhhh, it's over. Hopefully there's another one or two of those in here somewhere?

Along with other ground breaking, earth shattering, axis altering, deep thoughts about the cosmos and all that resides within it.

Roxy was starting to fade, as I expected, but overall she was still holding tight. We hit an aid station right as we had caught up to another runner and I made sure to give Roxy her dues. I gave her a few minutes as we found the doggy dishes, of which she drained both, and then the doggy treats, of which she devoured a few. I looked down at her to ensure she was able to close this thing out. I could see it would be a push for her but we'd come this far and to my knowledge she was the second place pup, first place female. I certainly wasn't about to take that away from her so off we went in search of more runners and one speedy dog named Henry.

Within a few kilometers we once again caught up to, and this time passed the runner who'd eluded us during our last stop. Shortly thereafter I spotted Montrail teammate Joelle Vaught who was killing it in the forty mile distance. There was a short climb and descent of which we cheered each other through. I then ran scared as she pushed hard from behind, while running twice the distance as myself! She had effectively flattened my ego right as it was starting to feel good about how I was finally moving. (she went on to win the 40miler in 4h58m!)

I was now ready to close this thing out and somewhat surprised to discover I had fuel left in the tank after almost two full hours of high tempo running. Roxy on the other hand was drifting further and further back and had started shorting the switchbacks (don't DQ her, it's Euro style don't ya know!)

Unbeknownst to me, and more importantly to my dog, the race would finish with about 4km of completely flat and open terrain that was predominantly covered on a gravel road. I KNEW she was about to tap out on me and my grand visions of a sub 2h20m effort were disappearing by the stride. I employed my time tested strategy of basically lying to her and hoping for the best. I incessantly spit out words she knew and loved, mixed in with a few I could only hope she recognized,

"TREATS!"

"PUPPIES"

"WATER"

"HOME"

"Spa day cause I love you and don't want you to die on me right now"

"Massage...for me, but if you only knew what this meant you'd perk right up"

"TREATS, lots and lots of TREATS!"

"PUPPIES, oh I can see lots of happy puppies up ahead Roxy!"

"We're almost home Rox, you're doing awesome! Almost done! Treats, treats, treats!"

This worked, for about thirty five seconds. Fifteen minutes later and I could tell that if I stopped to wait for her she'd claw my eyes out on the spot.

By the time we reached the finish at the track I figured I had enough witnesses to prevent her from gnawing off one of my legs once I slowed down for her. She gapped up to me and then shut down on the spot. We had 400meters to go...her to me,

"WHAT the F#$K! SERIOUSLY, WHY are you still running away from me? Why are you attempting to walk in a huge circle right now when I can clearly see water and pigs ear treats just over there, and WHY are these people laughing at me!??"

I started walking the track with her and she still struggled to keep up. We made it about half way before Meissner grabbed his megaphone,

"JUST RUN ALREADY!"

I ran the last half, with Roxy nearly in tears as to why, and I then stopped short of the finish. There was no way I was crossing the line without her, and about fifteen seconds later we did just that.

(Roxy giving her version of a salute to the race organizers) (pics thanks to AJ Tauber)

Apparently we had the slowest closing split around the track...by minutes...I think it took us over three full minutes to circle the damn thing and once we finally stopped she simply collapsed with a look that said,

"YOU HAPPY!? NEVER again Dad, NEVER again! Now WHERE are my pigs ears?"

(Twenty miles for these hey? How bout next time I just give you $30 bucks ya cheap bastard!)

Unfortunately for the other pooch Henry his owner took a late race wrong turn which by default made Roxy the OVERALL Dog winner...to which she really couldn't give a shit!

Full Results
I'm confident I would have broken 2h20m had I run solo - I'm happier to have run 2h25 with Roxy in tow

Thanks to Meissner for an incredible weekend!

As always when I'm truly racing I have a song that plays on default in my head, and given we had just seen these guys in concert on the Thursday night before the race, this was the theme song of the day:

THIS Is Why I'm Counting Down The Days Till The 166km UTMB In France (08-26)

2011-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

THIS is what helps to get me out of bed on those rainy dreary mornings and kicks my ass out the door on a training run.

THIS is what is allowing me to push distance on a supposedly injured body that is still in recovery mode.

THIS is what is tempting me into flying over a full month in advance of the August 26th start date.

THIS is what Ultra Running is ALL ABOUT!

166km, August 26th, 6:30pm start time, 21.5hr Course Record, 9500 meters of elevation gain, 2300 runners, and a who's who of ultra runners from around the world. The countdown is on!

The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® by UltraTrailMontBlanc

GR

XS-NRG (Cdn Ultra-Running Doc) Avail For 3 Day Rental $2.60

2011-04-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

XS-NRG was a running project spearheaded by Ean Jackson back in 2004. Along with his buddies Wade Repta, Dom Repta, and Dave Cressman they attempted to become the first group of runners to complete the overly rugged 180km Sunshine Coast Trial, in a non-stop effort.

In the end only one survived...that's right, three of them DIED en route, though not in your typical end of life definition. I've since had beers with all of them and they're just fine, by all standard definitions, other than their running egos having taken a bit of a beating along the way.

There's also a little cameo by yours truly, though you may not fully recognize me as I'd honestly only been running for a few months at that point in my life. My running style could only be described as a full body workout, and I also successfully disguised myself under a full head of hair. This, combined with the fact that Dom Repta looks twelve years old, should not confuse the fact that we are indeed just seven years removed from this historic running accomplishment.

Good friends Shay Wilson and Angus Mclellan produced, directed, and edited the film and they've now posted it online for three day streaming rental for just $2.60! If nothing else, you can mock my running, marvel at my flowing locks, and witness one runner's never say die attitude that carried him through nearly two full days of relentless forward motion.

Here's the trailer (that's my trademark "wooo" in the dark)

http://www.xsnrg.tv/XS-NRG/Movie.html

If you click on the movie itself on their HOME page you'll be directed to the rental side of things.

Enjoy!

My 1st 'Race' Back & A 50mile Week o Runnin'

2011-03-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

THAT'S RIGHT! I actually cracked 50miles of total running last week, and somewhat unexpectedly to be honest. In fact I had no intentions of running a 'race' last week but it all lined up so perfectly that I just couldn't say no. In the end I currently find myself on a nice little running streak that goes something like this:

15th Tue: 3.2k / 17min

Wed: 6.5k / 33min

Thu: 10k / 52 1/2min

Fri: 5.3k / 28min

Sat: 10.5k / 52min

Sun: 9.2k / 47min

TOTAL 44.7km

21st Mon: Gym w. Curb

Tue: 14k 1ST TRAIL RUN! An hour after an xray showed my foot was 100% healed!

Wed: 12k Trail

Thu: 11k Road

Fri: 16k Trail on Cougar Mtn trail system just outta Seattle. Great terrain!

Sat: 21k Trail 'Race' at Seattle's Dizzy Daze 3mile gravel loop

Sun: 11k Trail

TOTAL 85km

28th Mon: Gym w. Curb + 10k Road

Tue: 11k Trail/Track

Wed: 10k Road

That equals fifteen of the last sixteen days of getting to lace up the shoes, granted I only lace my shoes about once a month and simply slip em on and off for about four weeks till they loosen, but either way IT FEELS GREAT RIGHT NOW!

And I know what some people are thinking and I can only say thank you for the concern. Honestly I'm holding back so much right now I could burst and there has been very little physical fatigue or significant pain to push through to make all this happen. It really is just feeling RIGHT right now. I have pretty much zero pain in my foot and my ankle is feeling like I'm recovering from the worst sprain/strain you could imagine. It still hurts with every step but it tends to feel better and not worse after the runs so I'll continue rolling and see how it goes.

THE RACE

Dizzy Daze 13.1/26.2/50k/100k was started by my buddy Jonathan Bernard. I had no intentions of running a half marathon distance last weekend and especially not in the form of a 'race'. In the end a text message reminder while knowing I was in the Seattle area planted the seed. I figured that since it was a looping course over a three mile gravel trail, and completely flat, that the worst case scenario was that I'd do a few laps and call it a day if things went awry.

I kind of purposely ensured I was late for the start just in case there were any serious runners. I really just wanted to run my own pace and not even think about being in a 'race'...ok I'll stop putting that in parenthesis already! I officially started at 7:09am and the race itself began at 7am.

My goal was to simply stay under five minute kms / eight minute miles for the first three loops and then to try testing things out on the final lap and see where it left me in the days following the run. I was really happy with my splits given I was mostly just running by feel. I was even happier given I hit a 3m35s km pace / 5m45s mile on the final lap, though ever so briefly, and that after donning my super hot compression gear I managed to continue my short running streak without issue in the days to follow. My splits on the 5.17km loop

1) 24:42

2) 24:41

3) 24:15

4) 21:42 + just over a minute to cover the final extra loop to hit the distance

21.1k / 1h36m26s

My Reaction

My Dog

My Sprint For The Line To Win The Race

Mr. Jones & Me

2011-03-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

IT'S GOOD!! Mr. Jones Fracture has officially been put to rest.

(How I felt after seeing the x-ray yesterday morning)

Finally, finally, finally there is X-Rayed proof that my foot is 100% healed and ready to start taking a proper beating once more!

When I left the hospital on Feb 1st I was told it was 80-90% and that I could start back at things as long as I "Didn't Do Anything Stupid"...Who ME?? NEVER!

Those exact words played out in no fewer than a dozen different scenario's during my constant foot tweaks over the last seven weeks. I have finally had the weight of my own mind removed from my shoulders...wait a second, there's many different ways to interpret that statement...anyways, no more stressing out because of foot pain, it's all good pain from here on out!

The worst mental tail spin I ended up on was for a week while I was experiencing direct pain in that exact portion of my foot.

"I'm done. This sucks. I'm soft. I'm broken again."

Dr. Jenn Turner "It's your cuboid"

"Huh?"

"Your cuboid. Here..."

"OW! Mother of..."

"Done"

"WHOA. SWEET! You ARE a magician!"

Runnin' In Circles

I blogged about my 10k treadmill run, but I never really mentioned how much of a price I paid for that stupid move. The fact that I ran 10k wasn't the issue, it was that I did it on a treadmill and simply kept upping the speed and attempting to hang on. In the end I felt great, for about an hour, and then my right ankle felt like it'd taken a bullet. I was unable to even walk without a limp, let alone run. The only beneficial thing that subsequently transpired was that I got sick and ended up having to take nine full days off anyways. By the time I had gotten over the flu my heal/ankle had come around and my lesson was learned. On the advice of Curb Ivanic I hit the track and ran in fully self propelled circles, instead of a treadmill assisted speed workout. In the end I am undecided as to what sucks more?

I Ran A Marathon

Over a span of six days that is...and I couldn't have been happier to have knocked down a six day mini running streak!

Mon 14th: Strength w/ Curb
Tue: 3.2k / 17min
Wed: 6.5k / 33min
Thu: 10k / 52 1/2min
Fri: 5.3k / 28min
Sat: 10.5k / 52min
Sun: 9.2k / 47min

Of course every run looked like this:

But whatever, it's all about the small victories right now right!

My First Trail Run In Almost Five Months!

With the news of a healthy foot yesterday I finally got back onto the trails for the first time since Oct 26th! A 14km jaunt out to Norvan Falls and back felt like an ultra but for all the right reasons. (1h23m)

Thankfully my body was ok with the distance, pace, and terrain I covered yesterday and I managed another trail run today of 12km in 1h08m with the first 5km being all uphill. It was a fantastically beautiful day by all definitions and as I sat in the sun at the top of my climb I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. It's been a long journey back to the trails but all things considered the timing of it all could not have worked out better. There's still a long road ahead before I manage to get into race shape, and I know it won't be an easy process, but, mark my words. I'll be 'Showing Up' at Western States and I'll definitely be 'Showing Up' at UTMB!!

Songs o Da Week (I saw these guys in concert with Bon Jovi in 97)

GR

Gorge Waterfalls 50k

2011-03-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure last weekend of getting away to Portland for a few days. Unfortunately I'm still not even close to running an ultra again, but that didn't take away from all the fun to be had.

James Varner of Rainshadow Running was hosting the inaugural Gorge Waterfalls 50k, and along with the Orcas Island 50k he has now sold out each of his first two events for the season. There's a reason for this of course, as James is known for putting together incredible, and incredibly challenging courses. At the pre-race briefing he very boldly stated:

"I think this can and will become one of the best 50k races in the country"

Shortly thereafter the runners were off on a waterfall tour unlike any other. The course has something crazy like 30 waterfalls in thirty miles kind of numbers? As the runners started to trickle in 4h25m later the overwhelming sentiment was that this race had just become an instant classic. Many expressed that the race was harder than they expected, but not a single person could go more than a minute without talking about the pure beauty of the course itself.

On a personal level I experienced a significant setback following my exciting 10k treadmill run the week prior, and when coupled with a decent flu bug, I had not produced a singular drop of sweat in over nine days. I seemed to have bruised some deep tissue around my ankle from that run, and in the end I was more than pleased to simply be able to hobble/hike five miles of the course and capture some pics and vid. It really is incredibly beautiful and I can't wait to get a chance to run it myself in 2012.

GR

It Takes A Village

2011-03-10T23:16:00.000-08:00

Last summer there was a guest speaker at one of our local North Shore Athletics Run Club nights. He was highly respected within the industry and had once worked as the team physiotherapist for the Toronto Blue Jays, back when they were winning no less...and yes there's still a baseball team in Canada eh!

One point he made throughout his presentation that really hit home for me personally, was in regards to the main differences in injury recovery rates of professional athletes verses weekend warriors. He simply stated that once a pro gets injured there's obviously a full team of people to help instantly diagnose them, a village if you will. When your non professional athlete goes down however, it can often take weeks or even months to properly figure out what has gone wrong and why. It's an incredibly costly and frustrating process. On average most people wait out their injuries at least two or three weeks before they even admit there's an issue. By that point you've only managed to dig yourself a deeper hole to crawl out of.

I looked at my own personal situation and couldn't help but feel incredibly fortunate that I had finally, after many years of searching, pieced together my own village of incredibly talented individuals. I've manged to tap into the substantial network of professionals we have right here in North Van, and right at the top of that list is my 'go to girl' Dr. Jenn Turner of Moveo. I called her a magician and I feel that if she had lived in the middle ages she would be flogged and stoned for possessing her powers of healing and recovery.

Jenn has been completely integral throughout my painfully lengthy recovery process and I wouldn't be nearly as far along as I currently am without her weekly attention. I recently sat down with Jenn and put together a short video. She works with Olympic Athletes and is constantly being flown around the world to keep our National Track Cycling Team on the straight and narrow. The girls got skills and her resume backs it up. If you're local to the area and tired of running in circles trying to get answers to your injury issues I can pretty much guarantee she can fix ya up! Check her out...

GR

130 Days to 10k (a new online training program coming soon to Amazon)

2011-03-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

I've just completed the yet to be released 130 days to 10k training program! Here's the general outline of what you can expect:

The first six weeks of this program involves heavy drinking and partying like it's 1999. You will awake daily to a hangover the likes of which you've never dreamt possible and with the stark realization that you were actually born in the 70's, NOT the 80's, or more importantly the 90's. This trivial fact however should not dissuade you from attempting to out dance kids half your age while scaling dance floor speakers. (Side note, expect to be promptly removed by a nineteen year old bouncer who could crush you like a little girlie man. He may also drop you into a taxi against your will and direct the driver to the nearest old age home)

IF you can survive the first six weeks...only 7.3258% manage to do so, you will then be subjected to a monthly game of 'Build Em Up / SMASH EM DOWN' based around your own delusional expectations and belief that you're somehow deserving of a better fate, HA! You should feel lucky we didn't just amputate one of your legs from the start! This will continue for another ten weeks and though you may attempt to complete 10km in a similar fashion, it simply will not be the same:

(photo thanks to my fantastic running partner Debra Nicol. NYD 10k 1h28m)

Your final exam will be the most challenging part of this 130 days to 10k as you will eventually gain the freedom you've so actively yearned for. However you'll once more be subjected to the 'Build Em Up / SMASH EM DOWN' and without any prior warning. The big difference this time though is that the smash down will be completely internal, MWAH HA HA!! YOU and you along will have to come to terms with this and you'll struggle with the fact that you can no longer extol your anger towards a separate entity (an X-ray machine). YOU will have to realize on your own accord that you ARE in fact human and that you will not be able to simply pick up where you left off almost four months prior. Try as you may, your own body has been decommissioned with a purpose. This purpose at it's core has been disguised and designed to make you stronger both physically and more importantly mentally.

YOU once thought you loved the sport of running but did you ever really grasp or fully appreciate just how much a part of your life it had become? Did you ever stop to smell the roses as it were, to step back and think for two seconds how fortunate you were to simply be able to run, let alone afford a life and lifestyle of running around the world in the some of the most scenic environments upon the planet. Had you ever explored just what this simple act of a daily run truly meant to you? Though you would have emphatically answered YES to all of these questions just 130 days ago, you should now appreciate and understand all of these principles on a deeper level. A level that you were not even fully aware existed until we were able to strip you down to your absolute core, before attempting to build you back up again.

Your final exam will initially consist of completing the first 10km run you've attempted in over four and a half months (treadmill 1.5% incline, 45m58s, painful but oh so good). Your final grade however will be determined 100% around which song you are able to submit that best sums up your journey back to health. And KNOW THIS YOUNG JEDI, there is only ONE correct answer:

GR

Running or Something Like It (my first month back)

2011-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it's March 1st already, though I kinda find myself sayin that at the beginning of each and every month. In all seriousness though, having not been able to run through what are typically the worst months of the year I truly can not believe that spring is right around the corner (hopefully).

SO, the quick and dirty, though not nearly dirty enough, recap of my first month off of crutches...it still hurts, lots, though in all the right places from what I am told. In hindsight I still would not have taken the surgery option over the natural healing option, though what I am now dealing with is a direct result of being off my foot for three and a half months. Had I taken the surgery option, and had it been successful, I would more than likely be months ahead of where I am now in the recovery process. Conversely had the surgery gone wrong for any reason I might not have ever run again. Hence I'm very content with how things have gone to date.

What I was not fully prepared for or educated on was just how lengthy the process of reconditioning the specific musculature of the foot and ankle would be. I'm already four weeks off crutches and I still feel each and every step that I take, albeit in my ankle and not in my foot or more importantly within the bone fracture site. It's been painfully slow going, but it has continually moved in the right direction so I have zero complaints. I still feel that I will have a successful top ten effort at Western States in June and hopefully an even better race eight weeks later at UTMB in France. All in all the timing of UTMB is kinda perfect given where I'm coming from right now. It has distinctly become my A race for the year and I am weighing options on hopefully travelling to France a full month early in an attempt to develop an intimate relationship with the course, and with the absolute goal of having the race of my life come the August 26th starting date. THIS of course is a whole other side story...

Feb 1st till Mar 1st:

Week 1: Having finally been told I could start back at it I headed straight to the track (as shown earlier) to see how things would hold up. I ran/walked a total distance of 2km, with a mix of about 1km of very slow painful running and about 1km of very slow walking, alternating as my body demanded. This was both the stupidest and most beneficial thing I could have done all at once. In the days following this 'run' my right leg basically seized up and my right calf felt like it had been assaulted with a baseball bat, Nancy Kerrigan style. My body had dictated the terms of recovery very definitively and I was forced to immediately accept the fact that this was going to be a very long process.

Feb 1st - 6th

T: Above run/walk for 2km

W: off / regret my decision from previous day

T: 1h30m spin session

F: Gym workout with Curb Ivanic

S: Trail hike on Orca's Island of 3.5km which took a full hour

S: off

Feb 7th - 13th

M: 1hr strength session with Curb

T: 1hr trail hike

W: 1hr/26km Road Bike with previously shown crash

+ physio session with Jenn Turner

T: 1hr spin session at home (so as to prevent another possible crash)

+ 30min trail hike

F: off

S: 1hr spin session

+ 1.5hr/8km trail hike

S: 1hr spin session (1st time really pushing hard & getting a great w/o)

+ 1hr/4km trail hike

Throughout these two weeks I was still unable to walk without a significant limp due to the overall muscle fatigue within my foot. It wasn't until almost three weeks out that I finally had a full day of being on my feet without once looking gimpy. Each day felt slightly better and stronger so I was confident it was just a matter of time and not something worth worrying about

Feb 14th - 20th

M: 1hr strength w/ Curb

T: off

W: Physio w/ Jenn Turner at Moveo

T: quick workout at home

F: 1hr spin session which was definitively my best to date as I was finally able to push decent wattage

S: 1hr/4km snowshoe hike in Whistler

S: off

Feb 21st - 27th

Having finally progressed beyond limping and also feeling like my overall upper leg strength had returned I focused on getting my first full and consistent week of training in.

M: 1h30m/7km snowshoe hike

T: 1h30m / 1800 vertical foot hike up Grouse Mtn to the 1954 F-86 Fighter Jet crash site on the trail known as Jetboy, followed by a gravity assisted run back down to fully assess my leg and ankle strength which I was pleasantly surprised with over the following 48 hours of basic and expected but not overly debilitating quad pain

+ 1hr spin session

W: My 2nd attempt at running. 30min/6km painful in ankle but overall ecstatic to officially run once more

+ physio session w/ Jenn Turner

T: 2hr road ride / 51km. Bitterly cold but stunningly beautiful day

F: 1hr road ride / 28km. Again bitterly cold but overall my best workout to date

+ 1hr hike up BCMC at night

S: 30m/5km treadmill run

S: 1h30m Jetboy hike up and run down

(this was taken on Friday afternoon and by Sunday morning everything was buried under a foot of snow, forcing the road bike to once again become attached to the indoor trainer)

All in all, things are definitively heading in the right direction and on an almost noticeable daily basis. When I left the hospital on Feb 1st the Doctor said,
"Your goal should be to run 10km within the next eight weeks"

This was immediately followed by my own thought of,
"TEN KILOMETERS?! I'll run ten by next week and fifty within eight weeks DOC!"

Of course I didn't voice this because I didn't want to get into trouble but realistically he wasn't too far off. I managed 8km on the treadmill this morning and will most certainly complete 10km in a similar fashion by the end of this week (5 weeks out)...though I'm still intending to do 50k by the end of eight weeks Doc!

GR

About That NOT Doing Anything Dumb Stipulation...

2011-02-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

First day back on my road bike in over four months...didn't quite go according to plan...

Thankfully my hand isn't broken which was my initial concern after the adrenaline wore off and the swelling set in. Amazingly the bike sustained only minor damage and outside of the 'delayed onset muscle soreness' through the following 48hrs I escaped with nothing permanently damaged other than my pride. Oh yeah, and I jimmy-rigged my GoPro to my bike for the first time but thankfully for my ego the camera wasn't actually rolling while I went over the bars, nor was the camera itself damaged in the fall.

On a funnier note, I did arrive home to my Grandma neighbor doing gardening to constant uncensored gangster rap.

GR

Feb 10th: FREE Endurance Nutrition Talk By Steve Born

2011-02-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

One night only, tonight from 7pm till 9pm at The Granville Island Hotel.

15 Simple Ways To Improve Your Athletic Performance RIGHT NOW

Nutrition expert/author Steve Born will be in Vancouver tonight and talking about the number one thing most endurance athletes still struggle with, NUTRITION.

Don't squander months and months of training only to have your race go south due to improper fueling strategies. Steve is an expert in the field and will give you personal insight into what you may be doing wrong and how to hopefully fix it before your next big event.

Here's an excerpt from one of his presentations:

Proper fueling of the body prior to, during, and after exercise requires personal experimentation to find the ideal fit for you, the individual athlete. There is no “one size fits all” approach; we are all “experiments of one” when it comes to fueling during exercise. You need to determine, through trial and error in your training, what works best for you. However, there are some basic guidelines that will enable you to eliminate much of the guesswork, so you can more rapidly learn how to properly fuel your body, allowing you to enjoy higher quality workouts and better race performances.
Some of these recommendations may seem pretty foreign to you, especially in regards to fluid, calorie, and electrolyte replenishment during exercise, where some “experts” tell you that you need to eat and drink at or near depletion rates...

There is seating available and although RSVP'ing is recommended, you could still show up without doing so and more than likely squeeze into a seat at the back.

Any questions please contact Donna Wanless: adrenalinmarketing@telus.net

If you happen to make it out, I'll be front row center taking it all in myself.

GR

By The Numbers

2011-02-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

98: F-ing days spent on crutches / 14 weeks (Oct 26th - Feb 1st )

18: Pounds of 'off season weight gain' From 151 on up to 169 (topping out at 172)
00: Concern about the weight gain

13: New Musical finds

5: New Books (purchased, not read)

3: Left Shoes worn out while the right ones sat idle

35: At home treatments with the Exogen Bone Healing System (huge thanks to my Doctor Jim Bovard setting me up with this)
20: One hour, one legged strength training sessions with Curb Ivanic (video below)
7: Physio sessions with Dr. Jenn Turner at Moveo Sport and Rehab Centre
5: Acupuncture sessions with Kim Graham at Thrive Total Fitness
3: Acupuncture sessions with Vancouver physio / ultrarunner Jackie Muir

3.5: Flights out of BC (Return from Oregon, Banff-AB, Newfoundland, Hawaii) (flying with crutches is actually much, much friendlier!)
450: Total dollars spent on all trips (air miles are a wonderful thing)
60: Beers consumed in a five day span while in Banff (literally), utilizing a previous time tested life lesson "Drink Past IT!"

10: Kilometers 'raced' on crutches at the CFA New Year's Day run (1h28m)
3: Total sets of rubber crutch tips
4: Face plants. Two in Banff on snow and ice in the same night, one on slick water soaked Vancouver grass, and one during the Ra Ra Riot / Wintersleep concert at The Commodore
2: Sets of hand grips
2: Sets of custom made armpit protectors (packing tape and hand clothes)

5: Times my crutches magically attempted to fly on their own (think Happy Gilmore)
1: Unfortunate garbage can assault via my right crutch, inflicting a permanent wobble into my sticks

7: Hours of spin sessions once I was cleared to do so
4: Hours of water running...even one additional minute and I'd have put myself out of my own misery
33: F-bombs after initial spin sessions lead to three days of swelling

4: X-rays before they finally got it right (definitely the x-ray techs fault)

1: Coffee cup/beer holder and matching wallet attachments...built to last I tell ya!

1: Breakdown after my six week x-ray, which I captured on video SPECIFICALLY SO I can personally reference it come June 25th (Western States) and August 21st (UTMB). This process WILL NOT prevent me from accomplishing what I initially would have set out to do in 2011, it will only make it that much sweeter when I finally get there!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me throughout these past three and a half months! From the medical/physio/acupunture, to the twice weekly personal training sessions that kept me motivated when my preference was to simply lay in bed all day, to the numerous friends who raised a beer(s)/coffee(s) with me, to the people I don't really know who left endless kind and funny comments along the way, I am forever grateful. I promise to think of at least three of you specifically when I make my coveted starting lines down in Squaw Valley and across the pond in France. It's been a journey, I've learned lots, though I'm not completely sure what just yet, and though I hope I never have to go down this road again...I now know I could conquer it much more confidently with the amazing network of people I've met along the way.

And I leave you with me in an air cast trying to stay fit. Curb Ivanic shot some video during one of our workouts that he recently posted to his column on BC Living. Feel free to mock me relentlessly as I'd be insulted if you didn't.

GR

Free-Dumb

2011-02-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

I'm finally FREE to start moving again...as long as I don't do anything DUMB for at least a month or more...

Botched North American UROY Results

2011-01-27T12:21:00.000-08:00

While I was in Hawaii, the 30th annual UltraRunning Magazine Ultra Runner Of The Year results were announced.

The list has sparked debates across the board and every single runner I've spoken to thinks they completely f-d it up this year. I'm sorry, but someone just has to come out and say what the rest of us are quietly whispering to each other. They dropped the ball. They messed it up. They took the pure sport of UltraRunning and dragged its reputation through the mud like it was an under card on a locals only Friday night fight club.

WHO PAID FOR THIS POLL?

Basically what I'm hearing most, and this is from everyone I've spoken to (me, myself and I), not just from my parents, though they totally agree as well. I WAS COMPLETELY ROBBED!

I mean who's even heard of half of these characters, Geoff Roes? Did he even win a race in 2010? Anton Kuerprichka, is he even legal drinking age yet? Dakota Jones, named after a truck and not even close to being legal drinking age yet. And ME, Gary Frikkin Robbins drolling around down in fifteenth place with names like Hal Koerner...what is that Russian? Max King, can he even spell Ultra Running? and Karl Meltzer...isn't he like 100 years old already? Seriously people, seriously it's time to take your heads out of your sphincters and look at the actual numbers.

Chuckanut 50k 12th place overall! 1st in the open-mixed-non gender specific ultra runners from Newfoundland category...but you probably didn't even bother checking that did you?

Miwok 100k, DNF, BUT I was totally like in 3rd or something for like three miles around the five mile mark...did YOU even notice, esteemed members of the panel, did YOU even notice?

West Coast Trail 75km, FIRST PLACE OVERALL! In fact this one was so tough I was the ONLY finisher! That's right ONE person finished the race...ok, ok, fine, it was a 100% finisher rate but still, do you even know where The West Coast Trail is?? I'll give you a hint, it's aptly named and designed for MEN, and women and children, but STILL, it's too tough for you so don't even bother.

How bout the East Coast Trail? I was so good on that trail that I walked half of it and still won, but oh noooo, it's not on your hallowed races list like The Yukon Arctic or Iron Horse, or Zumbro. Well I got news for you voters, not everyone can get into Zumbro!

Alright, alright, I'm being a sore loser, but I hate losing, so much in fact that I NEVER LOSE! Sure I've let some runners finish ahead of me in some of the more 'competitive' races, but really that was more for them than me, I could easily had won had I cared enough to eat during the race. That's right, I didn't eat anything during Western States, nothing, not even a singular gel, nor did I drink at all either. Sure I didn't pee for a month afterwards but for me it's all about stepping it up, making it real. Let's face it, hundred milers are easy, I'm just taking it to the next level right now.

I'm THAT GUY, the guy you're about to start reading about in GQ Magazine. Why? Not because I'm fast enough to win anything I don't sandbag, but because I'm f-ing HARD CORE MAN! If there's one thing I've learned after three years of running 100's, it's that you don't need to win races to get rich and famous, you just have to convince everyone who doesn't know a stain about the sport that you're the best in this sport that they've never heard of and will never ever follow or be the slightest bit interested in.

SO THERE, I said it, I didn't want to but really did I even have a choice in the matter? I...AM...THE...BEST...now where's my cheque? (yeah that's how we spell it in Canada!)
And how much to buy one of those obscene cougar trophies? Roes? I'll give ya twenty bucks...Canadian, check the exchange rates.

Peace out, but not really cause Peace is for pansies! Later pansies.
Vote Gary Robbins 2011!
G to the R

(Photo Credit Glenn Tachiyama, WS 2009)

H.W.S. (Hawaiian Withdrawal Syndrome)

2011-01-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

I guess I have to start by saying I love living in North Vancouver. We all have the choice in where we live and I very distinctly chose North Van because the balance of life I have here is beyond anything I've ever known before. Mountains and ocean, running and skiing, paddle sports and mountain sports, the ability to snowshoe, mountain bike, kayak, and golf all in the same day if you really wanted to. Trails out my back door, work just down the street and a major city center just twelve minutes away via a 'sea bus' (water taxi). Yes, I love it here...99.9% of the time. However after basically swimming on into work this morning I was left with a head space solidly stuck on a Hawaiian Island out in the Pacific Ocean. I'm officially suffering from HWS.

I posed this question via Twitter this morning,
"Does spending a week in Hawaii in January make it easier to withstand a Pacific Northwest winter or does it make it harder?"
The feedback was overwhelmingly 'harder', however I'm completely confident that not a single one of us would trade our incredible experiences in Hawaii for the rains we missed out on here at home. I think my biggest self inflicted torture I've forced upon myself in recent years is to leave the Hawaiian forecast loaded onto my iPhone.

"Oh it's hammering down rain here in NV today...I wonder what it's doing in Hawaii..." This is inevitably followed by quietly sobbing to myself in the corner as my dog licks the tears from my face. "Yum electrolytes!"

Anyways, there is no better feeling after a trip than to fully desire to return again as soon a humanly possible. At the very latest that will be in just under twelve months time for the 2012 version of HURT.

It's tough for me to say this given that I'm still recovering from my broken foot, but it was a slight blessing in disguise to have been unable to run this year. I had an absolute blast hanging out at the race for the full 36hr, and from the tears of laughter from about 10pm till 2am, to the surprising tears of pride while watching people squeeze in just under the 36hr cutoff, I had an exceptional and unexpectedly fulfilling experience at this years event. Obviously I was dying to run the hundred miles, but the memories of watching it all unfold from the sidelines will stick with me for a very long time. My hat goes off to every single runner who was brave enough to toe the line. If you've never watched the final few hours of a hundred miler before I'd suggest you do so in the very near future. I'd wager to bet that those runners, those stories, those tears of joy that every single one of those runners shed are in fact the real reason why Race Directors put so much love into their events and continue to come back to them year after year. It's like John Salmonson said to me at the awards banquet,

"People don't believe me when I tell them we put this event on for ourselves. On a personal level we get more out of this race than most people would ever understand or believe."

And that alone is what makes HURT so special. It is a family. Unmistakably so. I am suffering from HWS, but more than anything I just can't wait to get back to see my Hawaiian running family again. Whether I adopted them before they adopted me or not, they're simply not getting rid of me anytime soon. Pencil me in for the next ten years please.

GR

A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECAP

A Bucket List HOG Ride (video)

2011-01-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of stories to be told from an incredible week in Hawaii, with most obviously centered around the HURT 100 race. I had an absolute blast from 'almost' start to finish on my trip (I'll explain that later), for now though a quick recap of my final day on the Island of O'ahu.

I woke up on day seven having spent the night in a hostel. My travel/racing companions had all moved on to other islands or returned to winter and the only person I had met in my eight bed dorm room the night before could only be summed up as a bit of a tool.

Come Wednesday morning I had actual thoughts of heading to the airport to see if I could just catch an earlier flight home. This was shocking to me. I thought about it for a second and realized my hostel experience hadn't been what I was hoping for. I've travelled a decent amount and hostels have always acted as a central meeting place that would usually preclude amazing adventures with complete strangers, many of whom I still have contact with to this day.

SO, I hadn't met anyone cool and there was the slight let down of flying solo for the first time all week. I simply gave my head a shake and headed to the beach for a few hours to take in the amazing day. Around noon I headed back to check out of the hostel and to store my bags, as I had a 10:30pm flight. As I'm packing my things a girl walks into the room wearing an Arcade Fire t-shirt. Alright I think, she's probably Canadian and likes good tunes. We get to chatting and after informing her that I was on my last day, verses her being at the very start of a six week stint she simply said to me.

"I guess you can't do much on your crutches can you? I dunno, think of something fun to do and I'll do it. I'm up for anything..."

Is that a challenge???

I walked around the corner from the hostel and glanced at the scooters. Meh, not my style. Then I noticed the Harley Davidson Fat Boy...and there was very little convincing on my part beyond that that.

I've owned a half a dozen rides in my life, but it's been awhile, far too long to be honest. I of course decided to ignore possible set backs such as broken foot (which is pretty much healed now anyways...right...)

"I bet you've never rented to a guy on crutches before."
"Actually, we have."
"Alrighty, so no additional waivers to sign then."

Since Hawaii has no helmet laws, and as the saying goes, when in Rome...

Oh yeah, and my partner in crime Angela Parks is an ER Nurse, so I could almost make an argument insinuating that I'd really thought this whole thing through properly.

Either way, if I had an official bucket list, this would have been right near the top. It was a fantastic end to yet another great trip to Hawaii. I can't wait to head back again next January...though I'd trade the Harley ride for a 100mile run almost any day!

Oh yeah, and I swear we didn't get up to 115km an hour, it just looks like it Dad...it just looks like it...

GR

X-Rays, Hawaii, And Radio Chit Chat

2011-01-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well that latest update in the world of Jones Fractures is that THEY SUCK. An independent study confirmed this by an overwhelming 98%, though it was only Roxy and me in that poll and it's fair to say that she didn't completely understand what I was crying about.

Here's a comparison of my last two x-rays. The immediate coming one week ago and the second image being my initial six week follow up in December.

What was never fully vocalized in December was that my recovery up until then wasn't just disappointing, it was completely negative. There were no visible signs of any healing having occurred and the fissure had actually gotten worse. My Doctor decided to give my body one further month before forcing me into surgery, and thankfully this seems to have paid off.

For all intents and purposes the bone seems to be about 65-70% healed and the hope is that just four more weeks on crutches should do the trick. This will end up bringing my total time on the sidelines hopping around on metallic sticks to three and a half months. I must admit had that time frame been pitched back in October I may have lost my little mind while trying coming to terms with it all. As funny as this might sound, it almost worked out better that the process has been broken down into stages. It's no less frustrating of course, just a bit more manageable, kinda like running aid station to aid station in a 100 miler so that you don't actually have to wrap your head around the total distance all at once.

Thankfully the next seven days of my recovery will be spent in HAWAII!! Unfortunately and obviously I won't be running the HURT 100 miler this year, instead viewing it from the sidelines. I have two goals in attending this year's race.
1) To provide as much vocal support as possible to all the runners on course, especially as the race goes through the night
2) To prevent anyone from stealing away my course record in my absence...
"Oh your drop bag? Hmmm, haven't seen it. Can I make you some warm tea, maybe massage your feet for you? You look like you need a nap before heading back out there again."
"Yeah I know it's totally weird right, but the fifth lap is COMPLETELY different than the first four. Seriously, just follow this paved road till you hit the ocean, then take a right and I'm sure you'll figure it out from there."

Last but not least, if you're interested (Dad), I recently did an interview with Chris Russell over on the RunRunLive Podcast. You can find it in iTunes under RRL on Dec 23rd (wow, no idea it was that long ago already) ~~OR, assuming this worked, you can stream it right here~~(it didn't) My endless chatter goes from about 10min in until 28min or so. Check er out, and bring on the beaches already!

And The Winners Are...

2011-01-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I think Sue Lucas summed it up best in her last minute comment about the poll:

Hey Gary
Sue here, make sure you give that UROY award to Ellie she truly deserves it. I'm just flattered that I was in the running. It seems that my fan club in town here goes overboard once again.

Sue definitely owned the popular vote taking 53% and a shocking 140 personal votes, which is just shy of our total votes cast in the performance of the year poll! That's an impressive and loyal following to say the least Sue!

Ellie lead the way early and I think it's fair to say that based on her 2010 resume she was the 'run away' winner of the Canadian Ultra Runner of the year, for a second year 'running'. (yeah I know, these running puns are just pure genius on my part)

My personal thoughts, since you asked and were dying to know. It's tough to argue against The World 100km Champion and someone who set a Course Record it all but one possible CR event, that being Ellie and her second place finish at the Chuckanut 50km in March. Tracy Garneau had only three races but all were victories, and they were pretty huge events, capped off of course by taking the crown at Western States. Beverly unfortunately had an injury riddled season, otherwise her resume would have stacked up against the best of the best. The biggest surprise to me however was the lack of love towards Monica Scholtz. Not only did she break her own World Record for most 100 mile races in a calendar year, tackling twenty four of them, but she was top two in nearly 50% of her races! Monica won three races, finished second in seven others, and was third once as well. It's as if her resume was just too large to even comprehend and many of these outstanding performances were simply lost in the sea of 100's listed below. I mean consider that Monica ran more miles, 2400, in a total of 24 days than most runners were able to eclipse in the entire year. As they say though, speed wins, and no one on this list is nearly as speedy as Ms. Ellie Greenwood. So congrats to her!

On the men's side Glen Redpath was rightfully voted the Male Canadian UROY, and for the second straight year. He outpaced yours truly by 13 votes and 13%. Glen won the Master's Crown at Western States in June, ripped off one of the fastest 100's in Canadian history in March (14h27m), and set three further course records, at three different distances (50k/100k/100m) in the fall. As I mentioned in a comment on Melcher's blog, Glen just shows up every single time, and at every single distance. The guy is a machine and at 44 years of age he just seems to be getting faster on an annual basis.

Here's how the final women's vote broke down:

Beverly Anderson-Abbs	8 (3%)
Tracy Garneau	16 (6%)
Ellie Greenwood	79 (30%)
Sue Lucas	140 (53%)
Laurie McGrath	1 (0%)
Theresa McGrath	0 (0%)
Denise McHale	1 (0%)
Monica Sholtz	15 (5%)

Votes so far: 260

AND THE MEN'S

Adam Hil	1 (1%)
Chris Downie	1 (1%)
Gary Robbins	36 (36%)
Glen Redpath	49 (49%)
Ryne Melcher	13 (13%)

Votes so far: 100

Thanks to everyone for taking part and keeping it fun. Year two of these polls is now in the books, with Greenwood and Redpath refusing to relinquish their titles. Best of luck to everyone on a fun filled and injury free 2011 running campaign!

Female Ultra Runner Of The Year, Canada

2010-12-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

Aight, let's get this party started! In what could likely parlay into similar voting for North American UROY, here are the candidates. As before Melcher is hosting the men's vote on his blog.

We will leave these postings up and invite comments to help fill in any blanks up until Sunday afternoon. At approximately 6pm we'll roll out a FOUR DAY POLL for UROY voting. Here are our known results for the top Canadian performers of 2010. Please take a second to review the entire list as it's in alphabetical order and no one should overlook anyone on here.

Beverly Anderson-Abbs
1st Woodside 50km (4h22m)
1st CR Pony Express 50m (6h14m)
2nd Way Too Cool 50km (4h29m)
1st Mad City 50km (3h44m)

Tracy Garneau

1st CR HURT Hawaii 100m (24h06m)

1st American River 50m (6h43m)

1st Western States 100m (19h01m)

Ellie Greenwood
1st CR Frozen Ass 52km (3h48m)
2nd Chuckanut 50km (4h19m)
1st CR/WR Elk-Beaver 100km (7h36m)
1st CR Scorced Sole 50m (7h58m)
1st CR Knee Knacker 30m (5h06m)
1st CR Canadian Death Race 125km (13h28m)
1st CR Run For The Toad 50km (3h37m)
1st World 100km Road Champs (7h29m)

Sue Lucas

22nd World 24hr Champs (197.638km)

4th Fast Trax 100km (10h48m)

1st Lost Soul 100m (28h27m)

1st Beaudry Lemming Loop 12hr (113.635km)

Laurie McGrath
1st Kingston 6hrs (41.02miles)
1st Niagara On The Lake 50km (4h15m)
1st Creemore Vertical Challenge 50km (4h51m)
1st The Limberlost Challenge 50km (6h26m)
1st Haliburton Forest 50m (8h38m)
6th Self Transcendence 24hr (93.611miles)
2nd Run For The Toad 50km (4h37m)
3rd Vulture Bait 50km (4h47m)

Theresa McGrath
9th Limberlost Challenge 50km (8h23m)
2nd Dirty Girls 12hr (51.26miles)
3rd Haliburton Forest 50m (9h42m)
1st Self Transcendence 24hr (205.629km)

Denise McHale

2nd Canadian Death Race 125km (14h54m)

8th World 100km Road Champs (7h56m)

Monica Scholtz
New World Record For Most 100's In One Year

2nd HURT Hawaii 100m (32h02m)

7th Rocky Raccoon 100m (21h38m)

2nd Lost 118m Endurance Run (28h11m)

2nd NJ 100m (19h08m)

1st McNaughton Park 100m (24h17m)

2nd Jerseyville Fat Ass 100m (20h52m)

2nd IronHorse Ultra 100m (21h10m)

2nd Keys Ultra 100m (21h07m)

4th Sulpher Springs 160km (22h48m)

3rd Old Dominion 100m (23h14m)

19th San Diego 100m (28h12m)

15th Vermont 100m (24h23m)

10th Burning River 100m (23h05m)

1st Viaduct Trail 100m (21h58m)

15th Leadville 100m (27h46m)

9th Angeles Crest 100m (29h53m)

6th Rio Del Lago 100m (23h37m)

10th Pine To Palm 100m (29h29m)

2nd Arkansas Traveler 100m (23h37m)

5th Boulder 100m (21h50m)

6th Javelina Jundred 100m (22h03m)

5th Pinhoti 100m (27h41m)

8th Mother Road 100m (24h35m)

1st Creemore Horizontal 100m (24h54m)

Results For Canadian Performances Of 2010

2010-12-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

Alright, a wee bit delayed on the follow up considering the poll closed a few days back, however a surprise Christmas visit back to Newfoundland took precedence.

AND THE WINNER IS...drum roll please...

Ellie Greenwood for her World 100km Road Championship victory in Gibraltar, taking 33% of the vote

Second place went to Tracy Garneau for her win on the big stage down at Western States. 26%

Third place also went to Ellie for her course record setting performance at The Canadian Death Race. 18%

Beverly Anderson-Abbs claimed 9% for setting the new Canadian 50 mile trail record,

and Tracy's course record win at HURT Hawaii rounded out the top five with 7% of the vote.

Men's Results over on Melcher's blog

My own thoughts? First and foremost, super stoked to have 153 people partake in the vote! That's up about 50% from last year but with so many incredible performances every vote truly did count in this one so it's not completely surprising.

Beyond that it goes without saying, yet I've now said it twice, 2010 was a truly incredible year for Canadian's in the ultra scene, especially the women!

NEXT UP. Starting tomorrow we'll post the candidates for Male and Female Ultra Runner Of The Year, commonly referred to as the UROY. Melcher and I will post our known results for the best in the country and then leave 72 hours for assistance with filling in the blanks. On Sunday evening around 6pm PST we'll launch the polls, this time for four days instead of a full week.

Alright, Happy New Year to all and to all a good night...or something like that...

Tracy Garneau, HURT	11 (7%)
Beverly Anderson-Abbs, Pony Express	14 (9%)
Tracy Garneau, American River	1 (0%)
Ellie Greenwood, Elk-Beaver	4 (2%)
Tracy Garneau, Western States	40 (26%)
Ellie Greenwood, Canadian Death Race	28 (18%)
Theresa McGrath, Sri Chinmoy	0 (0%)
Ellie Greenwood, Run For The Toad	0 (0%)
Denise McHale, World 100k	3 (1%)
Ellie Greenwood, World 100k	52 (33%)
OTHER	0 (0%)

Votes so far: 153
Poll closed

The Vote, Canadian Woman's Ultra Performance of 2010

2010-12-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

You can cast your vote by clicking on the right sidebar but please review our Top Ten List as selected below. Poll will run for one week, Sun 19th till Sun 26th (5pm PST)
Men's vote over on Melcher's Blog

1) Tracy Garneau

HURT 100 Miler, Jan 16th Full Results

1st woman, new course record, 24h06m

Tracy significantly lowered the already highly respected CR set by Krissy Moehl in 2007 at 26h15m

2) Beverly Anderson-Abbs

Pony Express 50 Miler, Feb 27th Full Results

1st woman, new course record, 6h14m

Bev lowered her own Canadian 50 Mile Record by a full twelve minutes

3) Tracy Garneau

American River 50 Miler, April 10th Full Results

1st woman, 6h43m

Tracy's time was the 7th fastest ever and 3rd fastest for anyone not named Ann Trason

4) Ellie Greenwood

Elk-Beaver 100km Trail Race, May 1st Full Results

1st Overall, new course record, 7h36m

Ellie's time is still being verified for a World 100k Record on trails

5) Tracy Garneau

Western States 100 Miler, June 26th Full Results

1st woman, 19h01m

Tracy became the first ever Canadian to win The Grand Daddy of the 100 Milers

6) Ellie Greenwood

The Canadian Death Race 125k, July 30th Full Results

1st woman, 2nd overall, new course record, 13h28m

Finishing 2nd only to Hal Koerner. Her time was the 2nd fastest ever run on the course with Hal setting the new standard just 43 minutes ahead of her.

7) Theresa McGrath

Ottawa Sri Chinmoy 24 Hours, Sept 25th Full Results

1st woman, 2nd overall, 205.629km

The win put Theresa within striking distance of Laurie McGrath's Canadian record of 211.167km

8) Ellie Greenwood

Run For The Toad 50k, Oct 2nd Full Results

1st Overall, 3h37m

Her run was the 3rd fastest ever on the course, men or women, and would be the 2nd fastest women's 50k in Canadian history and would be a Canadian trail 50k record

9) Denise McHale

World 100km Road Championships, Nov 7th Full Results

8th woman, 7h56m

Denise's eighth place finish was also a new Canadian 100km woman's record.

**This is where it gets kinda funny as we list Ellie's result from the same race, however since Denise's time is the Official Canadian 100km record it not only deserves to be included in the list, it also deserves serious consideration in the overall vote**

10) Ellie Greenwood

World 100km Road Championships, Nov 7th Full Results

1st woman, 7h29m

World & European Champion

11) OTHER

It's hard to believe that it was a serious challenge to cut this list down to ten. This has to be one of the best years we've ever seen in the Canadian ultra scene.

If you feel that one of the races dropped from the top ten was the performance of the year, than vote other to let us know. Keep in mind that you're voting on the performance of the year, and not just for your favorite runner, or your favorite race, or for a race you happened to be at when one of these incredible performances took place.

Ultra Runner Of The Year (UROY) vote to follow.

Canadian Ultra Performance Of The Year, Women

2010-12-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

I had a bit of fun with this last year and managed a surprisingly solid response so I decided to roll with it a second time. This year I'm teaming up with Ryne Melcher to do a tandem posting as he'll be hosting the Men's vote over on his blog. (since he likes boys and I like girls)

Well, bar none there were some UNBELIEVABLE performances by Canadian women this year which should make the vote very interesting and very tight. As with last year Ellie Greenwood will be representing The Maple Leaf, even if our own governmental policies prevented her from representing us at The World Championships, as she was intending and hoping to do.

To ensure no one is missed in the voting process we will first roll out our top known performances and ask for feedback on oversights. Our apologies in advance if we miss anything. After this list has been up for three days we'll select our top ten and post it to a vote.

Differing from last year, the only rule is that it had to be an ULTRA distance race.

Following our performance of the year vote we'll post an Ultra Runner Of The Year vote as well, and again we welcome all feedback with these topics. Thanks for checking in, helping out, and eventually taking part in the voting process. There is nothing to be won here other than well deserved recognition for our incredibly talented Canadian contingent.

In chronological order, at least as best I know off the top of my head:

Tracy Garneau
HURT Hawaii 100 Miler, narrowly missing sub 24hr and crushing the previous record held by Krissy Moehl
1st place and Course Record

Beverly Anderson-Abbs
Pony Express 50 Miler, 6h14m is an unofficial Canadian 50 Mile Record smashing old record of 6h26m
1st place Overall and Course Record

Jenn Segger
Rainier to Ruston 50k
1st overall

Beverly Anderson-Abbs
Way Too Cool 50k, one of the most competitive 50k races in the US
2nd place

Beverly Anderson-Abbs
Mad City 50k, 3h44m
1st place Overall and Course Record

Tracy Garneau
American River 50 Miler, one of the most competitive 50 Milers in the US
1st place

Ellie Greenwood
Elk-Beaver 100km, not highly competitive but definitely a certified 100km course
1st place Overall and World 100km Trail Record 7h36m

Sue Lucas
World 24hr Championships
22nd woman, 1st Canadian, 197.7km

Carolyn Goluza
Vancouver 100km, a double running of the insanely technical Knee Knacker route in 17hr flat
1st place and Course Record

Tracy Garneau
Western States 100 Miler, The Grand Daddy of 100 Milers and always super competitive
1st place and first ever Canadian to win WS

Nicola Gildersleeve
Western States 100 Miler
11th woman, rookie 100 mile debut

Ellie Greenwood
Knee Knacker 50k, destroying women's record and nearly catching the lead men
1st place and Course Record

Ellie Greenwood
Canadian Death Race 125km, finishing second only to Hal Koerner, breaking previous Overall CR by 20min
1st place, Course Record, 2nd fastest time ever

Laurie McGrath
Dirty Girls 12hr
1st place Overall, 97.8km

Sue Lucas
Lost Soul 100 Miler, a tough course and apparently tougher weather conditions
1st place, 28h27m

Theresa McGrath
Ottawa Sri Chinmoy 24hr, within striking distance of Canadian record
1st place, 205.6km

Ellie Greenwood
Run For The Toad 50k, 3h37m destroying women's CR and running 3rd fastest overall time ever
1st place Overall

Sue Lucas
Lemming Loop 12hr
1st place Overall, 113.6km

Denise McHale
World 100km Road Championships, Official Canadian 100km record of 7h56m
8th woman

Ellie Greenwood
World 100km Road Championships, World and European Champion
1st place, 7h29m

Tamsin Anstey
North Face 50 Mile Championships
11th woman, billed as most competitive 50 Miler of 2010

There you have all that our combined craniums were able to uncover. Official vote will be posted on Sunday evening. Congrats to all above, it's been an incredible year! Best wishes for everyone to stay healthy and continue representing at the big races in 2011.

Don't forget to click here to check out Melcher's blog and the Men's 2011 results and subsequent poll.

GR

World Champion

2010-12-13T00:33:00.000-08:00

This one was too funny for me not to post, or at least based upon the circumstances that I/we discovered it, there was no way it wasn't being blogged about...

While watching The Oilers lose to The Canucks tonight,

"You'd better watch what you say to me, I'm the World Sand Dune Jumping Champion ya know"

"Oh really"

"Yeah, you can google that shit!"

"Hum, Nothing"

"No, no, ya have to hit up 'IMAGES' to get a valid response!"

And sure enough...

If google says it, than it must be true...WORLD CHAMPION! Just like I always claimed I was! Even if I haven't earned a word of it...

GR

It's A Miracle!

2010-12-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

OK, OK, it's Photoshop! BUT, I am doing way better and I have fully come to terms with the next four weeks. It's just another month and as long as the next x-ray at least kinda resembles the above image than I will ideally be back on my feet early in the new year. Till then, I will employ a strategy that I learned to master while residing in Banff, Ab. DRINK PAST IT!

PS: To those who thought the above image made it look like my toes were snapped in half here's the second image they shot. It was just the positioning of my foot that created the above pigeon toed effect.

GR

Breaking Point

2010-12-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

(Yeah, this is my x-ray from today and not six weeks ago. My toes had been outta the cast for all of ten seconds so they were still frozen sideways)

Maybe I shouldn't be blogging about this just yet, in fact I know I shouldn't because I'm still quite upset and I haven't fully had time to digest everything properly but whatever, here goes, I need a release.

It's been ten hours since I had my cast chopped off, got a follow up x-ray, and was delivered the completely shitty news. I'm still going to be on crutches for at least another month, maybe more. I don't actually know right now and won't know anything for another four weeks. My fiberglass cast has been replaced by a heavier, bulkier, more cumbersome walking boot that I'm not actually allowed to walk in, which has only served to make this whole process that much shittier.

"It's a bad break"

'Yeah I fucking know it's a bad break Doc,'

but I just wasn't prepared for this set back today. I thought my foot was feeling really good lately. It's not even about the running anymore, in fact I could give a shit about running at this point, I just want to be able to walk on my own two feet and still have hands to utilize at the same time. Imagine that! I'm completely fucking sick of how difficult the most menial of tasks have become while on crutches. Laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, showering...this is how I quantify a successful day right now.

Since I basically broke my foot the week after I officially moved into my new apt, I still have boxes that I've been unable to move into storage and I'm still short on furniture because I can't actually buy anything since I can't fucking lift and transport it. I have to organize grocery shopping through a friend. I have the neighbors basically taking care of my dog for me, and worst of all is that I've been unable to work throughout this entire process. I thought today was the day that I could finally start working past all of this. I had been counting down to today for weeks on end, yet low and behold 'that day' is now an unknown imaginary time frame that exists at least a month from here, maybe more, and THAT is why this hurts so much. The complete uncertainty of what I'm even dealing with.

It's like running a fifty mile race, crossing the finish line completely spent and thinking you've won, and then being told,

"Opps, our bad, it's actually 100 mile race...we think? They'll letcha know at the other end. Have fun!"

I went into this thing saying "It's only six weeks. I can handle six weeks, whatever I'll make it work."

Well, here I am six weeks later and with no fucking clue as to when I'm actually going to be able to walk on my own two feet again, let alone run.

Yeah I'll get through it, yeah I'll get over it, yeah I'll eventually be able to laugh about it and I might even call it a beneficial experience one day, but for right now,

FUCK ME!

Why This Might Actually Be A Good Thing

2010-12-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm gonna blog this out before I change my mind cause it's not exactly easy to rationalize a fairly serious running injury such as a Jones Fracture into something positive, but here goes...

To quickly summarize the issues my body was facing on a semi-regular basis throughout all of 2010 and even some of 2009

Fatigue / Over training Testing showed a strained adrenal system and low vitals

Right Achilles Flaring regularly and sometimes preventing me from walking without a limp

Right Ankle Significant enough to force me to get an MRI which revealed lingering long term damage that had been aggravated through heavy mileage

Right Foot In the EXACT area that I broke my foot I had done so once before, albeit almost two decades ago. However, for many years now everything from ski boots to cycling shoes seemed to aggravate the area and I had been wondering for upwards of six months if I had a hairline fracture in my foot as it was.

Left Hip The most significant of the injuries and not so much in terms of the overall severity to my body, but more so because it was the one injury that actually forced me to stop running. After completing the East Coast Trail I was unable to run for more than 15-20min without my left side shutting down on me. In the two months following the ECT the longest run I could muster was just over an hour and I ended up regretting it for days afterwards as it only set back my recovery time.

SOOOOO, if you look at the overall picture of a slightly broken body what might be the ONE injury that could potentially force all of these issues to simultaneously recover? The answer of course is a broken foot, and only on the right side. A broken leg would be a far more serious injury to rehab from, and anything on the left side would have only exacerbated the nice list up above. As it stands right now my entire right ankle structure has been frozen in place for six straight weeks, I've been forced into a lengthy break in which I have most certainly rested and recovered from all of my fatigue symptoms, AND my left hip has been thrown into a full on daily workout that has only served to strengthen the area and force the glute med and glute max to finally fire properly.

Now I'm not about to suggest that this has been easy or enjoyable for even five minutes, but they say, and I believe, that everything really does happen for a reason. I'll be the first to admit that it is rare to appreciate or understand those reasons in the moment and this may be true here as well, however that hasn't stopped me from trying to piece it all together. Whether this makes any true sense or not, it has allowed me to sleep better and relax a bit more. In five short days the actual truth will be revealed as this cast comes off and a subsequent x-ray tells the full story of what's transpired in my foot over the last six weeks. Assuming I get good news, and I really am feeling like I will at this point, then ideally this can only ever be viewed as a minor initial setback and maybe even something beneficial in the long term.

GR

Mountain Hardwear Athlete Video, "Hard By Choice"

2010-11-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

While recently attending the Montrail / Mountain Hardwear Fall Sales Conference an athlete inspired video debuted under the name "Hard By Choice." I missed the first thirty seconds or so but as soon as I realized what we were watching, I recorded it in high def on my handheld. I think it came out alright and I was then surprised to see that I'd 'made the cut' and even got a few quotes in there myself.

One of the highlights of the week for me was meeting Ueli Steck, 'The Swiss Machine'. He had a pretty inspiring presentation that left just about everyone with their jaws hanging on the floor. His next grand vision is to start trying to lay down insane speed records upon the 8,000 meter peaks. Here's a video that chronicles some of his recent accomplishments and gives insight into what he's all about. Enjoy.

GR

New Toys!

2010-11-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Yes this will be a sponsor shout out and some will view it as a 'commercial', but honestly I just LOVE new gear, especially when it's DRASTICALLY IMPROVED GEAR! I'm still blind from staring directly into the light to see just how bright it is...yeah, I'm that smart. Forgive any spelling mistakes as I'm seeing spots right now!

Short but sweet, Princeton Tec just released their brand new 200 Lumen APEX light. If you already know the Apex, yes you just read that right, it's almost twice as bright as the previous version! AND it won't cost a dime more than the first version, and they say that the battery life is not compromised whatsoever. (I will be testing this myself once I cut this damn plaster off of my leg).

I've talked up the original Apex in the past and have even given a few of em away on here...if I'm really nice to the boys down at Princeton Tec lights, who knows, maybe we'll be able to have a draw for the new light in the not so distant future!

The PUSH. New from PT is a 100 lumen ready to rock bike mount light. By 'ready to rock' I mean it's all pre-assembled in the box and you simply turn one screw onto your handlebars and you're good to go. Here's where I feel that the light really distinguishes itself though, it doubles as a handheld flashlight, it weighs next to nothing, it runs on just three AAA batteries, AND it has built in red flashers on the side of the light to ensure you'll be seen in all directions. Now that's a well thought out piece of brightness!

The BYTE. Also new and super light at just 64 grams. 35 lumens, two AA batteries, high beam, low beam, red beam, and all for under twenty bucks!

There, I'm done! All geeked out and loving my new toys...now if only these spots I'm seeing would fade away. Must stop staring directly into lights dammit...

GR

215km Of East Coast Trail, The Perfect 35hr Family Vacation!

2010-11-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

I had been on my feet for over 24 straight hours,

and I had covered over 100 miles of ground for the first time in my life. The sun had risen on my second day only to reveal terrain that was completely overgrown and impossible to run. Navigation was not an issue, but I was down to a bushwhack hike of about 4km an hour. I was wearing running shorts and my primary thought, outside of reaffirming every curse word I'd ever learned before, was that I only wished I had enough foresight to pack a pair of running tights. Every step through the harsh overgrown Newfoundland brush was like grinding on a heavy grit sandpaper, and I truly wanted my legs to bleed more than they actually were so that I would at least have visual justification for all the frustrations I was dealing with.

To add to the anguish I was suffering through I had under budgeted my food and fluids for this section and I had completely run dry hours earlier. My left hip, which had been an on and off issue for months on end had started flaring up after just the first hour and a half of my journey and since then had gone completely numb. As painful as it was it had not spiked in pain in hours and I felt like the worst of that issue might be behind me. Over the years experience had taught me that if you ignore your own body's sensory perceptions they will eventually start to questions their own sanity. Which is of course directly in line with the conversation you will inevitably have with yourself at some point as well.

"Listen I've been telling him for hours that he's all messed up but he just ain't hearing it."

"Really? You sure we're right about sending out those pain signals?"

"I dunno. I just do what what comes naturally but if the big boss man is telling me to shut up I guess I might as well listen to him. He can deal with the consequences himself later."

Truth be told, had I registered for any race on that same weekend I would have pulled the plug, DNS (did not start) without question or any feeling of remorse whatsoever. Since early summer I felt like I was just hanging on. I managed a successful Western States in June yet I still had two major pursuits on the schedule that I'd made very public in March. There was a fundraising campaign for Right To Play that was gaining momentum and I had somehow been able to fight my way to a slightly better West Coast Trail time than ever before, just two weeks prior. Though three quarters of the way through that West Coast Trail attempt I found my mind on the opposite side of the country, in Newfoundland. I was wondering how in the hell I was going to pull off a 215km run just fourteen days after running the 75km WCT. Those thoughts lasted all of a few minutes before I realized I had to be present in that moment in BC before shifting my sights towards the next run in Nfld.

The weeks between runs had evaporated and I now found myself in a whole other world of hurt. I had once covered 200km in a weeks worth of training and it completely shattered me. I had never attempted a distance greater than 160km in one go, and I had never had the 'good fortune' to run into a second sunrise before. This was all new terrain for me, and none of it was going according to plan.

Ray Zahab had been kind enough to send me fourteen maps that made up the entire route, and in hindsight these maps were integral to our success as a family. Though the terrain had now slightly eased, at least in terms of the overgrowth, I found it impossible to run more than a few steps at a time. I would guilt myself into a trot of about a minute before my body would shut down on me. I continually repeated this process like a scratched LP stuck in a record player. Over, and over, and over again. Try, fail, walk, try, fail, walk, try, fail, walk.

I knew the direction I wanted to travel and I couldn't help but notice that I was getting farther away from my next town and what would end up being my saving grace of seeing my family and their rolling support vehicle again. It was already four hours beyond my predicted arrival time and though the sun was now shining bright upon a beautiful Sept day I was being bombarded by coastal winds that would leave my face wind burned by the end of it all. I pulled out my maps, careful not to let them get caught in the breeze, and I confirmed that I was indeed still on course. It just happened to be the long way round to my next intersection. It was blatantly evident why the trail meandored out to sea and not towards the safe haven community of Petty Harbor. The scenery was endless and this trail was designed to take in all the fantastic sights and sounds that help make the route such a rare gem. I however, no longer gave a shit about the sights, sounds, and vantage points, and in fact I was actually starting to loath all of it. My two cameras felt like dead weights that I had to carry to document the damn trek and I was sick of feeling the need to stop and capture beauty on film.

I glanced into the distance and could just make out what appeared to be the end of the inlet I had yet to turn towards. My next 'aid station' was all too far off and I very literally had thoughts of just laying down and shedding a few tears. I was a defeated man, completely deflated and devoid of motivation to continue onwards. I had always wanted to find my breaking point through my endurance pursuits and I was now being confronted by something I had never truly dealt with on such a low level before. I wanted to quit. I just didn't care anymore, about anything. Knowing that quitting simply was not an option was all that kept me moving, one step at a time. Then it happened, I started to hallucinate.

As I crested a small knoll I thought I could see my brother off in the distance. Part of the beauty of The ECT is the solitude of the experience, and after covering nearly 185km, and being on my feet for over 29 hours I'd seen but two other people. One was camping in the night as I ran past, and the other was enjoying breakfast (while I still had food and fluids) many hours earlier, and nearly fifty kilometers away from the first hiker.

I blinked a few times to get a grip on myself and when I rubbed my eyes open I could not believe what I was seeing. My brother Bryan had hiked in 4km to find me and he had huge smile on his face and simply extended a handful of tinfoil towards me,

"I thought you could use some breakfast."

I found those tears I fought back just minutes earlier now starting to form by means of sheer amazement and excitement. I felt like he'd saved my life, and more importantly, my run...and for the second time in the last twelve hours no less.

East Coast Trail 215km

The first twenty nine hours of the run had itself brought many a high and low, and much in the way of mental anguish and doubt, but all in all my Father's rough time estimates were proving to be incredibly accurate.

The biggest issue that I simply had not prepared for was that of being completely wet for nearly the entire effort. Though we did not really get rained on too badly at any point, it did rain fairly hard the previous night and with so many overgrown sections of trail I rarely went more than a few minutes after changing into dry clothes without getting soaked again. In fact in the first 24hr my feet were dry for fewer than two of those hours. At one point my Brother even utilized a laundry mat in a small town we crossed through to 'refresh' my clothes for me and it took him nearly an hour to remove all the moisture from everything

I was also not expecting The East Coast Trail to have so many steep climbs in it. This may sound foolish to say, but it is a coastal route and there are no mountains in the region. This did not stop my GPS from recording almost 20,000 feet of climbing, and that's after the data corrections have been applied to the file. I'm always weary of inflated elevation data from a GPS watch, but I'll confidently say there was over 15,000 feet of climbing for sure.

I had expected and was prepared for the mud upon the trail to be worse than it actually was. This is not to suggest that the terrain was not atrocious because it most certainly was. Mentally though I had told myself I'd swim through quicksand like bogs and ford surging rivers if I had to. Instead I simply felt like a child on hockey skates for the first time in my life. There were hours upon hours that passed where every singular step I took was a fight to stay upright. I had my fair share of tumbles with the worst landing me elbow deep in a mud bath that smelled like a barn yard. I unleashed my anger and frustrations into the universe only to be on my ass again not a minute later.

The trail was turning out to be a lesson in humility. It was not the clear shot run that I had dreamed of and I felt more like a speed hiker than an actual runner at times, yet the goals of both are always the same. Relentless Forward Motion. One step at a time, baby steps if the trail demanded, and all the way from Cappyhaden to St. John's. There would be no stopping until I reached my home, my true home, the city in which I was born 33 years earlier.

The number one concern I had going into the speed attempt was based around my hip injury. It had been bothering me for months and even on the nine hour flight across Canada I would have to continually walk around and stretch off the impending numbing of the area.

I took my first steps upon the trail at 6:15am on Friday August 20th, and by 7:45am that same morning I was locked into a war of wills against my own body.

"This really hurts"

"No it doesn't"

"Umm, yeah, it totally hurts right now"

"Like no it doesn't!"

"Like yeah! It totally does like, really, like, freaking hurt...like"

Yes, I have the internal dialogue of thirteen year old kid.

"Alright fine, it hurts, but you knew it was gonna hurt coming into this thing so how bout a little suck it up princess"

"But I still have over two hundred kilometers left to go...."

"SUCK..."

"I just started this thing. There's no way I can ignore this much this early...."

"IT..."

"I'm ninety minutes into what will likely be a 36hr run..."

"UP ALREADY!"

"I hate you"

"I know"

"I'm not talking to you"

"Good"

"You'll pay for this!"

"I'm ok with that"

The first 100km of the trail took around thirteen hours to complete, and I fully recall hours seven, nine, and eleven being the most painful to accept. At the eleventh hour, and around 80km, my body screamed at me louder than it had all day long,

"SERIOUSLY ROBBINS WHAT THE F?"

It was a brutal sixty minutes in which I stopped a few times to try to stretch out the pain, but to no avail. I noticed my stride was being compromised in an attempt to alleviate the issues, but again this wasn't making things any easier. I had my first true doubts about my ability to endure, and the mental math nearly debilitated me.

"Eleven hours, eighty kilometers in. Still 135 kilometers to go. Still at least a full day of running left to get me through this thing. I still have twenty four full hours to go...how, just how is all I'm asking you?"

"Honestly I don't know ok. I just don't know. I'm sure you'll figure something out, and besides when you see your family again I know you're going to come around, so deal with it."

That eleventh to twelfth hour on the trail was the most painful I've ever experienced from that specific injury, or any other injury for that matter. By the time I'd hit 90km mark though, it was as if the pain sensors had hit a steady state and simply started cancelling each other out. The hip would no longer make it to the top of my 'reasons to quit list' upon the run. I'd won a small battle, one of many that were waged along the way.

As the kilometers rolled by we got into a pretty smooth rhythm as a family. My Father (Fred), Mother (Gerri), Brother (Bryan), Niece (Kayla), and Brother's Girlfriend (Heather) were all along for the ride, in the form of two rolling support vehicles. The East Coast Trail has fairly regular intersections with small coastal communities and on average you spend about four kilometers running roads through small towns for every twenty or so kilometers you cover upon completely isolated trail.

These communities became our intersection points and my family would continually leap frog me throughout the entire process, always awaiting my arrival into each town. Every few hours I'd pop outta the trail to big smiles, hugs, cheers, and a rolling buffet. From time to time family members would hop outta the car and run with me to the next trail head, or until we hit the first wee bump in the landscape that created a bit of a climb. These moments were pure magic for me. Completely spontaneous and fueled by love. I felt no pain when I was with them and without my family the run would have been completely impossible on so many levels. They had even gone as far as to make signs that they hung on the car while they drove between towns.

In one community a rather large gentleman started chasing me down the road. Survival instincts kicked in and all I could think was,

"How in the hell am I gonna out run this guy right now!?"

Then I noticed he was waving money at me. He was donating to Right To Play!! When I stopped to accept his generosity he just looked at me and said,

"Get going already! Don't stop for us!"

How could you not be moved by something like this. How could you possibly not finish what you'd started. How could you not draw energy reserves from this the likes of which you didn't even know you previously possessed. I felt like I floated on air for an hour after this encounter, feeling no pain whatsoever. Such a simple human interaction, yet so powerful at its core.

Gettin Ruffed Up

As nightfall was approaching, and we were running through yet another small town, my brother hopped out of the car to join me while the rest of the family drove on ahead to find the next trail re-entrance sign. It was to be a ten minute jaunt at most. A 'hey howya doing, keep digging, you're doing great' pep talk run.

We were just passing the second to last home in the community of Brigus South when out of nowhere an overweight Golden Lab came screaming out of a driveway at us. It was brandishing its teeth and left no doubt as to its intentions. The dog gave chase, but unlike every other scary dog encounter I'd ever experienced this beast meant business. He was on our heels in no time and as we turned to face him he leapt up and grabbed my Brother by the leg! The owner was now sprinting down the road after all of us which eventually turned into the three humans yelling at the one dog until he finally cowered behind his master. Bryan was obviously now pumping with adrenaline and for a second I thought I was going to have to prevent him from biting the owner of the dog himself. After a brief screaming match and a multitude of apologies from the dog's owner we were on our way again, my Brother now hobbling a bit from the impact of the bite, which turned out to leave a mark but not break the skin. He'd eventually walk it off but I'm not convinced I could have fended off the dog on my own at that point. We were laughing about it by the time we caught up with my family again.

The funniest thing I witnessed during the run was about six hours later at 2am. As I came off of another section of trail and into the community of Witless Bay we awoke another angry mutt and up he got and at me he came. My Dad immediately positioned the car between the dog and I, as I watched in shock as my Mother threw open her car door and started positioning herself to defend her first born at all costs.

"I woulda tackled that dog if he'd come at ya ya know!"

"Oh I know you would have Mom, you left no doubt with me or the dog that he didn't stand a chance of getting past you!"

Once the adrenaline from that scare wore off I found that I was completely and utterly drained. Physically and mentally I just needed a break. At 2:30am, after covering approximately 135km in twenty hours of running, I simply came towards my parents car, now set up at the trail head ahead of me as an aid station, and said,

"I need a nap"

They were so focused on the task at hand and our end goal that no one even processed what I'd said. They were straight into filling bottles, offering up clothes, and changing headlamp batteries.

"I need a nap"

"What?"

"A nap. I'm done. Someone wake me in fifteen minutes please." I then looked at them with a serious expression which was to convey that though we all knew I needed more sleep that this, they were not allowed to let me go beyond fifteen minutes.

Ten seconds later they placed a blanket over me in the back seat of the car. I didn't anticipate needing a nap for the run, but having flown clear across the country and into a four and a half hour time change on Wednesday, arriving in Nfld at midnight, shopping for supplies on Thursday before driving the two hours to our starting point, and only getting five hours of sleep the night before the run began on Friday morning, I just had nothing left. I've done numerous 36hr adventure races and without fail a 15-20 minute nap had always gotten us through.

Nineteen minutes later, after my parents had let me 'sleep in', I was back on my feet. It was a lot like peeling myself out of a self constructed coffin. I didn't really know my name for a few seconds before grabbing my gear and hitting the trail again. Ten minutes later as my mind finally joined my body I found my legs moving better than they had in hours. The power nap had worked wonders. I now just had to make it till sunrise and my body's natural circadian rhythms would take care of the rest.

For the most part this strategy worked well. The sun rose a few hours later, right on time even, and I was awake. But the trail had thrown us for a loop and our time guesstimates for the longest non intersecting section of trail, 32km, proved grossly under estimated. It took a full seven and half hours to clear this section, yet I had carried sustenance for three and a half hours. If my brother had not unexpectedly shown up with the food and water I'd probably still be out there waiting for someone to drag my ass back to civilization.

My savior Brother had lifted my spirits and ripped me from the dead when he showed up with that tinfoil breakfast and two full water bottles. He started running to pace me, asking if he should go faster. I hadn't actually run for the better part of four hours and the fear of loosing him was all that propelled me along,

"No, this is good! No need to go any faster Bryan!"

He helped haul my ass back to my family, still four kilometers away, and upon seeing them a funny thing happened. Their smiles, cheers, hugs, and laughter seemed to caress through my body like pure energy, with it removing every singular bit of doubt, fatigue, and exhaustion that I still carried with me. I knew I'd overcome the worst the trail could throw at me. The worst my mind could throw at me. The worst my body could throw at me. I knew I was going to beat this thing. I knew WE, as a family, were going to succeed. It was noon on my second day of running, the sun was shining bright though it had forecast heavy rain, and I had but thirty kilometers of trail standing in my way. Thirty kilometers between me, beer, and sleep.

Those final thirty kilometers of the run were a bit of a blur,

not because I can't remember them now, but because I was fried and just going through the motions. I very literally had an hour of full on hallucinations, with everything from ski resort chair lifts, to road construction signs in the middle of the ocean and I was almost enjoying the distractions to be honest.

As I hit Cape Spear, The Most Easterly Point In North America, I was finally in my own backyard. I was on familiar ground, playing in my home rink, and that familiarity picked me up as much as the inevitability of completing the task at hand.

My parents called the local news network and gave them a finishing time of 5:30pm. I glanced at my watch and I thought I could do better, but like every good ultra runner I had completely forgotten just how tough the final section of the trail actually was, it being the only real part I had any previous experience upon.

As those final kilometers started to tick away I realized I was really going to have to dig deep to finish by 5:30 so I told myself I was going to leave it all out there.

"No use holding back now Gary, let's see what ya got in there?"

I effectively destroyed the final 15km of my 215km run along the coast. It was very near the strongest I had run at any point on the entire trail in the day and a half that I was out there. The climbs in this final section are long and steep, with technical footing, and rarely an easy or flat step. I ran the entire section minus the one obscene and endless scramble/climb in the middle of it all. I think I would be hard pressed to run all of this terrain on completely fresh legs. I have no idea exactly how this all worked, whether it was adrenaline, the need to be done, simply a newfound focus and motivation, or maybe a bit of all of the above. Either way I felt like a runner for the first time all day and I ended up finishing just two minutes behind my Dad's perfect guesstimate, at 5:32pm on Saturday August 21st.

A news crew, family members, and even some high school friends had turned up to welcome me home. I'd made it. Thirty five hours and seventeen minutes to complete two hundred and fifteen kilometers of incredibly challenging terrain. But beyond that, I'd had conquered doubts the likes of which I'd never experienced before, pain the likes of which I hope I never have to deal with again, and nutrient deficiencies that I will never subject myself to in a racing environment. After all of this I still managed to persevere. I came out on top, I didn't say uncle, I didn't listen to the quit now demons in my head, and I continually fought past all obstacles that were presented to me on the day.

In life it is rare that you will feel 100% prepared when faced with a new challenge, but you can ALWAYS give 100% of what you have in you on that day, and more often than not, that's plenty good enough to get you through

Way back in March when I decided to propose this project dubbed 'Conquer The Coasts' I really had no idea what to expect or exactly how I intended to pull it all off. Sitting here now in November I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I achieved all I'd set out to over nine months ago.

-$5,000 has been raised for Right To Play

-The West Coast Trail Record now sits at 10h08

-The East Coast Trail Record now sits at 35h17

-A WCT film was released

-An ECT film is being worked on

-A combined trail film will be completed as well

Thank you to everyone for their continual support and kind donations towards Right To Play. None of this would have been possible without you.

Special Thanks

My Family. Every single one of them were integral towards the success of this project, right down to my beautiful niece Kayla who took care of all of the twitter updates and found most of the nearly impossible to locate trail heads during the night.

Trevor Richmond. I don't know how I would have afforded to pull this all together without your assistance with flights. Your generosity is unmatched and I knew there was a reason I still talked to you after all these years!

Erik Nachtrieb. For offering to take all my raw solo shot footage and to make it into something worth actually watching!

David Papineau. That fantastic logo is compliments of Mr. Broadway Run Club, thank you!

Ray Zahab. Ray was more excited than anyone about my proposed runs this year and he provided me with plenty of insight about The East Coast Trail and the aforementioned invaluable maps

North Shore Athletics. Any other employer woulda fired my ass long ago, yet somehow you still keep me on payroll. Thanks for approving the time off necessary to pursue these things.

Drymax Socks. Of course all sponsors deserver their props but Drymax deserve their special mention here. I have run 4x100 mile races, and in each of them I have battled significant foot blistering over the final 20miles/30kms. I have never run more than a dozen hours without some sort of foot issue. I've learned to accept it and thought it was just a part of the game. Then Bob from Drymax spots me some socks, telling me they're bound to help. 'Yeah Right'. A sock is a sock is a sock. I'd tried no fewer than a dozen kinds so how is yours gonna be any different?

I NEVER GOT A SINGLE BLISTER ON MY FEET! MY FEET WERE SOAKING WET FOR OVER 2/3 OF THE 35HR RUN!

Even my Father, having seen me at WS 09 was completely speechless. These socks are the best. PERIOD!

Sponsor Shoutout

Montrail

Mountain Hardwear

Princeton Tec Sport Lights

Carbo-Pro

Moveo Sport Rehab

Curb Ivanic Strength & Conditioning

Top Ten Coolest Things About Being On Crutches

2010-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

10) Complimentary and mandatory airport pat down service. Since you can't actually hop through the x-ray machine they take you aside and rub you up and down...most action I've had in months!

9) Half Price Massage.

"Your right leg, it's so firm and toned!"

"That's a cast"

"Ohhh...half price for you"

(Only 25% off for you buddy)

8) I always have two sticks handy that resemble ski poles, which is to say I can always pull off the 'skiers leaning on their ski poles look'. Totally rad to drop this at a bus shelter.

"WHOA is that dude like skiing right now? Oh...he's on crutches. He must have totally broken his leg while hucking a sick cliff. That's totally f-n rad!"

(This SCREAMS 'I am cool', and I rock this move like nobodies business)

7) I can, at any point in time, at any hour, minute or second throughout the day, break out into a random tap dance routine with my cast. Michael Flatley lookout...

"Yeah I'm badass. I'm wearing spandex pants, a circus jacket, and I'm blowing flames out of my ass right now"

6) Two Words: KILLER LATS

Two More: Nice Shorts! (where can I get a pair of those for my next ultra)

5) You can look twice as drunk on half the alcohol

"How many drinks you had son?"

"Ummm, one"

"Oh HAHA, you're on crutches, can I buy ya another?"

4) By the end of this six weeks I can virtually guarantee that I will NEVER get armpit chafing from simply running again. Can you say Monkey Butt Armpits

That's just gross...is that even real??

3) I'm totally getting rich once I patent this thing

(Every time I hit up a coffee shop I get mad props!)

2) At least five times a day, I break out into random air guitar moves

(At least twice a day I find myself wearing this hot outfit)

1) During laundry days I actually taunt my socks

"Hey ya little bastards, ya wanna make a break for it today? GO FOR IT! I don't need you, I've never needed you, there's too many of you to go around. I don't even know what to do with all of you right now. I'm giving you all five days. If half a dozen of you aren't gone by Friday I'm starting in on the natural selection process"

"Screw you and you're 5th metatarsal, I'm heading to Mexico!"

To Operate Or Not To Operate?

2010-11-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon and to make a long story short the decision to operate or not has been left up to me. Being the fortunate Canadian that I am there would be no financial aspect to deal with, which just makes this decision that much harder to process.

I was told straight up to not get my hopes up about running for at least 12+ weeks...doesn't he know I have a 100 Mile race to defend in January! Either way I'm going to Hawaii, but it's looking more and more like I'll be a spectator/volunteer this time around.

The pros and cons of both options were fed to me and without going into full details here are the relevant points that struck home.

Surgery
-Potential to heal quicker and stronger
-Potential for numerous things to go wrong during surgery, including shattering the bone in which case I'd never run again

Non-Surgery
-Most likely longer to heal
-Potential to heal incorrectly and need surgery anyways in six to eight weeks
-No chance of messing things up any further, simply have to hope for the best during next six weeks

On top of this my own intuition was screaming at me throughout the entire process NOT to agree to the surgery on the spot. My long drive home, followed by a few phone calls from friends who have gone through similar has since solidified my decision to let this thing heal naturally.

If all goes well I'll be off for a few months but none the worse for wear on the other side of this. There are simply too many potential complications that can arise from surgery, as I saw first hand through my ex's post surgery staph infection earlier this year. Worst case scenario is that I am forced into surgery two months from now, verses worst case surgery scenario is that I never run again...seems like a damn easy decision to make when it gets put down like that.

Thankfully I have a waterproof cast, so it's off to the pool for me starting tomorrow! Oh yeah, and I've modified my crutches so that I don't have to compromise my coffee habit...