Life: New Year of Possibilities

So begins the 36th calendar year of my existence on this rock hurtling through the vaccum of space. I can't really say that this event holds anything special for me. It's just more of the same. I've had a few years practice with passing the time. I certainly don't like waking up the New Year's Day when Ursa wants some attention, food and a bathroom break way earlier than I'd like. But with the changing of the calendar comes a whole new year of challenges and dreams.

So first on the list is what to do with my running. I'm still not entirely happy with how this is going with continued back problems that don't seem to respond to anything with ongoing positive results. I am running, but not in any sort of volume I would consider truly useful to undertaking much more than a gimpy half-marathon distance if I raced this week. And yet I find myself desiring to lighten my wallet with race entries for a number of events.

I have currently decided I want to run the single lap of the Blackfoot 25km baby ultra since it is the only distance other than the 100km I have yet to run. Since I won't be running the 100km this year it seems a reasonable compromise. My other decision is to enter the Lost Soul 50km again given the disappointing lead up to the race due to the dislocated rib. My hope is that continued progress, however slow, will make for very different race this year.

The chance to run a couple ultras as part of a relay team has presented as a possible option. This is currently in the discussion and exploration phase. The Iron Horse and Sinister 7 are the two I'm most interested in. After some reflection I have no interest in the Canadian Death Race until I'm ready for a solo attempt. If this doesn't quite work out I have alternate plans to do more exploration of the trails in the Canadian Rockies this summer.

There are plenty of shorter trails to run, but I would also like to run some of the Glacier Trail and over Jonas Shoulder. There are some passes that I might be able to transit in a day too. A lot will depend on the kind of mileage I'm comfortable with by the time summer arrives. I'm not particularly interested in unsupported runs of more than 6 to 8 hours unless I think my body is up to it.

And speaking of the Canadian Rockies, there will certainly be more time spent there this year. Ursa will be pretty much finished growing this summer, so we will do some light trips into the backcountry. Car camping and a few overnight backpacking trips will begin the summer. Hopefully this will work out the kinks for a multi-night backpacking trip with Ursa by the end of the summer. Lots of day hiking is also on the menu. With Ursa being up for almost 3 hours of snowshoeing last weekend I think she will do just fine hiking around the mountains for more than a few hours.

And winter has not yet left us, so there is still snowshoeing to do. No doubt we will go out to Kananaskis a few more times before the snow starts to disappear. Some trips closer to home at Nosehill or Fish Creek will no doubt happen if the snow isn't all melted away by chinooks. I have little motivation to run on a cold weekend, but if the chance presents itself I will certainly head for the south side of the river on snowshoes or just shoes with appropriate ice gripping attachments. Either way me, Aerin and Ursa are still getting out lots between our walks and other activities.

Aerin and I are looking into buying a house this year. Who knows if this will actually happen, but we have started discussing our options. Wrangling a down payment and what we would actually spend the money on our the top two house conversations. We have little interest in buying something for the sake of buying since the cost of certain fixes or renos to make things liveable are not an option for us. We really would like to find something we can say we're still happy with ten years later.

We really enjoy our Friday night boardgames with our friends. It is by far one of our favourite events of the week. I am currently organizing a regular Flames of War league at The Sentry Box. I get to play some games, meet some new players, and generally have some good motivation to get things done with my terrain and miniatures. I'm so lucky and thankful that Aerin lets me play my games. We're both going to need to sit down with some paint again to move things along. Thanks for helping Sweetie!

That's all I can think of for now. I'm certain the year will whiz by in a blur of barely remembered details - 2009 certainly did.

Running: Skyline Trail and Lost Soul Ultra

So with no runs longer than an hour undertaken once or twice per week since my dislocated rib in June, I knew I had to test myself in some way before leaving the starting line at Lost Soul. I had planned to run Skyline Trail two weeks before the race, and with the chiro and massage helping my back, Aerin and I loaded Ursa into the car, filled the trailer with gear, and departed for Jasper.

I started from the Morraine Lake trailhead about 8:30. I had asked Aerin to hang there for about six hours in case I needed to make a slow, painful retreat from the trail. Fortuitously I didn't need to exercise that option.

In the grand tradition of grinding out the distance, I did a fair bit of the trail at my "military" pace. This is about a 16min/mile, or 4mph/6kmph. I did run quite a bit of the level and downhill sections, but I wasn't out to push past wherever my limit was - I just needed a confidence boost before undertaking Lost Soul. It also gave me a chance to test changes to my nutrition plan that proved highly beneficial.

The weather was quite warm - about what it would be at Lost Soul it turned out. I stopped for about 80 minutes total for fixing the tape job on my heel, changing socks, ingesting lunch, stretching and some sightseeing. It took me 8:47 (if my recollection is correct) to finish the trail. Some real speedsters passed me, including the University of Alberta mens cross country running team, during the run, but most weren't spectacularly fast compared to my slow, undertrained ass.

So with this confidence builder under my belt I knew I could finish Lost Soul even if I was reduced to military pace for most of the race.

We arrived in Lethbridge on Friday afternoon to pickup my race package and unload the trailer. This was followed by a trip out to the Pavan and Peenaquim aid stations to walk Ursa and get our bearings as both the runner and the crew. I also got to check out some of the terrain beyond the hotel area. Despite the slightly grim description of the course in the race info I didn't see anything I didn't already expect or wasn't confident I could handle in the terrain. Certainly I wouldn't be breaking any speed records, but I knew I could handle it.

With most of my pre-race bag prep finished prior to leaving Calgary, I managed to refrain from too much craziness that Aerin would find amusing or annoying. (She did do all the driving so my distracted self didn't crash the car.) A nice pasta dinner and soak in the hot tub got us into bed in decent time for the 6:30am race meeting. I also taped my feet before bed to move things along in the morning.

It was cool in the morning, and I was quite happy to cover as many miles as possible before the rise in temperature forced me to slow my pace. I started out toward the back of pack of the 50km racers, and before not too long I was moving at about the middle of the field. Ultimately, that placing didn't change much over the course of the race. The south loop takes you down to the river from the hotel and then back up to the coulee tops before another descent to the river and a return climb to the hotel for the first transition area. At one point I got a little off track, but I managed to correct that error quickly.

I unloaded my vest, had some food and flat Coke before heading out for the next section. This is the second longest section with a few good climbs up and down the coulees, and I ran a fair chunk along the top side of things. There are also a few good steep sections, but being rested and relaxed I managed these without too much trouble. My methodical approach even moved me up a few places, but I knew I'd probably lose these spots at the transitions where I wasn't planning to take any less time than I needed to be prepared for the next section. I continued to push myself to run the level and downhills as quickly as possible.

At Peenaquim I fixed up the tape job on my heels, changed socks and my race bag. Things were going good, and I was happy with the pace I was maintaining.

Unfortunately, things slowed significantly when somewhere along the trail to Pavan aid station I developed a slight twinge in my left knee. It wasn't too bad on the climbs, but it definitely didn't like running downhills or over rough ground. So when I rolled in to Pavan I resigned myself to military pace the rest of the way.

The north loop is the longest section of the course at almost 16km. I quite enjoyed this loop, and was passing some of the 100-milers that were working on their last lap. It was darned hot, so I made sure to drink lots of water and refilled at the unmanned water station. (I was glad I did too.) They had put up ladders to climb over the barbed wire fences. I don't know if bending over to crawl through or using the ladders to go over would be worse after 100+ km, but I didn't really dwell on that one much at the time. In the end it took me less than 3 hours to finish the loop and change my socks and race bag again at Pavan before heading south. I did try running a little during the loop, but I was firmly stuck in my high rev walk.

From the north end of the course back to the start line was along the river for most of the way, and there were long stretches under the big trees lining the river. The shade and steady wind was a nice respite from what would otherwise be oppressive heat. A couple of steep climbs to surmount the coulees that butted up against the Old Man River made for some slow moments, but it also made for some nice views up and down the river valley. I never had a moment during the whole race that I didn't enjoy the views and scenery.

I arrived back at Peenaquim inside of an hour, refueled and reloaded my bag with more food before heading for the home stretch. I had maintained a 15min/mile pace for the last four hours, so I would arrive at the finish line with another hour of effort.

It was during this last leg that I wished my knee would let me run more, but every attempt was short lived. I certainly had the energy and spirit to do it, but my body just wouldn't cooperate. One gal commented that she'd never seen anyone that walked so fast. Apparently I had been in her sights for a while, and she didn't truly leave me behind until I was halfway to finishing that last leg. There was a lot of gravel, shale or paved trail to follow, so I just kept going. It got to be a little mentally stupid for a bit as I started fixating on how slowly the clock seemed to progress, but I got off it and I was flying again.

After passing through the Fort Whoopup park it was up the last big climb to the finish line. I kept pushing to keep up my pace on the hill since I knew I didn't need anything extra to carry over the finish. I ran the last 200 meters despite the sore knee.

I was finished. 9 hours 17 minutes despite the heat and a cranky knee. I certainly felt I could have done much better, but was happy with being able to finish with some strength. Pizza and much hydration later is was time to rest.

Running: Recovering... Again

Back in June my back went into major spasms when I was just getting into my long run at Dinosaur Provincial Park. It was another month before weekly massage appointments loosened the muscles enough to reveal the true cause. After each massage I would be doing okay, but then things would seize up again. My massage therapist suggested it might be a partially dislocated rib, and I was off to chiropractic to get things back into place.

That was the beginning of August that I finally got a regular treatment schedule underway. The relief wasn't quite immediate, but things have improved steadily. Things improved enough that I felt confident I could at least show up and complete the 50km Lost Soul Ultra in Lethbridge, AB.

In the end I did finish the race in 9:17. I walked the second half of the race at my "military" pace. I finished the race in pretty good shape, and didn't have much trouble walking stairs the day after. Monday was a little rougher, but I was back to work on Tuesday without too much difficulty. The fact I had maybe got in 20 hours of running between my injury and the race is interesting. Certainly it just goes to show how much the mental aspect plays in finishing a race like this. I will write more about the race later this week.

Now that I've recovered from the race and gotten back to the gym, my back is doing well with the increasing demands. I will continue with massage and chiro as needed, but I think I'm on the way to being 100% again soon.

I find it odd that my running setbacks have never been directly related to running. Neither my massage therapist or chiropractor can say how the rib came to be partially dislocated, and Aerin and I are just as much mystified. I've pulled leg muscles, but that has been slipping on ice or mud while walking to and from work or while backpacking. I've had colds - overtraining or something else?

But it's recovery and rebuilding again for now. Something I've been getting good at. Luckily I seem to keep coming back stronger each time. There's the Frozen Ass to run in February after all.

Running: The Trail Ahead

My second summer of ultras came to an end with the cancellation of Lost Soul, and so it is time to reflect on what has been and plan for what will come.

Training for the Blackfoot 50-miler didn't get off to a great start with the severe allergies at the old job, and then the last three weeks of training were wiped out by a severe chest cold. I survived the race, but it was by no means the kind of performance I had hoped for at close to 12 hours.

Unfortunately after these disappointments it was difficult getting things back on track with my training. I did make it to the gym fairly regularly, and I was running home from work most days of the week. But upon reflection it seemed more struggle than joy on too many days.

Next it was off to Sinister 7, but inexperience lead me to overdo the pre-run snacking that lead to a lot of GI distress through leg 4. It also left me more than a little worn out, but I got the job done. After about an hour into leg 5 I was feeling better and the joy was back, and running leg 6 in the dark was great too. But after the race it seemed more struggle than joy again as I returned to preparing for Lost Soul in September.

I have never had much success with running in hot weather, and that became my nemesis during long runs in August. Long runs inevitably became shorter runs as I had problems of all sorts throughout the month. I started having foot problems. I had tried making some changes to my running mechanics, but they were not as effective as I'd have liked and changing back wasn't great either. I was still logging a lot of distance, but it felt ineffective and a burden.

The long weekend seems to have lead to injury after a bit of slipping during our descent from the snowed in North Kananaskis Pass. It really didn't manifest itself except for a couple non-consecutive days of intermittent soreness that ranged from annoying to painful, so I didn't concern myself with it and rested in preparation for Lost Soul. Of course Lost Soul was cancelled, and the replacement run on Monday turned into a very painful experience remeniscent of the pain I suffered after my fall into the puddle on the Canadian Death Race course the previous year.

So I haven't been running really at all the last month, nor have I been getting to the gym at all. Mostly I've been in my head wondering what I want (or need) to do about my running at this point. I never doubted I would continue to run, but I did need to consider what my goals would be and how to achieve them.

And this is what I've decided.

• I will take some time off from running until after we finish our move the beginning of November.


• In the mean time, I'm going back to the gym at least three days per week to work on strength, core and x-train on the bikes. I want to continue this through into the new year too.


• Commit myself to doing more stretching at home and replace my ineffective foam roller to help improve my biomechanics and reduce the tension in my leg muscles.


• Take next year off from racing and volunteer instead. I may still run Lost Soul next year (to check out the course as much as anything) because I have a guaranteed entry, but I don't have to make that decision until February.


• Focus on rebuilding my running base with more effective speed, hill and endurance workouts.


• Spend more days in the backcountry with some solo fast-packing trips. (Aerin is using all her available vacation days for her trip to China, so I will be ahead of her next summer.) This will also include bagging some more peaks.


• Attempt the Alberta Triple in 2010!

If you know what the Alberta Triple is, then you know I have big plans. If you don't, to complete the Alberta Triple I need to finish the Blackfoot 100K, Canadian Death Race (125K) and Lost Soul 100M that year.

To these ends I will formally plan more of my training and invest in some training aids. What I need most right now is a heart rate monitor, so I will start there.

So it's been a tough year to be running, but I'm looking to approach the coming year with renewed purpose and enjoyment.

Running: Lost Soul Ultra Report

The short version: CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN.

We arrived in Lethbridge on Friday afternoon with lots of time to pickup my race package (which included a very nice jacket) and check into the hotel before dinner. We found a local Boston Pizza for pasta to do the carb loading thing.

On our way back to the hotel it began to rain heavily with lots of wind on top of it. (It is Lethbridge after all.) I was certainly glad not to be running in it, but I couldn't help but feel badly for the 100km and 100 mile racers currently outside.

Back at the hotel I did the last minute obsessing about the gear and had everything ready to go before Aerin and I hit the hot tube for a soak. At this point it was still raining a little outside, and I was hoping it would let up long enough to save the course from being too muddy. We met another couple that was there for the 50km race, so we talked about running and traded war stories.

It was time for bed about 9PM, but little did we know as we drifted off that they were already shutting down the race due to the rain. The clay gets very slippery, so they decided that it was too dangerous to continue to let the racers go through the night. Of course it wasn't until 6:30am at the race meeting that I learned my 5am wakeup to get ready was in vain.

Needless to say I was disappointed and more than a little grumpy about not getting to run my race, but in the end it would seem to be somewhat fortuetous since I'd be having an odd occasional pain in my left knee. After trying to get a couple more hours of sleep, Aerin and I spent the day relaxing. We visited the Japanese garden, did some pillow shopping since the old one didn't do well on the new mattress, caught a movie, and generally took it easy.

The movie we saw was Kung Fu Panda, and we both enjoyed it enough to put it onto our DVD wishlist. Watching the movie reminded me of an article I'd read in the paper when the movie was first released. Why do they shell out a lot of money for big name actors to voice characters other than the name recognition when it comes time to promote the film? They certainly won't help the movie if it just stinks to begin with. But now I'm straying off topic...

So in the end, we stayed for the breakfast on Sunday morning to collect my Rock with no time, have some food and trade a few stories again before heading home.

Running: Losing My Soul

It's now about 11:15pm as I start to write this. I should be sleeping, but I have finally been struck by taper madness leading up to my run at Lost Soul this Saturday. This basically means my mind is going a little crazy as it focuses in on what I am undertaking.

It's kind of odd to be doing only 50km. This will officially be the shortest race of the year. I actually haven't gotten in a great deal of running in the past few weeks between traveling to Edmonton, backpacking and just generally being low on the mojo. In the end it won't matter a great deal since I'm confident I will finish the distance anyway, but certainly not in any timely fashion.

I mentioned the lack of mojo because I've been thinking (probably way too much) about what comes after this weekend for me and my running. My goal when I started running two and bit years ago was to run the Hard Rock Hundred Mile Endurance Race before I turn 40, and I've been thinking more about how I'm going to achieve that goal. The big thing I need to work on is consistency in my training, and that means better planning and maybe some coaching. How I'm going to make this happen is a bit up in the air, but I have some time still to make this happen.

Anyway, I still have to make it around the course this Saturday, and then we've also got the move to the new place to take care of. Lots to do, and still not enough time to do it...

Running: Lost Soul Ultra

It's odd how things have changed so quickly. I really didn't expect to get into the Lost Soul Ultra this September, but I got the email Tuesday morning that I had a spot if I wanted it. So now I'm setting things up for the rest of the summer with an eye on September 13th.

This is actually the shortest distance I will race this year at 50km. But there is one thing I have not figured out how to manage that could be a major factor in my success in September - running in the heat.

At Sinister 7 the hot afternoon that I started my running in was certainly a factor. With the unsettled stomach and crampy legs it was a tough combination to deal with and keep moving. One of the things I realized I could do better was my pre-race hydration and nutrition. I probably overdid the snacking before my turn on the course at Sinister 7. This threw my hydration plan for a loop, not to mention any nutrition I needed that went along with it.

At this point I think I will plan to ice my neck and forearms when I get into the transition points that Aerin can access. It should also allow me to keep my hydration cooler too. Ice cubes in the hat when I leave the transition will help too. This, of course, is based on the assumption that it will be hot on the race weekend; if not, then I have other things to concern myself with such as footing on wet trails. Personally, I would rather deal with the latter.

The elevation and distance are not a problem based on what I have accomplished this year. Certainly there are some very steep sections, but what that gives rise to is the beating my quads will take that carries over into the flatter sections.

In the end I'm confident I can get through the course to collect my rock on Sunday morning. Now I just have to get some training for the remainder of the summer figured out.