How To Not Feel Horrible After Your Long Run

I've been doing this ultra running thing for 5 years now as a full-time working mom and wife.  Over time, I have gotten nonchalant about my pre and post run personal management, especially when it comes to my long and back to back (to back) long runs.  This results in often feeling less than stellar the rest of the day or for a full weekend.  As ultra runners, we train ourselves to just power through.  To ignore the fatigue and pain and keep going. After a long run, I often come home exhausted, rarely eat enough or hydrate enough, and just power through - immediately starting to cook lunch or going for a bike ride with the family, or tackling the weeds in the yard.  Lately I have been feeling decidedly suboptimal, especially on Sunday afternoons, enough that this weekend I decided it was time to make some changes.

There are things I know about pre-run prep and post-run recovery, yet I can fully admit that I often skip steps because I simply do not have or make time for them.  I'm training for the Canadian Death Race, and this weekend I had a B2B2B planned for a total of 100k in 48 hours with at least 1500m of climbing in the last run - which in Manitoba is not convenient.  It has been extremely hot and humid here, and I started my first run on Friday afternoon after work at 2:00pm.  It was 33 degrees with stupid sauna-like humidity.  Within 2 hours I was severely dehydrated despite drinking copious amounts of water, and dragged myself home 3.5 hours later rather useless to my family.  It took 5 hours to properly rehydrate and as I sat there sipping on electrolyte solution feeling like s*$t I decided enough was enough.  If I was going to get through this weekend and come out on the other side a functional human being, I needed to get my act together.

Fast forward to today.  Less than forty-eight hours later I feel GREAT. Great enough that I had to reflect on WTH I did differently this weekend and how I turned it around so well.   Here is what I came up with.


10 Keys to Feeling Great After Your Long Run

1) Pretend you are an elite athlete.  I recently read 'Let Your Mind Run' by Michelle Hamilton and Deena Kastor.  It was Deena's memoir and is a great book.  She was the first female sub-2:20 marathoner in the US, and a multiple Olympian who won the bronze medal in the marathon in Athens in 2004.  She describes her daily routines and as I listened to her book (in audio) the stark contrast of her routine to mine stood out.  #motherrunners such as myself sometimes like to think we are superhero elite athletes, and we hold ourself to impossibly high standards.  Reality check: I am NOT an elite athlete (or I wouldn't take so long to get my miles in), but I can gain some wisdom from them at least for a weekend of high volume training.

2) Nap.  Elite athletes often run twice a day and napping in the middle of the day is essential.  So yesterday I had a 2 hour nap.  It was awesome.

3) Sit down and be still.  I rarely sit down. Ever.  This weekend I forced myself to sit down as much as possible.  When I wasn't running, I was sitting with my feet up - reading, watching the kids in the pool, laying in the pool, watching movies and playing games.  We cleared the schedule and we all just relaxed.  This sounds elementary, but it rarely happens in our family.  Relaxation is an art and I am not a great artist.

4) Go to bed early.  Getting as much sleep as possible when training heavily makes a HUGE difference.  Last night it meant going to bed at 8:30 for a 4am wake-up call, but recovery is part of training and sleep is the most saturated form of recovery you can get.

5) Compression.  It was hot. It wasn't fashionable (unless also wearing a trucker hat).  I embarrassed my kids...but I wore my compression socks all weekend.

6) Do Not Get Dehydrated or Depleted. Rather than just throwing some water and my bag of bars and gels into my car, I took extra time last night to prepare for my longest run today.  I was NOT going to be dehydrated, over-heated or bonk and spend the rest of the day catching up. I froze my bladder and water bottles 1/2 full of water to ensure a cold supply.  I packed a cooler filled with ice, extra water and my Icefil arm sleeves, took a huge bag of running fuel, and stuck to my fueling schedule. Even though it was cloudy, in addition to pre-hydrating I still drank 5 litres of water and electrolyte drink during/after my 6 hour run this morning and used another litre to wash off any potential poison ivy.  Even through I could barely carry my bags to my car this morning, I was prepared and so thankful I had brought enough!

7) Tailwind.  I have been experimenting with different liquid fueling options, and have not been using Tailwind for the past 6 weeks.  I've missed it.  Yesterday I found some left-over product and used it today.  Not sure if this was a key difference, but I felt AWESOME during my run and after.  Back to Tailwind it is for me!

8) Eat: 15-30 Min Window. You need to eat a ratio of 4:1 carbs:protein within 15-30 min of finishing your run when your insulin sensitivity is at it's highest.  I know that.  My dietitian has even given me specific suggestions.  Sadly, I often do not do it after my long run because I am far away from civilization and I neglect to pack a good post run meal.  Ya I know - not great. Today on my way home from Birch I stopped at Syl's and stuffed myself.  All that awesome food went straight into my muscles, and I could feel it almost immediately!

9) Eat: Enough.  When endurance training, it's super important to eat enough high quality nutrient dense food.  I never let myself get hungry all weekend and I know it paid off.

10) Handsome Awesome Husband.  Last but certainly not least, it helps to have an amazing partner around.  I'm fortunate it's BBQ season and my husband loves to BBQ, because he cooked a lot this weekend.  I am definitely a lucky girl and have loads of gratitude for my DH - even when he feeds me moose steaks.

I am not sure which of the above things made the most difference, but I can tell you that I felt amazing all day despite logging crazy mileage this week in the heat.  If I had to choose, I'd say it was the sleep and sitting down more that made the most difference.

Despite what we become accustomed to tolerating, endurance training should not leave us "normal people" feeling wrecked every weekend.  This is especially true mid-season when we already have a solid base.  I've recommitted to following some simple rules to ensure that my hobby enhances rather than limits the rest of my life.

If you don't want to be a compression sock wearing zombie on Sunday afternoons, change something.  There is a better way.

Superior 50K Race Report

"The Superior 50 KM Trail Race is an extremely hilly, rugged and technical out-and-back (100% trail) ultramarathon which traverses the Sawtooth Mountain Range on the Superior Hiking Trail in the far reaches of northern Minnesota .  The course parallels Lake Superior, the greatest freshwater lake in the world, climbs to near 2000′ peaks with breath-taking vistas of the lake and inland forests and crosses whitewater rivers and serene streams while meandering through mystic Boreal forests.  The race starts and finishes at Caribou Highlands Resort in Lutsen Minnesota." Superior Spring Trail Race website

With a course description such as this, how could I NOT register for this race?  Ever since moving to Manitoba, I had heard about the iconic Superior Trail Races.  This spring I figured it was time to check the course out.  Note: somehow a large part of my pre-race rambling has disappeared.  This is likely fate saving you from my long diatribe.  So let's just cut to important stuff:

PC: Amy Broadmoore

Start - Oberg: 7.5 miles
The race started on a very short stretch of road before crossing a footbridge and narrowing to a rocky and technical stretch of single track on which I found myself in a congo line heading up Mystery Mountain. Straight off the start you immediately climb the tallest mountain of the race (just over 200m), immediately drop down into a valley, and then climb Moose Mountain (another 200m) before dropping down even lower.  

PC: One of the race photographers

The mutterings on the trail from other runners thus far revealed that the course was likely "in the best condition it had ever been" this year.  Although there were some muddy sections in the valleys, it wasn't as wet as I had prepared for.  This was a relief because it was definitely technical enough to make up for the lack of mud.  Roots, large rocks, small rocks, and slippery mud all made for some spectacular trail dancing and required a very mindful presence with every step.  Although I was making sure to check my pace and run easy off the start, I still ran quite aggressively in this section and made sure to pass people who were not running my natural pace.  I needed to see that trail in front of me to plan 3-4 steps ahead and following too closely in someone else's footsteps was a sure recipe for tripping or spraining an ankle, especially on the downhill sections where I LOVE running wild and free with feet that react without thought.

PC: Fresh Tracks Media

After the beautiful flowing single track off Moose Mountain there is one more shorter climb before reaching Oberg aid station.  I came up 1/2 mile short at this aid station on the way out but with all the turns to force tangents and forest to hide satellites, I knew that GPS tracking could have a large margin for error in terrain such as we were running.  I ran through this aid station feeling strong and still light on my feet.

Oberg - Sawbill - 5.8 miles

This section was more undulating with more mud, some planked boardwalks over low areas, and still lots of roots to keep you on your toes.  The runners had spread out more on the course by now and I was enjoying running my own pace, focusing on short strides, light steps, and easy breathing.  Although the trees were still mostly waiting to bud out in the cool north shore climate, the forest floor was starting to green up and I caught my first glimpse of ferns this season!  One of my process goals for this race was to "savour the forest," and I made sure to breathe deeply, appreciate the delicate nature of the forest floor, listen to the streams rush by, and glance up as the wind made the trees sway.  The forest is my happy place and I felt I could run forever in this place.  Coming into Sawmill I needed to change out my water bottles, restock fuel from my drop bag, and deal with a nasty hot spot under my left big toe from all the prancing and slipping in the mud.  My sock was fine, no dirt in my shoe - oh well - if I blistered it was only 50K right?  Onward and upward!

PC: One of the race photographers

I should also say that is was near the end of this section that I was already seeing the front runners on their return, with our very own Steven Graupner in a solid 3rd place looking very strong.  He ended up holding onto that podium spot - way to go Steven!

Sawbill  - Turnaround - Sawbill - 4.4 miles
This section was pretty darn technical with a sweet climb up to the summit of Carleton Peak where we turned around and headed back to the Sawbill Aid Station.  During this section we of course started passing more and more people either coming back or still head up the climb.  I hit the half way point at almost exactly 3 hours and I was very pleased as I still felt really good and that is a good pace for me on this type of terrain!  I paused for a moment to take a selfie at the summit and headed back down with views of Lake Superior to the south.  Before very long I found myself back at Sawbill where my husband and kids were waiting for me!  I felt bad that I didn't need to stop at all and was solidly in race mode.  I kissed them all on the cheek, thanked them for coming and headed on out with their shouts of "see you at the finish!"  Their presence meant a lot to me as this was the first ultra that I've ever done in which my family met me at an aid station.  Special moment that was over all too quickly.

The Turnaround - Halfway There!

Sawbill - Oberg - 5.6 miles
Distances in trail ultras are always qualified as being "approximate."  The distances in the Superior 50k were no different.  I actually had more mileage on the return legs of the race than going out, contrary to published race splits.  This is further evidence that GPS tracking error rate is high in the forest even at 1 sec updates.  This was the toughest section for me. After leaving Sawbill and my family, my stomach started to go bad.  I had been drinking quite a bit and my face was super salty even in the cool weather, so I took a few salt tabs which usually helps.  It didn't really.  I had switched to Tailwind instead of water and even at a dilute concentration the sweet liquid made me feel sick.  Although I felt like I was running just as fast as on the way out, getting to Oberg seemed to take FOREVER.  I did spend a lot of time stepping off the trail for runners still headed out to the turnaround which slowed things down, and the trail was getting pretty chewed up with large mud pits forming that were difficult if not impossible to get around quickly.  I was warned I might lose a shoe somewhere along this course, and it almost happened as I stepped into some mud and heard that sucking sound as my heel came right up out of my shoe.  But I managed to keep my trusted Salming T3's on my feet and keep moving.  Despite my best efforts I was slowing down and I pushed to keep moving as efficiently as possible.

At Oberg I forced myself to stop and take stock.  I had barely paused at the aid stations thus far, but this time I grabbed a ginger pill, ate a pretzel and some potato chips, and switched out one of my bottles from TW to water.  Within minutes of leaving that aid station my stomach settled.  Was it the ginger pill?  Pure water?  Not sure, but I was grateful.

Oberg - Finish - 7.5 miles
Two more mountains to cross and the race would be done!  These climbs were no joke and as my legs got heavier it took all my mental energy to stay focused on lifting up my feet and not catching a toe.  I pulled out my phone to turn on my tunes for the final leg only to find it dead.  Hmm.  Not a big deal - I needed to stay fully present and not tune out.  I stumbled many times, but never badly and I never pulled a muscle!  Yay!  I was terrified of another Iron Legs torn hamstring repeat performance and my mantras through the last part of this race were simply "pick up your feet", "run like a deer, and "DON'T FALL."    

 I was literally saying to the photographer at this point: not fair, you can't take a picture of me here!
PC: Fresh Tracks Media

I was pleasantly surprised how well I was handling the hills given that I had had very limited training on hilly terrain thus far this season and more road running than I've EVER had in an ultra training period.  I can thank my coach Sarah Seads at ELM Health for getting me perfectly ready for this race.  My legs were holding up and another one of my process goals was to save my legs for the downhills in this last stretch. I LOVE downhill running and I wanted to run it in strong.  I happily let go and flew (that's what it felt like at least) down the last long perfectly graded section of Mystery Mountain before hitting the road to the finish line.

PC: Jamison Swift

My kids met me just before the finish and we ran it in together in 6:30.  My husband snapped a photo and when I tried to hug them they all told me I had to take a shower.  I couldn't understand why?!  I had only run 50K and only had a little mud on me lol!

Some post race chili, a soak on the hot tub, a swim in the pool, and a good supper with several friends rounded out the day perfectly.  I went to bed smiling - completely satisfied with a happy heart and a contented soul.  I went into this race exhausted from work, stressed, mentally struggling to focus.  In the last hours before I arrived in Minnesota I managed to get my head in the right place.  I needed this race.  I needed to feel great after.  Thank-you Lord...ask and you shall receive.

Post Race Notes

The race organizers and volunteers at the Superior 50K (Rock Steady Running) were simply awesome.  At Sawbill they had my drop bag ready for me.  I had people filling up my water bottles, offering me a chair, shoving my fuel into my pack and zipping me up.  There were photographers all along the course and I have more race photos than I've ever had in a race!  I felt like a rock star and I thank you all!

We stayed onsite at the Caribou Highland Resort and we were so glad we did.  We may have paid a little more, but if you have a family with you, it's worth it.  To have the race start and finish right outside your door next to the pool and kids playground?  Priceless.  The kids enjoyed the pool, hot tub, ping pong table, and we had an awesome fire for roasting marshmallows one evening.

Lake Superior

Caribou Highlands Resort

I'd like to thank Salming Running for supporting me and providing my shoes and clothing for the race.  I can't say enough good about my shoes - this race I chose to wear the T3s - an older model but a shoe that works really well for me.  I had placed the OT Comps in my drop bag incase it was SUPER muddy, but I didn't feel I needed them as the T3s cleaned off quickly and provided enough protection from the roots and rocks so that my feet didn't blister and weren't sore after!  If you want to try a pair of these awesome Swedish shoes, use my code senechal20 for 20% off!

Caribou Falls

Finally, I already feel amazing and am recovering very well!  Two days after the race I felt completely normal with no muscle soreness or pain.  I'm happy that my training seems to be spot on.  Not much down time needed before the next big push!

Next race report: Canadian Death Race!  Yahoo!!!!

CONTROL-ALT-DELETE: North by Scott & Jenny Jurek

Few people captivate me as Scott Jurek does. Few books hold my attention like his do. Six years ago, the year before I ran my first ultra, I read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and then immediately moved on to Eat & Run by Scott Jurek.  While Christopher piqued my interest in the sport,  I planted my roots firmly in ultra trail soil with wisdom and inspiration from Scott "Jerker" Jurek. He is a running legend who is considered one of the greatest ultra runners of all time, winning many of the sport's most prestigious races multiple times, including winning the Western States 100 seven years in a row. It has been almost a decade since he retired from racing.

Sunday morning I woke well before dawn for my last long run before the Superior 50K.  I was feeling appropriately exhausted after a hard training block and needed a mental boost.  A quick search for a good book produced newly published, North.  I felt my pulse quicken, immediately hit download and tapped play as I headed out to the trail head.

North is a book written by Scott and Jenny Jurek about their successful FKT (fastest known time) attempt on the Appalachian Trail in 2015.  Scott completed the 2189 mile trail in 46 days, 8 hours and 7 min.  It was the first time someone snagged the FKT heading north.  This book is about finding direction when you've lost it - about trusting and following your internal compass even when it leads you to places you aren't sure you want to go. It is a book about coming face to face with your humanity for 46 days, about both suffering and finding peace and contentment, and just a little about midlife crisis.

I experienced this book in audio format, most fitting and convenient for a person who spends hours on the trails.  Although I have since downloaded the print version for reference, I truly believe hearing the voices of Scott and Jenny narrate their book makes it that much more poignant and meaningful.  I constantly have an audiobook or podcast on, and in doing so let a lot of people into my head.  In North, Scott immediately draws you deeply into his headspace with a crystalline sense of self-awareness that can only come after a 25 year running career such that he has had and 46 days of nearly constant running.  His introspective, honest description of his experience on the trail and the people whom he shared it with make you wonder if he should have pursued a degree in philosophy rather than physical therapy.

The only way to review a book this powerful is to share some of my favorite quotes.  As I ran my Sunday morning away, these are some of the parts of the book that burned themselves into my flowing mind.

On Luis Escobar:
"El Coyote had the ability to laugh when he wanted to cry, the secret to longevity in ultra running."

On a through hiker who criticized Scott's irreverent treatment of the trail by going too fast:
"Would he have understood if I had told him that, though man's soul finds solace in natural beauty, it is forged in the fire of pain?"

On pain after 7 days on the trail:
"...I was beginning to realize that there were two types of pain.  There was the kind that I'd known for decades: the catalyzing kind, the pain that's fierce and angry, that kicks you in the ribs as you're scrambling forward and slaps you across the face as you get to your feet. The kind that starts screaming at you as you approach the impossible - and makes you want to scream back. The pain that fills you up. It weighs on you.  It makes you big.

And then there's the pain that does the opposite.

This pain was taking from me.  It was emptying. I felt like I was leaving pieces of myself on the trail. I was disintegrating.  Very simply, I was failing, fast."

On his regret for neglecting to work on his why in preparation for the AT:

"You rarely ask why when you win. It's a word you can outrun and outperform. Applause makes it hard to hear yourself. But just because you ignore it, doesn't mean it's not there. And why doesn't get old and tired. It catches up, and it gets louder. It churns up thoughts that are best kept down in the dark."

Scott's mantras:
Sometimes you just do things.
This is what you came for.
I'm tough, I'm tough, I'm tough. ~ Lynn Jurek

David "Horty" Horton's motivational mantras:
This is who I am.  This is what I do.
It never always gets worse.
I love the fight, and when things are easy, I hate it. ~Ernest Shackleton

Over and over again Scott describes the people and the places he encounters along the Appalachian Trail with paradoxical adjectives that only serve to compliment rather than conflict.  Although it's possible, I don't believe he does this intentionally. His perspective is one that is unfiltered, intuitive, and in perfect harmony with other elemental concepts such as yin & yang,  and Newton's third law of physics (every action...)

If Born to Run and Eat & Run were for the young, energetic, the focused and the driven, then North is for those who have been at the peak and who have lost their direction.  It's for those who have found their why is catching up and getting louder.  It's about one man's journey to redefine himself, to reconnect with himself, to get to know himself as he is now.  It's about suffering and the uniquely crazy human need to suffer in order to become more...human?  And it's a beautiful love story about two people who are both complementary and contrasting, who summate to accomplish great things...each one sometimes the shadow and sometimes the light.  This book was their masterpiece.

You may not be an ultrarunner or an endurance athlete, but if you need a control-alt-delete and are not sure where to begin, start with reading North.  Then grab your inner compass, point it in the direction that your soul tells you to,  repeat

This is who I am.  This is what I do.

and start moving.  You'll figure it out on the way.

On the Frozen Falcon, Winter Running, and the Bliss of Mono-tasking

Recently I did something crazy, at least something I consider crazy.  I ran in the inaugural Frozen Falcon 8 Hour Endurance Run.  My friend Joel dreamed up this looped course race which was held at the Falcon Lake Ski Resort, Manitoba, Canada in early February.

I'm not really fond of looped timed courses and I'm definitely not fond of winter running. This is my third winter of running in Manitoba and I admit that running in temperatures below -25C + windchill still intimidates me.  I entered the FF to prove to myself that I could do a winter ultra, and that I could do it well.  I knew it would be cold, but I was counting on my training experience, a full arsenal of bio/gear hacks, and advice from friends to get me through.

I was not counting on seeing friends post screen shots of "Severe Winter Weather Warnings" the night before the race predicting temperatures up to -32C with -40C wind chill.  At those temperatures, things freeze fast.  Water, gels, skin, wet clothing, eyelashes, electronics, my butt.  It all turns to ice in a matter of minutes.

As I packed my gear I fought off a mild panic attack as I questioned my choice of clothing for the day.  I hadn't even been this stressed out before the Zion 100!  My friend Scott (who had finished the Arrowhead 135 in Minnesota a few days previously) talked me down and made me promise NOT to overdress, NOT to wear a hard shell jacket because it traps moisture, and not to freak out.  To be truthful, I felt rather silly stressing out about an 8 hour run to someone who had just done 135 miles, so I did some meditative breathing, reminded myself that they were only 4 mile loops, and went to bed.  Everything is relative.

The 2 hour drive to the race start the next morning gave me time to focus.  As the sun came up, I noticed that it was shining straight up.  No soft diffused glow, but more like a flashlight beam straight up into the sky.  I had never seen that before.  As I drove out of cell range into the middle of nowhere, the temperature gauge on the truck read -34C.  Nice.  At least if I crashed I had everything I needed to run to the nearest town for help! lol

When I arrived at Falcon Lake I quickly changed into my race clothes at the last minute so they would be as dry as possible, taped my face up with Rock Tape (to avoid frostbite), and joined the huddle of 50 crazy runners waiting to start the race.  The RD Joel announced a few minutes to start and then stood inside the lodge, continuing to count down.  It was so cold that no one wanted to stand still outside at all, so I joked that this would now be known as the only ultra that starts indoors!  With 30 seconds to spare, we ventured outside and started our 8 hour adventure.

Although gaining popularity, ultra running is still very much a fringe sport.  And winter ultra running is even more fringe, as Scott says (although he's part of a crew that runs 135-160 miles in the winter).  With only a few exceptions, I knew everyone out there, including racers and volunteers. What a great community of runners we are!  Never in a million years would I have predicted a fews ago that I'd be running a winter ultra...but there I was!

As I began to run up the ski hill, I reviewed my race strategy.  It was simple.  Drink often to keep my water from freezing and to avoid dehydration.  Change base and mid layers at half way point.  Don't stop.  Don't freeze anything important.

Which leads me to comment on the lost art of mono-tasking.  As a physiotherapist, business owner and mom, I have perfected the art of multitasking over the last few decades.  I have gotten very good at doing many things at once to the point that it has become increasingly hard to focus on just one task.  One of the things that draws me to ultra running (and seeking out that elusive flow state) is that I only have to do one thing.  When I put on my running shoes, all those layers strip away and all I have to do is run.  Sure, I have to drink, eat, monitor the feedback my body is giving me, stay on course.  But running is really the most simple, innately purely human thing one can do.

Winter running takes this to a whole new level.  When it's frigidly cold outside, everyone around you is covered in face masks and 3 layers of clothing.  During the FF, I had no idea who was running around me, and it took too much energy to talk or try to hear through all the layers.  My electronics froze despite being glued to my body, so no listening to music until I thawed them out later on, and if I didn't keep moving, I got very cold very fast. Even stopping to drink, which required unzipping and digging out my insulted water bottle, was something I did as little as possible.  This ended up being every 20 min.

Really, ALL I had to do was keep moving and run.  It was so liberating!  Under my frosty eyelashes, I was in my own little frozen world, and I got so deep into the zone that I found myself getting annoyed when I had to pop into the lodge every loop to check in because it messed up my flow.

All good things must come to an end however, and all the footsteps in the snow over those loops chewed it up pretty good by mid day.  It's crazy to say that I really wasn't cold at all, largely due to the fact that I had to work so hard to run in mashed potato-like snow and climb hills.  The crummy footing wrecked havoc on my hamstring that I thought had recovered fully from an injury last summer.  Guess not.  I decided to pull the pin at 29 miles and save my leg to run another day.

My buddy Darcie - once it warmed up enough for us to remove a few layers!

I have to say that my Salming gear performed extremely well, especially my AMAZING Run Fusion jacket.  It is paper thin and proved itself as nothing short of magic.  I remained bone dry right to my base layer the whole day despite working REALLY hard in some sections and sweating profusely.  Thanks Scott for not letting me wear a hard shell and thanks Salming for dressing me in kick ass Swedish clothing that stands the test of our Canadian winter!

Epilogue

After I finished running and my phone thawed out, I noticed a text from my husband asking me to call home.  He NEVER asks me to call home mid race.  I feared a serious emergency and called as soon as I could.  He simply wanted to make sure I was ok.

STOP.

My husband doesn't worry about me, and that suits me just fine because then I don't have to worry about him worrying about me.  Even when I used to run with the cougars and bears in BC, even during Fat Dog 70 and Zion 100, even when he didn't hear from me for 2 days after Grand Canyon 50 due to lack of cell service --- I would get a motivational text, but never a request to call home.  He trusts me to come home safe and sound, and knows I need to completely disconnect while I'm out on my adventures.

This time he was worried.  Hmm.  Ultra running in southern Manitoba may not have big mountains or scary animals (usually), rocky cliffs or nasty river crossings, but it does have winter.

And winter deserves respect.

Thanks Joel for creating an awesome race where I could (barely) preserve my self respect so close to home!

To Thine Own Self Be True: 2018 Plans

The Christmas decorations are packed up, the kids are back in school, and Training Peaks is sending me notifications.  It's mid January in Winnipeg, and I am solidly back in training mode for my first race of the season.  It's coming up quickly on February 4th, the inaugural  Frozen Falcon 8-Hour Endurance Run.  A timed looped course race in the dead of central Canadian winter would NOT normally interest me in the least.  I have never run that long in potentially dangerously cold temperatures.  The idea of doing such a thing honestly scares the hell out of me - so of course I must do it!

Over the past few weeks as I re-examined and clarified my WHY for running and racing, a few key drivers emerged:

1) To explore

2) To spend time in the mountains

3) To be challenged

4) To honor, maximize, and preserve my health

5) To be a part of my running community

I could list many many more reasons why I run, but these drivers are broad enough to encompass many of them.  Last year took a lot of out me.  I started the year recovering from a stress fracture in my foot.  I ran my first 100 miler in April after which I struggled with mental and adrenal fatigue.  When I finally felt recovered enough to race again in August, I badly tore a hamstring at the top of a mountain early in the race.  Following the best racing year of my life in 2016, last year was a year in which the energy flowed out but rarely in, and my body was showing the signs of the stress.

Last fall I wasn't sure if I wanted to run another 100-miler, but I signed up for Sinister 7 to hold a spot.  The Western States lottery came and went, with the dice not rolling my favour this year.  I honestly wasn't too disappointed, because I know that if I am to do another 100-miler I need to do it very differently and I need time to become a better runner in order to do that.

Late summer and early fall, I struggled with maintaining my training mojo as I rehab'd my hamstring and even after a few months of relatively low mileage and a Mexican beach vacation, I was still not very motivated to run.  Laying in a hammock on the beach on New Year's Eve, I decided that what I really need this year is a rebuilding year.  Racing has never been a big motivation for me, and I realized that I needed to give myself permission to protect my energy, say no to things I don't REALLY want to do, and stay true to my running purpose.  It's so easy to get caught up in the FOMO, and I committed to stay true to myself.

Frozen Falcon 8-Hour Endurance Run - Feb 4

Exploration, Challenge, Community

As aforementioned, this race scares me which means it provides a challenge.  I am very new to running in the hostile winter temperatures of Manitoba (-30 to -40C) and I honestly don't know if I can do it for 8 hours.  A looped course offers the safety of a warm place in case of emergency and the challenge of a temptingly easy place to spend WAY too much time.  Or even quit. My mind will be my biggest foe.

Everyone in our community knows that ultra runners are simply the coolest people around and it's fun to spend time with them!  This is the first ultra-race that my friend Joel is RD'ing in our local community and I just simply couldn't miss it. I've only been to Falcon Lake once, but the area really impressed me.  It's beautiful there, and if there is a place I can see myself running in circles for 8 hours in Manitoba, Falcon Lake is it.

Summertime at Falcon Lake

Superior 50K (lottery entered) - May 19

Exploration, Challenge, Maximize Health

I've never been to Lutsen, Minnesota and I've heard so much about how awesome the Superior races are, so I figured it was time to check the area out.  I may be tempted by the Superior 100 at some point, but I really want to stay healthy and injury free this year so I chose the shorter spring event. I know I can run 50K without injury or prolonged recovery, so it is time to fine tune and get faster at 50K!

Canadian Death Race (125K) - Aug 3-4

Exploration, Mountains, Challenge

This race was the first ultra I had ever heard about, back in 2003.  I seriously could not believe that races like that existed, more less that there were people who ran them.  It has always held some allure for me, and I think this is the year I will become a death racer.  It is also a WS and UTMB qualifier.  Check and check.

Although I am from Alberta, I have never been to Grand Cache, and of course have never travelled 125K over 3 mountain peaks on foot in that location!  I can't wait to explore totally new territory relatively close to home.

Banff/Canmore Self-Guided Training Camp - July

Exploration, Mountains, Challenge, Maximize Health, Community

Sinister 7 is only 4 weeks before CDR which doesn't allow much recovery time.  In addition, I know that if you aren't 110% committed to running a 100-miler then it's over before you even begin.   So I decided to scrap that idea in favour of running for a week with my dear friend Sarah, timing it to peak for CDR.  I started this ultra-running journey with Sarah and every year we travel to a bucket list race.  This year our schedules and goals didn't coordinate for any races, but spending a week running in the mountains with her totally a la carte is even better.

Although Sinister 7 would cover 100 miles of mountain terrain, many hours would be in the dark and in a less than clear mental state in which I would miss much of what I came to see.  Our goal will be to log a 100 mile week with loads of climbing at high altitude, in the daylight with many options for epic summit pictures, the opportunity to explore several different trails in my favourite part of Alberta, all while racking up some serious girlfriend time.  I asked Sarah to officially coach me this year, and I trust her to get my legs and lungs ready for CDR!  (She finished sub 20 hours in 2011 - 7th female, 3rd AG).  Even a coach needs a coach.

I think I'm honestly looking forward to this week more than CDR.

So that's all I have planned.  I think it's enough.  I may throw in some shorter races here and there, but I must remember I am a full time working mom and wife with others who expect and deserve my energy and my best me.

This blog started as a way to share my journey into the world of ultra.  This post is part of that,  largely personal...a way for me to sort and clarify my thoughts and hopefully inspire others as they journey along this path with me.

As you run along the ribbon of single track that leads you from race to race this season, remember your purpose.  Stay true to yourself, and let that energy flow back into you as much as it flows out.

Happy trails!

Is Your Why Bigger Than Your Blister?

WHY?!

This morning I awoke to sound of the wind whistling in the eaves and as I sipped my morning coffee, large snowflakes began to fall.  We are spending Thanksgiving weekend at my family farm in central Alberta and I was looking forward to a nice long run before turkey dinner.  I wasn't looking forward to doing it in winter.

As I stood on the door step looking at the snow swirling around me, I really didn't feel like I could make up any excuses.  I was dressed well.  It's not like it was -30C.  I am Canadian after all...and I planned to eat a lot of calories for dinner.  So I set out past the hay stacks and into the hills, adjusting my buff and cinching my hood up around my face.  As the snow pelted my face and the wind threatened to blow me over, I asked myself why in the world I felt so compelled to be out there this morning when I really didn't have anything to be training for.  Other than turkey dinner that is.

Providentially, I had hit play on the next podcast in my feed and it happened to be the fellows from Trail Runner Nation on the topic of Start with Why.  They got me to thinking even more clearly as I ran (and some lines from the podcast can be found as you read on.)

 It is at this time of year when my race season is over, that I return to examining my "why."  Before I can plan for next season, or even find the motivation to do so, I need to process all that happened this year and re-examine my reasons for running, for ultra running, and for racing.

Thanksgiving in Alberta Canada - seriously?

We all have reasons for doing the things we do.  Sometimes they are good reasons, sometimes they could use some refinement.  When I start coaching a new athlete, I always ask them to send me their reasons why they run, ideally at least 10.  As Simon Sinek discusses in this awesome TED Talk, one cannot begin to contemplate the HOW and the WHAT if they aren't guided by the WHY.

I run for many many reasons and am still reformulating my purpose for this coming year.  I can tell you that I currently run primarily to escape the city, to escape the chatter of voices around me, to recharge and reconnect.  I run to explore, to see beautiful places, to become a part of and to flow with the natural landscapes I run through. I run to challenge myself, to see how far my mind will let my body go.  I run to worship, to celebrate my health, life, creation and the beauty of human motion.  I run to inspire others.  I run to feel good.

HOW can I accomplish my purpose?  That is how I found trail running, seeking out races in places where I've never been with point to point courses, usually in the mountains because it is there that I find the most beauty, challenge, and peace.  I am currently deciding how I will continue to achieve my running purpose in 2018: which races I will aim for, which places I want most to see, how I can most celebrate the life and legs God has given me.  After that is done, developing a training plan specific to my goals (the WHAT) becomes easy.

As Simon points out, we too often start with the WHAT or the HOW without knowing why we want to do that thing in the first place.  It's easy to make a plan and train for months, arriving at the start line without a crystal clear and intimate sense of purpose or reason for being there.  During any race, but particularly an ultra marathon, your WHY needs to be bigger than anything.  It needs to be bigger than blisters, bigger than nausea, bigger than fatigue, bigger than fear. Because as soon as whatever is making you uncomfortable becomes bigger than your WHY, it's over.

It has happened to me.  It resulted in my first and only DNF.  Granted, I had some very valid reasons for dropping out of the Miwok 100 a few years ago, but truthfully when my GI system went into revolt at 80K, my WHY was not big enough to keep pushing on.  And I knew it.  I had spent a large amount of time and money to get to a race that was important, but not important enough to me.  That DNF didn't start with my gut issues.  It started way back at the beginning when I made someone else's WHYs my own and started with only the WHAT.  I vowed to never make that mistake again and can truthfully say that I have pushed through some serious discomfort since that day.  My WHY  has always been big enough to keep me pushing on and across that finish line.

Mid-run the skies cleared and the sun came out today- so glad I hadn't made excuses!

This is not simply the 'off' season.  This is when the most important work is done.  As your race season winds down this fall, take some time to run alone.  Take some time to really ask yourself those deep introspective questions.  WHY are you doing this?  What keeps you setting that alarm for 5 am?  What draws you out into the wind and the rain? What drives you and pulls you?  What are your reasons for planning that race with a friend?  Do you truly want to do what you are planning on doing?

A successful 2018 season starts now - how you define that success is up to you.

**Note some of these comments are influenced by and borrowed from the podcast and TED Talk mentioned above.

Iron Legs: Flatlander Style

Last weekend I ventured to Kananaskis Country for the Iron Legs 100K Relay.  It has been a while since I felt inspired to blog, but I now have something to write about that has me gushing.

After my first 100 miler at the Zion 100 in April I spent several months recovering and running for fun.  It only took me a few weeks after Zion, however, to find an open spot on my calendar in August and a race to fill it: Iron Legs Mountain Races in Bragg Creek, AB.

6:00am - 7 C (soon to be 29C)

It didn't take long for me to find 3 friends accompany me on the 14 hour drive to Calgary, while two other friends from Manitoba met us there for a grand total of 6 Manitobans who decided to venture to the mountains for our fix of thin air and lots of climbing.  Just like any normal Manitoban who lives on a flood plain 700' above sea level would do.

Training in Manitoba for a mountain race has to get creative, and is very very intentional.  Two of the friends accompanying me to Alberta are also athletes that I coach, and I devised training plans that had us doing a ridiculous amount of repeats at a local ski hill with a whopping 110' of gain. On weekends we got up super early to drive up to 2 hours to places with as many hills as we could find and logged time on feet and gain rather than miles.  This still meant running some endless loops and hill repeats but you do what you have to do while inevitably encountering poison ivy and coming home with a few ticks on your socks.  The treadmill at 15% grade and stair master even came into the mix - ugh. We knew we couldn't really train for the elevation of Kananaskis, but we could at least get our legs ready and we had lots of heat training.

Leg 1: Station Flats to Powderface
10.5k  1:25  1506' gain
Cool, Sunrise, Undulating Terrain

Iron Legs did not disappoint.  I had signed up to do the 100K Relay with my friend Todd.  I got to start and got to see the sunrise as I warmed up along the rolling hills towards Powderface Aid Station.  It only took 1.5 miles for me to start to notice the familiar heavy breathing that comes with thinner air, and we were only at about 5000'.  As we climbed, my breathing became more laboured than usual, notably without any burning legs. My mantra in the first third of a race is always "no heavy breathing, no burning legs."  Well, so much for the breathing part - it was unavoidable, but not really an issue.

Leg 2: Powderface to Little Elbow
13.5K  2:23  2467' gain
Steady Climbing, Great Views, Technical Downhill

After 3 hours and 20K we topped out at the top of Powderface Mountain (I think?).  My head was swimming and I was feeling a little wobbly, but I was still feeling good.  I noticed a group of people clustering near the top of the mountain at the cairn and someone commented behind me: why are they all stopping?  A bear?

Well, some well meaning hikers had removed the flagging telling us which way to go down the mountain.  There were two options: a trail leading along the ridgeline that disappeared into a scree field, or a well defined trailed diving sharply down into the trees below the alpine line.  I tried going along the ridgeline, but saw quickly that there was no trail and no markers.  This was not likely the way.  After hours of climbing no one wanted to risk going down the trail in case it wasn't the correct way and risk having to climb back up.

I made it to the top!

One runner volunteered to do a recon and we could hear him yelling that there were no flags down there.  Hmm.  What to do?  My rule is always: when in doubt follow the most obvious trail.  Finally after at least 10 minutes, a runner came through who had done the course the year before and confidently directed us down that trail.  By that time close to 30 runners were milling around on the mountain top and we funnelled onto the trail eager to start our 5K descent.

This was the only time in the race that I got cocky and I ended up paying for it.  I tolerate climbing, I train to be as good as I can be with it, but I excel and LOVE downhill running.  I was sick of short 110' downhill sections in Manitoba and was craving a nice long 3 mile stretch where gravity pulled me down a path I could follow with glee.  I exuberantly said to the runner in front of me, "This is what I came for.  I can't WAIT to let it rip down this mountain!"  In the next instant as I stepped left to pass him, I caught my foot on a rock and BAM! I stumbled and felt a searing pain shoot from the base of my buttock up through my glut and down the back of my leg.  I almost threw up and let out an animalistic howl.  My friend Brad who was right in front of me asked if I had stubbed my toe.  "Nope," was all I could manage to say as he continued on.  Up to this point in the race I felt I had been maintaining a respectable pace for a flatlander, somewhere in the top 1/3, but now I limped along as runner after runner passed me down that beautiful playful single track.

My heart sank as I knew I had done something bad to my hamstring, but I had no choice but to get myself off that mountain.  We were 7100' up and the only way down was the way I was headed.  Thank goodness I had my poles because I leaned on them heavily dragging a dead leg behind me.  My pace slowed and I felt my headspace go black.  I was really pissed off.  I had come so far and worked so darn hard to get to the top of that peak for the reward of going down and there I was barely able to walk.  But I had learned my lesson at Zion and I refused to let my mood dictate any more than a few minutes of my run.  I whimpered, I groaned, I might have cursed, and then I consciously told myself to STOP IT.  I said a silent but very conscious prayer to God, asking him to take my pain away so I could still run - essentially asking for a miracle.  God and I have a pretty good relationship, so I felt I could ask for the impossible - just this once.

Downhill running is much harder on the hamstring than going uphill which made that descent rather unpleasant. It took me 48 minutes but by the time I made it down to the Ford Creek Aid Station and my drop bag I was starting to move a little better.  My leg still felt very weak, but the pain wasn't that bad.  I knew I had lots of climbing coming up in the next section and that the hamstring doesn't really work much while climbing.   It was getting hot so I filled up all 3L of my carrying capacity, shoved a few pieces of yam sushi into my mouth (best drop bag snack ever), and decided to take each mile at a time and see how it went.

Leg 3: Little Elbow to Ford Creek
15.6k  3:00  2871' gain
Relentless Climbs, Hot, Dense Forest & Open Meadows

This section of the race between AS 2 and 3 are reportedly the hardest part of the course and ended up having more gain that the previous leg. It took me 3 hours to go less than 10 miles, covering a series of relentless climbs in densely treed areas that became suffocatingly hot by late morning.  It's amazing how as long as you keep moving, your muscles keep working, and I confirmed how little you need a hamstring muscle for climbing.  It's all quads, gluts and calves.  At one point I snapped out of the zone I was in and was startled to notice that I didn't have any pain!  A quick analysis told me this was either because I had completely torn my hamstring (full tears are often painless) or because God had answered my prayers.  Either way I had no choice by to continue on and I was moving pretty well as long as I kept my stride short and didn't catch my foot on any rocks.  Todd was waiting for me and I really wanted to give him enough time to do the majority of his section in the daylight.

There were some really beautiful views in this part of the course if one just looked up and back periodically.  At one point I heard the familiar beat of helicopter blades saw a chopper overhead.  Lisa said she saw someone in the basket.  Thank goodness that wasn't me! By the time I was nearing Ford Creek I was sick of climbing, out of water, very dehydrated, and definitely looking forward to some watermelon and water.  All I could think about was wet, sweet watermelon...and running downhill.

Leg 4: Ford Creek to Powderface Exchange
9k  1:30  1001' gain
Very Hot, Short Climb, Long Runnable Downhill Bliss

Ford Creek had LOTS of watermelon (THANK YOU!) and I must have inhaled 5 pieces.  Another 2L water refill and I headed out for the last 9k section to Powderface where I was to hand off to Todd.  The Iron Legs course did not disappoint as it delivered another "this is what you came for" 3k uphill grind  before finally handing me a steady, very runnable downhill descent to the AS.  I was thrilled to find I was actually running very well at this point.  As long as I kept moving, my legs felt really good.  No knee pain, no quad burn, and if I kept my cadence high and watched my footing carefully: no hamstring pain.  I pranced and danced my way down some very technical rocky sections, crossed creeks with enough water to cool my face and arm sleeves, even passed a few people who had gotten away from me at the top of Powderface Mtn, and rolled into AS4 only 19 minutes behind schedule - not bad considering. I passed the mandatory bear spray "baton" to Todd, and he took off to rock his own 50K Iron Legs experience. I'm sorry I can't report on the whole course but the first half was spectacular!

Todd stashing the infamous bear spray

Lisa finished strong and after her hand-off to Leslie we were done!  A chilling soak in a glacial creek, awesome post race massage (Motuswell.com) and savoury bean chili or meatballs served up at the finish line were just what we needed.  Later that evening we welcomed the rest of our teammates across the finish line.  Leslie finished the 50 Mile Relay smiling through her tears with stories of sighting 4 moose on Moose Mountain reporting that she had had the run of her life.  Todd crossed the finish line without his pack, poles or shirt.  As we clustered around him, he proclaimed, "do I have a story to tell!" and then eagerly shared with us with tales going off course, bear spray exploding in his pack, getting baby wipe rub downs at the last aid station, and the generosity of volunteers who loaned him clothing and a headlamp to finish the last leg of his run.

Holding ice to my leg - but with a huge smile!

COLD!!!!

After moving to Manitoba from BC, I recognized that I NEED to return to the mountains at least once a year for a good cathartic, quad burning, vista viewing, run.  I chose Iron Legs because it promised all that, was within driving distance, and looked low key.  I am happy to say I got exactly what I went for.  The race started on time, all but one aid station during my section came up exactly as predicted, the volunteers were amazing (every time offering to fill my bottles and bladder for me), and the views were incredible despite the smoke from forest fires.

I must give a shout out and thanks to Salming for my awesome new Trail 5 running shoes.  I had just received them in the mail and only had about 15 miles on them prior to this race.  They performed perfectly. Shoe review to follow.

My only complaint was the lack of course marking as previously mentioned, but that was not the race directors fault.  In fact, as we were on our way down Powderface Trail, someone was coming up to reflag.  It baffles my mind how people can remove flag tape tied to trees or tucked under rocks on purpose, either thinking they are cleaning up or just being vandalous.  They could have created serious risk to some runners - flag tape is here for a reason.  Please leave it there!

Todd ran very strong and we finished the 100K relay happy and tired.  In fact, everyone from MB did very well! I am very proud of my bouncestrong.com athletes Lisa and Leslie - they were nervous for their first real mountain run and they nailed it!  We did not break any speed records, but we had a great time and demonstrated the key characteristic of successful ultrarunning: the ability to adapt.  Injury, going off course, bear spray exploding in your pack - all these things can easily derail you from having a good day out there.  But experience and mindfully resisting the instinct to catastrophize the unexpected enabled us to have a great day regardless.

Thanks for a great race @ironlegsmtnraces!

Epilogue: My physio coworker diagnosed me with a high grade partial hamstring tear.  Not great news but it could have been worse.  It's already feeling better and will heal with a little time off and some rehab!