Joe Grant's Iditarod Trail Invitational (350 miles)

For all three readers of this blog, I have to post the links to Joe Grant's account of his Iditarod Trail Invitational experience, a 350-mile event that just ended a couple of weeks ago.

He has great images, even better writing and takes you through all of the emotions (and physical feelings) he experienced.

Joe completed it in about 6 days, 8 hours.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

March 31, 2013

Still recovering a bit from Chuckanut, sort of. Everything feels great except some weird Achilles pain in my right heel. I have absolutely no pain until I put a pair of shoes on and my heel touches the back of the cup.

Going to take the next five days off and do some cross training and hope it clears up. I think I probably started running too soon after Chuckanut (two days later…) but in Moab it was tough not to go enjoy the Slick Rock (Red Hot 55k definitely added to the “future races” list).

In the meantime, did some new trails on the North Shore today and can’t wait for the snow to keep melting to tackle some of the peaks in the area.

Norvan Falls, Lynn Valley

Aaaahhh, feels good, North Vancouver trails

Even with tapering for Chuckanut and doing two easy-ish weeks after, I ran over 116 miles in March (62 miles on trails).

2013 Chuckanut 50k photos

A few pictures from the race:

Two Dollar Trail - before the second aid station. Glenn Tachiyama photo.

Top of Cleator Road, third aid station, 13.1 miles. Ross Comer photo.

Near the top of Chinscraper, mile 21. Glenn Tachiyama photo.

2013 Chuckanut 50k race report: my first ultra

It’s all a bit of a blur. I guess while I was running (and power hiking) it didn’t seem like it went by that quickly, but after finishing it also didn’t feel as long as it was…being my first ultra though (and marathon-distance event for that matter), I’m not the best judge.

At the starting line: “Waiting to start is the worst, isn’t it?” Yes, it is, thanks Mom. “Luke, you looked so happy last night, and now you look a bit different.” Yes, thanks Aunt Sue : P

I lined up well back (probably around 200^th out of 350 runners) as I wanted to make sure and run the first 10k at about the same speed I would run the last 10k. I have no idea how to pace myself for a run this long, so “comfortable” was the plan for the first 40k.

The first 10k on the gravel Interurban trail was fairly uneventful and I pulled into the first aid station at around an hour, grabbed a few clif bloks and was off in five seconds. The second section is just over three miles, with a decent climb up to Fragrance Lake and a fast descent into Cleator Road.

I filled my flasks up with some EFS, grabbed an entire package of clif bloks and started hiking.

Cleator is just over three miles on a dirt road, with a few flatish sections. I ran the flats and power hiked anything that seemed like it would take effort to run. Although I felt funny because it was something I would run in a training run, this race was longer and I kept thinking any running I do now means slower running in the end. I’m glad I made that choice. Most of the people who ran by me in this section I caught and passed over the last 12 miles.

At the top of Cleator you go through a time checkpoint: I was in 131^st at 13.1 miles.

I refilled my flasks with more EFS, grabbed some gummy bears and headed out; maybe a 30 second stop at most.

Immediately the Chuckanut Ridge trail gets technical and super fun. It’s pretty much exactly what I run on in North Vancouver, and reminded me a lot of the Diez Vista trail at Buntzen Lake.

For the first three miles to the north end of the ridge we had a good group of four of us running together: two guys in bland clothes, one guy in a yellow shirt and hat with Five Fingers on, and my buddy “fitter than me” behind me (I asked him if he wanted to pass when he was behind me and he said, “you’re fitter than me.”). By far those few miles were my favorite part of the race.

Turning back south the trail got super sloppy. Shoe-sucking mud, lots of streams across the trail and light rain. I fell for the only time here when I stepped just off the trail to avoid a stream and rocks. My right foot just slipped out from under me in the mud and I caught myself with my hands, but didn’t hit anything, just got a little dirty.

The back side of the ridge is just sort of rolling: some ups, some downs, one decent climb into a long descent into Chinscraper, a short but super steep hill that comes at 20.4 miles and is the last real climb of the race.

This was my longest stop: I had three cups of Coke, a handful of dried fruit and a caffeinated clif shot. I also refilled my flasks: one with EFS and one with Coke. The coke tasted great, and was fine when I was hiking Chinscraper, but once I topped out and started running I couldn’t stop burping. A good lesson learned for future ultras to only drink coke when there is a long hiking section (unless I really want to practice running with coke in my stomach…).  

I was surprised there were three or four racers hanging out at this aid station, definitely not in a rush.

Yes, it’s steep, but it’s also short, and there are only two sections of REALLY steep trail. Photographer Glen Tachiyama was stationed about two-thirds of the way up and then all of a sudden you pop out on the road at the top. It’s really not too bad if you’re used to hitting some steep hiking sections, or stairs, in training.

After starting to head down the road I passed through the timing checkpoint again, and according to the results I was then in 116^th.

I really enjoyed the descent. My legs felt fine, no quad burning or shin pain but there was quite a bit of mud and I didn’t want to go all out so I had something left for the finish.

Refilled flasks with EFS and just took off for the last 10k while popping my headphones to try and push through to the end.

I had a good group of two or three people to run with for the first 5k, at which point it started absolutely pouring (the rain that’s so heavy it splashes on the ground and disperses wet shrapnel). I’d passed the people I started with and now was in a little row with a couple of guys who were moving pretty well. We yo-yoed a little and one ended up finishing in front of me but I out-kicked the other guy in the last 200 meters.

I ended up 105^th overall (out of 347 finishers), in 5:21:50. I’m glad I was able to pace myself and continually move up throughout the race.

A little tightness in my left calf and I’m going to lose one toenail quicker than it was already coming off (from soccer), but otherwise feel just a little sore.

I’ll post photos when they start showing up online.

Eats and drinks:

One liter of water in my Hydrapak e-lite vest (had about 10 oz left when I finished)

~24oz EFS in Hydrapak soft flasks (fit perfect in the vest holster pockets)

Three dixie cups of coke

A little more than two packages of clif bloks

10 gummy bears

Handful of dried fruit
One Mocha clif shot gel w/caffeine
Half a honey stinger chocolate energy bar (felt so dry in my mouth I didn't eat the rest)

31.5 miles later...

Chuckanut 50k tomorrow

Really nervous...

Last long training run before Chuckanut

With the exception of a 30mph headwind for the last mile, it was one of the best runs I’ve ever been on. 

Being the last chance for a long run before Chuckanut (travelling next weekend, resigned to dreadmill), I wanted to put in a nice, slowly-paced effort so I could finish feeling I still had lots left in the tank.

Legs felt pretty good all day, had the right amount of food and water and a lengthy section of snow and slush kept me on my toes and not overexerting myself trying to run fast. There were quite a few people out on the trails and since it was one of the first sunny days in some time everyone seemed to be in a super positive mood. Good views, sun on the face and nice rooty and rocky north shore trails; a real winning combo.

Trail workers on Mt. Fromme were playing CSNY, so running by them going out and back was a treat.

I felt like the most important things were just to feel good about the run: I wasn’t watching my time at all, just trying to focus on running well, enjoying it and taking care of my body. Feels like mission accomplished for now; a little tired and sore, but no out-of-the-normal pain.

Now just want to stay in shape and keep the activity level up, but not strenuous for the next two weeks and then have a real easy week before the race (March 16). Daily reading includes intense (attempted) memorization of the elevation and sections of Chuckanut (totally dweeby, I know).

February 23: 20.25 miles, approx. 3,500’
Out and back: Ambleside beach to Lynn Headwaters via Capilano Pacific and Baden Powell trails
 

Golden Gate 30km race report

Sunday was one of my first runs in true sunshine in at least a couple of months, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day to go on an absolutely gorgeous run through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area…

4:45am - Wake up. Coffee. Toast with PB&J. Shower. Half-hearted foam roll.

Greg and I were lucky to find a (Canadian) long weekend that worked out well for us to visit and combine it with a trail race. The Golden Gate Trail Race, while not the original race I planned for us, turned out to be really awesome.

7:00am - Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge.

8:00am - Start! About 40F, waves from the Pacific crashing on Rodeo Beach, sun coming up over the hills we’d be running on.

We’d signed up for the 30k (18.6mi), which has 3,800 feet of elevation (or 3,200 depending on Garmin correction). The hills are steep on the way up and down, but never for much longer than a mile or so. And they begin right from the start, with one of the three climbs coming in the first 1.5 miles.

The speedsters went off and there was a group of maybe 5-6 stretched over a couple hundred yards where Greg and I were, and we sort of stayed there through the descent down to the first aid station at Tennessee Valley (just over 4 miles in).

The 5.6mi loop out from and back to Tennessee Valley is phenomenal. Only the 30k and 50k distances do this loop, and know that it is there I don’t see how you can do this race without choosing one of those distances just so you can do this part. Big climb out from the aid station followed by a ridge descent that leads to gorgeous single track on a hillside hanging over the Pacific:

Photo: Parksconservancy.org

  

As Greg said, “This looks like a running video game.”

One climb back up and then a long descent back into Tennessee Valley put us at 9.7 miles, just over halfway done.

For the most part we’d been running together with a few breaks of Greg moving a bit ahead. Leaving Tennessee Valley we ran into the back of the half and full marathon pack (which started after the 30/50k). Back on the main loop we had a long, gradual climb of just over 700 feet over a mile and a quarter. For the first time Greg moved ahead a couple hundred yards.

This stretch goes above Sausalito and has great views of the bridge, and leads into the last aid station at about 14.5 miles, right in the middle of the last big descent. Greg wasn’t carrying any water between aid stations and I caught up to him here and had a handful of M&Ms and a refill of some severely-diluted sports drink.

The last four miles definitely felt long…one more descent, last small climb of 200ft, then just over two miles along the road to the finish. No total crashing, but definitely felt pretty fatigued.

My estimate (based on distance and elevation) had been about three hours, so I felt pretty good with 2:48:13 (Greg was in just under 2:45). We both got third in our respective age groups and stuffed ourselves with disgusting treats for the rest of the day.

The course was beautiful, really well marked and the aid volunteers were very quick with refills (though the last station was pretty busy with half marathon, marathon, 30k and 50k runners all using it).

SO.

Am I ready for my first 50k, only five weeks away…? Mmmmm, yes, but it’s going to be tough.

Chuckanut is essentially this course with about 7 miles of rolling gravel tacked on to either end. Pacing those first 7 miles slowly and conserving energy up through mile 22 will be the first goals, then to have enough in the tank for a 3-mile descent leading into the flatish 7 miles to the finish. Maybe excited-nervous describes it best…

Hydration and food:

14 oz nuun, 12 oz water, 6 oz random sports drink

1 Clif gel, 6 Clif bloks, small handful M&Ms

8am. It’s raining. I’m going trail running.

Basically that’s every Saturday morning. Oh, I love that long run!

Now, I know some of those ultra “training programs” like to say you should must do back-to-back long runs, but I’m not really there yet. Or I am but don’t want to injure myself. Something like that.

BUT. Oh yes, it’s Saturday evening and I got my long (in my terms) run in this morning. North Shore rain, Grouse Mountain wind and all those pesky off-leash dogs pooping on the trail be darned!

Having absolutely no experience in marathon/ultra training I end up reading almost all the resources I can find and then try to balance that with how I feel, anything specific I need to train for and what my (somewhat loving) brother says is, “too much too soon.” Yeah, I guess I’m glad I didn't jump right from 14 trail miles to 18 trail miles. I can see how that would have been a supremely-painful day.

Now with a solid handful of 10-to-15 mile trail runs in, it feels like a good distance base is brewing.

• December 8: 10.6 miles – 1,080’ gain
• December 15: 12.5 miles – 1,306’ gain
• December 22: 13 miles – 2,203’ gain
• December 26: 10.2 miles – 1,827’ gain
• December 29: 12.2 miles – 1,916’ gain
• January 5: 14 miles – 1,650’ gain
• January 13: 15 miles – 3,406’ gain
• January 26: 14.9 miles – 1,785’ gain

It’s not only the distance, but the time makes these runs so much more satisfying for me. Two or three hours outside in the trees (or at least not in town) really lets me get in the run. Doing shorter runs now feels odd; like I’m just starting to get warmed up when I’m finishing. Ggggrrrr. Hate that feeling. Unfortunately that’ll be the norm now that I’m going to mini-taper before the Golden Gate 30k (18.5 miles) with my bro. Think I’ll need the fresh legs for the up-and-down course (3,900’ gain).

So, Saturday 26^th of January…you were my last real training run before this ill-conceived 2013 racing season starts. Today was a good run (frozen fingers aside).  

Let the games begin…

I need to eat my words

For years, my brother, who’s a real runner, has been telling me that if I started running I’d get hooked and dive in head over heels. I guess he’s had the benefit of seeing me do it with all the other sports and activities I’ve done throughout my life.

“Sure man, I could mmaaaayyybbbee run a half marathon with you,” I surmised...for years...

“Once you run a half you’re going to see all those people doing the full and you’re going to want to do it.”

Yeah. So. He was kind of, a little bit, maybe, right.

Starting last spring I started to run a bit more than usual, which really had just been some mid-week activity for me to do in between weekend (adult league) soccer games.

Long runs went from 5-6 miles to 8. Once a week became two or three times a week. Nikes became New Balance. Mizuno trail shoes showed up to keep them company.  One trail race sign up suddenly spawned another and then was followed by two half marathons in three weeks, one which we ran together in our hometown.

But growing up and travelling, camping and backpacking in some of the most beautiful places in North America, trail running just feels better than any street ever will. I can’t wax poetic about it, it just feels better.

So, now I’m training for some longer trail runs which definitely will push me far harder than any other physical endeavor ever has.

Consider my words fully devoured, please.

Training is in full swing (sort of…). There are energy gels and chews in the cupboard (is it taboo to admit? Or maybe it’s the Body Glide that is off limits…), ice packs in the freezer and Pacific Northwest dirt and mud in the trunk of my car.

Here goes nothing…