Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Week 2 / 11

18.04.2016
Schedule: Strength + Stretch.
Distance: 0km. Made sure I did 10min bodyweight exercises + 5min stretch right when I got home from work. Yay!
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 12km.
Music: N/A

19.04.2016
Schedule: 5.5km run.
Distance: 0km. Too sore from past couple days and didn’t want to over-do it before track session on Wednesday.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10km.
Music: N/A

20.04.16
Schedule: 6 x 400 track intervals.
Distance: 5.16km, but accidentally shorted myself one interval, only doing 5 / 6. Guess I need a better way of keeping track {no pun intended}.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10km.
Music: None – had the company of my friend Simone.

21.04.16
Schedule: 5km run + strength
Distance: 5km, kept it slow and surprisingly steady. No strength; Spud’s bedtime and my dinnertime were more important.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10km.
Music: Fall Out Boy + Deadmau5.

22.04.16
Schedule: Rest (yay!)
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 8.5km.

23.04.16
Schedule: 5km pace
Distance: 0km. Tired. Nuff said.
Music: N/A

24.04.16
Schedule: 11km long run
Distance: 0km. Was going to run when Colin got home from the Squamish 50 Orientation Run, but the downpour and hail turned me off pretty quick.
Music: N/A

WEEK 2 TOTALS

Distance (actual vs scheduled): 10.6km vs 30ish-km
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 50.5km

April 24, 2016 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tomorrow

foolsrun.com

April 11, 2015 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Life and Stuff. And a Race on the Horizon.

So. It’s been a while.

I suppose it’s fitting that the length of time between posts is almost same as the length between my last and next race. I may have been dormant here, but I’ve at least been {moderately} training for a half marathon… that’s next Sunday! It’s amazing how a race tends to sneak right up on you regardless of how long you’ve known about it.

So let’s recap the last few months shall we?

– Post-Squamish 50km I was recovering and trying to prepare for a second 50km race, Oregon Coast. With only 7 weeks or so between them it was optimism, and FOMO, at it’s finest.

– Oregon Coast, while not utterly horrible, wasn’t great. Here’s the mini-recap since I never wrote a post: I was under-prepared. We drove – and drove and drove – down to Yachats, OR, the day before the race; Portland traffic was apparently Portland traffic (re: SLOW). Race day morning was windy with sideways rain. The first 10km were on the beach and I was last from the get-go – I expected this so not much of an issue there. The sweep decided he would stay close enough that I could hear the shwoosh-shwoosh of his shoes on the sand, but not close enough to run with me; this was mentally draining. The sun started to peak out by the time I was off the highway and into the woods. At 16km the short course runners started passing by and I had to urge the sweeps to pass me since I was going to lose my **** on them otherwise. This is where I wanted to quit. It was a mudfest. The downhill is where I started to have fun. I got an awesome race picture taken. Passed the point of no return for the loop portion. Sucked it up and did it even though it was hard. Passed one person (hey – I’ll take it!). Met up with a friend who was having a rough day. Had fun on the downhills knowing I would drop at the next aid station. Actually got cut for time, but was a-okay with it. Ate all the grapes as they were packing up the aid station. Caught a ride back with the drop bags. Watched friends finish the 30km and 50km race. For an off day I at least got in ~36km. Can’t say I’ll ever do it again, but it is what it is…

– Post-Oregon Coast I did nothing. Some fun runs with friends. Some volunteering at races. Nothing taxing.

– Christmas was a blur.

– Started training for a half marathon. It’s a road race. If I’m honest it’s the first road half that I’ve seriously trained for since 2010. And, to be more honest, my training is still mediocre. Not effort, but runs/week.

– Trying to plan out weekends is crazy. Colin and I both run so it’s a lot of “who’s running when?”. Most of our weekends are booked until September!

– Immediately after my half I start training for the Squamish 50 MILE. Since I still haven’t gotten around to getting my training plan (yup, really need to do that!) it’s not 100% real. Except for my name being on the official registrants list. I’ll have one race in July, Buckin’ Hell 15km, but other than that it’ll be train, train, train some more.

So that’s about it. Things are crazy busy, but we somehow seem to balance it out.  

How’ve you been?  

April 6, 2015 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

50 for 50km: Squamish50 {Belated} Recap

As is my custom, this Squamish50 50km recap is overdue and randomness put to page.  I make no apologies.  Enjoy!

1. Rookie mistake: I forgot my watch.   We were on Highway 1 at Capilano Road (25 minutes from home) before I noticed.  Thankfully it wasn’t our race day and we had left with enough time to go back and retrieve it.  It was on my living room table.
2. Volunteering for a race (in my case, marshaling the 50mi the day before my own 50km) is a great way to feel bad about yourself psych yourself out be inspired. Colin and I were stationed before the finish line at Smoke Bluffs Park “Turn left, stay left, just over 2km to go…”  We got to see the lead pack come through and, wow, it’s amazing how fast people can run and not look like death.  I’m sure it would be different later in the race, but I didn’t see too many vacant non-comprehending stares.  Just one or two that I kept an eye on to make sure they turned the right way…
3. Seeing friends (and familiar faces aka “friends” I “know” through online “stalking”) finish their races/journeys was incredible. There were a lot of emotions on show at the finish line both on the Saturday (50mi) and Sunday (50km/23km).  It felt like an honour to have others share how their days went as sometimes events like these are extremely personal.  **probably also why this race recap is a month past due **
4. Pizza – Margherita, at Howe Sound Brewing, for those wondering – makes a good pre-race meal. However, when you decide that it’s so tasty you should have just one.more.piece, don’t.  It will end up as a ball of dough sitting just at the bottom of your esophagus, refusing to go into your stomach to be digested.  It will cause you to worry that you will have some very private issues out on the trails the next day.  It will mean that Imodium will be your friend.  Just in case.
5. A 6am start time, with a 4:30am shuttle, means that going to bed late was dumb. Our wake up time was 3-something.  It came very early.
6. Breakfast was a banana and a Blueberry Boomdizzle Picky Bar.
7. When you see a person walking down an empty street at an ungodly hour of the morning in the pitch black and you know that the walk to the shuttles is a) still a ways to go and b) axe-murderer scary you stop and offer them a ride.
8. Riding a school bus when you are an adult is weird. I still have issues with the no-seatbelt thing.
9. You would think, for the only reason of not having a couple of hundred runners peeing (or worse) in the bushes at a provincial park, said park officials would have remembered to come by and unlock the good bathrooms. At least we remembered where the lesser known pit toilets were and we didn’t have to wait too long.
10. Group selfies are a must. I love having friends who insist this is a race day requirement.
11. There’s something fun about an RD who counts down his race standing atop a picnic table and then just yells, “Go!”, to start it off. It’s official, but personal.
12. I feel a little badly for anyone who camped at Alice Lake on the weekend of 16-17 August 2014. It’s not usual for a few hundred people to run by your tent when you’re probably not even awake yet.  At least we weren’t bears?
13. Embracing my slowness meant that a lot of people passed me right off the bat. And I caught up to them within about 8 minutes because we bottle-necked into the forest.  Ha!  Not that I saw them again after getting through that, but still.  I’ll take my victories where I can get them.
14. Forest, forest, roots, a lake, forest, roots, small hill, forest, Ginger Runner, forest, roots, PANIC ATTACK.
15. Approximately 2.5km into the run I had a full-on, breath into my paper bag buff, wheezing panic attack. I attribute it fully to not having any sort of breakdown during taper aka Taper Tantrums / Taper Crazies.  Next time I will happily freak my crap out prior to race day.  I don’t ever want to be standing on the side of the trail looking like the crazy as other runners go by again.  I really should have just bawled my eyes out and screamed at the trees to achieve some sort of catharsis.  Lesson learned.
16. I am continually amazed that I won’t run around my neighbourhood by myself outside of standard lots-of-people-around hours, but I will run happily through the woods without too much stress. It probably has to do with the abundance of comfort-inducing pink flags leading my way.  Please read #4 here to get a better idea.
17. I fell. I would like to think spectacularly, however, no one was close enough to see and verify this for me.  At 5.63km, roughly 52 minutes, into my run I had a stick completely jump out and trip me.  That is the only way I can think it happened as I was running in a flat loose dirt section.  One second I was running along minding my own business and the next I was seeing the ground come rushing up toward my face, my sunglasses go flying off my head, and my buff fly out of my hand into the dirt.  Immediately I checked to see if a) I was broken {no}, b) if Sherwood, my Suunto Ambit2, was okay {yes!}, c) if I was bleeding {no – mostly scratches and what would turn into a few excellent bruises}.  I dutifully hit the lap timer so I could know exactly when I was wronged and carried on.
18. Hills are {{insert your favourite pejorative here}}.   Especially switchbacks.
19. Having runners who were out to complete the inaugural 50/50 race – that’s 50mi Saturday AND 50km Sunday – pass you is a bit of a mood killer. Not that I wasn’t proud of perfect strangers for getting out there…
20. Pit toilets are my friend. Which is why I was so happy to get to aid station 1 and that I knew where the secret toilet was.  Just wish it had had toilet paper.  The little bit that was crumpled up on the side was definitely a no-go.
21. PLASTIC SCHEISSE & GALACTIC SCHEISSE! MUSIC!! MY iPOD IS A SHUFFLE GENIUS!!!  Roughly 5km of continual uphill called for a distraction.  Amazingly, I enjoyed every single song that played.  Thankfully no one was close enough to hear me singing Eminem’s Not Afraid incredibly loudly and likely very off-key.  I was having a great time.  Note: I am extremely glad I was able to do Galactic twice in training.  It was the one part of the trail that I was scared of.
22. I ran (hiked?) into Barb on Galactic. I had run with her at Buckin’ Hell – I still haven’t quite forgiven her for dropping distance then… I was so close to not coming in last! – and it was awesome to see a familiar face.  We didn’t talk a ton as I had music in and was huffing and puffing along.  However, we kept pace and kept each other company.  We would end up running the majority of the race together which was great mentally for both of us.
23. Random moment: as I was descending off of Galactic to Upper Power Smart I decided I was going to put my music away. I asked the next marshal – who turned out to be a guy I used to work with!  It wasn’t surprising that he was volunteering as I knew he was a downhill mountain biker and adventure racer.  It was just unexpected.
24. Downhills are {{insert your favourite complement here}}.
25. One of my goals was to make cutoff at Quest University, which was 11:15am. That gave me 5 hours and 15 minutes to get there.  I made it in 4 hours 43 minutes and left the aid station 10 minutes later.  Goal accomplished!
26. Fig bars. Buy them.  They are, hands down, the best thing ever when running long distances.  I even forgot to peruse the aid station table at Quest for anything else.
27. When at aid stations, peruse. I really wanted watermelon about 3km after leaving Quest.
28. The one part of the trail I didn’t pre-run was Climb to Angry Midget. So glad I didn’t.  It was long and never-ending.  Had I known that was coming I would have dreaded it.  Instead I kept my head down and kept going.  I am a bit peeved that my legs didn’t want to let me enjoy the downhill at A.M.  It was the only part of the race that my knees hurt.
29. Seeing a member of our running group at the bottom of A.M. was awesome. She even had a sign with our group name and the names of all of us who were running that weekend!  It was a huge morale boost.
30. I finally got my desired watermelon at aid station 4. It was just as good as I wanted it to be.
31. I don’t pee in the woods. I needed to.  I got stage fright 3 separate times.  Laugh if you want.  It ruined my favourite section of the whole run.  I couldn’t get any flow (pun intended), but each time I even thought about going I’d suddenly not have to anymore.  However…
32. … Squamish50 will forever be known as “the day Alanna learned to pee in the woods” or, at least, “the day she found a log on the side of a road and peed quickly before the dog walker with +5 dogs came up the path and saw her”.  In true trail runner fashion I have friends who appreciate and celebrate this fact!
33. Getting to aid station 5 was the best feeling ever.  I had friends there who could give me updates on others.  I knew I only had 10 hard kilometers left.  They had watermelon.  They had ice.  Ice!  They filled my hydration pack with it.  And they gave me a baggie for my buff.  Best friends ever!
34. Barb and I were still running together. So thankful.
35. I was on autopilot by this point. I don’t remember much after aid station 5.  Just that when I got to Endo I knew that time was more important to me than finishing.
36. This race has an 11 hour cutoff. I was starting to calculate splits in my head and it was nagging at me.  I let Barb go.  Not to be mean, but to run my own race.  It wasn’t discussed.  It just happened.  This is why trail friends are awesome.  They understand.
37. I wish I hadn’t picked up a 50/50 runner at this point. She was using me as a pacer, I think, but I was a bit irked by her stick.  Aside from the fear that she’d errantly hit me with it I was a little torn.  I kind of wanted to turn her in for using an aid – believe me, I could have gone faster, too, with something to lean on – but she was on her 2nd race in two days so I let it go…
38. Mountain of Phlegm. If you’ve run any race in the Squamish50 weekend you know.  It just sits there in wait mocking you as you make your way there.  You feel like you’re doing well.  You think, “it can’t be too hard“.  Then it rises up and knocks you on your ass.  And it was a freaking hotbed of mosquitoes this year.  I stopped to talk to my friend Ed, who was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (and who would overcome it to finish!), and got about 9 bites.
39. When I hit the top of Mountain of Phlegm I had 4km left. And about 50 minutes.  By the time I got off the hill with 3km left I had 35.
40. My mantra from Smoke Bluffs Park to the finish line was “You are not allowed to walk”. Man, did I want to walk.
41. I was only slightly confused to be yelled at by 2 girls in a car when I was running along the last stretch of road. Turned out to be Candice and Hilary!  Your cheers were so appreciated!
42. The splits for my last 3km were: 9:06, 8:09, and 7:52. I am as proud of this as I am of finishing.
43. I briefly registered that Colin and many of my friends were waiting at the finish line, but, darn it, I was sprinting as if my life depended on it to get done and get my hug from RD Gary Robbins. He gives good hugs.
44. Official time: 10:49:42.1. Yes, that millisecond is important.  Goal accomplished!
45. I didn’t finish last!!! Goal accomplished!
46. I had a really good race. There were way more positives than negatives (and, really, any of my negatives were inconsequential compared to others).
47. Volunteers are amazing. I can’t say enough good things about everyone who pitched in on race weekend.  There were so many people who raced Saturday and volunteered Sunday and vice versa.  The less thinking I had to do the better.  Please know you have my gratitude.
48. Gary Robbins and Geoff Langford. Thank you.
49. This picture makes me think things I probably shouldn’t be thinking.
50. 50 miles – I’m coming for you.

September 21, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Buckin’ Hell Race Recap

Because I’m a very lazy blogger – and tired – I’m cutting and pasting my Facebook race synopsis, so apologies if you follow me there…

My legs feel like they’ve been beaten with sticks. That’s what I get for running Coast Mountain Trail Series races. Buckin’ Hell lived up to it’s name (and I may have replaced that B with an F a couple times near the end) and was exactly what I expected it to be. May have come in last, but at least I finished it (21.1km with 4300ft of ascent/descent)!

Here’s the map so you can appreciate my suffering today:

Thoughts:

– uphills suck. I will complain about this after every trail race. Why can’t trail races have a nice flat 5km warm up?
– downhills are awesome: Forever After and 3 Chop made the run worth it.
– ran with music, which I usually don’t do, but wanted it for uphill inspiration. My iPod is a genius and played the right songs at the right times. Bad Habit by The Offspring (eclectic + old school) had me cursing like a sailor in the middle of the woods, exactly when I needed it – Old Buck I’m talking about you…
– trail volunteers are awesome (Colin and Spud were directing runners and traffic). They genuinely seemed excited for me rather than making me feel like I was holding up their afternoons.

Overall, I am happy with my race.
– My hiking skills are a lot better than they used to be.
– My nutrition was a bit off – should have eaten more, sooner.
– I didn’t fall, however, I tripped a bit on a root and almost fell off the side of a hill which scared me a bit.
– I didn’t cry, but I almost did on the switchbacks up to the lookout as I was sore and just wanted to turn around.
– mentally I’m good. I’m convinced that if you can survive being last (and not for the first time) you can survive anything. Pretty sure some would call that stubborn.

How is your weekend going?  Any races or runs today or tomorrow?  Let me know!

June 21, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Survival of the Fittest 13km Race Recap

It is with much surprise that I have actually taken a seat in front of the computer long enough to post a race recap.  Generally, as you’ll know if you follow this blog, I write things well after the fact (or not at all).  Since I’m feeling lazy my recap is going to be one point per kilometer of the race…

Race: Survival of the Fittest (a Coast Mountain Trail Series race)

Distance: 13(.33)km

Type: Trail

Ascent / Descent: 533m / 524m (although the site says 700m for both[?]) measured with my so-fancy-it-should-be-accurate Suunto Ambit2

Weather: Sunny and, at times, HOT (on the Ambit2 was 27.5C at it’s hottest and 22C average)

Finish Time: 2:13:40

This race runs from Quest University in Squamish, BC, and follows much of the first part of the 23km race that I ran last summer as part of the Squamish50 race weekend.

Here are 13 things about my race yesterday in no particular order:

1.  Switchbacks suck.  Or, rather, I suck at switchbacks.  Maybe a little bit of both.  The fact that this race is basically uphill right off the bat does not play into my favour.  I know that it takes me about 5km to settle into a race so I spent a good long time plodding along.  Having a cold this week and being a ball of phlegm didn’t help.

2.  I’m slow.  My main goal for this race other than finish was to not finish last.  Spoiler alert: Goal Achieved!

3.  A well-flagged course makes a huge difference.  The RD, Gary Robbins, likes his flagging.  This much I’ve learned in the races that I’ve done so far (Squamish 23km and Cap Crusher).  Some – not me – might think it verges on the excessive, but as a newbie trail runner I can say that the sight of those little pink flags is very comforting.  As referenced in point 2 I am not the fastest runner so it’s not unusual that I don’t see people around to follow.  Flags are my friends in the forest.  If I can see flags I know I’m not traipsing about aimlessly.

4.  This course reminds me of Dagobah (rooty) and Endor (mossy).  Seriously, I kept expecting Yoda or an Ewok to pop out and run with me.

Yeah, I am a big nerd.  I also have an almost 7 year old who’s a bit obsessed with Star Wars already.  So, yeah.

5.  I love downhills.  There is an amazing downhill stretch after the aid station where I get that uncontrolled/controlled tumbleweed sensation that I love so much.

6.  Having people you know on course makes it fun.  Colin was a marshal at the point where the 18km racers rejoined the 13km course.  He took our Nuun cowbell and cheered for runners.  It was nice to see a friendly face since I wasn’t feeling completely spectacular at that point.  A lot of our other trail running friends came out as well to volunteer.

7.  I wore my sparkle skirt.  What I can’t make up in speed I made up in style.  I got a ton of complements on it so I was happy that I didn’t self-consciously chicken out of wearing it.  Hopefully the official photo is decent since I didn’t take my camera and Colin left for his spot before I started my race.

8.  Drinking tea on the drive up was a poor choice.  I thought I had enough time to process it (yeah, pee), but it turns out I did not.  I spent much of the first part being sloshy.  It was gross.  I wanted to drink because I was hot, but not because it would mean more slosh.  I’m smart so I hydrated, but definitely could have done without the issue.

9.  Speaking of issues, watch this “Marathon Thoughts” video at 1:57.  That was me for the last 3.5km.  It was unhappy.  Mostly because it was all downhill, which made it feel unbearable, but also because I LOVE downhill (see point 5) and I was disappointed/angry that I couldn’t enjoy it.  Additionally, I had finally passed someone with a yellow bib (13km racer) and was damned if I was going to let her pass me again.  This was a definite character building aspect of the race.  And one I do not wish to repeat.

10.  My race day nutrition sucked.  I didn’t eat properly the night before the race; I had a lemon raspberry loaf slice to go along with my bad-choice tea because it was too early when I left to eat my Picky Bar; I only had 1 gel (mmm, Hammer Apple-Cinnamon) when I should have probably had 2.  I know better.

11.  Colin and I had really good tacos for lunch at Casa Norte Taqueria in Squamish post-race.  I love Mexican food and this was perfect.  One chicken, one pork, and one fish (which was my favourite).  Not sure if they were the food truck I went to after the 23km last summer…

12.  I won a race entry into Buckin’ Hell in June!!  All I had to do was explain what the race was about.  I’m not a public speaker, but no one else was going and this was already on my race schedule so I was happy to get it.  I’ll be doing the 21.1km race – Deep Cove to Seymour Lookout and back.

13.  It never ceases to amaze me how welcoming and supportive the trail running community is.  For me, it’s nice to be able to meet people I only “know” through social media or who are friends of friends.  I don’t think anyone ran by me on the trail that didn’t say hi or comment on my skirt or ask how I was doing.  I tried to do the same with them.  I’m fairly certain the one runner who was injured was tired of people asking if he was doing okay (he would be) – I wasn’t the first or last person to go by.  There is a genuine interest from everyone involved in how you did no matter how fast or slow.  The ability to finish is treated as a feat in and of itself as opposed to simply how fast you went.  That, and you don’t get a high-five from the RD at any old race.  The point is: trail running is different and that’s what makes it special.  Pardon the sappiness…

So there you have it.  My 4th race of the year in a nutshell.  Next up: Buckin’ Hell 21.1 on 21 June 2014.  I’m such a sucker for punishment.

June 1, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I Didn’t Cry and I Didn’t Trip

Training for this year’s Squamish 50 race is in full swing in our household as Colin and I are both signed up to run the 50km.  For the most part we’ve been able to hit the trails on alternating days on the weekends and have been fortunate enough to run with like-minded crazies (Colin’s running partner is training for Ironman Canada!).  However, my luck ran out yesterday and, though not for a lack of trying, I wasn’t able to find anyone to run with.  So I did something I’ve never done: I ran by myself.  On. A. Trail.

Let me preface the rest of this post with the disclaimer that I am a bit of a scaredy cat.  I don’t like things that go bump in the night, scary movies, and/or setting myself up to be scared (see: Fright Nights, etc.).  I like social runs and the warm-fuzzies that go along with them.  This wasn’t really my cup of tea – the one sitting next to me on the desk is – but I put on my big-girl capris and went for a run!

Due to scheduling – Colin running to the top of Grouse from the car dealership and Spud attending a birthday party  – I knew my run wouldn’t be starting until the late afternoon.  It was a bit weird waiting all day to go for a run.  I fueled incredibly well with birthday party snacks like watermelon, banana, and popcorn twists.  On my way out the door I grabbed a Picky Bar for the drive there.  I was probably a little dehydrated, but actually felt okay otherwise.

My run of choice was Buntzen Lake loop via Lakeview trail and I started at 4pm.  I had 2 options planned.  I would either run the east side of the lake out to North Beach and return the same way if I wasn’t feeling brave.  If I was, though, I would go Lakeview.  I started out and promptly messed up my fancy watch (Suunto Ambit 2) that I don’t really know how to use so I had to stop it and begin again.  I think it was only a minute so no big deal…  There were a few people out on the trail still.  The sun had come out and it was warmer than I expected.  The section to North Beach is rolling hills with a couple of small switchbacks and is pretty scenic:

I reached North Beach in half an hour where I decided I didn’t need to pee, laughed (to myself) at the Scout leader trying to talk a group of ~12 year old boys into looking his way for a picture, and crossed the mini suspension bridge since I was apparently being brave and headed to Lakeview:

Lakeview Trail is my favourite of the Buntzen trails that I’ve run.  It’s just the right amount of difficult for me.  The lower loop is too flat and gravelly and, while Diez Vistas is an amazing workout, I just don’t love it despite the specatular – on a good day – views.  Lakeview I could run all day.  I don’t know if everyone runs the lake counter-clockwise, but I like the warm up the run out to North Beach gives me.  It usually takes ~30min/~5km for me to get into any run so that fits the bill.

If you’ve run Lakeview this way you’ll know that there is a little steep hill that cuts up to a trailhead.  This hill is my nemesis.  In the 2 years I’ve been running Buntzen I’ve never reached the top actually running.  Usually I’ll stop somewhere, complain about it, and hike the rest.  It’s been my goal to beat it for a while.  And yesterday I did!

I’m not sure why (repressed memories, maybe?), but I always forget how many switchbacks there are to get up to where Lakeview is runnable.  I’m not a great climber so half the reason I wanted to do this trail was to practice.  I knew that I would be able to power hike better, and likely faster, than running so that’s what I focused on.  Thankfully the hard work at my bootcamp class is paying off because I definitely felt stronger!  Still slow, but stronger…  I think it took about 15min to get to some sort of level rather than just up.  It was quite shady in the forest, but not at all dark (although I did bring my headlamp just in case of an emergency).

Once the trail stopped climbing I had a good time.  It’s rolling and technical enough that I couldn’t zone out unless I wanted to bail.  I didn’t see a single person on the entirety of Lakeview and that was okay.  I only had the crap scared out of me once – I may or may not have jumped, but I do know my heart rate spiked! – by fallen tree roots that tricked me into thinking they were a bear foraging in the ferns.  I didn’t go back and take a picture, but the trees were silhouetted like this:

Close to the point of descent there is a little waterfall so I, of course, stopped to take a picture and a selfie:

By now I was pretty much ready to be done.  I had to make my way down the hill and back over to the lots.  Unfortunately I had 2hrs on the schedule and I was stubborn enough to want to make it at least to that.  I had about 15min to go by the time I reached the parking lots so started running in circles to make it up.  Please tell me I’m not the only one whose maps look like this:

I ended my run with 2hrs, 12km, and 424m/1391ft of ascent in the books.  Pretty happy overall with how my first ever solo trail run went.  Can’t say I want to do them all that often, but I did gain some much needed confidence.  Ended the day with a couple of selfies and headed home…

See you on the trails!

April 27, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Bloglovin’

I haven’t been reading blogs for awhile, but the start of a new year seems like as good a time as any to begin again… mainly because I found a new (to me) blog reader: Bloglovin’. I like the look of it and WordPress’ mobile reader was awful. Find me there and, if you have a blog, I’ll follow you back!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

January 4, 2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Rainbows and Unicorns: 2013 23km at Squamish 50 recap

If you’ve read my ramblings for any length of time you have probably noticed that I’m terrible at recapping events within a suitable amount of time. Sometimes it’s because I’m lazy. Sometimes it’s because I’m busy. Sometimes a race is too personal of an experience to really want to share (ahem, Ragnar Northwest Passage). However, I’m a firm believer in “better late than never”. Now is as good a time as any to recap my experience at the 2013 23km Squamish 50 race.

Fair warning now: this is a long point-form brain dump!

1. Colin and I both ran the 23km race. It was highly recommended to not let this be your first trail race. It was our 2nd. And about twice as long as the first…
2. The sunrise along the Sea to Sky highway was really pretty.
3. We made a pit stop at the McDonalds in Squamish before finding parking/shuttle. We lost each other between the car and the bathrooms. And wasted time never being in the same spot at the same time.
4. Drove out to the race parking lot and assumed that we were in the correct spot judging by all the other cold runners standing around.
5. Bus trip to start was a bit disorganized, but zero race expectations equals no stress. Eventually got on bus – which is WAY more fun as a kid when 3 to a row isn’t insanely squished – and chatted with a few other people. I think they were from Texas.
6. Bus got lost. Should have gone straight at roundabout to Quest University. A left meant a really tight three point turn!
7. Immediately got into portapotty line. PB4UGO!
8. Made Colin take awkward selfies.
9. Tried not to freak out just before start.
10. Knowing my place, lined up at back. Still got passed immediately!
11. Yay little downhill! Crap, uphill so soon? Walk. Already.
12. Another runner asks if my Nuun tattoo on my shoulder is real. No. However, I was quite proud of my placement as I figured most people would pass on my left and therefore see it…
13. Head off road and into trail. I read trail description, but have never run there so was very thankful for LOTS of flagging.
14. Walk some more. Switchbacks! Try not to play the mind game of being too slow. Hyperventilating and running doesn’t work.
15. It’s already warm.
16. Started bunny-hopping with Dave from Kelowna, who came down with a few friends, but wasn’t running with them. We decided it was easier to just run together.
17. Attack of the mofo wasps! Like many that day we were victims of the wasps. I’m new to trail running so didn’t even think what I was feeling was a sting. I had my bib on my leg and, thinking a pin got loose, stopped to adjust it. That’s when Dave yelled that he go stung on the ankle and yelled at me to run! We sprinted for a little bit and then stopped to inspect. He flicked a wasp off his sock. I discovered that a wasp had actually flown under my bib and not only stung me, but did so twice. I later found out that the nest was virtually on the path.
18. Fire road to first aid station. Thankfully a volunteer was guiding the way and let us know not to do the extra loop the longer races had to do.
19. Could have had cream for my stings, but figured the dull pain was better than dropping my pants.
20. DOWNHILL!! One of my favourite parts of the whole race. Super fun – and probably lucky I didn’t tumbleweed down…
21. Uphill? Darn it. Walk. It’s faster.
22. Caught up to twitter friend Diana. Felt bad that I didn’t get to run much with her, but it wasn’t her day and she urged me to run ahead.
23. I think this was the clearing next. It was warm, pretty, and I had no idea where I was or what direction I was going in.
24. Played catch up with Dave. As long as I knew he was just ahead or behind I didn’t feel like I was lost.
25. Proved my “be safe” skills were warranted. Came across a girl who had fallen and hurt her ankle. She was with a couple of friends, but I left her with the foil blanket I had in my pack so she didn’t get too cold.
26. Downhill some more! Then fire road, drizzle (?), mucky road, dam (didn’t look down – it made me queasy), little uphill, gel stop due to dust cloud caused by logging truck, meander, aid station.
27. Foolishly didn’t have flat pop at aid. Thought it would mess with my stomach, but Colin said it was the best thing ever.
28. Back into the woods. Passed by a mountain biker. Meander along.
29. Hear music from Squamish Valley Music Festival.
30. Hot. Very thankful I put Nuun in my pack.
31. Pretty paths.
32. UPHILL?!?! WTF?
33. Mountain of Phlegm. Says it all. Hiked to top. Pretty sure the path up was solely so they could get good photos. Thank you, Rob, for only posting the one of me walking, not pulling a really ugly face…
34. Decided to tell Dave I’d see him at end. Shamelessly really wanted to beat him. Downhill!! A little steep, but fun!
35. Civilization aka a park/trails with people on them.
36. Passed a portapotty knowing a) I only had about 3km left and b) if I stopped I would never start again.
37. Felt a little lost. Got to highway and assumed I was going right way, but concert traffic control wasn’t hugely helpful. And very friendly lady was misinformed as she told me I had 5km left.
38. Pathway along river. Windy. Nice, but secluded. Oddly felt more uneasy being alone here than alone on trail.
39. Road. Almost done. Longest kilometre of my race.
40. Finish line! Fully expected Colin to be waiting, but I was a bit faster than I anticipated so I was yelling for him as I came in. He got a couple of pictures, but they really aren’t that good…
41. Done! 4:05:58. Probably could have broken 4 hours, but no expectations was way more fun.
42. First drink at finish: pop!
43. Got changed, drank beer – this never happens, cheered in friends (23km/50km), ate cupcakes, ate fish tacos, ate cabbage rolls (please invite them back, and ask for them to have perogies in 2014), sat, visited.
44. Dinner in Whistler with new friends. Happened upon a Mother Mother concert prior to so it was kind of a date night!

Here is why this race is one of my favourites: it wasn’t hard.

Before I catch flak for that let me explain. I have had a year of “hard” races and runs. Ones where I collapse mentally or where I feel like I’m the slowest person in the world. Races like BMO Vancouver marathon where I wanted to quit at 14km. I was quite sick and tired of having “character building” runs. The reason I had no time goals for the 23km was because I didn’t want the pressure. I knew going in that I might come in close to last. And I was fine with that.

So, yes, the 23km was physically challenging. But I had a fantastic experience and, for that reason, it wasn’t hard.

And it’s the memory of rainbows and unicorns that made me sign up for the 50km race this morning.

November 29, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

9 Days and Counting

Wow.

This half marathon has crept up on me.  It’s hard to believe that I have a mere 9 days before I am going to run 21.1km.

I must admit straight off that I am under-trained.  This was not the goal, but it is the reality.  I was doing fairly well until life happened.  I’m not using it as an excuse – really, I’m sure I could have put my head down and soldiered on – but August turned into a bit of a break for me.

I ran the 23km race at Squamish 50 this summer.  It was amazing and crazy and hard – yes, I will eventually do a recap – and it wore. me. out.  I took a good week off from any running and that kind of turned into a couple of weeks.  And then we went to Disneyland at the end of August.  To my credit there was a lot of walking, but it wasn’t training by any means.

So, the 29th will be a bit of a test.  I know I won’t be fast.  I know I won’t PR.  I know I can’t be surprised by whatever time I finish in.  But I do know that I will enjoy myself.  I have a couple of friends running it (both the half and full).  I honestly am quite excited about the new route.

You can still sign up if you find you’re in need of a race – they have the full, half, 5k, and kids run.  But do so this weekend.  Prices increase on the 24th!

If you aren’t interested in running or if you have a goal race in October please come by and cheer!  I know I’m not the only one who appreciates a little cow bell!

September 20, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

5 Peaks Cypress Enduro Recap aka Hills Of The Up Variety {ugh}

I’m what you would call a newbie trail runner.  I’ve been on trails.  I have run on trails.  I like running on trails.  But trails inherently have hills.  Therefore I spend much of each run “riking”.  And I’m not much of a fan of that!

Last Saturday Colin and I ran (riked) the 5 Peaks Cypress Mountain Enduro trail run.  It was hard!!  However, if we’re going to tackle the 23km course at the Squamish 50 in August we needed to do this 12km race.

We chose this race because we were both able to get in free.  I volunteered at the 5 Peaks Alice Lake race in June and earned an entry.  Colin had a trail running book that came with one too.

Our 10th anniversary was last Friday.  Since we had a race the next day we celebrated by going to bed early!  My parents had Spud for a sleepover on Saturday night so we dropped him off on the way to the race.  It was about a 40 minute drive to the mountain and it was gorgeous out already.  We parked close to the start, which wasn’t hard since it’s a relatively small race.  Colin had to register and I had to pick up my bib so we left our stuff in the car and headed to the start area.  While it was a sunny day the parking lot was in shade.  I wasn’t expecting so many bugs!  Thankfully the majority were of the annoying, not biting, variety.  We got what we needed, plus free water bottle handheld pouches, coffee and protein powder samples and went back to the car.  Once we gathered everything we headed over to the Salomon tent to meet up with Solana, Nikki, Diana, Mariah, and whoever else was going to show up.

The race started at 9am.  It was self seeded so I tried to convince the others we should line up further back.  I was outvoted, though, and we were in “corral” 4, I think.

Photo credit: Warren via Jay’s camera

Originally there were 4 of us that were going to try to stick together.  However, Diana took off like a shot, so Nikki, a met-5-minutes-earlier new friend Emma, and I ran relatively close together.  We entered some single track trail right off the bat.  I don’t think we were more than a couple of hundred metres in before a sport course runner bailed in front of us!  I made sure she was okay and continued on.  For some reason my sleeves made my arms really sore around my biceps so I had to take them off pretty quickly.  I think I maybe wore them for too long beforehand and they were cutting off circulation a bit.  That, or my biceps are getting huge from once-a-week boot camp…

There was a bit of uphill before we reached where the two courses diverged.  I walked when I needed to, which wasn’t any surprise as my hill training has been mediocre.  This is where I selfishly abandoned Nikki and Emma.  You see, I adore downhill running.  And I’m pretty good at it (meaning no tumbleweeding).  I couldn’t help myself.  I had to take advantage of some semblance of speed while I could.  Besides, it was FUN!

Blurry, but that’s the downhill!

Yup, run under that tree there…

Once I reached the bottom of the hill (well, at least as far as I would be going) I came to the realization that what goes down must go back up.  Ugh.  I don’t have any idea how the fast runners are fast uphill.  I was good to hike it, but there was not a lot of spring in my step…

Since I had left the other two, I found I was running almost all on my own.  Normally that would freak me right out, but I think that because it was a race it made it less scary.  There were other runners who passed me , and a few hikers too, so that helped.  It was also really pretty!

After much hiking – not even really riking – I came to a small lake. I thought that I might make my one and only pass of another racer, but as I asked how he was doing he replied, “I rolled my ankle awhile ago,” and the first aid team was coming to meet him.  Dang!  I couldn’t count an injured runner…

Shortly after passing them – and having really zero idea of how long I still had to go – I found my trail running weakness: I drag my feet when I’m tired.  That is not conducive when you have big feet (size 11 in trail runners) and rocks and roots abound.  My penalty for this infraction was falling UP the trail.  I hooked my left foot into a root hole, hit knee-knee-wrist (turned on watch button)-wrist-chest going up some root stairs.  Thankfully didn’t hit my head, but I guess first aid would have found me on their way back…

I finally reached the aid station / where the routes reconvened and stopped for a quick drink.  There wasn’t much electrolyte drink left, but I dipped in a cup and it was fabulous!  I asked how long to go still and was told about 4-5km.  So lovely to find out that the majority was uphill {insert sarcasm here}.  At least the view was nice and there were a couple of other runners present when the friendly guy with the chainsaw walked by…

I’m at the top of the UP hill.

Random flowers.

I wasn’t getting particularly sore from the run, but it was hot and I was just tired.  I ran when I could – and ran faster to escape the stalker bees (or possibly stalker horseflies).  Finally I came upon the “1km left” sign and knew I was almost done.  I came into the finish where this awesome picture was taken by Solana’s friend, Warren.

Photo credit: Warren via Jay’s camera

I was impressed that they still announced my name even though the awards were going on.  I hadn’t set my watch so I figured I finished in roughly 2:20.  I was a little disappointed to find out the route was short 12km instead of the advertised 14km, but was proud of finishing.  Later that day I was even prouder to find out my 2:20 was actually 2:08!  Not bad for my very first official trail race!

Afterwards we made a trip down to the Salomon store to pick up free buffs.  I’m sure they’ll come in handy!  The plan was to meet at Solana and her husband Jay’s house to have a BBQ / pool party. So that’s where we went.

Photo credit: Jay

Photo credit: Jay

A good run and time with new friends was the perfect way to spend most of the day.

July 25, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Riking Diez Vistas – 2 June 2013

After a month of on-and-off running post-marathon, Colin and I decided that we should probably start training for our 23km trail race that’s in August.  We live fairly close to some great hilly trails and felt (unknowingly, foolishly) that Diez Vistas, at about 13km – I think, would be a good starting point.  Colin had hiked it many years ago – sometime around when we started dating in 1999 and even further back when he was 12 and in Scouts.  Apparently hiking is like giving birth… one romanticizes it and doesn’t really remember how bad it was.

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s a beautiful route.  It was a beautiful, warm day.  We actually ran together as apparently trail running is the great equalizer (at this point anyways).  However, I’m a baby when it comes to hills and Colin hasn’t trained for them since April.  We’re both a bit out of our element with trail running as we’re new to it this year – and we both were breaking in new shoes.

Sorry it’s blurry. There were people coming on the trail and I didn’t want to look like the weirdo taking a picture of her shoes…

We did the loop around Buntzen Lake counter-clockwise, which seems to be opposite of the vast majority.  We decided to do it this way so we had a decent rolling ~4km warm up before the hills.  It was kind of nice, though, because after we got past the North Beach we didn’t see too many people for a while.  And they didn’t see me cursing the rocks and roots.

Here are some pictures of our adventure:

Heading away from the lake – one day I will run all the way up that stupidly short, but steep, connecting path without walking…

Headed the right way!

Butt rot – hehe!

It’s steep looking back down, even though it doesn’t translate well.

Roots on the way up.

Orange dots of doom.

Mushroom

A view!!!

Mt. Seymour

Vancouver, way in the distance.

Nothing captures the glamour of trail running like snot falling out of your nose unnoticed.

The top!

Totally posed because he moved right before I took the picture so I made him do it again.

All in all it was a great day.  Took us longer than we planned (thanks Mum and Dad [who babysat Spud] for understanding!!); we took a left at the end when we should have turned right so did a bit of flagged bush-whacking back to the road/parking lot.  I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus – it’s way worse than after the marathon – but I know it’ll get better the longer I do it.  Who knows, I might actually do this trail again too.

Hopefully I’ll have more pictures of trees and trail runners soon.

June 4, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Onward and Upward

The shortest race report ever:

I ran BMO Vancouver Marathon on 5 May 2013.

I finished said marathon with a personal worst of 5:59:29 when my original goal was 4:45. I blame wanting to toss my cookies with each step and the stupidly hot day.

I finished.

My feelings/opinion of the day? Meh. It was what it was and I’ve moved on… At least the course was pretty and I had a spectacular meal afterwards.

I have other, (hopefully) not so strenuous, things on the horizon which I shall write about soon.

May 21, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Winner!

With a grand total of 16 entries (15 online and one offline) I can now announce the winner of the Endorphin Warrior training bracelet.

Lucky number 6 is PENNY who wrote, “I would go with the Believe bracelet. Reminds me to Believe in myself.”

Congratulations!

Penny, please email me at alanna @ lovemyrunners.com to claim your bracelet.

April 26, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Insert Witty Title (to distract from the fact I haven’t blogged in 4-1/2 months) Here

Let me be honest about the lack of posts since 28 September 2012.  Last year, I decidedly did NOT love my runners.  Don’t get me wrong, I ran races – had fun at most of them – but the way I wanted to train was taking all the joy out of running.

I thought that heart rate training would make me a more efficient, faster, and better runner.  And it probably would have.  But to buy into the theory I had to start at zero.  I don’t often discuss speed and pace (mostly so I don’t fall into the comparison trap).  However, I went from comfortably running a 7min/km long run to being told I needed to slow down to be in zone one.  And that meant a 13min/km.  Discouraging much?  Considering that’s slow walking pace?  Yeah.

Having seen other runners I know benefit from testing and training this way meant that I was willing to try.  I rented a treadmill so I didn’t have excuses not to run.  I knew that my planned marathon wasn’t going to be a goal race.  I actually had a very good time just completing the course.  It was kind of nice to have no expectations.  Of course, I got a PW of almost 6hrs, but I was fine with it.

Colin and I ran a fun wine-tasting almost-half just after the full.  Again, no expectations, but the hard part about running with a faster person is feeling like you’re holding them up.

The next race I did was Ragnar with Nuun.  This is where my blogging started becoming more sporadic.  I never did a race report – started it, but only got about half a day in.  Although I feel bad about not doing it, as I am a Nuun ambassador, I don’t regret it.  Ragnar was special and, quite frankly, I don’t really want to share.  I had conflicting feelings because I loved it so much more than Hood to Coast – I knew what to expect, I felt like I connected with teammates better prior to the event, blah blah blah…  It’s one of those things that I want to explain with Las Vegas’ slogan: “What happens at Ragnar, stays at Ragnar.”

After Ragnar I had a half lined up in September.  I was an online ambassador for them as well and fell down a little in that respect too.  Active on Twitter, but not really on my blog.  Again, no race report.  This time because I felt slow and pathetic.  I was partially burned out and so sick of having running feel like something I had to work at.  After that race I barely ran.  Who wants to do something they don’t really like anymore?

Anyways, that’s what last year looked like.  This year is quite a bit better already.

First off, I’ve dropped heart rate training.  I’m sure it would have worked eventually.  But that was the problem.  I have no desire to take another year or two trying.

We registered for the BMO Vancouver Marathon when it went on sale (expensive, but was only going to get pricier).  I decided that the only way I was going to be able to commit to training was to find a way to run indoors.  Colin’s busy at work until March and I have no desire to push Spud in the stroller anymore, so that meant a treadmill.  I pooled my Christmas money and bought one off of Craigslist just before the holidays for $300.

Due to scheduling I decided to forgo training with the clinic I’ve done in the past.  I chose the Train like a mother Marathon: Finish It plan.  It’s quite a bit different than I’m used to, but I am really enjoying it.  I do most of my long runs on Saturdays (Colin runs Sundays), usually by myself .  I ran 25km/15.5mi on Sunday; it was purposely a very hilly route and I loved it.  While not fast (except when I was bombing down hills) it was well within where I need to be running for my race.  I would not have said the same a year ago.

I’m looking forward to (almost) all of my training runs.  I’m trying to build back the speed I’ve lost and be smart about my increases so I don’t hurt myself.  I’m not sure if I’ll finally break 5hours, but the most I can do is stick to the plan and try my best.

I’ve promised too many times that a post will be the turnaround for my sporadic, at best, blogging.  I won’t do that right now, but I will make an attempt to blog more often now that I really am liking running again.  In the meantime, if you don’t see anything recent here you can find me on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @lovemyrunners (or just click the linked words).

February 16, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Miracle Monday

Here’s why:

1. Started full time work today (M-F) and didn’t stab my eye out with a fork; I did complain about stuff to Colin on the way home though.

2. I’m actually posting something!!

3. I ran today.

3a. It was a tempo.

3b. In my Vibrams.

3c. 6.8km out and back.

3d. Finished on the fast end of my Z3 for pace.

3e. I ran negative splits!!!

Considering out Monday started with a forgotten driver’s license and work entry card (Colin) and a forgotten lunch (me) things ended well.

How was your Monday?

September 17, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A Break

Hi All,

So it seems that running Ragnar actually took more out of me than I expected.  I still have to recap that weekend – it was amazing – and process the whole thing (I’m an introvert so, yes, that explains things).  It’s been a while since I’ve done much of anything.  Life has been getting in the way.  More work for me and longer hours for Colin have seen both of our running suffer.  Hoping things will pick up soon since I’ve got a half at the end of September that I want to do well at!

Thanks for sticking around even though I’ve been M.I.A. quite a lot lately!

Happy Running,

Alanna

August 8, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment