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| This was definitely not the former. (Photo by the awesome Sue Sitki) |
With the 100 runs in 100 days challenge in full swing resulting in rather a lot of short runs lately, a bunch of overtime at the office, plus some concerns after my DNF at meh last month, I knew this "race" was going to be more of a social event than any sort of performance-oriented outing.
I just wanted to be able to get through it without lasting damage, and hopefully have a couple of laughs along the way.
All the usual pre-race stuff happened, but slightly later than usual as the start time had been moved from 9am to 9:30 - an extra few winks were definitely welcome before my big bowl of oatmeal and applying swaths of kinesio tape to try to hold my poor, beleaguered body together.
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| The tight turns of the 215m track are murder on the ankles, so both feet looked like this. |
I did a really half-arsed (no pun intended) tape job on my left hamstrings and glutes as well, as they've been grouchy for...well...a few months now. I decided against trying to tape the thing that has been sore under the inside of my left knee, because if I don't tape it then it's not really an injury...right? It's also way more likely that the sore spot part way up the inside of my femur is some soft tissue junk than a stress reaction in the biggest bone in my whole skeleton, so we'll just go with that. Yeah.
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| Pre-race selfie by Tanker with Charlotte's phone. |
We arrived with plenty of time for me to chat with a ton of people, pick up my race kit with AWESOME swag, and flail my limbs around awkwardly.
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| Really nice new mug with all the Happy Trails Racing event logos and a lovely, soft tank top. |
Apparently I did NOT, however, have enough time for one more last-minute washroom stop and some just-in-case body lube application after the pre-race meeting, though.
I missed the start by about a minute. Then I had to let the fellow from Enfield Timing know that my bib showed 2 extra laps, as the timing mats had fired twice as I ambled over to the actual start/finish corner from the entrance of the track.
Whoops.
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| Because he definitely had nothing better to do than make corrections for my idiocy. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
A few minutes later, the timing system went down - technology isn't perfect - and everyone lost a couple of laps. It would have been a wash anyway.
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| Not that I really cared about keeping an accurate count. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
The plan was simple: take walk breaks early and often to try to keep stuff from going fruit-shaped on me. So - totally keeping with that plan - I ran the first half an hour (which ended up being 19 laps), then meandered off the track to take a swig of EFS Liquid Shot from the soft flask I'd ditched in the cubbies in the foyer. Unlike prior years, the room we usually use for race headquarters and the aid station was occupied, so kit pickup was in a corner of the track itself and the aid station was set up in the foyer beside the reception/admin desk. That meant Tanker would have the cubbies in front of him all day, so I felt totally comfortable leaving all my stuff in them.
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| Round and round we go. |
Returning to the track, I walked a lap...because I'm supposed to take walk breaks, right? Then I ran another half an hour (which also turned out to be 19 laps), saw the finish of the 1-hour race, and wandered back off the track for more fuel. This time along with a shot of EFS I had a half-slice of bacon, plus a chunk of banana, just kind of hanging around the aid station and chatting while I did so. It wasn't encouraging that I was already feeling a bit tired and hungry, but at least there were loads of fun people around with whom I could pass a friendly word.
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| This is why I really love to race - it's like a big, sweaty party with an all-you-can-eat buffet! Thanks to (clockwise from top left) Charlotte, Robin, Clay, Rhonda, Steve and Tanker for putting up with me. |
Walking another lap to let the food settle, I'd love to say I got smarter and started taking walk breaks more frequently. What actually happened is I got more fatigued and started just trying to run for 15mins (about 8 laps), then walk a lap, then run to the next 15min mark (which took about 7 more laps). That got me to 90mins, which was my cue to take in more fuel, which took the form of a homemade salted maple crisp rice square. I also finally took an S!cap for some electrolytes, because Tanker was kindly offering someone else some salt tabs, which reminded me that I hadn't had any myself yet. I downed a cup of Skratch as well, just to try to catch back up a bit, then needed the washroom...where I discovered a bit of chafing, so re-applied some lube as well. I eventually got back on the track to walk a lap...which turned into 3, as the 3-hour event had started at 11am, and Dree was easing her way into it by walking for a bit. Since we'd also switched direction at the 90min mark, I was more than happy to wander and chat while I eased myself (and my hips and ankles) into the clockwise laps.
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| I tried not to bore her too much, but well...it's me. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
Since I'd walked a bunch by the time Andrea started running (and sped away - she's a smart one!), I pushed myself to run a little longer, putting in 6 laps but then having to stop to re-fill my water bottle at the trackside fountain. Another 6 laps of running after that brought me to the 2-hour mark, so it was off to the aid station and UltraCooler™ for another cup of Skratch and a small granola bar. For whatever reason I was feeling quite hungry, so I hoped the real food - something I could actually chew - would help alleviate that. As we'd been requested to keep anything but plain water off the track, I munched away in the foyer, gabbing some more with Tanker as I did so.
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| Then it was back to business. Or something like that.. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
By this time a hot spot had cropped up on the inside of my left big toe, which was bloody annoying as I'd specifically applied some Trail Toes to the area before putting on my socks in the morning. Harrumph. I thought about taking a few minutes to sort it out, but I was honestly too lazy to take off my shoe and sock. My record of completely failing to deal with foot issues still stands at 100%.
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| Random fun stuff: someone brought a peach tutu and various people - like Ken (left) and Byron (right) wore it for a half hour or so each. (Photos by Sue Sitki) |
7 laps to 2h15m, then walk a lap. 8 laps to 2h30m then back off the track for another swig of EFS Liquid Shot, another cup of Skratch, and another S!cap to fight the increasing sausage-y quality of my fingers. I'd failed to take my rings off before the race, and it sure wasn't happening now - at least I was pretty unlikely to fall and cause enough swelling in my left hand that they'd need to be cut off, which has always been a fear since I broke my wrist in a race back in 2012. I was feeling a bit lightheaded again, too, which wasn't awesome - I tried to focus on drinking more, as dehydration seems to have been the culprit for this in the past and the air at the track is always super dry. I was now filling my bottle every 35mins tops, whereas it usually lasts me closer to an hour in cool conditions. The track is generally around 17c/63f, which is certainly warmer than I've been running in lately, but not really warm enough to warrant how drenched in sweat I was, nor how much water I was going through while still seemingly dehydrated. Weird.
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| Totally not to scale, but gives you some idea of the layout. |
Speaking of being soaked in sweat - this actually turned into a motivating factor at times to get me running again. If I'd walk too long, I'd start to get chilly, so I'd have to work harder to warm up again. I had brought a sweater, which was stowed in my bag in one of the cubbies...but I was still doing mostly ok. Heck, I didn't feel the lightheadedness if I actually ran; it was only when I'd stop or walk. So, keep moving, right?
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| At least I'd already lasted longer than I did at meh, and nothing had locked up or shut down yet. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
Run another 7 laps, then walk. Run another 7 laps, then off the track at 3hrs for more EFS Liquid Shot and another cup of Skratch. I actually ended up missing out on a lap being counted here as there was another change of direction (back to counter-clockwise) at the 3-hour mark, and I missed going through the cones as I was farting around by the aid station. was just able to maintain the routine of running 6 or 7 laps to get to the next 15min mark, walk one, then get running again. I had passed the half marathon distance, but it looked unlikely that I'd make a full marathon, let alone beyond that to make it a real "ultra". I was doing my best to stay on top of my running form - picking my feet up instead of shuffling, leaning forward from the ankles with my trunk ahead of my legs, stabilizing my hips with my abdominal muscles, and landing with a soft, bent knee. It was, however, increasingly difficult to hold it all together. I was getting tired.
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| All the colour had drained right out of me. (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
By 3.5hrs - and my next nutrition stop, polishing off the last of my EFS Liquid Shot and downing another S!cap and cup of Skratch - my left glutes and hamstrings were really giving me grief; they didn't seem to like going counter-clockwise again. Ron Irwin had noticed my stride was getting a little stupid (though he was kind enough to put it as "You're limping a bit"), but I wasn't sure what I could do about it; I'd been trying to massage the area - yeah, rubbing my butt in public again - with little success. Fortunately Geoff Gamble noticed I was a little hurting, and kindly offered to help, so I got down on one of the benches in the viewing area by the doors to the track, and he - ever so lovingly - shoved his elbow into the horrible knot of twisted, abused muscle in my posterior. It was both horribly painful and incredibly helpful; it created a bit of space in my hip joint so things could move a little easier, and I headed back out onto the track
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| Thanks a bunch Geoff - you're awesome! If it ever works out, I will 100% come visit you at Niagara Health & Rehab Centre (Photo by Sue Sitki) |
I walked another lap just to give everything a bit of a chance to settle, then got back after it - run 5 laps, walk 1 to 3h45m. Run another 7 laps to 4hrs, then head off the track once more for some nutrition. I was feeling really worn out by this point - had I mentioned that most of my runs lately have been 40mins or less? - and I was feeling hungry again, so I took my time eating a turkey and mustard wrap, and then did something I've never done in a race before. There was a big coffee urn at the aid station, and they had a carton of vanilla almond creamer; the stuff that's utterly delicious, but I never buy because it's so full of sugar. I figured it - along with a dose of caffeine - might just give me the lift I needed to keep moving, so I had a leisurely cuppa (well, half cup really) before heading back to the track. Whether or not it would help, it was delightful.
Now into the final third, I got myself into a decent groove again. Run 6 laps, then walk 2 - repeat twice, then off the track again at 4h30m for more Skratch, another S!cap, another chunk of banana and a crisp rice square, plus a small dill pickle. Yeah, running long is weird: I only like dill pickles once in a blue moon, but pickles and pickle juice have been demonstrated to stop muscle cramping and the saltiness of pickle brine helps with electrolyte balance. Lord knows I needed every bit of help I could get - my glutes had settled down after Geoff worked on them, but my left pes anserine truly hated running counter-clockwise. It hurt the most when my left foot would turn outward to make the corners on the track; I had to consciously focus on keeping my foot aligned straight ahead to keep the pain from blooming under the inside of my left knee with each step.
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| At least the hot spot on my left foot somehow went away. |
I had spent almost 10mins off the track munching away while the 3-hour event ended, but when I returned everyone was still going counter-clockwise - where was that change of direction? A lot more people were walking now, and I joined them to try to give my knee a further break. At last, around 4h38m, the final change of direction back to clockwise...but it wasn't quite as much help as I'd hoped, as my right ankle decided it had liked counter-clockwise better. Just can't win.
I ran 6 more laps, then walked one, and then did the same again...only the timing mat didn't beep, my name didn't come up on the display, and it really, really looks like I'm missing at least 2 laps (on top of the one I'd missed earlier due to the change of direction at 3hrs).
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| Green is my stupid "3min" first lap due to missing the start. Bright blue are full walking laps or aid station stops. Pale blue are partial walking laps or filling my bottle. Orange laps are the ones I walked with Andrea at 90mins The bright pink shows a 6:52 lap that I suspect is at least 2 running laps + 1 walking lap. Red is my hot lap - we'll get to that. |
I did stop over by the water fountain at 4h50m to fill my bottle and down an Endurance Tap gel, as I was feeling a little low on calories. Then I popped back into the foyer and grabbed my phone so I could take some photos out on the track, walking a couple of laps while I did so.
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| And running one, because how else were you going to get my signature dorky running selfie? |
Into the last hour now, it was definitely clear that I wouldn't make the halfhearted goal I'd had of 200 laps (especially with some missing..), but I was still able to keep running 4 or 5 laps at a time between walking breaks, and my pace was oddly consistent: right around 1m30s per lap. I dodged off the track one final time at 5h15m for a last cup of Skratch, an S!cap, and a sea salt chocolate Gu Roctane gel with caffeine that I hoped would give me enough for the final push to the finish. All told I seem to have taken in about 1,200cal, which puts me bang on my usual target of 200 calories per hour.
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| Not to mention one last smooch from my sweetheart. |
Somehow, my ankle decided it was time to cooperate, and I managed to keep multiple laps at a time toward the end, though it was diminishing to 4 with a walk break, then 3 before walking. I finished a walking lap right about at 5h50m (after a really nasty-feeling ping out of the plantar fascia in the sole of my left foot that fortunately settled back down right away) and figured I could probably just run 3, walk 1, then run one or two more to finish off the day, but then Izzy came up and asked to run a lap with me. I was planning to walk the next one, but when we passed the timing mats he kept running as he was looking for someone. So I kept running too. He stopped a few metres later, but I figured there was now only something like 6mins left - any jerk could run for 6mins, right? So I plowed on.
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| The track looked awfully empty in the final hour. |
Knowing I'd been averaging right around 1m30s per lap, I figured I'd be done after 6 final running laps, as I wouldn't have 90sec left on the clock and only full laps count. Heading down the home stretch, though, I saw Charlotte just ahead of me start to pick up some speed. I said to heck with it and threw my hand bottle - which I'd carried for the whole race so far - over by the fountain (making sure I wouldn't hit or obstruct anyone!), and WENT FOR IT. There was a grand total of 78 seconds to go.
Surprisingly enough after so many hours of pounding, sprinting actually felt pretty good - my heart and lungs might have been trying to punch their way out of my chest, but my legs loved the change of muscle recruitment. I did my best to reel Charlotte in, but she's a total badass and I knew I had zero chance; I just tried not to let her get too far away, as she was my only hope to pull me across the line before time expired.
Somehow, it worked! I actually clocked my fastest lap of the day (by 9 seconds), posting a 1:09 hot lap to finish off the day and crossing the line at 5h55m52s.
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| Then kind people gave me a medal, and I got another cup of that magnificent coffee. |
Official distance: 194 laps / 41.71km @ 8:38/km
32/43 O/A - 11/18 W
At 30 fewer laps than 2018 (the last time I was properly healthy) and 14 fewer than 2019, this was my worst showing yet at Stride Inside. However, I was very pleased with being quite consistent in my running lap times throughout the day (even if they were close to 7mins per kilometer pace), and being able to finish strong despite a few setbacks both before the race and along the way. With more than 40km it might not be an ultra, but it sure feels like a pretty solid redemption after the frustrating DNF at meh last month.
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| Even though that hotspot apparently did NOT really go away. |
I might have managed a few more - certainly would have made over 200 - had I not raced quite so lazy, but at the same time I only meant to use this as a long training run and chance to see some of my favourite people. I'm grateful to have made it through the whole thing without any apparent injuries, and was more than happy to celebrate that as mission: accomplished.
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| Cheers! |
Always a pleasure :)
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