Stride Inside 6-hour Indoor Track Race - Saturday, January 4th, 2020

Sometimes you push hard - sometimes you just kind of laze your way around.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

(Official results are here)

(Garmin workout data - highly inaccurate due to indoors - here)

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.

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.

Cheers!

I was even able to return to running the next day on a lovely, snowy trail, and have run every day since. I'm grateful for that as well, and for the wonderful events that Jeff and Heather at Happy Trails Racing put on for us.

Stride Inside 6-hour Indoor Track Ultra - Saturday, January 5th, 2019

It takes a special kind of idiot to show up for an ultra both under- and over-trained. I, friends, am just that idiot.

Oh look, a curve! I wonder if I'll see one of those again any time soon..?

It wasn't especially encouraging when I stepped out of bed onto a sore ankle. Nonetheless, I skirted up, made some oatmeal, and proceeded to support the families of those hard-working kinesiology tape producers in the hope their fine products would in turn support me.

Confidence inspiring, no?
(Not pictured: another strip on my right high hamstrings/adductors, 'cause noone wants a photo of my butt.)

Off to Marden and the track with a T.Ho's coffee in hand, we arrived just before 8am - not long after the race directors themselves, as the track doesn't open until 8. I got my race kit - with a soft Stride Inside tank top, a Happy Trails porcelain mug, a packet of Endurance Tap gel, a single-serve packet of Skratch Labs drink mix, and a tiny bag of jellybeans in the reusable Happy Trails bag - and my number, in the new smaller format that made its debut at this race. Good stuff!

The rest of the hour before race time was the usual greeting of friends, swinging of limbs, use of washroom facilities (which are both ample and beautifully maintained at the Royal Distributing Athletic Performance Centre) and whining about being approximately 60% kinesiology tape by volume. My only goal was to try to make an ultra of it by running more than 42.2km - some rough math-ing told me that 200 laps would do it, equaling 43.0km by Race Director Jeff's 215m measurement of the inside lane with his treadwheel.

Pre-race meeting and announcements, one last pee, then strap on the timing chip and away we go.

Reza - pictured beside me - ran an incredible race!

There's not a whole lot to say about this one. I was happy to run - and sometimes walk - with friendly people all around me. I got to chat with folks I'd not seen for awhile, and get acquainted with some others I was just meeting.

Hanging out with Chocolate Race Director Andrea - can you believe this amazing woman ran 500+km at Vol State and another 250km at the Gobi March all in July of 2018? 

The start/finish/timing mat area, heading counter-clockwise

I actually started the race off a little hungry, despite a solid bowl of oatmeal doused in OUTRace manager/administrator Pierre's maple syrup in the wee hours, so began nutrition around 25mins in with a swig of EFS Liquid Shot from a flask I left on the window ledge by the track entrance. I had left my bottle there initially as well, but the dry air of the track had me picking it up by the 15min mark and running with it for the rest of the day. I was also smart enough (!) to set a small flip-top bottle full of S!caps on the ledge with the flask, and started taking one per hour (-ish) at the 30min mark. Everything else stayed in the UltraCoolerTM in the room off the foyer, where Tanker was operating the aid station with his usual efficiency and friendliness.

So many people owe so much of their racing success to this guy right here <3

Of course, it couldn't be all sunshine and rainbows - my stupid ankle started to whine by a half hour in. It shut up for awhile here and there, but definitely complained early and often - during the last hour it was basically a constant force tempting me to pack it in. The right hamstrings that had been causing me grief seemed to hold up ok with the tape, but when we changed direction from clockwise to counter-clockwise at 90mins (half an hour after the end of the 1-hour race ended, but just as the 3-hour race was beginning) my left hamstrings/adductors got grouchy in the exact same spot. Oh, and I developed a hot spot under my left big toe - same spot as that shoe/insole combination had generated one at the Niagara Ultra, despite them never giving me grief in between. Booooo.

My braids also apparently started wicking sweat from my head and depositing it on my boobs.
I literally had no idea until I saw the photos afterward.

Nutrition clicked along pretty well, taking in something every half hour or so - generally a slurp of EFS Liquid Shot on the 30's and some real food on the hour. All told I had 5 S!caps (I think I missed the 3.5hr one..), a full flask of EFS (25m through 3h30m), 2 of my salted maple crisp rice squares (1h, 3h), a piece of back bacon (2h), 2 chunks of banana (2h, 4h), 2 Endurance Tap gels (4h, 4h30m), then a chocolate outrage caffeinated Gu gel for a bit of jet fuel (5h) and finally 2 clear gummy bears at 5h30m just to keep me going. About 950cal over the 6 hours, or 158cal/hour. My belly felt fine the whole time, though I did get hungry again by 3 hours in and stayed that way. I had brought turkey wraps with mustard and chocolate chip cookies, but in the former case I didn't want to stop long enough to eat one (as food is not permitted on the track, I tried to finish eating in the aid station room and only bring water on course), and in the latter case I was just damn lazy - I hadn't opened the box of cookies and just couldn't be stuffed to do so. They remain un-opened to this day.

Pictured: a sloth in a somewhat convincing human suit.

I did take my phone out on the track for a single lap (as you can probably tell from the insipid selfies), then ditched it so I wouldn't have to carry it anymore. I tried to keep moving pretty efficiently most of the time, but I know I did hang around the aid station room much longer than I would have if I'd had any real performance aspirations. Smooches seemed more important than one more lap.

It's not my fault - he really gives amazing kisses!

It got more and more difficult to keep myself running as time wore on. With no runs of more than an hour's duration for almost 2 months, plus a recent dramatic increase in overall mileage with virtually no rest before the race, it rapidly degenerated into a bargaining game: run 15 more minutes until the change of direction, then you can walk. Run 10 more laps, then you can walk. Then it was run 9 laps, walk 1...then 8 laps, and walk 1...then 4 laps and walk the 5th..

Just strollin'

After each walk break it became increasingly challenging to stir myself into a run again, particularly past the 4 hour mark. Given my lack of long runs in recent weeks it wasn't terribly surprising; to be honest I was actually a bit astonished at how well I was able to keep moving right to the bitter end, even though it hurt like hell as everything protested. Even a muscle in my chin went all weird and twitchy, as well as the usual suspects like hamstrings, glutes and my crappy, cranky ankle. My crankle. Yeah, that's it.

Hurtin'

I also rather needed a washroom in the last hour, possibly spurred by the caffeinated gel I took at the 5-hour mark to try to regain some semblance of sentient life. I did not, however, bother leaving the track except to grab those two gummy bears at 5.5hrs for a bit of sugar to finish the day; I just couldn't be stuffed to waste the time when I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get in the 200 laps I wanted.

With about 20mins to go, I saw Tanker out on the track and decided to invite him to walk a lap with me as he'd done last year. He'd disappeared by the time I came back 'round, but I asked Race Coordinator Heather to grab him for me and bring him out to take a lap, which she kindly did - we walked lap #198 together, then I actually got myself running again and finished my 200th with about 12mins left to go.

Crap - what do I do now?

If you know me at all, there's only one answer: stagger on regardless. I figured I'd try for 205, but even with walking #202 I still had more time, so I pressed onward - I actually ran the final 6 laps straight, despite not having run more than 3 without a walk break for some while beforehand.

Official distance: 208 laps / 44.72km @ 8:02/km

6/18 Women - 26/44 O/A

(Full results are here)

Sporting my snazzy new medal and so, so happy to be done.
Workout data - only from an activity tracker rather than GPS - is here.

I strongly suspect I may have had a lap or two missed - I know other people definitely did, and my 2nd lap shows a time that would have allowed me to complete 2, with no recollection of having walked at all on my 2nd lap. The timing setup apparently has its limitations, but I'm quite pleased with what I was able to tally anyway. 

The best part of all was definitely afterward, though.

Jet tubs full of Epsom salts and curious kittens should be part of everyone's ultra recovery.

In spite of the horrible soreness in my ankle/achilles throughout the day and particularly the final hour, I was able to get out for a short, slow run around noon the next day, and have run every day since until today (I'm taking my damn Friday off, thank you!). I've also begun working with a new physiotherapist who has some ideas about treatment for my crankle, so here's hoping he and I can make some progress!

As for the race itself, it's a fabulous way to get a solid long run in during the depths of winter (though it wasn't particularly wintry on this occasion), and the Happy Trails team does an amazing job of ensuring a fun, welcoming event that will send you home with a smile on your face and a load of great swag. Race Coordinator Heather even hand-made the trophies for 1st-3rd place men and women in each race: now that's love for you! They also raise funds for a variety of charities along the way; Stride Inside specifically helps to support a shelter for women in crisis. Happy Trails have a ton of new races on the docket - plus many returning favourites - in 2019, so I hope you'll consider joining in the fun!

Putting my new mug to good use with a life-giving cup of coffee before the next day's slow, hurty run.

Happy Go Lucky

Will you kindly indulge me in being a bit pleased with myself for a moment? It doesn't happen often..

I was also pleased with the lovely sunshine over the weekend.

I had mentioned last week that I'd got a couple of bits of good news lately, both of which had been rather surprising. I'm sure the suspense has been non-existent, but nevertheless I'm ready for the big reveals.

The first piece of news I've actually been sitting on for awhile, because I almost couldn't believe it until I had the proof in my hands.

That free hat cost me 337km of racing between April 29th and October 28th

Somehow a lot of the big guns - by which I mean the incredibly fast and talented ladies who usually dominate the OUTRace Ultra Series - were off racing other things this year, so I managed 2nd place woman under 40. I was even more stunned when I looked at the final standings and saw that I'd managed to place in the top 5 women overall!

Not by much, but there I am.

For someone who really has no clue of what they're doing and just tries to truck along as best they can, it's a huge honour to see my name among such ass-kicking women. It almost makes me feel like I may have some business out there after all..

Nah, not really - but I still have fun.

It's a nice cherry on the top of a fairly successful 2017. Not only did I make all of my racing goals, I actually managed to place in at least the top 3 of my age group in 5 out of the 8 events I ran this year.

Even if everyone else was gone by the time I finished so they could announce the awards..
(True story)

This means 2018 is going to have its work cut out for it in order to top all that. However, the other piece of news I got just last week should help out with that a lot..

Say whaaaaaaa?

I was invited by the kind folks at Happy Trails Racing to act as one of the handful of ambassadors for their growing race series in the 2018 season. With the wonderful experience I had at their inaugural event - the Sticks n'Stones Race this past October - and knowing the incredible passion of the Race Director and Race Coordinator for both trail running and philanthropy, I couldn't possibly say no! I'd already registered for the first event in the new year; an indoor track race in January called Stride Inside that will benefit Women's Shelters Canada, partly because I'm a sucker for punishment (having said I'd never do another indoor track race) but mostly because I know that Jeff and Heather will be sure to nail down every last detail to make it a fantastic experience. The excellent cause that will benefit is the icing on the cake!

Like the gorgeous sunset over the Grand River at the end of Sunday's run.

I look forward to racing or volunteering at as many of Happy Trails Racing's future events as possible, as these two continue to bring more depth and variety to the Ontario trail and ultrarunning scene while selflessly working to support worthy causes. I'm honored to have a tiny part in that, and encourage you to check out some of the unique races they have planned!

Which come with some awesome swag, too!

So I'm cruising on a bit of an ultrarunning high right now, and have great hopes for the season to come.

'til next time, you awesome people - Happy Trails!

Cambridge Classic Mile - Friday, June 14th, 2013

How can something so short hurt so much?

We arrived at Galt Collegiate Institute at 6:30pm, just as the Diva Mile was taking place - good thing the organizer let me take part in the Social Media Mile at 7pm instead! I'd eaten lunch fairly early, with nothing but sips of water since 3:30pm, so my system was pretty clear as I headed out for a quick warm up run with 25mins to go. I did some high knees and butt kicks to get things moving, then ran easy for a few minutes while throwing in a couple of tempo-pace surges and some 20m strides to open up my legs. I was really nervy - what in the heck had I got myself into here?

Back to GCI with 15mins to go, I decided I needed every advantage I could get, so downed a Hammer Espresso gel in hopes the 50mg of caffeine would give me some sort of turbo boost. I met up with some of the other Social Media Mile participants, discovered that a lot of people I knew were either there to spectate or were involved in the event itself, and tried to stay loose with some leg swings and bouncing around.

Under starter's orders.

With very little fanfare, we were called to the track a bare few minutes past 7pm after the completion of the Emergency Services Mile. I noted that the crushed clay was essentially like a soft gravel, and wondered how much energy it was going to suck out of my stride. We lined up in no particular order (though the fastest among us gravitated toward the inside), were given some basic instructions about running through the second line to finish (as a mile is 9.34 metres longer than 4 laps of the 400m track), and got ready for the gun. Never having run from a crouch before I wasn't going to try it here - my worst case scenario was falling on my face, and I didn't feel like doing anything that might encourage that.

On your mark - get set - GO!

As I looked down at my leading knee and its background of red clay, I felt a wave of unreality wash over me. Was this happening? In anticipation of the agony that was to come, I was actually pushed into the first of the 5 stages of grief. Until that starter's pistol rang out, I found myself in denial that I was actually going to attempt something this stupid.

Lap 1 - Anger

Off like the devil himself was chasing me, I quickly saw the jackrabbits of the group start to pull away from me as I pumped my arms and tried to drive my knees. I pushed onward, passing one of my fellow racers on the inside just after the first curve. By 150m I was death whistling and thinking to myself that I was probably closer to the pace of the 200m repeats I'd done on Tuesday than to anything I could expect to maintain for the full mile. My worst fears were confirmed as I came through the starting line seeing 1:33.xx on the clock - I had gone out at just over a 6-minute-mile speed and couldn't possibly hope to hang on like that.

Lap 1: 1:33.xx - 3:52.5/km or 6:14/mile pace

Lap 2 - Bargaining

I needed to ease up a bit, but without really letting off the gas pedal - I figured I was in decent shape for my stretch goal of sub-8 if I could just keep things together. It was getting really bloody hard, though - I was feeling blown and was only a quarter of the way done! I've never done more than 800s on a track before (and even that only twice); it's tough to keep pushing yourself through multiple laps when the end just seems so far away. That's one of the reasons I prefer to do all my long runs as a single loop, or better yet a point-to-point - even an out-and-back can be psychologically tough when you realise how far you still have to go. I came through the line seeing 3:33.xx on the clock - I'd slowed by 27sec through my 2nd lap.

Lap 2: 2:00.xx - 5:00/km or 8:02.8/mile pace.
Halfway: 3:33.xx - 4:26.2/km or 7:08.5/mile pace.

Lap 3 - Depression

Given my rate of pace decay, it was looking much less likely that I'd make the sub-8 stretch goal, and even my forearms were starting to burn from the lactic acid buildup. There were a whole pack of Masters men along the home stretch of the track, and while they were actually respectfully cheering all of us on, I felt like they were watching me with scorn as I suffered so horribly while plodding along at such a pedestrian pace. My gait - never elegant at the best of times - had deteriorated into some sort of spastic thrashing of limbs as I fought gravity and air resistance to make some headway. I still had one runner 25m or so ahead of me, and I was chasing him down with all my might, but the clock told the tale as I came through the start line for the penultimate time; I was moving even slower.

Lap 3: 2:06.xx - 5:15/km or 8:26.9/mile pace. I run 10ks faster than this.
3/4 split: 5:39.xx - 4:42.5/km or 7:34.6/mile pace.

Lap 4 - Acceptance

Knowing this was the last time I had to try to boot my chubby butt 'round this torture device known as a track, I threw everything I had into it. My breath wheezed and shrieked in my throat, my legs screamed and my heart tried to tear itself out of my chest as I gained inch by hard-fought inch against the runner just ahead of me. As we came through the final curve I tried to judge the distance remaining, then gaped as he found an extra gear and sped away from me! I was completely powerless to answer his move, but mustered every last ounce of effort in me to come through the line as strong as I could.

Still fighting.

I blasted through the timing arch feeling as though I was going to drop dead on the spot, trying to rein in my legs to keep them under me as I slowed to trot, then a walk. I had made rather a poor showing in my heat, but had nevertheless utterly destroyed my expectations for my final time! I'd even managed to regain some of my lost speed for the final loop 'round the track.

Lap 4: 1:45.xx - 4:22.5/km or 7:02.4/mile pace

Official time: 7:23.96 or 4:36/km.

7/9 in the Social Media Mile

Full results here.

I definitely got left in the dust by my rabbit (James Harris), but while I may not have set the world on fire I certainly managed to outdo my expectations. It is both amusing and incredible that Mr. Will Spaetzel was able to so accurately predict my mile time - he's certainly deserving of the prize pack from my little contest, and a worthy competitor himself! Speaking of prognostication, it would appear that my mile time is pretty well in line with what I should have expected - not only did the McMillan Running Calculator predict a 7:21 mile (which is more or less in line with my time when adjusted for the clay track), but it gives the following predictions for other distances:

25:41 is my 5k PR, set in April 2010. I managed to best that 10k time by just over a minute at the Mudpuppy Chase in 2012, and was 42 seconds faster on a net downhill course for the Mississauga Half Marathon just over a month ago. I'm not quick, but I seem to be pretty consistent! It's worth noting that none of those races left me feeling half as ragged as that one single, solitary mile on the track, though - my throat felt like I'd drunk a pint of paint thinner, my arms and shoulders were sore, and later on my chest and ribs began to ache. Of course, that might have something to do with the deep-fetched coughing that took hold of me as soon as I finished - it's been more than 3 years since I quit smoking, but you'd never have known it in the 20mins after I came off the clay! I swear I coughed up tar I inhaled back in my teens..

Ed Whitlock kicking ass at 82 years old.
Photo courtesy of Peter Grinbergs

None of that kept us from staying for the rest of the evening's events, though. We cheered on friends and celebrities alike in the Master men's race directly after mine, thrilled to watch Ed Whitlock set a North American record by running the mile in 7:01. Yes, that's right - an 82 year old man beat my mile time by 23 seconds - almost 6 seconds per lap. This puts rather a kink in my plans to hold out and dominate the women's 75-79 age group.

Nate Brannen showing us how an Olympian kicks it.
Photo credit Peter Grinbergs

We smiled as Canadian Olympian Eric Gillis ran with the top finishers in the elementary and middle school races, marveled at the speed and grace of the collegiate men and women as they tore up the track, and roared with the crowd as Nate Brannen made his valiant attempt to break 4 minutes. While he may have just missed his goal, it was an incredible treat to be a part of an event that showcased running at its highest levels. Whether trying your first mile, setting a PR or simply coming to watch some incredibly talented athletes perform, the Cambridge Classic Mile is an event that holds something for everyone with an interest in running or track.