iRan 2017

ONE YEAR

2511 KM

START2FINISH

#2017in2017

 

$1900 raised

https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y

3x 5 km:

Neuro Dash / Army Run (CC) / Resolution Run

2x 10 km:

Night Race / Rattle Me Bones

4x half marathon:

Winterman / Hypothermic / Kingston / Army Run (CC)

1x 30 km:

Around the Bay

2x full marathon:

Ottawa / Road2Hope

3x ~50 km:

Niagara Falls / MEC Race Series (Gatineau) / impossible2Possible

1x ~100 km:

Midnight Moose Ultra

Resolution Run Recap

The extreme cold warning remained in effect as runners prepared for the annual Resolution Run. With the temperature around -26c (not counting wind chill), the 10 km event was cancelled (along with a bunch of the outdoor celebrations on parliament hill), so a 3 km distance was added to the 5 km and the kids 1 km run.

After watching my family get underway on the 1 km, I got ready to run the 5 km with lots of familiar faces from my local Running Room.

I started too fast and struggled with the cold air, which made breathing difficult.  The extra layers made it tough to go fast, but I settled into a comfortable pace after the first km.

The route got particularly cold at Dows Lake where the wind picked up.  I was in the leading group at the turnaround and looking forward to getting back out of the cold!

There was a bit of congestion in the last mile as we mixed back in with the 3 km participants, requiring a bit of dodging and weaving, then it was a clear 500m sprint finish - around 7th place, in 20 mins 23 secs.

 

2500 in 2017!

With two days left in 2017 I’ve now run more than 2,500 km this year (over 1,555 miles).
 

When I started this blog last winter I was day dreaming about the warm places that were 2017 km away. Tonight’s temperature certainly isn’t Caribbean, with wind chill taking it down to -28c (-18f).

 

That's as warm as it gets this week... Ottawa is currently the worlds coldest capital city.

Less than 48 hours to help me help Start 2 Finish:
https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y

The Return on Investment:

1. The Start2Finish Fitness Literacy Model is a comprehensive, strategic approach that produces long-term social change. 
2. Start2Finish has a $17 social return on investment for every $1 donated. 
3. Start2Finish has empowered 70,000 Canadian children living in poverty.

Happy Holidays

What better way to start the holiday week than a snowy outing with some Running Room friends.  Around 30 people gathered for a scenic run followed by some hot chocolate and festive treats.

Just before heading out I was asked if I could guide Jason Dunkerley... it's not every day you get the chance to run with a Canadian Paralympic medalist!
I had not guided a blind runner before but was happy to have a go.  Jason and I had a quick chat (to make sure he wasn't expecting a pro!) and we were ready to go.

Initially I was a bit anxious about letting him down or not keeping up (his marathon PB being about 45 mins faster than mine).  Jason's relaxed, friendly attitude put me at ease though, and the group was doing easy '10 & 1s' at chatting pace so speed was not an issue - although I remained nervous about footing as we ran through a mix of snow, slush, and roads with various cracks and potholes.

We chatted away for the whole 8km - he is very humble for such an accomplished athlete - and we arrived without any slips or trips.  Running with Jason made me a lot more aware of my surroundings, above and beyond the surface underfoot. It certainly me made think about what I take for granted when I run.

 

Don't Sponsor Me...

... but do support Start2Finish!

 

I would love your support to hit my target
(less than $300 to go). 

But your money can go further in December,
by donating via the Match Campaign:
https://www.start2finishonline.org/?_ga=2.36761383.666507077.1513735072-624209623.1510409193

 

You give and Start2Finish will match your gift!

Give the gift of nutrition, mentorship, or education to a child through Start2Finish.

If you'd really rather donate on my page then that's fine!
 
The link is here
https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510 

OCRC McMarathon Relay Recap - 5 runs in 1

credit: @RunCarlosRun

55+ km to visit 15 McDonald's across Ottawa.
Each runner starts the stage by eating the designated item, and then runs to the next location.

No designated eaters. No designated runners.

Each team uses a pre-loaded gift card 'baton'... 

 

Time for a bit of end-of-year fun, this was a different kind of physical challenge and a memorable race! There was a lot going on so I'll try to provide a short summary of my runs within the context of the event.

 

Greg regularly runs with the OCRC who organized this unusual tour of Ottawa, and most teams were 4 or 5 people - but it was a good excuse to reunite the 'Moose' team (having not run together since Hamilton), so we decided to have a go as a trio. This recap is just from my perspective.

 

Start

The stages (locations and menu) were released the week before so we split the event up based on logistics and food choices, either looking for favourites or trying to avoid items - I had no interest in trying to sprint a mile after a fish burger!  We decided to pretty much alternate stages, with the two team members not running using a car to get to the next venue.

 

The teams assembled at the first location at 10:30 am, with some icy wind-chill and snow in the air.

I had managed to oversleep, so breakfast was a large coffee. I couldn't bring myself to eat at the first restaurant knowing I had five courses to look forward to... 

 

Stage 1/5 (3/15) Cheeseburger + 5.6 km

Cheeseburger

Greg took on the first run, and handed the baton to Tony, before I got my first turn.  I was really hungry by the time I started, and we had a slight lead with the other teams close behind, so the pressure was on.  With adrenaline pumping I wolfed the food down and ran out the door - probably too fast and the cheeseburger threatened to reappear in the first km.

I was relying on my phone for directions which caused navigation issues, leading me down a path to the Transitway.  This 500m 'shortcut' helped us to stay just in front of the second team as I handed over to Greg for stage 4 (Tony Stage 5). 

 

Stage 2/5 (6/15) Small fries + 3.3 km

We were two teams jostling for first position as we approached the halfway point. The small fries were relatively easy to take care of but predictably super salty which left me feeling dehydrated for a while.  The stage was a short one and I ran my fastest km of the day to finish and pass the baton to... myself, as I was running stages 6 & 7 back to back.

 

Stage 3/5 (7/15) Junior Chicken + 3.2 km

Eating and then running hard was proving to be quite tough, but having no real break before repeating it was something else.  The other leading team had divided their stages into groups (so each runner doing 3 or 4 stages in succession) which I think I would have really struggled with.

I ate as quickly as I could but as soon as I started running again I could tell it was going to be near impossible to get the morning's pace back. The stage had a couple of small hills and some tricky road crossings and I was glad to get it finished and hand over to Tony for Stage 8 (Greg Stage 9). 

 

Stage 4/5 (10/15) McChicken + 7.2 km

McChicken

By my 4th stage I had no appetite and it was a chore to eat. It was also one of the longest stages and muscles were starting to feel tight. For nearly the whole distance I felt queasy and uncomfortable.  I was grateful for my team providing an impromptu water station on the route, but the road seemed never ending and I was relieved to put it behind me and get Greg started on Stage 11, back towards downtown. 

Tony ran stages 12 & 13 back to back, which worked out really well as the rendezvous would have been hard to juggle with shoppers and tourist traffic clogging the routes.

 

Stage 5/5 (15/15) Big Mac + 1 km

After Greg's quick sprint across town for the penultimate leg, I was ready and waiting to get the event finished. Tony joined me for a Big Mac sandwich but I was out the door before he'd finished eating, and went as fast as I could to the finish line at McDundonald Park.  The crossing lights were on my side and it felt like I was flying along for the final km, but in reality my legs were tired and I was still very full so not as fast as I would have liked. 



After just over 5 1/2 hours we finished a respectable second place, less than 15 minutes behind the winners, and about 30 mins ahead of the third team.

 

I don't know if I'll look at the golden arches in the same way again, and it will be a while before my next visit - I'm not ready to sign up for the 2018 relay just yet.

The day was a lot of fun, and the event was well thought out and put together. 

 

My personal tally ended up being 20.3 km and based on Strava approximate calories burned vs. menu details (about 1800 calories) I was almost calorie neutral!



Finish




 

Nearly There! (11 Month Sit-Rep)

After completing the Hamilton marathon at the start of the month, the running has been fairly light over the last few weeks - coinciding with the arrival of some wintery weather.  
 
I have now passed 2400 km and am looking to reach 2500 before the end of the year.
 
For fundraising I have less than $300 to go to reach my $2,017 target - so it's time for a last big push through the holiday season!
 
You can support me here (registration closes Dec 31, 2017 11:59 PM):

HYPERLINK: https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510

Start2Finish National Running Team

Hamilton Road 2 Hope Recap

This was a bit of a last minute decision... I signed up for the Hamilton Road 2 Hope Marathon just a couple of days before the race weekend, in the last few hours of online registration.

My two fellow Midnight Moose runners were heading down to participate with Tony pacing the 4 hour marathon and Greg aiming to run sub-4 hrs for a Personal Best.  They invited me along.  I was still a bit disappointed at not running my planned fall marathon in Washington D.C. and although I hadn't been doing marathon-specific training I felt like my high summer mileage could carry me through. The logistics were taken care of and all I had to do was turn up and try to keep up!

A weather warning was issued for the Sunday, predicting heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts. This was going to be cold and wet. 

We were bussed to the start area around 06:30am with some misty drizzle, but it was drier than expected; the temperature was a mild 7c.

As we stood at the starting line the wind picked up and we were hit by some heavy rain. Within a couple of minutes everyone was cold and wet, and keen to get moving.

Rain continued along the first few miles of the course, through the rolling fields of the Hamilton escarpment.  The lake was just about visible - on sunnier the days the view must be amazing!

Tony was setting a consistent pace for the 4 hour group and we both stayed with him for about 10km when Greg pulled away.  I stayed with Tony until the half way point, where the course goes into a long descent down a closed section of the Red Valley Highway. The rain had eased off and the tailwind felt good as I flowed downhill, so I was careful not to get too carried away.

Around 30km the route becomes a flat out & back along the lakeshore. Another rain burst kept everybody wet, and I could feel the soles of my feet getting sore. The lack of recent long runs was starting to have an effect around now. It felt a lot harder being back on the flat, and when we turned towards the finish line the headwind was really tough.

Just after the 39 km marker I managed to catch up with Greg and we stuck together for the last portion of the race.  We were both hurting but determined to get finished in under 4 hours, but it was getting close and we knew Tony must be just behind us!

With a final kick down the finish chute I finished in 3 hrs 58m 50 s, just a second behind Greg, with Tony coming in at 4 hrs.

Rattle Me Bones

With #2017in2017 in the bag, it's time to look for some fun runs!

Rattle Me Bones is a Halloween themed event, and participants are encouraged to dress up and choose between four run distances on roads and a fifth on off-road trails.  http://rattlemebones.ca/

I entered the 10 km 'Wishbone' - which was an out and back near the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, almost identical to the Protein Night Race course in August. After the Wishbone was the 1 km 'Jigglebone', a family fun run (non-timed) which welcomes young children - so my wife and I took our little bumblebee for a run.

The weather was wet and windy all morning, but the rain eased off for the first half of the Wishbone.  My Halloween outfit consisted of skeleton gloves and face scarf, but I took the face covering off after just 400m before it could interfere with my breathing.

The first km went out very fast, well under 4 mins, but into the 2nd and 3rd kms the front runners built up a steady lead.  I was quietly wondering if I could go under 40 minutes for the 10 km and kept pace with a couple of other runners and pushed myself to stay with them.

My pace started slipping towards the end but I managed to finish in 41 mins 37 secs which was 10th place overall and 1st place in my age/gender category.

By the time the Jigglebone started we were wet and cold but the run was a lot of fun, with lots more fancy dress and faces painted (and a lot less competitive pressure!).  The pace was dictated by 3 year old legs which went out fast but got distracted half way by some of the other costumes. 

The course ended up being 1.5 km but we all really enjoyed the atmosphere, and of course the post-race treats!

DNS Marine Corps

Unfortunately I was unable to make it to the Marine Corps Marathon this year.

After gaining a place through the race lottery at the start if the year, we had originally planned to take a family trip down to the states for this hugely popular event. A mixture of reasons prevented us from making it - including a slow recovery from the Midnight Moose, combined with getting sick in October and not being able to run for 2 weeks.

This is the first time that I Did Not Start (DNS) an event I had entered, and I was frustrated at missing the deferment window and not being able to find anyone to transfer my entry to, but it just wasn't to be.

I'd still like to participate in this event one day. I've heard a lot of good things about it, but I'll go when I'm properly prepared and ready to race.  Better a DNS than a DNF!

Midnight Moose Ultra recap

There is no easy way to do this. 100+ kilometres doesn't let you hide; even in the dark.

Ready to start

The distance would be hard enough on a flat course, and the MMU route consisted of two laps of 51.5 km, covering some of the steepest climbs and most technical trail sections that Gatineau Park has to offer.  The total elevation covered in two loops was almost the combined height of the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales. The '3 Peaks Challenge' that I completed in the UK a few years ago was a closer experience to the MMU than any running event I have done (especially the overnight parts!).  

Three of us signed up to run together, Greg entered the 50 km (51.5) and so would run the overnight lap with myself and Tony, who would then go out and repeat the course in the daytime for the 100 km (103). We trained together as much as our various personal commitments and summer running schedules allowed, including time getting to know some of the Gatineau trails, and we even managed a team night run in the park.  

Knowing how to prepare for such a late start was challenging, especially fuel.  Most distance runs tend to start early so the focus is on eating right the night before and at breakfast.  For the MMU we needed to eat and rest enough during the day to sustain us into the night.  On race day we met for dinner several hours before the start and 'carb loaded' (and salt/fat/protein loaded!) with a range of fast-foods and desserts. 

Around 9pm, about 2 hours after sunset, roughly 80 people gathered in the start area at Champlain Lookout. There were 24 entries for the 100 km, a few more signed up to run the 50 km and the remainder running the popular 25 km option. 

 

Lap 1

All distances started at 10pm, and set off along one of the easiest 'trails' - the dirt track that runs across the top of the park. The first half an hour was about getting warmed up and settling into a sustainable pace. 

 

The darkness caused 2 main issues. The first was navigation.

Which way now?

The trail markers were hard to spot, and some of the route descriptions were hard to match up with the right turn or intersection.  Less than an hour after the start we missed one turn and had to double back, adding almost 2 kilometres to the route. This early mistake made us extra cautious and there were a couple of lengthy pauses and short direction-finding detours to keep the mistakes as short as possible.  The second issue was footing. Shadows from our headlamps jumped around and the technical trails meant lots of trips, twists and stumbles. Our night time practices had also been in the summer and now just enough leaves had fallen to mask roots and rocks.  Thankfully we didn't have any serious falls but there were a few scary slips and by the time the trails got light our ankles and toes were tender.

 

Being on the trails at dawn was quite special. After the initial relief at being able to turn off headlamps, the early light suddenly turning into full sunrise and the park came to life.  We had hoped to complete the first lap before the official sunrise time (06:50) but the last few km along Trail #9 was particularly technical - I'm glad we didn't have to do it in the dark - and we arrived back at the lookout at 07:10, 9 hrs and 10 mins after the start. 

 

Lap 2

After saying goodbye to Greg, pausing to get changed and eat a couple of slices of pizza, Tony and I headed out to start lap 2 feeling relatively energized.  The trail markers were obvious in the daylight, and we had a better understanding of the route the 2nd time around, so we were able to relax and get on with ticking off the kilometres.  At 59 km I passed into uncharted territory - this was now my furthest distance ever.  We were still feeling relatively comfortable and it was surreal to think we had been going for almost 11 hours by that point.

 

50 miles / 80 kms

The temperature started to climb as we reached an exposed stretch of roadway that the course followed for several kms. It was hot and uncomfortable directly under the sun, but we forced ourselves to pick up the pace a bit to offset the harder trails ahead.  As we completed the road section and passed into the shade of the trees again, we reached the 50 mile / 80 km point. This was a psychological as well as a physical milestone.  By now knees and feet were starting to hurt and the kilometres seemed to pass slower and slower.  

 

The aid station at 81 km was a much needed oasis.  The course layout meant we passed the same aid station at 4 points in the race (twice on each loop: 29km, 40 km, 81 km and 92 km). In the night the marquee had appeared almost as a mirage, but by mid-afternoon we were looking forward to the positive energy of the volunteers and the iced drinks and edible treats, which were a welcome relief from my in-race nutrition.  My tried & tested 'Clif Blok / Clif Bar combo' was starting to feel a bit stale after 15 hours on the move!

 

The second half of the loop was definitely the hardest physically, climbing 'Trail 1' and 'King Mountain'. The daytime loop was mentally tough as we were able to see the scale of the hills that rose into the distance to be climbed. Although the views were much more enjoyable, the second time around this section was draining and we entered the last 10 km.  We encouraged each other to shuffle faster wherever the trail became easier underfoot, but it was getting harder to move at any kind of 'running' pace. We battled along the 3 km or so of Trail #9 that seemed to go on forever and finally we were on the home stretch.

The finish line came into sight and I was elated to see my cheer squad waiting, with cow bell ringing and balloons and cake! The support I have is incredible. We finished lap 2 in 10 hrs 14 mins for a total time of 19 hrs 24 mins in joint 10th place (14 people finished the full 103 km - MMU 2017 results) with a total distance of close to 110 km due to the errors.

The End

I've hit my km target for the year... hopefully the sponsorship will catch up!
https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y

 

Army Run 2017

This year was my 5th Canada Army Run, and the event's 10th anniversary. I completed the Commander's Challenge: running the 5km at 8am and then the half-marathon at 09:30.

The event is a highlight of Ottawa running, and I look forward to the great atmosphere and incredible support along the course.

The following weekend is the Midnight Moose Ultra trail run, so I planned to pace myself conservatively for both parts of the challenge and not trying to get a personal best.

Being a relaxed and family-friendly event there wasn't much (any!) corral enforcement so when I jumped into a corral for the 5km there was a mix of walkers, youngsters and strollers even in the front corrals.  I was caught out a little bit by the volume of people on the course - and between the crowds of participants, some of the roads being narrow, and the mix of speeds I found it tough to try and get any kind of rhythm. There was more room in the final km and I managed to get finished just under 25 mins.

For the half marathon I made sure to start at the front of a corral so that there was a bit more space in front to be able to get underway, even so it was still a busy course with lots walkers from the first corral still spread around the first few streets.

I was roughly aiming for under 2 hours but focussed on staying relaxed and enjoying the crowds, and also seeing lots of friends out on the course. The temperature started to climb for the second half, and the shade around Rideau Hall was almost as welcome as the passing handshake with the Governor General!  It felt good to turn and start heading back towards the finish area, and I ended up finishing just under 1:44.

Total time for Commander's Challenge: 2 hrs 08 mins 49 secs

Sponsorship link: https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y

 

 

~

Finished; Not Finished!

Yesterday I completed my 2017th kilometer of 2017!

I had expected to reach the target before December due to participation at so many more races and events this year, but real spike in mileage has been due to the ultra-marathons this summer.  Training for these has brought me to 2,017 even faster than expected.  

To date I have raised $1,455 for Start2Finish. 

So what next?
Well I still have the Commander's Challenge (26.1 km) to do at the Army Run next weekend;
and at the end of this month will be my biggest challenge to date - the Midnight Moose Ultra (103 km) on the Gatineau Park trails... then probably some recovery time!

Meanwhile I'll keep pushing to try and reach my $2,017 fundraising target.  Every dollar welcomed:
https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y

Thank you to everyone who has helped get me this far - training, racing and sponsoring.  I wonder how far we can go in the next 3 months.

 

i2P (58 km) Recap

Photo by http://www.richardmcdonald.ca

Almost 60km in just over 6 hours, this is my longest to date.

The impossible2Possible's (i2P) run is an informal event (no official times or results) that "is first and foremost a celebration of trail running and showcase of the beautiful Gatineau Park".

The route consisted of three loops, roughly 23km, 13km, and 16km totalling (what should have been) around 53 km. 

The run is self-supported, with participants carrying their own food and water.  The loop structure allows for a drop-bag with extra supplies to be left at the start/finish zone.

The weather was great, cool and shady on the trails, and I started a bit too quick. After half an hour or so I got into a more reasonable pace, it felt like the first loop was over in a flash.

53 km done, still 5 to go...

The second loop didn't start well.  I missed a turn early on, and by the time I realised and corrected I had added about 5 km on to my day! 
I had some trouble with a bit of pain in my left foot, and struggled to get my shoe laced comfortably, and to top it off, loop 2 was the hardest section of the course, with a lot of climbing and some very narrow technical trails.

As I started loop 3 I could feel myself getting tired.  Thankfully the course was a simple 'out & back' with very limited navigation required and fairly flat. By this time my sore foot was starting to give me knee pain.  

It felt good to reach the turnaround point but I didn't appreciate the extra distance - I spent a lot of the last hour thinking about the earlier missed turn!  Gatineau Park was a beautiful distraction though.  Getting to know these trails better has been a highlight of this summer. 

With the finish line at Breton Beach it was a quick check-in then straight to the refreshing water of Lac Philippe! 




Night Race 10k

The Pure Protein Night Race was my first time racing a 10 km distance so I wasn't too sure how to run it.
I was feeling strong and confident after all of the summer training and my recent fast 5km, so I decided to push for the same kind of speed and see how long I could sustain it.

The course starts and finishes at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and is an 'out & back' 5 km each way along the unlit parkway road.  The conditions were hot and humid despite the rain earlier in the day.  

The race vibe was excellent, with a live DJ and the lights and sunset it was a real party atmosphere.  Headlamps are mandatory and most runners had the free flashing lace-lights on their feet, which made for quite a buzz as everyone got warmed up and ready to go. 

As the countdown started I was in the first couple of rows, looking forward to getting out fast and trying to hang on to the leaders.  By the second KM marker the leaders had disappeared into the night but I knew I was in the top 10, and I focussed on staying within reach of the next runner, and trying to maintain my distance from the headlamp of the runner behind me!

The dark made for an interesting experience.  It was almost impossible to see how many runners were in front or judge how far away the leaders were.  As we got close to the turn-around I moved up another place and tried to count the runners going back the other way - but it was hard to tell.  At 7.5 KM the race merged with the 5km event so the road became crowded, and as the two races mingled I could no longer listen out for the next 10km runner behind me.

I held on to my pace and gave a final kick to run the last km in less than 4 mins.  I finished 4th overall (3rd place male; 1st place age-group) with an official time of 41 mins 29 secs.

Photos via @NightRaceCA on Facebook
Official timing results on www.startlinetiming.com

Ultra Encore (MEC Race Recap)

On Sunday 07th August I completed my second ultra marathon - running 50km at the MEC Race Series in Gatineau Park in 5 hrs and 8 mins. 
http://events.mec.ca/event/148916/mec-ottawa-race-four-11k-20k-30k-50k-trail-2017 

This was my first trail race and is all part of the physical and mental preparation for the Midnight Moose Ultra next month. 

The weather was near perfect, after a rainy few days the morning was bright and cool - and as the day got hotter there was plenty of shade on the trails. 

The course had been simplified because of a couple of trail closures caused by all the summer rains, so there was a lot of wide double track - including stretches on he Ridge Road that runs through the park - and not much technical trail.

I had expected to finish around 6 hrs but the cool weather and course changes made the race easier than expected. 

The 50k course was a 30k + 20k laps (or 28k + 21k according to my watch!), much of the two courses overlapped and used the same trail so I was a lot more confident in the second half and actually ran a negative split. 

I found the trails a lot more enjoyable than the pavements in Niagara, but the temperature was also a major factor.  I was pleased with my nutrition - alternating between Cliff bars and Cliff energy 'Bloks', with water in my pack and taking Nuun electrolytes at a couple of the water stations. 

It was my first opportunity to think about a drop-bag: I had spare shoes and food at the 30 km mark.  I didn't end up needing it but it was a good thinking exercise to plan contents.  I had also prepared some hiking poles, but the course was fast and wide enough that they weren't necessary either.

Overall this was a good confidence boost, and I don't think I need to change my training plan, just making Relentless Forward Progress.

And I've managed to raise $1,120 so far for the great work being done by Start2Finish!

Sponsorship link: https://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1466&AID=1695&PID=602510&Preview=Y
 
Every penny appreciated 😊

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