Good Friday Red Deer run

    Two friends of mine Oleg Tabelev and Joe Huising both told me about their plans to run fast, benchmark type times at the Elk Beaveer 100K ultra in May. They mentioned their intentions to run with one another to aid in the ultimate goal of running below said benchmark time (I'm not mentioning the time so not to cause them any more stress) and I told them, "I wanna be a part of this!" So started the plans for a training run in Red Deer on Friday April 18th - three weeks before the launch day.

Oleg Tabelev, Joe Huising and me

     When planning this I envisioned a beautiful, crisp spring morning running parallel to the river...but yeah for unpredictable Alberta, we got the opposite. We arrived to snow, wind and borderline sub zero temperatures. Pulling into the parking lot were a lot of the Alberta ultra running elites: Joe and Oleg whom I mentioned before, Alissa St. Laurent, Vincent Bouchard, Gary Poliquin, Wayne Gaudet, Gary Glover, and Alan Lam, to name a few. All lacing up their shoes to get in a solid training day getting ready for upcoming events, finding an excuse to get out for a run, or my main reason, seeing old friends, making new ones and getting out for a hard run while enjoying the activity we all absolutely adore. 

Alissa St Laurent and myself

     It was my goal to press the 4:30 min/km pace for 50K but given the weather conditions we in the end fell short and hell thats okay! The effort was there but mostly it was just down right awesome to touch base with fellow ultra folk. After the run we all sat down in a resteraunt for some lunch. Looking around the table, enjoying good food, drinking good coffee I was caught in the realization that sometimes that happiness doesn't exist in what you are doing. It's about who you are doing it with.

     Thank you all for taking part today. I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Topless spring running

Me and Adele running in Black Diamond today

     There is just something about running topless in spring. It might be that this year's winter was painfully long, could be that my body is yearning for the depleted vit D stores. Or it could just simply be the fact that it feels stellar feeling the warm sun and cool breeze on my skin…sweet! It was only one week ago I had covered myself, layer upon layer to get outside to stomach the frigid temperatures. Then when I started feeling reasonably comfortable and stopped, the sweat would then press against my body, leaving me in a near hypothermic state. Today's run was a mere 13 degrees and windy, but hell, if you asked me it felt balmy. 

     During my run today, which was only 15K (around 1hour), I counted five vehicles that passed me rapidly honking their horns. Now this will happen often with fellow runners and you pretty much know it's a sign of encouragement or respect but these honks had more of a mockery tone to them. I know this because these were younger men driving pick up trucks. One was yelling "Run Forrest Run!"…yeah, never heard that one before. A couple of the other drivers mumbled something, but coming from a speeding passing truck all I heard was a noise that would come from the mouth of Chubacka. Wise words for the knuckle heads: When you think it's cool to yell out your window at someone, chances are you won't have enough time to think of something clever so you'll end up saying something dumb. Even if you say something witty, chances are the person you're yelling at will only hear you sounding like Chubacka. A vehicle of young ladies passed me honking frantically. The girl in the passenger seat was sprawled out the window yelling "Hey baby!!!" Scary thing is, she looked 17; even scarier, I think I know her mother. Fact is: we live in Alberta and worse off I live in rural Alberta. Conservatism is king and anything a little different or outside the box should be squashed right away. So does it surprise me that when I run with my shirt off the horns start to sing? No of course not, but that doesn't mean it'll stop me. 

Friday night long runs

     In January of 2012, my friend John Hubbard and I decided to move our long run from Sunday morning to after work on Friday night. It was mostly a logistical decision due to family commitments. Friday night after the kiddies went to sleep proved to be the most practical time of the week. After a few weeks we realized the benefit of an extended run at the end of a long work week wasn't the effect of the run but the mental fatigue before, during and after the run itself. We all know that ultra marathoning is 90 percent mental and I have to tell you, it takes an awful lot of kahonas to grind past midnight into the wee hours of the morning when all you want to do is put your feet up, have a cold one and watch a sports game. Starting a long run when you are already super tired is a difficult dance. In your typical 100M race, when you depart the 100K aid station I would consider most to be less than fresh. May as well get used to it. To symbolize our Friday night long run endeavours both John and I coined the saying "Embrace the suck!" And my lovely wife had shirts made for us with just that…very fitting.

What I want to be doing

What I am doing

     Since the Friday night long run has been a staple in my weekly regime, they seem to have grasped some attention on Strava making others reach out and wanting to give them a go. This past year I have run with many new faces and made new friends. This past week we got a great group out including the likes of Oleg Tabelev, Carl Pryce, Ryan Twa, Tristan Janusc, Myron Tetrault, Ed Bickley and Nick Haddow. What a great way to meet up with like minded peeps, make new friends and survive the grind together. It's true what they say "Misery loves company."

     One thing (maybe the only thing ;)) Calgary doesn't do as well as Edmonton is getting the ultra running community together. Jack Cook at Fast Trax in Edmonton does an awesome job of organizing group runs to create a community setting amongst Edmonton runners. When they show up at races, the support from one racer to another leaves this Calgarian, well, kinda jealous. This past year I have been getting out with countless runners trying to widen my running group and in the mean time have forged some great relationships. 

     If Friday night long runs didn't happen I'd miss out on valuable mental and physical training important for ultra marathoning. But I also value the idea that if these night runs didn't happen, the close friendship that John and I have wouldn't have been created - well not at least to the same extent. Something very special happens when two people are put into an absolute state of exhaustion…even more so when it is a choice.

Time to step it up

     So…it's been over a month since I last posted. A lot of prep has been going on since my last post and I have to say, it's been awful running this winter in these Alberta conditions. I like to pride myself in the fact I can get in reasonable volume through the long winter but this season has been a big 'ol kick in the junk. That being said, I got in nine 45+K runs since Christmas and I feel my base has been set. Now to step it up for this year's upcoming races. Next week should be a good lead up to some cool events. On Good Friday I will be meeting up with a group of friends in Red Deer and  running a quick 50-60K training run in prep for their sub 8hr 100K attempt three weeks later. Both Joe Huising and Oleg Tabelev are stone cold killer runners and what can I say, I just want to be apart of this. This run will be followed up with a dream bucket list run. Thirteen runners, including myself, will be running the r2r2r in the Grand Canyon on May 10th. Organized by Ryan Twa, I'll be running with the likes of Blaine Penny, Duncan Marsden, Adam Campbell and oh yeah a little known guy, Rob Krar, the r2r2r FKT record holder and Ultrarunning Magazine's top male ultra runner in 2013. With all these super cool guys, I'm sure I'll have a blast. My only worry is that the pace might be a bit too quick and being it that Blackfoot 100K is only 2 weeks following I very much have to treat this run like a slow easy training run. Even if I feel I'd like to stretch my legs and keep pace I really, really shouldn't.

     I have had the privilege of trying out a couple new products so far this year and both have been an absolute success. First, a number of my running friends have been trying to get me into running in Hoka's maximal shoe technology and I have resisted until now. New Balance have put out their version of the perfect max shoe, the Fresh Foam 980's.  Hesitant at first, since the 980's have been my go to shoe for runs over 30K. The difference being that the fatigue in my legs later in long runs are cut by about 25% and the recovery the next day is remarkable. Now, I don't make myself out to be a shoe expert but I definitely know what I like and I love these shoes. The cushioning rating is higher than the Hoka's but don't have as high of a lift. The upper is comfortable. The foot bed is very wide and accommodating, which may be a negative for some but I like to have plenty of play in my shoe. The con - needs more traction for trails and icy paths. These shoes are definitely designed for the roads as the traction would leave me slipping on technical, wet trail.

     The other product I've been using is the Salomon S-lab advanced skin hydro 12 set running pack. This pack is a state of the art, light weight, easily accessible unit for longer training runs and races. Surprisingly comfortable this pack flows along with your body's movements. Not that it's really important to me but it looks so damn sweet too. With two wicked soft flasks in the front, space for a two litre bladder in the back and plenty of room to stash everything you'd need and the kitchen sink. The tech/science junkies at Salomon have outdone themselves once again. Big thanks goes out to the best running store around Gord's Running Store for hooking me up with this awesome pack.

30 day squat and wall sit challenges

The past couple months my training has been up and down. I got in some big run days in January but all the crazy icy conditions have made my body revolt. But I'm glad to say I'm strong like bull again. Right now I am training based on my upcoming events, to be specific: more hills, more strength, more speed, and a progression of running longer distances. To be completely honest in the past couple years my hill training was bordering on non-existent and with running the Sinister 7 and wanting to drive home a strong time at Blackfoot, hill/climbing train is key this year. I don't want to rely solely on doing mountain repeats or snakes and ladders (Calgary Curling Club stairs) to prepare me for this year's races.

A few months ago I completed the 30 day plank challenge with great results and am proud to say, I've kept it up and am planking every second day. The sad thing is I still don't look too attractive topless but you can't have it all…right? With where my training is at this point I think it is perfect timing to introduce two new challenges: the 30 day wall sit and squat challenges. Once again, since I'm bat shit crazy I will double both.

I won't do both exercises on the same day but will interchange the workouts for 60 days. I feel doing only one of these challenges at a time would create a significant imbalance. Doing both would allow both the anterior and posterior tissues of the upper leg and hip to adapt together. On a regular basis I'm already doing 4-5 minute wall sits and 100+ squats, so that's where I will start these challenges on day 1 and 2. If all goes well on day 59 and 60 I will be doing 500 squats and a 10 minute wall sit.

I can hardly wait for the need to go jeans shopping, because my new found glorious ass will no longer fit into my current ass jeans. Remember that's what I said before the plank challenge and I still look like Homer Simpson…doh!

Don't side step life to arrive at death safely

     If you're like me, Jan/Feb is the time to finalize your race schedule. Every year I get both excited and nervous just thinking about the races that I can improve on and the distances and terrain that will ultimately challenge me. Mitchell Naufell once said, "Set your goals high because what a person accomplishes is in proportion to what they attempt." That has been very true for my running the past couple of years and has propelled me to run faster and longer than I thought possible.

      Ultrarunning Magazine published data showing the growth in popularity the sport has been gaining over the past many years. What I love about these stats is that they demonstrate how many of us are testing our own limits.

     I'm not suggesting every runner go out and sign up for a 100 miler. If you've run a handful of marathons, try a 50K. If you've been successful at the 50M distance, try your luck at the 100K. Not all races are created equal. One can't compare the flat Elk Beaver 100K with a challenging Lost Soul 100K. Same can be said for Gord's Frozen Ass Fifty and the Knee Knacker 42. So, knowing your limits and general fitness when it comes to elevation, time on your feet, aid station distances, race day temperatures, month the race day falls in, general expectations and what you want to get out of the race are all super important. 

     Is 2014 going to be the year you raise the bar? If so how high? Is it a realistic goal? Are you setting yourself up for failure? All are important questions and need to be considered and discussed with fellow ultra runners during a run or over a beer. Feedback from others can be more helpful than weighing in on the answers on your own. I believe we all have a little defeatist devil in each of us that feeds on mediocrity, wanting us to stay in the nice and comfortable situation we are in. Some would say it's a survival or preservation method. Others might say it's just plain ol' not living. In discussion with fellow ultra runners you'll find that when they took their leap, the fear didn't match up with what really happened that day. Sure it was probably hard but anything worth doing is hard.

.

     Anne Transon was quoted "It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." In my opinion the 10K distance is the most painful of all distances. I think people think that a 100K run must hurt 10 times more than a 10K because you're grinding for 10 times the distance. This is simply not true. Everyone on their race day will expend their maximal effort not withstanding the distance they are running. So it's my belief a runner shouldn't be any more wiped after running a 50M than after a hard half marathon. The fear of the expected pain, knowing very well how tired you were after completing a 10K and multiplying that by 8 would make even the strongest runner quiver. If this were true, no one would sign up for these races but the evidence suggests otherwise. More people are extending their limits and after doing so, realize that the human potential is great…and if that is not bloody empowering, what is?!?

Ultra distances completed in 2013, Ultrarunning Magazine

     All of this 'Go People Go' stuff has got me excited and motivated to go harder and run faster in 2014. It's my belief that putting it out there for the world to see is a positive when it comes to goal setting. So here goes….In September 2014 after completing all my other goals (Blackfoot 100K, Sinister 7, World 100K championships) I will try my hand at a 24 hour race and try to run well past the 200K mark!

The Inner Drummer: Running to bpm Playlists

     Last May I ran the Elk Beaver 100K, a flat 10x10K loop around beautiful Elk and Beaver lakes in Victoria, BC. During that race I had considered myself fortunate to be running with a fast and very chatty runner/friend for the first 50K. But unfortunately for the remaining half of the race, I found myself hurting and alone with my thoughts…not a good place to be. My plan was to have a playlist of 185 bpm music to push my pace and keep my stride short and linear in the event I were to need my Inner Drummer. I'm proud to say, I finished that race in fairly consistent splits and with the fifth fastest 100K time ran in North America in 2013 (7:51)…sweet!

     There is plenty of research that indicates synchronization of a person's stride to the beat of music helps reduce the perceived effort and makes a runner run harder. Running at 180 bpm seems to be the universally accepted rate for an efficient stride pattern with less strain to the body's tissues. It's my belief that, especially when fatigued, the typical runner will start to over stride. In recent years there has been many studies indicating the majority of runners are greatly over striding. Thus, music that promotes a shorter, more bio mechanical proper stride, that when all one needs to do is dance to the beat, is advantageous whether training or racing. Running with a bpm playlist is most effective on flatter or rolling terrain. Running on mountainous terrain while doing this proves to be very difficult even though pushing a 180 bpm while climbing presents a solid challenge, yet running the descent at a 180 bpm would force an over stride and put undue forces on knees and hips. On most courses that are flatter, running at 180 bpm or greater creates more efficient speed and less injury to the joints and soft tissues associated with running.

     Research done by Runners World shows that 65% of runners like listening to music while a Nike study indicated a slightly higher percentage. So even if the majority enjoy listening to music, music itself is very subjective. Personally, I prefer the lengthier method of obtaining a playlist by using an app called the cadence bpm tapper. This allows you to manually find the exact bpm's to all of your existing music library, one song at a time, letting you customize your own bpm playlist.

A couple other great and ready to use playlists are:

PODRUNNER: A number of free podcasts set to a techno/trance rhythm that can gradually increase your cadence or push the pace on your next speed session. Best part...did I mention its free!

AUDIO FUEL: These playlists add variety to your run/pyramidization. With or without coaching instruction in the background, these dance tunes will have you pushing your cadence on your next run.

Just to mention a few songs that are on my playlist:

One - U2 183bpm
Everyday People - Arrested Development 183bpm
Love Is A Battlefield - Pat Benatar 184bpm
Gold Digger - Kanye West ft Jamie Foxx 185bpm
Muckin' Slushers - Stompin Tom Connors 185bpm
The Lovecats - The Cure 185bpm
Santeria - Sublime 185bpm
Ain't nothing like the real thing baby - Marvin Gaye 186bpm
Jamboree - Naughty By Nature 187bpm