Just. Running.
The road to New York…Archive for Uncategorized
Heading East – Finally!
A quick note to say that we are only minutes away from hopping in our Volkswagen Westfalia and heading out of Vancouver on our journey east. It has been a pretty stressful couple of weeks getting a van purchased and all our stuff ready to go, but we have made it. Will sit down in next couple of days and fill in the blanks since my last posting and put up a picture of the VW we hope will get us across Canada.
The Business End of the Year
The countdown to New York is well and truly on and my focus changes from trail running to the road. I have started on a training schedule that will keep me pretty busy and hope to make a big dent in my personal best for a marathon.
I will also be focusing on my fundraising and be asking people for their support to help get me to the starting line at New York. There are still tickets available for the The Great Livestrong Raffle and any donations can be made directly to my Personal Donation Page.
I have had amazing support and kind wishes over the past months and it has kept me motivated and focused on my end goals. Please dig deep to help an average Kiwi bloke achieve his dream.
Race atop Whistler mountain
The Whistler 5 Peaks Trail Race was taking part in the upper alpine area of Whistler and was renowned for its steep climbs, sharp descents and rocky and technical trails. This sounded all pretty good to me, the only real unknown would be running at quite a high altitude of around 16 – 1700 metres.
I got a ride up to Whistler with Mike and Pricey, arriving in good time to register for the run and kick back with a coffee. We then headed up on the gondola to the top of Whistler for the start of the race.
It was a few degrees colder at the top and I could notice the change in altitude, breathing being that little bit harder. We got in a warm up jog, dropped off our bags and were lined up ready to go.
I had decided that I needed to go out hard right from the start, mainly to keep out of all the traffic and also give myself a good chance of doing well. It was not my normal style but being only 10.8k, I had to give it a go. I knew that Mike would be way out in front, but had a feeling Pricey would be close, so the plan was to keep him in site. Thankfully he was wearing a bright red Flight Centre hat, so that made it a lot easier (If only he knew!).
We started with a short loop close to the start line, everyone jostling for position and clear trail. I am sure the heart rate escalated to over 170bpm and I was breathing hard right from the start. I was able to pass a few people on the first downhill, someone asking whether I was a mountain goat, and got myself into a good position.
I took on what thought was water at the first aid station, only to swallow this blue energy drink and there started my stomach issues. I can’t say I was ever that comfortable throughout the whole race, my stomach was not good and trying to get enough oxygen seemed impossible at times. I kept pushing hard and always had Pricey’s red hat in my sight.
The 3/4 mark of the race had a big climb which actually suited me nicely. I was feeling a little better and was able to make good progress overtaking a few competitors on the way up. It was at the top I finally caught Pricey up and we had a steep downhill run almost all the way to the finish line.
I would like to think I am ok on the downhills, but I struggled to keep up with Pircey, he was flying. We were both hurting but spurring each other on and I was loving it. He let me take the lead about half way down and I was focused on the finish line. The course finished with a 3-4 hundred metre climb and from somewhere I got the energy to charge up it, cross the line and then keep going away from the spectators and bring up the blue sports drink (something you didn’t need to know!).
It was a tough day at the office, but I was able to register my first top 10 finish and share the excitement of Pricey’s first trail race, with him coming in 11th, a few seconds behind me (a great effort).
A great way to finish off my trail running season in Canada, one that I will never forget.
Whistler Mountain Trail Run
It has been close to two weeks now since competing at Stormy and I am ready to go again. I have rested up, had a few beers, too many pizzas and feel ready to tackle my next challenge.
As a last hurrah in Vancouver before we embark on our cross Canada trip, I am heading up to Whistler this weekend and taking part in 5-Peaks trail series run, which looks like it will be a heap of fun. It is only 10.8km and has a lot of steep climbs and sharp descents, right up my alley. I will then be hanging up my trail shoes for awhile and hitting the road in preparation for New York Marathon.
Both Tanya and I finish work today in Vancouver and it is with mixed emotions we head off on our trip of a lifetime. I will always have very fond memories of Vancouver and have meet so many amazing people and been exposed to some of the best scenery going around. Again we have been blessed with how things have fallen into place for us and thank everyone for their support along the way.
We are off to Seattle next Thursday for the Bumbershoot Music Festival, back to Vancouver to sort out a van for our trip and then head off across Canada in the easterly direction. We will be in New York for the marathon then back across the US to Vancouver, try and sell the van and home to New Zealand for Christmas. It will then be back to the realities of paying off debts and looking for work in Brisbane (I will be looking, Tanya is going back to Legal Aid).
I look forward to keeping you uptodate on our Nth American road trip.
50 Miles – A life experience
I can now officially say I have run a 50 mile trail race and it was a tough day at the office. I am still in recovery mode and enjoying kicking back with a few beers, well earned I reckon. Will sit down in the next couple of days and file my race report, watch this space.
1 Week and Counting
It has been a quiet week on the running front, it having taken a backseat to work and moving (much prefer the running). We have moved into a nice two bedroom apartment in the West End of Vancouver and love the location. Tanya’s parents arrive on Wednesday after their trip over on the east coast and we look forward to seeing them. They will join Tanya as part of the support crew at Stormy next weekend and I have been made to promise that I will watch my language at the aid stations (could be tough after 40 miles or so!).
Except for the struggle to get out of bed on Monday, I pulled up well after last Sunday’s long run. I got in a good run on Wednesday out at Delta (outside Vancouver) and a 16k run with Pricey around Stanley Park (my new backyard, a runners dream) this morning. I am preparing myself mentally for some tough times next Saturday and am heading into uncharted territoriy, kind of scary and exciting. I have prepared well and will leave the rest in the hands of the trail gods.
Now, looking forward to the long weekend and fireworks tonight.
Stormy Training Photos
Here are some shots from this weekend’s training run, thanks to Mike. An overcast day, great conditions for running.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23270096@N03/sets/72157606428098518/
Training for Stormy
Forty five ks and 5 1/2 hours later, I can now say that I have covered the whole course for the Stormy Trail Race (including last weekend’s night run). It was a good day out and I feel better that I know what is in store for Saturday week. It is sinking in just how far 80km is going to be and I know that it is going to be a hard day at the office. I am not going in with my eyes shut and realise there is going to be some really tough sections, but feel that I am ready for the challenge and will do the best I can (you can’t ask for more, right?). Keeping hydrated, taking on board plenty of food and electrolytes will be key and once again making sure I go out conservatively. Will not be doing anything too extreme between now and race day, just trying to get plenty of rest and prepare to do it all again.
Raffle tickets are still available and it all helps get me to the starting line at the New York Marathon and help out a great cause. Have a good week and will check back in before the weekend.
2008 Gold Coast Marathon
A good mate of my mine and long time training partner, Brendan Merrotsy, Just ran another PB at the GC Marathon, here is his story..
I was happy with my time this year considering a fairly injury interupted prep, as i wasnt sure if the hips/calves/shins were going to hold up on the day. But thanks to the wonders of modern medicine (panadol and voltaren), i was able to stick to my plan and beat my time from last year.
Basically i stuck just behind the 3h15 pace group, which gradually dwindled in size as the race progressed, but it was great to have them as a guide to confirm i was running consistently.
At about the 32k mark, the rear pace runner from the 3h15 group broke away with a group of 5 blokes and encouraged anyone as he passed to join on, as they were going to push a little faster than 3.15.
So I sat with this group of 6 and pushed through those normally painful k’s that are more commonly known as the ‘km’s of death’. Surprisingly, I didnt find the race this year to be as mentally tough, and i took solace in the fact that I knew i wasnt going to be hitting any walls this time round…
In hindsight, i probably attribute that to being more prepared mentally, having done it before obviously, and knowing what to expect – so i enjoyed conquering that little battle.
We got to about 38k – and the pace runner at this point encouraged anyone who had a bit in store to take off if they felt good enough. I did feel pretty good at this stage, so I went out solo for the last few k’s.
I remember the pace runner saying as I left the group that ‘its a pretty lonely run on your own out in front’, which i assumed he thought I would be better to stay with them. But ive done enough k’s on my own to not get lonely, and ive done enough k’s to know that i could finish a lot stronger than the pace they were going, so I punched clear with the added incentive of making sure they wouldnt catch me back up.
I got a little surprise at the 40k mark, as I got some words of encouragement from Fenno on the side of the road. I realised he must have pulled the pin due to his groin the poor bugger, but was no doubt a smart move as lets face it, his real goal is to beat one C.Willis in the New York Marathon…
So there it was, finished strong, pulled up good, and certainly dont have any negative thoughts about the possibility of doing another, unlike at this time last year. Quite the contrary – that afternoon i was thinking that the elusive 3hr barrier is there for the taking with the right prep, we’ll see…
Downhill Action
For all those that have expressed interest (at least one person has!), my recap of the Knee Knacker trail race will be up tomorrow (the pressure is on!). Also have some good shots thanks to Pricey.
I have attached some video footage from a downhill section I did on the second leg heading towards Cleveland Dam. Doing New Zealand proud.
