AFRAID OF THE DARK

I suppose being afraid of the dark is a fear that was instilled in our childhood. The lights go out and the creeps come out...right?

Usually when I get off work it's dark out and I have been getting in my workouts in the morning but somedays that is not an option. I have been avoiding the trails due to lack of sunlight and I've been missing them so much. It's already 'unsafe' to run alone in the trails, which I do 99% of the time, but there's something about being alone and in the dark that has juust got me spooked. I decided last thursday that I was going to get out after work for a nightime adventure in the mountains to prove to myself that it's not that bad and theres nothing to be afraid of. Of course, I have run on the trails at night a few times, both accompanied however.

I figured I would start with the Grouse Grind. I have done it with Peter in the dark before, thus it was somewhat familiar and I would be hiking versus running. There would also be tons of people at the top because nightime skiing is open. I packed my bag, with headlamp, and drove up to the base of the Mtn. I decided not to bring music as I sometimes do in the daytime because I wanted to be able to hear what was going on around me. Looking back, maybe it would have been better if I didn't. There were many times when I thought I heard something or someone and turned around to see what was behind me. Of course, there was no sign of anything or anyone so I pushed on. I was surprised how it seemed to go by so fast. All was good until I saw this glob of what looked like blood in the snow. I am not talking like a dime size glob, I am talking like a small fist full. Hmm, that one shook me a bit. Why was that there? Why was there no signs of anymore? Weird!

I continued on, my heart pounding a little bit more with each step but eventually I forgot about it. I had hit the snow point and put my yak trax on my feet to prevent me from slipping and sliding around. Normally, the Grouse grind is an extremely popular hike, for locals and tourists, but tonight, there was not a soul (except me!). I had hit the 3/4 mark and was getting psyched to be around people once again, until I saw another blood globue! Really, another one???? Come on! At this point, I didn't stop to ponder this one, I just simply pushed my body as fast as it could to the top.

In the end, I made it safe and sound, feeling a little bit braver than the day before. There's a saying that we should do something everyday that scares us. Well, I may not do something everyday but I am counting this!

See you in the trails!

INVIGORATED!

The sun is shining and the snow in the mountains is abundant (I wrote this post over a week ago). Today, I had the entire day to myself. No work and no friends to play with, so I had the opportunity to create my very own solo adventure. As of late, Peter and I have been hiking the BCMC a few times a week, usually in the morning before work. I know snowshoeing trails exist up there but have never taken the time to explore. I am sure it's not a whole lot different then when I hike around in the summertime but when everything is covered in snow, the terrain just looks different.

I strapped my snowshoes to my pack and started my hike up the Grind to the top. I only saw 2 others on the trail today and one of them must have been in his 80's, very impresive. Once at the chalet I asked en employee about the trails and he gave me the scoop. There is a trail called the Snowshoe Grind trail (SSG) which essentially takes you to Dam Mountain. You can purchase a chip if you want and you can scan it just outside the chalet and upon your return. There is nothing to scan on Dam Mtn, they just go by the honor system.

The trails were easy to find and within no time I was on the top of Dam, eating my lunch in pure bliss. The sun was shining directly on me and I stayed warm and toasty. A fellow was telling me about Thunderbird Ridge, somewhere I had never been. It wasn't to far of a detour so I checked that one off as well. If you are looking to snowshoe to a location more private, Thunderbird Ridge would be it. There were 3 ladies eating lunch and boy did they pack well (i.e- Baileys, banana bread, chocolate santas!). I took a picture of them and then was back on my way to the chalet. Getting to descend (run) downhill back to the chalet was by far the best part.

Grouse was just a zoo today. I couldn't beleive how many cars there were and how many people were at the top. However, where I went was relativily quiet. Can't wait for more adventures soon!

On another note, I have been running lot's but can't say I am really in training mode. Most runs are no longer than an hour before or after 8-11 hours of work. I prefer to go before work as that is when I am the most fresh. After being on my feet for so long, all I want to do is sit down! I am also doing the BCMC 2-3 times a week and strength training, climbing and doing yoga when I can fit them in. So, I am staying active and getting in a good mix of everything.

I was planning on doing some travelling (to New Zealand) at the beginning of the new year but plans changed slightly. I got another job working full-time at MEC (Mountain Equipment co-op) and am trying to juggle that with my personal training/run coaching/lactate balance point testing. It's the busiest I have been for a while but to be honest, I am loving it. I just function better as a busy person. I also appreciate the downtime more. So with all that said, I am going to focus on saving some money and look to head over to Europe in the summer months to explore the mountains, eat delicious food, and hopefully run UTMB (pending I get selected from the lottery).

See you out there!

STAMP-A-STACK!

I must warn you, this is not a typical running post, but more of an introduction to something fun I have been doing every Christmas season (yes, were already getting into Christmas time) for the past 3 years.

My boyfriend Peter has 2 older sisters, Kathleen and Angela. Both of them are awesome. Angela, this middle child, is not only an amazing elementary school teacher, but she is also an award winning scrapbooker. Right in her own home, she hosts dozens of card making classes per year but the one I go to is called 'stamp a stack'. For $15-20 bucks, I get to make 5 copies of 3 different cards that she has hand created, all Christmas theme. In the end, I leave with 15 handmade cards of which I am so proud of.



For me, this is a pretty tedious task and it takes a lot of concentration. I have never actually been diagnosed with ADD but I am pretty sure deep down, I must have a mild form ha! I am always the last to leave and I am not sure how because I am working as fast as I can. The class goes from 7pm-10pm and the time simply flies by!



You can check out her blog HERE
which I highly recommend!!! The cards she produces are just unreal. I have always hand made my own birthday and christmas cards, ever since I was a little girl, and it's fun to keep that tradition going with a more professional look (not that printer paper and pencil crayons is unprofessional!).

On a running note, I have taken the last 4 days off since the 50 miler. My left hamstring is a bit tight and was so during the race. I am running with a client tomorrow so that will be a good test.

See you in the trails!

Whistler 50 mile Race Report!

haha, I sit here and laugh because it has been forever since I have done a race longer than 50km. In fact, Western States 100 in June of 2010 was my last long race. This year has been a bit interesting as far as my running is concerned and I have had to DNF, due to ankle injuries, more than I would like. It's felt as though I had DNF'd more races this year than completed so I was more than excited crossing the finish line at the Whistler 50 miler this past Saturday!

The decision to race was very last minute (weekend before). I tapered for a week and felt pretty well rested overall. I knew going into it that it would challenge me mentally due to the course being 4 x 20km loops but also challenge me physically because it's a relatively flat course, with the majority on pavement. I like to run. I like to get into a flow. Flatter courses let me do that!

I woke up at 3:45, got ready, ate breaky, and left my hotel at 5:40am for the 6am start. My hotel was literally a 2 minute walk to the conference center where the race debriefing was. However, I had a mini panic attack because I was a bit lost. I was told to take 2 rights from outside the hotel lobby doors, but that found me at the Hilton, not the conference center. With a little surge of adrenaline, I ran into some guys who were working the race and they steered me in the right direction. Within minutes we were lined up outside and away we went!

It was pitch black and we ran the entire first loop in the dark. I was roughly 7 minutes behind Jen Segger after the first loop. She set out at an obviously faster pace at which I was not willing to match. Having not run an ultra in quite some time, I was more focused on starting out comfortable, as my main goal was to FINISH this one! However, I was willing to let the competetive spark come alive if that's what it felt like doing. I only had a couple little navigation hiccups in that first loop but overall it was pretty well marked with glowsticks and cones. My only complaint is that the aid stations were not set up with food yet. I actually did not have any food on me as I had planned to feed off the aid stations and after 90 minutes of no food, I started to get worried...and hungry! The temperature was below zero and I didn't find myself feeling all that thirsty and drank way less water than normal.

The second loop was awesome because it was now light out and it was as though I was running a whole new loop! The frost on the ground was stunning and the snow on the mountains took my breath away. Snow covered a few trails in lost lake portion but it was not slick and the footing was great. There were so many volunteers who stood out in the cold for hours and I tried to thank each and every one. The relay teams started at 8am and at this point there were tons of them waiting at the exchange stations. They always cheered us solo ultra runners on everytime we came past and I have to admit, it was pretty cool!

The 3rd loop: THE TRAIN! A few miles into the 3rd loop, I noticed Jen and a few others waiting with a volunteer Marshal. My first thought was, did she drop out (not something Jen is known for)? But then I quickly noticed the train that had come to a complete stop, blocking our running path. She had already been there for 10 minutes and was starting to get really cold. I offered her some of my water as she said she was getting thirsty. A bunch of people caught up at this point. I took this opportunity to stretch out and tried to keep moving. After 12 minutes of waiting there, they finally got the train going. Jen had been there a total of 22 minutes! On a cold day, stopping for that long is not ideal.

I managed to keep warm that entire time and quickly passed Jen shortly after crossing the tracks. I wasn't really into racing today and tried to maintain a steady comfortably fast pace, however, I think I was running the fastest I had been all day and I am sure it was just a rush from now being up front. I can't say I enjoyed being up front all that much. When I was behind, I was so content just doing my thing and listening to my tunes. Now, all I could focus on was Jen and where she was and if she'd catch me. My IT-Band started to flare up, something I had been worried about coming into this race but after I stopped for a minute to stretch it, it seemed to be fine. Muscle discomfort came and went on this lap. At one point my ankle was tight but then my left hamstring got tight and I forgot all about my ankle. This pattern changed around all day. It's interesting how this happens. All I kept thinking to myself was, 'Ellie Greenwood gets tight hamstrings and quads in races, but she still rocks on, you can get through this'.

Loop 4 was by far the most challenging. I just could not maintain the speed I had for the first 3 loops and everything just got tight. My stomach turned off and I couldn't eat gels like I had been in the beginning. Everything else I had been consuming (Cliff shot blocks) were too hard to eat because it was so cold out. I turned to coke and just survived on that for the last 10-15km. My calves started to cramp up pretty bad as well, bringing me to a screeching hault on many occasions. Thank goodness I had packed salt pills in my drop bag as they saved my butt a few times in that last loop. I know part of my problem was that I didn't take in many electrolytes in the first 4 hours. I was filling my water bottle up with water that had Elete (liquid sodium) in it but due to my lack of taking in fluids, I wasn't getting that much.

I managed to keep it together, plugging away the miles, even though I felt like I was moving at a snails pace. It took energy to smile, whereas before it was just written all over my face. In the end, I crossed the line in a time of 6:48 (actual time is 6:36 because of the 12 min at the train). Although I was the first female to cross the line, Jen won the event because she was waiting at the train for 10 extra minutes than myself. I had only made up about 4 minutes on her in those last 1.5 loops. I have to laugh though because I went up to her after she crossed the line stating how sorry I was that she was stopped for so long at the train. I told her she probably would have won if it weren't for that. I was so clueless!!! Of course they would deduct the time spent waiting...why didn't I think of that? The whole time I was running I thought I was winning. Ha...it makes me laugh.

In the end, winning was not the prize I was searching for that day, so I was still overjoyed with my accomplishment. I am happy I entered. I am happy I finished. I am happy I pushed myself to a 2nd place finish. My aunt and uncle even came out to see me (thanks guys). Thank goodness for them because they helped me hobble back to my hotel room!

I just want to thank the RD and everyone else who helped make this event a success. The after party was awesome and I somehow managed to dance the night away in my less than functional state.

Next up: Deception pass 25 or 50km...TBD.

See you in the trails...which will hopefully be covered in a beautiful pillowy smooth layer of snow soon!

A few months ago, I was lingering on signing up for the Whistler 50 miler, taking place in Whistler this coming Saturday. After 4 hours of running a few weeks back, I was reduced to a walk due to some ITB tightness. This left me a little uncertain to whether or not I would be able to run 50 miles shortly thereafter. So, I ran the next week and the next week with no sign of any ITb discomfort and decided to sign up for the race very last minute. Package pick-up was hapenning at the Running Room on Denman last weekend, so naturally, I put on my runners and ran my butt over the Lions Gate Bridge to the store. I stuffed the hoodie and the rest of the goods in my backpack and ran back home. What a great way to get a workout in!


(The current weather conditions in Whistler as of Wednesday afternoon!)

So it's official, I am racing the Whistler 50 mile race this weekend. The weather looks to be pretty good on Saturday, even though it snowed there today! I am prepping my Shaby Chic look (thanks Kristen for the ispiration) and am excited for race day. The Whistler 50 is the new version of the classic Haney to Harison event. Instead of the 100km distance that it used to be, they downsized the race to 80km. Also, it is no longer a point to point but rather 4 loops of 20km. There is little elevation gain and loss and the majority of it is on paved road...should be fun! haha

Due to my ankle injury this past June/July, I have been doing a bunch of flat trail and road running so I am definetly up to the mundane task of 20km repeats! All in all, it should be a fun day no matter what the weather or terrain because this day is all about running, having fun, and hanging out with good people.

See you out there!

MOUNT HARVEY + HSCT

Last Tuesday was an epically nice day! I knew that THIS DAY was a special one and had to be taken advantage of. Peter and I try and get out hiking on the Howe Sound Crest Trail (HSCT) every year for our anniversary, however, we failed to do it last year and I was eager to get it in before the snowfall. We normally run/hike the HSCT from Start (Cypress) to finish (Porteau Cove) however, this year we decided to switch things up bit.


(This was cool, the tree had grown over the rope...now that's what I call secure!)


(hiking the trail en route to the summit of Harvey)


(On the summit of Mt. Harvey)

We began our adventure in Lions Bay with a steep ascent up towards Mt. Harvey. This was a crazy steep trail, in fact, if the trail were any steeper we'd be climbing! We hiked steadily for 2.5 hours before we reached the summit. Trust me when I say that the uphill challenge was worth it. The view of Howe Sound and the surrounding area was magnificant. I never seem to bore of this landscape.


(The highest peak is the one we did, the smaller one is called Harvey's Pup!)

From there, we descended steeply towards the HSCT. It was a bit chilly up top and the footing was a little frosty, thus we were midful of every step, as falling would not be ideal (if you know what I mean). From there we stopped for a snack at the Magnesia Meadows Hut, which was built in 2008 by a group of West Van High Secondary school students. There was a Journal inside and we wrote a little blurb about our day and read over some of the others from days/months previous.



They day was so stunning that it was hard not to want to linger in the sunshine. However, I had somewhere to be at 6:30pm so we kept walking gingerly along. Normally, we run these trails (where running is an option), however, today, we hiked and simply enjoyed and soaked in the surroundings. We then descended down towards Deeks Lake. The colour of the lakes were not as turquoise as they are in the summer but still beautiful nonetheless. The last time we ran this trail we were with a group of friends (september 09') and we all stopped to jump in the lake to cool off. But today, the lakes were covered with a layer of thin ice and I was content just imagining what it would have felt like.





Before long we were on the long, wet, and slippery descent down towards Porteau Cove. We arrived there 8 hours after we began (a whole work day!). It felt so awesome to be outside for the entire day. And the kicker was that it snowed up there the next day!!!!! For some reason, that made my decision to seize the day even sweeter.


(There was still lot's of snow left over from last winter!)

I was pretty bagged after that hike, but I lead a Tuesday night Speed work session for the Mountain Madness trail clinic. Good thing I am the coach and I can make-up whatever workout I want. That day we did 10 x 1 min intervals. Short and sweet but effective! I was surprised how much pep I had left in my step after being on my feet all day.


(Funny faces!)

I have had so many great memories on the HSCT and look forward to many more to come! If you love mountain running and enjoy great adventures, this is a trail not to be missed. Allow 6 (fast)- 8+ hours to run/hike it. Prime months to run this trail is August, Sept, and/or October.

Next race up is either the Whistler 50 mile and/or Deception Pass 50km.

See you in the trails!

(All Photos were taken by Peter Watson)

ANOTHER DAY PERHAPS

I wanted to run to Squamish today (from north van). I have wanted to all year. However, this morning I woke up and wasn't really feeling it but ignored that feeling and went anyways. I ran all the way along the highway before reaching Nelson Creek parking lot (aka. the start of the knee knacker). I stopped here and all I could think about was how badly I wish I had trail runners on and some more supplies, so I could go for a nice hike/run in the mountains. So, I turned around and ran to Dundarave and had an amazing turkey cranberry sandwich from the Bakehouse with no regrets of changing my plans.

Sometimes, you have to listen to that voice in your head that's telling you that your just not up for your planned adventure today. However, I have made plans to run the first half of Knee Knacker tomorrow!!!

PS- highway running is not the most inspiring! But I will get this goal done sooner or later.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend!