AROUND THE LAKE GIV'R TAKE 30km RACE REPORT

Coming into the finish!

Around the Lake Giv'r take is one of my favorite races of the year. It consists of 30 glorious kilometers up, down and around Cultus Lake, where the race starts and finishes. The race is organized by a few folks from the Vedder running club and they do a hell of a good job. The entry always includes a great hoodie and the volunteers all bring food for afterwards. The food is really what makes the race as there is delicious warm soup, meats and cheese plates, and enough home baking to feed an army! I am such a sucker for home baking so maybe that is the reason I really love this race. I have done this race twice before and have been fortunate enough to have won and taken home the greatest prize ever: A hand carved walking stick.

Kerry, myself, and Dirk, the overall winner post race!

As per usual, it was a grey rainy day but I was very excited to get out running. This is a race I always go balls out and give it my all. The course begins with a short loop  around the residential area near the water which spreads the field out before we get onto the single track trail. At this point you head straight up and climb steeply for a while. I usually run this entire section as my hiking skills on steep trails is just not fast enough. Today was no different and I ran whatever I could. Peter was right behind me pushing the efforts, however he was hiking steadily while I ran. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the road before we get to go downhill and I am always incredibly relieved and ready for some fun. I had Peter pushing me from behind and stayed motivated to run fast through this section. We leap frogged with a guy who was very strong on the short uphills here but we would quickly pass on the downs. Eventually we got out onto a flat gravel section and Peter said "have a good day" and then I was all alone.

To make a long story short, the 2nd half was awesome and if you are not climbing your going downhill. There are only 2 longer climbs of about 10 minutes each and everything else is undulating and fun. I managed to catch all the other women who were doing the relay and pass a few more guys doing the solo. In the end, I finished 1st female and 2nd overall behind my good friend Dirk. I was a bit off my old course record but could not have gone much faster on the day. I had such a blast! Dirk you are one fast 46 year old mofo! I salute you!

I was stoked to add another hand carved stick to the collection. Thanks again to the Vedder running club organizers for putting on another fantastic event. Rain or shine it's always fun. Thanks to all the volunteers who cook up the best spread of post-race goodies! This is a race to put on your fall list for sure.

Gear:

- 1 ultimate direction handheld bottle (my favorite)
- La Sportiva team shirt
- La Sportiva crosslites
- Defeet socks
- 3 cliff gels (vanilla)
- La Sportiva Headsweats Hat

See you in the trails!

SUMMER LOVIN'...HAD ME A BLAAAST!

The weather we are having in Vancouver/BC is just craziness. It's reminding me of my time in Australia where I woke up to sunshine everyday. Even though this streak is coming to an end later on this week, I can look back and say that I have taken full advantage of it.

Lot's of changes have occurred/or not occurred over the last couple of months- the biggest one being that I decided after 2 days of massage therapy school to "drop out".  Yup, it only took 2 days in a classroom to realize that this is not where I should be. I followed my guns and have no regrets. For some reason, I only saw going back to school (again) as a means of closing a lot of doors versus opening new one's and it's hard to want to be somewhere with an attitude like that. I wouldn't say that is my attitude with most things so I took it as a sign that it wasn't meant for me at this time.

Some of the fun things I have gotten up to lately are:

- Howe Sound Crest Trail: Five years ago, I began a journey with the love of my life and we decided back then that our anniversary was the day that we first did this run. It also happens to be one of the first long adventure mountain runs I ever went on. On this day, the weather was terrible, and there was not a view to be seen. To this day however, out of the 5 times I have done this route, this one is by far my most favorite. Sometimes it's not about the views, but about the adventure and I definitely got my fill of it that day. Peter and I do it every year (usually with some close friends) on Sept 16th to celebrate our anniversary (corny I know).

- Coliseum Mountain to Burwell: A week after doing the HSCT, we made out way up coliseum and over to the peak of Mount Burwell. It was a foggy Sunday morning and it was hard to believe that there was no one on the trail. As we climbed higher and higher it was hard to tell if we were going to be rewarded with any views at all. As we got above the trees however, we got above the clouds and were blessed with the most amazing view I have ever seen. All we could see were pillows of clouds with peaks popping up out of nowhere. Slowly the cloud burnt off and this underworld was revealed. It was just THE BEST!

Juan De Fuca: I had a few days off for the thanksgiving weekend and decided I wanted to head out for an adventure (what else is new?). I called up my friend Jenni and asked if she wanted to go run the JDF. As someone who likes to get out and play as much as I do, Jenni excitingly obliged. We drove up Saturday and set up tent in the parking lot. After a good night sleep, we were off and 47 beautiful km's later we were at the finish. Peter asked me what the favorite part of my run was and I had to say the sound of the waves crashing. There is something so calming and about being next to or near the ocean. To top things off it was a bluebird day and the trail so heavenly dry, as usually it is very muddy. We hitchhiked back to our car and the mission was accomplished.

There have also been some amazing mountain bike rides and climbing adventures thrown into the mix.

I have taken advantage of every lake swimming opportunity that has been presented to me since I have been back from my travels. I had this huge sense of disappointment weighing on me because I didn't do more of this while I was away in NZ/Aus. I passed up so many opportunities on some of my adventures there because I wasn't prepared with a towel or a bathing suit. Now, I just don't care and deal with being wet or just go dipping in my skinny. This way, I have no regrets!

I have been so inspired this year by so many people (especially you mom!) and it has really driven me to get out there! Keep it coming!

As Brooks says- Run Happy!

Nic

LOCAL FKT'S

My boyfriend and partner in crime, Peter, has been working his ass off the last couple of months getting our local running shop, North Shore Athletics, back up and running.  It went into receivership a few months ago and to make a long story short, he worked there for 10 years, there was a hiccup with the owner, Peter left, just shy of a year later the store went bankrupt, and eventually was bought by new owners (Kintec) who hired Peter back as the manager (smart owners!) and kept the NSA name.

I think he and his co-workers have done an amazing job thus far and it is so great to get back in the place where my running career began. Peter has thought up a few neat ideas and one of them has been the local FKT's.

What is an FKT you say? Well, FKT stands for 'fastest known time' and essentially it's a speed record. There is an official website where people can post their FKT's for well known routes such as the West Coast  and Juan de Fuca Trails. Together, we have decided on a few local routes that we love and have posted them on a white board in the store. We have 5 routes right now but we do foresee this list growing in the future. This is totally done on the honor system and meant to be something fun for the running community to take part in and perhaps mix up their speed training routines. I should also mention that there are spots for both Female/Male and Masters Female/Male FKT times. There are also descriptions of the routes in the store where you can get exact start and finish locations for each route.

Peter and I have always run together but in the last couple of years that has fallen off as he took an extended break from running after completing the Western States 100 in 2010. We used to do the majority of our speed work together an often got into a cat and mouse kind of game together out on the trail. Since his leave of absence from our training partnership I have done little to no speed training and it's so nice to be doing this again. However, I am not very motivated by intervals at the track so these FKT's are a pretty fun way to get in some speed/tempo work. We threw down the first Short Lynn Loop one's today but both of us are recovering from being sick so I think these times might be a bit soft....good starting point for some challengers!!!!!

I look forward to seeing these times fall and to see who comes out to challenge them!

See you in the trails...

DNF: MEET YOUR MAKER RACE REPORT

All I can say about this experience is: AH POOP!

I had a pretty relaxing week leading up to the race and was excited to run the first ever Meet Your Maker 50 miler in Whistler. After reading the course description I just couldn't imagine not doing it. Peter was also doing a leg on an NSA/Kintec relay team so we both would get to run. We packed up, drove to Squamish and did a climb up the Chief, which was really nice as I hadn't been climbing in forever. After that we went up for package pick-up and got to chit chat with some friends before the pre-race dinner at Merlin's Bar. Totally tasty. Then quickly off to bed.

Morning came way too soon with a 4am alarm and a 6am start time. The start was a bit chilly and was eager to get going. I started out with Kathy McKay and Marieve Legrand but quickly backed off the pace just a tad as I new this was going to be a long day. Within no time Kathy was out of sight and I wouldn't see her again until I watched her come into the finish, 1st female! Before long I was running with Marieve and we stayed within eye sight of each other for quite a long time along Comfortably Numb. I love Marieve, she is such a rockstar and it is always such a pleasure to be running with her. Comfortably Numb is one of my favorite running trails. I ran the entire thing hoping that it wasn't going to tire me out too much.

My body felt a bit off from the get go. My quads felt tight and I developed a pinch in my groin which I could feel all the way along comfortably numb. At this point my mind started to get a bit negative but I brought music which seemed to defuse the negativity. I reached the 3rd aid station at base 2 of Blackcomb and saw Peter where he aided me by filling up my camelbak as I darted off to the porta-potty. I didn't say a whole lot to him as I wasn't in the best mood and quickly left. I felt pretty bad as he had just ran 30km and I didn't even think to ask "how was your day" until I had left the aid station. I moved pretty well up Blackcomb and ran everything that I could. There was quite a bit of hiking which helped alleviate the groin discomfort. You start the climb with a straight up grunt up the ski hill which then switches into a gradual and mostly runnable climb up the gravel access roads. Once we got to the 7th Heaven chair we started hiking up a beautiful single track trail which then switched into a stunning and scenic rocky train that took us all the way to the Peak to Peak chair. There were so many hikers but they were all so incredibly polite. They'd see me coming and yell "runner" and then step aside so I could pass. Every single person I saw did that. It was unreal. Then I got the most warm welcome into the aid station as everyone was cheering at the top of their lungs.

I was pretty stoked to be at the top (in 2nd place for the females) and after a quick stop at the aid station I eagerly boarded the Peak 2 Peak gondola. There was one other couple and a family of 4 in their with me and I think they must have thought I was pretty weird as I kept moving (mostly stretching) the entire time, while everyone else sat down and relaxed. I had been wondering how the following descent down Whistler was going to feel after having stopped running 15 minutes prior and I can tell you, pretty much from step one- it felt awful. The trail was very steep and with every step it felt as though someone was stabbing the sides of my knees. Now, I love downhills, they are why I run and I was pretty disappointed to be in so much pain. I was forced to walk a bunch of it and spent the entire timer wondering if I should continue on. I got to the aid station at the bottom of the hill and quickly told peter that my knees were in a lot of pain. He suggested I stretch them and keep moving. I had been stretching my ITB and hips on the gondola but that didn't seem to do a whole lot so I think I just grabbed some water, food and fled. Peter told me it was only 8km to the next aid station so not too far.

After about 1 km the pain went from pretty painful to debilitating and I could no longer run. In hind sight I should have gone back to the last aid and called it a day but I was hopeful that maybe I could massage it out and it would come around. In the end, it never did and I just walked it out to the next aid station, which ended up being 12km instead of 8km. It's a shame because that section of trail really suited my running style. It was hard watching everyone go past and asking what was wrong. I definitely had a few teary moments but in the end, what could I do. I dropped out with only 19km to go but it was a pain I could not push through and I am not one to resort to pain killers. At the beginning walking didn't hurt and I was enjoying the hike but by the end of the 12km, I could hardly walk without pain. Thankfully Peter had been told about my state and came out to find me on the trail so I had someone to walk with for the last km or so.

In the game of utlra running-you win some and you lose some. Some days your body feels great and some days it doesn't. I could tell I was probably still fatigued from Transrockies and the training I did after it as I kept nearly biffing it repeatedly in the first few hours (a sign of fatigue). I was still totally stoked to have run 60km because the terrain was just stunning and so fun. I would most definitely come back and do this race again and would recommend it to anyone. It is a challenging course and the finish times are much longer than most 50 milers but the trails and the scenery are next to none. AND you get to ride in a gondola (which I am still debating whether or not that is a good thing)!

Huge congrats to Kathy for such a steller performance. I am so impressed and inspired by your achievement considering you had also just raced transrockies and it was your first 50 miler! Congrats to everyone else who was doing this as their first ever 50 miler- you chose a gooder! Thank you to the race directors, volunteers, and NSA/Kintec for the entry. There were so many amazing volunteers out on the course marshalling and manning aid stations. There is no doubt that I will be back!

See you in the trails...but maybe not this week :)

DAY 6: VAIL TO BEAVER CREEK

Shauna and I celebrate our 2nd place finish!

 Finally, the last day has arrived. I am not sure how the body just keeps going and going when it's tired and sore but some how it does and mine just felt better and better the closer we got to day 6. All we had was a supposed 19 miles, which as it turned out got extended to 23. I remember this stage well from 09' even though it ended up being a tad different this year. I remember feeling good and running a lot of the hills.

We started with 3 miles of road from Vail to the trail. The start was changed because there was a Grandfondo happening at the same time. When we finally reached the trail it was just as I had remembered...a ton of switchbacks and many of them runnable. I love this section and had a blast hanging on behind Shauna for the first while. We were moving pretty good and I was thinking how 3rd place would have to be moving pretty good to catch us today. But then I thought I saw another open women's team behind us. Once I could get a better look, it was just a guy with a pony tail! We eventually got onto a steep trail that climbed straight up for quite some time and it seemed like a the aid station was getting further and further away. It was supposed to be at 7 miles but one guy's GPS said 9. something and we still hadn't seen it. I was out of water at this point and getting hungry and really just wanted to see it and be done with this climb.

We hit it moments later and refilled out packs and away we went. We had seen 2 of the open mixed teams there as well and after asking what the hell they were doing way back here, they said they got lost and took a detour. I remember noticing a fork in the trail where if you weren't looking up, you would've easily missed the flagging to go right, which is exactly where they got off track. Unfortunately for them, the trail went straight down and they had to climb all the way back up!

Again, I loved the downs....just always so fun, especially single track! This next section was rolling and flat at times which was a bit mentally challenging but we soldiered on, walking when we had to. Then we descended a very narrow trail which was very rocky and you really had to pay attention as it would've been very easy to roll an ankle. After passing through a small tunnel, we ended up on the road again, where we would remain for another 3 miles or so to checkpoint 3 in Avon. The road sections were hot and all I wished for was some cushioned runners at this point! I was still feeling good though and we ran pretty much everything from here to the finish. I just wanted this thing done and knew that it would just drag on if we didn't run in it. Shauna had no issues responding and we finished this stage in the same time as the day before. A big hug at the end signaled the finish of 6 long amazing days together.

Jenny and Pam celebrating their win at the finish. Nice outfits ladies!

Shauna was the best partner I could have ever asked for. Her laid back personality makes her really easy to be around and we shared a lot of laughs out there on the trail. I pushed her and she pushed me but for the most part, we just worked together. There was never any drama- simply good times. The finish banquet was fabulous and it was amazing getting to sleep in a real bed again!

We drove for 2 days and got home on Tuesday night, just in time to see the birth of my brother`s son. I can`t believe the timing! Thanks Jess for waiting for me.

Carston Mathias Gildersleeve!

Thanks again to the guys at La Sportiva who were so generous over the course of the week. It was great to meet the guys behind the scenes as well as some of my other teamates who came out and raced as well as volunteered. TRR is such an amazing event. I know I said I`d never do it again while I was running but now that it`s over and I totally want to go back.

It`s great to be back on Vancouver soil and back running in the sick single track on the North Shore Mountains. It`s nice to be able to run up hills without feeling like my lungs are going to explode!

Next up: Meet your Maker 50 miler in less than 2 weeks time if the body allows for it!

See you in the trails!

DAY 5: REDCLIFFE TO VAIL

Day 5 is always a tough day mentally for me. My body is tired, sore, and it's just a long day out there with quite a fair amount of elevation gain. I believe today's stage was 23 miles and you begin with 8 miles of steady climbing up a logging road. We had a nice crew to run with at the beginning but eventually parted ways once we got into the single track. Again, Shauna pulled me up the mountain as I was just lacking energy and having trouble eating. All I could do was put my head down and put one foot in front of the other. Shauna also thought she saw the 3rd place Go Go Girls which had me running scared. The views today are also stunning and all that climbing was worth it in the end to be surrounded by beauty.

There was a camera man up near the top who was looking for some fancy dance moves, so I busted out everything I knew hoping it would make the final cut! I brought a camera today but sadly I think I only took one photo...how terrible is that! My favorite part of today was of course when we got to go back down the mountain into Vail. It seems as though the only time I feel good, is on the descents. The year Peter and I did the race we ran down the entire road...something like 8-9 miles of it which was pretty hard on the quads. Today however, we got to run down an actual single track trail and a mtn bike trail called Fred's Lunch before finishing right in town. We finished this stage in 4 hrs and 41 minutes with the same guy (Matt) we finished the day before with.

Immediately after, we ran to the creek to soak our legs! God it felt good! I spent the rest of the day relaxing under the La Sportiva tent, chatting with the rest of the team and checking out next years clothing line! There is some super cute running wear coming out by La Sportiva so look out for that next year! The dinner they put on in Vail is also a step up from the other days. They bust out some BBQ's and roast fresh veggies and pineapple, do a prime rib, and some amazing salads we didn't have on the other nights.

Another memorable thing about tonight was that there was an outdoor concert literally right across the road from tent city. The genre sounded like some serious R&B music that went pretty late. When we selected our tent location Shauna was all concerned about being close to some rowdy foreigners but I had to laugh because after the concert started, I think they were the least of her worries!

DAY 4: NOVA GUIDES TO REDCLIFFE

Today was another short day- 14 miles. However, whenever there is a short day, there is usually always a big climb. We started where we finished yesterday and had another 2-3 miles of logging road to start the day. It was great to see Everett and Jonathon, 2 great guys who work for La Sportiva out of Boulder Colorado out running today. After the road we got onto a wide trail that just went up and up and up. I remember this hill very well from last time and its just a grunt to get to the top. Once at the top however, you are rewarded with beautiful views!

It wasn't too long before we made our way back down the hill towards Redcliffe where I could just taste the margaritas and Fish Tacos that awaited us! The descent was fun and steep. I bailed once, right after thinking to myself how great it was that I hadn't fallen yet on this trip. A few people were trying to help and offer me assistance and band-aids but of course being the angry faller that I am, I just got filled with adrenaline, kept my head down, said no and ran away. I had to apologize to those afterwards.

A relaxing finish to the day back at Nova Guides

 We ran through a ton of creeks on the way down, which was very refreshing, and were joined by 2 others as we rolled over the finish line in a 4-some. Minus the fall, today was super fun and we managed to keep it consistent by coming in 2nd place in our category again. I didn't feel terrible but I can still notice how the altitude is holding me back. Nothing that some alcohol and fish tacos wouldn't fix! Team La Sportiva sat down to enjoy a nice lunch together, under the sun at Mangoes before heading back to Nova Guides to hang out for the rest of the day. I finally made time to do some rolling and stretching which I watched everyone else get massaged!