Race Review: NorthFace Endurance Challenge 5k

The NorthFace Endurance Challenge lives up to its' name. The race has distances including 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, 50k and a 50-miler. It is a trail running series that tests a runner's endurance with challenging terrain and constant elevation gains and falls. Last year the series came to Canada for the first time and I was unable to participate having lived in Alberta for the summer.

This year I wasn't missing out! My partner in crime Heather and I signed up with 2 weeks to go and threw together a rough "training plan" by which we set dates after work to get together to run parts of the course as we both work at Blue Mountain Resort where the race took place. 

We signed up for the shortest available distance, the 5k, as we didn't have much time to prepare and neither of us had ever run a trail race before so we thought we'd enter with caution...sort of. 

Trail running and road running are related but they are unknown relatives. My parents both come from large families (6 and 7 kids) and as a result I have a copious number of cousins. There are some I couldn't pick out in a crowd or even name. That's the relationship trail running has to road running. You struggle to find connection between the two.

Heather and I "trained" 4 times on part of the course. We ran up the one trail and down the other. Most runs came out at about 4ish km. Though we struggled through our training runs we saw definite improvement each time in our overall pacing. We learned that trail pacing is nowhere close to road pacing. When signing up for the event you have to estimate a finish time. Both of us, confused and never having ran a trail race put down 35minutes. My 5km PB is 22:50 so I thought, add some time because of the hills and terrain, sure 35. I should mention the winner of the 5km ran the event in just less than 35 minutes. We were WAY off! When reading online information about trail running I read somewhere that trail pacing is sometimes more than double road running. I can attest to the truth in that statement!

The NorthFace Endurance challenge is a whole weekend thing. Saturday the 3 longest events take part. The 50 miler heads out at 5am, and the 50km and marathon follow after. A friend I grew up with ran the 50 miler. He is a trail running lover. I think he is ridiculous but in a way with a lot of respect behind it. Extremely athletic kind of crazy is better than some other kinds of crazy :). The Endurance Challenge has live tracking features you can sign up for. I tracked Adam throughout the day. He ended up finishing in around 11hours and 22 minutes. I couldn't even imagine ever in my lifetime running for 11+hours, not even on flat, even terrain let alone these trails. 

pre-race chats with fellow Blue Mountain employees and friends

more BMR ladies and friends

So Sunday morning the half marathon, 10k and 5k were held. Though I was disappointed on Thursday with my packet pick up being just a bib and shirt I was pleased upon arrival on race day to see how many sponsor booths were set up. Post race we got lots of great swag including free socks, lots of food, coffee and more. 

swag

We started in wave 1 right at the beginning. I felt a little like a wolf in sheep's clothing.  I am not a trail runner, I am a road runner and here I am lining up right at the front. Dean Karnazes puts on these events. Though I don't know who he is I can recognize him to be a pretty accomplished person. Google him and see that he is the ultramarathon man. He stood at the front with the mic and before sending us off asked who was there for their first ever trail race. Heather and I both raised our hand and he kind of flinched and said "enjoy the pain". He knew we were in for worlds of pain and so did we, but not fully. You brain is good at wiping out pain directly after experiencing it. If it weren't that way I wouldn't run long or fast ever. 

Getting ready to run!

At 9:15 we were off and instantly on uneven terrain and headed up. We didn't realize the beginning of the race headed up the ski runs and across on of course a gradual incline. Heather and I ran and ran and ran and couldn't understand how we still hadn't made it to "the grind" trail we had trained on. By the time we finally reached it we were already wiped. The weather was better than anticipated- not rainy or lightning like predicted. Rain would make the trails very difficult. However it was hot and humid. There was a breeze in the open areas but also hot, hot direct sun. As soon as we headed into the trees of the trail the air movement went away. 

As we went up the hill our running slowed to a walk many times. But we noticed that everyone was walking, I guess its common in trail running due to the challenging terrain and elevation gains. My body started to warn me that the heat was getting hard to handle. My head felt so hot and big. I started to feel swimmy in the head and dizzy. Then, as we got closer to the top I started to get cold shivers. I knew what that meant and tried my best to ignore it. At the top I was excited to see my friend Adam cheering us on. I saw him again at the finish as well. It seemed many runners from the previous day's longer distances were there to cheer on runners for the Sunday distances. 

A friend since Kindergarten!

I was so happy to finally get to the top where the trails are at least flat...sort of. Having practiced these trails were beneficial to know an end was in sight. When we finally made it to the water station I was so excited, I half drank a cup and poured the other half on myself. Then we headed for the downhill section.

Downhill has always been my weakness. I don't trust my balance or leg strength to catch myself. Though I have improved in our short two weeks training! Heading down I had a hard time getting my head focused, I was still fighting the dizzy disorientation from the heat and was having a hard time watching my feet pick their next foot fall. It felt like I wasn't in my body anymore. I tried to explain this to Heather so she wouldn't be disappointed in my performance and letting her down.

Finally the finish was in sight, we grabbed hands and made our way across the finish. I instantly got myself a water bottle and downed it.  Post-race we got our swag and though the food table included skittles and m&ms I passed them up thinking that 5km wasn't worthy of those kinds of treats. I got myself a kicking horse coffee which weirdly enough on a hot day was really nice post-race. 

My watch said our race was actually 6km long. It also told me Heather and I had hit our fastest overall average yet (it certainly didn't feel that way) Our average pacing according to my watch was about 8:36min/km. This is crazy to me that that was our best and exciting for us considering I'd normally run about 5:00-5:30min/km on any given training run. 

The photographers were fun on the course- it was nice that they interacted with us and seemed to enjoy doing their job. There was one that made his presence known to us as we approached so we could prepare a smile to cover the pain and feeling of death. 

The course was well marked with flags matching with bib colours. The finishers medals all had the same medal and different ribbons matching the colour of the distance. 

After the race I was still able to make it to church to hear part of the message (yes, in my running clothes!) and then to Wendy's (a post-church Sunday tradition). 

Overall I really enjoyed this race and intend to do it again next year. Whenever I can run local I will and do. I haven't decided if I'd like to run the 5km again and properly train and dominate (prove something to myself....maybe set a goal of a 1st place age category finish (this year I was 3rd in my age category)) or push myself distance wise and go for the 10km. I have a year to decide. 

I am so glad I got to chance to meet a distant relative of a sport I love so much. It has grown my love of running in ways I didn't know it could grow. I am definitely looking forward to integrating more trail running and trail races into my running future. 

Try something new July: trail running

I already know what you’re thinking. How can “try something new” be running? Running is something I am well versed in and love to do, but let me just tell you, trail running might as well be an entirely different sport. Prior to this month’s adventure I would have agreed with you. I am a runner, therefore I can run trails. Same thing, right? Besides, I often scoot across what I would have previously called my favourite trail, the train track trail, quite frequently. It is fairly flat, crushed gravel and runs alongside the old abandoned railway. For me it is a safe (no cars, even terrain) pathway from here to there. I take it to get to my boot camp class, I take it to complete a 10k training run, I even take it to do a long run for its safety levels. (Safety and running is a whole different blog for a whole different time, so for now we will leave it at that).

 

Earlier this month Heather and I decided to sign up for the North Face Endurance Challenge. Last year was the first year the series came to Canada at our local ski resort, Blue Mountain. Though I signed up for the event last year I ended up living out west for the summer and was unable to participate. Heather and I are both currently working at the resort so how could we pass it up this year? Heather said we could use it as our try something new, a trail race, and my first instinct was that that would be cheating after all, we are runners. So with two weeks before race day we signed up and decided to meet after work to run the course. I had briefly looked it up online and had an idea of where it followed. The event has a range of distances including a 5km, 10k, half marathon, marathon, 50km and 50 miler. We signed up for the 5km because this is a whole new ballgame for us. We decided to just dip our toes in to the whole trail running experience, or so we thought.

 

So the day we planned to meet up was a rainy Tuesday. By rainy Tuesday I mean it rained all day long. Many people advised us to be careful and we sloughed it off like a motherly warning. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We set out to run the trail and lasted a mere minute tops before we had to walk. We attempted to follow the signage for “the grind” trail but apparently missed it and headed straight up the ski run. I should mention this run is a green run and for those of you unfamiliar with ski run colour coding that means it’s the easiest run type. Heading straight up it on a rainy day was the furthest thing from easy. Our calves and lungs burned. I thought I was dying. This was the worst thing we could do with our time and why would we ever be so stupid to sign up were thoughts running through my mind at the time. 

 

That was until we started to head downhill.  

 

Downhill has always been my weakness, where some people can just fling themselves down a mountain I have to cautiously go. I know it’s mostly mental but I fear I won’t be able to stabilize myself. Add in the fact that it was slippery, muddy and the trail has many wooden stairs and you have a very slowly moving me. 

 

I finished this practice run feeling very low and like there was no way I’d be able to successfully complete this race. Maybe trail running wasn’t for me and I should stick to road running.

 

But we gave it another go! We trained on the course 3 more times. Thankfully it got better when the weather was nicer (not slick muddy trails) and we were able to actually find the proper trail that twisted and turned through the trees alongside the ski run making the elevation gain seem much less brutal. My downhill even improved as I gained confidence in my legs ability to brace and move. It actually started to resemble more than a tip toe walk and somewhere closer to a run. Each of our 4 training runs increased in speed! 

The big day is tomorrow but I am posting this now as I feel we have successfully tried something new for the month, maybe even more so than other months as we did it 4 times and watched our skills improve. After tomorrow’s race I will post a race review but that is separate from our try something new.

 

Trail running differs from road running in that you can’t plug in your headphones and forget the world. Headphones are highly discouraged for safety and the pure enjoyment of nature. The trail Heather and I have been running is deemed “multi-purpose” and the other day we encountered our first downhill biker. You always need to be aware of your surroundings.

 

Trail running is also much better with friends. Though one day I may run them solo, I truly enjoyed spending the time running the trails with Heather. I’m not only saying this knowing she is one of 3 people who actually read this blog (Hi Heather!) but for many reasons: 1. Safety (I may have been hit by the biker, shes much more aware) 2. Conversation and Friendship- it’s nice to spend that time with her as we both have busy lives. And 3. Encouragement. Heather and I are able to push one another in the areas where we have weakness. She has truly helped me improve my downhill capabilities as she is very strong at running downhill and very encouraging. Heather makes sure the role she plays is always beneficial to my improvement and wellbeing. I’m pretty blessed to have her as a friend, you can’t have her. She’s mine J I think it’s safe to say that this is something new we have tried that we will continue to do!

 

In summary I have found a new understanding, appreciation and love of trail running. Trail running feels like flying. Though I wear my GPS watch I am not concerned with the time, pacing or distance. I’ve come to accept that pacing is double what road running is (or more!) and that’s okay by me. Trail running seems to be more about the love of running. It seems so much more primal. When road running I focus on form with toes pointing forward, hips straight, shoulders straight, arms at a 90 degree angle running alongside my body. In trail running all that goes out the window, the focus is where the next step will be and avoiding any hazards and for my arms keeping my balance and sometimes grabbing trees to fling myself around the next obstacle. It brings out my inner Tarzan! 

 

This may all sound entirely silly. I’ve discovered a new love and appreciation for a sport I already loved wholeheartedly. I’m not saying I am throwing in the towel on road running. But, every once in a while in order to refresh and recharge or if it’s a hot day, or just for a change, I am going to look up one of our local trails and go hop and jump and fling myself up and down the dirt trails.

 

Race Review: Duntroon to Stayner 8k

This is the second year I've run the Duntroon to Stayner 8k. Held every Canada day this race is in its 49th year! A local grassroots race, it isn't advertised or found online (other than local running groups event listings). The race is free, you do not pre-register online rather you just show up the day of starting at 8am and sign up on a clipboard in your corresponding age and gender category. I believe categories include M/F under 12, M/F high school, M/F masters and an open M/F.

The race starts at the old Duntroon elementary school. Duntroon is a small community one community away from the small community I live in. There isn't much there, so it's not a challenge to find the Duntroon school. Across the road the local church opens their doors so that runners may use the facilities pre-race.

I'm sure in the 49 years running it has seen weather of all types (welcome to Canada). I've heard some years have been very hot. In my experience, last year was hot and muggy but then downpoured part way through, zapping my phone. Hello waterproof case! This year it was cloudy and overcast but a nice temperature of about 15-17 degrees with a slight breeze.

The race starts at 8:30 with a singing of O Canada and then 3-2-1 GO! No fancy start banner or chip timing. No bibs, no fuss. The course runs down a major road which isn't closed for the event. You run along the gravel shoulder or on the edge of the road being mindful of the oncoming traffic. Also this year I noticed police presence following along the roads to ensure runner safety. I was able to stay on the paved part for the predominance of the race except when seeing large trucks I'd be sure to get right over for them. The course is also walker friendly, and walkers are encouraged to start around 7:30 so that they can arrive for the finish line festivities.

Mostly everyone wears red/white

The course is mainly down hill but has some uphill portions. They have it marked every km with a water station at about 3.5km. Even though it follows a "major" road (the term is used lightly for a series of small towns) it has some beautiful views of farmers fields on both sides of the road. It follows along the same road for the first 7km then turns left into a residential community and another left at the end of the road bringing you to the Stayner community centre.

the home stretch

As you enter the parking lot you are given a popsicle stick with a number on it. At the same time they write down your corresponding finishing time and you bring your stick back to the table to tell them your name.

I should have "chicked" the guy in front of me so that I could be 33!

They have water for runners and popsicles post race. After everyone has finished they have an award ceremony with trophies for the top male and female in each of the 4 categories. They also had some donated prizes this year which were given out randomly to participants. All participants get a commemorative patch that looks the same year after year except for the date. They said that 106 participants signed up, which is great! I'm sure some still took part that didn't sign up as well, which is just fine.

The only downfall (if you could find one) is that it is a point to point race meaning if you come on your own you best be prepared to run another 8km back to your vehicle or find a new friend to drive you back. Since it's not far from my home and since my parents are my biggest fans, they come along and enjoy driving along the course and stopping at different spots to take photos and videos of me. I am fortunate like that.

My mother says this race is for the "purists". You see lots of the older runners from the area who have been runners for life, those that still believe in the sport to be a pair of shoes and go, not big fancy races and fancy running clothing. I also saw a lot of different local running groups represented, which is nice to see. A different form of community.

The best part about it all is that all of the race is free to participate and free to run as it is all donated by local partners. It certainly makes me proud to be a part of this community.

post race Tim Hortons and a well earned muffin