Respect to all those past years winners. It must be hard as heck to get through the whole season in one piece and come out on top. There is allot of travelling and time commitment and allot of variation in the races and it's pretty punishing on the body. I have no idea how it would be to run a 100 miler and then come back two weeks later and run another major race and do well. So far a 50 miler with a two week break has been my record but I'm feeling pretty beat up after 3 of the 12 races.
If you read my Kingston 6 hour race report you heard about my foot injury which at this point I believe is a fracture caused during the Sulphur Springs 50 miler. I'm really trying to figure out the best strategy with the Niagara race coming up. Do I go out and try hard until the pain flares up and then do a walk/run strategy, or give it a miss. Do I go out for my standard 2 runs leading up to it - a 10 km run after the last race followed by a slow 1/2 marathon to keep the legs turning over on Monday so I'm ready for the Saturday race - or do I just stay off it until race day. . .decisions, decisions. I don't want to be a wuss but I don't want to make things worse. All I can be sure of is that a 4:09 is out of the question this time around. I really wanted to crack 4 hours but it will have to wait for another year.
Having an MRI
I had my first MRI yesterday and just in case any of you have to get one at a future date I thought I'd tell you about my experiences. First off, it is not painful in any way whatsoever. There are two kinds of machine, one you get put into, the other which is a ring which moves over you. Mine was the one they put you in. They put the part of your body in the machine which needs imaging so for me it was the hip/pelvis. They put something over me at that point - a mat or something plastic which wasn't too heavy. The bed moved up and then into the machine and for me I was looking at the top of the machine with just a little sight of the ceiling but most of my body was inside.
The technician was good. She asked me questions before we went in, asked if I needed to use the bathroom (the procedure took about 25-30 minutes). You don't wear anything metal during the scan so that means wearing a tracksuit or something similar. They had a locker you could put your wallet, keys, purse, etc. into. I came into the room with my key for the locker and my glasses and removed both along with my shoes. She lay me down and then strapped my feet together - I think it's so you don't move but it's not uncomfortable. You don't need to wear a hospital gown and stay dressed. She supplied me with ear plugs and then headphones which played classical music while the procedure was going on. There was a 'control room' behind a big glass window which I guess is where she makes sure everything is going correctly. I don't think she was the doctor though.
You have to remain as still as possible and the only problem might be for some people that are claustrophobic If you are getting your head scanned I guess you get put in head first so that might feel more intimidating but there is nothing to worry about. The machine seems to make 3 types of noises. The one I initially heard was as if I was standing somewhere close to a ships engine room, maybe with a wall or two between. There was a fast baa baa baa baa baa baa noise, maybe 200 beats a minute. It was not too loud.
Then she said the procedure would start (cutting off the music and speaking remotely into my headphones) and then the machine got quite a bit louder and the baa baa baa became more like a boom boom boom boom. I thought I could 'feel' the sound on my body but I could be wrong and at some points I thought I felt the area around my waist become 'warmer' but it could just have been the plastic thing she lay over me making my skin feel warmer there. I think that thing they put over your private bits to protect you - they did the same for the X-ray. The final sound I can't remember but it was similar. You need the headphones because it is loud and inside the machine it might even sound louder.
The 'bed' moved slightly at different times to adjust the scanning area and then before I knew it she said we were done and the bed slid out of the machine. She removed my headphones and I spoke to her for a minute and then got my stuff and left. Easy peazy lemon squeezy. I'll let you know what they find. I'd had an X-ray done on the area a few weeks ago and the doctor said there was wear and tear but no other anomalies which is great, but X-rays don't always show off fractures so an MRI will definitively show if there is a problem or not.
Unfortunately they couldn't scan my foot at the same time which is a drag but I'll go for an X-ray on Monday rather than waiting another 3 weeks to get an MRI scheduled again.
Well, that is it for now. I'll come back a few days before the race and give you my predictions if there is to be a race. Otherwise that is it for now. Take care of yourselves wherever you are and happy running.
:)
Pre-Race Prediction
I went for a 10 mile run along the Niagara course after my foot X-ray on Monday. It was hot out but there was a hint of a breeze. It looks like the weather forecast for Saturday is 27 degrees and sunny with cloudy periods - so hotter than I like. I shouldn't complain though because Elise, another ultra runner I know, is doing a 5 or 6 day stage race in Utah right now (Desert Rats) and it is over 100 degrees in the desert with huge elevation changes.
My run was a total drag. It was weird. I felt heavy, no energy and although the foot didn't hurt or twinge, I just wasn't feeling it. I should easily have done the 1/2 marathon course in a reasonable time and maybe stopped once at the half way to recover but I was walking after 3 km only and many times thereafter. I imagine there is going to be allot of walking on Saturday!
I won't do another run. I want to keep icing the foot and at this point no running I can do will make any difference to Saturday. So, based on my Monday run, the weather predictions and how I feel overall I will be satisfied with anything under 5 hours. I would be delighted to be under 4:30 hours but I'm not going to stress so I'll say I'll come in at 4 hours 50 minutes.
I'll try to give my post-race summary as quickly as possible. Good luck to the rest of you and look forward to seeing familiar faces and new ones.
RACE REPORT
The Night Before
I drove down the night before to pick up my race number. They have gone back to a chip timing system which you attach to your shoe but it was disposable. There was yet another hooded fleece which was really bright. I don't mind it. They are really good quality and show off nicely. This year they had different colored ribbons on the medals stating your race distance - a nice feature I thought.
I parked a car at the course so I wouldn't have to worry about scrambling for a parking spot in the morning and got a drive home. The guy that gave me my fleece looked familiar and his name is Bill Lovett. I see his name allot in the race series and we seem to finish close to each other. I didn't know him at the time when I picked up my fleece but we played tag with each other for much of the last 15 km. Nice guy. His wife is an ultra runner also.
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| Friday night picking up race packs and fleeces |
I took my time during the day packing stuff and was glad the race was on home turf. The weather forecast called for hot and humid which I loath but we all had to deal with it. I didn't sleep well that night, not because I was nervous but I just couldn't get to sleep even with the A/C on and feeling comfortable. I tried my alphabet game. Choose a random letter and then try to think of every word containing that letter. I like it more than counting sheep and sometimes I even fall asleep. Then again, other times, I am too fixated and can't sleep. ha ha
The Morning of the Race
I woke at 5 am to have a small bowl of cereal and toast and at 6:15 am got a drive 10 minutes to the start. I took a lawn chair so I could cheer for other competitors after my race. It was hot already and you knew when the sun came up properly it was going to be stifling. My pre-race plan was to just take it easy - take it easy - take it easy. Of course I went out like a cannon with the leaders! Really dumb.
Before the start I got a chance to see familiar faces from Kingston race two weeks prior and other races. I saw Patrick and Cameron and Gino who have been in the top for a number of the races this year and in previous years. I was glad to run into Richard Takata again after meeting him after the Kingston 6 hour. He seems a really nice guy and unfortunately he told me his feet were still beat up from Sulphur 100 and has not recovered. His feet were majorly taped up at Kingston but sometimes these deep blisters on the pads take allot of time to clear and sometimes taping can bring you additional blisters if you get it wrong.
I saw Kimberly van Delst. I met her husband the previous night and he was going to do the 1/2. She always looks happy and enthusiastic and ready to have a good race. I like her spirit. I saw Chris McPeake and his wife Kim also. It turns out it was Chris' birthday. Happy birthday Chris! She was going to help today rather than racing and was getting over a cold. And finally I saw Ron Gehl. He does every race there is and is a character. You can't miss his brightly colored hat, big glasses and straws! We sat on the steps for a few minutes and exchanged gossip and stories.
I sorted out my final things at the car - filling my Perpetuem bottle with water, taking a few bites of a banana, applying liberal amounts of sun screen, making sure I had my good luck hair from Wanda - miss you :( . . . and lubricating all the parts that needed lubricating with BodyGlide (don't leave home without it kids!) Instead of taking Hammer Gel packs in my bum bag I put the gel (you can buy bigger bottles which makes it less expensive - it is slightly less gooey) directly in my plastic bottle and used the other bottle for the water/powder mix. That left the main compartment free for my Advil's, salt tablets and ginger slice. I knew the hand-held with water wouldn't keep me going until the 1/2 way point and intended to fill it up regularly at aid stations.
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| Sorting out my gear 10 minutes before the start |
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| My good luck charm |
The set-up was really good at the start and they had a commentator telling us all the pertinent information about the course. Today there was a big Laura Secord walk taking place which was happening at around the 11 km mark. While I saw lots of cars and a few buses and some people, mostly I think everybody was already past our location by the time we got there. Chris and I were chatting away amongst all the runners and before you knew it the commentator was telling us to line up. A core group of about 15 toed the line at the front and then there was a gap and then others were all milling around. I saw Ron up with the front people and decided to make my way up and then it was time to go. 7:00 am
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| Start/finish line. This is a shorter race. We'd already been out for 1 hour 28 minutes. |
The Race
I really was not feeling the love today. I am still awaiting my foot X-ray and MRI results and I was just kind of feeling 'so what' today. I knew I was going to be nowhere near my 4:09 time from last year, that it was going to be hot, and I didn't feel fit and ready. Off we went and at the Fort George parking lot my Mom had got up early to wave to me which was lovely. I didn't stop for a hug but blew a kiss and then we were all running beside Fort George and then quickly turned along the Niagara River. There was a core group of about 5 of us. There were about 4 ahead of them but I stuck with our group going about 4:45 km splits - far too quickly and I knew it but wanted them to drag me along for awhile. The talk was mostly from the two guys at the front of our group, talking about past races, other racers, how the season was going, etc.
I was already feeling pretty whacked by 8 km and by the time we got to the 11 km section and started going up the escarpment I started to walk the first part of the hill. I ran the flat and then we started up the long steady climb and I walked/ran it and got to the 13 km mark by around 2:09. Not fast by last years time but too fast for this year. It was starting to get really warm. The lead group were now in eye-shot but pulling away quickly. I saw the last of them along the flat stretch by the Hydro station. I believe I walked at a few places to get my breathing under control and by the 20 km mark was really not a happy bunny. After 15 km I was walking a few hundred yards and then looking out for the next km marking. I don't remember much about the run/walk into Niagara Falls but I was always positive to the runners who were returning from the 1/2 way point and gave a thumbs up or nodded in encouragement It was baking hot now and I got to the 25 km mark in 2 hours 17 minutes I believe it was.
At the 25 km aid station all I did was refill my handheld and grab a slice of orange. Up until this point I'd had a few S-Caps and drunk some of the gel and gone through most of my Pepetueum. On the way back I was really hot and suffering and there was a big water tanker with an extendable hose watering the big flower baskets along the Falls with a lovely shower of water coming off them so I ran around the truck and stood under the cool water and enjoyed every second of it.
The tourists were not thick yet along the Falls but it was getting busier. I'm always glad to be out of here as quickly as I can. There was a huge cluster-f*** of mindless zombie tourists crossing at the lights further from the falls. There must have been about 40 of them and they didn't have a clue - totally oblivious to anything around them. I almost knocked 3 over running through their midst. Really pisses me off. Anyway. . .
I wanted to get back to the 20 km aid station but holy crap I forgot how long a journey that is and when you are walking by that point it seems even longer. There were twists and turns and allot of ups. I was seeing many of the runners on their way to the turn-around and it gave me an idea where I was placed and I was really worried many of those runners were going to catch me up on the return journey. Everybody was friendly and positive to each other and I like that allot.
I got to the marathon turnaround point and there were quite a few of those runners in little groups making their way to their return point. The different colored bibs makes it allot easier to see who you are up against until people begin to pass you. I hate being passed :) ha ha. But to be honest, by this point it was going to be a walk and run-when- you-can scenario. From 15 km to the finish only a few passed me but some would have been marathon people. I popped another S-Cap and took an Advil. My foot had not bothered me yet and there had only been a little hip complaint.
There were a number of runners who became 'constant companions' with a tag-like scenario going on as each of our energies ebbed or flowed. They were also good motivators to keep in your sights and run when they did or try to run when they stopped to gain up that lost ground. Often it was a case where I'd use up most of my energy to catch a particular person and after getting 25 feet ahead of them I'd have to stop - then they would pass by you a few minutes later.
Some time around the 15 km mark a guy pulled up next to me and it was Bill Lovett, the volunteer the night before who had given me my fleece. He looked familiar and we carried on together running and walking until the bottom of the escarpment when he had to have a pee. I expected to see him again but didn't and he finished only about 3 minutes behind me. We were at around 3 hours 34 minutes with 11 km to go.
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| somewhere in the last 10km |
The last 10 km really was a death march with little running. I was hot and tired and wiped out but I did what I could. At the 5 km aid station the guy dropped some ice in my cap and gave me a cup of cold water to pour over my head which perked me up. At 3 km my Mom had pulled up in one of the parking lots to watch my return which really surprised me. She yelled out of her window and I yelled hi but I was pretty out of it. There were 2 ambulances there and they had this guy on a gurney over to my right. I hope he was OK. Probably the heat became too much with the running. I was checking my watch often at this point and trying to see how feasible a sub 5 hours was. It was going to be damn close.
It was around 4 km that I had my first experience with leg cramps. I've never had this happen in a race before. What a crappy feeling. I'd pick up the pace from shuffle to slow run and within 50 feet one of my legs would cramp and I'd immediately pull up to a walk. If I'd tried to carry on it would have become a full blown cramp and I'm sure I would have been rolling around on the ground. I must have fallen behind on my S-Caps but I knew with 3 km left there was no point taking another one. This continued all the way to the finish and I lost about 4 places because of it. It really pissed me off when I saw these people go by because they were so slowwwwwwww. But it didn't matter. They were still passing me. Dammit. Up until the last 1.5 km a sub 5 hours was still possible but then the cramps just would not let up and I knew I needed at least one good final run to do it.
This is a race but each time I tried to put in a surge and go by I'd get cramping in one leg or another and be back walking. Normally I try to run that last 1 km to the finish but I was walking the final long path until the grass section. I knew I was over 5 hours by this point and just wanted it to be over. Then I saw the finish and again tried to pick it up and for the last 100 meters it was a constant one leg cramping followed by the other with collapsing a distinct possibility. I heard the commentator encouraging me and the spectators cheering me and I was pissed I looked so fragile and useless. I got over the mat and Kim was there with my finish medal. I was sooooo happy to be done. I hobbled over to the car I'd parked under the shade and bent over the trunk of my car for about 10 minutes. I was done!
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| Major leg cramps - happy to be finished |
I totally forgot to take a finishing picture with my medal. Oops. I walked into the Scout Hall and grabbed a few slices of cold pizza and a mixed salad and plonked myself down on a chair. The back door was open and I could see spectators and runners milling around. After about 15 minutes I headed out with a cold beer and went to the car, grabbed my chair and an apple and headed to the finishing chute. What a lovely feeling. 50 km finished, tired but sitting down in the shade having a beer, cheering on others. It felt good. I knew what they were going through and respected them all for their efforts.
I ran into some of the top racers, Gino, Cameron and Patrick. Well done guys. Gino told me his girlfriend had placed first female. As I was sitting down Cameron and a woman walked over to me and she asked if I was Alex. At that point I was worried she was going to serve me a summons or something! I said yes and she told me her name was Heather Lightfoot. Ahhhh, Heather. Heather and Chris Lightfoot. I've been enjoying their blog reports for some time and must have made some comments on some of them. I had never met them but was hoping I would and now I was. They enjoy themselves allot with the running and I think their reports are very human and entertaining and thoughtful and funny :) Her husband had just finished the 50 km and she had been pacing I think it was her mother in law in her first 1/2 marathon.
We chatted for a bit and after cheering others for about 45 minutes I got up and walked over to meet Heather's husband Chris who is from the UK originally. After our talk I headed over to see the results which were being taped to the side of the building. I looked my name up and found my finishing place and can't complain. I placed better than thought. After a short drive home I sorted my stuff, showered, ate and went to bed for 2 hours. Actually it was not a sleep. I often can't sleep after a big run. My legs were sore but only one blister and that was not a major one so got off relatively unscathed.
3 days later and I'm still stiff/sore but I entered my next race, Creemore 50 km, which will be another new race from me. By many accounts I've read it is going to challenge me - huge hills, traditionally baking hot, and long road climbs which seem never to end. Oh joy! 1.5 weeks to go before that one. But a river to soak yourself and a beer at the end. Well, that's reason enough to enter this race!
I look forward to seeing you all and making new friends along the way. Stay well and happy running.
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