With only 6 weeks of training left until the Golden Ultra Marathon, hills and trails are almost a daily occurence for me. Earlier in the week, I completed my long slow run of 32 kilometers, so the 20 km Emperor's Challenge seemed like a relatively easy training run....but I was hoping to beat my time from 2016. I calculated a 2:15 finish time was possible.
We arrive at the camping area near the start finish line about 5:30 on Friday evening. My plan was to run the course at an easy pace in the evening, so after setting up the trailer, I took the truck up the road that made up the final 5 kilometers of the race course. It was steep and littered with fist sized sharp mountain rock...it didnt really seem like a good time for a training run. So I opted for a shorter run and asked Cheri to meet me with the truck where the trail came onto the road. This was, after all, a training run and I didnt really want to do a road run down hill....
After a quick snack and confirmation from my local support team (Jim, Cheri and Zanne) that I was a little bit crazy to do this, I headed for the hills...literally.
The trail was much better than I remembered from 2016. But since I was training, I made sure to stop and eat some berries and enjoy the spectacular views!!
At the top, I was greeted by a heard of mountain goats...I was glad to see I wasnt the only one on the trail!! A little farther down the ridge, I bumped into Billy the goat, and since it is nearly hunting season, I had to put a stalk on him even though it took me off course. I crept within about 30 yards of him, but then my thumping heart and heavy breathing must have spooked him. He disappeared over the rocky cliff, and I continued on the trail...training again....
When I reached the truck after roughly 15 km and just over 2 hrs of running, I was slightly suprised by how long it took. But I chocked it up the my sight seeing and the goat trails I took. Tomorrow, would be all business!!!
Saturday morning dawned smokey!! Over night, the wind had changed directions and heavy smoke blanketed the valley.
Race day rituals are always followed: breakfast, RPR (I learned that one from Zanne. Ask me later if you dont know.), a quick walk to warm up my legs, a generous anti-chafe treatment, another PRP, selfies....and we were ready to go!!!
Race start lines are always fun!! Seeing people that I have seen since last year and of course sizing up the competition.... That is always a ritual of mine too. I soon spotted a couple people who looked much faster than I, so I opted to start the race a few rows back from the front...ok, it was the middle of the pack!!
With a bang, we were off. The cloud of dust we stirred up would have made a heard of elephants jelous. But soon the croud thinned and I fell into an easy pace. Soon I realized I was running with two of my friends from Fort St John....all three of us "Phil's"!! Even though we were less than a kilometer into the race, it was definitly time for a selfie!!!
We even got photo bombed by another kid....he looks like a "Phil" too....so I didnt photoshop him out....
From there, the grind started. I seemed to be sticking to my pace, but it wasnt without a lot of pushing and heavy breathing. Most of the race, I ran on my own. I made light converstion with some of the runners, but I couldnt seem to find anyone to pace me faster. So I just plugged on.
Luckily, the course was fresh in my mind from the evening before, and the thick smoke blocked most of the views....and my throat. Air seemed to be is short supply but there was an ample supply of smoke!!
A couple kilometers past the summit, I saw a warning sign that the photographer was just ahead. Since the pacer that I was currently following was wearing a purple tutu (seriously, she was...) I slowed to a walk so I wouldnt be caught in the same picture as her.
Once she was clear of the "photo zone", I picked up my stride, smiled and ran into "the zone".... As I heard the camera clicking, my right hand pole slipped between two clingy rocks!!! My photogenic "cheese!!!" face turned to more of a "buuuurger" face, and I wished the purple tutu was in front of me to hide my stumble.
Luckily, not only was he a great photographer, he can also take multiple pictures in quick succession....I had my "cheese" face back on in time for one good picture anyway!!!
The run down seemed to take FOREVER!!! I looked at my watch and saw I was already over the 2 hr mark, and I still had over 5 km to go. There was no way I was going to make my 2:15 target time!!!
I tried to figure out where I had gone wrong... I had eaten well, slept good, and felt pretty much amazing!! While running down the final kilometers of road, picking my way through the loose rocks, and kicking the odd one in disgust, the problem finally came to mind!!
Last year, I had trained very little prior to the race. My body was still well conditioned, but also well rested. A quick check on my watch and I realized that I had already run over 90 km this week and I had run three days in a row.... This was supposed to be training, not an opportunity to set a new personal best!!!
The final kilometers were much more enjoyable now that I was just training for the bigger picture!!! My body was keeping on, and I was going to DO THIS!!!
The cheers from the finish line always bring even the most tired runner in. And I even managed to get in a bit of a sprint, just for Cheri who was encouraging me the final few meters!!!
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