Evergreen Trail Trek Marathon!!

Even though the race was two weeks ago, it has taken time for me to process it all and put it into words.  It was my third marathon, but I learned so much!!  The course was 4 loops just over 10 km each.

Roughly, the first 2 kilometres and the last 3 kilometres of each loop were flat trail, the remainder of it was single track through the infamous "Twisties".  This section is a curvy, sandy, single track that is not does not have flat section .  As soon as you reach the top of a hill, it is a decent to the bottom of another uphill grade.  It is an excellent trail for a 10 km run, but FOUR LOOPS of the "Twisties" was a bit challenging for me.  And then there is "Shari's Hill"....this short uphill grade is at km 7 of the loop and is covered in lose sand.  As you can guess, Shari is a runner who has a certain passion for running this hill, and I must say, I do not share the same passion for Shari as I was GRINDING up her hill....multiple times in one evening!!

The 5PM start time of the race was also a first for me.  Starting that late in the day definitely affected my mindset for the run, and the day in the office didn't prepare me well for the run.  When I arrived at the start line in front of the grande stands at Evergreen Park, I learned that there was a 2.5 hr cut-off at km 21 after the first two loops.

Being very familiar with the trail, I knew the cut-off time was possible for me, but I would have to push myself harder than planned in order to finish the first two loops by 7:30 PM.  I was running the race as part of my training plan for the 125 km Canadian Death Race in August, and my goal was to finish the race in roughly 5:30.

"The few brave souls running the full marathon...."

When we all got behind the start line, which was on the horse racing track, I was happy to see there were only about a dozen of us that were running the full marathon.  "Maybe this was my chance for a top 10 finish in a marathon" I thought to myself....

When the start gun goes off, my tendency is to run faster than my race pace, so I always have to make a conscious effort to slow down so I don't burn out too soon.  This race was no exception, but I knew I needed to keep that pace in order to make the cut-off so I just kept going.  I knew I could do maintain that pace for 21 km, and I just figured I would deal with with last 21 km when I got there.

Ha!!  Rookie mistake!!

Loop one went well with a lap time of 1:07.  I was feeling quite good.  I had placed a drop bag at the start/finish line and there was also more water there.  I knew I had enough water for at least 2 hours in my pack, so I tried to ration it, so I could make it the full 2.5 hours to the cut-off if needed.

"The view from the top of Shari's Hill... pictures
just don't quite capture the EPICNESS"

 After the first loop, each subsequent loop starts with one lap around the horse race track then back onto the single track.  I have never run on an outdoor running track, and at the first turn I learned that I never WANT to run on a track.  The race director never specified and no lane was marked, but being the conscientious runner that I am, I tried to stick to the outside lane of the track....to make sure I got the full distance!!!  (By the time I was on the fourth loop, I was pretty sure I was going to have the full 42.2 km so I may have been cutting the inside of the corners a little close....)

The second loop was very enjoyable.  The sun was starting to sink lower in the sky, and the day was starting to cool off.  I started to do the math and realized that if I did the same pace as the first loop, I would be at the cut-off at 2:14....add in another 6 minutes to run the track on the second loop and I was not at 2:20!!  I knew I had no time to enjoy the scenery!!  It was all business on loop two.

When I came down the home stretch on my second loop, the clock was at 2:26!!  I had made it!!!

At the finish line aid station, I refilled my hydration pack, which had been empty for the last kilometre or so, and I walked part of the race track while I ate my mid-race snack of boiled potatoes.  Feeling somewhat refreshed, I now had time to relax a bit and enjoy the familiar trails and the ideal running conditions.  The 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km runners were also on the course so it made the next kilometres go a bit faster.

My the time I hit the "Twisties" on loop three (km 26 roughy) I had met most of the other runners, and I was now running alone.  The sun was sinking lower in the sky and it was now dusk.  Before I knew it, I was struggling to keep running, even on the downhill sections; I couldn't get myself to run!!  I took some salt tabs and recorded a Facebook Live video in hopes that it would motivate and inspire me.  A business acquaintance, who is also a runner, was commenting on my live video.  He asked if I needed anything and offered to bring me a snack.  (Runners are such cool people!!!)  I assured him that I was fine and kept myself moving down the trail.

"The start of the Twisties"

"Must stay hydrated!!!"

After the "Twisties", the trail drops down into the creek bottom, this portion of the trail was very muddy and the dark trees, made the fading daylight even darker.  I had my headlamp in my pack, but I didn't want to stop to use it yet; I would save it for the last loop.

At the creek checkpoint, the infamous Shari (Who the hill is named after) was such a welcoming sight.  I often run with her, so she understood how I was feeling when I told her I was "pooped".  A quick "high five" for encouragement and I kept going.  Even after I left that checkpoint, I was lacking in motivation and energy.  I took some salt tabs while I hiked up the mossy, slippery hill, hoping that would help.

With little to no change in motivation, I forced myself to run when I reached the top of the creek hill. It was about 2 kilometres of mostly flat trail, but I still struggled.  While I was walking along the power line, I remembered a quote that someone had sent me earlier in the day:

At mile 20, I thought I was dead.
At mile 22, I wished I was dead.
At mile 24, I knew I was dead.
At mile 26.2, I realized I had become too tough to kill....

As the quote rolled through my mind, a lump formed in my throat and I started to fight tears.  I knew I was tough, but I didn't realize I was THAT tough!!!  The race seemed possible now, I KNEW I could finish this!!  From somewhere, I got more energy and I started to run again....

Just over a little hill, I met another course marshall.  He asked how I was doing and I had to stop and explain to him, that I had just run through the toughest wall that I had ever experienced while running!!!

Then came "Shari's Hill", for the third time!!!  I seemed to go up it easier than I had on the first loop!! From there is my favourite part of the trail.  It rolls gently downhill and winds along a ridge, then onto a trail beside the road.  From there, it is 2 km of flat trail back to the start/finish line.

"Conquering Shari's Hill for,
the THIRD time"

That part of the trail always gets monotonous for me.  Even though I was out of the thick timber, it was starting to get dark.  Soon, I could see someone running down the road towards me.  In the dusk, I didn't recognize him until he crossed the ditch and came onto the trail....Reid had brought me a bag of Gummies and a banana!!!  The lump quickly came back in my throat and luckily, I also had sweat running down my face, so I think he was oblivious to how I was really feeling!!  The Gummies were AMAZING and I remembered the lesson I learned on my first half marathon, so I put the banana in my pack to enjoy after the race!!

As we ran the last couple kilometres in loop three, my pace increased.  I told him how tough the last loop had been, but how I kept moving and pushed through the wall; an experience I had never had before while running!!  Reid ran with me to the end of the loop, then with a high-five, I was back on my own but in MUCH higher spirits!!!

At the finish line aid station I changed into a long sleeve shirt.  It was definitely getting cooler.  I finished off the last of my potatoes and ate some more dummies while I did my final lap on that dreadful race track.

As I was headed out on fourth and final loop, I met the race leaders coming in from their final lap.  The encouraging words from each of them kept me going.  At the end of the "Twisties" was the most AMAZING race volunteer.  She walked down the trail towards me and gave me a big hug and said "You are doing SO WELL!!!  I knew you could do this!!!"  She put a smile on my face as I headed down into the creek.  It was now dark, so I was using my headlamp.  But with the fatigue and darkness, the muddy trail all seemed to blend into the dark woods.  I ran down the rut filled hill with little care.  "If I fall now, I won't be wet for too long!!

With a quick high-five at the creek checkpoint, I started back up the hill for the last time.  I was ready to put it all behind me and be finished!!  Back onto the power line, sheer willpower that the anticipation of the finish line kept me going.

"Yes, I really was that tired on the final loop...."

The trails were quiet, but in the darkness, the race volunteers kept cheering me on....  Turning the final corner, I could see the lights of the finish line in the distance, and hear the music.  Once people noticed my headlamp coming up the dark race track, they started cheering me in - from somewhere inside, I found a little more energy and my pace increased!!  As I got closer to the finish line, more people came outside and started to cheer.  (I think they were happy to see me too, so they could turn out the lights and go home!!)  The encouragement of the volunteers and the remaining runners standing at the line cheered me across the line in a full-hearted sprint and with a smile on my face!!

I finished the marathon in EIGHT place with an official time of 5:50:15!!!  There were only 8 finishers in the marathon, but a top ten finish, IS A TOP TEN FINISH!!!

Think Before You Shop!!

How do you decide where you shop for your running gear or anything else you purchase for your daily life??  Is your decision based on price, service, selection or convenience??

When I started running about 2 years ago, I was training for the BMO Vancouver half marathon.  About a year after completing that race, I started running trails and began training for the Golden Ultra Marathon, which is a three day, 85 km stage race in the mountains.  Needless to say, my list of required running equipment changed dramatically, and I soon realized there was a lot of necessary (and very cool) running equipment out there that I new little to nothing about.

Not being a huge fan of online shopping, and not really knowing WHAT I needed, I started to visit our local running stores.  Our stores here in Grande Prairie soon became my favourite places to shop (and dream) about new running gear.

Soon the staff at Walk Run and More knew me by name and became accustomed to my many questions about interesting things in the store. When I wore out my first pair of tennis shoes that I had been training in, they helped me determine what type of shoe worked best for my gait.  Then it was a search to find a shoe that fit my wide feet without causing me discomfort on long runs.  When we found the best choice for me, I proudly purchased the shoes and I went home to wear them around the house.  Then it was a visit to the indoor track to see how it felt to run in them.  They were a perfect fit!!

I often returned to the store; looking for new shoes and running accessories as I switched from road running to trail running.  The staff knew what shoes worked for me while running on pavement, so they knew what to recommend for trail shoes.  Then it was on to hydration packs, and then the problem of me being an "excessive sweater" and sweat running off my bald head and into my eyes....

Who knew Halo makes a very effective headband to help bald guys like me with "sweat management"??  On one of my visits to the store to look for a hat or buff, one of the staff recommended the headband.  I purchased the 1980's looking headband and took it for a test run on a sunny day.  It was AMAZING how well it worked!!  Aside from the odd looking strip of pail skin around my head that was in the shade of the headband, surrounded by the rest of my head which was a golden glow; I fell in love with the headband!!  When discussing my odd tan lines with Jenn, she recommended a similar headband by Headsweats that had a built in mesh buff to cover the top of my bald head and prevent the odd tanning pattern.  This one worked much better, with only one tan line, rather than two!!

Just last week, I was getting my gear ready for a 5PM start of a trail marathon.  I was all dressed, ready to run, then got my pack ready.  After filling the water bladder, I hung the pack on the back of a dining room chair while I refilled my bag of salt tabs and filled a pocket with dates for a snack on the trail.

That was when I noticed water, steadily dripping from my pack onto the floor!!!  A quick inspection proved that the quick-connect valve in my water hose had failed.   Every time a little pressure was applied on the pack water POURED out of the valve!!!  This would never work!!  My pack would be empty by the time I got to the start line!!  With race start time less than 2 hrs away, I hurriedly called my "runners hotline" and was soon talking to Lisa who owns Walk Run and More.  After explaining my "leaking issues" to her, she assured me that she had a replacement valve for me; sitting on the front counter at the store.

The store location was only a small detour on my route to the race.  As I leapt from my truck and sprinted across the parking lot, dressed in full running gear of fluorescent green knee-high compression socks, running shorts, tight tee shirt, and my brightly patterned Headsweats buff - my leaking hydration pack left an evidence trail as I entered the store; proving that I was in distress and needed a little help!!!  Im sure other customers in the store questioned my sanity when I handed Lisa my pack that was now soaking wet and only half full of water.

In order to prevent more of a disturbance in the store, Lisa directed me to a table in the shipping receiving area in the back of the store where she helped me replace the faulty quick-connect valve.  If the race had already started, we would have won a prize for the fastest person in and out of the transition area!!

As I tried to pay her for the part, she chased me out the front door, and said "You have a race to run, pay me some other time!!"

Needless to say, this experience was just the beginning of a very eventful evening of running a trail marathon (which will be detailed in another blog).  I learned many things in that race, but perhaps the most valuable was the importance of building relationships with our local retailers, and supporting the people in our community that make a difference to so many people.

Next time you are needing to replace your worn out pair of shoes, or just wanting to shop for your next running accessory; consider shopping local.  Think of the impact these local stores have on our running community, how these stores support their staff who are also members of our run groups....and you never know when you will be entertained by some bald guy in bright green, knee high socks sprinting across the parking lot, dragging a leaking backpack....you sure won't see THAT on Amazon!!!