Canadian Death Race Training, 62 Kilometre Run

The day was not hurried or spur of the moment.  We had been planning this run for several weeks.  My training plan that was built by my running coach and run group leader, Krista, was slowly getting me ready for this distance.  With this 65 kilometre run being eight weeks before for the 125 kilometre Canadian Death Race, it seemed like quite the daunting task for me.  But I have learned to trust the coach....she has a plan!!

The route planned for the day started in Grande Cache and followed legs 1, 2 and 3 of the race course.  On race day, cut off time for the start of leg 4 is 11 hrs and 45 minutes.  So todays goal was simply to finish the run ahead of the cut off time....or as closely as we could!!  For me, it was also a familiarization run.  I had only been on a small portion of leg 2 last summer, so was excited to explore the trails that I would be facing during the Canadian Death Race.

"Legs #1 and #2 of the Canadian Death Race consists of
two mountain peaks with 1,879 meters of elevation gain."

My training and nutrition for the two weeks prior to this run had been dismal, to say the least.  Two weeks prior to the run, I was volunteering at the local Grande Prairie Stompede.  During the five days of rodeo and chuckwagon races, I spent 14 to 16 hrs a day on my feet, wearing cowboy boots.  I averaged 25,000 to 30,000 steps per day, but sleep and nutrition were very low on the list of things to do for the week.  Needless to say, I lost over 10 pounds during the week and didn't get in any training runs!!

This left me with one week before the long run to catch up on sleep, hydration and nutrition.  Mentally, I just wasn't feeling the upcoming run!!  I had to FORCE myself to eat!!  Hydration was relatively easy, but I couldnt find enough time (in the day or night) to catch up on the sleep I had missed the previous week.

Two days prior to the run, I was chatting with a friend who was also on the Stompede board of directors with me.  I knew she was a Thrive distributor and I had heard of the product before, but I am sceptical of most of these types of products.  At this point though, I was willing to try it out, so she offered me a few samples to try on the run.

The run was planned to start at 8AM; the same time as the actual race.  The end of leg 3 was about 10 kilometres out of town, so we had to position vehicles at both locations so we could get back in to town after the run.  With the 2 hour drive from Grande Prairie to Grande Cache this meant that I had to leave town at 5AM in order to get ready to run at 8!!

I had been making a mental list of everything I would need for this length of a run; but this was longer than I have ever run before.  The 60 km Golden Ultra that I completed in September of 2017 was my longest run so far, so I was mentally preparing myself for a similar day.  I kind of knew what to expect.

The 65 kilometre course took us over 2 mountain summits.  The forecast was calling for up to 10 mm of rain for the day; but at altitude, who knew what we would be facing.  I was planning on starting the run wearing shorts and tee shirt; but I packed a wind jacket, hat and gloves, long sleeve shirt, and running tights, just in case.  As with all my long runs, I also boiled my favourite mini potatoes and filled a zip-lock back with dates.  Desert was double stuffed white Oreo cookies and gummies with salt tablets as the appetizers!!

"When preparing for a long run,
never pass up the opportunity
to eat!!!"

At 11PM, I finally was all ready for morning.  After a quick shower and I crawled into bed, set my alarm for 4:15 AM, and turned out the light.  Then it hit me.....I was HUNGRY!!!  I knew this was no way to start out a running day, so I got out of bed and quickly made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Then chased it down with a banana and a liter of electrolyte water!!  Bed time #2....this one turned out to be the final one, and I quickly fell asleep.

My alarm went off way too early, but I somehow managed to roll out of bed and land in my running clothes that I had piled on the floor less than 5 hours earlier.  In the kitchen, I had set out my breakfast of Stoked Oats and planned to get a bagel and muffin when I picked up another runner at Tim Hortons at 4:00.  In an effort to multi task and save time, I was transferring my post-run food from the fridge to the cooler while I was cooking the oatmeal in the microwave.  With the job half complete, I noticed an odd sound and could see an oatmeal FOUNTAIN forming in the dim glow of the microwave light!!!  By the time I got things under control, about half the portion of Stoked Oats was in the container.  The remainder was dripping from the roof and running down the door of the microwave.
I made a mental note to leave a message on the counter for Cheri (who was still sleeping), promising to clean up the mess when I returned that night.....  I forgot to write the note....

Finally, I had gathered everything I needed for the run and headed out the door.  The meeting place at Tim Hortons was less than 10 minutes away.  As I pulled into the parking lot, I realized I had forgotten the Thrive patch!!  The way the previous few weeks had been, this may be the final link in the success of my run!!!  Fortunately, Erin wasn't waiting for me yet so I returned home and found the patch laying on the counter in front of the messy microwave.

When I returned to the meeting spot, Erin was there and ready to go.  I quickly grabbed a bagel and coffee for the road, then we headed south to join up with the rest of the running party.  The 2 hour drive to Grande Cache was anything but dull.  We discussed running strategies and the upcoming races we had planned.  And of course we talked of the mental side of running.  How it is technically a solo sport, but it is so important to be part of a team!!

As we arrived in Grande Cache the rain started to fall...apparently, the forecast wasn't too far off after all!!  We quickly stashed our gear in the appropriate vehicles then transferred the vehicles down the highway to the end of leg 3 which was about about 10 kilometres out of town.  Back in town, all 11 of us were ready to hit the trails and it was 8:05AM, after a quick "pre-run" picture, we were on our way!!

"Left to Right:  Robin, Doug, Michal, Darryl, Coach Krista,
Erin, Shari, Yasna, Jessica, Me, and Christine"

The first few kilometres of leg one wind through town, then cross the highway and start up a slight grade into the bush at the base of Grande Mnt.  Most of the trail follows a quad track, but there are many rocks, roots and muddy portions to navigate through.  It didn't take long for the faster people to get ahead of me; but for a while, I could still hear the distant yells from Krista as she tried to scare the bears deeper into the woods.

Most of leg one was gradual hills.  The up-hill sections, I power hiked and the downhills, I tried to run; if it wasn't too muddy.  Five or 10 kilometres into the leg, all 11 of us were spread out on the trail.  Three or four people were ahead of me, then I was in a group of three, then the remainder were just a short distance behind us.

On one of the rocky portions of the trail, Doug, who was running just behind me, slipped on a wet rock and twisted his ankle.  He kept up the pace for a while, but soon realized he was not going to be able to finish the first leg and decided to call for a ride when we crossed the highway.  It was a grim reminder to me that injuries can happen to anyone, anywhere.  I passed the time by focusing on foot placement and body position....anything to prevent an injury!!!

"Nearing the end of leg One"

The remainder of leg 1 was pretty flat.  It wound its way along side a lake, then a couple kilometres along a gravel road and back into the woods to a rail yard.  Most of the trail was marked with faded flagging, and faint paint markings could be seen on the odd rock or root.

At roughly 2 hrs into the run, we were at the rail yard.  The transition area, for legs 1 and 2.  Four of us met up there and without delay, we started leg 2....the ascent of Flood Mnt!!!  After crossing the highway, the trail followed a very dusty logging road.  The incline was too steep for me to run, so I settled into a steady power-hike pace with the 3 others.  When the logging road turning into a quad trail, our group of 4 was once again all stretched out and I soon found myself alone.

I had never been on this portion of the trail before, so when I was with the group I tried to ask as many questions as possible so I wouldn't get lost.  I was told there was a creek part way up Flood Mnt that would possibly be our last water source for quite a while.

"There is nothing like drinking from
a mountain stream...."

I run with a 1.5 liter water bladder, but it is very hard to tell when I am almost out of water and need to ration it, so I also carry a 500 ml water flask as a reserve.  Running out of water is a very mental downer for me, so I try to avoid it at all times.  Sure enough, at roughly km 20 a beautiful mountain stream crossed the trail.  I stopped and refilled my water bladder, and also drank right from the creek!!!  The smell and taste of the mountain water always takes me back to my childhood, when I would spend many days each summer, hiking and hunting in the mountains of the Yukon.  We never packed water with us, so we drank from every small stream we came across.  If it was clear and cold, we figured it was good to drink!!

I probably spent too much time at the creek, but feeling much more refreshed and with a slight belly ache from drinking too much,  I continued power-hiking up the trail.

The early morning rain showers were still trying to stick around, but they were having a hard time performing.  The steady breeze kept the bugs away, and the odd spatter of rain, kept me from overheating.

At kilometer 22.5 (by my watch) the trail takes a hard right off the quad trail and starts the loop to the summit of Flood Mnt.  At this intersection, I caught up to Shari and Christine who were just finishing a snack.  They asked how I was feeling and I confessed that I was water-logged and did not feel like eating at all....I was behind on my nutrition.  They sternly told me to EAT or I wouldn't have the stamina to finish the day.  So I sat down for a bit and ate some of my rations...Oreo cookies, gummies, dates, and a couple salt tablets.

Just as I was finishing up, Daryl, Krista and Robin finished up the loop and started down into Slug Fest, the swampy portion of the trail between Flood Mnt and Grande Mnt.  After a quick chat with them, I started up the single track to to top of Flood.  It didn't take long before, my nutrition kicked in!!  I had energy and I seemed more alive!! Maybe it was the view from the top of the mountain or maybe it was just the fun of running along the summit trail; but the 2.5 km loop was a very welcome break from the slow grind coming up the quad trail.

"Thanks Tips....."

Back at the intersection, the decent started into Slug Fest.  This swampy portion of the trail lasts for about 4 kilometres and is marked by numerous muskeg sections and a few small creeks, none of which I determined were good enough to drink from.  In between the wet sections, there seemed to be a never ending supply of very steep, relatively short declines.   The steep down hill portions of the trail jammed my toes to the front of my shoes that were soaked from the swampy sections.

A cynical sign nailed to a tree reminded me that "Black toe" isn't just a state of mind....  Well then, what was it??  Up until this point in my running career, I still have yet experienced that phenomenon; but I had this funny feeling that after today's run, I would no longer be a "Black Toe Virgin".  Shari and Christine were usually with in yelling distance, but I could sense that they weren't too eager to discuss the legendary "Black Toe" with me, so I continued hiking....in silence.

After what seemed like an endless repetition of bum-slides, swamp, then short climb, followed by the same process all over again we came finally came to nicely flowing creek.  The ladies assured me that this was a good creek to drink from, and after drinking from it (again, too much) I agreed with their decision.

While I filled my water bladder once more, the ladies continued on.  I didn't mind too much, because I figured I would probably be running a great deal of this trail by myself on race day.  This was as much mental training for me as it was physical.

After the creek, we followed an old abandoned road for several kilometres then hit an access road where I caught up to the Shari and Christine again.  We power hiked the last 4 kilometres to the summit of Grande Mountain.  Near the top, the wind increased and it started to rain so I stopped and put on my waterproof wind breaker.

The ladies seemed to have a sense of urgency to get off the mountain so while I enjoyed the view for a bit, they headed down the mountain on the power line for the final 6 kilometres into Grande Cache and the end of leg 2.  I wasn't long into my decent off the mountain when I was sheltered from the wind and the sun came out...so I had to stop and remove a layer of clothes.

"Nearing the summit of Grande Mnt"

This portion of the trail I was more familiar with, I had hiked it once with run group the previous summer and I had a very vivid memory of the constant decent littered with loose rocks and deep dust.  I have always heard how this section of the trail is a quad killer and I was beginning to experience it first had.  My right knee started to tighten up and with each step, I could feel a general pain which started to worry me.  In the distance, I could still see Shari and Christine, but my instinct told me to slow down and take it easy rather than risk an injury on a training run.  I didn't know how to get from the 2/3 transition in Grande Cache onto leg 3, so I tried to keep them in sight as best I could.

"Yes, there was sweat dripping
off my nose and chin...."

Running back into town, as I neared the rec centre where our vehicles were parked, I called home to my wife to let her know I was still alive and preparing to head out on the final leg.  When I got into the parking lot, I could see the ladies were still there, but they were about ready to leave.

I had been on the trail for 41 kilometres and nearly 8 hours so I needed to restock my food supply.  The steep decent down Grande had also proved to be too much for my shoes.  Both of of which, were showing signs of distress to the extent of failure; so I changed into a new pair that I had used for less than 50 km.  While I refilled my water supply, I enjoyed some watermelon and tested out some fresh pomegranate.  They were quite sweet, but still very refreshing.  I wasn't too sure what the excessive fiber from the pomegranate seeds might do to me, so after sucking the juice off the seeds, I spit them out.  (Im sure the birds thanked me.)  I also grabbed a bag of boiled potatoes (which I had forgotten to take with me on the first leg) and snacked on them as we headed out of town on the third and final leg.

My watch battery was very low at the transition so I plugged it into my battery pack which I had with me.  Unfortunately, while it is charging, it doesn't track distance, so I had to rely on the ladies for mileage updates.

After a quick downhill portion out of town, then a kilometre or so of uphill, the road narrowed to a quad trail which was cut into the side of the river valley.  The majority of the trail seemed to be on a gradual decent, but many sections were strewn with loose, jagged rock, making running impossible...not to mention unsafe.

A half hour or so after refuelling at the 2/3 transition in town, I once again had a crazy amount of energy!!  Yes, my body was fatigued, but the trail was easy and the river valley scenery was spectacular!!!  In amongst the rocks that were strewn across the trail, there seemed to be numerous piles of bear droppings as well.  None of it seemed too fresh, but the thee of us agreed to stay together regardless.

As the trail got lower and lower into the river valley, it also seemed to be never ending.  I knew from looking at a map the day prior, that the trail crossed a bridge at the coal mine, then we had to go several kilometres back up the river to the end of leg 3, but the bridge just wouldn't come soon enough!!

Ten kilometres into the leg, my watched was fully recharged, so I turned it back on to GPS tracking.  With a simple calculation I was now able to keep track of the distance remaining to the vehicles.

FINALLY, the bridge was in site.  I had heard about the final 3 kilometres of leg 3.  They used to follow along the side of the road, but a few years previous, someone got really adventurous and decided to cut the trail into the side of the hill above the highway!!!  I have to admire that persons dedication and tenacity.  Several sections have ropes to assist with the STEEP inclines or declines and large sections are cut into the side of the mountain by hand with a path only as wide as a single track.  One step out of line and it would be a LONG drop onto the highway below, and most definitely the end of the race....

"Leg 3 started way up on the horizon, then followed the left side of the river.
After crossing the bridge, the transition area is on the right side of the highway just out of sight."

"One of the several rope sections
in the final kilometres"

In the last few kilometres, the trail followed closely to the highway in several sections.  In one of these areas, Dary and Coach Krista who had already finished leg 3, pulled up beside us in their car and shouted encouragement to us, cheering us on!!  We still had nearly 45 minutes in order to make the target cut off time and we were less than a kilometre away!!  I mentioned to Daryl that I felt good enough to start leg 4, up Mount Hamel; but he said I was most likely delirious and I should just stop after finishing this leg....  The last kilometre was one of the most technical.  Two rope descents, chewed at my puffy sweaty hands, and my toes that I hoped were only black from the trail dust, were jammed into the front of my shoes.

In the distance, we could hear horns honking and the shouting of the rest of the group!!  It sounded like there were 100 people there cheering us in.  We waited at the bottom of the final rope near the edge of the clearing for all three of us to get to the bottom, then we ran in to cheers and high fives of the rest of the group.  It wasn't much of a sprint, but the effort was there for sure!!

As we sat there reflecting on the highs and lows of the day, I couldn't help but be amazed at how well I felt!!  I really did feel like I could continue on running if I needed to!!   Starting the run, I wasn't even sure I would be able to finish leg 3, not to mention, finish over 10 minutes ahead of the 11 hrs and 45 minute cut off time.  Maybe it was the Thrive patch, maybe it was the constant hydration from all the mountain streams...??  One thing was for certain, everything worked together this time, and I can only hope for the same results in 7 weeks on race day....and the myth of the black toe still eludes me.....!!