Skip to main content

Just another loopy day!

It's been a week now since I completed the Survivorfest 24 hour event, and I have to say that recovery from the event is going much better than I anticipated. The race itself was never really in my plans for this year, but then a case of FOMO back in March saw me registering, the plan being to use it as a training run for my forthcoming backyard ultra, and hopefully a confidence building if I could hit the 100 miles.

Unlike previous attempts at 24 hour events, my longest training runs had peaked at just 35km - long enough to help me have a decent run at the Red Deer Marathon, but not really enough if I hoped to get to the 100 miles in that 24 hours. On that basis, I had no idea how the day would pan out, and my only plan was to keep on running for as long as possible and have fun along the way - if I got bored or my heart wasn't in it before the the 24 hours had elapsed, then I was ok about stopping. There really was no pressure nor expectation - I'd even opted to do the "track and trail" route this time rather than spending the entire time on the track - that really did remove any pressure, especially in terms of chasing records or national team selection.

In hindsight, I will admit that my race definitely went better than I expected. My husband has been working away in Korea for the past month, so for the first 12 hours, I was self- crewing - this kind of worked well in some respects as I was able to eat and drink when I felt like as opposed to being made to eat by my crew, but in other respects, it made me forget the simple things like using sunscreen when things heated up, and making sure I was taking on salt more frequently. It also meant I didn't have the cool bag that I would normally use - too much faffing around getting drinks in and out - so everything of course warmed up as the day progressed, and drinking warm water and warm Tailwind was somewhat disgusting. Meanwhile, the lack of sunscreen meant I got burnt to a cinder in the midday sun, whilst the lack of salt caused me to get a little dizzy,  and it was only then that I realised I hadn't eaten enough salty foods!

But setting those things aside, the day went really well. I likely started a little too quickly as I got chatting to friends, but thankfully I was feeling good and the pace still felt easy and manageable. I hadn't really set myself any targets to get me through the race - normally I would say I'd aim to hit 50k in a certain time, or 100k or whatever - but this time, it was more about asking myself whether I had sufficient time to hit the 100 miles, even if I had to walk.

As it happened, I went through 50k in around 4 hours 40, and I hit 50 miles at around 8 hours 40, which meant I had TONS of time to hit my overall goal. 


I'd been refuelling really well and had had no puking sessions at all, and as I pushed on to the 100k mark, I was feeling really good. I hadn't used the aid station provided by the organisers, so shortly after hitting the 50 miles, I really fancied something cold and refreshing, so I took a few chunks of watermelon from them. I walked for a short while whilst savouring the coolness of it, but then as I started to run a few minutes later, the old familar nausea started, and yep, I threw up. It was so fricking frustrating! I really thought I was going to make it to nightfall before I starting throwing up my guts, but clearly my body had other ideas. I was also hoping it would be closer to the track where I could at least find a bin to get rid of my insides, but unfortunately it came whilst out on the course, and I was retching on the grass verge just across the road from people's houses. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, but thankfully other than a couple of kindly marshalls, nobody saw me and I was able to get moving again.

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

As with all my other races, from then onwards, I was struggling to eat and drink and it was back to the nibbling and sipping just to get something inside of me. The good news is that my friend Julie had agreed to crew me from around 6pm onwards, and she was able to bring some chilled drinks with her, and also cool down cans of coke and other things for me to drink. I was able to eat some solids again, but my calorie intake was coming predominantly from drinks. Up until then, I had done well and had actually eaten cheese sandwiches, a couple of boiled eggs, a 7 Summit Snacks bar, bananas, I had been drinking cokes and smoothies, and all seemed to be ok. 

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

I think I went through 100km in around 10 and a half hours, and having done the calculations in my head, I knew that even if I walked for the next 61km, and so long as I kept at the average walking pace of 20 minute miles, I could hit and indeed exceed 100 miles! My legs were feeling really good, mentally I was in a good place, and I was actually having lots of fun - probably more fun than at any other timed event I have done!

Julie did a great job of looking after me and keeping me fuelled, and when I had cravings for a strong cup of tea at around 10pm or something, she reached out to friends who kindly came out to the track on their Saturday night, to bring me a cup of tea and some Tim Bits. The tea hit the spot, and I had a sudden surge of energy that kept me going through the night. My other friend Pawel also came out in the middle of night, bringing me more tea and some fries to munch on. Being salty, they tasted fantastic, and I was starting to feel those hunger pangs again despite still being wary of taking on too much solid food.

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

At some point, I lost track of time and it became more about counting down the laps to the 100 miles. The night time was cold and as I was mostly walking by now, I had to layer up to keep warm. I felt so sorry for Julie who was still trying to look after me, and yet I'm sure she must have been cold, even though she was sitting there snuggled up under her blanket.

Living in the northern hemisphere means that the nights are short here in the summer months. Darkness came around 11.30pm, but by 3am, the sky was already starting to get light again as the sun started to rise. At that point - with around 5 hours still to go, I only had 8 miles to do before I hit the 100 miles. I knew I could do it, and I was so, so happy! Given that I had plenty of time, I decided to have a lie down in the tent for a half hour or so. I had been feeling a little dizzy again and my tummy was gurgling away  - I knew that a bit of a lie down would allow things to settle and then I could just crack on and get things done. This also gave Julie the chance to get warmed up in her car, so I had a very light doze, waking up just before 5am and getting back to moving again.

The sun has risen, and only a few miles to go! PC Julie

The sunrise was spectacular and I only wish I had a camera to capture the vibrant colours as the sun finally peaked its head over the horizon. It was still quite cool, but as that golden ball got higher in the sky, it made a huge difference and I was starting to warm up.

I continued to shuffle forwards, and after 22 hours and 38 minutes, I hit just over 101 miles or around 163km. I was still feeling really good all things considered, but I had nothing to prove by completing the full 24 hours, so I called it a day and was very, very happy with my result.

Survivorfest really is a fantastic event, and I am so glad that I went back again this time. Was it easier doing the track and trail? In hindsight, no, it was probably harder as there were a couple of inclines that you really feel as the race progressed, plus there was some negotiating curbs and speedbumps in the middle of night, when the legs are tired and the eyes are bleary! But that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I loved every single minute, and I think I smiled for pretty much the entire time.

Timed events also bring the competitors and crews together - the support out there is amazing, and everybody is so willing to chip in and help each other out. It feels like family, and even though I always say never again, there is just something about these events that lures me back.

I'm really happy with how things went, even though I probably walked far more than I ever have before. But the fact that I still hit the 100 miles and was able to dig deep and keep things going makes me happy and far more confident going in to the backyard ultra in a few weeks time. If anything hindered my race this time, it was the lack of miles leading into it, it was the heat, and it was the lack of salt. I think I did everything else right, and I am hoping that I can do just as well at the end of July. I'm hopeful that Andy will be back home by then, and I know for sure that he's the other half of my team that will help me achieve my goals next month.

For now though, I have to recover from last weekend, but also keep things ticking over to make sure I am ready for my next race. I've had a couple of good runs this weekend, and I'm surprised at how good the legs feel. Hopefully with a good massage and a few longer runs over the next couple of weeks, I'll put in a good enough performance that will help me to gain selection to Team Canada.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tackling the Iron Horse Ultra - 100-miles :)

Training leading into the Iron Horse Ultra had gone well, and even though I knew that getting close to my course record of 21 hours was quite ambitious, I honestly thought that I would be able to do if I had a good day But those of us that are runners will know that whilst running is a physical sport, there is also a mental element to running well, especially when it comes to racing those longer distances. It was the mental side that let me down this time, although it wasn't during the race that I struggled but rather the weeks leading up the race itself, and in hindsight the signs were there that I wasn't going to be able to perform quite as well as I was hoping.  Let me explain .... I like to think that for the most part, I am a good person, and I treat people with the respect that they deserve. Although some things do wind me up in life, I tend to be very laid back and easy going, taking things in my stride and trying not to make a big fuss about things. I'm also an intr...

Crown King Scramble 50km

The Crown King Scramble 50km was everything I expected it to be, and more. With great organisation, a tough course, outstanding scenery and lots of jolly good fun - and the fact that I finished soaking wet with sweat with salt stains across my face and all over my clothes, covered in dust and dirt from head to toe, absolutely starving and in desperate need of an ice cold beer, with tired, heavy legs but a big smile on my face - they were all sure signs of a damn good race. The race started at 6am alongside the shores of Lake Pleasant just as the sun was about to pop its head above the nearby mountains. The air was still quite cool although it was certain to warm up as the morning went along, with temperatures well in to the mid 80's expected later on in the day. The atmosphere at the start was a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation as we all knew what lay ahead - 50km or 31 miles of uphill running, climbing from around 1500 ft at Lake Pleasant to nearly 6000 ft in...

Sinister Seven Ultra

 I knew going into the Sinister 7 Ultra that I wasn't as well trained for mountain running as I was this time last year. Twelve months ago, I ran the 50 miler with relative ease, finishing in a little over 12 hours and even making the podium with a third place finish, whereas this year, I hadn't been to the mountains once, and I knew I was in for a hard time. Regardless, I headed down to Crowsnest Pass with the goal of just finishing the race, even if I was DFL and only just made the 30 hour cut-off. After a rather soggy and cooler spring and early summer, July brought heat warnings and hit temperatures in Alberta, and the forecast for race day was calling for highs of 30+ degrees - it was going to be a hot one! I did the best I could to prepare for the heat, continuing with my lunch time walks at work, and then running after work when things seemed to feel even warmer than earlier in the day. I even did my longer weekend runs just after lunch during the hottest part of the day...