Out running after a long break. Chris (left) and Jordan (right).
I went for my first run earlier this week, after taking over two and a half months off from running. I’ve been struggling with a sore foot and I took the break from running to help it get better. It wasn’t easy to diagnose my foot pain, at first I thought it was plantar fasciitis and then I thought it was a stress fracture. With some help from my wife who is a medical professional, we diagnosed the foot pain as peroneal tendonitis.
The peroneal tendon runs from the fifth metatarsal bone on the outside of the foot and up the ankle to provide stability when running and walking. This tendon essentially stops the ankle from rolling over when running. It turns out that peroneal tendonitis is a relatively rare condition which affects runners who have sprained their ankle repeatedly. I definitely fall into this category, having sprained my ankle countless times while trail running.
I’ve come to appreciate the importance of strong ankles for trail running and have been working on improving ankle strength and flexibility on a daily basis. Over the last 6 weeks, I’ve had a good amount of success with the exercises and stretches below.
Single leg strength training – I’ve recently realized that my left leg is significantly stronger than my right leg. I’m certain that this muscle imbalance is one of the driving forces behind my peroneal tendonitis. Over the last two months, I’ve been focusing on individual leg strength training exercises to combat the tendonitis. My regimen includes weighted lunges, single leg squats and single leg glute bridges. Prior to my foot strain, I used the two legged squat as my main leg strength exercise. Although the squat is a great exercise, it was not correcting the muscle imbalance that I have in my legs.
Single Leg Forward Bends – This simple exercise has been key to helping build ankle strength. I realized just how weak my right ankle was when I could not complete more than two forward bends without losing my balance. I’ve been doing three sets of 10 repetitions for each leg on a daily basis.
Calf Raises – The calf is the biggest muscle in your lower leg and is critical for ankle strength. I’ve been doing simple calf raises, without weights on a daily basis for the past 6 weeks.
Building ankle strength with calf raises
Ankle eversion – Ankle eversions specifically target the peroneal tendon. I’ve been using a thera band to perform these exercises 3-4 times per week. I typically do 3 sets of 20-30 reps.
Calf stretches – The double heel drop and the standing wall push are my go to calf stretches which I’ve been performing on a daily basis. I’ve been doing 2 sets of holding the stretch for 30 seconds.
Massage – The massage that I got earlier this week revealed just how tight my lower leg muscles were. My massage therapist spent a good 15 minutes loosening up both calves which left my foot feeling the best that it has in weeks. I’m planning on getting a one hour massage, every 4 weeks to keep my running muscles loose and limber.
All of the gels that I brought for the 2018 Sulphur Springs 100 miler
Packing for a 100 mile race can be a daunting task. I’ve included my list of essentials below and have listed them in my order of priority.
Shoes – Arguably the most important gear for a 100 mile race. I’ve run in the Brooks Cascadia for the last three years with good results. Many runners will change their shoes during a 100 miler however I don’t. I prefer to change my socks two or three times over the course of the race.
Some of the Brooks Cascadia shoes that I’ve run in, over the years
Hydration vest – I’ve run with Salomon hydration vests over the last few years and have been very happy with their performance. I’ve done most races with the equivalent of an S/Lab Sense Ultra 5 – a 5L pack which has two, 500 mL soft flasks carried in front. For hotter races, I’ll often carry a hydration bladder in my back pouch. I’ve recently purchased the Adv Skin 12, which as a 12L back pouch, for self-supported efforts like fastest known time attempts.
Jordan shown wearing the Salomon Adv Skin 12 hydration pack
Headlamp – I run with the Petzl Tikka+ which is a decent headlamp. It has an 8 hour battery life and is relatively light weight. A good headlamp is definitely an essential piece of gear for 100 mile races. I have enough to worry about while running through the woods in the middle of the night – I want to know that my headlamp won’t let me down.
Salt pills – My secret weapon for running ultra distances. I discovered salt pills after getting severely dehydrated in my first official ultra marathon. I haven’t experienced any major problems with dehydration since. I take 1-2 Saltstick brand salt pills every hour during a 100 mile race.
Energy gels – Clif is my brand of choice for gels and I typically eat one gel every hour during a 100 mile race. I’ll buy an equal amount of each flavour so that I can get some variety. Although I eat a lot of gels, I don’t actually enjoy consuming them. The first few gels taste okay however I am forcing down this super sweet, sticky goo at the end of races.
Watch – The Garmin Forerunner 935 has been my watch for the last two years. It can track GPS for 24 hours and even longer in ultrac mode. I used ultrac mode for my last 100 mile race which took me 30 hours to complete.
Nip Strips – These small plastic discs somehow stay stuck for over 24 hours, providing nipple protection for the whole 100 miler.
Food – Home made oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies are one my favourite racing foods. I’ll include a dozen, large cookies in my drop bags and will eat all of them over the course of the race. Peanut butter and jam in a wrap is another racing favourite and I’ll eat 2-3 of these over the course of a race.
Poles – I run with the Black Diamond Distance FLZ poles. These carbon fiber poles are ultra light, strong and collapsible. In the two long races that I’ve run with poles, I’ve been very glad that I brought them. Poles are great for climbing hills and for giving your legs in the break in the later stages of a race.
Running with poles at the 2019 Midnight Moose 100 miler
Squirrel’s Nut Butter – This all natural coconut oil based product is great for lubricating all of your parts that are prone to chafing.
Calf compression sleeves – I use calf sleeves to protect my skin from irritation from the growth on the trail. The long grass and weeds brushing against my lower legs often makes my skin itchy and angry. I’ve worn a number of different calf sleeve brands with good results.
Sporting my We Run the North virtual race buff from Gotta Run Racing
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing with Jodi McNeill and Norman Nadon of Gotta Run Racing. During the one hour interview, I discuss my journey with weight loss and how I went from weighing close to 300 lbs. to running 100 miles. I also discuss my quest to run Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc one day and my big plans for 2021.
While I usually write profiles on individual runners, I was taken by the story of this trail running duo. Married couple Jodi McNeill and Norman Nadon, have made running their careers. They first owned a running store together and now manage a race series full time. Norm and Jodi are the founders and Race Directors of Gotta Run Racing. Gotta Run hosts a trail race series in Ontario including the Rainbow Trail Run, Island Lake Classic and their signature race, Chase the Coyote. Chase the Coyote takes places in the beautiful Mono Cliffs park in Orangeville Ontario. The trail race is in its 10th year and is tentatively scheduled for September 18, 2021.
In addition to their in person races, Gotta Run has recently launched the We Run the North virtual 10 km race series. I’ve signed up to run six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I’m excited to receive the beautiful medals after I complete my runs. The medals feature Canada’s national parks and were designed by Alison Grant, a local artist and runner. We Run the North was recently featured in an article with Get Out There magazine.
The British Columbia and Alberta medals from We Run the North
I met Jodi through Instagram last year when she was planning a trail run in her previous hometown of Georgetown, Ontario. Jodi contacted me for some recommendations on my local trails and I was happy to help out. I recently appeared as a guest on Gotta Run’s new podcast and I’m excited for the podcast’s release in the next week or two.
During our podcast chat, I learned that Jodi wasn’t always a runner. She got into the sport after she started dating Norm. Jodi didn’t like waiting around for Norm at all of his races so she decided to participate in them. Now an accomplished ultra runner, Jodi has completed trail races around the world. She ran 100 km at the notable Javelina Jundred in 2019 and also won the award for Most Helpful Volunteer for her work leading up to the race. Prior to Javelina, Jodi ran 50 km at the well known Zion Ultra in 2017.
Jodi after completing the Javelina Jundred in 2019
Norm also has an impressive running resume. He placed 5th overall in the 2017 Black Spur Ultra 108 km, a rugged mountain race which takes place in Kimberley, BC. What’s more, Norm has completed a number of premier trail races including the Leadville 100, Zion 100 and Canadian Death Race. Norm had an unbelievable year of racing planned for 2020. He gained entry into three of the biggest long distance races in the world, Western States 100, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and the Boston Marathon. Unfortunately, Covid-19 intervened and Norm needed to postpone his dream races. Norm still has plans to run all three races when travel restrictions are lifted.
Norm racing in Europe in 2018
I’m looking forward to following the future adventures of this ultra running couple. Whether it’s running the Mozart 100 together in Salzburg, Austria, Jodi and Norm are always doing interesting things.
My daughter giving me my medal after finishing the Sulphur Springs 100 miler in May, 2018
I’ve seen a number of runners post about wanting to attempt their first 100 mile race this year. This got me thinking about what I wished I would have known when I ran my first 100 miler. I joined the 100 mile club in May, 2018 after completing the Sulphur Springs 100 in Ancaster, Ontario. I’ve included my top 3 takeaways below.
1 – It’s Okay to Feel Like You’re Going to Puke
I stopped eating any solid food about half way into my first 100 miler. I felt really nauseous and only ate energy gels as a result. The lack of calories eventually caught up to me and I slowed down in a major way. My good friends who were crewing for me finally intervened and forced me to eat some high calorie, solid food. This happened to be a butter tart. I barely produced enough saliva to get the first bite to descend past my throat. When the bite finally reached my stomach, I doubled over in pain, convinced that I was going to vomit. To my great relief, I didn’t toss my cookies and after 15 minutes, I felt like a new man. The solid food gave me an amazing boost of energy and I picked up my pace. I eventually completed the 100 miler in a respectable 27 h 38 m. Ever since this race, I’ve learned to ignore the inevitable gut pain during an ultra and to just get the calories in.
2 – Train to Hike
I distinctly remember pacing with a tall runner. He was power hiking and I was running at what I thought was a good pace. I eventually pulled ahead of the tall runner however he would catch up to me whenever I stopped at an aid station. This was my first indication that I should have done more hiking in preparation for the race. My second indication was when I slowed down during the second half of the race and had to power hike all hills, big and the small. Even though I was walking, my legs took a beating since I wasn’t used to it. I have since incorporated hiking into all of my longer training sessions with great results.
3 – Running 100 Miles is a Team Effort
Fortunately I had two great friends, Chris and Joe pace and crew for me during my first 100 miler. Having both completed a number of ultra marathons, Chris and Joe had great advice for me during my nearly 28 hours of running. Not only did I benefit from their knowledge, Chris and Joe kept me company by pacing me during the night. I really appreciated having their company – this was my first time running all night on the trails. I also got a huge amount of support from my wife. She always encourages me with my running and she looked after our three kids while I ran. For the entire weekend. Although I was the only person from my group of supporters who finished the race, my team was instrumental in getting me there.
Finishing the Sulphur Springs 100 miler with my daughter in May, 2018
Jordan (left) and Chris (right) at the halfway point of the Caledon Trailway
This is a follow up to my original blog post on the Caledon Trailway FKT which I wrote on September 13, 2020. I’ve written a much more detailed account below – the original post only included a few paragraphs and a short video. The Caledon Trailway FKT has since been broken by Jason West and Tyler Chacra who ran it in a smoking fast 6 h 19 m on November 1st, 2020.
My watch alarm went off and I wearily got out of bed. It was 4:30am on a Saturday. I usually sleep in on Saturdays and I felt tired as I brushed my teeth and assembled my running gear. I drove to Chris’ house at 5:30am and he followed me on the 20 minute drive to the trail head. We decided to take two cars because of Covid-19. We were starting our run in Terra Cotta, Ontario, a beautiful little town on the banks of the Credit River. I had proposed our goal to Chris a few weeks earlier – to break the fastest known time (FKT) for the Caledon Trailway, a 35km rail trail. The FKT was set at 10h49m by Norman Ficker for an out and back, a total of 70km. The trailway is gravel covered, flat and straight. Chris rubbed his hands together as we walked to the start of the trail. It was a chilly 8°C and we weren’t used to this cool weather. We counted down to start our watches and both touched the seven foot tall rock monument with the engraving “Welcome to the Caledon Trailway”. It was 6:07am and we were both amped to run.
Chris (left) and Jordan (right) at the start of the Caledon Trailway
It was still dark when we set off at an easy pace, both of us using the light from my headlamp to navigate. We had considered leaving my headlamp in the car since sunrise was only a half an hour away. We were only a few minutes into our run when we saw what looked like a small pile of garbage on the side of the trail. As we approached, we realized that the small pile of garbage was in fact a porcupine. We had made the right decision by running with a headlamp! We gave the porcupine a wide berth as we passed, it didn’t move an inch.
Chris (left) and porcupine (right)
I had to consciously hold back on my pace, Chris and I have a tendency to run fast when we’re together. There’s always a lot to talk about and we don’t notice that we steadily increase our pace. We breezed into Inglewood after 10 km and caught sight of a nice sunrise. Caledon East came into view after another relatively easy 10 km. Although the trail was flat and straight, the scenery changed regularly. There were forests, wetlands, farmer’s fields, golf courses and old bridges passing over country roads. Just outside of Caledon East, we talked about refilling our water as we passed a soccer field complex. We spotted washrooms and thought there might be a water fountain. Chris and I both carried large hydration bladders in the back of our packs and two 500mL soft flasks in the front. We still had plenty of water because of the cool weather but it was starting to get hot. We knew that we’d have to fill up water in the next 2 hours. Our original plan was to refill water from one of the rivers but I was getting nervous about that. I haven’t ever drunk water from a natural source, I’ve always had tap water.
We had run a total of 30km when we arrived in Palgrave and passed their beautiful town clock. Just outside of Palgrave, we got passed like we were standing still by a young lady running with her mom. We felt a little funny about it until the mom asked us if we were ultra runners. She wanted to know how far we were going and was impressed when we told her 70 km. Encouraged by this interaction, we ran another 5km and reached the halfway point just outside of a small town called Black Horse. There wasn’t a clear sign that the Caledon Trailway had ended so we continued running as we discussed whether or not we had finished. In the end, I pulled out my phone and checked the previous FKT route. We realized that we went a kilometre past the turnaround point. Despite this hiccup, we had run the first 34.5km at a great pace, completing it in 3h40m. We added an extra 10 minutes with our goof up but we were still well ahead of FKT pace.
Jordan at the halfway mark – having completed the whole Caledon Trailway.
Chris and I discussed water again as we turned around and started the 35 km back to the start. We both had a small amount of water left in our hydration bladders and the temperature had warmed up to 18°C. We reached a water hose just off the trail after 5 km and were disappointed that we couldn’t turn on the tap, we needed a wrench. Luckily, we were being careful with the water we had left. We ran on, agreeing that we’d see if we could fill up at the soccer field complex just outside of Caledon East. Chris and I were both out of water when we reached the soccer complex about an hour later. We could see buildings but couldn’t tell if they were unlocked or if we could fill up water. Not wanting to waste time, we pressed on agreeing that we’d fill up from the first suitable water source. Luckily, we spotted a fast flowing stream just outside of Caledon East, a couple of kilometres later. Chris led the way, having filled up from natural water sources on previous running trips. He filled up his Salomon soft flask, screwed on the filter cap and took a sip.
“Awesome, refreshing!”
Encouraged by Chris, I filled up my soft flask and took a sip of the cold water. It tasted amazing. I drank a full flask before filling up again. We would both carry a flask with us and look for another river to fill up later on.
Relieved that we had water again, we set off at our sub 11 minute mile pace that we had been holding the whole time. We had 20km to go when I started to feel the effects of running for over 5 hours. I had fairly intense and general pain in both legs with significant tightness in both hip flexors. I didn’t tell Chris though. I’ve found that you give your pain more power in ultra running, when you complain about it. I knew that we only had a little under three hours left and that I could last through the pain. I fed off of Chris, he moved easily and was in great spirits. He set our pace and I kept up.
The Caledon Trailway has metal gates at each road crossing. There’s a map of the trailway at each gate which shows the road crossings as black dots. Chris picked up on using the gates as progress markers early on in our run. He called out that we had six gates left before hitting Inglewood which marked 10km to the finish. I focused on keeping our pace and getting to the next gate. Running, like any task, is easier when you break it into small chunks.
Despite the pain, I held our sub 11 minute mile pace as we picked off gate after gate. We arrived back in Inglewood after 6h48m of running. We hadn’t planned for it however we were in a position to take 3 hours off the previous FKT if we kept our pace. This energized us both and hardened my resolve to push through the pain. We checked the map as we left Inglewood – we had 12 gates until the finish. Chris continued to move easily, running through road crossings after checking for cars. I needed to sneak in a few steps of walking at road crossings to relieve the pain. We held pace for 6 gates and arrived in Cheltenham, halfway there. I continued to struggle, however I kept up with Chris. In addition to the pain in my legs, I started to feel the heat – the temperature had risen to 27°C. Could I really continue to run for the next 6 gates? I wasn’t going to complain and I wasn’t going to let Chris down, so I kept on. I could see the next gate on the horizon and knew that I could run the short distance. I managed to hold pace to the gate and then set my sights on the next gate. We continued like this until we came to the last gate where we had parked our cars, earlier that morning. We had a road crossing and 300m to cover in less than a minute to hit our goal.
“You ready to go?” said Chris.
The pain didn’t seem relevant any more as Chris and I started a sprint to the finish. I’m always amazed at the reserve of energy your body can summon when it’s needed.
“I’m with you,” said Chris.
We continued our sprint, intermittently checking our watches. We could see the big stone monument at the end, but could we reach it in the 30 seconds that we had left? 20 seconds left, then 10 seconds left, we were almost there. Huffing and puffing, we slapped the stone monument and stopped our watches. We made it with 4 seconds to spare. We finished the 70km FKT in 7 h 48 m 56 s, hitting our goal of taking more than 3 hours off the previous FKT. Amazingly, we had held the same pace of around 10 m 41 s per mile for the whole run.
Jordan (left) and Chris (right) at the end of the Caledon Trailway FKT.
Exhausted, we took a short video to document our finish and walked back to our cars. I revealed to Chris that I was really suffering during the last 2 hours of our run and he told me that he knew. He could tell from my breathing and I’m sure he noticed me sneaking in the walk breaks at road crossings. Like any running event, the pain dissipated quickly and was replaced with a warm feeling of accomplishment.
My KHS Grit gravel bike - great for winter conditions.
Freezing feet, boogers frozen to my face and a sore butt. Winter cycling sounds like a lot fun and as a matter of fact, it is. I’m taking a break from running so that I can recover from a foot injury. Cycling has been a great way to get my dose of the outdoors and to maintain my fitness while I take a break from running.
I ride the KHS Grit gravel bike which has been perfect for winter weather. My gravel bike has a hybrid tire which is larger than a racing slick but smaller than a mountain bike tire. I can cruise on smooth sections of road and I also have the traction that I need to navigate wet or snowy sections. I lucked out when I bought my gravel bike in the summer, I didn’t realize it would be perfect for winter riding. I haven’t ridden in snowy conditions and I don’t plan on it. I stick to mainly clear and dry roads.
I’m cycling so that my foot will get better however cycling has been taking a lot of pressure off my knees as well. I developed a knee strain last year from running which was tough to shake. It’s common knowledge that cycling is much lower impact on your knees than running. My knees have felt great over the last few weeks that I’ve been cycling and I’m hoping that this running break will pay dividends for when my running starts to ramp up in the spring.
Rock Bros neoprene bike shoe covers
I still haven’t found the right solution to keep my feet warm – I have no problem keeping every other body part warm though. I think the main problem is with my cycling shoes. My feet are packed like sardines into these shoes which keeps the blood from getting to my toes. It’s not for lack of effort, I wear a thin sock with a larger wool sock over top and then put a neoprene cover over my shoes. I had some success on today’s two hour bike ride by stopping after 45 minutes of riding and taking my shoes off for a short break. I put my gloves over my feet and wiggled my toes until the blood returned. My feet were okay for another 45 minutes however I chose to power through the last 30 minutes with frozen toes – probably not a good idea.
How I kept my feet warm on today’s winter ride.
Taking a break from running was the last thing that I wanted to do however it hasn’t been that bad. Cycling has done a good job at filling the running void for me over the last few weeks. I like that I’m building my stamina on the bike and that I can still train for longer efforts similar to how I would with trail running. I plan on continuing my break from running until my foot gets better, hopefully by the end of February. I’m glad to have cycling as alternative however I can’t wait to get back on the trails.
Nicole Mericle and Lauren weeks battle during Spartan wrestling. Image from spartan.com web site.
Ultra runners, obstacle course racers, ninja warriors and a former NFL athlete. This list gives you an idea of the variety of athletes who came together on October 2020 to compete for $100,000 in prize money. Through exceptional videography, the 2020 Spartan Games story is shown through four Youtube videos which are 40 minutes to one hour in length. The disciplines ranged from ultra running, to cross fit, to Spartan wrestling.
I came to know of the Spartan Games through Ryan Atkins’ Instagram posts. I started following Atkins on Instagram this summer after he set the fastest known time (FKT) for the La Cloche Trail. Located in the rugged Killarney provincial park in Northern Ontario, the 78 km La Cloche Trail typically takes hikers 7-10 days to complete. Atkins ran the trail in a very fast 9 h 5 m. An impressive all around athlete, Atkins is a joy to watch during the competition.
Lindsay Webster is another one of my other favourite athletes from Spartan Games. Webster is a three time Spartan world champion and is also married to Ryan Atkins. I thought it was pretty amazing that two high caliber athletes like Atkins and Webster are married. I was surprised that this wasn’t discussed more during the Spartan Games videos, their marriage was only mentioned once. Like Atkins, Webster is very fun to watch throughout the games. Did I mention that they are both Canadians?
Mike Wardian, one of the top ultra runners in the world, also competed in the Games. Wardian is known for his extreme toughness, he won the Quarantine Backyard Ultra earlier this year by running 263 miles in 63 hours. Kellyn Taylor, one of North America’s fastest marathoners, competed on the women’s side. It was very interesting watching these long distance runners, Wardian and Taylor compete against the rest of the field.
I highly recommend all 4 episodes of Spartan Games. It’s excellent TV and a great way to pass the time in quarantine. I watched most of the series while riding a stationary bike. Spartan Games has definitely peaked my interest in trying a Spartan race this year. My family and I are planning on competing in the October, 2021 Spartan race in Collingwood, Ontario. There are events for the whole family, from my 11 year old daughter to my 4 year old son. I’ll have to modify my training so that so that I can climb ropes and cross monkey bars. I’m looking forward to the challenge, it will be fun to push myself in a new sport.
There’s nothing like a good running book to kickstart your training going into a new year. I read some great running books in 2020 and have included my top 5 books below.
1) Rise of the Ultra Runners – Adharanand Finn
Cover image from Amazon.ca
My favourite running book from 2020, the Rise of the Ultra Runners follows the author, Adharanand Finn’s quest to run Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). I did an in depth review of Finn’s book in a previous blog post from August, 2020. Readers follow Finn on a number of races leading up to UTMB. Finn does a fantastic job describing the emotions and the beauty of ultra running. Finn also gives some excellent background information on ultra running, starting from the sport’s origins and going all the way to present day.
2. Cross Country – Rickey Gates
Cover image from Amazon.ca
Rickey Gates tells the story of his 2017 run across America through beautiful photos and writing. I listened to Gates’ audio book first, which is really short at 1 h 27 m in length. Despite its length, I still enjoyed the audiobook and wrote a full review of it in a June, 2020 blog post. I sent my review to Gates in an E-mail and was happy to get a response back from him. Gates admitted that the audiobook was short and encouraged me to buy the hardcover book which includes his photos from the journey. I received my hardcover book a few days later after ordering it through Amazon. I really enjoyed experiencing Gates’ trip though his series of photos. In addition to being a professional runner, Gates is a professional photographer and it is clear that he has a real talent for his craft.
3. Meditations from the Breakdown Lane – James Shapiro
Cover image from Amazon.ca
Meditations from the Breakdown Lane is the story of James Shapiro running across the USA in 1980. Shapiro does most of his journey alone. He takes his meals in diners and sleeps in motels. I would love to do a cross country running trip at some point and reading about Shapiro’s journey was fascinating. Shapiro’s writing is poetic and he shares some very moving insights on long distance running. That being said, it took me a long time to finish reading this book. I had to read it in small chunks since Shapiro’s writing is very detail oriented. He spends a lot of time describing his interactions on the road from conversations with waitresses to getting heckled by young road workers.
4. Beyond the Trees – Adam Shoalts
Cover image from Amazon.ca
I admit that Beyond the Trees is not based on running however the book captures the spirit of adventure of ultra running. Shoalts tells the tale of his solo journey by canoe across the Canadian Arctic in 2017. He describes a race against time in which he must rely on his endurance to cross challenging terrain so that he can complete his journey before brutal winter conditions set in. This is the second book that I’ve read by Shoalts and it didn’t disappoint. Shoalts’ first book Alone in the North, is a great story about his search for an undiscovered river in the Canadian north.
5. How to Lose a Marathon – Joel H. Cohen
Cover image from Amazon.ca
How to Lose a Marathon is definitely the funniest running book that I’ve ever read. The author, Joel H. Cohen is a writer for the Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. Cohen shares his journey of starting to run, to completing the 2013 New York City Marathon. How to Lose a Marathon is not only funny and entertaining, it’s full of great information about running. I plan on sharing the book with friends who would like to start running.
I was on my way to running the Super Bowl of trail running, the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in 2021. Completing two qualifying races in 2019, I simply needed to finish the UTMB Val D’Aran in July, 2020 to have guaranteed entry to UTMB. A 100 mile race through the Spanish Pyrenees mountains, the UTMB Val D’Aran sounded like an amazing experience. My family and I planned a two week vacation in Spain for the race and we couldn’t wait for it.
Running hills on Fallbrook Trail, April 2020
Starting 2020 with a bang, I placed third overall in the 6 hour, Stride Inside Indoor Track Race in early January. I felt very strong running 65 km in 6 hours. Shortly after, I started an aggressive training program in the early Spring. I spent hours doing hill repeats since I needed to prepare for the 10,000 metres of vertical gain at UTMB Val D’Aran. Running up and down a hill on Fallbrook Trail, just outside of the Silvercreek Conservation area near Georgetown, Ontario, I would rack up thousands of metres of elevation.
At the Stride Inside Indoor Track Race, January, 2020. Photo: suesitki.com
I felt a twinge of pain in my knee as I came down the stairs one morning after one of these long training sessions. Deciding to ignore the pain, I kept moving forward with my training until my knee got too sore to ignore. In all of my six years of ultra running, this was the first time I had experienced significant knee pain. I backed off from my training as a result, doing more hiking and cycling. At the same time, local Covid-19 cases started to climb and I began to hear rumblings that international travel might get cancelled. Holding onto hope that I would still get to run UTMB Val D’Aran, I kept up my training. I cycled and hiked until my knee felt good enough to run again and then I started to increase my mileage.
I received the news in May of the official cancellation of UTMB Val D’Aran as the Covid-19 cases sky rocketed in Canada and around the globe. Although I was very disappointed, I was also relieved since my knee was starting to bother me again.
I backed off my training again from June to July and then resumed heavy training in August. My friend Chris and I successfully achieved the fastest known time (FKT) for the Caledon Trailway in early September, completing 70 km in 7 h 48 m. The FKT has since been broken by Jason West and Tyler Chacra with a time of 6 h 19 m and Denise Brady with a time of 6 h 27 m.
Setting the Caledon Trailway FKT with Chris, September, 2020.
Slight knee pain returned after the FKT along with some glute and foot pain. I ran through the Fall with these strains, hoping that they would go away. Now at the end of the year, I have finally decided to take a few weeks off running and hiking altogether to resolve the various strains that have stuck with me since the Spring.
The major theme that I have identified for this year in running is patience. Holding back on my training has been extremely difficult however running is an activity that I want to do for a long time. I love to race but I love train even more. I rely heavily on my daily run to clear my head, lift my mood and to relieve stress.
More patience will be needed for 2021, I’m planning on spending the winter months getting my legs strong again. I’ll lower my training volume for January and February and will ramp things up in March. For overall goals in 2021, I would love to complete a multi-day FKT in the late spring, a shorter FKT in the summer and to run a 100 mile race in the fall. As for the UTMB, I would still love to run it some day however I don’t feel a huge sense of urgency. Flying half way across the world for a race felt funny when there are a number of great races in Canada which I haven’t yet run.
If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected, to roll with the punches and to focus on what I can control in my life. With news of the deployment of two effective Covid-19 vaccines, I’m optimistic that ultra racing will return in the summer or fall of 2021. I’m looking forward to getting back on the trails with my tribe. Here’s to a hopeful 2021.
