The Weekend That Was... (Noel)

Monday, July 18th, 2011 - 12:21pm

"The Fat Dog race has been called off due to snow and unsafe 
conditions, such as exposure to long falls. We are not able to mark 
trails according to permitting requirements. As well, we cannot set up 
three remote aid stations. On Skyline, you would need crampons and an 
ice axe to navigate the route (and all events must use Skyline to 
return to the finish). In some locations, there is a 7 foot bank of 
snow on the trail.
There is no alternative route that is not impacted by snow.
Nature has beaten us this year; like other trail races that had to 
deal with weather changes.
Your options: you can have a free race entry next year or you can 
choose to do another Mountain Madness race such as Dirty Duo in March 
2012 in North Vancouver.
For people who sent me an earlier email, we had no Internet access in 
the park so could not reply.
The race committee is disappointed and we realize that racers are also 
disappointed by this outcome. We hope you will return next year to see 
what the course is "usually" like.
Race Committee"

....

I won't lie - it sucks.

Emily and I recieved the first e-mail saying there was a risk of cancellation due to snow the Thursday before this last one, and one more update on Saturday while they continued assessing the situation on Saturday, before recieving this final e-mail on Monday.

It's funny too because we saw pictures of it before and after this news and you can see the drastic differences between places where the sun hits and doesn't.  One hillside has green trees, brown dirt, and flowers in bloom, and 1km away around a corner and it's covered in deep, deep snow.

From a safety standpoint i completely understand and agree with the decision - i would do the same thing - doesn't change the face that it is a bit upsetting.  I have no issue with the Race Organization group - they did an amazing job putting together what could be one of the best ultramarathons around, but nobody could have predicted the weird weather we have had the past month or so.  With the snow not melting away as fast as hoped, it just wouldn't be right to risk it.

So now Emily and i are shaking it off and keeping ourselves busy - she has signed up to do Sooke Half Ironman on August 7th (after doing one 2 weeks ago in Peterborough!), and will be training to do a full Ironman in about a year's time.  I am now focusing on prepping myself to train for Oliver Half Ironman next June (my first!), but i am still leaning towards doing Fat Dog next year - it just feels like unfinished business now, and i am determined to do what i set out 7 months ago to do - even if i have to wait a year to do it!  I'll keep up training for it, and the training for Oliver will be a great way to cross-train.  Emily is leaning towards not doing it next year - and likely a good idea if she plans to focus on training for a full Ironman! Still she might do Dirty Duo - but there's time to think about it all.

With that in mind, i'm going to take my wetsuit and bike up with me when my family heads to Oliver for our annual 2-week vacation in August, because we stay at the campsite/resort at the lake where the swimming portion of the Oliver Half Ironman takes place!  So i will have ample time to get myself accustomed to the route - as the area is extremely familiar!

Back to Fat Dog though - Emily and I are still going forward with the Fundraising that we have done during our training - we don't want that to fall apart just because the event did not happen!  We have to thank everyone who has supported us both in donations and all-around goodwill and support since we sat down to work out our training and fundraising plans 7 months ago yesterday!  Everyone has shown us amazing support, and i have to say that the past 7 months have been COMPLETELY worthwhile.  Only good things have come from it, the only downside being that the event itself didn't happen as planned, but we gained so many connections, friends, and the benefits of training.  I can say that i am in arguably the best shape of my life - with the ability to run a 100+ km race!

We've gained so much worthwhile knowledge as well - i'm so much more in tune with what my body needs both in rest and during training runs, we have the knowledge of how much it benefits anyone to have a goal set as motivation, and how great it is to have a training partner to keep you going, especially on those rough days!  I know for a fact that - especially in the January-March training with the dark, rainy mornings (and sometimes snow!) i would not have gone to train if i did not have Emily there to get me going!

If anyone ever wants to talk about the benefits of goal-setting and training with a partner as motivation, i'd be more than happy to do so!

Also along the training road i met so many other great people too - helping out with the Mountain Madness Trail Running Clinics not only introduced me to Mountain Madness as a group, but the people who come out to participate are an amazing community unto themselves!  Everyone is out there to help one another accomplish what they are setting out to do, and i can only applaud everyone who is/has been/ and will be a part of that!

So while yes - one more time - i am dissapointed that the race was not able to go on this year, only good has come from this experience, and it is one that i will always be able to look back on with great memories.  It has been amazing and unforgettable - i still can't believe what has happened in the past year!  I went from my first half-marathon (BMO) last May - i now have 3 under my belt, bettering my time each time - i did my first 50K Trail Race in March - with great results, and i trained for 7 months with a singular goal in mind - al the while raising funds for 2 great causes.

Emily and I are still intending to Blog as we train for our different events - they may be different than planned in the next little while, but that doesn't mean they are any less of an Epic Adventure!

Team NSA will continue! 

Keep an eye out on the roads, waters, and trails, and you may see us running, biking and swimming along!

See you out there - and best of luck in whatever you set out to do - If you want to do it, there is no doubt that you can!

-Noel

The Last Stretch! Taper Week Report (Noel)

So it's coming up on Monday - which means 5 days until we begin the epic day that is Fat Dog!

It's almost odd - at this point the nerves about doing the event are gone for the most part; it's just making sure i have everything in order that is the cause for any concern that I am feeling.

There is a possible snag in the fact that there is more snow than expected and if the BC Parks Crew isn't able to get to some specific areas in time to clear out debris from the past year, the event itself might be in Jeopardy - but hopefully it doesn't come to that!

All that said whatever ends up happening this coming weekend i am extremely thankful for the past 6 months of training and the things that have come with them!  I met so many new people through helping out with the Mountain Madness Trail Clinics, as well as the Mountain Madness crew themselves - everyone has done such an amazing job putting this event - as well as several others - together.  So many friendly faces that come through the store that i can now recognize and have conversations with to see how they're doing, what they're up to, etc.

On top of that, a great friendship with Emily, which has also helped me realize the immense benefits of having a training partner, or at least someone to talk to about the same things to help keep you motivated.  There were so many mornings, especially early on in training where i KNOW for a fact that i would not have gone out and gone for a run if i didn't have someone to run with!

Anyways, cheesiness aside, tapering has been good so far - i've been feeling almost a little jittery in the sense that there have been times where i have wanted to exercize a little more, when i know i should be taking it easy - and i have been!  It's challenging at times to hold myself back though....

Fundraising has been going well!  So far we've raised $410 for CKNW Orphans fund, and we reached $270 on our Right to Play page the other day!!  People can still donate to either cause up until the event!

I think i'll pause for now, and likely update later in the week as it gets closer and i need to de-stress by blogging!

-Noel

CANADA DAY! (Noel)

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!!


Finally the weather is getting better again! Not perfect, but...as long as it holds off with the rain I will not be one to complain.

This day also marks the fact that there are THREE WEEKS LEFT until Fat Dog!!!

Wow.

In related news, the BBQ for CKNW Orphan's Fund was a success!  Even with the weather on last Saturday, we raised $410!!

Thank you to all those who came out, and those who have given Emily an d I support over the last 5 months.  If you'd still like to donate to either cause, we are accepting donations up until the event itself!

Last Sunday i went and did the Scotiabank Half Marathon - great day and a nice route!  Ended up running on a full stomach from the night before, but still chucked out a 1:29:22 - so i'm not going to complain!
The main reason for doing this race instead of Comfortably Numb was that i've been helping train my brother for this for the past few weeks, as it was his first half marathon.  He ended up getting 1:51 - well done Corey!  I don't see him getting the bug and doing an ultra any time soon though - i think he'll like the half marathon distance.  My mum ran it too and ended up getting the same time as last year, albeit with a few cramps, but nothing to complain too much about!  Now if i just get my dad into it it'll be a family affair!....Unlikely, but one can dream....

The hard running on roads for Scotiabank ended with me tweaking my left knee a bit - so i've been taking it easy with lower impact cardio the past few days to avoid serious injury!  It'd be terrible if i were to do anything serious now, with Fat Dog so close!!  It's pretty nearly back to normal as of today, which is promising, but i'll keep a sharp eye in case.

At this point i'm just wanting to make sure i have everything in order - hotel room near manning, supplies (both fuel and first aid, headlamp, etc) and just getting out and running some nice long slow runs to maintenance until the race.  the worst part at this point seems to be the waiting!!!

In any case - a Happy Canada Day to all, and we will see what happens in the final 21 days!!!

-Noel

The Count down is on!! - Emily

T- minus 33 day 10hrs until we start running our adventure!!

but for me i have 2 more races to do before fatdog.  one being tomorrow!! Its the Iron mountain Triathlon in Maple ridge. ( 1.5km swim , 40km  bike, 10km run)   I am using this race to find/ make any last minute changes before my half ironman in 22day!!!  July 10th 8am i take part in the Peterborough, Ontario half ironman triathlon.  This will be my first, and most definatley not my last half ironman.  

This year for training has been very different then past years.  I will 100% admit i bit off more then i can chew, choosing 2 HUGE races.  Unfortunatley, some aspects have conflicted with each other, making some training day hard mentally and physically.  for example...  my long distance running with fatdog has REALLY effected my riding for tri. ( but my riding has helped my running???)  I have been training for this half since september 2010 and dedicated fatdog training since january.  

Ive definatley had my ups and down.. having 2 surgeries since last june...recovering from the drugs they gave me... struggling with nerve damage....and with all that trying to keep my motivation high. 

Would i do this over again?? (train for an ultra marathon 50+ miles )

I have been asked this question numerous times. To be honest i have bounced around with my answer.  I have had really high points and really low points through out this journey but when it comes down to it, the high points out weighed the lows. I wouldnt recommend doing an ironman or half the same summer as an ultra ( let alone the same month - 23days apart) but i would consider training for a crazy ultra again.  

well i should be sleeping... 7 am gun time tomorrow! woot woot!

until next time!!

knee knacker check list:

Emily:   fails = 10++

 Noel:    fails = 5+ 1 epic body launching fail 

sweet dreams!!!

CHARITY BBQ NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

when:  Saturday June 25th, 2011   ( 11am- 2pm)

where:  infront of the Parkgate M&M meats, north Vancouver

what:  "bush burgers" and "fat dogs"

all proceeds go to the CKNW orphans fund

The Countdown continues! Knees are Knackered (Noel)

It's been an interesting couple of weeks!

Emily and I did most of the Knee Knacker route (primarily Baden Powell trails from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove!) and what a beast it was!  We began at Cypress Bowl in order to cut off what would likely be the snowiest part, and yet we still dealt with so. much. snow!  The first 10K or so took us just over 2 hours to accomplish, with  scrapes, cold hands, and a few funny-after-the-event falls through some soft snow - some waist deep!  We added on a bit in the middle to make up for the distance cut at the beginning, shifting from snow to actual trail (which was a nice change!) and ended up arriving in the Cove at 4:23pm after beginning at 9am!! Treated ourselves t a Honey's Doughnut as soon as we arrived (Fresh batch too!) which we enjoyed while soaking our legs in the water at Panorama Park!  The evening afterwards was a little interesting for both of us, but it was good to get another run like that in before the big event.

Which shouldnt have any snow by then! (or not nearly as much as what we had to deal with!)

In the meantime we have been training with shorter (by comparison) runs, and setting up a FUNDRAISER BARBEQUE!!

This one we decided to focus on CKNW Orphans Fund, and we are doing it with the people at M&Ms Meat Shop in Parkgate Village!

What: BBQ Fundraiser for CKNW Orphans Fund!
Where: MMs Meat Shop in Parkgate Village at the foot of Mt.Seymour.
WHEN: Saturday, June 25 11am-2pm!

Hot dogs and Burgers!  Everything by Donation! Minimum donation $2.50 for a 'Fat Dog' Hot Dog, and $3.50 for a 'Bushman' Burger!  Add $1 for a fountain drink and a bag of chips!!!

Come out to support us!

That said - I think i should be off to pick up supplies!

Hope to see you there!

Any questions about the event or donating please email us at:

ew.nh.nsa@gmail.com!

Happy Trails!

-Noel

As we go on, we remember........( Em)

Heya everyone!


Well Noel and I have been keeping really busy the last month... between.. choir trips.. race season beginning and triathlon camps we have almost forgot to post on the precious blog!! IM SORRY!!  We'll here's a recap from the last time we posted.




Well... the count is down to 52 DAYS NOW!!!! oh dang!!  Not nervous yet... quite excited to start the race actually but trying not o get too worked up... 
The last 3 weeks for training has made up for the first 3-4 months miserable practice after practice ( weather wise). The shorts have been dusted off and worn on several occasions.  Except for the dusting of snow on the local mountains a few days ago, it has been spectacular.   


As i said before race season has just kicked off. For triathlon AND trail races. The store has been booming with anxious runners ready to gear up and get their " yogg"  on.  ( silent "j" as anchor man would say)   I have been up to Oliver , BC for a half iron man camp, May 12- 15. It was, i must say, a lot of hard work, maaayyybbeee a few tears but over all a great weekend.  After that i came back and a week later I raced, for the second year in a row the " North shore Sprint Triathlon". I had a great time out on the course, and in the end wasn't too upset with my  finishing time!! 


The next couple weeks are getting busy for me becuase on July 10th in Peterborough, Ont. i am racing a Half ironman. Not gunna lie, i'm pretty terrified!!!! i come home on the 13th and ive got 2 week and BAM the big day!! FFAATTTT DOOGGGGG.... 


JULY is a VERY busy month for me.. and i'm sure after it is over i will 
1. sleep like a baby
2. look back proud of what i accomplished
3.  say to my self " NEVER EVER DO TWO CRAZY LONG DISTANCE THINGS IN ONE SUMMER AGAIN"








anyways... until next time....




Oop... I almost forgot. I won't be able to make it fellas. Veronica and I trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild.
  - Anchorman- 

Every day i'm shuffling..... (Noel)

It's weird to think that it is now only 2.5 months (less!) until Fat Dog.

Getting nostalgic here even about our first sit-down discussion back in late December to start this blog up!  Doesn't seem like that long ago until I begin to think about how much has happened over the last 4 months - how far we have come - how much we have accompished.

The weather for our runs has been much better lately - for the most part!  It's funny how since our 50K's we have suddenly completely stopped even trying roads, and are fully trail - no transition really!  We still run roads during Tri Clinic, but for our long runs we consistantly meet, usually at the Gazebo in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, and then we go off from there in different directions each time - tackling hills, long straight paths, and everything in between!

Again, weather has been much better for the most part - i love the fact that we no longer have to layer up to keep warm - getting to short-sleeves and shorts! Finally! 

The run we had about a week and a half ago though was gross as far as weather goes.  No other way to describe it - it was rain the entire time!  At first it was fairly tolerable, but as we went a ways into our run, it got worse and worse, and the wind picked up a bit too - so there was an uncomfortable sense of brain-freeze for the last 5K or so.  On the upside the route itself was nice!  Ended up seeing a deer, which was really cool - and creepy!!  It was completely still and looking at us, then we walked for a bit and looked again and it seemed to have gotten SO much closer!  Again staring completely still, which added to the creepiness factor.  Also saw a lot of unmarked grey vans go by, so we made our guesses as to what must be filming nearby...

On Monday we went for another run - this time the weather was MUCH better - we were sweating!  It soon became an adventure in rock climbing and hills as we left more familiar trails to 'explore' and see where different paths would lead us!  After a good 40-45 minutes of straight rock climbing/hiking and not coming across a road or a familiar trail marker we turned around.  Made for a cool adventure though!

As we get closer and closer to Fat Dog itself I have to admit i am getting more and more excited!  Not so much nerves anymore as we both realize that we can do this, as long as we keep on the path that we are going!  We are currently working on a fundraiser BBQ for CKNW Orphan's Fund - and we're shooting for around June 11th, so keep your eyes peeled as we get closer and fine-tune the details!!

All this said i feel like i should quickly mention why i feel like raising funds for these two groups is important to me, as i don't beleive that i have yet and i don't want to pick a cause for the sake of having a cause!

Overall, both Right To Play and CKNW offer kids the opportunity to take part in organized activities, be it in sports, schools, or after-school clubs.  These are things that are so easily taken for granted, and that is why it is so important to me!  I know that without the opportunity of organized sport and activities, my years growing up would not have had nearly the same impact that they have.  Not only is it a chance to meet friends, but learn about the important values like teamwork and respect for people around you.  All the virtues that we end up holding so highly as we get older have their beginnings in these childhood groups, and all kids NEED to at least have the opportunity in front of them to experience the same!

If i can do anything to help make one kid's day a little more enjoyable, i will do whatever i can to make sure that happens!



...I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other....


-Noel

We made it on the CKNW orphan fund website!!

Meet Emily and Noel!

 

 

They are making a difference and raising funds for the CKNW Orphans' Fund!  Their epic adventure began earlier this year when they started training for the FAT DOG 100KM TRAIL RACE along beautiful Manning Park!  Over 2 DAYS in July they will run 100km!  Always eager to take on new challenges, Emily and Noel will be the youngest participants to ever run this race!  Inspiring youth that when you put your mind to it - you can do it!    Follow their journey - check out Emily and Noel's blog http://www.nsaepic.blogspot.com   

 

We wish them the best of luck!!  

 

 

HELLO!!! ( em)

Hello everyone!
i hope you are enjoying the weather we have been having this week. I know I have! 
Noel and I had an AWESOME run on Wednesday...We ran the trails around The demo forest. The weather this ONE day, made up for the first 3 months of torrential down pour! It was such a motivational booster to 1. have a run with NO PROBLEMS ( yay!)  2. the weather  and 3. running 30-35 ish km and NOT HURTING!

We have let a new " person" join our running team.  His name is Farley, supposedly named after the " For better or for worse" comic strip dog   :) . He is a Koala bear that will follow on the rest of our journey.  

( you will start to see him in pictures)

 more to come!! shhhhh writing on the job .. heeheehee

94 Days and counting...(Emily and Noel!)

So yes - we have crossed the 100-day marker!!!

*shudder*

In any case, things are going well at this point - we seem to have overcome the halfway hump mindset, and we're actually quite eager to go out for our run tomorrow morning - as long as it doesn't HAIL AGAIN!!!  That was a bit insane earlier today...but it should go well.

Definitely liking the fact that since classes are done (and Emily is done her exams-i still have 2 more...) we can go out and run on other days than the weekend.  I think that will help our overall mindset too as we get closer and closer to July. 

The Sun Run felt like the blink of an eye - it went so fast! Emily in 42:18 and myself in 39:37.   With 50K under our belts though it just flew by.  It's always a fun event anyway!

More to come!

The ups and downs of training (Noel)

This feels like a bit of a hurdle that i'm getting over right now.

Training itself is still going extremely well-i'm becoming less concerned as we get closer to the Fat Dog, which is great, but I can guarantee that i will personally feel so much better when i don't have thoughts of classes and exams going through my head at the same time!!

Classes ending in a few days will certainly make things much less complicated, as i won't have to worry about conflicting schedules of work, school, and finding the time to train!  This could also open up different times for Emily and I to train, as we won't be forced to stick with weekends.

The big hurdle aside from that for me these past few days has been learning to listen to my body and how to handle a flu bug.  It has certainly affected how i have felt as far as my drive to get outside, and the muscles are aching a little more than they usually do.

But i think it's a good thing as well-as it is just another hurdle to overcome, and if there are times where Emily or myself have a rough day, or if we get sick, we have to take the time to allow ourselves to recover, rather than push on and potentially make things even worse!

I went on a few new routes in the past little while, particularily up certain portions of Old Buck trails and Baden Powell trails on Mount Seymour.  It's fun to do that sometime, especially having been born and raised on the North Shore, it can be exciting to take a new path that i've never been down before, even if it's perhaps only 400 meters long and connects to another familiar path!  It was also very cool to explore and see where i ended up-one time starting at Old Buck, then to Baden Powell, and i ended up at Rice Lake in Lynn Valley! 

I can now say i understand why the Powerline Trail is so infamous....

Also, i went for my first run with the Mountain Madness Trail running Clinic, which meets on Saturday mornings - a great group of people!  If you want to get into more trail running around the North Shore, i seriously recommend it!  Very much a welcoming and supportive group of people.

It's been great seeing the support that we are getting from people that we know-Emily and I-as we continue to train.  More and more people are coming up to say things like 'I saw you running the other day!' or 'How are training and fundraising coming along?'  It's a great feeling, so just a quick thank you to all of you!  We couldn't ask for a better supportive community.

Best wishes to everyone in your endeavours!

-Noel

wow its been a while!!

well to recap on the 50 km.... IT WENT AWESOME!!!
I was a tad nervous the night before but once i woke up in the morning i was rippin and ready to get started!  The first 25km went not too bad.. I had a little incident with an ingredient in a drink at one of the aid stations, but once that cleared up i flew!!
Honestly i had no idea what to expect when it came to racing 50km.  I knew i wanted to keep my sugar levels up and energy level consistent.  Pacing wise i figured it out within the first 10km. I speed walked all the steeper hills, ran every flatt i could and no matter what i just wanted to keep my feet moving at all times.  once i hit the 3 hr mark I found just got easier.  ( weird huh!)  i just kept telling myself that " the first 25km your counting up and the second 25km your counting down" It really kept me calm and focused thinking that way.  Although the first 25km were absolutley terrible at the time ( tunny issues didnt make it any better) looking back on the race i really had alot of Fun.
I was suprised with my placing. I was running to finish. Not to place necessarily.  I was told on the 2Loop at the old buck aid station that i was in 3rd. I  had the biggest adrenalin rush ever!! My time spit got better from then on hahahah.  


Looking at the training Noel and I did.  I am not scared for FATDOG100 anymore. More like ready to master it!!!!!!

Long run training starts up again this week... WOOHOO!!!


 Phase 2 of operation race fatdog is a go!

Motivation level:    15/10
Old person knees:   4/10
Will i run a 50km race again:  HELL YA!!!

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

Ultramarathoners!! (Noel)

What a week it has been!

Emily had her 50K and absolutely smashed our expected estimated time, and as of this past Saturday at 1:41pm I crossed the finish line at the Chuckanut 50K in Bellingham, WA to join her as a new Ultramarathoner!!

What a race!

The weather ended up being perfect - overcast at the start but became nice, sunny and warm as the day went along.  It made for some absolutely fantastic views at the top elevation levels!  It was extremely muddy at some points, but this was definitely not a race in which i took the time to carefully step around.
It rained the night before, but it made sure that I never really felt like i might overheat until about the last half-hour or so.

I arrived at the start in Fairhaven Park around 7am in order to make sure i had everything ready with ample time, and ended up running into a few NSA regulars, which was a great surprise and nice little boost.  Ended up running with a few of them for a good portion of the race itself.  I also ended up running into a familiar face in Ferge Hawke!! (Badwater Ultramarathoner who spoke at NSA-see previous posts!).  He was running in the other direction when i was about 3 hours in, but recognizing eachother gave me a great boost for the next little while, which i am certain helped me get over the 3-hour hump.

What a race-what a feeling.

The first 10K was a nice start, basically a gravel/dirt loggin road for the most part up until the first aid stattion, and then we headed up into the mountains, before coming back to the first aid station (now aid station #5) and back to the start.  Some intense inclines along the way, especially 'Little Chinscraper' right after aid station 4.  Seeing as i ended up getting stitches on my chin from a fall during this past Fall's North Shore Half Marathon, I couldn't help but grin whenever I thought about it.  A bit silly, but oh well...The mid-portion of the race itself was a great experience-a good number of people around my pace that i would run with for a little while and it gave me a chance to talk to people.  It was really interesting to see where people were from, if it was their first 50K too, why they were doing the race/what they hoped to get from it, etc.  I met a father/daughter team that were running it together-the dad doing a 50K for the first time!  I even met a few people from different parts of Canada and the US who have done BC events such as the Knee Knacker, Diez Vista, and other Marathon+ races in BC. 

A segway to gear-the Salomon pack i got worked great! More than enough room for fuel, extra layers once it got warmer, and the bladder.  The bladder certainly came in handy during the inclines between aid stations.  Another thing that I MUST vouch for are Zoot Compression socks!  the first few times they can be a bit tricky to get on if you don't have a system, but i would NOT have finished-or finished nearly as well-had it not been for those socks!  Around 3.5 hours in was when i got my first little muscle twinge in the back of my legs, and after that there were some larger ones that came and went periodically, so then i would slow a bit, have some water/salt/fuel and wait for it to die down, which it always would (hooray fuel!).  It probably ended up peaking right at the top of Chinscraper when i had to take a particularily extended step up over some roots-took a minute to shake that one off!!  After that it was just a matter of being aware of what my legs were telling me (aside from about 3 hours in when i realized i had forgotten to bodyglide my feet!! No blisters at the end though!Amazing!).

Coming back on the last 10K along the same route as the first was a TOUGH slog, i must admit.  It just seemed to go on and on!!  but i pushed along and just kept a jog going , as by this point it was easier and far less painful to run than to walk.  If i ever go down to do it again, i'll be prepared for it this time!!

It felt great crossing the finish line to cheering supporters and sunny skies.  It also felt great to have my recovery drink waiting for me...stretched out and fueled up on post-race food before eventually heading on my way home!

That's another thing i have to commend these races for so i don't forget-everyone involved, be it the runners, volunteers, organizers, and other people who came with runners- they were all amazingly supportive of eachother!  It's a great thing to experience.
A final time of 5:41:55 - almost 2 and a half hours longer than i have run in one shot before, and i felt exhilirated-albeit tired, at the finish line.  It's a great feeling to know how far i have come over just the last 2 months, and the fact that i fueled properly with gels, food, water and everything else is a great marker to show how far i have come in my knowledge for those areas as well.

Above everything else, it was a marker for me - to show myself how anything is possible with the right mindset and preparation.  If people can train for anything that is a personal physical feat, be it FatDog, a 50K, a marathon or 10K, or even a 5K - what's to stop you from using that determination and drive for other things in life that aren't the physical events?  What's to stop me from using this mindset for school?work?

Impossible is Nothing.

Fat Dog, here we come!

-Noel

Deep Breaths.....(Noel)

Chuckanut 50K in 16 hours....

Wow that crept up fast!

I've been told that if nervous I should blog.

So here I am.  Blogging!

Mindset is definitely a big factor in this-i've had some sizeable nervous attacks over the past 24 hours or so, but I feel like i've got it more under control now, so as long as I keep it that way all should be well.

I KNOW that i will be fine once i get going-it's just the waiting leading up to it that i cannot stand!

Anyways, mindset- another logical way to think that was wisely suggested to me was to think of it just as another one of my long weekend morning runs, and that has done a big job in helping me keep more of a level head.  It is true, after all- it's just another in a long line of morning runs, i just happen to be going to Bellingham so i can get a nice change of scenery.  Getting some new scenery, trying a different trail-that's all it is! Twice as long, but i digress....

So i am heading out tonight at about 7pm and then staying at a hotel about 10 minutes away from the start, so i can go and scope it out and have at least the opportuity to try and have a good night's sleep, rather than basically going to bed now, waking up at 2 or 3am and THEN driving down.  My mum is coming with, which is nice-someone for support as well as someone who can be physically able to drive back across the border once all is said and done.  That in itself is very much a plus.

So taking a break from packing, and i think i have pretty much everything properly set out-clothes, fuel, any emergency stuff, passport, etc, etc, et al....

Just trying not to think about it too much (or at least getting into a good mindset about it!).  I will come out of this on the other end-an ultramarathoner!  It's going to be a great experience!


...

...are we there yet?....

-Noel

CONGRATULATIONS EMILY!!

A terrific finish for Emily on the Dirty Duo 50K!


3rd Overall Female and 15th Overall Finisher in under 6 HOURS!!!! (Official time to be confirmed-i'll let Emily take care of the post-race stuff, but a round of applause for a great result!!

-Noel

Quote (Noel)

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit."
Napoleon Hill

Midweek report (Noel)

So glad that the weather has taken a more normal turn the past few days, although i could do without the rain, temperatures above zero are always preferred...

In any case, i got my two long runs out this past weekend, going for just over 3 hours each time in total.  This next weekend is down week for me (which i must say i'm looking forward to) before Chuckanut 50K, and Emily has her 50K this weekend, so i'm sure that will go well!

Knee was a bit sore after the 2 runs this weekend, and swimming helped with that, but with my previous knee issues i've been keeping a sharp eye on it to make sure i don't wreck it, especially this close to the 50K!

All that being said i bought the new Salomon Pack this past week and used it on the runs, and i have to say it works great!  Lots of good storage space, large bladder, all the good stuff!  Fits like a glove without rubbing any areas where it is especially snug, so no complaints there!  So if anyone needs a positive review of it, there it is!

Continuing on the topic Emily brought up a few days ago about Ferg Hawke coming in to the store to talk about his Ultramarathons and what he did to prepare, i found it quite the eye-opener.

As he/emily said - and i'm paraphrasing here- but if you put in the preparation for something, there's really nothing you can't accomplish.

That outlook definitely got me thinking, not just about the Fat Dog, but really anything that I do, or anything that anyone does.  It helped me to put things in perspective, because there are always those things that everyone has that they see as a huge project/obstacle/etc, and in my case early on i would use running as a way to temporarily clear my head of those things.  Now, with Half-marathons under my belt, and training for Fat Dog going successfully so far, what's to stop me from applying this mindset to things outside of running?  That outlook really helped, and continues to do so!

There are so many people on the North Shore who are putting their efforts into different amazing things, and it really serves as an inspiration to me, so thanks to everyone out there!  It's those examples that can keep me motivated a lot of the time.

So i guess i'll wrap things up for now, there is running tonight - i'll likely start out easy just to keep an eye on my knee, but spinning Wednesday should help too...

Best wishes to everyone in their endeavours!

-Noel

The Count down is on!! - Emily

Week 8 has officially come to a close!!

I cannot say i am excited for week 9 to start for triathlon or for ultra.   At the end of next week ( 12th) i can officially call myself an Ultra marathoner... That is scary stuff kiddies!!!

We ( NSA cool people) were very honored and privileged to have a very  inspirational speaker come to talk to us on Tuesday before the Run clinic. His name is Ferge Hawk.  He is a 3x competitor of the Bad water Ultra marathon road race Thur Death Valley.   Ferge was honestly one of the most Genuine people i have met.  In the short 10 mins he talked to us about his journey  and training for the race, he gave me a different perspective on running the ultras all together.   He has a dvd which is a document of the second time he raced Badwaters  called " the deistance of truth"  ( which i watched last night.  It gave me shivers!).   

I was always told if you think " mind over matter" things will get done.  Unfortunately the situations  this was used for was always eating food i didnt like as a kid ( MUSHROOMS!!! BLAAHHHHH!!!).  Ferge's actions and words gave me a different side to that quote.      

 "what ever you set your mind on, whether it is for a cause, some a loved one or for yourself you can achieve it.  It will take hours upon hours of hard work,  uncomfortable situations,  adrenalin filled moments  and uncountable amount of blisters, but if you stay true to yourself and keep your head high and feet pointed in the right direction you will be amazed with what you can achieve." 

If you havent watched the movie " the distance of truth" i highly recommend it!!    (there are some yuck blister scenes which i closed my eyes for)  You will look at running in a totally different view from now on i promise you!

I will talk to you all soon!! 

have a happy week of training!

blister count - not as many as Ferge

motivation level -  8.67/10

Am i excited to race next week--- ahhhhhhh.... ummm.... ask me later!

The body does not want you to do this.
As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong.
You always go too far for your body.
You must handle the pain with strategy...
It is not age; it is not diet.
It is the will to succeed.
-Jacqueline Gareau

EM

Not-so-much with the Sunshine... Week #8 down!!! (Noel)

So this was an interesting weekend.

I'll keep this brief, as i was asleep, and should be getting back to that soon!

Defintely a different weekend both with our times/paces during our runs, and the weather that we ran them in!

Friday morning Emily and I met up at 6:45am to go for our run in  -8*C weather (wind chill making it colder).  Our pace was equally as brisk as the temperature, running roughly over 22K in 1:40...felt alright afterwards, but still...C..cc..cc....COLD!!  We both ended up at work later, stocked up in warm clothing and with plenty of food to fuel us through the day.

Saturday morning i joined Emily and the tri clinic for spin class, as it was another brisk morning, and then again we both had work, during which we discussed the upcoming weeks, as next weekend should be a down/taper weekend for Emily as Dirty Duo (her 50K qualifier) is March 12th, and i still technically should have one more up weekend before i do the same for my 50K, which is the 19th!!

Wow-so close now!!!

So next weekend we'll likely start out together, and then she'll stop after a while and i will keep going.

On a related note, we were going to run Saturday night, and this week we were both planning to join the marathon clinic for their Sunday morning run of 9 miles.  After talking to eachother and agreeing that we both felt like we might be overtraining, we discussed it with Keith, who immediately agreed, so we took Saturday night off, as we had spun in the morning.

By the end of the shift it was snowing a touch, so there was a light dusting on the roads, but of course, traffic snarled up!  Would have been an interesting and eventually damp run, but we had NO IDEA what would await us in the morning!!

We intended to meet up early (around 6-615: lovely, no?) to go run, then make sure we ended up where the marathon clinic was starting at 8 to join them for their route, and that would take us to our goal of 3 hours.

Woke up several times in the night to see the snow coming down and piling up a LOT.
Woke up for the last time (stayed up) at 5:15, and immediately called Emily, as i was basically snowed in as far as auto transport would allow.  so we made a compromise-trust eachother to go for 2-2.5 hours (adjusting time for the fact that the havy snow buildup would give us a goood resistance-training of sorts), and we would be fine.

So i set out in my trail shoes (extra traction-ended up working great!) and went for a run, reaching lonsdale after an hour, and made the choice to keep going to where the marathon group was meeting (Steed Cycles across the street from Everything Wine on Marine Drive-just past Cap Mall).  Emily ended up there too-and we exchanged fun stories from our runs so far, before she went with the group, and i turned around to make my way home.

Made it home after about 2:50+, and i felt great! ended up being 26K-i'll take it!  Only funny downside was being sprayed with slush by a passing car about 10 minutes away from home-made for a good laugh.

A quick product plug-if you like the feel of thick Wool socks-i seriously implore you to consider buying a pair of Balega Woolen runner Socks (NorthShoreAthletics-$11.98 before tax)-short cut, lightweight and thin-i wore them this morning, and i got back to find by feet not only warm, but BONE DRY!  So yeah, if you like the feel of a thick wool sock, but dont care for the bulkiness of it, you should grab a pair or three!!!

To wrap up my entry for this weekend, i went to my first swim class for the Tri clinic tonight-very cool.  Things to definitely work on-it has been quite some time since ive had anything swim-lesson-like.  in any case i enjoyed it!  And now i will take tomorrow OFF from any workouts outside of possibly walking the dog should the rain diminish the snow levels enough!!

I'll end today with a funny slogan i saw on the side of a building during my run this morning between Esplanade and 3rd:

"Thief steals calendar-gets twelve months"

I had to smile at that.

Best wishes to all for the week!
-Noel

Glorious Sunshine! Week#7-Run#1 (Noel)

Who would have guessed that after yesterday with the weather that literally ran the gamut of almost every possible scenario, and ending with snow, thunder, and lighting, that we would wake up and run in this great sunshine!!!

I'm extremely happy it worked out that way - Emily and I were both preparing for a wet, rainy, and possibly snowy slush run of the North Shore.  Solid ground all the way! hooray!

So we went for 2 hours and 50 minutes today, which felt better than last week overall, but had some hiccups along the way - in any case we went about just under 29K today, so we are going farther and farther each time out!

Oof.

So we are both now officially registered for Fat Dog!! AaahHH!!  A bit of nerves come and go, but overall still more excited than anything else.

On a side note-had my first taste of spin class Wednesday night-very cool.  Very tiring.  Definitely felt it the next morning, but at the same time a whole different set of muscles used, so I was good to run for today!  I know i've said it before, but now since I have actually done it, i know it'll be a great way to cross-train.

In any case, there's another run tomorrow after work, so we shall see how that goes!

Time for another nap.

-Noel

Motivation Level: 9/10
Blisters: none!