June 2012 Totals

June - 252.7K
YTD- 1706.6K

Only one race in June the Niagara 50K on the 23rd.    

It wasn't so bad ...

 Made the last Run of June 2012 a little bit of a "speed" workout covering 10K at a mostly 5:00 pace.   I was a little hesitant to crank up the pace but it really wasn't all that bad.   Its more of a mental thing when I run faster ,  sure its harder and I breath heavier and I get allot warmer but it really feels good... really good.  Sometimes I think its easier to run faster then to run slow.  

Lunch Run

Mid 4 ,  three to go.   Lack of sleep and an evening of Kayaking  didn't make me feel like running this morning but I did anyway logging 5K again at lunch.

Mid 3

Doing my third of 7 mids  so I just did my  3rd 5K at a 6:00 pace too!

Lunch break

Logged another 5K at a 6:00 pace today on my lunch break.

Running tired

Still  have tired legs from Niagara.  Working mids , #1 of 7 tonight so I hit the treadmill at 02:00 am for a 5K run at a 6:00 pace.  

Ultraspire Trail Test

 Had my first opportunity to try out my new Ultaspire Pack with the 2L Bladder Full.   I really noticed the weight at first but it didn't take long to forget I had it on.  The adjustable chest strap with the big elastic across the back really worked well.  At first I had it too loose and it was moving around quite  but when I added just a bit of tension around the chest it settled right down.  Having so many well thought out places to stick stuff rocks!   Its probably not a race day item but if its going to be 30C weather in Creemore or Limberlost the pack will be worn with a full bladder.

 Logged my first run since Niagara today.  Did an easy 11K at an avg 7:24 trail pace.  I have a bit of quad pain still and have been feeling a bit on the tired and hungry.  

Niagara Ultra - June 23,2012

On a positive note this was my third fastest 50ker ever,  I managed to more or less pull off the majority of the race plan,   I was faster through 42.2 then my last Marathon,  I haven't run that far that fast in a long time.

On a negative this was my slowest  Niagara Ultra,  2009 4:40:11 (Rain) , 2010 4:52:51 ( Similar Weather to 2012) and yesterday 5:06:10.




 The graph above (Blue=Pace, Green=Elevation)  more or less tells the tale of how the day went. The Yellow  deliminators divide the day into 4 distinct phases.  The Red bloobs show may walking breaks.   The race plan was to go out "fast" 5:15 pace then return at a 5:45 pace for and overall average 5:30 pace bringing it home at 4hrs30mins.

Part 1 , the dash for the falls.  Made it to the Horse Show Falls with an average 5:15 pace.  I had done a couple of Gels and been drinking water every 5K and sometimes in between  aide stations.  I was feeling good and totally enjoying the run but the Sun exposure and temps pushing the mid 20s were starting to take their toll.   At the turnaround I broke out my first Eload Zone Caps X5.  Took on some more water and headed back looking forward to slowing things down a little.

Part 2,  made it through 32.5K more or less sticking to the race plan but it was becoming a real struggle to keep a 5:45 pace.   There was very little shade over the past 12.5K and the sans shirt running in mid 20's temps and very little breeze were starting to catch up with me.   I had blisters on both feet at the inside front of the arch.  I was feeling a bit nauseous and was suspicious of the Eload Caps.   I was also feeling some muscle pain ,  particularly my inside  upper thigh to knee ...this was new!    The pain party was just beginning.   As is usual I wasn't slowing down all that much it just felt that way.

Part 3,  OK this is where the wheels fell off.  I tried all the tricks to recover ,  did gels , more zone caps, coke, water but nothing was bringing me back so  this is where the death march started.   My back was starting to hurt allot and the leg and foot pain continued. I was still trying to recover something and tried a couple of 200-300m walk breaks at 39 and 43K.     Although a  4hrs30min finish was no longer reachable I felt like I could still bring it home in under 5 hours ... new goal.

Part 4.  Beyond 45K it became tough to keep the shuffle going and this is where the wheels really fell off.   Now it was all about just getting to the finish.    I gelled one last time in an effort to recover something but I just wanted it to be over.   I would run a bit ., walk a bit but mostly try to shuffle along all the was to the finish.

 So I crossed the Matt with a chip time of 5hrs6min10sec,  36mins short of my goal but I was happy to be done and was OK with the results.   I played the fade at Niagara and I paid the price but it was a pretty darn good day all and all.   A better way to run this race would have been to go out at a 5:30 pace and try to hold it as long as possible....probably would have shaved 15min off my time.   Regardless this run reinforced the need to approach Creemore in 2 weeks in a more conservative race plan.

 There were 173 finishers in the 50K race and I placed in the top 1/3 as the 54 runner to cross the finish line .  There were  21 finishers  in the 50-54 age group and I placed   9th.     Overall it was a pretty good day with decent results.  Looking forward to back to back to back 50Kers Creemore and Limberlost in 2 and 3 weeks.

Bruce Trail Run- Blantyre to Walters Falls - June 15, 2012

Wed-Thur-Fri-Niagara

Yippee ,  a real taper ...well sort of.  Heading to Saratoga Springs NY tomorrow.  Now driving 8-9 hours on Wed and again Thurs does not leave a whole lot of time for running so the 5K I did tonight on my meal period will be my last running before Saturdays race.     So no running,  no kayaking no post hole digging or much of anything for 3 days.

Paddle / Run

Up at 5:00 am ,  on Guelph Lake by 09:00am, off the Lake by 1:00pm,  at work before 3:00 pm in just enough time to log a 10K Run before starting work at 4:00 pm.  A pretty darn good day I would say!

Little Trail

 Did a shorter local loop today running with my Niece Justine.  She is over at Meaford and had the weekend off so she was spending time with us.    It rained heavily this morning so the run was a little muddy ,  a bit slippery and quite humid although not overly hot.   We logged a total of 7.7K in 1hr1min. 

Bruce Trail - Blantyre to Walters Falls - June 15, 2012

Logged another 4.5 hours on Bruce Trail yesterday and covered 26.3K. Did a section from Blantyre to a little NW of Walters Falls. I have never been on thsi section before and this is the beginning of a series of 5 runs that will end up finishing in Owen Sound. This was a solo endevour and I captured lots of interesting moments on video. I will put together a montage and post it at a later date.

Lunch Run

Last lunch run of the week ,  thank goodness.   5K logged at a 5:30 pace ....

Bruce Trail around Walters Falls tomorrow!  

Running not blogging

 Had a solid trail run last night.  Logged my usual 11.2K route again ... forgot to turn my Garmin on but i was moving along pretty good.  Felt incredibly solid  and the cooler air made for a refreshing change.

 Jumped on the treadmill at lunch today for 5K run at a 5:30 pace.

Sweating Rock Run

 Didn't run the Bruce today!  Was at emerge in Hanover last night because of  my wife's migraine. Didn't get home until after midnight  so I wasn't up on time and didn't want to wander to far today.   Intentionally waited until the afternoon wanting to take advantage of the nearly 30c weather.   It wasn't bad in the forest but the exposed areas were a real killer.  Ran 10K walking some to the steep hills.  Walked the last K around the back of my property.    It was so hot today that the big buried rocks with small exposure were all sweating.   

Logged a total of 11.4Ks

Rest day tomorrow!

Working towards Niagara

 With Niagara looming it was time to lace up the new Mizuno Road shoes and take advantage of the warmer more humid conditions.   Headed out with a 5:30 avg pace goal and more or less maintained it through 20K before falling off pace.  Logged a 22.7K run at an avg 5:38 pace with a 300m warm up and 700m cool down for a total of 23.8k today.

 It was 20-24C ,  quite humid with a stiff W SW Breeze.   At times it wasn't too bad but  occasionally the cooling breeze was blocked and I was exposed to the Sun making things really heat up.   Only drank 1.5 bottles of water and didn't consume an calories...I am pretty sure the lack of food caught up with me near the end of the run. 

 Trail tomorrow,  going to try to hit the Bruce in the Walters Falls area.  Want to be on the trail by 6:00 am ...its going to be a hot day. 

Lunch Run

Last lunch run of the week ,  5K done at a mostly 5:30 pace today.

Tired but running

 I didn't return from Kayaking until 10pm last night and up at 04:00 am for work at 06:00 has made me a bit on the tired side.    Turned up slightly on my lunch run logging 5K at a 5:30 pace.  With Niagara looming I need to pick up the pace and set the cruise control.

Yesterday

Picked up the pace at lunch yesterday ,  5K done at 5:45 pace.

Bruce Trail Video + Lunch Run

Its done ...



Did a 5K lunch run at a 6:00 pace today ... feeling good! 

Recovery Lunch Run

 The 30K run I did yesterday had a greater impact on the muscles then the Sulphur  80K a week ago...go figure!

 Logged and easy 5K at a 6:00 pace today at lunch.   I am really getting tired of the treadmill especially after yesterdays run.  

Epping Lookout to Hoggs Falls vai the Falling Water Trail

 Had the most amazing run today with Anne and Grant.  We met at Tims in Durham at 06:00am.  We headed out after breakfast dropping my car at Hoggs,   Grants Truck aka Aide station at Grahams Hill and then made our way in Anne's car to the Epping Lookout.   We headed out at 07:22 am heading towards Talisman.   The first 10K were quite runnable but a few Ks before Talisman things became much more challenging.  Things were very wet ,  sometimes misty other times there was a steady rain but we we moving along comfortable and really didn't care.  Temperature was very comfortable to slightly cool in the wet conditions ranging between 10 and 12C.    Things opened up a bit after Talisman as we approached the Beaver Valley Ski Club.   Going through Beaver Valley was really well marked but Anne had been through there recently and was able to pick out the blazes.   We only managed to get off track once climbing the better part of a Ski Hill.   Once we passed Bowels Hill the trail got really interesting  truly the best of what the Bruce Trail has to offer.   This section is know as the "Falling Water Trail" and it didn't disappoint.  There was Waterfall after Waterfall after Waterfall and with the falling rain was quite appropriate.  This section was also the most technical and had the greatest elevation of the day.  Stopped at Grahams Hill at Grants truck about 22K in.   I was in need of some Calories and Electrolytes .... had a can of Coke and downed 2 Eload Zone Caps and topped off my water bottle with about 8K remaining.   The can of Coke really picked me up and I had no problem finishing off the run.  

 We were running for 5hrs24min covering 30.4K and for what its worth the Garmin reported a +1921/-1894 meters in elevation. 

 Shot a bunch of Video and will be posting it later in the week when I have had a chance to edit it. 

Lousy Beach weather...great for a Trail Run

12k@7:12 pace today ...needed to get my trail on.   Longer tomorrow,  getting together withe Anne and Grant for a Beaver Valley Run.