The Canadian Death Race -The 'Views' From A Barefoot Runner'

I had truly intended for this post to go out very quickly after we finished the Death Race, but everytime I sat down to start writing I started thinking about Lost Soul which I ran last weekend (report to come hopefully very quickly). I was on such a runner's high right after the race that I could not sit still long enough to start typing and when I did, my mind would drift towards thinking about my upcoming 100 miler. So for this I applogize, especially to Wendy as I know she has been chomping at the bit to read this. So here we go.....

We left Winnipeg at our usual time which is very early in the morning so we could make it into Edmonton as soon as possible. It's always interesting travelling with kids and a dog, because play and run breaks are very important, thus a usual 12 hour drive turns into 14 and sometimes more. As always, we had some interesting moments along the way. We almost ran out of gas twice, once in Saskatchewan (shudder the thought) and once in Elk Island National Park (seriously I thought there was more gas stations along the Yellowhead). Luckily we were able to coast into the gas station both times, phew I really didn't want to start running a long distance that soon I was trying to save my legs.

I also want to point out that I now know where all the mosquitos disappeared from Manitoba too, holy crap Alberta (especially around Edmonton). It brought a tear to my eye to hear all that familiar buzzing and skin smacking as the hoards of little blood suckers pounced on our relatively unblemished bodies. Five words come to mind, "You can keep them Alberta", they are all yours, we do not miss them at all.

We stayed in Edmonton overnight, to give the kids a hotel (and waterslide) fix, and this also allowed us to opportunity to go back to the Enjoy Centre which is a interesting place to check out when you are in the Edmonton / St. Albert area. To borrow the catch phrase description of the Centre from their website, "The Enjoy Centre is a unique multi-use facility featuring a spa, restaurant, bakery, deli and whole foods market, kitchen and décor boutique, liquor store, floral studio, greenhouse—even an events space!". It really is worth checking out.

The Enjoy Centre located at 101 Riel Drive, St. Albert. Just off of Ray Gibbon Drive

 

The Enjoy Centre is where we found quick access to the VEGA SPORT product line, that both Nicole and I have found preliminary success with in the form of hydrators and gels (I really do not like the GU gels, they are just nasty). I have also found that the Electrolyte Sustain Hydrator - Pom Berry flavour is the perfect thing to add to my water in my camelback bladder for the long run, it gives me that extra little bit that water cannot. Even the bars are pretty good, as they do not taste like that crap that Powerbar or some of those other companies put out. Who would of thought a year ago this meat loving transplanted Albertan would be using vegan products and actually telling people about it, for shame, for shame. Don't fret though, I still like my bloody slab of red meat though, I think I feel like steak for dinner tonight, but I digress.

VEGA SPORT Line, great products and they do what they advertise. Even this meat eater appreciates it. 

After we filled up on the necessities, we packed everybody back into the truck and started on our way to Grande Cache, another 4 hours with breaks and we would be there. The excitement was starting to build the closer we got, along with this was also the thoughts of  'What have we gotten ourselves into!' and 'Shit, are we really ready for this?' Nothing like a little bit of self-doubt before the biggest run I have done, like EVER.

We rolled into Grande Cache to something we were not expecting, cool temperatures and off and on rain. Crap I was really hoping for mid-range temperatures and partly cloudy, but it being the mountains that was a pipe dream. But at least I knew there was going to be MUD and lots of PUDDLES to tromp through, it gives me a slight advantage over those shoe wearing folks who are trying to keep their feet dry.

We were booked to stay at the Grande Cache Municipal Campgrounds for the weekend, but in true fashion, I screwed up and booked us in for Friday night to Monday, this would normally not be a problem but it was Thursday and this was CDR weekend. Well, I am happy to report that the operator at the campsite is an absolute doll and went out of her way to find us a campsite to use for the night. I really wish I could remember her name but as usual, it has disappeared into the black hole that is my name recognition area of my brain (one of these days I am just going to randomly start spewing names out of all the people I have forgotten over the years). It would mean we would need to move the tent to our reserved spot on Friday, but at least we had a place to sleep, all was good. Plus have you ever seen a couple of people walking down the road of a campsite with a completely constructed tent, I am sure it was quite interesting to see as that was what Nicole and I did the next morning, and it didn't even fall apart, as the shirt says above, "Be Impressive", and dammit we were. I would highly recommend the Campgrounds if you need a place to stay, absolutely fantastic.

Hazel at Campsite No. 1, intently watching the squirrels as they stayed just beyond her leash extents.

 

After we had the tent up, I went up to the office to find out where I could get some firewood for us, cooking hotdogs,etc over a campstove is just not the same. After a brief conversation with the operator (I seriously wish I could remember her name), I headed over to the wood enclosure to load up my wheel barrel ($10 for a load, pretty sweet deal), a couple of people started coming up to me and saying, "Hi Bob", I didn't think to much of it until one guy started talking about the Death Racer magazine and how I had a two-page article in it, and he went back to his truck and grabbed a copy for me. I was over-whelmed and really did not know what to say, I was contacted by a reporter about a month ago and he did ask some questions, but I was not expecting this. Pretty cool, there I was in a magazine complete with pictures, anonymity is now gone. Guess I was committed to run it barefoot now, oh well, wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Our 2 page spread on Team 'Up A Mountain With No Shoes'

Guess I am committed to running now.

 

As we mulled around keeping ourselves busy and waiting for Dan to arrive, he was flying in and was scheduled to arrive late Friday morning, we decided to head to town to check out the vibe on the street, so to speak. The town was hopping, Death Race flags and shirts everywhere, this was a town that was just busting at the seams getting ready for a hell-of-a-weekend. We started running into people we had ran the training camp with, and I was getting some weird looks and finger pointing, but honestly that was par for the course for the last few years anyway.

 

After picking up the race kits and taking part in a so-so pre-race pasta dinner at the hotel, we headed over to the 'Pre-Race Information' session, which was being held at the main stage by the start/finish line. Although it had a lot of good information, it was a little to theatrical for my tastes, Dale Tuck decked out as Dr. Death went through the leg descriptions one by one with a little bit of the 'Fear and Loathing' descriptions of what the runners might face thru the day. Dale sure knows how to work a crowd though it was quite interesting to watch. We also ran into Erick (City Park Runners) who was running Leg 5 with one of the North Face teams, Mark V. of course and numerous other participants of the training camp like Bert, Nikki, Carolyn, Jennifer, Rose and Christian. I know I am missing people again, but such is life in my world, if I did forget you, I apologize profusely and bend a knee to you in forgiveness (I really need to stop reading this Game of Thrones series, its corrupting me).



Dr. Death (aka Dale Tuck) and the Crystal Skull (trophy for the top finisher)



 

Disclaimer: As I am only intimately familiar with Legs 1 and 4 due to these are the only ones I actually ran this year. All information written below pertaining to Legs 2, 3 and 5 are only here say and conjecture, thus I am not taking any responsibility for false statements that may inadvertently be implied.

 

Preparation and Gear:

 

After a night of not much sleep (like that is unusual), I rolled out of our sleeping bag and started to get ready for the long day ahead. I was full of all types of emotions, excitement, nervousness, anxiousness to name a few. Nicole had been up and was returning from town with coffee for us and Dan (how awesome is that), and she already had half of my pack filled up with the essentials like, a full bladder, energy bars, Vega gels, emergency blanket and my bear bangers. I love my wife dearly, she always puts others before herself but sometimes I wish she thought of herself more, but at this point I was not complaining.

 

I was really starting to freak out as I was getting my running gear together and glancing over at the time, I did not want to be late to the start line not for this. So I started running my gear checklist through my head as I ripped through our running gear bag.

Ink 'N' Burn shorts, check;

Under Armor t-shirt, check;

Nike Running Hat, check;

garmin. check;

North Face light jacket, check;

Gloves, check;

Poles, my mid range trekking poles for those nasty hills, check;

Made For Skin Natural Skin Balm, check (perfect for prevention of chaffing, I really do not like Body Glide, this stuff is amazing and made in Winnipeg);

Death Race Coin and check in finger thingy, check, check;

Shoes, ch----, just kidding, I don't need no stinking shoes. Only my backup Vibram KSO's just in case.

Leg One:
 

With that, we all piled into the truck and raced to the start line to get me checked in, it was getting late, about 7:40 and I wanted a few minutes to focus on the day ahead without scrambling around to much. As I headed over to the North Face check in area I ran into Lori, one of the many fantastic organizers of this event. She greeted me with a great big smile, and promptly said after looking at my feet, "Why are those on your feet, your running barefoot aren't you Bob?" I smiled and said of course, but I am going incognito until closer to race start time I don't want to freak to many people out. She laughed and wished me luck. I checked in quickly and headed back to the start line where I disposed of the shoes and tucked them away, other runners started looking my way and pointing at my feet and whispering. I just ignored as much as possible and focused on getting into the zone. I got a bunch of good lucks from runners around me as the small talk continued, and I ran into (not literally) Craig from Winnipeg, we chatted for a couple of minutes said our good lucks and buckled down for the start. As the big clock at the Start line clicked down to the 8:00 start, I quickly went through my mental checklist in my head (because out loud would of just seemed crazy). Hat...check; running pack.... check; full bladder....che...ck. Shit, I forgot to go to the loo, oh oh this could be interesting, hopefully my system can hold out until the end of the leg, cross your fingers or legs whatever comes natural.

 

View from the start line with about 10 minutes to the gun

 

 

At 8:00 we were off, after a slow shuffle out of the gate towards Hoppe Avenue, with RCMP officers in full regalia leading the way. The start of the run featured a quick loop up and back down to the start line where we were off and running. This was when I first realized I didn't have my poles with me, crap of all the things to forget I did not want these to be one of them. As I was cursing my way along, I looked up to see Nicole, like a vision of beauty, standing off to the side holding my poles out to me. With a quick thank you, love you and good luck I was off. Things were going along swimmingly as we carried on up Shand Avenue towards 100th Street (I believe that would be Main Street) and turned to head out of town. I was trying to maintain a even pace for this part as it was all on asphalt and I did not want to blow it early by going out to quickly. I was still passing other runners, to the shock and dismay of them once they realized my feet were bare. I felt like I was surrounded by a herd of buffalo with all the foot stomping going on, I just cringed and focused on nice light steps, be the ninja, I am the ninja........ Then there was Dale Tuck prancing (and I do mean prancing) up the dirt trail beside the road looking fresh and spry, enticing everybody on. This seriously was not a good look for the guy who was sporting black and white face paint, a cape and carrying a crystal skull the night before, did he have us all fooled the night before.All I can say is 'Well played Dale, well played'.

 

I was really happy with my pace as we made the turn to get onto the first part of dirt trail, I was still passing other runners, my breathing was good, my feet felt fantastic, I am quite sure my smile was from ear to ear. Then as we entered the woods, the unmentionable happened.... my stomach started to gurgle, crazy noises started to escape my posterior. 'Hmm must of been a squirrel making all that noise', was the only thing i could think of saying as i cruised along the trail, hoping nobody suspected the barefoot runner was letting lethal backdoor breezes escape in rapid fire succession. 

 

Then all of a sudden it stopped. I wasn't quite sure how to take it, was this just trying to get my system cleaned out of excess gas and potentially take a few of my competitors out at the same time or was it the calm before the storm. Only time would tell. So I figured I would take the opportunity to get some good running done, so I picked up the pace a bit and hit the muddy and wet sections adjacent the golf course with a reckless abandonment. I smiled as runners were trying to find a dry path around the many puddles that frequented this part of the trail as I just crashed right through the meat and potatoes of them. I felt like Wyle.E.Coyote at a Roadrunner convention with the doors locked as I tromped through the endless puddles. I was passing some serious runners and moving up the pack. I know I got some looks as other runners who could not see my feet until I came of out of the water seemed dazed and confused. I got my fair share of comments and well wishes as I made my way. I passed a photographer at one puddle and he went crazy with the photos as I went by I think I was also the only one he turned around to get a picture of me after going by him see link. I'm not sure if it was my crazy speed or my barefeet, I'm going with the speed because I was just flying (wink, wink). It was fun, for a while at least, until it felt like somebody just reached into my gut and twisted my insides into a knot. The gas came fast and furious and loud, so loud. I had no choice but to veer off of the trail and drop the shorts and let the world (at least the poor runners around me) see me in all my glory as i lost every bit of my dignity and cleared my bowels out at the same time. All I could think was I hope I brought the TP, because I really do not want to wipe my ass with a squirrel as my buddy Jason Robillard would say, or for that matter with leaves. Woohoo the TP was in the backpack complete with a ziploc for the cleanup, yes I am environmentally friendly, i have no issue with shitting in the woods, but I will not leave used TP around, that is just nasty.

After the 15 minute mandatory evacuation I was feeling much better so I grabbed my stuff and headed back to the trail, a good amount of runners had passed me by this time and I had a lot of ground and time to pick up. All I could think was my 2 hour first leg finish was definitely in jeopardy and I would have to run like gang-busters to get in anywhere close to that time. So I headed out with a bit of grit and determination, my bare feet felt like they were barely hitting the ground as I picked up the cadence. I hit the hills hard, trying my best to let my body go and have my legs and feet try to keep up on the downhill, it was an awesome feeling as I started to pass runners again. Things were looking up as I broke out of the woods at the highway access onto the gravel road prior to hitting the short trail run along the highway. The volunteers were hooting and hollering, and all of a sudden they stopped, then I heard it, the exclamation of "He's got no shoes on as I pounded past them with no concern with the pointy sharp rocks that were underfoot. Show no pain, lift, lift, lift, run like the ninja, was all I was thinking as I cruised by and turned up the trail. At this point I ran into one of my new Facebook running friends, PJ from Wisconsin, we talked a bit while we ran the trail to the road crossing, it was good to finally meet.

The volunteers were well organized and did a fantastic job of controlling the flow of runners and vehicles at the road crossing, this could of been a dangerous situation with cars trying to get to the transition for Leg 2 and the runners trying to get across the road, but it was 'smooth like butter' as I only had to wait for about 20 seconds to get my opening to take off across the road.

Things were going well as I felt like I sped through the next portion of trails, and onto the gravel road which at first I was quite concerned with but my feet just 'toed' the tire tracks and I carried on my merry way. With about half of the gravel road behind me, I was slowly catching up on one of the Legends of The Death Race, Dag Aabye, an absolute inspiration to me and many other a Death Racer. Dag is 71 years young and has participated in the last 10 Death Races as a solo runner and finishing I believe 7 of them. The only way I can describe the way Dag runs is, 'Smooth as Silk', he is such a treat to watch as he strides along at a consistent pace.

Dag Aabye as he came into the transition point of Leg 2

Photo Credit to Ray Stader's Better Half

 I was in awe as I slowly picked up the pace to catch up to him, I wanted to shake his hand and tell him how inspired I was by him, and that I hoped I could be doing what he was doing in 30 years. All this was flowing through my mind as I finally caught up to Dag, we both looked at each other and that was when the magic happened (at least in my mind). We both held our hands to each other and said pretty much at the same time, "I want to shake your hand you are a inspiration for what you do." I was in shock, here was this man who is the epitome of what runners should be, telling me I am a inspiration. I did not know what to say, and then I shook my head and we just shot the shit for a few minutes, it was amazing and humbling listening to him tell me a little about himself. He was also very interested with what started me on the path of barefoot running. It was a amazing experience running and talking with him and I will remember it for a long time to come.

 

As we headed off the road and back onto the trails we ended up running along the edge of Peavine Lake where this great shot was taken (I hope I got the lake name right, I don't think it was Grande Cache Lake), I think the blue sky brings out the flesh tone in my feet, don't you.

 

 

 At this point we only had a few more miles to go into the transition point with a couple of big up's and downs and some really muddy, swampy areas. In other words, fun for me. Absolute treat getting all dirty and not having to worry about the shoes being sucked off of my feet. The poor runner ahead of me, I think that was what she was worried about, as she cringed every time her foot went in and her foot came out with a big sucking sound. I just told her, that I would help her dig it out, if she did end up losing a shoe, at least I made her smile. Then we broke out of the bush to more gravel and the last little bit of distance to the building and hopefully where Dan was waiting. It was a great feeling running by all the people and being greeted by my son cheering me on to the finish. With a quick exchange of timing chip and Death coin, Dan was off to the races for Leg 2. I ended up finishing my Leg One in 2:18:15, definitely not the quickest time in the world but I will take it. As expected my feet performed perfectly, for that matter they performed better than even I anticipated. Now the long wait till my next Leg, that would be Leg 4: The Hamel Assault.

 

Leg 2: Flood Mtn / Slugfest / Grande Mtn:

 

This was Dan's leg, this was a quick mountain assent up Flood, followed with a crazy 'bumslide' into Slugfest, which brings us to another assent up Grande and a very long descent down the power line and back into town. This can be a very nasty leg, with lots of mud and water in the bogs of Slugfest. It is one of the longer legs at 27km but it gives you some spectacular views and of course lots of mud. Great place to get dirty, and not the place to be if you don't like a little bit of mud on your shoes, or feet or what ever you run in.

 

Dan was shooting for between a 4:30 and a 5 hour run and he finished not to far off that at 5:21 and change. This is not an easy leg, one day to the next it can change so much, depending on the moisture received. This would leave Nicole with 3 hours and about 40 minutes to finish Leg 3 or our day was done, no pressure right.

 

This sign is so true as you start your descent into Slugfest. One steep drop it definitely is.

 

Leg 3: Old Mine Road:

 

This was Nicole's first leg, a 21 km run from the Start/Finish Line (yes you return to the Start line at the end of Leg 2) shortcutting through town towards the dump and potential bears looking for an afternoon meal, then up the old mine road to the active coal mine and down the highway to the start of Leg 4. Doesn't sound like much does it, well don't be fooled. Even though this is deemed one of the easiest of the legs, it has it's own set of unique challenges and can become dangerous very quickly. I will not even mention the bears, but you end up running down some interesting trails that are covered with lots of loose rocks (prime territory for a good ankle sprain if you are not being careful). The leg also brings you through the valley, which heats up substantially and this year I believe it crossed the 30 degree mark. The heat and the trees above create another interesting phenomenon as well, the sunlight coming through the trees creates this sort of prism effect, which can really screw with your eyes if you are really not being careful, thus the loose rocks on the downhill and the light create quite the tripping hazard.

 

Besides these little gems, this is a perfect leg to pick up some well needed time, because there are some great downhills and some flat areas where you can pick up the speed and just go. My understanding that the heat this year knocked a few of the runners on their ass, really drained them just in time to start Leg 4.

 

Nicole did awesome on this leg, even though she would say it was to slow, at 2:57. I say she finished it standing and before the cutoff and she gave me over 40 minutes to spare, that was all I needed. I also must say, Nicole was not feeling to well before heading out, it might have been the nerves but none the less, she made it through and that shows how tough the love of my life is. A challenge comes up and she meets it head on. So as Nicole ran into the transition station, I could tell she was slightly relieved that she finished. Although she had to rest up, because Leg 5 was hopefully not to far away.

 

Leg 4: The Hamel Assault

 

I was getting really antsy waiting for Nicole to get in to the transition station, figuring she would be in at around 6:00pm, I was starting to get concerned when 6:05 then 6:15 passed by. I was doing little circles, around and around, I almost think a wore a path into the ground with all my pacing. The great thing about this was that I was not worried about people noticing my bare feet. With all the activity going on, nobody seemed to notice anyway which was a good thing. Because, I am sure the tension was pretty high with everybody and I'm not sure how i would of reacted if somebody would of said something. Trying to take my mind off the waiting, I checked my poles, got my gloves on, double checked my backpack (also making sure I disposed of my little package from leg one, ewwwe), made sure my bladder was working and just kept an eye on the incoming runners so I would not be caught off guard as Nicole came in. At about 6:19, I saw my two boys jumping up and down madly, as Nicole rounded the corner into the transition station, so I started getting ready for a quick osculation, some words of encouragement and a really quick start.

 

As Nicole reached me, there was the hand off of the timing chip, the Death Coin (very important for Leg 5), the above mentioned osculation (kiss) and I was off with a bang. I flew out of the transition station to a chorus of, "Hey look it's the barefoot guy" and " Holy crap he really isn't wearing any shoes!". I just focused on the path ahead of me and tried to steam roll up the pathway to the highway and the ditch until I had to enter the trees and the seamless never ending upwards trek to the top of Hamel.

 

I was so determined and focused that I just powered up the hill, utilizing a combination of power hiking and running when I could. I passed numerous runners, some looking better than others, some were well on their way to total exhaustion but digging deep to keep moving forward one step at a time. I took inspiration in this, as these runners (the majority soloists) were giving it their all and trying to finish, so who was I not to let them know how great they were doing and how great they were for taking on this amazing challenge. So at that point I made the decision to talk to everybody I met on the way up and let them know how awesome they were doing, its a beautiful thing. Of course with this, I ended up getting the 'Your My Hero' or the 'Your Hardcore' or my favorite 'Your Crazy' (aren't we all) comments thrown at me. The most inspiring moment for me was when I was coming up on this one relay runner, she did not look like your typical runner, a little over weight, dressed in not your typical trail running attire, but slugging it out none the less. You could tell she was putting every ounce of effort she had into this climb, she looked exhausted but determined to not let her team down and would not let the mountain conquer her. I ran with her for a bit to help spur her along, all she kept talking about was my feet and how she was just amazed at what I was doing. All I can say is, thank you for running that day, you are amazing and I hope to run into you again next year.

 

As I got about half way up Hamel, there is this clearing in the trees that gives one of the best views of the trail down (showing all the runners at different stages of the mountain, pretty epic) as well as out towards the other mountains, I decided to stop there and take a quick look around soak in the moment so to speak. Just on cue, I opened my mouth and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Go Death Racer", and as my call ended, another picked up and then another, and another. 'Go Death Racer' echoed up and down the trail, it was one of the most beautiful and fitting things I have ever heard. I just stood there and smiled, then I turned and ran on inspired to finish this thing off.

 

Me heading up Hamel, look at all that glorious mud.......

 

I was setting a torrid pace up Hamel, I got to the top and checked in after the shale switchbacks, running the ridge line and collecting the flag and getting back in 2:32 which is pretty damn quick, most of the runners around our time were running this in over 3 hours so I was quite proud of my performance. Especially since I spent a little bit of extra time walking the ridge line in my barefeet, I really had to take my time up there as the the rocks were quite pointy and sharp. I also had to get some photos as well, because being on top of a mountain at sunset is the most spectacular thing to witness ever.

 

 

Looking out past the edge of the ridge line beyond the flag pick up station

 

The flags we had to get on the edge of the ridge line over looking a very long way down

 

Looking back the way I had come running back along the ridge line

just beautiful with one runner coming towards me.

 

 

I had originally figured I would put my Vibrams on for the shale switchbacks to the summit and for the summit ridgeline itself, but I was having such a great time and my feet felt fantastic, so I just carried on to the dismay of numerous runners and volunteers. Even stopped to pose for a picture or two, and possibly a proposition about watching me run over the rocky trail again or something like that. I was on such a runner's high, that it did not even concern me I would be going down the mountain as the sun was setting. That was at least until I remembered the Rock Garden that is located a couple of miles down the trail from the summit, this would be absolutely crazy to try to do barefoot in the dark. So with this thought I headed down the long and windy trail off of the summit. I will admit I was a lot slower going down than going up for some reason (yeah didn't make sense to me either), the only thing I could account it to was ensuring I had good FOOTing on the downs, one slip and my run could of been over with a broken toe or a serious bit of trail rash. My intent was to get as far down the mountain as I could before the sun finally dipped below the horizon.

 

With a little bit of skill and a whole lot of luck (definitely more luck than skill), I made it down to the flats approximately 5 km to Ambler Loop (a very long 5 km but 5 none the less). Here was a quick check point where the volunteers were stationed to record runner's numbers and ensure they put their head lamps on as the sun was pretty much gone and the darkness had taken over. I must say first of all both my lights sucked, they sucked royally, I thought I would be set with one on my head and the other wrapped around my waist, boy was I wrong. I was having a hell-of-a time seeing anything at all, first I thought it was my eyesight playing tricks on me, but that was quickly disproved when I was running with Barb with her crazy high powered light. So I quickly realized that my lights were grossly inadequate for running trails, technical or non-technical in the dark. So plan B came out, I made sure I was running with another runner or two for the balance of the trail to Ambler then I would re-evaluate. This worked really well, plus I got to talk to some really awesome soloists en route, picking their brains for tidbits of information on training, and them me for the ever popular topic of barefoot running. They never suspected that I was just using them for their lights, it was a perfect relationship. Just kidding, they got me back a little further up the trail when we encountered the lakes that were dotting the landscape of the trail, can you guess who tested the water. I knew you could, of course send the barefoot runner into the water to test how deep and treacherous it is. Not that I really minded, as I happily trudged through the water and mud. Pretty much they needed to find a way around if they wanted to keep their feet dry, was the verdict for most of them. Thanks to Tom, Steve and Pascal (I hope that was everybody, its hard to tell in the dark), I was able to make it to Ambler safe and sound.

 

After a quick stop to check in and hitting the aide station for some sugary goodness (got to keep that energy up), I headed out on the 2 km portion of gravel road to the next check in and the trail that loops back to the aide station. I was still barefoot as I headed out, and after about a km and a lot of cursing and swearing (I just could not pick up the gravel very well with my lights), I was starting to think that finishing off Leg 4 barefoot was not in the cards. I could of kept going but at a reduced pace, but I was starting to get concerned with time as I still had 10km plus to finish and the majority of it was on gravel. So with a sigh I sat down in the middle of the road and started to put my VFF's on. I was a little disappointed,  but when Jennifer and Nicole a couple of other fantastic soloists passed me and gave me the motivational speech I needed (I still can't believe you went that far barefoot), I brightened up, got my shoes on and got my butt back to racing. Seriously I just finished a mountain summit barefoot and finished about 50 of 60km barefoot on the day, I would say that was a huge accomplishment, and why shouldn't I be proud of that.

 

So with that, I cruised up to the next check-in point, not worrying as much where I was stepping, cause my feet were protected by my KSO's. I think my speed pretty much doubled over my previous output, well that might be a bit of a stretch but it felt like I was flying. I quickly passed Jennifer and Nicole, thanking the both of them for getting my mental game back where it needed to be and I entered the trails of Ambler Loop. You know that they added this section on to get the distance because it is the most boring section of the whole 125km, I just wanted it over, so I went quick, not worrying about puddles, just running right through them, wet shoes or not. It also helped that I really still could not see that well so a couple of the bigger puddles caught me off guard and I was in them before I even realized it. This would of not been so bad if it was just me but I was still kind of trail blazing for a few other runners and unfortunately a few of them got wet too, oops.

 

After finishing Ambler I quickly checked in and started heading down the last 7km of gravel road and onto the highway to the transition point. This was the longest part of the whole leg for me, it just seemed like it would never end, typically I run a 10km in about 50 to 55 minutes, this race from getting to Ambler Loop to the finish it took me 2 hours and 16 minutes, that was 12km give or take plus a aide station stop, can we say my lighting speed was very much turtle like. But realistically I cannot complain because that first 1 km and a bit barefoot on the gravel took me about 20 minutes at a run, I could of walked it faster I am sure.

 

When the endearment of the gravel road from hell finally came to a conclusion, I was so glad that I had only 2 km up the side of the road. I was making good progress and I caught up to another soloist about a half of a km from the finish. Now I am a bit competitive, but I could not bring myself to pass a soloist before a transition station, to me it is just not good karma. They have been out here slugging away and I am just doing two legs, no way I slowed down to let them in first. I did not find this out till later, but the runner I was trailing into the station was Craig D. from Winnipeg. A great runner who I have had the pleasure of running with at the start of the day, Craig finished Leg 4 ahead of me by 6 seconds. Overall I finished Leg 4 in 7:02:32 not bad for this barefoot guy. Nicole would have lots of time to finish Leg 5 (about 6 hours and 20 minutes), unless she got lost or fell off the trail we were sure to finish before the 8:00 am cut off, still no pressure right.

 

Leg 5: Hell's Gate:

 

This was Nicole's turn to shine, she loves running in the dark, and was really looking forward to the boat crossing at the Smokey River. She took off from the aide station with her normal zest for life, definitely feeling better than she did earlier. She headed up into the bush for the technical canopy trail with a bit of a skip and a jump in her step. It brought a smile to my face as I watched her disappear into the woods. I knew she would do awesome, because she sure kicked my ass at the training camp for this portion, so it was definitely in the cards. Sometimes I wish I could of ran with her for this, but I felt I could live vicariously through her for the trip across the finish line. I know she did great because she is my wife and she is the most awesome part of my life. She also never ceases to amaze me with everything that she does on a day to day basis. Let me just say life is never boring with Nicole around, she inspires me to do epic things like this little race.

 

Nicole finished strong and ended up running in with another unbelievable soloist named Laura finishing right behind her with the same finishing time (21:54:21), that would be 5:54 in the morning Alberta time. What a experience for everybody involved, this is a Class event and an adventure to remember for not just all that finished but for all that participated. The organizers and volunteers are top notch bar none, and the town comes together to put on one hell of a great event. I now know why runners who participate in this event come back year after year, and I will be one of them. Next year I will be tackling this solo and have already started planning my strategies to make sure I finish. Because I am a Death Racer, and I do not take that lightly.

 

Go Death Racer..............

 

Nicole coming into the finish just behind Laura. Note the time was adjusted due to the time out at the river crossing waiting for the boat across.

 

Where's The Beach? Stead, MB - Mountain Bike Enduro Event Trail Running Style

On July 1, this year I signed up to take part in a little Run, Bike challenge in Stead, MB. Basically a 33km trail run taking place during a Mountain Bike Enduro Race of 33km, 66 km or 100km. Just couldn't pass it up. It was hotter than hell, and the sand was like running through hot coals but I finished and I finished smiling. This little video was put together by the organizers of the event. I have a very quick double time barefoot running cameo near the end. Had a blast and this is definitely a recommended event if you want to do something a little different.

Day One of Training Camp CDR Style Cont.

I can't believe I almost forgot this, to top off the epic two mountain summit run on Friday, Nicole and I also joined about 32 or so other training camp participants for a 5km plus or minus night run of the start of Leg 5. This was one of Nicole's legs and how could we pass up the opportunity to run in the dark on the all important last leg of the race. Even with my slightly rubbery legs, I was not going to miss it, because I was bound and determined to see as much of the course as possible over the three days even if it killed me (and that was a distinct possibility, it is called the Death Race don't you know).

The funny thing about this night run, was at the orientation prior to us starting camp, Dale asked everybody in the room, who was going to partake in this little night time adventure, and about 40 hands went up. At the time Dale chuckled at this, and quickly noted that he expected that by the end of the afternoon that would easily be cut in half. Well Dale, you were not quite right, and I think we surprised him with the amount that did show up. Can we say this camp crew was hardcore, why yes, yes we can.
So at 10:30 pm as the sun was starting to go down we all met at the Hotel entrance to see what Dale and the rest of the team had in store for us. With a little more 'magic' to be performed by the organizers, we shuttled everybody to the end of the 5km run and piled into a vastly smaller quantity of vehicles and headed to the starting point of Leg 5 at the Sulpher Gates Station where we would enter the heavy tree canopy portion of the leg.  So as Dale explained what would take place and how important it was if you were running Leg 5 to see what the conditions of running this portion in the dark would be like first hand. The first portion of Leg 5 you enter the 'Canopy', it gets dark quick and the trail is full of tree roots, so keeping a diligent eye and having a very good head lamp is important, or you will be not on your feet to long.

Map of Leg 5

Dale gave us quite overview of what we were to expect on the trail, from the cat's eye reflectors on the trees to mark the trail (these were neat to see, like a airport landing strip at night), to the tree roots and quick turns, he explained you needed to be aware of your surroundings at all times. He split us up into groups of 4 or 5 runners and sent us on our way, with his catch phrase bellowing, "I Love This Shit!!". Put a smile on my face as we entered the tree line and the pitch black conditions.

I will say, after finishing Leg 2 today and the chore of Leg 4 the next day, I decided to wear my Vibrams for this 5km and I was glad I did. Nicole and I were testing out new headlamps and mine just sucked, it would not stay in position and the light just bounced everywhere. So as you can imagine I would be running along not really seeing where I was going and damn it, I would either land on a tree root or kick one on the leg lift. I just plain could not see the ground properly because of it and I had to slow my pace down just to ensure I was staying on the trail. I really do not like being at the mercy of a light, but I would have to make do I guess. So along the 5 km I ended up going off trail 5 times, almost missed a turn and went off the side of the trail and down an incline (scared the crap out of me), kicked a dozen or so nasty tree roots and stepped on too many to count. That little bit of protection saved me some pretty good gashes and 2 very sore feet for sure. 

With me trying to make sure I didn't die on the trail, Nicole flew ahead and finished way ahead of me (I blame it on the downhills, because Nicole really likes the downhills), I could hear her whooping and hollering through the trees having the time of her life. I knew this was going to be the perfect leg for her, plus she really wanted to do the river crossing on the boat, so how could I deny her that pleasure. I believe I finished about 5 minutes behind her, and was just glad to be back in a area that I could see. But seriously I do like to run at night, because it adds an element of difficulty and a whole new aspect to the challenge of running. But having the correct gear to assist you is very important, and testing out a new light on a trail you don't know is not a good idea. Lesson Learned.

After 'I' finally finished, Nicole and I headed back to the hotel for the night to prepare for the next day and the 'Mountain Bike Ride From Hell' and the 'Rise To The Summit of Hamel'

To be Con't.

But first some more photos from Leg 2:

Somewhere heading up Flood Mountain

One of the many mountain streams that are scattered across the course

A look to the south (at least I think its South, I'm not an orienteer or anything you know) from the trail. Can you see the bee that I caught flying in front of the lens.......

Carolin making her way up Mount Flood showing good climbing technique with the poles

Another view from the trail, don't know what mountain it is but thought it was pretty neat that the clouds were touching the top

The feet were mighty happy to running this terrain. 'Sole'ful bliss I would say.

Round, round we go up the mountain

Enter 'Slugfest' This is looking up at the trail we just came down. This is me kneeling and pointing the camera up the trail, i was trying to show the butt sliding slope of the down. You might even be able to see the grooves of many a previous ass cheek that has slide down this hill

On the floor of Slugfest looking towards Grande Mountain. The muddy trail in the photo is some of the driest down in the valley

The whole trail is full of spectacular views

A view of Grande Cache from Grande Mountain

A storm is a brewing' time to start heading down the mountain

Not even half way down the power line, what fun this descent was

The Smokey River below

Some of my favorite types of trail, dirt that squishes between the toes, ahhh nice soft dirt with the occasional 'proper running form' checking type rock.

All done with all things considered a mild case of mud and dirt coverage

Our Relay Partner Dan coming in after finishing Leg 2. This is his leg  

Dale Tuck, our fearless leader bringing in the last runner to the finish

Nicole and Dan looking quite happy for Leg 2 to be finished. Relaxing in the grass

Manitoba Trail 50k-Spruce Woods: A Great Day For A Run

We could not of asked for a more perfect day, the weather was fantastic, a great technical barefoot trail (I will clarify this later) ahead of us, a good selection of experienced and new to the ultra running scene runners, very enthusiastic volunteers and a Race Director that takes pride in what he does. All in all, a recipe for a unbelievable day and event.

It was a early rise for us, as we prepared to get out to Spruce Woods in plenty of time to ensure we both had a chance to get the pre-race necessities out of the way as well as have a chance to relax and get ready for the 8:30 am start time. The drive was fairly uneventful, we saw a beautiful sunrise coming over the horizon behind us as we headed west towards the park. It was a clear cut sign it was going to be a beautiful day with a endless supply of surprises and we were definitely not going to be disappointed.

The sunrise behind us as we travelled down the highway

As we drove down Highway 5 towards the Spruce Woods trail head Epinette Creek and the race starting point, the standard race jitters started to rear their ugly head, for lack of a better expression. I have been looking forward to this run ever since I signed myself and Nicole up for it 18 months ago. It was a bitter disappointment last year when it was originally postponed due to the flood damage in the park last spring, and once again postponed in the fall due to not being ready as deemed by Parks. But this also shows the determination and resolve of the race director, Dwayne Sandall, who was going to put on the best event he could come hell or high water (thankfully there was none this year), and damn it, he kept his word.

Woohoo the park sign, Entrance to the Trail Head

As the sun lifts in the sky the cars start to arrive

Now I, have not done to many Ultra's yet, but this is my 3rd, I have done Vulture Bait 50km in London, ON twice (the first a DNF, see here) and the 2nd a successful first Ultra completion in muddy conditions, see here. Both of these races had prepared me for the distance, as I knew what to expect, but there was no way I was going to be prepared for the hills today. Let's just say, I was expecting some hills, but not the whole distance comprising of ups and downs, I honestly think the flattest area of the entire course was the beaver dam crossing, which I will get to later. In short the hills kicked my ass, and gave me a good look into how my quads were going to feel after I tackle The Canadian Death Race this summer. Now don't get me wrong, I expect that my quads will feel like a hot poker has been repeatedly stabbed into my legs during CDR, and I will be dragging my sorry ass up and down Mount Hamel for Leg No. 4, but I will be smiling all the way because I know its there. But I seriously was not expecting what we got today, I was expecting some good hills similar to the Treherene Marathon in the Tiger Hills, but not continuous ups and downs for 50km. Good on you Dwayne for keeping this little tid-bit of information under wraps, I like surprises it keeps everybody honest.

Its really interesting to be that guy that runs barefoot all the time, its hard to go unnoticed, fly under the radar so to speak. No matter where I run, I get comments, looks and questions. I really don't see what the big deal is, my feet have been conditioned for this, the layer of skin on my feet are probably as thick as some of the rubber on the bottom of most running shoes. Further to this, I don't need cushioning as my feet are strong, I have been developing the almost forgotten muscles by other runners that are located in their feet to fine tuned blood pumping shock absorbers. My feet morph and mould around the terrain that I run on, plus I hate the idea of carrying all the extra weight (you do know that shoes are heavy right), and there is nothing like the feeling of mud and dirt squishing between your toes. Anyway, I did get some looks as I wandered around the area, checking in and stretching out my legs before the run. Of course saying hi to the great people that I have had the privilege to meet at other events like David and Melissa (two very inspiring Ultra marathoners), Stephen from St. Malo (a very talented and fast runner), Murray and Chantal (fellow Hashers) and of course Steve from CPR, I know I am missing others and for that I apologize. Add to this all the great people that Nicole and I met today as well, and that is why I love the Ultra scene, it is just one big community that is out to have a good time and go for a run. Everybody is out to help one another and push you along to mutual success.

After the heart felt opening instructions and speech by Dwayne, which included the ever faithful you can't get lost if you keep the markers to the left, if they are on the right you are going the wrong way. With this Dwayne asked all the runners to raise their left hands, and Chantal being the character she is, quickly advised Dwayne that was just not possible for her to do that (If you have never had the good fortune to meet Chantal she lost her left hand in an accident many years previous), which promptly got everybody laughing. Dwayne also brought up the beaver dam crossing which was about 6 or 7 miles in and also the return trip back at about mile 29, he advised us that some of it had washed away and to stay upstream of the dam when we crossed (a little bit of foreshadowing here). With the information part of the show done we headed out to the dirt access road to the north for the start.

Dwayne giving the very important race instructions see everybody hanging on his every word. Oops something must of distracted me. Photo Credit: Sheila Clark-Turcotte

Nicole and I took up our customary starting spot at the back of the pack

Heading out with Nicole and me towards the back in our familiar starting place

Photo Credit: Sheila Clark-Turcotte

As we waited for the fly by that was the signal of the start of the race, we heard Dwayne shout out a quick GO!!!, and we were off. A quick kiss from the wife, and I was on my way. I wasn't shooting for a time, I just wanted to enjoy the run, but deep down I wanted to beat my last ultra time and figured that would be not to difficult based on the mud run last year that we endured through. That was also before I realized the entire course was hills. The customary questions started with, "How can you run on gravel with no shoes?" and "How long have you been running barefoot?", and of course "Your not going to run the whole thing without shoes on are you?" and of course "Where are your shoes?"  I responded with, in order, "Gravel is no issue and this stuff has been smoothed down over the years so its like a good foot massage." and "I have been running barefoot for about two and a half years." and with a smile "Yes, yes I am." and finally, "No, I am running with shoes, see they are in my hands, I just don't want to get them dirty so they are just coming along for the ride." The last one usually gets a good laugh and we move onto other subjects.

The course consists of a 8 plus km out and back and then out onto the main course for the balance of the 50 km length. As usual, I was starting out a little quick as I was passing other runners a little to casually as I moved up the pack, not up with the elite runners but still comfortably into the middle of the pack. I was maintaining a 9:20 min/mile pace as we hit the start of the hills. The out and back was also on a limestone gravel path that looks like it was laid down late last year, my first thoughts were if the whole trail consists of this, my Vibrams may be coming out after all. As I can run on this stuff for miles and miles but my skin will definitely get more tender once I pass the 20 mile mark running consistently on it. Oh well, we will see how the day plays out. I got into a good groove as we went up and down, up and down, over one hill then onto the next. My legs were responding to the hills well early on as I was easily able to run up them keeping the same effort and then flying down the back side with enough momentum to get me partially up the next hill. I was thinking this is great, get all the hills out early and it will be smooth sailing, boy was I ever in for a rude awaking. As we hit the turn around of the out and back, I blurted out the sincere "Thanks for coming out" to the volunteer who was stationed there to make sure nobody went off course and got my camera ready for a photo of Nicole as she came cruisin' down the trail. I will be honest, I was expecting a bit more of a separation between Nicole and me at the start, but the hills must of been giving her that extra bit of motivation to push harder because there she was coming flying up the trail so quickly I almost missed her.

Nicole at about 2.5 miles in.

Everything was going according to plan, as we made our way back along the trail, I was feeling very comfortable, talking with the other runners as we went along. Then that uncomfortable feeling that I needed to go to the bathroom started. Crap, no not literally it was the other one, never fails it seems unless I completely clear everything out, I have to go pretty much right away or a couple of miles in. It was either hit the bush or wait a bit for the outhouse that I saw just up the trail. With the runners so bunched together at the start, I opted to wait for the outhouse. As I stopped, I heard one of the runners call out, don't fall in, all I can think is that is all I need, and start to laugh. After the stop, I lost a little bit of ground and start back out to finish the return portion off prior to hitting the meat and potatoes of the run. As I crest the first hill again, I roll into the first aid station, fully stocked and ready to go. The volunteer sitting there looks at my barefeet and with a priceless expression on her face exclaims, "Where are your shoes?", I innocently say, "Right here" as I lift my shoes to proudly show her my VFF's positioned nicely in my right hand. With this, I grab what I thought was a energy drink, and quickly realized it was Mountain Dew, oops I was not planning on any carbonated drinks this early (especially not Mountain Dew because I have never drank it before), but oh well what can you do. I expected I would be burping for the next few miles as I went along as the stuff bounced around in my stomach. With this thought I grabbed some potato chips and a cookie and headed out. Salt replenishment would be important because it was going to get hot today, and I sweat a lot of it out when I run longer distances.

After leaving the aid station and a saying a few hello's to some of the half marathoners that I knew, we headed up into the hills once again. These were back to the trails that I was expecting, dirt mixed with grass and sand, good single track trails, my first thought was, this was more like it. I could see David and Melissa ahead of me moving at a good pace, and I just decided I was going to slow down a bit and take it all in. So out came the camera as I panned around and took a few pictures of what was ahead of me, behind me and around me, as I said earlier I was not running for a time, just going out for a enjoyable run with 50 or so of my friends and the great outdoors, could life be better, not today that's for sure.

David and Melissa picking up the pace as we head deeper into the park



This was one of the many racers utilizing poles. Going to have to get some of those for CDR

View as we headed into the tree line.

The sun was starting to get hotter in the open areas as we headed into the treeline and for this I was grateful, as running in heat for extended periods of time taps a lot of your strength, plus hydration becomes a very important thing. So the shade of the trees to deflect some of the sun is always a very welcoming thing. The other great thing about trail running is that you can be within a few hundred feet of someone and not even know it, if you like running alone it is a great feeling but also having the knowledge that there is someone not to far away, the surreality of it as the birds chirp and the wind rustles the leaves, and the sound of your feet gliding over the trail. As the hills continued we started to get into the sandy trail areas the paths up the hills consisted of lots of sand and scattered throughout lots of ant hills (this is some more fore shadowing, cue the strange music). Did you ever wonder if ants were really smart, I honestly never thought to much of it. But if you think about it, they live in colonies, work together for a common goal, and nothing will stand in their way if they want something or need to get somewhere fast, I found this out first hand (or foot). I am running happily along, stopping occasionally to take in the vistas, when I feel this little pinch on my toe, I stop and look down and see a ant running away from my foot. I thought I might of stepped on a pine needle, so I check my foot and nothing is there, so I carry on. A little while later there is another little pinch on my other foot, and I stop again, there again I see a couple of ants running away from feet. Hmm curious, maybe I stepped on them while I was running. This goes on for a while, as I make my way to the, bom bom pa da, Beaver Dam.

The Beaver Dam, it looks innocent enough doesn't it?

 

This was where the pile up of runners begins, as I came down the hill towards the dam, I see a bottleneck of runners waiting to get across, my mind starts working overtime, as I think hmmm, the photo gems that could come out of this, such potential. So out came the camera to hopefully get some good shots and some memories to share with the other runners. It really didn't look that bad as I ran up, a couple of runners complaining about getting their feet wet (David), others trying to find an alternate route around (David), making mention that this was suppose to be a nice run throughout the woods not getting wet (David), maybe a couple of quizzical looks as they brainstormed on how to get across the now falling apart dam (David, hmmm do you see a trend here). Anyway, joking aside it was quite comical watching everybody take a different approach to the problem at hand. One runner just trudged ahead trying to prove that he had great balance as he leap frogged over the open water areas; Melissa just dove right in, literally up to her neck as she made her way across; Scott tried to make the careful approach by grabbing a stick and wading across, oh boy watch out for that sink hole; David tried making a bridge with a two by four, didn't work, scanned the area for another way across, didn't work, bounding back and forth for an attempt, nope turn back, try again, nope turn back. It really was quite entertaining. I on the other hand just stuffed my camera in one of my shoes and threw them across to the other side with my water bottle before proceeding to go across with my bare feet, no problem done. As I picked up my stuff, I looked back to David finally resolving to taking off his shoes and socks to come across or so I thought. I would not see David for about an hour when he finally caught back up to me (note: he is a lot faster than I am, so this kind of surprised me.) See below for some of the crossing shots for your enjoyment, I smile everything I look at them again, but it might be because you needed to be there to see all the action.........

This is Melissa in the lead and David sprinting back looking for another way across

Melissa coming out after her swim, a runner trying to build a bridge and Scott waiting for his crossing attempt

Look out that's going to be a soaker

Melissa climbing out soaking wet and Scott trying his luck

Oops, Scott is in and here comes David for another closer look

Oh well, I'm wet now says Scott, while David is still scheming of a potential way across

Anne showing everybody how it is done as she quickly leap frogs across

 

With the entertainment of the beaver dam behind me, I started to focus on the trail ahead again, up a big hill and into the trees we went, it was interesting my feet were feeling great (surprising what a dip in some cold water will do to revive them), and the trail was soft and barefoot friendly with a combination of soft grasses, dirt trail and sand. Once we hit the full tree coverage, that changed quickly as the trail suddenly began to be covered in sticks and twigs, thus turning the trail into a very technical barefoot running endeavour. Sure when wearing shoes, sticks are usually not much of a problem just the occasional jab through the shoe top but when you don't have that extra layer between your skin and the stick you have to be very adept at deking in and out to avoid that potential puncture wound. Now I have become quite good at this over the last few years, so as long as I kept a watchful eye on where I was going, everything was golden. I was still maintaining a comfortable pace, chugging along up the hills, down the hills, repeat, repeat, I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to see flat land again. One particular hill we went up put up top of a nice valley area, where you could see for miles, so of course me playing the Ultra marathoner tourist type, I stopped to take some pictures and just take in the view. Its fun when you discover something that you were really not expecting like the following views. I could of sat up there for much longer but decided after about 5 minutes it would be a good idea to move along. Here are some shots of the view below:

View to the northwest overlooking a creek meandering thru the park

Another shot of the valley, what a great blue sky.

This was a typical trail shot heading to yet another hill

 

Heading back out onto the trail, for some reason I took a look down towards my feet, not sure why, I just did and to my surprise there was about 5 ants riding on my toes, thinking to myself, I've got some free loaders catching a ride. About 500 feet down the trail, I feel that pinch again down around my toes, so like before I stop and look down and low and behold, I see all 5 ants hop off my feet and go on their merry way. The little buggers were hitching a ride, biting me when then wanted off so I would stop, bloody ingenius. I just started laughing, now it made sense, why walk when you can catch a ride on unsuspecting toe, right. Just as I was about to start off again, I saw another couple on ants trying to jump onto my feet, not this time as I shook them off and I was away with a big grin on my face, because who would of thought.

The trail continued to go up and down for the next few miles, transitioning between soft grass trail, to sand, to stick covered with the occasional roots and rocks. Right in the middle of the trail at about mile 11 or so I came across a pile of scattered bones, bleached in the sun, picked clean and spread out over the path, at first I didn't think to much about as I passed by, but for some reason I decided to stop and take a picture, not really sure why. Just thought it was kind of neat to be running a race and have to run over bones, could be something about natural selection or only the strong survive or just an symbol of the Canadian Death Race, who knows. Anyway I stopped and took a couple of pictures, I told you I was playing a tourist on this run.

Bleached bones just sitting in the middle of the path

Basically a skull that had been shattered and picked clean

At this point I carried onto the 3rd Aid Station, and I caught up to Melissa and Anne who were just finishing up with some salty snacks. Melissa asked me if I had seen David, at which I mentioned I had last seen him taking off his shoes and socks at the beaver dam, that made me think yeah he should of caught up to me by now, strange. She just looks at me and starts snickering, he was having a bit of a issue with getting wet so early in the race so he had to work himself up to getting over it. With that, they were off and running again, while I fueled up with some water, chips, cookies and a hand full of gum drops. After a quick conversation with the volunteers and a big thank you to them I was once again on the run as well. One piece of advice that I have that I need to share is don't eat to many gum drops at once. I made this mistake as I was running along the trail, I popped the complete handful in my mouth at the same time. I very quickly realized my mistake, my whole mouth was stuck together, it took me about 20 minutes to get through all the chewiness and get it all down. Now that was 20 minutes of me not thinking about running but also 20 minutes of me not watching where and what I was running on either. I ended up driving a pretty decent size stick between my big toe and my second toe which created quite the scratch, nothing damaging but it did surprise me and sting for a couple of seconds. A quick check to see if there was no impalement and I was off again with my first war wound.

Somewhere between this point and the next aid station, David caught up to me and we ran together for a couple of minutes before he slowly pulled away with the intent to catching up with Melissa. He was still a little choked about the beaver dam, but more that he lost his Ipod somewhere during the crossing and he has not ran without music for a very long time. But the ultra runner was very evident in him as the glint in his eyes showed as if he was not going to let that ruin his day. David has one of the most efficient running strides I have ever seen, it barely looks like he is even trying as he floats along the trail, it is a treat to watch him run. I only wish I looked that fluid, I think I look more awkward than anything as I dipsy-doodle this way and that to avoid the things that most runners just run over. You definitely can't start day dreaming when you run trails barefoot, you have to be focused to your surroundings at all times.

By this time, I was really noticing the workout my quads were getting as we continued with the hills, they were not tired yet but they were definitely getting worked over, I was even starting to walk some of the uphills now, because I was starting to realize that the hills were continuous and I still had about 14 miles to go (give or take). I hit the next aid station to the sound of music and dancing, they were having some serious fun sitting in the middle of the field, all I hear as I round the corner is some hooting and hollering as one of my favourite volunteers (I really wish I could remember her name) was cheering me in. Of course I had to sit and talk for a few minutes, answer some questions and get loaded up with water again. On top of this I had to get a picture of them as they were truly enjoying themselves to best of their abilities and then some.

A favorite aid station stop complete with music and dancing

Heading off into the woods again, I was noticing that the hills were starting to take their toll on my pace, as I was definitely slowing down but was maintaining a modest 11:00 to 12:00 min/mile. I was definitely walking more of the hills as I continued to run up as far as I could before settling into a walk to the top and then a run down the other side. The stragedy seemed to be working as it gave me a chance to catch my breath again before I started running down the backside of the hill. That was when I got to the road I believe it was somewhere around Jackfish Lake, all I saw was down hill on gravel and shale rock, not worn down and with the steep incline I decided it was safer to walk down or proceed at a slow jog for this then try to run down and kill my feet off or lose my footing. It actually went fairly well, I was quite pleased that the slow jog worked as well as it did, I almost caught up to Scott again, but let him get away while I had to stop to use the bushes marked with a 'Men's Washroom' sign. No worries I would be seeing him again soon enough.

This was the dirt road at about Mile 18 that I had to go down it doesn't look to daunting but you didn't have to go down it.

Try going down this at high speed with bare feet, not for the faint of heart

Or another view, I wish I could of got the incline shot better.

I was in good spirits when I got to the bottom of the road as I continued down the trail towards a warming hut or cabin or what ever it was called. Things were going well, I still had lots of energy, my feet felt fantastic and I was enjoying every minute of the journey and the scenery that was surrounding me. As I passed by the cabin, I crossed over a little creek bridge and was staring the 'Hill From Hell' straight in the face. I stopped and starred for a couple of minutes as I tried to follow the path before me up to the top, needless to say I couldn't see the top, the trail just seemed to go up and up and up with no stop in sight. My first thought was to turn around and run the other way, it must of been easier the other way, really. They do say adversity makes you stronger, well I guess we were going to find out because by the end of this hill, my quads were either going to say, 'Give me another of those hills" or they were going to start screaming at me to "Stop the abuse". Either way I figured I should get going I had a hill to tackle and Scott to catch up to. So I started to run to try to get as far up the hill as I could before stopping and walking the balance, well that did not last to long. I got about 100 yards up the incline and then started walking. The trail twisted and turned for what seemed like an hour (probably only 5 minutes but melodramatics can be well placed occasionally), the trail was a mix of sand and soft pack, so running would of been interesting anyway. Plus I had some more hitchhikers tagging along for the ride, I will never look at a ant the same way again.

This was the start of the hill up doesn't look to daunting until you get a little closer

A little closer look at the rise it takes off at a really good slope when you make it around the corner

When I got to the top, I was glad not only to see the end of that hill, but also the view at the top. It really was quite a sight overlooking all the trees and taking in all the area that we had just finished making our way through. I just stood up there and looked around, thinking to myself this is why I run these to take in vistas like this.

The view once I got to the top

A little closer to the edge, it was a long way down to the bottom

As I started out again, I was definitely feeling the burn in the quads but I was also very satisfied with my progress, yes I was making a lot of photo stops but I was also still moving forward and there was no soreness in my feet at all. With 18 plus miles down, I was know focusing on the next 2 miles, knocking it off in smaller increments seemed like the way to go. I caught up to Scott at about mile 20, he was running along slow and steady, we talked for a bit, he asked about my feet, I asked how he was doing, the normal greetings on the trail at least for me. It was interesting Scott was just getting back into long distance running and this was his first in quite a few years. He had ran CDR a couple of times years ago (not finishing either but got close the second time) and at some time wanted to try it again. I found it really interesting, over the day Nicole and I have run into a good quantity of runners here that have run the Death Race. Who said all the runners in Manitoba like flat courses, that was being proved wrong today for sure. I ran with Scott for about a mile as we continued the hill training, then we parted ways with a good luck and a see you at the end as I slowly picked up my pace.

The next few miles were fairly uneventful, sandy trails up and over the hills, the walking of the hills was coming more frequently though, this was a good test of resolve for sure. I was still maintaining the running down the hills which was a good thing, because going up was getting slower and slower, almost until I felt like I was going backwards. With the heat of the day coming out, the sand on the trail was getting hotter and I had to lift my feet quicker for fear of burning my already well used soles. As I was trudging along, I had the feeling that I was being tracked and in fact I was, another runner named John had been slowly reeling me in for the last few miles, I really wasn't trying to stay ahead of him but it was definitely helping push me along. As we entered a wooded area, I came up to one of the few actual obstacles that were crossing the path, a big tree that had fallen over sometime previously. I started to look to see what would be the course of action to get by and the only real option was to go under. Lucky my limbo skills were in fine tune as I bent over and quickly glided under. All I could think of at the time was the Calypso music playing in my head as I made short work of the tree.

My limbo tree

View from the other side, you can just make out me taking a photo behind the tree

Photo Credit: John Alexander Blyth

I will tell you one thing the hills just kept piling up, there is nothing like an endless supply of quad burning hills to tackle in a run. No matter the distance you are running these bad boys will wear you down and no picture that you take does them justice. As I look back at the photos that I did take, all I can think is they don't look to bad, but then I remember the actual hill and think well yes they were. As I got to the next hill, I stopped to take a picture just so I try to get the magnitude of the slope, I look back at the picture and once again it doesn't look to bad, but this sucker was a treat to get up.

Deceiving slope up and the down on the other side was a treat too.

John taking a picture of me as I took a picture of him

Me taking a picture of John as he took my picture

Photo Credit: John Alexander Blyth

Me waiting for John to catch up

Photo Credit: John Alexander Blyth

Come on John we have to tackle this bloody hill, a better view of the slope up this one was a bitch

Photo Credit: John Alexander Blyth

I ran with John for a bit as we made our way along the trail, he is a interesting character as well, another one who has run the Canadian Death Race, seeing a bit of a trend here. John is a bit of a competitive chap, as we jockeyed for 37 and 38 place over all, he had me laughing and forgetting about my quads. As John started to pull away, he looked back with a smile and exclaimed that 35th and 36th places were just up around the bend and he was off. I just watched in awe as he steadily pulled away from me and I wished him luck at moving up the ranks.

I carried on, walking the ups and running the downs for about another mile when I turned the corner and I saw John's 35th and 36th place quarry right in front of me, I was honestly a little surprised with who it was as well. David and Melissa were slowly making their way along the trail and I will be honest I was concerned because Melissa was doing more of a limp run. I caught up and found out that Melissa's plantar fasciitis starting acting up quite a ways back and it had started to slow them down. Now first of all, I have never had plantar fasciitis and I hope I never do, but I do understand it is a painful situation that will stop most runners in their tracks and for that matter, running on it is not easy. So as I look at Melissa in complete awe, all I can think is, 'Wow, Melissa has just leaped frogged the majority of my "Who I want to be when I grow up" inspirations'. The other thing about this was David, using the ultra marathoner philosophy to never leave anyone behind who may be in need, he never left her side. We carried along the trail, and the funny thing the grit and determination was really starting to show in Melissa as she started to pull ahead of David and I again. Here I am a little tired, my quads are working overtime and I am falling behind again. To put it bluntly Melissa has that killer instinct when she runs, no matter the obstacle, nor hell or high water, nothing was going to stop her from finishing this race. Just inspiring, that is all I can say. I just watched them pick up the pace and slowly pull away, Melissa carried on to finish just ahead of me by 29 seconds at the end of the day. David ended up finishing ahead of both of us, I would assume Melissa told him to run on and he galloped to a strong finish picking up places and finishing a whole 22 minutes before we crossed the line, he must of been flying for the last 6 or 7 miles to make up that much ground.

For the next few miles, up to the last aid station with about 9 kms to go, I was jockeying back and forth with Anne from Brandon, she was running a steady race and it appeared we were using each other to spur each other along. It was interesting, Anne would run a steady pace up the hills as far as she could, walk to the top then start gliding down the other side, while I power walked the majority of the hills and picked up speed down the other side, we traded positions right to the aid station. The runs down the backside of the hill were getting more challenging as the sticks were getting denser and I really had to pay attention to where I was planting my feet, for fear of impalement. I really didn't want to finish this off with my feet in a bloody mess, so I just focused to put one foot in front of the other and dipsy doodle down the hills looking for the clearest path. When we got into the last aid station, a quick fill up of water, chips, pretzels and choc chip cookies were completed before heading out. The volunteers advised us that there was about 9 km to go and it was mostly downhill, can we say that was a little bit of a fib. Nothing like getting someone's hopes up and then having them dashed as we coast down a trail and come across nothing but another uphill. Oh well, should of known better, I started tackling the course with a new vigor, there was no way I was going to stop with being this close. I started pulling away from Anne and kept a steady 11:00 min/mile pace to the 2nd crossing of the beaver dam. A bit more of it was broken away, but I saw a good route through that would make this time around a little easier.  Once I put my feet into the cold water, they felt totally rejuvenated, it was like a shot of adrenaline just started coursing through my body. First my feet then my legs, I suddenly felt like I had not just finished running 47.5 km of hills. I quickly got out of the water with a big stupid grin on my face and the desire to finish this run off fast. So I chugged up to the inpromptly set up water station, grabbed a quick drink and picked up the pace. The last couple of kms flew by as I ran up the grassy dunes and tried to chase down the runners in front of me. The distance shrunk as we got closer to the finish, I could hear the hooting and hollering as I crested the last hill for the couple ahead of me, which included Melissa and another runner named Scott. I picked up the pace to about a 10:00 min/mile as I screamed across the finish line. Woot woot, 50km all done, with some congrats from some of the other racers and a smile that ran across the entire width of my face I stopped my Garmin with a time of 6:47:58 (actual official finishing time was 6:47:51). Not bad, still managed a PB by over 9 minutes even with the unexpected hills and the sight seeing tour. I will take it.

I had some of Dwayne's famous finisher's chili as I waited for Nicole to come in, took some feet condition photos and of course started picking the ticks off my legs (only ended up with 3 of them, not bad considering they were fairly bad out there), what a great day for a run.

My right foot after finishing 50km of trail running no worse for wear. A little dirty but ready for more.

My left foot, very similar to the right no damage done.

As I was sitting down re-hydrating some more and just enjoying the sunshine, I here the hooting and hollering starting once again, and there is Nicole coming over the last hill, running hard (boy she loves the downhills), she barely looks gassed at all as  this big smile breaks across her face as she approaches the finish line. She crosses the finish line and our day is done at least the running part of it anyway.

Nicole coming over the last hill towards the finish line

Nicole as she crossed the finish line looking great as always, did she just run 50km? Yes, yes she did.

Me after the finish all refreshed and ready to run again.

I didn't catch his name, but he finished the balance of the run from the beaver dam barefoot carrying his Vibrams, and he finished hard.

Photo Credit: Sheila Clark-Turcotte

Dwayne mucking around on another trail run

Photo Credit: Unknown

 It was a fantastic event, and Dwayne should be proud of not only all his hard work but the work of the many volunteers who came out to support a bunch of crazies like us run and run hard. We will definitely be back next year to partake in his new 50 mile option. Kudos to all and a great race ran by everybody.

I have also included Nicole's garmin profile for the run, for a review of the run, you will notice the ups and downs are continuous throughout. Hope to you out there next year, its going to be bigger and better if I know Dwayne.

Nicole's garmin stats recap