Raid the Hammer
Discipline: Adventure Run-orientering/running
Distance: approx 25km
Date: Sunday November 11, 2007
Venue: Hamilton, Ontario
Contact Info.: www.dontgetlost.ca

I thought my season was over. My body was showing signs of the three endurance events (Keen 20km trail, Storm the 10 solo ten hour multisport race, and Run for the Toad 50km trail) I had competed in three weekends in a row. Perfect time to do some recovery work, cross train, and rest. Then I got an invite to be a third in the Raid the Hammar Adventure Run and I thought- “oh well one more won’t kill me, I can relax all of Decemeber”. So I uped the training one last time for 2007 and joined forces as Storm the Trent/Running Free.ca at the Fall Raid the Hammar in Hamilton.

This was my first Raid Race and I was racing with two guys, Sean Roper and Mike Van Den Bosch, I had never raced with before. I was really nervous about this. My confidence was low as I worried that my body just didn’t have one left in the tank and I worried about letting the guys down. They know me from Storm the Trent Races, which Sean directs and I have raced against Mike in. But racing with someone is different. I warned them prior to the race I am slow and steady, take a long time to warm up, and have been racing/training long distance solo and didn’t know how “social” I would be during the race. My strength this season is that I have been able to go so deep in my own head I tune everything else out. That’s great for solo ultra races but not for team races. I was worried I won’t be a good teammate.

At the start line I felt very out of place. Familiar faces greeted eachother and there was a feeling of comarderie, but also competitive tension. I felt like I was being sized up by several female racers which served only to make me more determined to be strong. “Sized up” literally considering my shoulders came to Mike’s waist and Sean’s hips. I looked like a midgit between the two of them. As serious as I am about competition I was overwelmed by the “joking” jestering at the start line. I was really worried I would not be able to match their pace with the stride difference alone. Sean and Mike were prefect for calming my nerves as both are competitive but relaxed. I could tell they wanted to go for it, but knew if I blew up they would forgive me.

I was surprised how quick the race started. The pace was hard as many teams pushed to be in the lead. Knowing starts are my weakness I tried to remain calm, knowing that this pace would be short lived- right? This couldn’t be the race pace? Or was it…

We followed a cart track for a while than scrambled through some fields till we reached a conservation area. My navigational skills suck so I was having no part in the orienterring. Run. Just run. That was my plan. Sean and Mike did all the navigation and I vowed not to question, comment, or stick even one eyeball on the map. A vow I kept throughout the race.

In the conservation area we hit our first matrix. This is where teams could split up to find different controlpoints then meet at the rendezvous place. Sean took off to find two controlpoints and I travelled with Mike. Running on the trails was much more comfortable for me. It was a cold and wet day and I had decided to wear my worn out Cascadias for luck and comfort. Unfortunetly they have no tread left and I therefore slid everywhere when we ran through the bush. I had no problems keeping pace on the trails, but slowed the team through the bush. My little legs just couldn’t travel as fast through/over the bush like Mikes.

A tricky controlpoint had us searching three different vallies for the marker. Eventually we found it but it cost us sometime as Sean was waiting for us at the renderzvous. We were very close to the lead co-ed teams though. I was feeling really positive about the day. My body was warming up and I felt really comfortable racing with these guys. I don’t think I talked much, but the quiet was comfortable. And even though I had to take four strides to match Mike’s one, on the trails I felt strong. The cold wasn’t getting to me and I was really enjoying myself.

We split up again in the same groups at the second matrix. This was a high point in the race and I didn’t want to have Sean waiting for us again so I picked it up. Mike kept telling me to slow down as Sean’s controlpoints would take longer than ours would. I wasn’t used to this and found it really difficult to slow down when I was feeling good. But Mike was right because after we got our controlpoints we stood waiting for Sean for over ten minutes. My body was not used to this!!! My heartrate dropped to 82 and I started to get cold. I ate something to kill time, went the washroom, and then all of a sudden Sean was there and we were off full tilt again. My legs felt like lead till they warmed up again. We repeated this on/off, rest/go numerous times throughout the race. Gone was my slow and steady. Although the pace was good for me, stopping and starting was a killer! My heartrate skyrocketed than would plummet when we stopped. In ultras you find a pace/effort level and stick like glue there. In this race I was moving through the different gears shifting up then down constantly. Although an enduarnce event, a very different strategy. But I was pleased that my heartrate was recoverying so quickly when we stopped.

The terrain was very hilly and I loved it. I liked the ups more than the downs. Some downs were so slick I simply sat on the wet leaves and slid down on my bum (leaf tobogganing). The following week I suffered from IT and knee pain from this downhill strategy- it worked during the race but I don’t think I would use it again. Most of the running was done through the bush, but a section inspired by the race designer’s son’s love of Thomas the Train, had us running along active train tracks. Very flat but the hard rocks were uncomfortable with my worn out shoes. We ran this section twice as we retreived two controls then headed back. As my plan was to simply run I had no idea on the map were we were, how much was left to go, nothing. I didn’t even bother asking as I was enjoying myself so much it didn’t matter. I felt good, not great but good, and I was very confident in the guys navigation

At the third matrix we had the MC2 challenge. The M stood for mud. Thinking that Sean and Mike could travel faster through the mud than I could they headed off to get that control while I stood waiting. The C2 stood for two climbs! OK silly strategy, send the girl on both climbs. Oops. Oh well I love going up. Sean and I headed up the first climb together. It was a killler!! Although there was a path leading up the 400m climb it was very slick and so steep you knew your calves would be screaming at you the next day as you dug your toes in to get any grip you could. Mike and I headed up the second climb together. I was really trying to be tough here because I knew Mike’s calves were very tight and it won’t have been comfortable for him to climb. This climb was a bushwacker and I fell behind Mike quickly. Some of the climb I literally had to use my hands to pull myself up because I was too short to reach with my legs. Usually my height doesn’t bother me but today it was. I think the extreme difference between the guys and me was harder than I thought it would be. If you want a laugh checkout the pictures of our team on the website- embarassing!

After the MC2 challenge we flew along the Bruce Trail for a while. It was very beautiful even in the rain. It was also very crowed with hikers and I felt like we were disturbing their peace and quiet. We were so focussed on the trail however that we blew past a control point and had to double back over ten minutes at which time the lead teams went past us. I think I was keeping up the pace and not slowing us down too much. Sometimes I ran out front, not wanted to always be the one drafting, and I don’t think I slowed down then. I was thinking I could have pushed faster but not having the experience of racing with the two guys I didn’t know if I should push it or whether they were good. We seemed to be moving well along the rolling Bruce trail that eventually lead us to some road then hydrofields. I am not a fan of hydrofield running/biking. The double track trails that follow these fields are always extrememly uneven and potted with huge pits. Although I couldn’t have been wetter (we had crossed several creeks), the muck we ran through in these fields was not enjoyable.

Not knowing how long we had left I was feeling a bit drained when we hit the road. I hate running roads. The pain in my knee and IT flared and I could not push hard on this section. I felt very bad because we were on a slight downgrade, but the the pain was causing me to worry. Would it keep getting worse and I would be forced to walk or worse have to stop or be carried! Sean must have known what I was thinking, or noticed I had started to drag my right leg, because it was at that point he told me were 1km away from the finish. 1km that was it! For the first time of the day I really looked at my watch and registered the time. WOW, we had been running a long time. I guess all the stopping adds up.

I made it to the finish. Not with the big push I usually have, but there were no teams within striking distance anyway, and I will admit I was very worried I had really injured myself. Fear that I had done in my knees again, done one too many races and wrecked myself. Although I didn’t want to let the guys down, the fear of having an awful 2008 season was foremost in my mind. My tank was not empty, but my drive to push through that fear and pain was not there.

I really enjoyed the race. My teammates were amazing, the course was a fun challenge, and my body was ok (my massage therapist would not say the same thing the next day when he left bruises that covered my IT’s and quads for the next week). Thanks Sean and Mike for opening the door for me and giving me the chance to race with the two of you. Will I do another Raid, if someone needs a runner. If someone asked me if they should try it, I’d say YES. Doing something completely different was refreshing. I encourage you to try something new in 2008. Do one race that’s different. If your a road runner try a trail race, if your a triathlete try a bike race (mountain or road), if your an adventure racer give a road run race a try. Try somethine new and have FUN in 2008!