Ganaraska Ultra Trail Race

50km Trail Race

May 10, 2008

Horseshoe Ski Resort

www.ouser.com

Prerace: Bruises, Musicals, and Kids

After a disappointing race at Seaton 78km, I needed this race for a mental boost. Two days after Seaton I was back running- two whole kilometres with my school run club. Oh how all the kids laughed! Seaton had left my IT bands, quads, and calves in brutal condition. A one hour torture session with my massage therepist left my quads bruised badly and once again questionning the sanity of doing ultras (that one hour was worse than labour- twice!). But within days I was once again running the trails pain “free”. Thanks Dan- you know I love you!

The week before the race was chaiotic! My school’s musical, which I had choregraphed eight dance numbers for, had three performances. Sixteen girls: final costume fittings, hair and makeup, nerves, final dance rehersals. As well, sucker me had signed up to be in charge of a Mother’s Day fundraiser for my kid’s school. My kids both had practices, games, or lessons everynight of the week. And to top it all off, Kalon was racing the same day as me in completely the opposite cardinal direction. Course I admit, I thrive on chaos. So in the middle of the craziness called real life, I was thriving.

The Race: Slow and Steady

This was my first time running Ganaraska. Four laps of a 12.5km loop made up the 50km course. Three aid stations were on course and one was at the end of each loop where I could also access my drop bag. This is all I knew.

A minute from the start I realized I had forgotten my advil in the car. I tore off, grabbed it from the car, took two and dropped the rest in my drop bag. Ran to the start line to hear, “Go!”, realized I had left my hand held water bottle at my drop bag, but was able to pick it up quickly as I passed by. At the start I was paniced and scared Seaton would repeat itself.

The first 12.5kms I paced myself slow and steady. I ran as if I was going for a long solo run. The first four kilometers were flat wide trail during which I ran a consistent 6minute kilometer. From 4-5kms racers were treated to a long climb, the first of many in the 12.5km loop. When I maintained my 6min. pace on this hill I knew I was “on”. The kilometer markers stopped at 5km.

From 5km to about 11km was my favorite part of the loop. The course was hilly and I loved it! I decided to run all the hills. From Seaton I had learned that my legs are too short to walk the ups. I find it easier to shorten my stride, stay steady, use my arms, and power up the hills. The only time I choose to walk was when my heart rate went above 170 or the grade was so steep that I was forced to run up on my toes. Two technical downhills saw the return of my “run like a kid” strategy. No brakes, just watch me fly! I loved it, even though I knew my quads would be reminding me I’m not a kid anymore the next day. I admit though I had a couple of nasty visuals of me tripping and using my face to brake.

From 11km to the end of the loop was primarily single track with a 400m section of “suck the life out of your legs” wide muddy, chip covered path. One short section I named the “hurdle” section as there were so many trees across the path. My track team would have been on me about my form going over the trees on the last lap! A short 500m two way trail to the turn around allowed the only chance for runners to “see” eachother. I knew I was running well behind the first female and was about one kilometre behind several others after the first loop. But I didn’t focus on this, an ultra is a long race.

I thought I would have chunked the course on the first loop, but during my second loop I realized I had been so mentally focussed on relaxing during my first loop I failed to landmark the course. Sections looked brand new (course I did take one wrong turn at the start of the second loop and added a lovely hill). I maintained my 6km pace for the first 5kms of the second lap. This was great for me cause I tend to ease up on the flats and waste time. I began to use some of the 25km racers as motivation to keep consistent. I wasn’t in race mode yet and was still really focussed just on staying consistent. I wanted to keep feeling good and erase the doubts from Seaton.

It wasn’t till late in the third lap that I allowed this run to become a race. I spotted the second place female somewhere between 6 and 8kms on the third loop. I was feeling strong, hadn’t suffered any nausea yet, and was feeling calm. When I caught her on a technical, long uphill I decided to push past. My heartrate skyrocketed to 178 on that four minute climb! I thought I might have pushed too hard. At the top I continued to run the flat 30metres to the long descent where I just let my legs go. The constrast between the uphill push with my hamstrings to the downhill pounding of my quads was intense. But I felt like I was flying!

At the end of loop #3 I had put almost a kilometre between us. Knowing what a weak flats runner I am I pushed the first 4kms of loop #4. I hit the 6 minute mark for the fourth time! This was really good for my confidence and relaxed me. From 5-11km I just ran and enjoyed every minute of it (ok so I was in some pain). At the final aid station I made my only mistake of the race. Instead of grabbing two water cups I grabbed one water (which I splashed over my head and neck to keep cool) and one cola. I don’t ever drink pop. But I was feeling fine, so decided to give it a try. Within a minute of draining the cup my stomach started to make “noises”. I was SICK! At 11kms I caught up to a male runner, who cheered me on. Ultra runners are so supportive of one another. This helped me push hard through the stomach sickness I was feeling. I finished with a time of 5:26, second female overall.

Post Race: “That, that, that, that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger!”

My only goal this race was to prove to myself that my race at Seaton had only made me stronger. And I did. At Sulphur Springs 50km in two weeks will I feel the same? Maybe, maybe not. But I now know I can push through the good and bad. I am stronger.