Race, Recover, Retrain 2025

 So the Pick and Shovel Race (see last post) was amazing. It all came together and I had a great day of racing culminating in a second place finish and some amazing prizes. It also gave me some amazing confidence for the up coming 100 Miler. 

Inevitably I was very sore after the fact. As the days came and went, the doms faded, but my feet continued to hurt on top. Of course one considers something like a stress fracture, but with the same pain being felt on both side fairly equally, I was pretty sure it wasn't that. I tried a few runs, but generally they did not feel good. So I walked, I biked, and I used my elliptical runner. 

I looked at what the issue was, and traced it down to the extensor tendons in my feet (these are used to flex the toes basically). But why did it happen. I did use a new shoe for race day that I only spent a little time in. Did they cause it? Did I maybe tie them too tight? I had them tied on fairly snug for the first 10K run of the Pick and Shovel and had thought about swapping to another more cushioned shoe, but opted not to as I had such a good rhythm going. I stuck with this idea for awhile but ultimately the reality was my calves and shins were just not trained enough for the downhills of the day. This left my shins so tight that they were essentially pulling on my extensors and when I would run they would tighten even more. 

The recovery from this race last close to 3 weeks. I worked on my foot strength, visited my chiropractor for some fascia release, and kept busy doing a variety of exercises that were not running. 

Did I lose some fitness? Yup, I'd say my top end power had decrease significantly. Was the rest needed? Yup. So I don't regret things. I did also learn a lot from this. Work not just on the uphills, but also the downhills. Work on calf strength. While my 100 miler is not going to be very hilly, knowing your weaknesses and not dealing with them is just opening you up for failure. Small hills add up over 100 miles, so don't give them a chance to be the thing that takes you out of the race.

While February was a write off from a running stand point, it was a bit of recovery I needed after training long distance and hard since last October. It was a chance to work on other areas of my fitness, and also a chance to recover and reset mentally. It broke apart some inadvertent run streaks I had, which I feel will help me be a stronger runner overall. 

Last weekend I hit my longest week of running since December and my 100 mile week. Add in my power hiking and I was pretty close to that 100 mile number. I hit a 38 kilometer run that ended with uphill marathon pace for 4 kilometers. My fitness is back, my training is back on track, though really it never left. 

Now my focus is even more time on feet, more hills for power and strength, and lots of tempo work, because it is easier to drive a fast car at 70% throttle than a slower car at 100% throttle when you are trying to get somewhere on time. Speed in training
makes the slow on race day feel a lot better.

2025 Race 1 - The AO Racing Pick and Shovel Ultra Trail Run

For the third year in a row I attended the All Out Racing Pick and Shovel event. This is an 8 hour trail endurance run, where the person with the most completed laps (a little over 6 km per lap) wins. You have to complete the last lap before 8pm or it doesn't count as well. If there is a tie, the tie breaker goes to the person who ran the first 10km of the event the fastest. Of course being a trail race, distances are approximate. 

In past years there was also the option of just running the 10k starter race as a stand alone, but this year demand for the 8 hour event was so great, they only had spots for it. Last year I entered and had fun, not going too hard and coming in with around 58 km of running at 10 laps. This year with the extra effort I have put in for my 100 miler training, I wanted to use this as a test event to try out nutrition at race pace, getting maybe 1 or 2 laps more and just managing my pace well all day. 

Many from my run club the BLT Runners were on hand. Some for the first time, others repeat offenders. 

The weather was quite different this year. Year one was rain and mud, year 2 fresh snow and mild winter temps (which actually lead to icy night conditions), and this year dry and cold. Starting at -6C with a brisk wind and dropping cooler every hour after that. 

After our race intro we were off. I started near the front. My goal here was to run a reasonably fast time, trying to stay ahead of my only real competitors, the over 50 men. To be able to win the over 50 category I knew I would have to run a bit fast at the start but also hold on. My competition is tough and I knew they would all be able to cram a lot of laps in.

I quickly slotted into 5th place and had a nice pace going. A lot faster this year with the frozen ground. I had opted for my On CloudUltra trail shoes. Decent cushion but nice grip up front for faster running. This was their maiden race. 

After the first loop of the race things settled in and I caught up with Ryan in 4th place and passed him. I was having good luck running up the steep inclines (this is a rolling terrain multiuse park but the hills are quite steep up and down). I pulled a small gad and then kicked a rock and down I went. As fast as anything I was back up and pushed on. I was not too far behind 3rd place by the end of the 10km starter race and came in with a time of 44:23, about 40 seconds off 3rd. 

Now the real fun started. The laps. My plan to was to cram in the calories today and fluid. I am traditionally not a big eater in events, but a 100 miler will not allow for that. I had to not get dehydrated nor bonk out. I had taken a Naak gel before the race, now I quickly crammed another in and took a big drink of Naak high calorie drink. 

For the day I would come back and consume about 200mL of fluid per lap of either Naak or Nuun Endurance. Then I would grab a gel and consume it on the first really steep 100m climb while walking. Then off to finish each lap. I used Naak gels, Naak Purees, a couple of Maurten gels and a couple of Gu gels which the race provided some of. I have mostly switched to Naak products, but I also wanted to put variety in my stomach since it is never a sure ting you will have access to all your own stuff at races.  

After the first 10km race I did a lap with Ryan and Ryan, who had both come in right behind me. Lap 4 (the 10km race counts as 2 laps) I ran with Johnny. All great guys. But as we all had our own race plans, we didn't run with each other the rest of the day. 

Before starting lap 4 I checked on my injuries from the fall/tumble. My hands hurt a bit and I skinned my palm on one side but not too bad. My hip was quite scratched up and a little bloody. I jammed some Anchor Soap Anti-Chafe balm on it to prevent it sticking and rubbing on my tights. All part of the learning to deal with the stuff that happens.  

Coming and going from the race start was nice. You ran in, yelled out your number so they could track you, grab some calories and head back out. Some people take longer breaks, some walk a few laps, and some have goals that let them finish up in the daylight.  

It is great to high five others coming back as you are headed out. Sometimes you find random people to chat with for a moment. Though ultimately I ran alone most of the day and that was great to be able to just be in my own head.

Around 4pm I had actually become the lead runner passing Liz. My pace was pretty good, with up hill walk breaks but generally a nice 5:30/min km pace for the most part. Liz of course was still technically in the lead as were Matthias and Justin because they ran the 10km race faster than me. So to win I would have to run more laps than they did. 

At 48km in, my mom and cousin made an appearance to cheer me on which was really nice. I grew up not too far from the park.

Night time was coming, so I grabbed my head lamp and kept it up. I passed into lap 10, which was as far as I had gone the previous year. At this point I had now pass Matthias. While it was fun for the race crew to claim I was the race leader, I really wasn't and who knows what could happen. I was in 3rd though, which was amazing.

Liz would get her second wind and start picking up speed again, finally passing me on lap 11. I was in new territory, and while people were yelling for me to run faster, I stuck with the plan.  Lap 12 came and I had time on the clock still, so lap 13 here we come! 

I got it done and came in at 7:22pm. That was only going to allow 38 minutes to run a final lap in the dark on tired legs. My previous 2 laps had been at close to 40 minutes. My watch had me close to 78km in and while I went back out, I knew that I wasn't going to get another lap in and as I approached an area I knew well they time left before 8pm and the distance I had left meant it was unlikely I would make it without pushing myself too hard and risking injury. I played it smart and called it and jogged it back. I ended up running 80km that day in around 7.5 hours. Over  1500m of climbing and a heart rate well below 140. I used heart rate to control my pace and I think it worked really well for me. 

The gels? Yeah, I got down 13 of them and they powered me through the day. Those and the fluid and I was not dehydrated for once after an event. Was it a risk to try and get all those down? Yup. Not solid or real food at all. But that was what the day was about, taking a few risks, though planned ones, and dealing with any issues that would come up.

Ultimately, I came in third overall. While I had passed Justin on course he had run the 10km faster. Liz managed to grab an extra lap with 14 on the books (amazing).  6 runners got to lap 13, and while I initially was focused on being fast over 50, I was fast enough to be second place male runner overall.

I won a pair of On shoes from 3 Mile Outfitter and some products from Anchor Soap (foot balm and soap) all things I love.  I also made some new friends.  
 

And really, I ran 80km for this. An Eastwood mug. My 5th from various events now. Winning this meant I beat Mike D and that is no small feat. He's as tough as they come. He actually got to lap 13 as well. 

Massive props to the BLT Runners for their successes. Thanks to the main event sponsors Aerobics First, 3 Mile outfitters, and Sportwheels, plus many awesome brands. Thanks to Jason and Peter and amazing volunteers to keeping the day light and fun, though I missed all the good food.

Thanks for the support I received from New World Marketing as well.  My On running gear and shoes were top notch and my world would be a little dimmer without my Darntough socks. 

Stay positive friends. 

Goals

With so many upcoming changes to social media platforms, I realize that I have come to rely on things like Instagram and Facebook to get my thoughts out. More and more than has meant limiting what I write down due to the general limitations of those sites and the fact that Instagram is great for photos, but I realize that a lot of people probably don't read everything written down there. I certainly won't stop using them as a means of sharing stuff I do, but I want to get back to the old blog to write down longer stuff, so that I can actually explain what I mean and not get into a weird conversation with a stranger about why I am wrong (probably because I had to limit what I said and didn't cover things correctly).  The socials will be for short quips and pretty pictures.

Anyway, it is January of 2025, so let's talk goals. I don't specifically mean my goals (though I will add a touch on that). I mean having goals in general when it comes to athletics. 

When I chat with people about sports either online or in person, as a coach or just some dude, I find that the idea of a goal is often not there. Generally the notion of "just finish it" comes up. The idea of just making it to the finish is certainly not "not a goal" and is in no way a bad concept, but for many it can mean a lack of focus when it comes to training. And a lack of focus can sometimes get us into trouble. 

The concept of a training plan is to help focus an athlete, so what they are doing makes sense and limits the risks, especially of injury. This is definitely a bigger concern once the notion of longer distance events starts to become more exciting, (things that take over 2 hours or perhaps even all day events like Ultras). 

Athletes that didn't start until they were adults often lack the built in limiters to stop when things aren't going well and reassess (I know I certainly got injured enough in my 30s and 40s). Part of this is due to a lack of focus and a goal (which ideally should be realistic, though just a little beyond reach). 

Personally I like to have an A and  B goal for every event I am going to do (B is the minimum for success, A is when all the perfect parts come together for the perfect day), even if it is a for fun event. This allows me the notion of stepping back if things aren't going well (during training or the day of) while still feeling some satisfaction that I achieved what I needed. That goal should almost always be one that you control, as in do not attach it to how another person does in the event or during training. If your goal is to beat someone you need to realize that you have now given away a lot of the control of your success. The success of winning (the race or your age class etc...) is great, but is just a handful of candy compared to achieving the results you trained for. 

Chat it out with your fellow runners, your coach, your partner. Find the balance to make the goal a reality in your life. Realize that just because you aren't going for PRs or podiums that goals can still be the best way to focus on making the sport you are in a little more fun.

Now, my goals coming up are focused around getting to the end of the Weekend at Wentworth Miler in June in under 24 hours. It is a lofty goal for my first attempt that that distance. I know my back up is 36 hours, so I have a safety net, but I will aim for my big goal for sure. I will blog about that training soon. 

My first checkpoint towards that goal was achieved this past Christmas, as I attempted my first ever 100 miler week. I achieved it in 7 days of aiming for at least 23 km a day.  I worked toward that week for 2 months, as was rewarded with not only hitting that level of running, but also doing so and feeling really good, able to keep my regular training as soon as I finished. While it was a challenge, it was not something that broke me. 

Finishing Up 2024

2024 is coming to an end (or is over by the time you are probably reading this).  I would say that by my normal standards in the sporting world, I came into and left 2024 without really having goals I was working towards. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy getting out and working hard, but I just didn't feel the pull of anything specific. Instead I just allowed the year to come to me, occasionally finding mini goals along the way to chase.

Look over there! No goals!

I did want to make sure to get some running in away from home and with 2 other parkruns in the province, I made sure to get to them. The Butter Trail in Tatamagouche is a fun one that is dead flat and on crusher dust.  The bonus is when you are done you get pop into the farmer's market for some great local treats. 

The girls wanted some adventures as well, so we made sure to get them out of the house and into the wild. Even when they didn't know it was what they wanted.

I formed a relationship with New World Marketing and got to sample many of the products they represent, which includes On running gear, Darntough socks and Knock Around Sunglasses. All are carried by local companies. It is fun to try out products and give feedback to the reps as well as to local stores that are planning on carrying these products. Over the years I have become very fond of the On running shoes and was more than happy to oblige with the feedback. The On CloudSurfer Trail in this photo was probably my shoe of the year. A little road, a little trail, and amazing so far this winter for a little extra grip. It is easy to pick a supershoe, but I am more a fan of the every day workhorse shoes. 

Some days we had rain, some days it was a lot. 

The kids grow up fast, which ones are the parents? Who knows! Well I know, it is easy to tell when you pop into the heard. 

It was the second annual Cinnamon Bun Run hosted by the 5K Cafe. You coudl choose 3 or 5K run options. I came back to defend my 5K win from last year. While my time wasn't quite as fast, I did finish well under 18 mins and with a second win in a row. 

The end of September brought the Rum Runners Relay back. I opted to return to a Leg I ran very long ago. Leg 10! Though now Leg 10 was slightly different and mostly on crusher dust. At a little over 11 km long it was going to be hard and fast. It started with a crazy steep climb that was book ended with a sweeping downhill finish. I had a great initial battle with a Slow Ships runner, then with Kyle, and eventually came in third overall for the stage with a PB in the 10k distance in my 11km run (and yes, that included the uphill start). The 50 year old legs were still running.

Instead of racing (again I had few goals this year) I opted to pace bunny the half marathon at the Valley Harvest Marathon Weekend. Pacing is awesome and people get so happy to have someone get them to their finish in a PB time. I ran the 1:30 half marathon and had at least 10 people with me most of the time, most finishing under 1:30 (I ran a 1:29:58).

A quick stop at the finish line and I found Colin starting his second loop of the marathon. So I tagged along. And just like that I somehow ran an accidental marathon. We got Colin to the finish line in a great time so he could soak up all the accolades. I was happy to know my legs had some oomph left in them after that.

As the Fall weather cools, it becomes canicross season. I hosted the Long Lake Lap Dog event and it was a blast as we raised money towards the Disaster Animal Response Team of Nova Scotia.

Look at this cute dude

I didn't get to race this Fall, but I did get some time on feet with my best boy Kona. 

Movember came and so did my antics in raising funds for Men's Health. 

And my 13th annual Movember 6K Run in Point Pleasant Park. Between this event and friends and family, I raised almost $5000 and over $7000 for my and Mike's Team, Mo With the Flow. 

Another road trip lead to the 100th parkrun in Truro at Victoria Park. A huge group of BLT Runners made the trek up and the weather was great. I had one of my fastest 5Ks of the year! 

Winter hiking can be cold. 

Each Christmas the BLT Runners hosts the Christmas Marathon to stay active over the holidays. We tried to also host our Miracle Mile race but the weather kept preventing that. Regardless many runners achieved some great results staying active.  

My goal was to try and take advantage of the increased mileage I started doing as I prep my training for next year's 100 Mile effort. So I thought I would use this opportunity to try and get my first ever 100 mile week. I achieve it in 7 days, hitting 162 miles on feet with an avg pace of 5:33 min/km. I was happy to not only get that total done, but also feel pretty good at the end. I wasn't injured, hobbling or over tired. This bodes well for my upcoming training. 

In fact when counting my daily steps in addition to my running, I was at an all time high of 187.4 km travelled over the past 7 days. 

In terms of yearly mileage, it was my second biggest year of pure running at 3298.5 km (unless I go back outside) but also 1931.4 km of hiking / power walking. This is also looking good for the 100 miler as I know there will be lots of times were power hiking will be a key strategy. 

Boom Pow and welcome to 2025! 

50 is Fabulous - We're Back (July 2024)

June 30, 2024 and I turned 50. While this blog has been a little quiet lately, a certain John needs to be kept up to date, so I thought I would fill everyone in on what's been up in the first month of Ian's 50th year.

With no specific goals set except for the Natal Day 2 Miler on Aug 5th coming up, I opted to see what my 50 year old legs coudl achieve. I wanted to increase my time on feet through both running and power hiking. I wanted to get my vert up as well because why not. 

The month started with a Parkrun in Truro on a humid and foggy July 1st. The Truro parkrun is always a welcoming crew and I love this course. It is tough, hilly, and with a rocky road as the bulk of the run, not technically fast. I have never been excited in general about flat courses. 

Since it was Canada Day, I also got to wear my red parkrun shirt which coincidentally is the 50th run short. So a great chance to show off my age. I managed to grab a nice tough sub 18 min 5K run to start the month. 

As I mentioned, hiking and hills were a key part of my "plans" this month. So I found trails and hills where I could. Like right next to my office, where I would head out for a quick morning 100m of vert. 

With my partnership with a local distribution company that deals in On running shoes, I was also out testing the On CloudSurfer Trail shoe. For me this is a great fun and heavily cushioned shoe that has a little road capability as well. So I feel super comfortable running from my house to our local trails. I tried to get out a few times this month. 

Training means eating. I also tried to make sure and increase my pickle and sandwich numbers this month. I think all 50 years old should consume m ore pickles. Thanks 5K Cafe. 

Though I normally have been just settled on hitting one sub 18 min 5K a month, I got back to our local parkrun and threw down a second one. Our parkrun is technically a faster course, though it can be daunting as the 2.5km constant slight uphill can be draining. You really need to fight  to keep on pace.

All of this of course was in addition to increased running milage, more hill work, more intervals, more hiking. And my efforts at hiking were fast as well, with an ideal hiking speed of close to a 9 min/km. 

I found some big stair cases! 

And some waterfalls.

A last minute sign up for a hilly trail race came mid month. Why not? Was all my training going to drain me or help me? This race was a 16km run up and down the "local" ski hill. 

It was a hot and humid day, like this whole month as been. As the course was a 2 loop one with the chance to grab water or electrolyte drink at the start of lap 2, I opted to just carry a small flask of highly caloried drink to sip on lap one with the goal in mind to get it all down. The course was 250m of vert in the first 2 km, so all my power hiking came in super handy. 

I quickly took to the lead of the run, making it to the top solo, then began the meandering run down the other side. I took care to power hike the steepest bits, not wanting to fall prey to killing myself "roadie" style on lap one. I also took it a little easy on the steepest descents as well. But by 7km in, second place Cameron had caught up to me. I let him threw and tagged along. He was pushing hard. 

Luckily my saving myself on lap 1 paid off. I was able to push the climb even harder on lap 2 to pass Cameron again (after refilling my bottle). This time I didn't take my lead for granted and pushed the next bit as hard as I could. I ended up holding the lead and taking home first place in a time of 1:38, better than my goal of 1:45 (trails are usually hard to judge pace on). I was happy almost hitting a 6 min/km pace on this run. 

Taking advantage of our trip up to the race, we had some drinks to celebrate, then headed off for some hiking and waterfalls!

It was great to have the pups with us as well. 

The month wasn't done though. More parkruns and more hills! More hikes! 

As learning is always fun I found a new book to keep myself motivated to hit my best self at 50. I am happy I am not slowing down with age, that my injuries are limited and minor and that I have a great community around me. 

And though it wasn't in July, I did have to mention that August started with a sub 18 min parkrun on Saturday then a 3rd place overall finish in the local Natal Day 2 Miler, averaging a 5:27 min mile and placing up in the top with all the 19 year olds. 

August is bringing a focus on strength. Again no specific goal races, just keeping things interesting. If something fun comes up, I'll be up for it.