Running on High: Fat Dog 120 (2019 Edition)

Standing at the summit of Frosty at midnight in the freezing cold wind, I reflected on what I was doing. My pacer was back there somewhere, helping Kent get to the summit. I looked over at the forbidding bulk of Frosty Mountain, it's permanent mini-glacier sending up ice cold drafts of air.  I knew then that I would make it. I still had Skyline to get over, but the finish line was finally in sight.  I looked back over the ridge and could see lights of unknown runners making their way up the extremely steep scree field to the summit. Down in front of me, more lights as other runners gingerly made their way down. I took a breath, and began my slow torturous descent.

Frosty Mountain - from an earlier run.

August 2018
It was in August of 2018 that I decided I wanted to run the Fat Dog 120 - a 120 mile endurance foot race through the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia.  I have previously run the 50 mile and 70 mile events and really enjoyed them, but I wanted to experience the full 120.  In 2018 the race was cancelled due to a wildfire on the course in Skagit Valley. With no way to reroute at last minute, there was no race.

After signing up for what would be my longest race yet, I never really doubted that I could finish the race. Well, I guess there is always a small doubt that something could derail it for me. This was to be an adventure to see how well I can handle the endurance, exerting myself with no sleep for two days and two nights.

The 2019 Fat Dog 120 Course
In February of 2019 the Race Director, Heather MacDonald, sent out an email to confirm that the race would be using an alternate course for 2019 because the Skagit Valley is still not usable. I was somewhat disappointed at first as I really was looking forward to doing the classic course, and wanted to experience Cathedral, Calcite, Trapper and the Pasadyn river crossing.

The 2019 Fat Dog Course

The new course started a Bonnevier (which is at about 64 km mark on the original course) and follows the orginal course as far as Cascade. From there it's all new, turning north to follow the Dwedney Trail, Whatcom Trail over Punchbowl Pass, Whitecloud Trail, Whipsaw Jeep Trail, Nicomen Trail, then over Blackwall Mountain and Frosty mountain before finally looping through Strawberry Flats to take in the Skyline II trail from the classic course. As I looked at the course I got more and more excited about it. It was certainly a unknown. It was still 120 miles. and it looked harder than the classic course. Slightly less elevation at 8100 m (vs 8600 of the classic course).

Just a week before the race the final GPX tracks for the course were released with revised numbers. Turns out the course was longer than expected, so to compensate the start line would be moved 4 km up the Eastgate Service Rd from Bonnevier and an hour was added to the finish line cut-off (49 hours insteadof 48 hours). Still, it officially measured in at 123 miles (196 km).

Training
My first question was "how do you train for such a long race?".  There comes a point where adding distance simply does not work. No way can you actually run anywhere close to the race distance without digging yourself into an over-training hole that would be hard to dig yourself out of before race day.  My goal was simply to enjoy myself and to finish, as this is my longest race yet. Advice from veteran ultra runner friends was to focus on time on my feet, and do lots of training with big climbs and descents.  In these distances while physical fitness is important, it is more a mental state that gets you to the finish line.

Fat Dog course markings - reflectors for night running

I used the typical training program I've used for marathons. Build three weeks, take a recovery week, build three weeks, take a recovery week - adding distance per week at roughly 10 per cent.  For the long slow runs, we planned all day adventure runs. Kludahk, which is pretty technical, slow with lots of steep climbs and descents. I did it Eastbound, mainly to get the climbing in that is worse in that direction, and get in the 13 km, 800 m descent on logging road at the end.  We did Klahanne Ridge and Hurricane Ridge - hiking up Heather Trail (1300 m climb), running Hurricane and Klahanne ridges which are similar elevation to Fat dog and long descent on Lake Angeles Trail; and we went to Manning Park and ran Frosty and Skyline. We timed Frosty so we would be at the summit after dark, intentionally to get experience night running up there.   During the week, I would focus one night a week for trail running centered workout - usually some kind of hill repeat on trail (or downhill repeat on trail).

Thursday August 8, 2019
Early morning start as Charlene Waldner, Lisa Fehr, Andrew Barclay and Kent Ainscough and I sat in the buffet on the 7am ferry from Swartz Bay to Vancouver. Loading up on breakfast, we sat and talked Fat Dog logistics. Charlene was running the 70 mile, and Markus would arrive the next day to pace her over Frosty Mountain.  Kent was running the 120. Andrew and Lisa were crewing and pacing me. Lisa was pacing me from Cascade Aid Station (55km) to Frosty Aid Station (155 km), and Andrew was pacing me over Frosty and Skyline to the finish.

Runners and pacers at Manning Park: left to right, back to front =- Dave Scott (120 runner), Lisa Fehr (pacer), Andrew Barclay (pacer), Kent Ainscough (120 runner), Charlene Waldner (70 runner), Me (120 runner).

Of concern at that time was the weather. Current weather forecast showed that some light rain was expected overnight Friday, heavy rain and thunder and lightning storms were expected on Saturday afternoon. As much as 30 mm of rain was in the forecast for the afternoon, followed by light rain for Sunday. So this Fat Dog promised to be a wet Fat Dog.  On the positive side, temperatures were forecast to be in the low 20s in the day and close to zero at night. That last bit made me happy because I don't do well in extreme heat, and every summer race I've done has had higher than normal temperature. 

We stopped at Distance Runwear in North Vancouver, official sponsor of Fat Dog and it seems official supplier of gear for Fat Dog runners. I bought a North Face Hyperair jacket because I was worried my UD DWR jacket would simply wet through after several hours of rain and certainly would not keep me dry for two days of rain.  Kent bought one as well.  Charlene picked up rain pants and I also bought a Ultraspire 600 waist light. The version 3 which is smaller but does have a design flaw - more on that later.  I bought this light to have light below my eyes in rain and fog, which would make it easier to see. In my mind, I was visioning something like the last 50 km of the Cascade Crest when I paced Andrew last year where we were in cloud and light rain for the entire run.

At the lodge the night before the start of the 120 mile race

From Distance Runwear we made it to Manning Park Lodge just before 3 pm to leave our drop boxes and to sign-in.  It was good to see Gary Anderton there, who was hiking to Nicomen Lake Aid Station that evening to volunteer there. I've known Gary many years from Marathon running, and he has completed Fat Dog 120 years ago. He's is full of great advice and enthusiasm. I was so glad he would be a Nicomen Lake Aid Station.

At 4 pm all the 120 and relay runners and their families and crew crowded into the Alpine Room at Manning Park Resort for the mandatory race briefing.  Having run the 50 and 70 I knew what to expect. Heather told us about the two stream crossing to expect on the Dwedney Trail, what to do if you see a bear (throw things at it and blow your whistle) and generally be safe out there.  She also reminded us to check in and out of aid stations, and that if we need it, a helicopter to get us out is free.

Friday August 9, 2019 - Race Day
We were up at 7 am. I had packed everything the night before into my running pack. With water and mandatory gear, it weighed around 7 kilos. It felt heavy to lift, but once on my back it was surprising comfortable and after a while I didn't notice it.  I'd spent a lot of time on training runs figuring out where everything should go so I could access it quickly. I had two litres of water in the back with a hose that was easy to sip from. i had a soft flask with tailwind in and a tube straw so I could turn and hands-free drink from it. I had more tailwind in a pouch that I could access easily and a quick connect on my hose so I could transfer water from my rear bladder to my soft-flask quickly. In my left pocket I had m and ms, potatos, sat tabs and my GoPro.

Sorting out our InReach devices on the bus to the start line

To avoid getting anxious I never think of the enormity of what I'm about to do, but rather think of it as a series of shorter runs, each one being a goal in itself. So for Fat Dog, I broke it down into four 50 km ish runs.  And each of those were further broken into the distance to the next aid station. That way I could focus without becoming over-whelmed. Having said that, I must have had some nerves as my gut sent me to the bathroom three times before we got on the school bus for the start line.

Kent, Dave Scott and I got on the bus and spent most of our time trying to get our InReach devices to start. For some reason, all three of them had decided on a 4 hour interval. Turning them off and back on got them back to the 10 minute interval I wanted. The InReach would send out my position every 10 minutes allowing friends and family at home to see where I was. More importantly, it allowed Andrew and Lisa to know where I was. On a race like this I had no idea on my timings. I could be hours ahead or behind my expected times.

Mass pee break at the start line for the 120 mile event

Segment 1:  Bonnevier to Cascade (55 km - 9 hours, 55 min)
The three buses dropped us off just up the service road from the Bonnevier Trailhead. As soon as we got off the bus everybody headed to a tree to relieve themselves. From here we walked down to the start where Heather did roll call and check in and mandatory gear check, then we were off. After a short down hill we began the first climb. I always hate the start of a race when I'm stuck in a conga line. I'm not warmed up, not used to the altitude and feel like I'm being pushed too fast.  The first hour is the worst.  I let faster runners pass me and eventually we fell into a pace that was comfortable. I was in the lead of this group and they seemed okay with allowing me to set the pace. Kent caught up to me and he paced behind me for the remainder of the climb.

Roll call and gear check at the start line for the 120 event. Bonnevier

After the first climb we had a nice flowing smooth gentle down hil, and that was nice to open up the legs and run.  I never do well with gentle up hill start as I seem to get a pinched nerve in the right leg - the down hill actually resets it and its then no problem for the rest of the race.

About halfway up the switchback on the second big hill, a wasp decided it had had enough of all these runners disturbing its nest. It landed on my leg and just dug its stinger into me, then flew off. Crap!  That hurt!  Luckily I'm not allergic to them, so other than the stinging pain coming and going up and down my leg, I was fine. But I could feel it occasionally for the rest of the day.

As we approached the ridge, It was time to get the GoPro out and take in some of the views. This was when I discovered it had turned itself on and recorded about 90 minutes of the inside of my left pocket. The battery was dead. I had to stop and replace it. Took some shots then moved on and directly into Heather Aid station at 12 km mark.

Familiar face at the Heather Aid Station

I was surprised to see it so early but glad, because it meant we were further along than I expected. All of the volunteers here were dressed like Heather MacDonald, the Race Director. The aid station and trail were not named after her - that was just a coincidence.  I loaded up water here as it was 18 km to Nicomen Lake Aid Station.

Leaving Heather Aid Station, Kent and I set a decent run/walk pace designed to conserve energy. After 2 km we joined Heather Trail, turned right and followed this beautiful high alpine trail through the meadows.  It was just a joy to be out in the partial sunshine, as we climbed over Buckhorn Mountain, through "star wars" valley, then past the four Brothers towards Nicomen Ridge.  The run along here was uneventful. We passed beautiful little streams, so inviting to put my cup under and drink. We had smooth single track and some technical single track too.

Heather Trail

It started to rain and seemed to be getting heavier. We stopped to put on our magic North Face rain jackets. Magic, because as soon as we put them on, it stopped raining and the sun came out. We stopped again to take them off.

Heather Trail on Buckhorn Mountain

Before long we're climbing the last climb up to Nicomen Ridge and then like a beautiful jewel in the forest below us - Nicomen Lake. We scrambled down the steep path to the lake, then a short distanse to the far side of the lake and we arrived at Nicomen Lake Aid Station.  Canadian flags marked the approach to this aid station, which had a great Canadian theme.  Gary was there to great us and help us take on water and refuel.  Dave Scott caught up to us at Nicomen Lake.

Nicomen Lake

Then we were out of there heading down Grainger Creek, with Dave passing us as we headed down. Heeding advice from Gary, we conserved our quads by run/power hiking down Granger Creek - this was a long 17 km, 1000 m descent to Cayuse Flats.  The trail was quite sooth and so runable, it would be easy to blow out your quads early in the race.  As we descended, we kept catching, then losing Dave, and eventually caught up with him on the Hope Pass Trail. The three of use ran/walked this and over the log bridge into Cayuse Flats Aid Station. We were about an hour ahead of what I estimated, but as I was feeling good I put that down to a bad estimate more than going too fast.

Entrance to Cayuse Flats Aid Station

Andrew and Karen Laberee were waiting and cheering us at the end of the log bridge. Seeing them and Lisa who was a bit further up taking pictures, made me feel emotional.  These long ultras are not really solo events. It take a team to get you to the finish line. From training to support on the race itself. And I know that others who were not there were also cheering me on and Knowing that kept me going.

Cayuse Flats Aid Station.   Picture by Lisa Fehr

We got out of Cayuse as quickly as we could and headed over the short Skagit bluffs section to Cascade Aid Station, arriving there at 8:00 pm.

Segment 2:  Cascade to Dick's Cabin (50 km - 12 hours)  (Elapsed 105 km -  22 hours, 20 min)
It was so nice to have crew help at Cascade. Andrew and Lisa and Karen were all helping Dave, Kent and me get sorted for the next leg. At Cascade I changed shoes and socks and reapplied zinc oxide to my feet, which so far had no issues.  I changed shirt and buffs and put on my lights for night running.  Andrew brought me dinner from the food tent - an avocado and something wrap that was so delicious.

Cascade Aid Station. Picture by Lisa Fehr

With Lisa pacing we left Cascade and began the worst climb of the entire race. Whatcom trail starts steep and gets steeper. It's a little used trail so in places it is grown over, or washed out. My trekking poles came in very useful on this climb. With a distance of 10 km and a vertical climb of over 1000 m, it took 3 hours to reach the summit at Punch Bowel Pass.  As it was now completely dark, we could see the outline of the bulk of Snass Mountain in the moonlight. Looking down over the pass we could not see Punch Bowel Lake, but we could see the lights of runners in the distance, and the reflectors from the Fat Dog course markings.

Skagit bluffs Trail. Picture by Lisa Fehr

There's not much to say about this trail as I couldn't really see much. It was very technical and thus slow going. It took far longer to traverse than I expected. Once back on Dwedney Trail things improved as we could move faster. We passed Karen and Dave along here. Turning onto Whitecloud Trail to do the "out and back" to Whitecloud Aid Station, we began a short 80m vertical climb. I was starting to stumble and decided a I need a few minutes rest.  Kent and I closed our eyes for about 3.5 minutes while Lisa kept track of the time and woke us. Dave and Karen caught up to us here and we paced together along the single track. Once the trail opened to double track, I felt like moving faster and we ran most of the way into Whitecloud Aid Station.

Whitecloud had taken longer to get to than I expected - just under 6 hours from Cascade, so I was anxious to get out of there. I was surprisingly wide awake and full of energy for the time of morning (it was 2:20 am). We power hiked back up the hill and along the single track, making it to Tulameen Camp Aid Station by 3:50 am.

Night running. Actually something I learned from Kent - raising my hands above my neck- did this every so often to stretch stomach muscles and reduce blood pooling in hands.   Picture by Lisa Fehr

I loved Tulameen Camp Aid station. All of the supplies for this remote aid station had been brought in by pack horses and the horses were tethered at the camp. A welcoming barrel fire kept the near freezing cold at bay. I had hot broth here, which always goes down well on a cold night.  I could have stayed here, but we had to get moving.

After leaving Tualameen I realized how cold I was. One of the dangers of ultra running is you do not realize how cold your core body temperature is getting. It happens slowly with little in the way of warning signs. Getting warmed up a bit a Tualameen (at the insistence of my pacer) actually alerted me to my body temperature dropping. On further advice of my pacer, we stopped and I put on another layer, gloves and a hat, and instantly started to feel better. This is what pacers are for - they see things the runner doesn't.  Thanks Lisa, I was colder than I realized at this point.

At Tualameen there was a sign warning of a flagging issue just after a little stream. We did go wrong here, but realised the trail we were on could not be the right trail as there was too much deadfall on it. We went back and soon found the correct trail.  Not too long after Tualameen Camp we came to the first feet wet river crossing as we had to cross over the Tulameen River. At calf deep it was not too bad, but freezing cold.  Not much longer after that we had to cross another river, this one was wider and much deeper, up to my shorts.

River crossing - up to our thighs - on Dwedney Trail around sunrise.

In hindsight, I should have carried a light pair of luna's and taken the time to take my shoes and socks off. After the water, we still had a couple of hours to the next aid station, and in that time wet shoes and wet socks were beginning to create hot spots and small blisters.

The sun rose on us in Paradise Valley. The sun rise always lifts your spirits after a night of running. It was so nice to turn off the headlamps and stow them and actually see what we were running through beyond the beam of a headlamp.

It was in a muddy section of this trail the design flaw in the Ultrasire 3 light became apparent. My pole sliped and dug into my waist. I didn't notice that this dislodged the light and it popped out of its mount and into the mud. Kent behind saw it and picked it up for me. But shame on Ultraspire for such a stupid design decision for a light designed for ultra running. The version 2 has a gasket that secures the light - why did you change it to a clip that is so easy to pop the light out of. I will be writing to Ultrasire asking them to send me a secure gasket to hold the light, failing that I'll make my own and give them all the bad press I can.

Paradise Valley just after sunrise. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

We finally came out on the Whipsaw Jeep Road, and Dave and Karen had caught up to us again. The jeep road simply climbed steeply over 500 metres to take us to the top of Kettle Mountain, so this was mostly a hike to get up there. We arrived Dick's Cabin Aid Station at 8:25 am on Saturday morning.

Segment 3:  Dick's Cabin to Frosty Aid Station (50 km - 11.5 hours)  (Elapsed 155 km -  33 hours, 50 min)
We took a bit longer than we should have at Dick's Cabin Aid Station. Mostly we all were dealing with wet feet and babying them to keep them happy for the rest of the run. I changed shoes and socks here and re-bandaged some toes and hot spots.  While I was doing this a volunteer came and took my breakfast order. I had a freshly grilled Quesadilla with avocado, cheese and bacon, and a coke to to drink. 

On the Whipsaw Jeep Trail on Kettle Mountain. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

After loading up water and making sure I had enough calories, we set off on the next leg across meadows and up onto a ridge. The climb was relatively small, and the trail became quite smooth and runable. We made pretty decent time to Nicomen Lake Aid station, though the long up hill to get to it felt never ending.

By now I was hallucinating.  On the down hill I was sure I saw a white flying Poodle in the forest. Turns out it was some white flowers blowing in the breeze.  Heading up to Nicomen Lake I could see somebody ahead siting at the side of the trail with a clipboard and umbrella. I thought it was the person checking us into the aid station, but it turned out to be a tree and log stump. A least twice I saw a tent but again, it was just trees or rocks.  We also had rain on the way up and had to stop to put our jackets on again.

We finally arrived back at Nicomen Lake Aid Station at 11:30 am.  Knowing the next stretch was 26 km, I made sure to fill up with water. And they had home made pan fried perogies.  OMG! Those were heaven.  Whoever made them THANK YOU! 

Nicomen Ridge. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Leaving Nicomen Aid Station we had a climb back up the ridge then eastbound on Heather Trail, which I think is the harder direction; it feels much more up hill than the other direction.  The rain stopped and the sun came out, so much for the storm that was forecast.  When arrived Cascade earlier, Andrew took my sunglasses, saying I won't need them at night and it'll be raining tomorrow, so they'll just be in the way. I was cursing him now, it was pretty bright up there on Heather in the sun.

Lisa was good a checking on Kent and I, and ensuring we were fuelling and drinking. So easy to forget when you feel good and are tired. Things can go south fast on a trail run, and usually you don't notice anything is wrong until it is too late. Drinking and eating constantly is very important on an endurance run.  I also appreciated that my pacer checked on other runners as we passed if they were sitting down. One of the things about ultras too is we all look out for each other. It is a race but if somebody needs help, we stop and help.

Short rest break on the climb up Nicomen Ridge. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

 We played leap-frog with Dave and Karen. Passing them, then an hour later they would pass us and so on.  It felt like forever, but we finally made it to the Blackwall Peak road, and we still had four kilometres to go to get to the aid station. I was low on water, but had enough to get me there. Kent, Karen, and Dave had run out.  I had water purification tabs with me, because if I had run out, my plan was to reload water from one of the streams on Heather trail.  Turns out I did not need to, but if it was a hotter day, I would have had to do that.

After Blackwall Peak Aid Station ( a short stop for water anf fuel and for Lisa to change her shoes), we had a short steep up hill, then down hill on Dry Ridge Trail, then we followed the road down to Frosty Aid Station, Lisa kept my pace decent down here, not letting me blow out my quads, but not letting me walk it all either. We arrived Frosty at 7:40 pm.

Two runners and a pacer. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Segment 4:  Frosty Aid Station to Lightning Lake (59 km - 11 hours, 53 minutes)  (Elapsed 204 km -  45 hours, 38 min)

The final leg. I changed pacers here, with Andrew joining me for the final leg over Frosty and Skyline. I had paced Andrew on his first 100 miler at Cascade Crest last year, and he was returning the favour here.  I decided against changing shoes  but I did change socks and checked my feet. They were getting a little sore but they would last. I had a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner here.

Heather Trail near Buckhorn Mountain. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Kent had caught up to us. He was dealing with sore feet and it was slowing him down. Andrew, Kent and I left the aid station together. I was feeling so strong, not in the least bit tired. I had 15 hours to reach the finish line and I was determined to get over Frosty and Skyline as quickly as i could.

We made good time on the flat two kilometre section, then began the climb up Windy Joe Mountain. As it got dark my hallucinations became more pronounced as we headed into the second night without sleep. Now I was seeing billboards advertising things (though i could never tell what), only to disolve into a bush as I got closer. After a short section on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) we joined the Frosty Trail. The first several kilometres of this was a fairly gentle climb, and I just focused on power hiking as much as I could. when it got steeper I would take some rests.  Kent had a steady slow climb, so I would use that to rest while he caught up, then go on again. We did this all the way to the summit. The last kilometres of super steep lose rocky trail was a nightmare to climb in the dark and super slow going. On the steep climbs my heart-rate would go anaerobic, and I would need to stop to rest and bring it back down. I had to sit down to rest, because my legs would not stop moving. I could not stand still if I wanted to.

Looking up we could see lights of the "120 mile" and "70 mile" runners high above us at the summit. It looked worse at night though and I knew it was not as far up as it looked.  We stopped and Andrew put my jacket over me knowing it would be cold once we crested the summit. I struggled up knowing that this was really the last big hard climb (though Skyline is not easy either, I knew Skyline well, it felt like a friend). Frosty was just nasty, cold and barren. A mocking sign at the top of Frosty said "Use extreme caution beyond this point".   At 2300 metres, this was the highest point on the entire race course.

Andrew had gone back to check on Kent and I kept climbing down the trail. Slowly making my way over lose boulders. Once below the boulder field I looked for a sheltered spot to rest and wait for Andrew. I needed to take a short break. I turned off my light.   I was hallucinating again - this time I saw crowds of runners all around me, all passing me. I could hear them talking and laughing. Almost panicking I turned on my headlight. Nobody was there.  It was just the wind in the small trees playing tricks on me.

I found Andrew and he told me Kent was well behind. I decided I needed to go and Kent would understand.  Once off the boulders we made great time power hiking. My brain was now so focused all I saw was the trail. It became an arcade game. My waist 3D light was showing rocks and roots as they came up and I could visualize the path through them. When I had no shadows, all I could see was dark, but I knew there were no obstacles, so I could just go fast.  any double-check functions, warning messages or other such cautions from the brain were all shut down, it was simply quick single calculations on where to put my feet.  I was sleep power hiking at 6 km/h.  This method got us down to Tom Bench from the summit of Frosty in just over 2 hours.  My best time yet coming down there.

We did the same from Tom Bench to Strawberry Flat's Aid Station, arriving there at 3:25 am.  We had hot broth here and spoke with Dave Scott's mum, who told us that Dave had left Frosty Aid Station an hour behind us.

The last climb now, up to Sky Junction on Skyline II trail.  I've done this trail twice before, but this time it felt steeper and I had to keep stopping for rests on the way up.  It started raining so we stopped and Andrew helped me get my rain jacket on, which stayed on for the remainder of the run. Andrew kept me going up Skyline. We power hiked when possible, still feeling pretty strong and lots of energy. The only issue was climbing, which caused my heart rate to go up fast, so I had to keep slowing it down and/or resting.

We reached Sky Junction at 5:00 am, and could see the light starting to rise to the east. Low cloud hung in the valley below us. We celebrated with Fireball, then began the journey over the final false summits of Skyline. The first is short and steep out of Sky Junction, but once up, it was a beautiful smooth single track through meadows. We passed a couple of runners along this section.

Mostly done. At summit of Skyline - all down hill from here - mostly. 

This then soon begins the first of three big climbs. The first two are super steep, but it is the second one that is the worst. Daylight now, I could see the trail bending ever steeper up. I leaned in, and started the climb, going oh so slow.  But I was moving. Like a truck in lowest gear, it wasn't about speed but about power to keep moving up. With rests I finally made it to the top, with a wonderful view of the next two peaks I had to conquer before the finish line.

Down the steep hill onto the ridge, then the biggest and steepest climb on Skyline. Focusing on working my way up. Hallucinations of a dark shadowy runner in the trees following me. Kinda creepy. Also thought I saw a runner going off to the right down the hill, but there was no trail down there. More billboards. A car parked at the side of the trail turned out to be a log and flowers. Bleachers with people on them cheering, small trees rustling in the wind. My vision narrowed to the path, focusing on the next step. And finally we were on the highest part of Skyline, at 2000 metres. Just one more easier hill and then it's all down hill from there - mostly.

We crested the final mountain at 6:30 am and took a photo. It felt so good to be there. I had 7 km to the finish line, no more big climbs. I was mostly done.

We began making our way down the steep rocky trail, along a ridge and over a small rise, then down through the burnt out forest. Once through here, the trail smoothed out. Then I opened it up. Cautious at first I started to run, then faster, and then even faster. Letting gravity do the work. Like coming down Frosty, I could visualize the path through the roots and rocks. I felt so good. My legs were not sore. This was the last down hill so I could afford to trash the quads. I picked it up some more, keeping the strides long. Remembering Matt Cecil's advice for down hill running. A rock ahead, no problem, I'll clear it. I passed three runners (or two runners and a pacer) coming down this section. I attained a top speed of 5:22 per kilometres along this - a record for me coming down this trail. All safety cautions in my brain were shut down, it was kinda like running drunk. I felt so good, everything felt loose that I could adapt to the footfall with no damage.  Once at the bottom, we ran and power hiked our way to Rainbow Bridge, over that and towards the finish line.

One more hallucination as I power hiked along the Lightning Lake Trail. I could see a group of people sitting at the side of the trail cheering me on, with a little baseboard heater at their feet.  Wait! That didn't make sense. As I got closer they got silent, then materialized into bushes, their feet were white flowers and the heater was a knot at the bottom of a tree.  I had to focus my brain to make the knot appear, it looked a like a heater right until I was on top of it.

As we came over the dam, I warned Andrew that I was going to run to the finish line. I was feeling good so planned to sprint. As we joined the paved path I started to run, doing strides gathering speed until I was at 80 percent, then held it to the finish.  I was happy to finish. So Emotional. It was good to see Charlene, Lisa and Markus there cheering me on to the finish.  Charlene had finished her race more than 2 hours earlier, coming in third woman in the 70 mile event.

The finish

And that was it. After 45 hours of moving, it was hard to stop. I actually wanted to keep going.  Though sitting down before a real heater felt great.  Two beers for breakfast.

Overall I was happy with the way it went. I had no low points, no gut issues, no muscle issues. I probably could have gone faster, but it was an unknown and I think I did it the right way. The training all paid off. Fuelling was spot on mostly - I had a few points where I was feeling a bit hungry. Eating solids at the aid stations and using tailwind between was a good plan for me. Coke at select times gave me energy boosts along the way.   I saved caffeine for later in the race, which I think was also effective.

The Elevation

Tiredness was not much of a problem. I'm pretty good at going all night without sleep, jetlag doesn't bother me on trips, so I was not surprised the first night went as well as it did. I felt a bit more tired the second night, and the key was staying focussed and keeping moving - that starved off tiredness.

Big thank you to Lisa Fehr for pacing me through the first night and second day, and crewing me; to Andrew Barclay for getting me over Frosty and Skyline and crewing me, to Kent Ainscough for the company along the way, to Dave Scott for your encouragement and support, and Charlene for your support and determination to do these crazy races; to Markus for your support all along; and to Lisa Large and Kathy McRae for all of your encouragement support and advice; and Hicham for your training advice and friendship. November Project for being there every week and your encouragement and support.  And I've probalby forgotten somebody. Heather MacDonald for inventing this race and all of the amazing volunteers for being there and taking care of us.  Not just the ones we see at aid stations, but all of the volunteers that work tirelessly behind the scenes, flagging, sweeping, hauling in supplies, and undertaking logistics. Thank you all.

It takes a team to get to the finish line of an ultra marathon.

The Buckle

 Gear:
Pack:  Ultimate direction PB FKT
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 2 (three pairs worn)
Socks: Smartwool Endurance Pro (4 pairs worn)
Watch: Garmin Fenix 3
Poles: Black Diamond Carbon Z

Mandatory Gear:
Lights: Gemini Duo and Ultraspire 600 3.0 (emergency light Fenix E12 + 3 AA batteries)
Rain Jacket: North Face Hyperair
Rain Paints: Solomon
Extra Layer: Marino Wool base layer
Hat: Mountain Madness
Gloves: Solomon
Whistle
Nutrition:  Tailwind, M and Ms, Potatoes, Coca Cola, plus food from aid stations