Weary and tired after more than 16 hours of running, power hiking, climbing and descending mountains, with the wind picking up and the rain getting harder, and knowing I had to come back over this mountain, I began to think maybe this wasn't the best idea. I was wet. Soaked through. The heat generated from movement keeping me warm. I should put on a rain jacket, but I didn't want to stop. Downhill now anyway.
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| Pre-race. Photo Credit: Matt Cecil |
Originally I and Chalene Waldner, had signed up to run Fat Dog 120 on the original course this year. About the time the Fat Dog race director was announcing postponement of the race until 2022 due to the pandemic. Originally originally, we had deferred entries to Cascade Crest 100 in Eastern, Washington. Because of the border uncertainty, the Race Director was good enough to roll over our entry for another year to 2022. As we heard of the Fat Dog cancellation, Myke LaBelle, Race Director for Finlayson Arm races announced that the event was a go.
Training was easy to adapt as I had been running weekends and during the week as if I would be doing a long ultra. For a race like Finlayson, with a lot of steep climbs and technical trail, I found that through hiking with a backpack was great leg strengthening and training. Over the summer, Charlene and I hiked Cape Scott Provincial Park (60 km over three days, relatively flat), Sunshine Coast Trail in two sections, the south section over six days, 134 km and 6200 metres elevation gain and loss, and a recovery three days on Forbidden Plateau doing 28 km over three days and minimal elevation gain.
We also participated in an Island Fat Ass overnight 50 km run of the course. This was useful to get a feel for timing and speed and gave me an idea of what to expect come race day.
My plan was simple. Do loop one of the course in about 11 hours, then loop two in same time but likely slower. Finish with legs and feet intact and ready to run again for 28k next day. Given this I knew that 24 hours or so was a goal that would let me enjoy the run, experience it. This also gave me lots of room for cut-offs if something went wrong. My biggest worry on this course was blistering of feet caused by the rocky and steep trails, and muscle cramping of the legs.
Day 1: Friday September 10, 2021
I finished work at noon and picked up Charlene and headed to the start line for about 2:15 pm. We set up the tent in the group camping area. Dressed for the race we walked down to pick up bibs. I wasn't nervous about the enormity of the race. The distance nor elevation scared me at all. I was more nervous that I'd forgotten something important; it's been a while since we've done this.
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| The 100k two loops - actually is 105 km |
The mood at the race start was happy and chill and relaxed. With an ultra nobody is warming up, as that happens when you start running. So instead of running up and down the road, most runners were sitting, resting their legs, eating and hydrating.
Loop 1: (0 - 52.5 km)
After the race briefing we were off just after 5 pm. About one hundred 100k runners and 40 doing the Double. I started near the back as I hate people passing me in the first hour; partly because it makes me feel like I have to run faster when I know I should really slow down more. Pete Dumbleton, who I used to run with at Flatliners years ago was in the 100 k and we ran together as our pace seemed to be well matched based on our overnight training run. Charlene was off ahead of me somewhere.
At the water crossing, one kilometres into the run, I took three minutes to take off my shoes, walk through the water and then dry and put on dry socks and shoes. I felt this was worth the time as it would mean less issues later. I was worried that wet feet on this course would lead to blisters. As it turned out, other changes I had made negated the need to take my shoes off. Pete had a different approach - he put plastic bags over his shoes held with elastic bands. First crossing was successful.
Mindful that we were near the back, we still kept to the planned pace through Goldstream park, arriving at the base of the first and most formidable climb on the course - Mount Finlayson. At 406 metres, it was actually the third biggest climb on the course. The bottom half is just a steep trail, the middle half is a rock climb (in places class 3) and the top walking up steep solid rock shelves. The top is a cinder cone, giving away that Mount Finlayson is actually an old volcano lateral vent. First time up I didn't feel great with my heart rate getting too high. But we made it up in 38 minutes.
On the way down the back I thought a lot about why my heart rate was so high. At the same time I was dreaming of a big glass of water and coca cola at the aid station. I figured I was likely dehydrated and hadn't drank enough during the daytime before the race started. Sucking water out of my flask or water reservoir just isn't as satisfying as gulping down a big glass of fresh cold water.
At Rowntree Aid Station I had them fill my 600 ml flask with water and I drank it all in one go. I also had coke and ginger ale and watermelon. I was so thirsty. Flask refilled with my tailwind mix, and my trekking poles in my hands, we set off for Durrance going over Holmes and Jocelyn hills on the way. This is actually my favorite section along the ridge. As darkness fell we turned on our lights. I was using my Ultraspire waist light, which I highly recommend for finding rocks easily. With a beam below my line of sight, it avoids the mist effect in fog and dust, and really shows shadows of rocks and roots. The only drawback, is the way reflectors work means a waist light is not ideal for lighting up reflectors. A low powered headlamp would be a good addition for finding reflectors along a race course.
At the summit of Jocelyn hill was a nice and welcome surprise - an unofficial aid station with water, grapes, fruits, chips, crackers. That was something given that it's a long hike in from Emma Dickson Trailhead to carry all of that up to the summit of the mountain. I had grapes as we headed down the other side of Jocelyn heading to Durrance Aid Station. We made good time and passed Doris and Avery who were doing the overnight safety sweep on Jocelyn. So good to know they're out there as anything can happen on those trails. I forgot to mention I had my InReach, which I carry all the time and can be used to call for help in an emergency, to just send a message out, or let people track me on the course. I was so happy to see the welcome path of white Christmas lights lining the way into the aid station.
Aid stations on an ultra are like an oasis. After hours of being out on the mountain and seeing nobody, then walking into the bustle of the aid station made me wonder where were all these runners? The smell of hot food and bacon made me feel hungry. Even though it was cold out, I was feeling hot and was sweating a lot during the run. So I was focussing on cold liquid fuel. Another full glass of water and watermelon and off over Mt Work to Munn Road.
Going over Mount Work at night was quite beautiful. The trail was slow going, but power hiking and only seeing what is in your light bubble passes the time fast. Lovely views of Victoria lights from the summit then down to Munn Road. We passed Charlene who was on her way back up the mountain, putting her about 20 minutes ahead of us at that point.
Quickly into Munn Road and out again (another full half litre of water downed). I still had not peed, so what I was putting in was coming out as sweat. I was balancing the large water intake with salty snacks and Tailwind to keep electrolyte balance. On the way up we passed Sandra Hardy, doing the overnight safety sweep of Mount Work. On the way back I picked up some bacon at Durrance and ate that on the way down to McKenzie Bight, then then awful climb up Cascade. Actually, it's only the top part which is super steep and has under-maintained steps that actually make it harder than if they were not there. Otherwise it was just a nice pleasent run/powerhike back over Jocelyn (stop for more grapes), Holmes and through Rowntree (more water) back to the halfway at Goldstream.
Loop 2: (52.5 - 105 km)
We arrived in the halfway aid station to the music of Bon Jovi, "Living on a Prayer".
"Woah, we're half way there, Woah, livin' on a prayer, Take my hand, we'll make it I swear, Woah, livin' on a prayer"
I had planned a 20 minute stop at this aid station to change shoes and socks and to eat some solid food. We had caught up to Karen Laberee on the way into the aid station, and she was much quicker than us and got out of there at least five minutes if not more ahead of us. Pete and I left eating food and drinking as we hiked out up the small hill for loop two.
This time the river crossing was in the dark and not as successful as the first time. I dropped a shoe into the water, but luckily it only wetted the outside. Pete's plastic bags failed and water got inside.
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| Elevation Profile of the 100 km Race |
This time it took us 10 minutes longer to get to the base of Finlayson. I'm not sure if that is just being more cautious in the night, or if our uphill power hike was somewhat slower. The climb up Finlayson felt much better than the first time, though we did take four minutes longer. In all we arrived at Rowntree 30 minutes behind our first loop time. I wasn't bothered as I knew the second loop would likely require more time for stops to deal with issues that arise later in a long race. It was daylight by the time we arrived at the aid station so I dropped off my light here as I no longer needed it.
Daylight along the ridge trail as the lead 50 km runners started to pass us. After having the trails to ourselves during the night, I realised we had to share them with another 150 runners during the day today.
We held on to the time as we headed through Durrance and over Mount Work to Munn Road. The 50k runners largely caught up to us, so the run over and back on Mount Work included a lot of yielding right of way to the faster runners. We saw Charlene again, this time a bit sooner, so around 40 minutes ahead of us. She was looking strong.
At Munn Road we had perogies and they were so tasty. OMG. Could be tired starving runner brain but they tasted like the best thing I've ever eaten. I had to take a few minutes here to remove half of the trail dirt from inside my shoes (I really need to get gaters) and change a hearing aid battery (my fault, should have put in a fresh battery before the start of the race).
The rain had turned into a downpour but I didn't want to put on a rain jacket. I wasn't cold but I knew if I stopped I would cool down really fast. So far though, other than a bit of hunger, which I quenched with a drink of tailwind, I was feeling great. Feet were happy. Legs felt strong and not sore or crampy and we were on the way back to the finish.
I was tired and could feel that familiar feeling from my Fat Dog race. Coming down the home stretch to the finish I saw a kid standing in a yellow rain jacket, then he appeared to dash onto the trail and vanished. It was my first and only hallucination of the race. I had them constantly on the second night of Fat Dog - and the timing about 24 hours after starting is about right for the start of hallucinations for me. They're fun, but annoying because they look so real.
Pete and I finished together in about 24 hours (at time of writing, official results have not been posted). And all I wanted before anything else was a burger and beer. Charlene had finished almost an hour ahead of me. Finally I could sit down, and eat my burger and drink my beer in the pouring rain (I finally put on my rain jacket).
Finishing the 100k with Pete Dumbleton. Photo credit: Matt Cecil
The 28 K
We drove home so we could shower all of the trail mud off. We went back for just after 9 pm crawled in the tent and passed out to the sound of the rain on the tent.
Next morning we woke at 6:30 am and I did not want to get up. Out of the tent, and my ankles and calves were so tight I could not walk. It took a few slow walks to loosen up and I could eventually walk well again.
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| The 28k course |
My feet had no blisters. The changes I had made paid off. I had made two changes and took one precaution (the precaution being removing shoes through the river crossing). I had increased the size of my shoe by a half and that gave more room in the toebox for the feet to swell during the run, and reduce pinching and rubbing of them against the shoe. I also at the advice of Charlene, applied a thick layer of body glide to my feet and toes. So thick you could see the white clumps of it. I did this at start of the 100 and at halfway, and at start of the 28k and the glide survived the river crossing too. It didn't wash off.
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| The 28k elevation Profile |
We picked up our timing chips to add to our bibs and joined the start line. As this was only a 28k, my pack was light, mainly just water and tailwind. It felt a bit more stressed at the start with so many runners running up and down the road warming up - that really stresses me out. Still, they intend to run it a lot faster than me.
Then with 250 other runners, at 8 am we set off on the 28K run. I purposely wanted to be near the back and took it easy to let the legs loosen up more. Lisa Fehr was in the 28K and she led us through Goldstream and helped pace us in the early part of the run. I was not particularly looking forward to climbing Finlayson again but knew it was there. It's a psychological brick wall on this course. Oh and this time, I just went through the river and ran in wet shoes - I didn't care as it was only 28k and I didn't have to preserve my feet for another day of running.
We climbed Finlayson in about 45 minutes. Slowest time of the three climbs, but there were more people and some waiting at the ledge to get up narrow sections. Once over and past Rowntree I was feeling strong and picked up the speed, making it up to Jocelyn turn around in the quickest time of the race for me - shaving a full 10 minutes of the fastest I did it in the 100 k. The return to Rowntree was the same.
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| Third time up Finlayson - happy because I don't have to do it again. Picture credit: Ed Weldwood |
From Rowntree the timing was about the same, maybe a few minutes faster than in the 100. The trip around Finlayson on the new trail (FUBM) was easier as the trail was so well worn in, verses how it was on the first loop in the dark. And before we knew it, we were running hard down to the finishing chute. I had a hard time keeping up to Charlene as we entered the chute and we finished together in about 5 hours, 33 minutes. So for me about 29 hours, 30 plus minutes for the weekend.
For this I received a beautiful The Double Hoodie, Finlayson Arm Cap and Finlayson Arm beer glass. Charlene won Third Female overall in The Double. Congratulations Charlene!
Finishing the Double with Charlene Waldner. Photo credit: Matt Cecil
Big thank you to Myke LaBelle and Coastline Endurance Running for inventing and running this event this year. The logistics are a nightmare and you pulled it off. From a racer point of view everything went smoothly. The course was well marked, easy to follow and the aid stations, all of them, were second to none. The covid safety rules were prudent and not excessive and i don't think detracted from the spirit and enjoyment of the event.
Also thank you to all the volunteers - those who marked the course, pre-swept the course, swept the course, overnight safety sweeps and marshals and aid station and finish line volunteers. Thanks to Andrew Barclay for making sure we were good and had what we needed at all four visits to Durrance Aid Station; Jade Carter for doing the same at Rowntree Aid Station, Dave Scott and his team for a fun turn-around aid station with amazing perogies, Geoff Large for a rather long drawn out awkward hug, Lisa Fehr thanks for pacing us through Goldstream - it really helped to get us going. Thanks to Jason Ball for being at all the aid stations throughout the hundred - and his upbeat encouragement and cheering us on. Pete Dumbleton for the company throughout the 24 hour adventure. And Charlene Waldner - thanks for training with me, pushing me harder when I don't feel like it, and keeping me going in the 28K. I'm sure I'm missing somebody.
Highly recommend this if you enjoy:
1. running all night and all day
2. Love the idea of climbing and descending almost the height of Everest in a weekend
3. Love a super fun event with amazing people and an amazing trail community
4. Enjoy pushing your limits to see what you can do
Just don't let the distance fool you - it's just as hard as any 100 mile race. It tough. Brutal. Beautiful. And amazing.
I will be volunteering next year. :)
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| Finish of The Double - Picture Credit: Liesel Rieger-Mitchell |
Now - how do I train for the rolled over Fat Dog 120 at beginning of August 2022 and the now twice rolled over Cascade Crest 100 just three weeks later? Any ideas let me know. :)
