Race Report – 5 Peaks Southern Alberta – Calgary Olympic Park

May 19^th, 2012

Evan Weselake and his crew of volunteers (5 Peaks, Southern Alberta) know how to organize a great event. The weather in Calgary did not look like it was going to cooperate, but Saturday morning saw some cloud with hints of sun, making for almost perfect running conditions.

There was a festival atmosphere at Calgary Olympic Park, site of the first 5 Peaks Southern Alberta event of 2012. There was music, a great master of ceremonies and lots of free swag.

A couple dozen kids participated in the Children’s Challenge to kick the morning off and if smiles were any indication of success, then the fun run was hugely successful! After the Children’s Challenge the approximately 200 sport course participants left the starting gate, followed by the roughly 150 enduro runners.

The start sent everyone on a good climb on a service road, then some single track with rolling hills followed by a kilometer of downhill, a steep climb of over a kilometer and then more rolling hills with a downhill on the service road into the finish line. The enduro racers did the course twice.

The fleet of foot finished the sport course in the low to mid 20 minute range, while the faster enduro finishers broke the finish tape around the 40 minute mark (check out allthe results here).

This course was definitely a good test of fitness, especially for the couple of runners that travelled from the flatland of Saskatchewan. I have to mention that my mom, Cécile Sawatzky finished second in her age category (60 – 69) in the sport course, making her a new fan of trail running.

Looking forward to the next 5 Peaks Southern Alberta in Canmore June 16^th.

À la prochaine.

Random thoughts - nutrition, fitness, compression socks and more!

Pardon, un autre document en anglais, mais depuis que je reste à la maison avec mes deux plus petits, je n'ai pas l'opportunité d'utiliser ma langue française et je trouve que ça devient de plus en plus difficile de formuler mes pensées dans ma deuxième langue.

Random thoughts while running 15km on the trail:

1. My fitness must be better than when I started this year's training schedule. I felt strong and in control the whole way through a tough 15km trail run; many hills, few flats and running on grass. I had planned to keep a 7min/km pace and expected it to be a tough go, however I had to rein myself in as my body was trying to push the pace to 6 - 6:30min/km pace. Granted by km 13 and 14 7min/km felt fast enough, but still pretty pleased with where my fitness is at right now. I guess the training saying is true, "trust in your training and the rest will follow" (or is that from a Destiny Child's song?)
2. Let it be known that I am a Clydesdale because of a good mix of genetics and gourmandise! Genetics I cannot do a whole bunch about (sorry kids!), but my eating is something I should easily be able to manage. Mid-April I decided that it was time to do a nutrition overhaul, pop and chips is not a good bedtime snack (go figure!) and portion sizes should not fill a pig's trough... I have cut out junk food and have done my best to eat proper portion sizes. I've cut back to  two cans of pop a week (I am only human after all!), and no junk food except for popcorn during Friday family movie night. I have seen minimal weight loss, but I am feeling fitter and inches have come off.
3. I have been on the fence about compression socks for awhile now. My wife is a nurse and uses compression socks during her 12 hour shifts and in the last year or so I have noticed more and more (real) runners using them during and after running. But I was not convinced, until today! Yesterday my wife convinced me to buy a pair and  give them a go. So I bought some Sugoi compression sleeves (I love my Smartwools too much to not wear them running), and used them for the first time today. My legs felt and feel fantastic. The fatigue I should be feeling in my legs is not there. Now, with only one running experiment, I cannot say for sure it was the compression sleeves alone that made my legs feel great (maybe it is my new fitness level?), but I am becoming a believer in just one use!
4. If this is how I feel doing 15km on a hilly course, what will I feel like doing another 35 km on a similar course for the LSU? I guess I should return to my last sentence from point 1, trust the training. I still have 4 months of training and numerous races to prepare myself for the big one in September!
5. I may have found a new mental trick to aid in gaining mental toughness during training, listen to country music while doing your long run! Don't get me wrong, I love all forms of music and Country is included in that list, but at some point I couldn't handle it anymore.

À la prochaine,
SK Clydesdale

Introvert or Extrovert and Musical Motivation

A few weeks Dean Karnazes blogged about whether runners are as a rule introverts or extroverts. He commented that his assumption was that most runners are introverts and  enjoy running to escape the noisiness and stimulus of everyday life. However he is questionning his assumption due to the fact of the popularity of running groups and new runners (and many veteran runners) enjoying the social element of training with partners.

Those who know me know that I am an extrovert. I chose a career that allowed me to be surrounded by others all day. I love the feeling of feeding off of the energy of those around me as well as sharing my energy with them. And when it comes to running and doing hard workouts, I prefer to train in a group (I even enjoy doing classes at the local gym instead of working out alone). There have been many training runs that  I would not have completed (or even tried) alone, but because I was training with a group (SRRA Monday night workouts), I pushed through. The energy, comraderie and feedback all aid in getting through the difficult parts.

This is not to say that I do not enjoy taking some time for myself. I do enjoy completing my long runs alone. For some reason, I prefer to do this part of my training without fellow runners. It could be that the solitude allows me to  comtemplate life or write my next paper or prepare my next presentation or plan my next lesson or... well you get the  picture. It allows me to organize my thoughts and put my life (somewhat) in order! That is not to say I will decline an offer for accompaniment during a long run, but for the most part long runs are a solitary activity.

Now when running alone, I do occasionally run with music. I enjoy providing a soundtrack to my movement. Again, if I am doing a hard workout, I find that the right musical background (usually 90s dance music; I like to move it, move it. I like to MOVE IT!) can help me push through the difficult parts. The right beat can provide the perfect cadence to push through those 400m repeats, 60sec intervals or those nasty but necessary hill runs.

What do you think? Are you an introvert, extrovert or a mix of the two when it comes to running? Do you get motivated by a music selection or do you prefer to run without a soundtrack?

A la prochaine...

TNF Single Track Review

I have been running on North Face shoes off and on for the last 10 years. My first pair of TNF trail shoes was a pair of Fire Roads that I grabbed from a discount bin while on my Honeymoon in Maine (chosen mostly because of the eye catching color scheme!). Since then I have tried a variety of models; Rucky  Chucky, Endurus XCRs with Boa lacing system, and Double Tracks. However, it was not until I ran in the Single Tracks that I found my Shangri-La of trail runners.

There was little to no break in period with these shoes. I took them for a trail run right out of the box and had neither hot spots nor any pinching. The elastic scree collar in the tongue, besides providing protection from trail debris, also delivers a snug fit across the top of foot. It is in part to the scree collar that these shoes wrap your foot like a glove and are as comfortable as a pair of slippers.

The Single Tracks are comparatively light, weighing in at 11.5 ounces, making them heavier than my training flats, but lighter than my road runners. However, at this weight these trail runners are a veritable lightweight when compared to other trail runners. I also find the Single Tracks to have a low profile (12mm heel to toe drop as compared to my training flats at 8mm heel to toe drop). This low profile allows for a good feel of the trail and yet at the same time provides an ample amount of cushioning to do some road running; helpful if you have to get over some pavement to reach the trailhead.  I am a Clydesdale runner (hovering around 210 pounds) and I have had no problems using these as my everyday trail running shoes as well as my go to race day runners. These Single Tracks will leave big shoes to fill when they need replacing.

Une longue pause

Me voilà de retour après une longue pause! C’était seulement une pause de mon blogue et non pas une pause de mon entrainement. Personne ne m’a expliqué qu’avoir 4 enfants allait me garder tellement occupé!!



J’ai continué le programme que j’ai affiché sur ce site et j’ai presque fini, suivit l’horaire a 60%, pas un succès total, mais du training quand même! Prêt maintenant pour commencer mon ultra training pour de vrai! Il faut choisir d’ici quelques semaines entre quelques programmes d’entrainement d’ultra, un programme du livre Relentless Forward Progress par Bryon Powell, ou de réutiliser le programme que j’ai utilisé pour mon dernier ultra, ou possiblement de contacter un entraineur pour m’aider à créer un nouveau programme spécifique pour le course que je vais courir (ou si mes lecteurs ont des programmes à partager...). Une chose que je sais pour certain, il faudra incorporer des hill runs. J’ai été un des chanceux choisit par loterie pour courir la course Lost Soul Ultra à Lethbridge au début du mois de Septembre et d’après ce que j’entends, il y a plusieurs collines.



J’attends la semaine sainte pour commencer mon entrainement d’ultra, il me semble que le thème Catholique de souffrance ira bien avec le thème de mon entrainement!



À la prochaine

Happy New Year!

So as always, a New Year means creating new goals, new training programs and deciding on which races I will race (some people could argue that according to my race times, all my races are run for fun, but that is a topic for another day!).

There has been some sharing and discussion on the Trailrunner Facebook page around the pros and cons of cross-training in a running program. Some runners are all for cross-training and the benefits it can offer and others are not convinced that doing anything other than running will improve your running.

I have no strong opinion for either side of the debate, nor do I have any research or scientific theories on which I base my training decisions; I use my own trials and tribulations and the knowledge of my physical capacity to find a training program that will work for me. I know that I grow bored of a program that doesn’t offer a challenge, variation or a specific outcome.

This is the program that I am following for the first 12 weeks of 2012. It offers cross-training as I know that in the dead of a prairie winter, I will need some indoor options to running outside.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	5k	45 min Spin	rest	5k – slow
2	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	6k	45 min Spin	rest	6k – slow
3	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	6k	45 min Spin	4k	7k – slow
4	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	6k	45 min Spin	4k	6k – slow
5	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	6k with 3x60sec uphill	45 min Spin	4k	8k – slow
6	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	7k with 4x60sec uphill	45 min Spin	6k	9k – slow
7	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	7k with 5x60sec uphill	45 min Spin	6k	7k – slow
8	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	8k with 5x75sec uphill	45 min Spin	6k	10k – slow
9	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	9k with 6x75sec uphill	45 min Spin	6k	11k – slow
10	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	9k with 7x75sec uphill	45 min Spin	6k	12k – slow
11	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	8k with 8x75sec uphill	45 min Spin	4k	8k – slow
12	5k	45 min Spin	Yoga	4k	45 min Spin	12k trail race	Rest day

Not many rest days, however I have planned that my Friday spin session could easily become a rest day if my body/mind need it. As you can also see, this program is light on the km, nothing that would get me ready for  an ultra, but enough km to get my legs in running condition.

There are 6 races I would like to race, 1 I would like to complete and numerous others that I will run just for fun or training purposes.  I have already registered for 3 out of the 5 (if it wasn’t for my work schedule it would be all 5!) Central Alberta 5 Peaks Trail Racing series races. I will be racing these races:

·         May 19^th – COP enduro

·         June 16^th – Canmore Nordic Center enduro

·         August  18^th – Nakiska Delta enduro  

The Saskatoon Road Runners have also planned a 3 race trail race series that I am committing to race:

• May 5^th – Sutherland Beach
• July 21^st – TBD
• September 22^nd – Blackstrap X-country ski trail

And I have still yet to decide on the 1 ultra I would like to complete this year. I would really like to do a trail ultra, if scheduling and training permit. My first choice would be the Lost Soul Ultra in Lethbridge, AB slated for September 7^th & 8^th. The race organizers are using a lottery for the 50k race this year, so I am hoping that I will have some luck and get one of the 140 spots.

If I am not lucky enough to get one of the coveted spots, then my second choice would be the Canmore Grizzly 50k Ultra, October 7^th. The course looks fantastic for this race; however I am a little afraid of the altitude and the elevation gain of the course. Don’t forget, I am a flatlander as well as a Clydesdale! I am also a little afraid that if I wait too long to find out about the Lost Soul’s Ultra, that in the interim, this ultra will fill up.

 My third choice would be the Saskatoon Road Runners 50k Ultra. A great race, well organized, well attended, but as I have already ran this course twice, I would prefer to attempt a different race.

Let me know what you think of the program and the race schedule. It would be great to have some of you join me on my adventures!

À la prochaine,
SK Clydesdale

Why I do the things I do... part deux!

Mes enfants sont peut-être les raisons ultimes pourquoi je continue à courir. Je veux modeler que la course est une activité qu’on peut faire pour la vie. Je veux qu’ils comprennent que n’importe qui, peu importe leur forme physique, peut courir. Je veux qu’ils comprennent que la majorité de coureurs ne courent pas pour gagner la course, mais cours pour montrer qu’ils sont capables. Je veux qu’ils comprennent qu’il y a plusieurs leçons qu’on apprend au sujet de nos limites (et nos forces) pendant les mois d’entrainement pour une course.

Pendant, l’automne, printemps et été, mes deux plus vieux (9 ans et 8 ans) me suivent pendant mes courses d’entrainement en vélo et le plus jeune vient dans la poussette. Leur motivation est qu’ils vont jouer sur un terrain de jeu extraordinaire qui se trouve à 3,5 km de chez nous, ma motivation est de leur faire faire de l’activité. Quand je cours plus que 5 km, ma plus vieille vient avec moi en vélo. Son rythme en vélo est parfait pour mon rythme à pied, environ 6 min par km. Elle est excellente comme entraineur, elle est prête à prendre les pauses aux mêmes moments que moi!

Je sais que mes efforts commencent à avoir des résultats car cette année ma plus vieille à participer sur l’équipe de course de fonds à son école et mes deux ainés ont arrêté de jouer au hockey pour joindre une équipe de piste et pelouse. C’est beau à voir leurs expressions de concentration et contentement quand ils s’entrainent avec leurs co-équipiers.

Il faut me pardonner si ce texte n’est pas bien écrit. Ma femme a accouché notre 4^e enfant au début de la semaine et la vie est devenue un peu plus occupée! Un troisième garçon, Nicholas Laurier est venu au monde lundi le 28 novembre. Ma première pensée (après que j’ai su qu’il était en forme), c’est qu’il faut échanger ma poussette simple pour une poussette double!

À la prochaine,
Sk Clydesdale