Since my volunteer stint at the Niagara Ultra, I really concentrated on my recovery-from-injury plan. It really is amazing what a little rest can do although I will admit that I do tend to get a little agitated when I am forced to slow down. Running ultras is an addiction of sorts for me.
My recovery plan included shorter runs, yoga classes, easing back into weight lifting and lots of stretching to go along with the Active Release Techniques treatments that I continue to take once a week. I knew things were looking up when I was able to do a 14km run with almost no pain wearing an ITB support strap.
This past Saturday, I participated in the Creemore Vertical Challenge 50K. Now, if you didn't catch it, the title suggests another nickname for the race. In fact, there are at least two that have been floating around since the race's inception in 2007. S-Creemore (think screaming) was adopted by fellow Mud Puppy, Gord, in 2007 after he collapsed to the ground screaming in pain as a result of some severe cramping in the calves. He did this at the 49.8km mark right before the finish. The other nickname that was floating around was Pukemore. I called it that in 2007 after dealing with extreme heat exhaustion and having to wear an icepack on my neck to keep myself from puking in the end.
This year, I dropped Pukemore as a nickname. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with temperatures in the low 20s (Celcius), a cool breeze, and some cloud cover. I was able to race comfortably with 3/4 spandex tights (worn so that the chill would not aggravate the ITB) and a white long-sleeved top. Perfect weather to improve my time on this course!
I was a little sleep deprived going into the run. This was due to some last minute business I had to take care of at home before finally getting to bed later than I wanted to. I drove up to the race venue leaving the house at 6h00 - later than planned - after packing up the car with all my odds and ends and extras. I was able to make it to the venue with 45 minutes to spare to get myself together and prepare for the run. I did the customary thing and greeted all my running buddies - the fellow Seaton Trail Mud Puppies, the Ultimate Warriors, and all others who were there including UltraQueenga (Kinga), The Viking (Stephan), Dirty Girl and Dirty Boy (Diane and Henri) and of course... Ron and his concubine of many wives... hehe. I was even greeted warmly by my really good friend, Mike L., who is sidelined due to injury. He came out to volunteer that day and we were all grateful for his help and his smile that day.
Rick and I getting the gear together before the start
After a stop at the portapotties, we all lined up and got ready for the start of the race. The start of the race is signalled by a single gunshot in the air with an antique rifle that is fired by one of the race director's neighbours. As we all started to warm up in the first few kilometres, some of us started trading friendly barbs with each other. A sample of one of our colourful conversation is as follows:
There were also butt peeking comments that were traded as well with the guys trying not to insinuate that they would be watching the other's butt. After those few minutes, we all settled into our zones and focused on the race at hand.
Dirty Girl Di taking one last pose before starting out. She and Dirty Boy will be off to Badwater to help crew Iris the "Swiss Miss".
Gavin and Dirty Boy Henri off to a flying start.
The whole 25K loop definitely was not dull at all. There were lots of hills to traverse. Three of those hills were virtually never-ending. Most of the loop took place on open country roads with trails mixed in between. It has also been described as being 60% uphill, and 30% downhill. That leaves about 10% of the annoying flat sections which were few and far between.
Coming up to the final 10K of this loop, I realised I was flying and felt really good. I actually did not mind getting picked off by UltraQueenga and some of the better runners who did not go out fast like I did. Getting into the final trail section before the end of the loop, I ran into trouble. There is a section in this gully that requires the assistance of rope to get up the hill. The rope that was placed there was thin nylon rope. This was because the thicker rope had broken. I made a move to grab the rope and hoist myself up the hill as fast as possible. It turned out to be a bad move because I found myself falling into the mud. Getting up turned out to be the other half of the battle - AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! My right calf muscle seized up as I was trying to get up and I could feel the pain. One of the runners who was behind me was about to turn back and get help when the seizure stopped and I was able to hobble up the hill. I immediately took some salt tabs to quickly replace the electrolytes and stop the cramping. Gord came up behind me and we both agreed that S-Creemore is here to stay. I got to the halfway point masking the pain as best as possible - confiding only with Barb, Ron's wife. Mike L. was there and I did not want to raise any red flags with him or anyone else there. I was well enough to run and finish the second loop.
After grabbing an extra-strength ibuprofen tablet, my mp3 player, and some more salt, I was off and running on the second loop. This loop was a little slower than the last loop, which took me just under three hours to complete. In fact I wasn't to expect any miracles and I was now watching to make sure the calves did not get any worst. At this point, my goal time of 6:00 to 6:15 was extended to anything under 6:30.
The music came on just before I got to the first major hill. Now, I am an avid fan of music. I will listen to anything that sounds good at the time. On this day, my mp3 had quite a bit of House music tracks on it. Perfect! I was determined to make this loop as fun as possible.
On the first hill, I grooved to Osunlade's version of "Yemaya". I was dancing up the hill and singing along the best I could. It did provide a good show for the front runners who were within 3K from finishing. Getting to the top of the hill, I was grooving to some Kerri Chandler, playing the raw version of "In the Morning" and singing along to the vocals. I played that song, as well as a few of the others tracks over and over. Catching up to Howie and picking him off was especially sweet with music. On my way in to aid station 3/4, I saw Stephan coming out. He informed me that Mike was at the aid station. This brought a smile to my face as I approached and he greeted me. After grabbing a drink and some snacks, I was off again. I wanted to make this loop my loop as I continued to groove to the beats on my mp3 player. Upon returning to the aid station, I ended up confessing to Mike that I have been fighting calf cramps since the end of the first loop and that it is hurting. I was also feeling a little winded after pushing for the previous 17km. What made my spirits rise was that in spite of the fact that he is recovering from injury, he was very happy to be out there supporting the rest of us. It definitely showed... We both agreed that while a calf massage could help, it made more sense for me to cover the final 8km and get it done quickly.
One of the smiling volunteer faces I've encountered.
After leaving Mike, I powered my way up the last major hill before taking the road to one of the trail sections. With 5km to go, I decided not to push it too hard but to really keep my eye on the sub-6:30 goal. I pushed with the music to help me along. When I got back to the final technical section and conquered the rope, I queued up ACDC and really got aggressive with "Thunderstruck". The finish was not the smooth sprint that I usually pull off. This was because my calves started seizing up again. I fought the pain and brought it in just as the song was coming to an end - "You've been Thunderstruuuuuuck!!!!!" 6:26 was my final time. I was given a ceramic medal as a token of my finish.
Rick and Gavin immediately came to the rescue when I started crying over my calves. Rick reminded me about my calcium-magnesium supplements. Oops... I didn't take any... They also helped me get my stuff together and we went down by the riverside to join in the post race festivities. I sat by the water and sponged off with my Dr. Bronner's biodegradable soap. We also took in the awards ceremony where we all came away with at least one draw prize. My prize was a handcrafted ceramic bowl. After the awards, we all lounged around and started trading stories of the day - including the story of how Ron managed to get lost due to a blocked sign, and almost end up in the town of Creemore. We also cheered on the runners who were finishing up the 50K and joining us.
Tony, Dirty Boy, and Maria enjoying the Creemore Springs beer after their 25K event
Gavin - Cleaning the specs and inspecting them thoroughly after running 25K.
Stephan the Viking finishing up his 50K... Looking Good!
UltraQueenga relaxing with a cold one at the finish. She was third in her age category!
Ron... Relaxing after taking a side trip to Creemore. He was crowned the winner of the 60K :-)
Dirty Girl and I lounging on the soft green grass...
Our local Ultra Legend Joe Cleary - still smiling after a day's work.
The race directors who made it possible - Thanks Pierre and Lee Anne!
After this was all over, we all dispersed and made the drive back to our homes.
We all agree to this - Creemore Vertical Challenge just keeps on getting better and better and better... We all had a great time out there and the spirit of the ultrarunning community was as lively as ever. We're now looking forward to the Dirty Girls 6/12/24H and 30K race in Mansfield on August 8, 2009. Bring it on!
All pictures appearing on this report have been taken by Peggy Sarson. Click here to view the entire album.
All race results can be found here.
My recovery plan included shorter runs, yoga classes, easing back into weight lifting and lots of stretching to go along with the Active Release Techniques treatments that I continue to take once a week. I knew things were looking up when I was able to do a 14km run with almost no pain wearing an ITB support strap.
This past Saturday, I participated in the Creemore Vertical Challenge 50K. Now, if you didn't catch it, the title suggests another nickname for the race. In fact, there are at least two that have been floating around since the race's inception in 2007. S-Creemore (think screaming) was adopted by fellow Mud Puppy, Gord, in 2007 after he collapsed to the ground screaming in pain as a result of some severe cramping in the calves. He did this at the 49.8km mark right before the finish. The other nickname that was floating around was Pukemore. I called it that in 2007 after dealing with extreme heat exhaustion and having to wear an icepack on my neck to keep myself from puking in the end.
This year, I dropped Pukemore as a nickname. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with temperatures in the low 20s (Celcius), a cool breeze, and some cloud cover. I was able to race comfortably with 3/4 spandex tights (worn so that the chill would not aggravate the ITB) and a white long-sleeved top. Perfect weather to improve my time on this course!
I was a little sleep deprived going into the run. This was due to some last minute business I had to take care of at home before finally getting to bed later than I wanted to. I drove up to the race venue leaving the house at 6h00 - later than planned - after packing up the car with all my odds and ends and extras. I was able to make it to the venue with 45 minutes to spare to get myself together and prepare for the run. I did the customary thing and greeted all my running buddies - the fellow Seaton Trail Mud Puppies, the Ultimate Warriors, and all others who were there including UltraQueenga (Kinga), The Viking (Stephan), Dirty Girl and Dirty Boy (Diane and Henri) and of course... Ron and his concubine of many wives... hehe. I was even greeted warmly by my really good friend, Mike L., who is sidelined due to injury. He came out to volunteer that day and we were all grateful for his help and his smile that day.
Rick and I getting the gear together before the startAfter a stop at the portapotties, we all lined up and got ready for the start of the race. The start of the race is signalled by a single gunshot in the air with an antique rifle that is fired by one of the race director's neighbours. As we all started to warm up in the first few kilometres, some of us started trading friendly barbs with each other. A sample of one of our colourful conversation is as follows:
Fellow Runner - Hey! We should inspect the contents of Gailanne's pack. It may have something in it!
Me - Yeah... Suppose I tell you it's piss?! You know that has electrolytes in it!
(All surrounding runners burst out into laughter after Gord chimes in with his comment to this whole exchange)
There were also butt peeking comments that were traded as well with the guys trying not to insinuate that they would be watching the other's butt. After those few minutes, we all settled into our zones and focused on the race at hand.
Dirty Girl Di taking one last pose before starting out. She and Dirty Boy will be off to Badwater to help crew Iris the "Swiss Miss".
Gavin and Dirty Boy Henri off to a flying start.The whole 25K loop definitely was not dull at all. There were lots of hills to traverse. Three of those hills were virtually never-ending. Most of the loop took place on open country roads with trails mixed in between. It has also been described as being 60% uphill, and 30% downhill. That leaves about 10% of the annoying flat sections which were few and far between.
Coming up to the final 10K of this loop, I realised I was flying and felt really good. I actually did not mind getting picked off by UltraQueenga and some of the better runners who did not go out fast like I did. Getting into the final trail section before the end of the loop, I ran into trouble. There is a section in this gully that requires the assistance of rope to get up the hill. The rope that was placed there was thin nylon rope. This was because the thicker rope had broken. I made a move to grab the rope and hoist myself up the hill as fast as possible. It turned out to be a bad move because I found myself falling into the mud. Getting up turned out to be the other half of the battle - AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! My right calf muscle seized up as I was trying to get up and I could feel the pain. One of the runners who was behind me was about to turn back and get help when the seizure stopped and I was able to hobble up the hill. I immediately took some salt tabs to quickly replace the electrolytes and stop the cramping. Gord came up behind me and we both agreed that S-Creemore is here to stay. I got to the halfway point masking the pain as best as possible - confiding only with Barb, Ron's wife. Mike L. was there and I did not want to raise any red flags with him or anyone else there. I was well enough to run and finish the second loop.
After grabbing an extra-strength ibuprofen tablet, my mp3 player, and some more salt, I was off and running on the second loop. This loop was a little slower than the last loop, which took me just under three hours to complete. In fact I wasn't to expect any miracles and I was now watching to make sure the calves did not get any worst. At this point, my goal time of 6:00 to 6:15 was extended to anything under 6:30.
The music came on just before I got to the first major hill. Now, I am an avid fan of music. I will listen to anything that sounds good at the time. On this day, my mp3 had quite a bit of House music tracks on it. Perfect! I was determined to make this loop as fun as possible.
On the first hill, I grooved to Osunlade's version of "Yemaya". I was dancing up the hill and singing along the best I could. It did provide a good show for the front runners who were within 3K from finishing. Getting to the top of the hill, I was grooving to some Kerri Chandler, playing the raw version of "In the Morning" and singing along to the vocals. I played that song, as well as a few of the others tracks over and over. Catching up to Howie and picking him off was especially sweet with music. On my way in to aid station 3/4, I saw Stephan coming out. He informed me that Mike was at the aid station. This brought a smile to my face as I approached and he greeted me. After grabbing a drink and some snacks, I was off again. I wanted to make this loop my loop as I continued to groove to the beats on my mp3 player. Upon returning to the aid station, I ended up confessing to Mike that I have been fighting calf cramps since the end of the first loop and that it is hurting. I was also feeling a little winded after pushing for the previous 17km. What made my spirits rise was that in spite of the fact that he is recovering from injury, he was very happy to be out there supporting the rest of us. It definitely showed... We both agreed that while a calf massage could help, it made more sense for me to cover the final 8km and get it done quickly.
One of the smiling volunteer faces I've encountered.After leaving Mike, I powered my way up the last major hill before taking the road to one of the trail sections. With 5km to go, I decided not to push it too hard but to really keep my eye on the sub-6:30 goal. I pushed with the music to help me along. When I got back to the final technical section and conquered the rope, I queued up ACDC and really got aggressive with "Thunderstruck". The finish was not the smooth sprint that I usually pull off. This was because my calves started seizing up again. I fought the pain and brought it in just as the song was coming to an end - "You've been Thunderstruuuuuuck!!!!!" 6:26 was my final time. I was given a ceramic medal as a token of my finish.
Rick and Gavin immediately came to the rescue when I started crying over my calves. Rick reminded me about my calcium-magnesium supplements. Oops... I didn't take any... They also helped me get my stuff together and we went down by the riverside to join in the post race festivities. I sat by the water and sponged off with my Dr. Bronner's biodegradable soap. We also took in the awards ceremony where we all came away with at least one draw prize. My prize was a handcrafted ceramic bowl. After the awards, we all lounged around and started trading stories of the day - including the story of how Ron managed to get lost due to a blocked sign, and almost end up in the town of Creemore. We also cheered on the runners who were finishing up the 50K and joining us.
Tony, Dirty Boy, and Maria enjoying the Creemore Springs beer after their 25K event
Gavin - Cleaning the specs and inspecting them thoroughly after running 25K.
Stephan the Viking finishing up his 50K... Looking Good!
UltraQueenga relaxing with a cold one at the finish. She was third in her age category!
Ron... Relaxing after taking a side trip to Creemore. He was crowned the winner of the 60K :-)
Dirty Girl and I lounging on the soft green grass...
Our local Ultra Legend Joe Cleary - still smiling after a day's work.
The race directors who made it possible - Thanks Pierre and Lee Anne!After this was all over, we all dispersed and made the drive back to our homes.
We all agree to this - Creemore Vertical Challenge just keeps on getting better and better and better... We all had a great time out there and the spirit of the ultrarunning community was as lively as ever. We're now looking forward to the Dirty Girls 6/12/24H and 30K race in Mansfield on August 8, 2009. Bring it on!
All pictures appearing on this report have been taken by Peggy Sarson. Click here to view the entire album.
All race results can be found here.
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