Xterra Canada comes to Whistler

Just a quick post to show a few shots from today's xterra Triathlon. Melanie McQuaid and Conrad Stoltz ride the long skinny bridge over a swamp on "a River Runs Through It" in Whistler.

Transrockies Stage 2 - 13.5 miles

Stage 2 of the Transrockies run was the one i was most looking forward to. Not because it was the shortest, even though they changed it from 10 miles up to 13.5miles, but because it went over Hope Pass at 12600 ft in elevation and i had never been that high before. This is the same pass that the runners in the Leadville 100 mile run go over twice. I almost never made it to the sarting line however.

Last night was a difficult night, i over hydrated so i had to get up 3 times throughout the night to use the outhouses. Unfortunately my shin/calf was so sore, it made it very difficult to sleep. Every time i got up, it was a challenge just to walk 100m, how was i ever going to run 22km in the morning. My thoughts that night ranged from there is no way i can run to i will start but might only make the first 3 km before the climb starts, to just see how it goes. At breakfast this morning i ran in to a couple i shared a table with the previous night and they asked me how the shin was and i told them how i felt. Immediately this woman at the next table got up and told me to sit down. She was one of the massage thereapists and she proceeded to give me a 10 minute massage right there at the breakfast table. Talk about service! It was hard to eat as she was digging deep into my flesh, but by the time she was finished i did feel a bit better.

We caught shuttle busses to the start which was about 20 miles from camp up a long dirt road. With 30 minutes to start and nothing to do, i decided to wait in the long outhouse lineup. I fugured i would have to go by the time i got to the front and sure enough the timing was perfect. Being the highest stage of the race, the organizers had a gear check to ensure everyone had a warm hat, jacket, space blanket and gloves. Once this was done we were off. The first 2 km or so was along the flat gravel road. My shin was still sore but i was able to hobble thru. They had an aid station right at the start of the climb, so i filled up on a few gummy bears and some gu and was off. the first few hundred meters or so was nice, through the forest and no climbing whatsoever, but once it hit it was relentless. While i am sure the frontrunners were running most o the way, back where i was we all settled into a long train of power hikers moving up the hill. We had about 4km in total to climb around 3600ft, and the first few kms were all in the forest. While i cold still feel my shin it was actually felling much better than i expected. I figured if it was ok on the climb the downhill would kill me, we shall see.





Once above the tree line the views were amazing. You could see runners way up ahead climbing the switchbacks all the way to the top. I really wanted to shoot a bunch of photos but abut halfway up my camera battery died $#@$#@$! Luckily i met up with 2 girls Beth and Michelle who seemed not too concerned with their time as they were stopped at a switch back shooting photos of each other, i offered to take a few for them and asked if they would take some of me as well which they did. Hopefully once they email them i can post these as well. While i am sure the elevation was a major factor in the climbing speed we were achieving. I never really felt the high altitude in any noticeable way. The climb felt just as tough as the grouse grind did back during the Summer solstice marathon last month. Luckily the weather held off. We were warned about the chance of lighting might cause us to be turned around before reaching the summit. It did get cold however. i had to put in my nice new Goretex windstopper jacket. Finally at the summit, there were a bunch of teams shooting picture of each other, i tried my camera again but no luck so i waited a few minutes for Beth and Michelle to arrive and was able to get a few more shots with them.

Once we started the downhill, i felt pretty good. From the top you could see a bunch of lakes laid out infront of you. The next aid station was by the first lake about 300 ft in elevation below. The trail here was mostly runable, but you didn't want to fall as you would tumble quite a ways. Surprisingly, running down, i could not feel the effects of the altitude at all, and the best part was my shin was not acting up either, the only pain i felt was from the fatigue of 45km of running in the past 24 hrs. They had told us before to only take what we needed at this second aid station as they had bring everything up by packmule. So when i arrived i only took a bit of water, but did not refill my backpack. Unfortunately this would come to haunt me later. As i continued downhill i was still feeling good, and was able to put Munny's downhill run training to good use. I was able to pass a bunch of people and nobody passed me. Once below the tree line, the trail really reminded me of home. The trees and roots were just like Whistler, in fact it felt like a very long descent down something like the flank trail. of all the different types of trail we had run so far this was the most like Whistler trails.

As i bottomed out on the decent we still had another 7km or so along the lake side to the finish. This was the extra distance they added on to bypass some swampy River crossings. I guess if i was felling better it would have been a nice addition, but by the time i had reached the bottom i was out of water. They really needed an aid station here. It was mostly flat with a few short climbs and went through some spectacular meadows. At one point we went through an old ghost town, that was once a resort on the lakeside. With about 2km left to go i was forced to walk most of the way as i was completely out of water, and feeling very exhausted. I kept looking over my should to see if any solo competitors were gaining on me but i really did not have anything left to give if they did. I was passed by most of the teams i passed on the decent, but made it across the finish line in around 4hrs20min. As soon as i crossed the line i bent over and could barely move. Cynthia from Goretex was there as she is at every finish to welcome the runners and hand you some water but i could not say anything when i took the water and sat down. I don't think i have felt like this after a race in a long time. I gave it all i had that day, and was happy to have finished.

After the race i had to catch a shuttle into leadville where we were camped that night, then find a way back to arrowhead to get my car. All of this took about 2 hours and i just made it back in time for my massage appointment. 30 Minutes with Val and i was feeling much better, but my shin was still quite sore. I was limping much more than the day before but i think i was getting used to the pain. I decided to get dinner on my own that night, and showed up at the awards at atound 6pm, All of the athletes were given a nice blanket from one of the sponsors, but unfortunately by the time i arrived they had ran out. I will make sure i am at dinner at 5pm tomorrow. After the awards i ha found out we had an offer on my house that is for sale so i had to find somewhere to print off the document and sign it and fax back. I spent the next few hours trying to deal this with and was luckily able to get it all completed thanks to the help of a few local businesses in Leadville.

Tommorrow is the longest stage, 24 miles with another 300ft of climbing. We shall see how my leg holds up.

Transrockies Stage 1 - 21 miles

So after about 8 months of dreaming about this race, it is finally here. I camped last night in the same campground that we are returning to tonight, so i did not have to move my tent. We got picked up at the gate at around 6:45 for the 10 minute trip to Buena Vista. They put out a great spread for breakfast but i was pretty happy with my standard race morning bagel and gatorade. The start was right down Main street, and they had closed off the entire street. I am sure for such a small town we were quite the sight. music was blaring and everyone was taking photos in front of the start banner, i took me three tries of getting someone to shoot me before i got a halfway decent photo.

As 9am approached we were given some last minute race instructions and the countdown began. Like i usually do when starting an Ironman i got a little choked up. but once the gun went off, it was go time. We had about a half mile roll out on pavement through town. they wanted to control the speed until we got over the Arkansas River as it had a narrow bridge, but once we crossed it the race was on. However starting near the back of the pack, we quickly got bunched up going up through the single track. This allowed me to catch my breath a bit as we walked many of the first sections of the climb due to the packing. After about 3 km we came out on a wider road and were able to spread out a bit more.

The heat and the elevation were starting to hit me pretty quick so i took a couple short walking breaks as we climbed the road. Just then i hear someone coming up behind me and he comments about my North Face backpack. I look over my shoulder and it is none other than Dean Karnzes. Ultra running legend and author of several books. His book 50 marathons in 50 days was the first book i read after signing up for this event, and here i am running shoulder to shoulder with him. Immediately all sense of fatigue left me. He was running with a different partner every day. His partners chosen via a contest Gortex had put on. From his book, i know he often enjoyed conversing with fellow runners during the race, and this was no exception. for almost 2 miles we ran together talking about racing and running stories. He is a great ambassador to the sport. After those 2 miles i was in need of another break so i thanked him and slowed down. needless to say that gave me a big boost in energy. Throughout the rest of the day i leaped frogged back and forth with him as he ran with his partner of the day.


The route for the first stage consisted of 3 aid stations, the first one at about 12km at the highest elevation for the day. On reaching the aid station, they had a full spread of all you could dream of. i picked up a few gels. grabbed some water and headed out. the next section was mostly downhill and i was surprised by how many people i was able to pass here. Good thing i didn't have Gabi tagging along to slow me down!!! ( Just kidding Gabi) The only downside to this downhill was the trail itself. It was basically an ATV trail so it was nice and wide, but it was very uneven. the sides each curved up and it was very difficult to find some flat footing. Kinda like running down a mini halfpipe. Also, the trail was mostly sand, so you had to constantly look for the firmest footing, at times you were sinking in a couple inches of sand like running on a beach.

I was feeling good for this middle section, but it was starting to heat up. I think it reached about 90'C and at 9000ft that can feel quite hot. At this point we were starting to spread out a bit so i put my ipod on and it was a saving grace. i was starting to feel exhausted from the heat and the elevation so my mind was wandering a bit, but on the ipod i had a Robin Williams comedy concert. nothing like a little laughter to cheer you up. the only problem was that when ever nobody heard me laughing out loud, they thought i was delirious or something.

The final 3 miles was along a very slight uphill grade, but with the heat this section was some oh the toughest. at one point i passed a fellow racer lying down on the side of the road, we offered to help but he said he was ok, just resting. but he did not look to good. Shortly after we past a first aid guy and told him about it. about 20 minutes later we saw him get carted away to the finish. The heat will do that.

Finally the finish came into view. i crossed n around 4hrs 40 minutes to place 21st in the mens division of the TR3. i grab some drinks at the finish line then headed down to the creek to soak the legs. I usually hate the cold water but this sure felt good. After a shuttle back to the camp and a quick shower i was able to get a nice massage. they charge $1 per minute which is quite reasonable. Unfortunately my super tight shins were really sore, and the massage therapist said she would like to really loosen in up but i would not be abe to walk the next day, so we made arrangements to do this after my third stage. At the awards ceremony they gave out a pair of Windstopper gloves to every body as well as all the top 3 in each category received a pair of Solomon Shoes and some other prizes. in all i think they gave away about 30 pairs of shoes, along with a bunch of other stuff.

After the awards, they showed a video, part of which is linked here, you can see me crossing the bridge at about 1:18. We all then had to climb the super steep hill up to the tent area when i hit the sack around 9pm. 5AM wake up call tomorrow. WIsh me luck.

Leadville at 10,000 ft ~ TR -1

So i slept in a bit yesterday morning as i figured it would be my last good nights sleep in a bed for a while before my race. I wanted to make it to Leadville to help acclimate to the altitude a bit. The drive took about 5 hours from Moab, through some more amazing countryside. I took the longer short cut along the Green river out of Moab. It was 10 miles shorter but slower in that it followed the very muddy brown river, I don't know why they call it the Green River. I arrived into leadville just as the racers competing in the Leadville 100 mile trail race were checking. This race started at 4am on Saturday and i wanted to catch a bit of it before i had to get to Buena Vista to check in for the Transrockies. I camped out around the 40mile mark of the leadville course, at the base of Hope's pass, where we will race on Monday. The first runner passed through just after 9am and he had a 25 minute lead. It was 2 time winner Anton Krupicka attempting to set the new course record. Unfortunately he had to pull out later with over an hour lead. After a few more runners passed through i left to check into my own race.

Buena Vista is a small town about 30 miles south of leadville, at around 8000 ft it is the lowest elevation on the course. The registration was in an old museum filled with antiques from the area. One checking in they gave each runner a huge gear bag that included a bunch of free swag. Included were a brand new Windstopper running jacket, nice t shirt, A timex ironman watch, a mug, A running shoe dryer, and a bunch of food and supplements. Easily the contents of the bag and the bag itself were worth over $400. The most intimidating thing was how fit everybody was, i started to get really nervous as i looked around, Usually at races like an ironman, there are quite a few competitors who don't quite fill the image of an athlete, be it their shape and size or whatever, but here everyone looked like running gods and goddesses. What have i gotten myself into?

We had dinner at 5pm where they introduced a bunch of people and went over the course descriptions and the details of the week ahead. We would be staying at Arrowhead Campground at the end of stage 1 so i figured i might as well stay there tonight as well so i would not have to move my car the next day. Wake up time for tomorrow is 5:30 am, and that is mountain time, so in reality it is 4:30am Wish me luck!

Arches National Park / Moab ~ TR-3

So after leaving Bryce canyon, i had originally planned to visit a few slot canyons along the way. Unfortunately with thundershowers in the forecast it just was not safe enough. So i continued all the way to Moab taking the scenic route through Capital Reef National Park. The scenery was amazing the entire way. I would highly recommend this route to anyone traveling southern Utah. I planned to shoot in Arches that night but with the clouds still hovering about i went straight to the hostel. The Lazy Lizard Hostel in Moab is probably the cheapest place to stay but it is not easy to find, as you have to drive through a storage yard to get to it. I booked 2 nights and they put me into a off location house about 3 blocks away which i had to myself, After a shower and doing some laundry, i called it an early night.

The next morning i was of to arches. Another amazing National park, that i can never get enough of. The clouds we still overhead so the photography was not that great, but i did do a few hikes to some of the bigger arches. I was just heading out on another hike when off in the distance the lightning storm began. I quickly returned to my car to get to a better vantage point to shoot the lightning, but after about 100 exposure, i came up empty handed.

Just as the sun was setting the clouds began to clear so i was able to get some great sunset shots. I then headed back to the hostel for some dinner and to empty my flash cards which i had filled. then header back out for some star shooting. unfortunately my timelapse ideas were out of the question with the nearly full moon, but i was able to get some great moonlight arches shots. I even tried tome self portraits with my headlamp while waiting for the moon to set.

Bryce Canyon ~TR-4

After Leaving Las Vegas, i traveled through Zion National park, which was quite spectacular and i will definitely stop on my way back, but i really wanted to make it to Bryce Canyon. At 8000ft in elevation, It would give me a great chance to get a higher elevation run in. Unfortunately it was cloudy that night so that eliminated my shooting that night. But i did get up early before sunrise (yes i was up at 4:45am for those that know me!) and was able to capture this footage. View at 720p for best video.



After shooting, and some breakfast, i geared up for a run through the canyon. If you have never been to Bryce Canyon, you have to put it on your list. The views are spectacular every where you look, and as you get down amongst the hoodoos, there is a surprise around every corner. I tried to run but kept having to stop to shoot so photos and video with my baby camera. ( My regular camera is a Nikon D3, and with my lenses, my backpack weights about 30lbs. But my Baby camera is a point and shoot waterproof crush proof camera that i take with me on my runs.) A few corners i literally was stopped in my tracks with the views. A few other corners i was stopped by horseback tours. The peakaboo trail is a 10km loop at the bottom of the canyon, and is accesible by horse back, so twice i was forced to the edge of the trail to let them pass, but otherwise this made for some amazing albiet hilly trail running.

Las Vegas ~ TR-5

So with 5 days to go, i think i got my heat acclimatization down. The temperature has been a steady 108 degrees in las vegas. Last night i was driving down the strip and at 11pm it was still over 100.

I lost a bit of money playing the slot machines over the first few days so i decided to try my hand at shooting. I recently picked up a new tripod head designed for tracking the stars with a telescope, but with a bit of customization i am using it to add motion to a timelapse. Here is my first attempt. Hopefully i will be able to shoot a bunch more over the trip, I will post a few samplings here, but once i get back i will put together a whole video with all of the best ones.



Interestingly enough, the night before I left, the card counting movie "21" was on TV, so being inspired to make my millions I brushed up on my card counting skills and put them to work. I didn't make millions but i was able to do win back most of what i lost the first few nights. When i return on my way home i will see if this luck continues.