The Canadian Adventure & Vulture Bait 50K Trail Race

Canada was absolutely amazingly wonderful. We did so much in such a short space of time. And, like everyone told me I would, I fell in love with the place. All the leaves on the trees were beautiful changing colours and we had pretty great weather. I packed my case expecting it to be really chilly, but the first week was scorching hot. The skies were blue and it was sunglasses, ice-cream and shorts weather. On the ice-cream note, I had the biggest and tastiest ice-creams ever. The Canadians sure do love their food. So, I won’t give you a day-by-day account of our adventures, but I will give you a mismatched excitable account of things that spring to mind:

·         I am still having Tim Horton’s withdrawals. This convenient bagel, doughnut and coffee provider is something of a Canadian heritage (or so I have been informed). It was great for a very cheap coffee and I loved the novelty of it.

·         Muskoka Harvest Ale and Flying Monkey IPA are some of the best ales I have tasted – I’m so sad we don’t have them :(

·         When walking around trails, look out for weird orange and black furry caterpillars and cute snakes.

·         Ice Hockey is awesome!  I didn’t know what was going on and then about five minutes in, I was hooked. The atmosphere is great and our team won on penalties, yey!

·         Halloween stores are so much fun. They take it all so seriously over there and I love that they make such a big effort. There was a particularly fantastic advert from a company called Value Village, which is still stuck in my head and cracks me up and went like: ‘You can be anything, even a zebra with a big green moustache. You can be a duck. You can be a ref. You can be a duck that’s also a ref. You can be anything, a steampunk pickle or a zombie hotdog! Sexy Ben Franklin, funky future Ghandi lalalalaaa’ You have to witness the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsUOMTSLUQE

·         Root Beer (yep, all the healthy stuff...) is very addictive and yet strangely medicinal- tasting. And A&W burger was also a guilty pleasure...

·         Beagles are the cutest doggies – we helped look after a Beagle called Emmet and he was the cutest thing ever. He didn’t bark, in fact, he didn’t make any noise. He had the most adorable big floppy ears and friendly temperament.

·         Niagara Falls impressed me much more than I thought it would. It is amazing to see such a vast amount of water plummeting over the edge like that! However, the casinos and various amusements bewildered me...

·         Poutine (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine) is such a simple, yet strange foodstuff. Imagine chips covered in strange gravy and cheese curds = really unhealthy, but really tasty carb loading food.

·         Canadian Thanksgiving is crazy. I have never been so full in all of my life. Also, pumpkin pie is delicious and who knew that cheese went so well with apple pie?!

·         We went to Canada’s Wonderland Theme Park for their ‘Scare fest’ /  Halloween night and if you run a 50k the day before visiting, you really do blend in pretty well with the people impersonating zombies (well, my walk was pretty spot on!) Also, wooden rollercoasters and runaway train rides are much scarier in Canada. They are also very rickety and they hurt.

·         I wish we had a Bulk Barn, because it is such a great place to go and pick up snacks before an ultra, which me and George did before Vulture Bait 50k.

·         I learned/ rediscovered (I should know this by now, I’ve run around enough lakes!) that not all runs around lakes are flat and that the clue is often in the name. ‘Vulture Bait’ was definitely tougher and muddier that I thought!

Talking of Vulture Bait 50k trail race, here is a quick ramble about that... Well, we got up pretty early and set off, with Emmet the dog in tow towards London, Ontario. We stopped off at a Tim Horton’s on the way & got a much needed coffee and breakfast bagel, which Emmet tried to eat. Arriving at Race HQ was all very strange and different; none of the usual suspects here! We registered and got our numbers and timing chip and goodie bag. Interestingly, the goodie bag was full of chewing gum and teeth related stuff like floss and toothpaste and a toothbrush. Well, I guess ultra-runners do need to brush their teeth a fair bit after all the sugary energy snacking. Vulture Bait consisted of two laps around a rather expansive ‘lake’, which looked more like the sea... Runners were made up of those running the 50k and those that were running 1 lap. The course was marked by little flags in the ground.

Before I knew it, we were off. The first lap was pretty tight packed, because there were obviously more runners on narrow trails and so everyone was bunched together. This was good in some ways, because I got into a steady consistent pace and I was running pretty well. Having said this, the trails were a lot tougher than I had though they would be. They were so narrow and winding. The run did encircle a lake, but we didn’t actually get to see too much of it. However, a memorable moment with regards to the lake came about six miles in when I saw a really huge deer go for a swim! Its head and antlers were poking out of the water and it was a great sight to witness. And, all I could think was that I didn’t know deer could swim haha! I also saw a deer about 1 mile into the run when it ran across the trail just ahead of us...glad we missed that!

So, the run made its way through narrow and very leafy/ rooty/ muddy woodland paths. It really was a beautiful course, with tall trees and nature surrounding us and every now and again you would catch a glimpse of the water. However, because there was a lot of potential for tripping, you really had to be vigilant and pay attention to where you were putting your feet. Therefore, I found that my eyes were often focused on the ground, instead of relaxing a bit and taking in the wonderful scenery.

Now, before the race started we were told that there was a 30% of rain forecast for that day. And the Canadians reassured us that this meant that it basically wouldn’t rain. However, 17 miles into the run the heavens opened and the second lap was a mud bath. Fortunately, I didn’t slip over until about the 27 mile mark and it was a good ‘body plant’. The whole right side of my body was literally covered in mud. However, I wasn’t hurt and that was the main thing, I was just extremely dirty. Fortunately, there was a stream crossing where we had gotten our feet wet in the first lap and this time around it was a very welcome sight. I stopped for a few minutes to wash my face and onwards I went.

Aid station-wise, everything was great. They had pretzels and various sweeties and chopped banana and Hammer Nutrition stuff. The marshals were also super friendly! I was wearing my 100 Marathon Club top with my name on the back and whenever anyone wanted to get past or you were at a CP, people actually used my name. There was one particular lady who was so friendly and was driving around the accessible bits of the course to offer support and on Lap Two, she was shouting ‘And here’s Liz, Go Liz!’ as I ran towards her. It was just so friendly, considering my name was on my back and she had obviously remembered it from Lap One. Made me smile.

So, it was a beautiful, yet tricky and very muddy 50k. I was so happy as I legged it towards the finish, as I thought it would never arrive at one point and it had now gotten really chilly. Running across the finish line, there was the same fantastic support that had greeted us all the way around the course. And of course there was George, who had not long finished and his sister and her boyfriend :). 

At the end there was a really nice buffet of food for runners to pick at and I felt like I had earned it. Normally I just think, ‘Well a 50k is not much more than a marathon, it’s just a long marathon’, but it is easy to forget that even marathons can still be tricky and this was definitely that, so I felt like I put in a good effort. I also got talking to an English guy at the finish and it turned out that his wife was from my hometown! It is a small world indeed.

After the race, we drove a short distance to Brandon’s parents’ house (George’s sisters’ boyfriend), where his parents cooked us the most massive post-race steak. This was accompanied by Caesar salad, jacket potato, beer and wine :-) This was possibly the best post-race meal I have ever had.

And so, this ramble concludes my Canadian adventure.  I realise that it mainly consists of talking about food and that my adventure largely consisted of eating lots of food and drinking lots of coffee and beer. For all of these reasons, I really miss Canada. I had such an amazing time with George and I couldn’t have asked for a better holiday or a better travel companion :-)

The End.

“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” - Plato

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Steve Jobs

You are an explorer. Your mission is to document and observe the world around you as if you’ve never seen it before. Take notes. Collect things you find on your travels. Document your findings. Notice patterns. Copy. Trace. Focus on one thing at a time. Record what you are drawn to.

Ponderings and observations on today’s run.

 

On today’s run I noticed (well, I always notice it lately) the precariously hanging branch that is suspended right above my head whenever I run past a particular patch of trees. It has been pretty stormy/ rainy/ windy here over the last few days and every time I run past I am surprised that it is still just hanging there, biding its time. It is quite a big branch. I do hope it continues to hang around and doesn’t fall down whilst I am actually running underneath of it. This is actually quite a big fear of mine. Not with regards to this particular branch (it isn’t that evil), just any precarious shrubbery. Being hit by falling branches, wacked in the face by leaves and branch, falling acorns, large tufts of grass upon the moors and narrow pathways lined with stinging nettles are all very valid obstacles of the plant variety that runners face. 

On my run today I explored. A little. I dodged a lot of snails. This is odd because during a run last week I dodged (funnily enough, my spell check just put that I ‘judged’ the slugs…maybe I am) a lot of slugs and now snails. What determines whether or not there are more snails than slugs out there and vice versa? One thing is that snails are ‘prettier’ than slugs. And there is more crunching if you fail to avoid them. You’re not simply destroying the creature…you’re wrecking a home! It is a much tougher game than ‘Sludge’ (slug dodge). Not only are you stepping on them, but there is both visual impact and sound effects. It is more traumatic all around.  So on today’s run as well as properly philosophising about shrubbery, I also spared some in depth thoughts for snails and slugs and slimy creatures. Runners are thoughtful.

Running up a particular road and a particular long hill on my route I tried my best to keep a steely look of determination upon my face. It is an excellent test of willpower. You can’t stop. It is quite a busy road and your inner voice screams ‘NO, you cannot stop up here, you have to keep on going, they expect you to stop because it’s such a strange hill that seems to drag on…even bus’s and some cars (my little banger) struggle up this hill, you HAVE TO keep running!’ And so you do.  And I notice my arms swinging much more ferociously as I get to the mid-point and my heart is beating much faster than before. I’m pushing out strange breaths and my lips are making an ‘O’ shape…I imagine. But I get to the house at the top and I can’t help but grin. Like some manic crazy mad woman I am stood there in the dark, in the drizzle, alone and grinning. Smiling to myself. And to the hill. In this moment I am pretty satisfied with myself. 

I’ve dragged myself out for the second night on the run to run up the hill I have avoided running up for quite some while and now I’m on a little streak. And it’s a really great feeling. I stop for a moment and turn around and know that I now get the best feeling. I get to leggit down the hill. This type of running is like being a small child and just going with it. I’m not sure with what. But you just go with this feeling you have at that particular moment and you’re free to run full pelt down a hill, in the dark. It’s your own little adventure. You dodge fallen twigs and little stones and there’s no-one else about. Sure I was running in a place surrounded by countryside, but I was far from the most idyllic place in the world. It is a big road. It is countrified, but it is still a road. And yet, it’s a really good run.

I didn’t collect anything I found on my travels. Well, a daddy long legs flew in the house when I got back home. Did I collect him? Maybe he just needs a place to camp out for a while away from the wind and rain. I did think about pulling down the overhanging dodgy branch, but I probably wouldn’t have brought it home. It was massive. I don’t know what it is about branches and trees today. I also made myself laugh whilst simultaneously scaring myself (I jumped) as I skipped over a weird spider-shaped (yes, really) rogue branch/ plant/ thing. I laughed because I realised it was way too big to ever be a spider; unless bird eating spiders have moved to Britain. Also, it was without doubt on second glance, a plant related obstacle. Silly me.

A useful thing I learnt tonight and something that someone has told me before is that I like to run whilst holding onto things in my hands. When I completed the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days challenge I nearly always held a banana or a bottle of water or a buff in one or both of my hands during my run. I got to thinking: Is it a comfort thing or a practical thing? I actually think it helps me position my arms better and run better. Tonight I had a fleecy buff in one hand, as well as my mp3 player in the same hand; my nose kept running, invisible spider webs kept getting in my eyes and I needed something to wipe both away. Music wise, I have an annoying habit of sticking my mp3 on shuffle and then skipping pretty much all of the tracks that come on, before settling on a truly motivational tune that’ll get me running at my best. Maybe I should change my music, but I kind of like it the way it is. I mix it up. 

Anyway, in my other hand I had my torch. My hands were both clenched and I don’t know, it seems to make my lower arm muscle more taut and angular to the elbow and I just end up swinging my arms ‘better’; more efficiently. Thinking about it even more, I seem to straighten my posture and look ahead more, rather than down (I have really bad posture and slouch a lot…long body) and my running feels smoother. See, the simplest of actions can provide revolutionary thoughts and answers. Well, it was quite insightful to me anyway. 

Today I was drawn to the simple things. It is easy to overlook the simple things. In fact, sometimes all the massive crazy things that happen in the world and in our lives demand that we neglect thoughts surrounding the simple things. Every now and again it is refreshing to think about the simple things; about the snails and the gravely sandy bit on the bridge over the canal; upon which I dramatically fell over once on a run and ended up with very bloody knees.  It is relaxing to let your guard down and just ‘go with it’. It is liberating to look a complete mess and like I have been dragged through a wet hedge backwards and still come out smiling. It is ok to smile to myself out in public along a long dark road. It is fun to dodge puddles. It is fun to splash into puddles. It is amazing to be out in the cold biting air and to see all the nice cosy warm cars driving past and be certain that you would never want to switch places with them at that moment in time (okay, on the Grand Union Canal ultra I did want to snuggle up on a nice warm barge…there was crazy torrential rain & I was wearing a bin bag & I had about 90 miles left to run and they look so cosy).

So there we go. That was today.  I rediscovered the simple things. I also rediscovered my mega padded, furry hooded winter coat. Not for running in. That’d be interesting. But it is snugly. Hey, it’s even okay to write random bloggage that won’t make too much sense to others. Just exploring.

You are an explorer.

I’ve had some really good runs this week. I’ve really been getting my running mojo back. I’ve gone out for a run and smiled for no reason and had those moments where you just feel happy and contented to be doing what you’re doing, to be running, to be out there.  It all sounds a bit mystical, but there is this overwhelming feeling of peace and contentment sometimes when you’re just running along and feel relaxed. Just for a few short moments you can just feel so serene and nothing much else matters. It is great when nothing much else matters except for the 'there and then', the here and now.

Every run I’ve done this week has been in the dark out of choice. I love running in the darkness and getting my head torch out down country lanes. Sure, it can be a bit creepy but it feels like more of an adventure.  I do take a head torch with me in my jacket pocket and a mobile phone though just to be on the safe side. Certainly, this week I’ve had a lot of down moments, a lot, but in the good moments where I’ve been running and running well, I’ve felt happy and been thankful that I have that outlet and that will never change.

Last night I went out for a nice 5 miler. I saw a fox, really close up! The fox I met was a bit too chilled out, was stood only a few metres away, looked at me and just stood there and then took a few steps closer. It was nice to have met, but considering my encounters with cows and some dogs, I decided to run off in the other direction :)

This week I’ve also applied for more jobs, looked at jobs (it’s a job looking) and options. I’ve also been way too philosophical this week. It’s a strength of mine that I do take the time to think and a downfall that I think far too much about things in general at times. It can drive you a bit crazy when you’ve got too much time on your hands to think. It’s been quite lonely. I can be alone, but I like people. I need more social interaction from like-minded people. Otherwise I think I will just drive myself crazy…if I’m not a little already haha

Anyway, just a few thoughts... I seem to be full of them this week.

Later on in the day (Mini update):

I went out for another really awesome run & it was just really brilliant; just what I needed. It was a fantastic fantastically wet & rainy 10.46 miles & there was a big hill thrown in there (I used to run it all the time, but I haven't in ages, with no good reason but laziness I guess). It was just really darn good :-) and I got fantastically soaked, wooo! So fantastic really is the buzz word for that little meander