Comfortably Numb 25K

I ran the Comfortably Numb 25K trail run yesterday, here in Whistler.

I ran it pretty well off the couch, as I hadn't trained too hard in the last two weeks. I figured as long as I drew on my experience, I could tough it out and run well.

I forgot to set my alarm before I went to bed, so I awoke with a start, realizing I had to throw my stuff in my pack and get out the door fast! I only had time to throw a pamplemousse in my bag, and head to catch the special bus to the start. Race time was at 9am, but I had signed up for the 7:30 bus.

I got to the start with everyone else, and had quite a bit of time to stretch, and get in racing mode. I listened to the same music I listened to before my Hong Kong races, so I was feeling good.

There were a number of racers, but not too many people were lining up near the line. I stood about in the second row. We started the race on an uphill, and I jostled for position with some fast looking runners.

I ran with them for about 5K, sitting in about 6th or 8th place. Were were the chase pack, running after a guy who was way out in front. Were were battling single-file in the woods. But then I made a tactical error...I tried to pass a few of them and break their spirits on a long uphill, but ended up breaking my own. After that, I was too tired and couldn't keep up to the peleton's pace. I would run the next 15K or so on my own.

Throughout the race, I fell four times, including one major tumble where I rolled off the trail and into the bushes a bit. The course was tough...many rocks and logs, steep hills. The falls broke my spirit, and frustrated me quite a lot.

I got passed twice from the 5K mark to about the 22K mark, then about five more times from 22K to 25K. I could barely put one foot in front of the other...I have never felt that drained in a race! I just tried to keep the forward motion happening, but that was tough. I was in survival mode from 23K on, hoping there weren't too many runners behind me because I was incapable of putting up any sort of fight. I ended up getting 15th, with a time of 2hr18:35. I was 23:06 behind the winner.

I finished strong, buoyed by Carmella who was there to cheer me on with a sign! Once I crossed the line though, I collapsed onto the grass, and began to hyperventilate, and almost began convulsing. I had left everything on the course, and didn't have enough energy to stand up even. A friendly nurse asked Carmella if I was having an asthma attack, then moved in to help me. The nurse told me she was going to shadow me for awhile to make sure I was OK, and then she guided me to the food table. I almost fell over a couple more times before I got there.

I have never felt that way after a race before, and have never been the dramatic one before, but yesterday I was. For the rest of the morning while we were watching the other racers come in, talking race talk with other racers, and scanning the draw prize table, volunteers kept asking me if I was alright, wanting to make sure I was recuperating well.

Here are some pics that Carmella took. There should be more official ones posted on the site later, but there aren't any there at the moment.



Here I am looking haggard after the race. I am standing on my own at least!



Here's Ben, who is one of Carmella's friends that I met recently. He was fast, and got 8th. I was trying to keep up to him for the first 5K, but was unable too. He was super fast on the steep techy down-hills, and looked strong.



Carmella and her sign! I was happy to see it as I neared the finish line.




I come across the line, with my draw-prize haul.





Wait! The draw prize stuff must be displayed! I scored a small biking backpack and a visor, called THE SUPERVISOR! It is quite super.



I reenact my dramatic finish, collapsing on the ground. There's a smile on my face this time, and I have my free stuff with me, including the SUPERVISOR. Otherwise, it was likely similar, except I couldn't breathe last time!

All in all, a fun race. I need to train more so I can avoid the finish-line collapse, and I must buy some trail runners so I don't slip all over the trail, falling into the bushes. But a good time, and I'm happy with my 15th-place finish. There were 106 finishers.

Emphatic Victory

I played Settlers with Emily and Derek last night. We branched out and played the SeaFarers version. While I'm always happy to play the standard version, Emily's been hankering for something a little different.

There are many different board set-ups you can create in SeaFarers, and each one has a different number of points needed for victory. Our scenario required the winner to reach twelve points.

At the end of the game, I had 13 points, (even though I only needed twelve) including Largest Army, Longest Road, and one Victory Point. The rest were cities and settlements.

It was a quite decisive victory. Emily finished with 7 points, and Derek with 6.

I marked my victory and the others' point totals on our new score board. For the time being, I am in the lead!

Er in the Bike Park

Erik and I hit the Bike Park yesterday. It was my first day on the mountain of the year, and Er's first in about three years. We weren't sure if he biked with me in 2005 or 2006 last time.

We got a bike from my old bike shop, and were given a good deal. Then, Er bought a day ticket and I bought my seasons pass. Then it was time to hit the hill!

We started at about 10:30, and had the bike returned at about 5:30, so it was a solid day of riding. Here are some quick pictures.



We started the day on a green run, then halfway down I decided Erik was ready to hit some wood bridges, much like this one. Er ended riding off the bridgework, auger-ing into the dirt, and losing confidence.



We found ourselves at the Intermediate Skills Centre, where we worked on Er's bridge skills. Observe the mountains in the background.

Erik does well on this bridge. It ends in a teeter-totter, so you must have confidence that the end part of the bridge will tip down, so you can ride off. Er is looking strong!

Just after I took the previous picture, Er rode off this bridge too. He is battered, both physcially and mentally.

Erik demonstrates his crash, recreating the way the bike drove off the workwork. He didn't have time to get his arms out to break his fall, so his helmet did that instead. It's probably better that way, because a lot of riders break arms and separate shoulders when they try to break their falls with their arms and hands. Smart, heads-up crashing Er!


Erik shows excellent form in the woods. We rode a number of trails, including tight and twisty ones, rooty ones, jumpy ones, and wide fast ones.


Erik dominates the wall ride on Crank it Up. This was our favourite trail of the day; it had lots of jumps, features, and berms. This wall ride was one of three in a row. Solid freeriding Er!

I also hit the wall ride.

We came across this bear lounging on some remaining snow. He was happy to relax on the snowpack, as it was a pretty hot day. After awhile, he lumbered away looking for berries. He didn't look like a fully grown adult, so he was probably just beginning his first spring on his own.

Er closes out the day by washing his bike, as per his rental contract. The woman on the left was spraying him quite a lot, and Erik showed a lot of restraint by keeping his hose pointed at his bike, instead of her.

We pose at the end of our full day of biking. Erik's skills progressed through the day, and we did every blue trail on the hill. Like the last time he was here, Erik showed a lot of endurance and rode all day even though he was tired. Another good day in the Park Er!

Today we went to the Pemberton 4 x 4 rally. My roomate Derek was driving in it, so we went to watch him. There are no pictures from it though, but it was pretty fun.

Carmella and my friend Jess went with us. We sat in the sun all day, and got pretty tired. There were 50 trucks registered, and today was the last event, where the drivers drove around a course that had jumps, mud bogs, and lots of turns.

I'm tired and am going to maybe fall asleep for a bit. I will drive Er down to Vancouver later tonight, possibly after a Settle.

Bruce and I

So I've been to the gym twice in the last few days, and it's felt good. I bought a ten-time pass, so I'm somewhat commited.

I'm going to get super ripped like Bruce Lee.

Here were are in Hong Kong.