On the morning of July 9th, 2016 a crowd of runners from all over Canada, the USA and other parts of the world gathered on the main street of Blairmore Alberta for the start of the Sinister 7 race.

The race is 161 kilometres of rugged trail that is separated into 7 legs that take runners to remote parts of the Crowsnest Pass, looping back towards relative civilization in places. It's wild, it's wilderness and runners had better come prepared. As race director Brian Gallant will tell you "this race will beat you up!"

While the majority of runners are on teams of up to 7 runners there is a solo contingent of 216 entries for 2016 who toed the line ever optimistic of their chances of success. I can say from personal experience that you have to remain optimistic and humble in the face of this thing because it did beat me up twice before in 2013 and 2014 resulting in my only 2 DNF's in my life. I was in good company though because in this year's edition only 61 of the 216 starters would finish this gruelling race.

We set off on leg 1 to the cheers of quite a few supporters who lined the streets leading out of Blairmore and quickly ended up running a grassy ditch that led us out to the Frank Slide. The Frank Slide is a rock slide that took out an entire village and is an ominous reminder of the power of nature.

After climbing through Bellevue and Hillcrest I climbed around the back side of the slide and eventually ducked into the forest enjoying the morning run and trying to put the concept of how much further I had to go out of my mind. IT's always good to break it down and concentrate on things one leg at a time.

Before long I was at the end of leg 1 ahead of schedule and feeling super fresh. That was a good thing because after a brief pit stop to fuel up and fill my water bottles it was on to Leg 2 which is challenging and in my mind good to put behind me quickly to stay ahead on time.

So far so good! Cheering and support at the transfer point and I keep on moving as quickly as possible onto leg 2.

On leg 2 I had a sense of Deja vu and strangely a sense of relief. The preliminaries were over and you really feel like it's all business from here.

I ran without any undue fatigue and had cheerful conversations with other runners. Unlike the previous two attempts I climbed the switchbacks up to some tremendous views faster and more comfortably than ever before. 

From there the gritty sections came on with the wild ride down the quad busting switchback descent taking me down to cross the river that flows into Blairmore. With the water levels low this year, I was able to cross the tiny bridge they had put in place and keep my feet dry and therefore free of blisters!

3:59.04 and done 2 legs! That made me feel super happy.

 

Leg 3 is the "make or break" leg for a lot of solo runners. In previous years it's been unseasonably hot and humid even at the top of the climbs. It is a 1,357 metre climbing 31.4 km, rugged beast. 

I think the race director, Brian Gallant summed it up best:
Also known as "Satan's Sack", Leg 3 is dry, hot, and exposed. This leg of the Sinister 7 has the second most elevation gain and distance. In return, you are rewarded with stunning views of the mountains atop the Continental Divide! This leg crosses through the haunting remains of the 2003 Lost Creek fire where one feels as though they are on another planet. After passing the burn scar, runners once again climb back into Blairmore for the start of leg 4.

Fully fuelled I climbed out of the transfer and descended into the valley that leads to the more rugged section once used in an episode of Mantracker. If you like running on a combination of single track mixed with washed out ATV trails, this is for you. 

With the temperature being more comfortable this year I reached the point where I had struggled to maintain a running pace last time and managed to continue running! When I reached the 2nd aid station 2/3rds of the way through I actually felt amazing for the first time ever. 

Leaving the aid station and continuing over the top I ran the rugged descent towards the climb out of Satan's Sack. this climb tests everyone as it's super steep and seems to go on forever. At the top of it the reward is a super beautiful panoramic view of the mountains on the other side of the highway. 

Having made that climb and still feeling great I ran down towards the 2/3 transfer for my 2nd visit to take fuel to prepare for leg 4.

I had survived leg 3 in 5:07 (9:05 elapsed) and done 3 legs and 68 km. It may not seem to be such a fast time but when I considered the elevation and the rough nature of the trails I was happy. No time to waste as leg 4 was beckoning.

 

Leg 4 hits you smack in the face with a chin scraper! A steep climb up a ski hill reminded me that although leg 3's climb was behind me, there was a whole lot of race left.

Having done the climb it opened up into an area that used to be densely forested but was now open due to some logging which afforded yet more views previously unavailable. this section landed me back at the aid station that is also part of leg 3.

After that aid station I took stock of urinary output and it was good. Not so dark and more volume. These are important health indicators in 100 mile races. This fact bode well for the coming long cross country section of leg 4.

During the rolling cross country section I was hours ahead of previous years and feeling pretty good for the first half of it but of course that changed. Ah the stomach, the bane of any ultra runner's existence! My stomach began realizing how much gel I'd stuffed in there along with the real food, and boatloads of fluids. I had become queasy like previous years near the 89 km mark of the race. Just past half and worried about how it would affect me was not the place I wanted to be. 

I pulled into the checkpoint at the end of leg 4 and was met by my friend Sherri who was crewing her friend Colin and a few others. She had mobilized her own crew of people and before I knew it I was being re-clothed, fresh socks being put on, and fed!

I knew that despite my stomach feeling a little off I'd need calories so I took broth and some potatoes. The mistake I made was the meatballs. My head was not working right at that point and despite normally being 100% plant based I took some. What followed can only be described as the most selective throw-up ever. Only the meatballs returned so my vegetarianism was maintained!

Leg 4 was done in 3:20:36 (12:20 elapsed) and done 4 legs and approximately 89 km. With my jacket on I pressed into leg 5 in full daylight still ahead of schedule on track for 24 to 25 hours.

 

Leg 5 was probably one of my hardest although none easy! My stomach had declared it's intentions to stop digesting food and water. Without these 2 ingredients it's impossible to continue. 

The absolute best part was meeting up with Colin and Monique and sharing leg 5. Colin is a very determined person who embraces the suffering and stays positive regardless! Monique has a smile that no amount of suffering can erase. Her positivity is infectious! With their company I was able to stagger through to the 2nd aid station on 5 where the amazing staff there fed me raw ginger! 

Reaching the end of leg 5, the ginger had completely turned my stomach back on and I felt positively energized and hopeful that I'd be ok. I met Marc at transfer 5/6 and with his help got salty soup into me for leg 6. His encouragement was amazing and I suited up with 2 jacket and glove layers for leg 6 and near freezing temperatures.

Leg 5 was done in about 6 hours (18:20 elapsed) and done 4 legs and approximately 117 km. I had reached my furthest yet at this race.

 

 

I was officially into uncharted territory on this my 3rd attempt. Leg 6 didn't disappoint in delivering some punishment with a brutal climb off the get-go. The climb had all sorts of creeks crossing it with uneven rocks and for the first time I was running with soaked feet. 

Through the forest canopy I could see billions of stars in the alpine night. Other than the stars, my entire world was described within the cone of light from my headlamp. This was a feeling of total meditative peace and I didn't mind being completely alone. 

After many rolling hills I had come to a clearing and saw the first hints of dawn on and a slightly brightening sky. This was barely perceptible and it's a good thing because I really didn't want to see the climb that everyone talks about on leg 6. It is one of the worst climbs in the race because it comes at a point where you are mentally and physically exhausted from running all day and night. 

I emerged at the highest point on the course and a band of pink on the horizon had developed. With no trees around I had a stunning view of Crowsnest Mountain and the 7 Sisters and a bunch of mountains on the west side of the valley I was about to drop into. These mountains were bathed in fiery orange and red colour from the sunrise. I was in tears because it was so beautiful and because I realized with certainty that I would finish this race no matter what!

I ran as fast as my body could take me downhill and on towards the valley and it's rolling hills and herds of friendly cows! One foot in front of the other and press on was my mantra. I had a lot of soreness but nothing that could stop me running and making decent time. 

I ran into the aid station at transfer 5/6 and Sherri was there again offering all manner of support. I said I'd been fantasizing about a giant coke with ice all night because all that heavy breathing in the climbs had made my throat so dry that my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. Taking my jacket layers and serving up copious quantities of coke Sherri again showed her big heart and amazing crew skills. I let her know where I thought Colin and Monique were on course and proceeded out on leg 7!

Leg 6 was done in about 7:25 hours 25:45 elapsed) approximately 151 km with 10k to go. 

 

This was absolutely the most enjoyable leg for me. Lots of solo runners talk about how the last leg was soul destroying but perhaps because of the sugar and caffeine in that coke I was enjoying it. 

It started with guess what - another brutal climb up Wedge Mountain. I just pretended it was Blue Mountain ski resort back home and got it done as quickly as possible.

The climb led into some rolling technical single track and then into a big switchback descent that leads to the finish at the community centre in Coleman. I have no idea how, but I was ripping the downhills as if it was still yesterday morning. I normally love descending but I was surprised to be moving fast enough for a 9th place for leg 7 in 1:35.

I emerged from the forest and smelled the finish. After a short run down a road it turned into the only pavement since the start in Blairmore. At this point I just hung on and ran as fast as I could. Upon passing a runner with only blocks to go he began chasing me! 160 km and 1 to go and an actual footrace was on. I still can't believe I was still actually running at this point but absolutely ecstatic.

Rounding the last turn and into the parking area and the finish arch I was again pretty emotional. This was partly because it had taken 2 successful failures before I got to the finish line. But mostly it was because of the wonderful people in this and other races that truly make this sport amazing.

There are friendships that form quickly and solidly born out of ultra running. It must be something about sharing the pain and the challenge that makes this so. Although I find that the sport attracts some pretty solid people with big hearts. The whole mentality is about helping each other succeed against some sobering odds. 

Leg 7 was done in about 1:35 and the full race in 27:29 which was inscribed on the bottle of "Sinner" red wine along with my name and bib number. That plus the medal are very nice mementos of the race but insignificant compared to the company of the friends who all went through this event as participants, volunteers or crew.

I'll never be the fastest runner in these events but I do so very much enjoy the challenge and I've realized that no matter what I'll finish eventually. I would encourage anyone out there runner or not to apply this thinking to life. Never settle for ordinary and try again and again until you reach your dreams.

Thanks to Brian Gallant and his huge team of volunteers for putting on a very challenging event in the wilderness with professionalism. I would heartily recommend this race either as a solo runner or on a relay team. It will always be special to me. I highly recommend this race! Visit Website: sinister7.com

Lastly I have to thank my friend Peter Taylor for making me believe I could do this thing. 

The year 2016 threw a slight curve my way when the first weekend in May ended up being the 1st of May. A really excellent trail race I love to run called Pick your Poison which is usually a weekend before the Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon ended up being the day before the marathon! This left me with the dilemma of either missing the 50K trail race or missing the marathon which really wasn't an option. I do the website for the Toronto Marathon and the race director is my partner in the Collingwood Half Marathon. My entry was free and I wouldn't miss race weekend. So of course I had to do the races back to back to use them as a training weekend.

After posting my intention to run two significant races back to back on Facebook, my ultra running friend Bert Starke took notice. Within about 2 minutes he had decided that he was in for this crazy adventure as well! Bert, a paramedic in Calgary, Alberta was going to be visiting family in Montreal and Ottawa anyway so decided it would be worth the drive to meet me for these races.

The Race Expo & Reception
In order to promote the Collingwood Half Marathon, I worked at a booth Friday at the Toronto Marathon expo. Bert happily jumped in to help greeting all sorts of runners from all over the world.

Later that evening we were guests of the race director's reception where I had a chance to catch up with everyone including my Kenyan elite athletes that I coach and several other race directors and organizers.

After the reception it was off to bed for us to wake up early for the drive to Horseshoe Valley for the Pick your Poison trail race. My son Tom was primed and ready to take over the booth for us Saturday.

Pick your Poison
The Pick your Poison trail race is aptly named because you can pick 12.5 km, 25 km or 50km by doing 1, 2 or 4 laps of the course. The course is located at a private ski club and is incredibly hilly, technical, and can include some late spring corn snow.

This year we had the driest conditions I remember, pleasant warm sunshine and no corn snow! I had thought I'd have my new PR on the course but it was not to be. On leg 4 about 43 km into the race I develop severe groin cramps as well as calf cramps. This resulted in my 5:20 target time being turned into a 5:55 cramp walk off. I persisted though and finished the race.

As for Bert, he had a super fast race finishing in just under 5:15 with none of the cramp issues. His Icebug shoes with the tiny spikes were basically overkill as the course served up amazing conditions.

Pick your Poison is one of the Ontario Ultra Series races and certainly deserves your attention. You will be pleased with the organization of the event with well stocked aid tables, 3 of which are on course. The friendly crowd of runners and volunteers feels like family. Race director Adam Hill who is an excellent ultra runner himself really cares and puts on an excellent event.

Bert and I hurried back to Toronto to get a good night's sleep and some carbs to prepare for the marathon in the morning!

For more information about Pick your Poison visit: http://www.outrace.ca

The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon
Morning had come very quickly for Bert and I as we woke to a persistent rain and cold conditions in Toronto. We managed to drag ourselves out of bed, consume some carb and load up for the shuttle bus to the starting line.

Our intention was to simply use the race as a training run for our 100 mile race coming in July as well as afford an opportunity for me to give Bert a tour of Toronto on foot. The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon is by far the most scenic marathon with the most historical landmarks in Toronto. As long as we came in under 4 hours we really had no pressure.

We also ran into my friends Yvonne and Marie who were also out braving the elements to finish yet another marathon. Camaraderie is one of the beautiful aspects of running!

We arrived at the starting line where I met up with one of the women I coach (Natalie). Nat was feeling the nerves of race morning and hoping to hit my A goal time of 3:30. I calmed her nerves and let her get into the mental zone and concentrate on what she had to accomplish.

Bert and I were feeling surprisingly fresh considering we had finished a 50k trail race a mere 17 hours earlier. We went out and began thoroughly enjoying the race with the enthusiastic supporters cheering us along despite the rain for most of the course. It is really quite touching when so many people brave the elements to stand in the rain and cheer.

We had a few highs and lows where pace would increase then decrease. I continued my travelogue of the city for Bert naming such landmarks as Casa Loma, the Rosedale Valley, St. Lawrence Market, the waterfront etc. We continued this banter and enjoyed the light misting rain until all hell broke loose!

We were 8 km from the finish coming back from the Humberview Park turnaround running into a crazy wind with gusts that threatened to blow our running hats off. The temperature had dropped and the rain intensified to the point where it seemed like we have gone swimming in our running clothes. At that point it became a simple matter of trading the suffering out on the course for a feeling of just wanting to get it over with. Our pace had actually picked up in those last kilometres as a result.

With 500 metres to go the cheering had become deafening! Not only the enthusiastic students working the hydration tables, but the general public at Ontario Place had swelled to the point where it was a roar. Bert had said thank you so many times along the way because it was such an uplifting race and he was so happy to be there. We rounded the last turn and crossed the timing mat with our hands in the air celebrating putting 50k of trail and 42.2k of road behind us within 24 hours! the 92.2k weekend was in the books.

As for my athlete Natalie, she nailed my assigned A time within 24 seconds! 3:30 was hers and she could not be more happy. I could not be more proud!

After the race our core temperatures plummeted and we immediately headed to the medical tent where the nurses assessed us and wrapped us in hospital blankets and hugs near the heaters.

After a shuttle ride back to the Hilton we had the best hot showers ever in our lives. We parted ways as Bert drove to Ottawa to his sister's place and my son Tom and I drove home to Collingwood but not without a stop first!

The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon is highly recommended for it's fast downhill course, it's scenic quality and historical landmarks. It really is a running tour of Toronto! For more information visit: www.torontomarathon.com

Ugali the Kenyan Wonder Fuel
Heading home after the marathon my son Tom and I stopped at Sammy Chumba's for the traditional Kenyan staple dish of Ugali.

Sammy was 2nd place with a 2:23 time last year at Toronto Marathon and was on pace to win this year but sadly developed some calf cramps due to the cold weather which was not something he is used to.

Ugali is made with corn flour some salt and water. It's boiled to form a solid cake and is often served with vegetable stew and meat when available. As a no meat athlete I was happy to eat the Ugali and vegetables.

Conclusion
This sort of weekend is certainly not the usual thing for most runners. In fact most marathoners taper for a week or two before the event to come into it fresh. Could Bert and I have run the marathon half an hour faster? Sure! But in this case it was more about solid back to back runs to prepare for 100 miles. It's the sort of quality training that must be done to survive that distance.

We will definitely have another crazy weekend like this but until then, I'll see Bert again in July as we run the Sinister 7 100 mile trail race in the Crowsnest Pass Alberta.

Got a race story you would like to tell? Please email info@myactivelifetime.com to feature it here!

A few weeks ago I was cheerfully enjoying the kind of easy running that comes after a long hard season in which I ran 6 ultra trail races. This restful time was soon shattered when my friend Noel Paine posted an idea on Facebook about doing something epic to celebrate his 40th birthday. That something was to run the Rideau Trail from end to end starting in Kingston and ending in Ottawa where he lives. 

After a careful period of consideration (about 1 minute) I messaged Noel offering to run it with him. But wait you say...I'm supposed to be enjoying the off-season and recovering for the next training cycle. The idea of running this multi-day run just seemed too compelling and I knew I had to do it. 

Our first plans were based on Noel's idea to run all the trail bits which add up to 327 km and the audacious part was the idea of attempting the fastest known time. In the end this was not to be but we ultra runners are eternal optimists or else we would not even start half the events we enter.

And so after much consultation, planning (mostly Noel's) and building our war chests of gear and nutrition we were off and running with a date set and crews selected and committed. Perhaps we should have been committed. 

I suggested that we might accept pledges towards the Canadian Cancer Society as well to truly put the icing on the cake. This was done and it ultimately resulted in over $1,000 raised!

It was time for the talk to end and the action to begin!

After arriving in Kingston from Collingwood, we met up with Noel, his wife Stéphanie and father-in-law Jacques. We transferred some bags and food containers and headed to city hall to begin.

After some hugs and well wishes and the mandatory photos we set out into the dark city streets heading west towards my son's St. Lawrence College where we turned north to head for the trail and to cross under the 401 highway.

The K&P Railway trail is dead straight and is the former trackbed of a long defunct railway that once transported Sir John A. MacDonald! With the brisk crosswind and the visual image of running through a tunnel of trees towards a black hole it was quite spooky and we wondered if the ghost of Sir John A. MacDonald might make an appearance. It was counterintuitive to run away from the light and security of Kingston into the darkness and the unknown trail.

The darkness did throw us off at one point where we mistook a side trail for a place we thought we had to turn. Having committed to that trail and not wanting to go back, we continued by road checking our position by the hydro lines and other landmarks.

Other than stopping occasionally to check our map and waypoints we continued at a fairly brisk pace putting 40 kilometres behind us that first evening from 8:30 till about 12:30. This placed us in the tiny town of Sydenham at our white van with the futon in the back parked at a lumber yard at the end of a skinny part of a lake.

The quick meal and change to dry clothes removed the chill that comes after running and sweating. We settled into the futon for a quick 4 hour nap. A long day awaited us on the Friday but we still felt confident.

The morning started cold with a -5 C temperature and frost on the ground. Our hosts provided coffee and oatmeal and a last minute briefing about how to avoid a couple of trail vortex areas on the way to Port Elmsley. It's not that we don't like trail, but more that we had a very specific timeline we had to keep in order to return to our day jobs! What this meant was running the shoulder of the highway to speed up our progress.

We began our warmup walk through the beautiful town of Perth which reminded us of an English town with it's stone work style of older buildings downtown. A river runs straight through the middle of town. 

On the way to Port Elmsley we were talking about how these towns are able to exist and what drives them. Where do people work? What motivates them? It wasn't long before we had some answers as we ran past a huge 3M factory. Perhaps tape was being made in there.

I found that my right achilles had tightened right up to excruciating level and that I was developing large blisters under the ball of the foot and the toes from having wet feet the previous day. This was going to be an agonizing day. We ran at a decent pace through Port Elmsley and on to Smith's Falls where the trail became interesting.

Following the orange triangles and the turn by turn instructions we ended up on the wrong side of the canal and went around a large park only to find we were right back where we started from but an hour late! Yes the Rideau trail run had officially been reclassified "the Rideau Trail Experience!" Sort of like a cover band rather than a concert by the real band.

Arriving at the van it seemed they were a little concerned as to what took us so long. Susan and Tom in the car and Jacques and Mark in the van were troopers for putting up with what must have been a boring weekend of waiting around. We could not have done it without them!

Freshly fuelled we set out again for periods of running and walking before heading into the trail again. The trail here was quite flooded and barely passable. Straight as an arrow and fairly uninteresting we elected to rejoin roads connecting with towns like Merrickville and Andrewsville along the way. These little hamlets were getting prepared for the trick or treating to follow. It was not only Noel's 40th birthday but it was Halloween too!

We came upon a small town where we crossed an old wooden decked iron bridge over the Rideau River. This town of Burritt's Rapids meant to us that we were making good progress towards our goal.

Just past Burritt's Rapids my blisters became nearly unbearable. It was on a super long straight section of road running on the shoulder and at sunset when we had put on our headlamps that I had to get in the van to look after my blisters. Upon removing my shoes they inflated like balloons. Jacques pulled out the first aid kit and I took out the scissors and cut holes in the blisters to drain them. After covering them with second skin patches they felt so much better. At this point we were so close to where we had to be for the night that we decided to stop. 

While sitting there patching my feet, we stopped and Noel came running up to the van super fast. I was thinking wow where did that energy come from? The man was positively crushing km's. Then he showed us chocolate and when asked where he got it we found out he went trick or treating! Yes dressed up as an ultra runner he was able to coax some chocolate from a nice Vietnamese couple. 

The search for a place to crash with showers was our next task. Jacques found one hotel that was cheap but was so dirty he wouldn't dare subject us to it. The other was expensive and fully booked. So Jacques had a light come on over his head and generously offered to drive us to his place in Hull since we were only 27 km from our finish line!

The hot showers and food were superb and again we slept like zombies! This was another oasis in the run to help us recharge for yet another day of pain. Noel Paine was to have his turn with pain in the morning.

Noel and I would like to thank all the people and companies that made this possible.

• Jacques "Almost There" Seguin
• Stéphanie "Amazing" Seguin
• Mark "Pepsi Warmer" Theriault
• Bridget "There till the end" Roussy
• Susan & Thomas Brindisi
• Marc Pelosse
• Claude "The Van Man"
• Grandma "What can I do Instead?"
• Leanne "Social Media" Richardson
• Rideau Trail Association
• Bruce "End to End" Watts
• Jack & Johanne Tannett
• Allison Mowat
• Jason "Shower" Silver
• Tyler "HOKA" Chara
• David "NB" Korrell
• The Running Goat
• Bill "Trail Advice" Murdoch
• Derrick "Ultra" Spafford

Some Birthday fun courtesy of Leanne "Social Media" Richardson!

Noel

• Muscle Milk Canada
• New Balance Canada
• Polar Canada

Nick

• 2XU XTRM, 2XU Canada
• Clif
• Toronto Marathon

Links

Rideau Trail Association: rideautrail.org

Ontario Trails Council: ontariotrails.on.ca

Noel's Blog: A 258-Kilometre 2.5-day Birthday run Adventure | No Paine No Gain "a van to follow me, a friend (Nick Brindisi)(Collingwood half-marathon race director) to run with and maps, binders, gear, food and family and..."

Canadian Cancer Society

With the generous donations of our friends & family we were able to raise $1,050 towards cancer research! It's not too late to donate using the link below.

Click to donate to Canadian Cancer Society!