Author: Nick Brindisi

 

haliburton Forest Race Report
The weather on Friday night was picture perfect for running. We pitched our tents taking care to kick the horse poop out of the way. It’s like a tradition and it’s bad luck to not play a little horse soccer. It was like visiting my long lost tribe. Those amazing people who run a really long way in the forest in all conditions, their support crews, volunteers and everyone who makes this experience so awesome!

We hung around having a little beer and some food to pre-load our carbs in a way that would not cause any gastric distress. Old stories were brought out and newer ones too! Lots of laughs and shared experiences came out.

Race Morning
Despite a poor nights sleep in tent I was stoked. The tent city at any trail race is like sleeping in a field of water buffalo with the snoring, farting and then the wolves joined in! I just meditated and let all the thoughts about the race go out of my head until sleep came. When it came time for my iPhone to wake me up with my usual & appropriate “Shock the Monkey” by Peter Gabriel I was already awake.

Lap 1 – 50 miles
I had planned for 24 hours or less and ran the first 80k in 11:30 which was 23 minutes slower than I did 80k there last year. You want to go out slower in one of these 100 milers. Plan A was so far so good. Nutrition was right on, hydration was perfect and my feet and legs felt really amazing considering. After the turn-around Peter Taylor gave me some nutritional potions to take on the 2nd lap and helped change my socks to my 2XU Canadian flag compression socks. I needed & appreciated their support for the 2nd 50 mile lap.

Lap 2 – 50 miles of hell
All hell broke loose at 120 km at aid station 7 with 40 km left to go. The torrential monsoon had begun. It rained consistently from 1am till finishing noon on Sunday. The trail became a soupy mess with ankle deep mud in places, slick mud on rocks and water flowing over the trails. Because I was tensing my legs a lot in trying to maintain balance on this course, my hip tightened up so painfully that I could hardly push off on the left side. There is nothing more disheartening than running alone in the dark up and down the Hali hills by headlamp tripping over rocks and roots getting poured on.

I was really at a low by 3am when I realized that there was no way I could keep up any meaningful pace with my hip and with the hockey rink like traction on the trails. Also I began sleep running. This was quite an odd experience. It’s something Dean Karnazes had talked to me about back in July when he was telling me about his Badwater experience. Basically I nodded off and woke up with a gasp quite a few times realizing I was still running and that I was almost off the trail. Another runner came up behind me and asked if I was ok. He helped remind me that a couple of gels might help with their caffeine. I had a couple of them and continued on feeling miserable but awake.

Keeping core temperature up is key to this whole process and the plastic rain poncho kept me dry and with the layers underneath I was warm.

Kept eating 250 calories an hour with some of the amazing fare from the 7 aid stations on the course. Everything from home made soup to burritos, potatoes with sea salt, every kind of drink concoction etc.

So this horrific last 40 km extended my 2nd 80k lap and now I was flirting with the 30 hour time limit with my excruciating hip and slipping all over the hills on mud. I got to the last 10k lap of the lake and was told I had just over 2 hours to meet cutoff. That loop is gnarly but I told myself pain is temporary but failure is forever. I ignored the pain and pushed anyway.

The Finish!
I came around the lake and had just 8.5 minutes to run up the hill to the finish 2.5k away. That’s a tall order “sprinting” after 157.5 km but I tried my best. I arrived 4 minutes late, but race director Helen Malmberg gave me the buckle anyway perhaps because of the inhuman conditions or because nobody usually sprints at the end of these things.

Thanks!
So much thanks to Peter Taylor for crewing second to none. Thanks Marc Pelosse for throwing down a crazy fast 100 mile good enough to win the race before the monsoon started and for also being so supportive. So nice to see Andrea Moritz bringing her positively and support to us for this event. Thanks to my sponsor 2XU and the 2XU XTRM team whose running wear and compression garments are 2nd to none. Thanks to Helen Malmberg the race director, Don Kuzenko, the guy who is so good at aiding runners in so many ways that it feels like coming into port after a night on stormy seas and all other volunteers! Thanks to the nursing staff who drained my blisters.

Conclusion
I’ll be back next year to run the Haliburton Forest again. Having run the 50 mile and the 25K there in previous years I had no idea how completely engrossing the 100 could be. It may lack the huge rocky mountains of races like Sinister 7 but it makes up for it with never ending smaller sized hills. It seems like you are always climbing and descending. There are always muddy bogs, rocks, roots and very technical running, but without the pouring rain I know I’ll be faster next year! I can’t wait.

Race information: http://www.haliburtonforest100.org

Growing up in Collingwood, Ontario was like an amazing adventure with so many active things to do. With the ski hill formed by the Niagara Escarpment and it’s huge network of hiking trails, Georgian Bay and all the other opportunities for fitness it was and is a great place to live. So when the North Face Endurance Challenge rolled into town for it’s only Canadian stop I jumped at the opportunity to run on my home turf where I knew pretty much everyone!

Pre Race

On the Thursday before the race I had the pleasure of joining the group who did a quick 5k trail run with Dean Karnazes! For those who may not know, some of Dean’s amazing feats include running 50 marathons in 50 days across the USA, finishing the Badwater ultra marathon across Death Valley – the hottest place on earth and a 3 day run that saw him sleep running on the 2nd night!

We set off on the run and I had a chance to talk to Dean who for all his fame is a truly humble ambassador of the sport. He actually remembered me from our talk last year which I find incredible given how many people he meets each year. We ran down “the Grind” which is a trail that we would be running up on the Saturday morning, twice in the case of the 50 miler. So great to share running stories with a great runner like Dean. I hope to see him at the Sinister 7 race in the summer of 2016 which he said was one he would like to do.

Race Day!

The day of the race came quickly and I was ready. I was sure my training was in place and taper had gone well. The only concern I had was the severe heat and humidity warning issued by Environment Canada for the day. That plus the remnants of a stomach bug I had gotten Wednesday before the race.

The alarm went early at 3:45 am and I was mobilized getting my peanut butter and honey toast eaten and already drinking fluids. The cooler and my war chest of stuff I need like fresh clothes, alternate hats, shoes etc was ready.

Start to 12.5k

The start of the GoreTex 50 miler came in two waves at 5 am and 5:02 am to try and reduce crowding on the trails. I left in the 5:02 am wave and picked my way across from the Blue Mountain Village to a trail called “The Grind” which climbs the ski hill to the top. At the top we traversed to the Bruce trail Mission road segment and up the 6th st. extension. After passing the 1st aid station the heat of the day was already above 25 C. We continued through the forest trails as the first light of day highlighted some of the trees in a ruddy reddish hue. The sunrise in the forest was truly spectacular!

We descended through more winding forest trails that took us to the top of Southern Comfort trail where aid station #2 was located. I was trying to hide queasy feeling from the stomach bug I had contracted 3 days earlier. I forced down my magic mixture of puree potatoes mixed with copious amounts of sea salt knowing that soon I’d be sweating even more and it was getting hotter!

12.5k to 25k

After running across the ski hill dipping down and up to add elevation gain we ended up ad aid station 3 which had a port hottie much to my relief. At that point I was doubled over with stomach cramps and needed relief. I loaded up with ice water and gels and continued down the road.

After a brief road section we dipped into the forest and ran the Bruce trail into the Beaver Valley sections. I was still queasy but pushed through it. Emerging from the forest we followed a road that twisted back to the north to the 25k aid station. At this aid station the temperature was already over 30 C. I fuelled up on bananas, lots of flat coke to settle my stomach, and filled my hand bottle with the Clif lime electrolyte drink rather than water. This was a crucial decision that kept me in the game later.

25k to 40k

This section is exceedingly difficult for many reasons, the first of which was climbing steeply on exposed pavement followed by climbing a gravel road into the Loree Forest. Once in the forest there was lots of cover provided from the sun and the trail becomes less technical and easier. On the 2nd half of the Loree loop it gets very rough and technical with tons of exposed rock and roots.

After emerging from the Loree Forest you descend a steep ravine into a valley, cross a stream and climb right back up only to descend again into another ravine. The climb out of the 2nd ravine is a mud staircase reinforced with 4×4 lumber and has a rope railing because of the steepness. After a jaunt through the woods I was back to the 3rd aid station.

From there the course takes the lower set of trails and meanders down and up adding yet more vertical to the run. By the time I returned to aid station 2 heat was a huge factor. the temperature was reaching late morning/noon highs of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F)! Humidity was now so high that the Humidex was nearing the mid 40’s (114 F).

At this final aid station on the loop I took another portion of my salted potatoes and careened down the wild descent called “the Cascades” through mud and over the bridges. It’s at least cooler in the forest and I was able to drench my hat in the stream. After this section you come to the 40K turn-around station and brace for the second time up the Grind!

The second Lap to 80k (Finish)

Without describing the course all over again I’ll simply note some interesting things about the 2nd lap.

I had an ice shower at the 46 km mark thanks to the spectacular aid station people at the top of the 6th street extension. I’m now putting ice in my hat and the Buff around my neck at every station.

I had some relief at the Southern Comfort aid station after the cramps in my stomach had gone away! Drank copies amounts of water plus electrolytes and continued on.

No problems through to the 2nd time climbing the road to the Loree Forest. Approaching the aid station at 67 km my legs began cramping in the groin and tops of the calf muscles. I was well trained but the heat was causing the problem with cramps. I filled my entire bottle with electrolyte and ate some salty snacks.

While at the 67 km station a big localized rain storm moved through the Loree forest lasting about 10 minutes then disappearing. Not one cooling drop fell on me but the rain turned the Loree Forest trails into a muddy quagmire making it nearly impossible to run without falling.

The climb into Loree was on pavement that had been drenched and now was exposed to the beating sun which was evaporating the road water into steam! I ran out of my hand bottle water at the 70 km mark and survived to the 72k mark where my friend John Smeh, one of the race organizers was located.

I placed my hands on the aid table to prevent collapse. I was super dizzy and could not catch my breath at all. Core temperature was dangerously high. The amazing volunteers put a huge bag of ice on the back of my neck and put ice in my Buff around my neck and into my hat. I got a cold water shower and drank a litre of ice water. As soon as my core temp came down I was back to normal breathing. I told John thanks for the pep talk and that I would never quit unless a doctor forced me to and continued on my way to the finish.

The Finish

After all the climbs and descents coming across the ski hill I climbed the last hill to the final aid station. A volunteer was yelling at me to lift my head and put my shoulders back and open my diaphragm. He yelled this about 10 times and although he meant well I assured him he wasn’t helping and that I’ve been running these hills for 42 of my 52 years and was getting plenty of air!

One more dive down the Cascades with 1.6k to go and I’m tasting the finish. Passed 3 people on the run across to the finish chute! The best feeling in the world was crossing the timing pad at the village. These are the moments of pure joy in running races that you remember.

The extreme conditions made for a 1.5 hour slower (12.5 hours) than personal record time (11 hours). Still I’m super happy to be included in the finishers and 3rd for my age group on a day where there were many DNF results. I was happy not to drop out and look forward to the Halliburton 100 mile race!

Remember that 52 is the new 32 and that anything is possible at any age if you put in the work, never waver from your goals and then have the resolve to never take the easy way out and drop out. You will know more about yourself every time!

Race Information

The North Face Endurance Challenge Website

Other North Face Endurance Challenge Race Locations

Charity

I ran this race to raise money and awareness for our local shelter for victims of domestic violence called My Friend’s House. Thanks to all who donated!! My Facebook page for this: https://www.facebook.com/run50milesinmyshoes

With the North Face Gore-tex 50 mile race looming 10 days out I’ve been peaking with my training and moved on to a gradual taper. It’s all about staying fresh and moving from now till the race.

The buildup for a trail ultra works like the buildup for any other race except the quantity of training is on a different scale. Where road racers concentrate on distances and split times, trail ultra runners measure their training in hours and vertical feet. The successful trail runner trains for long periods of time running and for climbing more than nailing their splits. It’s not that trail runners don’t care about being able to run fast, it’s just a shift in emphasis.

Early on in the late winter and spring I had been building up the length of time of my runs and adding in more hill climbing despite the snow. Then in April I had run 44 km in the spring runoff event in early April followed by the Pick your Poison 50K trail race at the end of April. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective my early buildup had been by the fact that I had beaten my previous year’s effort by nearly a hour at 5:38! With this encouraging result I began an even more intense phase of training with my sights set on my firs 50 mile (80 km) race of 2015.

Hell Month

June was 42 hours of quality training. The format was hard weeks alternating with easier weeks. The hard weeks ended up being 150 km but more importantly they contained long slow runs on trail of up to 53 km in length.

Long runs themselves are good preparation, but loafing along in the aerobic grey area doesn’t help build your lactate threshold or pain tolerance and let’s face it ultras bring pain. So adding vertical climbs and varying the pace to push then back off and push again helped simulate going to the edge of my capability followed by dialling the pace back to partially recover was the ticket.

Added to the long runs were back to back to back efforts such as 35k, 25k, 25k over 3 days in a row followed by a recovery day. All of these were on trail and all had lots of climbing.

Other workouts were climb only runs with up to 5 times up and down our local ski hill. Think of these as hill repeats of 730 feet gain.

Once a week I liked to run fast like 4:40 km pace for a shorter distance of 10 to 15 km because running faster uses different muscles and feels refreshing.

Inspiration and Taper

With 10 days to go it’s time to gradually taper. The money is in the bank and ready to spend. I won’t be getting any fitter by training more so I run for no longer than 2 hours. Sometimes 1 hour is enough.

In order to taper successfully and run less after running has been such a large part of your life it’s a good idea to do a few things. Remember to trust the hard work you have done and never try to cram more running in and derail the building up process you are undergoing. Sleep a good solid 8 hours every night. Drink a lot of water and adjust your diet for the reduced calorie burn. If you drink alcoholic beverages consider quitting them for a few weeks.

Lastly turn the easy runs you are doing into fun! Look to other running friends for inspiration and take pleasure in their accomplishments.

I recently had the pleasure of running with a Kenyan Athlete I coach named Sammy Kibet Chumba who has run 63 minutes in the half marathon and 2:17 in the marathon. Obviously he is at a completely different level than I am with his running. However running with him was fun for him because he rarely runs trails and fun for me because we were taking it easy and just enjoying the run.

Enjoy your training and enjoy your racing! You have taken the time to build up to it and if you don’t reach your goal time then be happy with your alternate goal time. So much can happen over the course of 50 miles so enjoy it, race hard and have no regrets!

Nick Brindisi is a running coach and 2XU athlete & product ambassador
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