#68: Drive My Car

2012 Cabot Trail Relay Review 
Part 1: Getting there is half the fun (okay, maybe a quarter of it)

I wasn’t really sure where I should begin this post (or what will soon be, this group of postings) which are meant to chronicle the incredible events of the days and week past, mainly the 2012 Cabot Trail Relay, but given the vast importance of disseminating this experience for all, I shall attempt to capture the amazing moments and memories that for me will certainly last a lifetime (and perhaps longer now in electronic version). This first of three postings will detail the events leading up to the race (the build), followed by a post on the events of the race itself (all 17 legs) and conclude with a posting on the post-race festivities and outcomes (the most glorious leg 18!).

So let’s go back and start at the ‘beginning’…

On 29 November 1986 in a small town in rural Ontario...

Following a rest/recovery week after the Goodlife Marathon, and with less than three weeks to Cabot, Captain Campbell had us do three key workouts at key times to get us back into form and fine-tune our already heightened fitness levels for a bit of speed. First, we did a track session of increasingly faster paces (M, HM, 10k, 5k) over decreasing distances (1600, 1200, 800 and 4x400m) to wake up our “slow” endurance minded legs. We followed that up with a longish (23k) hilly run which included some 60sec hill sprints, and finally a 20 x (30sec ‘ON’ + 30sec ‘OFF’) speed workout the Wed before Cabot. Other days were spent running relatively hilly courses through High Park and supplemented with plenty of mental training (visualization) and anticipation. Feeling near flawless after only 15 or so days following the marathon, I was ready for the next challenge, the next adventure, the next opportunity…

The journey began last Thursday (24 May) when I left my new home of less than a week (I am temporarily living at Casa Doyle Pellerin for the summer) and Doyle and I took a cab to the Toronto city airport to depart for Halifax (kudos to Fly Porter for being an awesome and super convenient airline). We arrived to a beautiful day and spent it visiting Michael’s family and friends in and around the Halifax area. The day concluded with a wonderful steak dinner (iron loading?) which was the best meal I had had in ages. Things were looking good so far…

On Friday, we didn’t need to be at the airport until 1 to meet up with the others so the morning was spent relaxing and chatting whilst generally getting excited for what was to come. We arrived just in time to see our fellow comrades and so it was that the Black Lungs (minus one Mr Smith) were all together in Nova Scotia and ready to take on the trail.

After a minor delay signing papers (too many illegal immigrants on our team (Davey, Hiddleston and the Belg)), we were able to secure the rental of two massively monstrous and matching SUVs (burgundy Ford Expeditions) which made us look more like a team of tornado chasers than road runners (perhaps overcompensating for our lean and slender (read skinny and gangly) running bodies). 

Darren must have been driving!

We loaded our things into the gas guzzling and earth expunging behemoths and then went for a quick lunch at the airport where we met a majority of the other, mostly Longboat, team (Cardio Arrest) who had also just arrived. A traitor amongst them provided us with a (laced?) batch of delicious oatmeal ‘monster’ cookies for our journey and so with our bellies full and our brains on high, we departed on the ~4hr journey to Cape Breton Island and our destination for the day: Baddeck, NS.

After a not so brief shopping stop in Truro for groceries… You’d think that a bunch of grown men would know how to navigate a grocery store and buy a few simple foodstuffs to sustain themselves for a day or two. Apparently not! Without their wives, they were about as useful as a Ski-doo in a swimming pool (I'm terrible at analogies) and we were even considering sending out an Amber Alert when Rob C didn't come back after almost an hour (and had only bought bananas)! 

Lost in Atlantic Superstore. Forget 'Where's Waldo'? Where the heck is Rob Campbell?

...a coordinated roadside pi(t)ss-stop, terrible techno music and some of the most beautiful scenic driving I have ever done, we arrived in Baddeck around 6pm and were all too happy to create some much needed distance between ourselves and the already increasingly foul smelling SUVs (the cookies perhaps?!).

We checked into our hotel, drew keys to determine sleeping arrangements (some would need to partner up for the evening) and then rather than to go for a run, Capt. Campbell took a much longer route than necessary to the liquor store where we stocked up on final necessities (not really needed until Sunday but with the LC closed on the holy day, we would need to buy in advance). We then hung around a bit and eventually made our way to a local pub where we were joined by our final teammate, Mr Guy Smith (who came all the way from Vancouver for this… sorta), making us the 11 disciples at the ‘last supper’ (most of us had the spaghetti).

The last item on the days agenda was a trip to the local Fire hall to size up fellow Cabot teams and have a final beverage while enjoying some traditional East Coast song and dance. A curfew was in place for us ‘Lungs’ so we called it a night relatively early and settled in to get some much needed rest.

Tomorrow would begin the busiest of days and we were yet to know what incredible adventure was to come…

Bring on the Cabot Trail...

#67: Day Tripper

Prologue: One week to go.

It's "... a 173 mile/278.3 km, 17 stage relay race through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world... beginning in Baddeck, Cape Breton, over steep mountains in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, through many small communities around the famous Cabot Trail, to the gently rolling Margaree Valley" and back again...

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the Cabot Trail Relay Race.

Forget road racing, trail ultras, or mega-city marathons; for the running experience of a lifetime, look no further than Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and the infamous Cabot Trail.

Relay events are a truly unique and special thing in a predominently individual sport such as running. And while you don't hold hands, pass batons and aren't tethered together or anything, a running team relay means you are directly responsible and accountable to your team and team mates which can provide additional motivation and inspiration for running at one's best. I love and really thrive on the supportive team atmosphere and environment of the relay. It's the perfect combination of individual effort contributing to collective success (like communism, but better!).

I have been extremely fortunate to take part in a number of team events over the past year such as the Pride 5k (won), Lindsay 10k (won), Yonge St. 10k team challenge (won), and the (now defunct) Simcoe Shores Relay (came second by seconds!). But none of this compares to the experience I had last year when I was especially privileged to run the Cabot Trail Relay for the first time. As far as relays go, Cabot is about the best there is around.

So imagine flying from Canada's ultimate urban landscape of downtown Toronto to the humble outskirts of Halifax, NS. Then drive 4+ hours north crossing the Canso Causeway onto Cape Breton Island and ending in the small village community of Baddeck (pop: ~2,100). After resting from a day of travel in a modest motel, wake early to see your first runner depart at precisely 7am Sat. Thus begins ~25hrs of exhilarating adventure, driving among the most beautiful countryside in all Canada, at all hours of the day, in a cramped car, with several other increasingly smelly, tired yet oddly elated runners, eating little more than Clif bars, bagels and bananas, napping for the occasional 30min, and then, at some point having to race ~10 miles yourself over sensationally scenic and ridiculously 'rolling' (a mass understatement) hills as your team mates and random others yell and scream support at you from passing vehicles and roadside stops. After traversing the 278k over 17 legs using several pairs of legs and lots of lung, having covered the majority of the majestic Cabot Trail (some of it sadly unseen due to darkness), you finish on Sunday morning back in Baddeck to cheering locals and fellow teams. After the briefest break for a quick nap, the celebrations continue with a lobster lunch followed by ample antics and alcohol at the nearby Yacht club. Somehow the endorphins and endurance keep you out most of the night before getting whatever sleep is available before departing early on the 4hr journey back to Halifax the following morning and finally on to Toronto and back to the reality which was ever so briefly evaded. An experience of a lifetime lasting little more than 72hrs!

The 2011 'Cardio Arrest' team shortly after the finish. 1st mixed team (+ course record) and 3rd overall.

Last year I ran with a mostly Longboat team called 'Cardio Arrest.' We brought 16 runners to cover the 17 leg course and set a mixed team course record (18:54:59; 4:06/k) and placed 3rd (out of 60 teams) overall. I ran leg 14, an ~20k leg that stretches along the west coast of the island before heading inland and follows the Margaree River. It began in pure darkness at 3:30am and finishes just as the sun is rising over the dew-covered valley. With limited light to guide me, I recall hearing the ocean waves crash against the shoreline and the gentle breeze whistling among the tall grass. Seeing a thousand stars twinkling above and hearing the combined chorus of many tiny musicians on this so called "cricket run." Running completely alone for the vast majority of the race, the imagination runs wild and for an hour or so, time is transcended, alternating between infinitely fast and painfully slow. It was an incredible (running) experience unlike any I've had.

A picture of me running Leg 14 in 2011.

This year, on the last weekend of May (25-27), we're flying back to Halifax, driving back to Baddeck, and returning back to run the captivating and challenging Cabot Trail Relay. This time, for the first time, we're running with a new team, a team to call our very own: 'The Black Lungs.' Again composed primarily of Longboat runners (9 of 11), and again, seeking speed, strength and endurance as we take on the hills and showcase our skills in the ultimate weekend of relay racing. We have high hopes and expectations to succeed even if it means we don't come close to the reining and 7-time champions the 'Maine-iacs.' We look forward to a fun-filled weekend of competition, camaraderie, challenge, and craziness to be concluded with much celebration and cheer. Bring on Cabot 2012...

#66: Words of Love

The post-marathon blues set in...

Now that the marathon is over, I've been forced to face a lot of things that I put off for far too long leading up to Sunday. I am now faced with the immediate prospects of having to move out of my home of three years, start a new (essentially full time) job, finally finish and defend my MSc thesis as well as several other responsibilities/obligations I have taken on for myself (bitten off more than I can chew?). To make matter worse, I am currently physically and mentally drained and have limited motivation to move forward but know that I must. 

And yet all I seem to want to do is relive over and over the seconds, minutes and hours of past glory...

You really can't imagine how completely happy I was on Sunday not only for myself and the incredible result I got but for all my friends and team mates who I got to share it with. It isn't just about personal satisfaction but group satisfaction. Anyone who sets a difficult goal and then works so hard for so long to accomplish it will know precisely what I mean and we runners are unique in our ability to do this. 

It was an amazing day that unfortunately had to end and waking up on Monday, I couldn't help but be a bit saddened by the fact that the long adventure had come to a close, that the journey had concluded and it was now time to move on. The post-marathon blues had already set in.

So many mornings I had woken up knowing I had to run a certain distance or do a specific workout that would all eventually lead to the one day where all the hard work and dedication would be put to one final test. Now that the day is over and the test successfully passed, it's hard to wake up with little to do but sit still, to rest and recover and think about the next journey, the next goal and the long road ahead...

I can however look back and take note of everything I did which led to my success in hope that I can emulate it again in the future as well as to share it with others, with you, who share my passion for personal improvement and satisfaction through the sport of distance running.

So here are just some of the things that undoubtedly let to my success this season and which I hope you can adopt and learn from:

1. A training plan. Rob Campbell put together one hell of a program for us to follow and I was extremely fortunate to be able to follow it almost perfectly. I won't give away our secrets but it involved a huge amount of mileage (more than 10 miles every day for 18 weeks; 2100k total), strategic doubles, pick-ups during long (but not too long) runs, speed and strength specific workouts, tune-up races and even the occasional day off. Needless to say, following the program took a tonne of hard-work, commitment, dedication, organization, sacrifice, persistence, and physical and mental energy/effort.

2. A training group. I would guess that I ran more than a third (66%) of my mileage with a group, predominantly Doyle and Darren, my training partners and best friends. But also with the guys at Longboat (Rob C, Roger, Davey, Bellamy, the Belg, Metz, Gerardo, Hiddleston, Simion, Simon and several others). This was essential for nailing tough workouts and for the long runs but also immensely helpful for knocking off the easy and recovery runs especially on double days. I'm not sure I would ever train as hard as I do without these guys pushing me constantly and as a source of inspiration and motivation. The group/club environment is vital for being a better runner and it certainly made the difference this time. Thank you Longboat.

This photo is so cool that I had to add it. From left: Rob Campbell (2:47 at age 52!), Jutta Merilainen (2:47, women's winner) and Anthony Davey (2:45 at 49). Simply amazing.

3. Tune-up races. As mentioned, I ran 5 races (RB, Chilly Half, ATB, Good Friday and Yonge St) during the training period and was allowed to run them "all out" in order to test my fitness and see my progress/improvements as well as test eventual race strategy and fuelling. I managed to PB each and every race which indicated that it was going to be a good season and the results were used to calculate what I might expect come marathon day. Racing is also just great fun especially with the group/club and is always something I look forward too. It's a skill that like everything else, needs to be practised and fine-tuned.

4. Diet. I'm not particular crazy about my diet but I do eat pretty healthy and make sure I am eating well and staying properly fuelled (and hydrated) for running. I had an iron deficiency that likely effected my running last year and I stayed on top of this time by getting my levels tested and taking supplements when needed. I reintroduced lean red meat sources and found foods that increased the supply and absorption of iron and it made a massive difference. I drink a lot of beer which I feel is an important part of the socialization process and so I wouldn't dare cut back on that. Note: I try to avoid all hard alcohol and especially shots! I also cut out candy which I used to eat leisurely and think this may have had a small (positive) impact. Lots of carbs for sure, especially breads, naan, chilli and crunchy PB is a staple for me!

5. Weight. I don't obsess about it (I used too!) and not owning a scale means I only sporadically check it, but keeping one's weight in check is surely important for running success. Being evenly mildly overweight and racing do not go well together and anyone training seriously for a marathon should be running enough mileage that weight should not be an issue (and if it is, you're eating too much!). My ideal race weight is about 61kg (134lbs) and my body seems to be happy to stay around 63kg (139lbs) all other times. I feel sluggish greater than 64 (141lbs).

6. Sleep. Yup, it matters too. Being well rested for a key workout or long run is pretty important and can make a huge difference. This makes for some pretty lame Saturday nights! With all that mileage, there are often days when I am asleep before 10pm. I do what my body tells me. I definitely made sure I got tonnes of sleep in the last week before the marathon and was well rested on race day.

7. The Taper. Getting ready to peak for the marathon after many weeks and months of hard training just makes sense. And that means tapering. We did 3 weeks and although the mileage was fairly high (134, 112, 92 (including the marathon)), it was mostly just easy running with a few strategic workouts and a tune-up race. I also carbo loaded like crazy and ate tonnes of carbs on Thurs, Fri and especially the Saturday (700+g) before race day.

8. Race day strategy. It's vital to have a race day plan going into the marathon which is less than a race and more a test of good pacing. I/we decided in advance to hit 3:45/k's for as long as possible (at least until the half and hopefully all the way to 30k) but also would take advantage of the course and attack the downhills (which were numerous at Goodlife). We did more than a few k's in the high 3:30's/k range and even one in 3:29! We ended up going through the half in ~1:18 which was a full minute faster than we planned. I had kept things relaxed and comfortable to that point, and so I was able to attack or at least maintain my momentum heading into the second half and especially the last 10k of the race. I managed to hold on to do a 1:19 in the second half which is pretty darn close to an even split, which is generally a good pacing strategy although many prefer to go out slightly faster to accommodate a gradual slowing down in the last bit of the race. In terms of fuelling, I took one gel (~25g of carbs each) 15min before and then 4 during the race (~ every 8k) and drank only water at aid stations.

Breaking away from my crew shortly after the halfway mark. Everyone is flying!

9. Drugs. Haha Just kidding. I'm sure they would help but I didn't take any. I'm trying to get to 10! 

10. And finally: Random things like having ambitious (yet realistic) goals to constantly work towards. Goals should be both long and short term and be celebrated at every step of the way whilst always keeping an eye on the final prize. Having support is crucial. It might come from family who know next to nothing about running and think you're crazy for doing it; from friends who make fun of you all the time (left foot, right foot, repeat!); from the Longboat running club and it's amazing members; from the running community at large; and especially from close running friends (family!) who help guide your goals and then reach them). It's also pretty important to have a Garmin (GPS watch) as a means of objectively measuring and documenting ones training and a log (or dailymile) to keep track of it all. Good shoes are critical (for me that was two pairs of Adidas Boston 2 and later Adidas Adios 2 for racing and speed workouts) as is good running apparel (Adidas and New Balance are my personal favourites). Avoidance of injury and major illness. And finally, a little bit of faith (in oneself)!

As for now, the rest and recovery will continue all week although I'm already going crazy not running and will test out the legs a few times in the next days; all easy. 


With less than 3 weeks to the Cabot Trail Relay (that other amazing adventure on which we'll embark and which I'll preview in due time), it's important we rest up and be ready to go again shortly. Our fitness is still through the roof right now and so it's important we ride the wave and maintain our momentum without over doing it and causing any undue damage. More good times ahead...more fast times ahead.