Photos of the Course

Photos: Aid Stations / Food

Carlos and the lamb

Lessons Learned - Moving Efficiently In the Mountains

Many of the lessons we have learned about efficiency are from our friend and racing hero - Jim Mandelli. Jim is a dear friend and one of the most humble people we know, but has completed close to 200 of the hardest races in the world over the past 20 or so years. Many of the lessons we learned came from Jim and from watching him in action and include the following;

Rest Up
The day before the race - relax, read, put your feet up, eat and drink and keep activity to a minimum. Going into the race well rested can have an enormous impact on your mental confidence and simply start the race on a more positive note. We  - ahhh - did not do this.

Pack Light
This does not come easy to Delena and I as we are fond of food and love to carry weight. However in a race this length - planning how much water and food we will need, and relying more on food and drink supplied on the course can eliminate a huge amount of weight from the pack that over 6 days adds up to an enormous energy savings. We eventually began to plan to run out of water at least 30 minutes before the next water station - and to drink and much at each station as we could to minimize how much we needed to carry. This applied to both food and water.

Sleep More - Go Harder
We decided after this race that a better strategy would be to sleep more - and go slightly harder between sleeps. However - our intention on this race was not to compete per se - but to simply finish the race feeling good, with no injuries - which we accomplished. But if our goal was to compete - we would definitely sleep at least 2 hours for every 24 and go a little faster in between sleeps as we found our pace slowed considerably when we were really sleepy and there was little we could do to improve our pace. Also, some of the terrain on this race was quite severe - where a slip could easily result in a 2000+ foot fall - so there were sections where complete alertness would be required to go any faster and trying to do so while sleepy would introduce unnecessary risk.

Don't Stop
Sounds simple enough - but there are a thousand reasons to stop in a race this long - pictures to take, people to talk to, apple strudels to buy! sheep to play with! Well we don't regret any of these stops - and they certainly gave us a well needed rest - but they also add up to a lot of time over 6 days. A few minutes several times a day quickly adds up to hours of time by the end of the race.

Clothing changes are another potential waste of time - I am guilty of wasting a lot of time with changing my clothing layers. Simplifying your clothing system so you have less options is one approach - or get used to running a little cold or hot before deciding to change your layering system - if you can change while moving - even better.

Rest Efficiently
Take advantage of every mandatory stop to put your feet in the air and REST. If you need to stop - put your feet up, eat, drink and make every minute count.

Transitions
Another easy way to waste a lot of time is at transition points. They are comfortable, there are plenty of people to talk to - and there is lots of food - it's quite easy to waste an hour or more when you could probably do what you need to do in only a few minutes if you arrive at the transition with a clear plan of what you need to achieve and how long you want to remain before you head out again. I would consider having an inflatable mat that I could lie down on somewhere quiet away from the crowd for a few minutes of valuable uninteruppted sleep. I would recommend plenty of spare socks - they are worth their weight in gold. Have all your replacement food for the next race section in a single zip lock you can grab and go - making decisions with a tired mind is difficult and can waste an enormous amount of time.

Antacids / Ginger
Eating racing food can result in all kinds of stomach problems - simply from the stress or racing, too much sugars in the diet or any combination of factors depending on your own biology. Carrying Antacids was a lifesaver that allowed me to continue with peace of mind and continue eating when I otherwise would not have. Another friend carried raw ginger in order to calm their stomach - which I have not tried but apparently works quite well. These strategies probably require some trial and error to find out what works - but it's well worth the effort in my opinion.

Medical Kit
I would never attempt another race of this sort without carrying the following items: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, antacids, sinus decongestant, medicated throat lozenges, water treatment tablets, immodium, waterproof bandaids, anti chafing lube (bag balm, vaseline, glide etc.), hand sanitizer, self adhesive bandages, anti inflammatory cream.

Gear
Lightweight hiking poles and a very bright headlamp are worth their weight in gold. Travelling fast over difficult terrain in the dark becomes very tough with a poor headlamp and poles are absolutely essential in my opinion - especially on steep up and downhills. Keep plenty of batteries on hand for your headlamp.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It is difficult to remember, let alone process all of the events, emotions and physical experiences in a race like this. In a 145 hour period of mostly non stop movement, we climbed over 30 high mountain peaks, visited over 45 transition points filled with volunteers and covered an inconceivable distance of 200 miles - much of which was on steep, committing mountain terrain. Here is a snapshot of some moments I can remember - the good, the bad and ugly.

The Good
We stopped in at a local cafe enroute when we saw apple strudel through the window. We were sweaty, stinky and exhausted. The owners and locals in the shop were so excited that we stopped and thrilled to hear we came from Canada to do the race. The owner carefully packed our strudel in a bag and the locals were thrilled to help us with our Italian. It was a very warm and intimate interaction given the short time we spent there. Very heart warming.

We had a baby sheep start following us and a friend Carlos we were trekking with at the time. The baby sheep bucked like a small rodeo horse and kept running up behind Carlos and nudging him to play. Carlos stopped to rub the sheeps chin and the relationship soon took on a love affair. Nothing we could do would persuade the sheep not to follow us - so for 20 minutes we yelled, tossed rocks and tried to keep him from following until finally we came across the shepherd and his son and had a nice visit with them. The son spoke english. They were very curious and interested that we came from Canada to race and explore their region. Their sheep dogs cuddled up under our arms and begged for some attention, and all around us goats and cattle wandered. It was a wonderful snapshot into their peaceful but hardworking life in the mountains of Italy.

At one point Delena and I were starving but unable to eat any more race food - we decided to stop into a refugio and order some real food. We were disgustingly stinky, sweaty and dirtly - but were welcomed in with big smiles and ordered 2 double cappuccinos each, along with a huge bowl of cheese and bread soup. A group of Spanish followed our lead and we ate in silence with the occasional knowing glance of joy exchanged.

Along one particularly scenic section we named the Roman Wall - which was a high trail made of large flat boulders arranged into a makeshift road - we heard someone yelling. We quickly identified our Japanese friend running along the wall with yelp of joy and excitement - it was quite a site to see, and we found ourselves joining him and an exchange of yelps as we ran along behind.

The Bad
The cold dry mountain air took it's toll on my lungs early in the race. I developed a form of Bronchitis which quickly progressed to the point where I was coughing up hard yellow phlegm from deep within my lungs. My sinuses became impossibly plugged and sleep became impossible. I tried lying down at one point and Delena became quite concerned as the air moving in and out of my lungs produced a squeeling noise that sounded like someone talking to you in a squeaky whisper. I took a double dose of nasal decongestant to clear my sinuses and for the next 30 hours had to deal with an extremely sore throat and fits of nearly non stop coughing. I finally found a pharmacy and bought some throat lozenges with pain killers and took some cough medicine to help control the coughing. I had some serious concerns about my lungs but decided to rest for 2 hours and monitor how they felt. Once again - 2 hours rest resulted in an incredible improvement to my lungs, my phlegm became clear once again and I increased my fluids to compensate for the enormous amount of mucous my body was producting and expelling. It seems that may people on the course suffered from the exact same symptoms and the further along in the race we got - the more similar cases we witnessed. It reminded me again of the value of simple precautions such as placing a bandana over your mouth to help reduce the impact of the harsh dry, cold air on the lungs.

The Ugly
Transition stations began to look like MASH units later in the race. Racers were getting surgery on their feet to remove toe nails, large sections of skin were missing on the heals, large blisters formed between the toes and all over the feet - including deep within the feet - and needed to be drained, the most painful of which were under the toe nails themselves. Many people had their entire feet bandaged and dozens had their knees taped and a dozen different variations of taping to provide support for torn hamstrings, quads, ankles and anywhere else that needed some support.

Friction sores begin to appear on both Men and Women in the crotch area, scrotum, anus and between the cheeks of the bum.Toes that have been rubbing together break the skin and form sores that need to be taped shut.

Body maintenance is something that requires constant attention. Delena and I take exceptional precautions and were able to complete this race with virtually no foot damage aside from a couple of very minor blisters - which is truly incredible a testament to our careful foot maintenance we did throughout the race. Tight shoes, PrimaLoft Merino socks and plenty of foot lubrication were key to keeping our feet healthy throughout the race.

Race Experience - Part Two - Sleep Monsters and Foot Pain

Our strategy was simple - try to sleep 1 or 2 hours for every 24 hours racing and see how our bodies reacted. Ultimately, we slept only 7 1/2 hours in 6 days - mostly in short spells of 20 minutes to 1 hour. We raced for roughly 34 hours before finally lying down for our first 20 minutes - we didn't sleep - but the short break severely reduced swelling in our feet and made an enormous difference in our mental conviction to continue.We finally stopped for some warm soup and laid down for 2 hours - of which I slept maybe 1 hour - but it made a world of difference. We felt renewed, our feet no longer ached, and our energy returned - incredible considering the amount of terrain we had just covered.

Many people have asked us how we can manage to continue for so long without sleep. It seems that constant physical exertion produces endorphins and adreneline that both help to keep you awake. We also take caffeine in the form of gels that helps keep the sleep monsters at bay - at least for awhile - but when the body decides it needs sleep - the battle begins. There were sections where we walked for hours with every cell in our bodies screaming to lay down and sleep if only for a few moments. We would lie down on the ground and it felt as though we were being sucked into the center of the earth. It took enormous effort to stand up again and continue walking, tripping and falling along the way - to reach the next destination. We found sleeping in the open more difficult than we expected as the cold and wind conspired to prevent any rest and we ended up using beds at the life stations for most of our sleep. These were usually hot and noisy - but more comfortable and we found that with even 20 minutes of sleep and an hour of lying still - the body was able to recover and repair enough to continue.

In some sections - we had to repeatedly sit down as we were so tired we could not focus our eyes - we called it wiggly eyes - you would try to focus on a rock ahead of you and it literally bounced back and forth and your eyes would not steady. It caused us to stumble and fall at times and occassionally we would need to lie down for 5 minutes to make it stop.

Foot pain is something you learn to live with. At times the aching in the feet felt like a toothache, other times like walking on hot coals. By hour 100 our feet were swollen to a full size larger that normal and felt and looked as though they had been inflated to 200 lbs pressure and a pin prick would explode them. By hour 130 many racers were limping gingerly and reported foot pain that was like walking on a hundred needles - which we learned was the nerves in the foot reacting to the constant pounding of the days past. It literally felt like our feet were burning to walk on them. On the final section - I refused to let my feet dictate whether I would run or not - and concluded if I began running - endorphins would come to the rescue and the pain would cease - I was right. Within 2 minutes of pounding my foot pain disappeared and my feet became numb. I used this opportunity to sprint the entire last section of the race. As I guzzled coca cola, ate 6 or 7 gels and half a liter of water I passed over 30 racers on the final stretch to the finish line and then hiked up to the trailhead to walk the final km to the finish with Delena who was fighting her own battle with muscle cramps in the quads but managed to overcome the pain and force herself to 'shuffle' to the finish well before the cut off time as well.

Race Experience - Part 1 - First Reflections

Well as many of you are already aware - we successfully achieved our goals - we finished the course well within the 150 hour time limits, with no injuries, and while we are very fatigued, our bodies are in quite good condtion considering what we put them through over the past 6 days. Having covered 200 miles of trails, 160,000 feet of elevaton change, 25 high mountain passes, 30 mountain lakes 43 refreshemnt and supply points, 32 municipalities, 1200 volunteers and interactions with over 500 racers from 22 countries - I find it very difficult to express this experience in words.

It's also nearly impossible to comprehend the sheer volume and magnitude of terrain we have covered in the past 150 hours. Nearly non stop physical output, severe sleep deprivation, nausea, physical exhaustion, altitude, moments of sheer joy, adventure and excitement all blended together in an odd dream-like period of time.

There were moments when intense physical pain, exhaustion and sleep deprivation allowed doubt to creep in, yet a hot bowl of soup and 1 hour of sleep resulted in a complete recovery and allowed you continue on filled with hope, excitement and a sense of renewal.

The raw beauty and vastness of this mountain journey seemed to amplify simple gestures between racers who understand the importance of finishing this challenging event. A simple nod or word of encouragement conveyed an understanding and mutual respect for the effort, personal struggle and sense of accomplishment achieved - as well as the challenge that lie ahead.

This has been a life experience in a class by itself. Our perspective of what is possible has been recalibrated. Our appreciation of how rest and good food can heal and renew the body in an inconceivably short time has been heightened, and we have learned many lessons about travelling quickly and efficiently in the mountains and how to maintain our strength and conviction when the going gets difficult.

Above all, I feel a deeper respect for the beauty of the natural world and thankful to have a person like Delena to share my life with. This has been a beautiful, humbling, challenging experience that we both feel we will continue to absorb for a very long time.

READY TO RACE - STRATEGY & PREPARATIONS

Well - it feels real now. We spent yesterday afternoon sitting in Courmayeur - looking at the Southern slopes of Mont Blanc, eating banana crepes, sipping thick creamy cappuccinos and watching the blend of excited racers and local Italians sipping wine in the village square.

Delena and I woke up wide awake at 2:30am this morning and decided to lay out all the contents of our race bags which we will have access to at 6 points in the race. In our race bag is spare socks, dry clothes, and food for each of the 7 sections of the race to supplement the food provided on course which is basically bread, meat and cheese!.

I put a photo of the race course on the blog today as well to give you a better visual of the race route. Tonight there is a huge pasta dinne followed by the race brieding which everyone is required to attend - then it's one more restless sleep and we start the race at 10am tomorrow.

RACE DETAILS
The race is broken into 7 sections - each approximately 9 - 13 hours in length - except section 2 and 4 which are roughly 20 - 24 hours in length and tend to eliminate many people from the race. Section 2 is the longest section, has the most elevation change and much of it is at higher altitudes (9,000 - 10,000+ feet at  the cols) and by far the most mentally challenging section for all these reasons.

The race travels through roughly 35 small communities, refugios (high mountain shelters) and mountain top stations that make up the 47 checkpoints over the course. The stations offer food, drink and at the 'life stations' offer beds, medical support (which gets plenty of use) and massage and showers at a couple of them.

There are cut off times at several points in the race - so if you don't arrive at that point by a certain time - you are out of the race. All competitors must reach the finish line within the 150 hour time limit. Last years first place finisher crossd the line in about 80 hours 27 minutes - which is an incredible accomplishment. Each racer decides if and when they sleep - so everyone has their own strategy. Our strategy will be to keep moving as much as possible and sleep in 1-2 hour increments roughly every 24 hours. We aim to sleep away from the main checkpoints where we can sleep outside under the stars in silence - and up high so we can begin moving downhill when we awake rather than uphill.

Delena and I will start the race together and make a decision further along in the race as to whether we will stick together for the entire race or not. While we always enjoy each other's company and the long life discussions that we share in these events - at some point you become too brain dead to converse and you just settle into a natural rythym that  may not match the other persons.

This race has reminded us once again that the world is full of incredible people. We have met so many adventurous souls from across North America and Europe and formed new friendships that we know wil last for many years. The cross section of personalities, ages and personal backgrounds are knitted together by a passion for the mountains and a desire for unique and adventurous personal challenges. It's very inspiring to be surrounded by so many fun, fit and passionate people. It has made us intimately aware of what an incredible blessing it is to have your health, and the world of adventurous possibilities that open up when you are strong and physically fit. More great motivation.

How Did We Train for a 200 mile Ultra Run?

One of the questions we frequently get asked is how do we train for a 200 mile race? The short answer is hike up, run down - and do plenty of both. To answer the question in more detail - I first want to say that I honestly believe just about anyone with moderate fitness who is willing to dedicate the time on their feet is capable of running a race this distance. The term 'running' is used loosely - as in many 'ultra' races (which refers generally to races in excess of a standard 26.2 marathon) there is much more fast hiking and 'shuffling' being done than actual running - at least for the vast majority of competitors - including myself. Just look at the racers list - there are a lot of people in their late 40's to late 60's in these races and many finishing high in the rankings.

My wife and I ran our first 'ultra' 6 years ago - called the http://www.kneeknacker.com/  which is local 30 mile mountain run on the North Shore mountains near Vancouver with roughly 12,000 total vertical (6k up, 6k down). It took me close to 8 hours and I could barely walk for two days afterwards. I was amazed to see people walking around casually who had finished hours before and didn't appear even tired - some much older, some who didn't even look fit - it was very inspiring.

Since that race 6 years ago, we have been fairly consistent in our running - with usually 2 months of the year where we didn't do any running. We called a friend who is a personal trainer and they provided a rough training plan that we have used as a guideline the past few years. The training plan consisted of 2-3 easy runs during the week followed by back to back runs on the weekend. Throughout the year as the race date approached both the mid week and weekend runs increased in length and intensity - and the whole program 'cycled' between higher intensity and easier rest periods to allow for complete muscular recovery. We didn't follow it particularly carefully. We started out tracking our heart rate and graphing the results and within weeks abandoned that along with our ipods and any other distractions - including watches - and grew to crave the peace and solitude of being in the mountains. The running became secondary to simply being in nature and moving the body.

Our primary motivation to run our first race was to increase our fitness and endurance for our mountaineering and ski touring adventures, and to just have more energy to 'play' with. A natural progression was to begin eating more fresh, raw foods, organic meats and even organic wine and chocolate! We also take about 20 vitamins and minerals each day combined with several high potency, high quality anti-oxidants ( http://www.rayandterry.com/ ) to ensure we are feeding our cells everything they need to repair and function despite the plethora of toxins we are all exposed to on a daily basis.

Near the end of our past year of training we were going out for long runs on the weekend between 6 and 10 hours in length with lots of vertical and capped off our hardest training day with a run covering approximately 29 miles with 37,000 total vertical in a period of 16 1/2 hours.

I  have found that moderate exercise done consistently produces results far beyond what you would expect. Many people we meet start out running in a desperate attempt to 'speed' back into shape and end up injured - or hating running - or both. I read once that if the body came with an owners manual it would simply say 'MOVE ME OFTEN' and there is a lot of truth to that.

Our greatest fear is that we will not have the fitness and health to take part in adventure opportunities that arise with friends. That is great motivation.

Tour of Giants - Our greatest challenge yet!

The Tour of Giants is an ultra mountain running adventure through the Aosta Valley region in Italy. Beginning and finishing in Courmayeur Italy - the race covers 200 miles with 160,000 feet of elevation change over the course, and must be finished within a time limit of 150 hours. This is not a team race - each competitor runs his/her own race and must complete the entire distance.

The race runs Sep 11 - 17th, 2011 and live tracking of each competitors progress can be followed from the race website at http://www.tordesgeants.it/  and click on the British Flag at the top if you prefer english!