Sinister 7, 50 miler Ultra Marathon
Date: July 10th, 2021
Distance: 51 miles
Elevation: 2,420m
The Prequel:
Signed up for my first ultra-marathon in early summer, 2020, The Grizzly 50k. When it was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, I signed up for a fall ultra, S3 (~60K). When it was cancelled, due to a freak snow storm blocking the pass, I signed up for the all-new 50 mile edition of Sinister 7!
Jumped into a few low-key events in the fall/winter (Sprung Trio Trail Race, Last Chance Half, St Paddy's 5k, WRTWC Virtual 50k - 'Round Rundle FKT), combined with a solid year of running volume, I was so amped to line up for a real, in-person, ultra-marathon!
So (coach) Mel started my plan in early March, picking up from a solid winter of cross training and snow trail running. She built the mileage up steadily and consistently, kept the strength routine going, and week over week I was amazed to walk away feeling no worse for wear.
Come race day, I had amassed more cumulative distance over 4 months, most mileage in 1 week, and elevation & intensity to match race expectations as best as possible. Additionally, Arden, Brad and I did a mini-Sin camp about 3 weeks prior in Crowsnest Pass, recon'ing legs 6, 5 and 3 (just for kicks), so I had a sense of the terrain (muddy, rocky).
The Race:
Sin7 50 mile jumps into the 2nd half of the full 100 mile race, is divided into 4 legs (4-7), has 3 transition areas (TA's), and 1-3 check points (CP's) in between.
(Crew chief) Mel was to send me off at the start, scurry to each TA, all over the map, and present me with various feeding options. Think amazing race, where the race stages are short and frantic, followed by hours upon hours of waiting in the sun for the next stage!
The start line. Oh, the glorious start line. What a rush!
Leg 4. 12.km, 302m elevation.
Gun goes off, and so do the ~250 racers. Pace is modest, though a small group of around 8 take the lead. Brad and I keep them close.
We hit the first single track and shortly after (eventual winner) Dave S takes off from the front group. The group hesitates on the downhill, Brad makes his way to the front, and I sneak down the inside line to join him.
After a series of rollers, there is Dave, then 4 or 5 of us in chase. I enjoy a few kilometers chatting with some new friends, Greg P and James C.
TA4 comes quick, and I pass through it fast. A simple exchange of my old hand bottle with a new one, and a kiss from (wife) Mel, and I'm off (2nd out of the TA).
Leg 5. 27.4km, 962m elevation.
Leg 5 begins with a long gravel road, where Brad joins me, and Jazmine and Greg fly past me.
I'm riding the brakes here. The sun is on point, the road is long, and there is no cloud nor tree to be found. Gotta keep it in check.
We cross the highway and head North towards the mountains. Double track along the side of the road. False flat, exposed, and a welcome headwind. Keep it slow…
Greg gains some ground on us, and I can tell Brad is getting twitchy.
We turn West along the power line road, more rollers. Still hot. As we approach CP5a (first of 2 checkpoints on leg 5), Brad puts in a little effort on a hill and escapes, while Jazmine fades a bit and I pass her. CP doesn't seem ready for us, so I don't stop to get any more water.
Now the trail hits the forest, including steep wooded trails with a steady ascent. I've been on this trail a couple times now and enjoyed it. Near the top of the climb the trail reveals a series of large mud bogs, many of whom are completely unavoidable. Not worried about the moisture, but I don't wanna drag around a bunch of mud in my shoes all day… oh well, only one way through!
Just before CP5b there is a bridge and creek crossing. At this point, my water bottle is empty, I'm parched and dry, and I proceed to literally submerge myself in the creek that is about 12 inches deep! It felt heavenly, like a baptism maybe? This would be my new thing today… must keep hydrated and take all possible opportunities to cool off!
CP5bCP6c is next. Named so because we hit this CP again on leg 6. Leo F, his evil clown, and his merry band of aides were amazing. They gave me ice. Didn't know what to do with it, so shoved some in my hat. They filled up my bottle, gave me a pickle, and sent me on my way!
The next 7 kms to the TA are mean. Open dirt roads, quads and dirt bikes whizzing by. Minimal shade, several large ditches to descend/ascend, including one enormous one about half-way. It did have some water crossings, however, and each time I went in as deep as I could (sometimes that meant just my feet).
At this point I'd been eating what I could. A Maurten gel at the startline, xact nutrition bars, chocolate cover espresso beans, and a pack of lime clif blocks. Nutrition, check!
TA5. I enter the transition area at a campground and find (crew master) Mel waving me over. She looks stressed, having less than a minute, with little to no advanced warning, to help, but she has exactly what I need: my Salomon pack, loaded with 2 soft flasks and pockets full of food. I need my poles. Oh yeah, she goes to grab them. I caught a glimpse of another runner leaving TA as I approach, looked like Greg, and Mel confirms he is just minutes ahead. I spare her a kiss from my dirty face this time, for her benefit.
Another blazing fast transition, and it's off to leg 6!
Leg 6. 31.9km, 1400m elevation.
If this were the Tour de France, this would be the Queen's Stage. It's a grind from the start, up a forestry road. The pack feels like it weighs 20 pounds. I see Greg walking up the road. He sees me and starts running.
I jump in a river. Then I run again. When I catch him he looks pretty spent. The heat is beating him. I recommend he embrace the rivers. CP6a appears, and I realize the problem with carrying soft flasks in a tight pack; they are not designed to be refilled easily! I try crouching down, taking the nozzle of and refilling them. Only a little water goes in, because the pack is squeezing them against my chest. Doh. Oh well, I should have enough to get to the next CP, 8kms away.
I shuffle along until the climb really turns up. At this point, the trail is narrow, and despite my brilliant plan of grabbing poles, I find there are few clean lines to place them down. Think of a dry creek bed that you run in, with steep slopes forcing you to put each directly foot in front of the other. Up. Always up.
My energy is dropping, quick. I can't tell if the poles are helping with balance, or exhausting me more.
I want to stop and rest so badly, but force myself to always walk, even if really, really slowly. Relentless forward progress.
The climb doesn't end. You reach the crest and turn right, and see it go up another few hundred meters. You get there and turn left, and again it goes up. It felt like fucking Jack & the beanstalk!
Just when I think, ok, I'm on to you mountain, what else you got… The route makes a surprising, and wonderful turn AWAY from the climb! Really?? Is this right? The flags lead along the ridge, not up… am I seeing things? Maybe, but it's too appealing to ignore, and sure enough, my walk turns into a shuffle, and even into a jog, as I prance along the top of the ridge, at the highest point of the race!
Down the rocky backside and over to CP6b. This time, I have zero fluid in either flask, haven't seen a creek in days, so have no choice but to take the flasks out to fully refill them. Now the problem is putting them back in my pack, as the front pockets are too tight! Doodle around here for a while, grab a handful of jellies from the nice volunteers, and off I go.
One last motha of a climb right after the CP, and then it's downhill all the way home! This is what I've been waiting for!
Just one problem… I stub my toes hard on one of the earlier slopes, nearly going down. Instant searing pain in my right foot. Aw shit… it's bad. I have over 10 km of downhill running ahead of me, and I can't put any pressure on my right foot.
I hobble with my poles, which are now annoying me as I also try to feed. Slowly, I make my way to CP6b, again greeted by Leo and his crazy clown. Suddenly Arden joins me in the CP! Wow, nice work. I'm not moving very quickly, and she soon distances me on our way back to the TA.
TA6. Back to the campground, and again I see my angel, Mel, waving me over. I try to feign strength so she doesn't worry about me, but I know she doesn't buy it. I gladly exchange my poles and pack for my last handheld bottle. Mel gives me some encouragement as well as some real talk; the next 4 kms are brutal, but then it turns into a nice flowy descent to the finish line. Finish strong… This is your jam! Arden is finishing up in the TA and we set off together.
Leg 7. 10.9 kms, 321m elevation.
"Shortest leg on the whole course, and difficulty rating of 1, but don't let that fool you" - Ailsa M.
Sure enough, once I hobble out of sight of the TA, we turn and smack! The climb. It is brutal, just as Mel warned. My climbing legs are not pleased, and I shuffle upwards, only slightly better than leg 6. There is hope of a finish, at least. Arden escapes, and I muster all my energy to climb. About 2km later, it goes down, but rocky and steep. I cramp, and can't even run it… I'm now walking downhill, about as slow as the up. This is not how to "finish strong."
CP7 is a welcome sight, about half-way. The brutal part should now be done, bring on the greener pastures!
One last dip in the river, one last climb, and oh shit, another runner catches me. It's Jazmine again. She flies past me on the downhill.
Then the trail turns into a beautiful lush forest. It's soft on my feet. It's a slight descent, which is nice on my toes. I'm 5 kms from the finish, which is nice on my morale.
I can now run again! Not all out, but steady, actual running. Kilometers are ticking by. I glance behind me and thankfully see no one approaching, so I enjoy the final chapter.
Celebrate. Take it all in… soon it will all be over and I will miss racing.
Trail ends at the road on the North side of Coleman. It's about a mile from the finish, and what the…, I see a runner down the road… I think it might be Brad?!
I ask my legs to give me one last nitro boost to see if I can close the gap… but he's just too far.
I cross the finish line in 8 hours, 44 minutes, and 22 seconds. 5th overall, 3rd male, 2nd master.
Brad was there 43 seconds earlier. Arden beat Jazmine by 14 seconds, about 4 minutes earlier.
Results here.
The other achievement you won't easily find, is that thanks to my self-mutilation on leg 6, I won the very prestigious, and highly competitive "worst feet" award! Not bad for a rookie 🤣
What went well:
- The training. Coach Mel designed a perfect plan, building distance and elevation steadily. Race intensity, plus variety, plus course recon included. My fitness was at an all-time high. I don't think I missed a single workout, and taper went to plan as well.
- Heat adaptation & management. Timed most of my runs during the hottest time of day I could. On race day, I hydrated as much as possible, and soaked in every river available. Started with sunscreen, and Mel sprayed me down with more at TA's.
- Staying on course. No wrong turns or delays.
- Transition Areas. Spent less than 1 minute at each of 3 Tas.
- Nutrition. Constantly fed myself, and never finished a leg having completely run out of food and wanting more.
- Ate nothing from aid stations, but brought and ate pickles, maurten gels (could have used more), xact nutrition bars, espresso beans, cliff blocks (lime was good, cherry was not - too thick). Salt caplets were great. Did not want any more dry food, like cookies.
- Pacing went well, I think. Moderately aggressive on leg 4, then settled in. Let Brad & Greg go, almost caught both of them.
- Mental Game:
Theme Song: Whatever it takes, Imagine Dragons
Mantra: "relentless forward progress"
Unphased when Greg ran off. Same with Brad. Boosted confidence when I caught Greg, knowing I was 3rd. Happy for Arden when she caught me, though it deflated me facing the reality that I was in fact fading, but got over it and happy with 3rd male. When Jazmine caught me it actually lifted me, because I saw her approaching but didn't know if it was male/female.
A bit frustrated when the cramps and smashed toes forced me to a crawl, but also knew (hoped) it would pass each time. Kept a positive attitude.
Lots of alone time, and I was okay with it. Said Hi or waved to all volunteers, racers, and quad/dirt bikers.
Reminded myself to be grateful, and to enjoy the experience, especially in the final 5km.
What would I do differently next time:
- No poles on leg 6. Heart rate escalated, didn't pan out saving the climbing legs. Also I fumbled with them a fair bit when I was fishing for food, or fuddling with my flasks.
- Handheld bottle and a light food belt instead of a pack. Or, pack, but with one hard flask bottle.
- More power hiking steephills, like Prairie Mountain repeats. Especially on tired legs.
- Cold drinks at transition. Bring cool box and have something chilled.
- Less time at CP's. Dang soft flasks are hard to refill.
- Shoes. Not enough shoe for the terrain (see toes). Also, try "heel lock". Going to lose up to 3 toe nails, but it did earn me a cool prize!
