By: Sophia Wharton

It was my idea to make the Trail Nerds Psycho Psummer course 3 loops instead of 2. I pushed for it in the days where I was race directing 22 races a year  with Ben Holmes  and I got my way—after all, our Kansas runners love a ten mile race at Wyco.  My brother Philip who is a composer of complex yet often delicate classical music once turned to me in a rehearsal as a trumpet and flute struggled to get their notes to match Philip’s written rhythms. There was nothing delicate about this collaboration.

He looked at me and the notes unfolded.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

And so I give you this 3 loop course at Wyco. What seemed a good idea at the time as a co-race director was rather a different story as a runner.

Here is that story.

There I was towing the start line of the race in my Wave Elixir 7’s. And the 10 mile race was great.  I ran with friends and we chatted. We made new friends and in fact at one point I was leading a party of 14. Five of us crashed through the 10 mile finish in 2:07. The only problem was,  I was signed up for the 50k.

I hate running in the heat. The forecast for the day was for triple digits and even higher heat indexes. As I entered loop two I could feel the sun burning on my skin collaborating with the albatross of loop 3 hanging on my neck.

The course is about 87.4% shaded with the first half mile of each loop a flat, grassy baker.

Here is the course profile:

I entered the woods grateful for the shade and felt an odd shiver.  I looked down and saw goose bumps on my arms and felt a peculiar shiver through my scalp. I knew it was heat exhaustion and I had over 20 miles to go.  There were 3 tough miles to the next aid station and ice, so all I could do was pull back on the pace, which I did. I did not tell anyone of what would become my new running companion for nearly 5 hours.

Kansas isn’t flat. Seriously- there is 1500 feet of elevation change per loop on this course.  Still, because of the plentiful aid stations, many runners choose this as their first Ultra.

An Ultramarathon is anything over 26.2 miles. With a 50k being just about a 10k more, many choose a 50 k as their first ultra distance.  Over the years since my first official ultra, which ironically was the then 2 loop Psycho Psummer of 2008 , I’m asked what’s the difference in training and then why? Why put your body through such torture? I’ll answer the first question in a second- as to the second, I’ve always managed to run close enough to the bright side of the edge that the torture was never very intense.

On a very basic level, the training includes longer long runs (yes, 17  isn’t long-try 24. Thank you very much) and back to back long runs. So 24 on Saturday and a nice 12 to 15 on Sunday.  The purpose of this is to get your legs used to running tired. Some folks up their mileage to 70 to 90 mile weeks. I haven’t trained that way, so I won’t speak to it. I run 40 to 64 and get in a decent amount of back to backs and it works well for me.

Those back to back runs are what bring us back to this race. I’m training for the Leadville 100 and needed Psycho Psummer with its constant ascents as run number one of two for the weekend. Dropping a loop to the 20 due to heat exhaustion just wasn’t an option, as 20 is hardly a long run.

Loop 2 was such an arduous journey. I just couldn’t get dialed into the zone. I was running with a gal named Rochelle who is part of a trail group in Omaha. I was excited to meet her since Omaha is part of my Mizuno territory and it’s always nice when you’re on the road to find like- minded runners to hit the trails with.

“I keep trying to tell myself that this is a race not a long run and I need to keep running even when I want to walk. You know you can always run just a little more than you think you can. But I can’t find my ZONE.”

We started walking up all the hills. Another aspect of ultra running, is how quickly and effectively hiking can get you to your destination and how much ultra runners walk in races.  But my legs were stiff and I continued to dread the final loop. Psychologically, these two shorter loops seemed just as long as the two longer ones. Do you know the feeling you get when you send a letter or email and just want to jump into the mailbox and get it back?  I wanted to shake the race director and say “I’m sorry, it was a terrible idea. Please just put the course back the way it was.” Unfortunately the new medals had just been cast, with 10-20-50k on them, and even had a bottle opener feature on the bottom the RD was very pleased with. The race will stay the same until those medals are gone.

By the time I got to my ultra-buddy Erica’s aid station, I felt depleted.

“Hot enough out there for you?” She was teasing and chipper.

The sound that came out of my mouth was a combination of a sigh and growl.

“Just get me some ice.”

Her demeanor instantly changed.

“I’ve got it. Coke? Anything else?” Erica knows me well and has shared many a joke and light moment. She knew at that moment, I had lost my sense of humor. Fortunately, she didn’t know I was pushing the red zone of heat exhaustion.  I was having an affair with heat exhaustion, and when you’re having an affair, sometimes you can’t even tell your best friend.

Erica would see her share of suffering. One guy on the ground, blue in the lips and ultimately headed to the ER, while another sat on a bench vomiting.

The next section is a testament to trail building mediocrity. Single track that is wound so tight, you can barely get some steam on the down. I found myself behind runners who couldn’t even take advantage of what little this trail offers. I awkwardly passed. The worst part is that trail drops you at the bottom of a dam. There runners trudge the wobbly, sideways, grass surface, crossing two , two foot drainage ditches, all at an angle similar to a solar oven.  My group of now 3 climbed up and headed into the shade, where there was yet another hill.

I shivered.  I watched Rochelle enjoy a second wind. I climbed another hill. I cursed the dreaded 3^rd loop. And I ran with Luke.

“I want to run with the Mud Babes.” Luke was referencing the women’s group within the Trail Nerds that I founded. It was his first 50k.

“Sophia, I remember hearing you say that the best way to finish an ultra is to go out for the final loop.”

While I wouldn’t admit to the heat exhaustion I did admit responsibility for the 3 loop course.

“It’s my fault. This course is three loops because of me.”

The last 4 miles to the finish had 2 aid stations.  What seemed excessive on the first loop, became a lifesaver on number 2. The last mile and a half into the finish is a section everyone calls “3 hills.” On the first loop, I agree, but by loop two it seemed more like 4.

Loop 2 complete in 2:26.

For the final loop my plan was to pull back even further, suffer through and just hike it if I had to. I started to climb the first hill and noticed something interesting to accompany my shivers. My walking was no longer stiff. It was smooth, quick and powerful and I passed Rochelle going uphill.

“Ah Sophia, you’re in the zone.”

I work for a Japanese company and admire their culture greatly. So much so, I’ve made up my own Japanese philosophy. It’s called OYO (pronounced oi-YO, with a real emphasis on the second syllable.)

It stands for On Your Own, but can only be used when you are successful and content on your chosen journey.  I shout it out often as a cheer with my friends and for myself. I started a rhythmic journey of quick climbing and doing what I do best in races which is to make myself run just a little more than I think I can. Not run faster or harder, run more often and steadier.  Alone with my thoughts and nature, I was happy-and also better able to monitor whether the shivers were getting worse and if any other symptoms of heat exhaustion were entering the mix.

As I approached the solar oven for the third time, I was baking- I started to wonder if runners ever wear those umbrella hats and if it would help. I wanted to walk the whole way- OYO or not. Instead I deployed a method I’ve used often when pacing others which I call 50 – 50’s. 50 steps walking, 50 steps running. Over and over until the uphill.  Like many of the ups at Wyco, this one plateaus. Cresting the top all I wanted to do was walk more. I made myself run the 50 steps, reminding myself it really doesn’t hurt anymore to run than to walk.

I felt the creepy shiver like a wraith’s breath on my hot neck, but a new emotion had developed which goes with the Zone and OYO. Determination to at least finish under 7 hours. To do this, I knew I had to run every runnable portion and continue moving on the ups.

3 hills blossomed. I think I counted the third hill 3 times. Was this a joke? My legs now ached and I started to wonder how I’d make it through the Leadville 100. And the clock was ticking.

After the actual final hill, there was again a plateau, this time in the sun. I was truly feeling gross and reminded myself that pain is temporary and glory is forever. However, I also knew I was skirting a trip to the ER and wondered why I couldn’t hear the finish line. Turns out it was pretty hot there too and no one was making much noise.

After crossing the finish, I unleashed my dirty little secret.

No I didn’t want beer or a hot dog. I wanted ice on the back of my neck, under the knees, on top of the knees. It took 3 people with ice in both hands for 20 minutes to cool down my core. I’m told temperatures reached 104 (had the kind volunteer told me any lower than 98, I was going to punch someone.) I had run in the danger zone for 5 hours. One of the volunteers helping me was Megan Moriarty who is crewing me at Leadville 100.

“Megan- this is the worst I’ve ever been in an ultra. If I end up here when we’re there, we are in trouble.”

Heat is not for beginners and often not for experienced runners either. I ran in the danger zone for just under 5 hours. I could call it stupid.  You could call me an idiot- but I can’t emphasize enough how completely in tune and engaged I was with everything my body was going through and how often I checked in and made adjustments to keep myself safe. Still, it was worse than any final 30 miles of the two 100’s I have completed.

My finish time was 6:54:21. My third loop- the one I dreaded the most… 2:19. 7 minutes faster than loop 2- and that my friends is good running. It is also good living and a good philosophy. Confront your fears head on and the results may surprise you.  Loop 3- I own you. I love you and will never let you go, and although I’ve never been much for medals, since this one has the bottle opener, I love you too. It’s found its way into my kitchen drawer.  OYO!

Bishop (Ottawa Lions, second from left) and Smith (British Columbia, second from right) securing their spots for the London Games at the Canadian National Track & Field Championships in Calgary, Alberta.  Photo courtesy of Andre Francois.

By: Nikki Reiter

How do you prepare for the race of your life?  It takes the right combination of both mental and physical preparations to get to the starting line in the best possible state on race day.  Instead of consulting a researcher for expertise on this topic, I went right to those who know how to do it best: the elite athlete.  Melissa Bishop (Eganville, Ontario) and Jessica Smith (North Vancouver, British Columbia) are in the midst of the season of a lifetime.  Both have recently joined only two other Canadian women in history by dipping below the two minute barrier for the 800 m and have since qualified for the Olympic Games in London this summer.

After making some big leaps in their performances this past year, both Bishop and Smith realized that something bigger than new PB’s (personal bests) could possibly happen this outdoor track season.  Although Bishop’s sights were set on London earlier this spring after an eye-opening 2:02.09 indoor performance in Ottawa, Smith explains that after hitting the 2:01 mark multiple times this spring season she was confident that she’d be running fast come June.  After the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on June 2^nd, where Bishop ran the Olympic ‘A’ Qualifying Standard, Smith wasn’t far behind, and explains “I realized after the Prefontaine meet that running under the Olympic A standard was a realistic goal and I ended up running it a week later at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Burnaby, BC.”

Heading into the Olympic Trials, there was a new spotlight being shone on women’s 800 m as these two rising stars had been running faster every week.  Attention was being directed to this race as multiple women entered in the event had either the A and/or B standard (including eventual National Champion Lemlem Ogbasilassie and veteran Diane Cummings) and could realistically qualify for the Games if they finished top three, with the qualifying standards.  Bishop and Smith definitely had some pre-race jitters through the qualifying heats and final.  Bishop shared: “My dreams were literally on the line.  There was no outside pressure, just pressure I put on myself that I wanted to do this.  Once I got to the start line I had calmed down, but looking back on it now I can see how easily my nerves could have taken over and perhaps ruined things.”  Knowing how to keep their cool was maintained by following their normal pre-race routines.  For example, Bishop likes to give her mind a break from the upcoming competition by spending time with family and friends.

Physically, the women had to make sure they were in top shape to secure their top three spot.  The week leading into the Trials, workouts included important intensity sessions to be sharp, and reduced easy mileage to be fresh for racing.  Smith explains that pre-race preparations need to be flexible, “I don’t have a specific routine because each race environment is different and you have to adapt to each situation as they present themselves.”  Smith adds that finding her preferred pre-race meal (pasta) is always a comforting factor.  Leading into the trials, Bishop credits her success to keeping things low-key with family.  “They are not involved in the track scene whatsoever.  This way, my mind wasn’t constantly enthralled with track related topics.  I think it was a smart decision to remove myself from that leading into trials.”

When asked how they deal with the outcome of a race, good or bad, Smith is level headed. “Competing in track […] is challenging because there are more races that are disappointments than those that you can celebrate, but that is just the nature of sport. [However,] when I race well, the feeling of excitement and success is so gratifying that it makes all the disappointments worth the effort and it is kind of a celebration in itself.”  Both women are willing to take the good with the bad.  Smith says “when I have a bad race usually I try to focus on the specific things that I can improve either by working on it in training or in future races.”  Bishop agrees, indicating that “it’s important in those races to really sit down and see what you can learn from them and not to dwell on them too long. There will be other races.”   Both agree that staying positive isn’t too hard with the encouragement they receive from their massive support networks.

And finally, when asked about their upcoming participation in the Olympic Games, the women are ready to have the race of their lives.  Smith added, “I am also eager to meet other exceptional athletes from all over the world and take in the atmosphere of the Olympic stadium that will be filled with so much energy and athletically talented individuals.”  Bishop is still stunned at the support she is receiving from her family and friends to pursue her dream, “I’m very excited to get home after my season is done to see all of those supporters and thank them.”

Watch for these women running the 800 m in London on CTV http://www.ctvolympics.ca/results-schedules/day=2012-08-08/grid.html starting on August 8th.

Quick Biographies

Name: Melissa Bishop

Age: 23

Current City: Windsor, Ontario

University Attended: University of Windsor

Coach: Dennis Fairall

Club: Ottawa Lions

Occupation: Athlete

I run because I enjoy it.

Name: Jessica Smith

Age: 22

Current City: North Vancouver

University Attended: Simon Fraser University

Coach: Brit Townsend

Club: Valley Royals

Occupation: Athlete, but involved part-time with the following organizations: Friends of Simon Tutoring Project, SFU Track and Field Camps, Strathcona Lions Track and Field Outreach Program

I run because it’s fun, challenging, and an opportunity to meet great people and travel the world.

Happy Running!

***

Nikki Reiter holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and is a Mizuno Running Brand Ambassador and the Women’s Cross Country Running Head Coach at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. She is also the Laboratory Coordinator in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC Okanagan where she facilitates undergraduate laboratory learning.

Going for a run in the mountains can be one of the most rewarding experiences, but it can also be a bit scary if you’re not adequately prepared.  Taking a page out of some of the gear requirements for various mountain races I do, this is a suggested list of things to pack along.  If you do it right, these can all fit in your hands or a small waist belt or hydration pack.

• Water – definitely take water for any run or hike that is more than an hour.  You never know where you’ll be able to find water on the trail (likely nowhere unless you don’t mind drinking from streams) so it’s good to have a supply.
• Bear Spray – if you’re in the western mountains you can’t go wrong with a can of bear spray.  Make sure you get somebody to explain how to use it safely.  This is normally a last resort in case you encounter a bear, cougar or other animal that is being aggressive so this will be something you carry and hope to never use.
• First Aid Kit – I normally take a mini kit that includes a knife, space blanket and a bit of gauze or something.
• Hat and jacket – It’s great to get a mini hat and jacket that you can pack along.  When you get into the mountains the weather will change with elevation and may also change unexpectedly – it’s just good to be prepared!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

“And runners can detect each notch in the seasonal shift in the feel of the wind against our skin, its smell and direction.  In the midst of this flow I’m aware of myself as one tiny piece in the gigantic mosaic of nature.  I’m just a replaceable natural phenomenom, like the water in the river that flows under the bridge towards the sea.”  Haruki Murakami

VICKY:  How are you enjoying summer running or are you still swimming?

GRANT: Both, in fact.  My outdoor swim season has begun, but I’m also enjoying the trails of the Gatineau Park.

VICKY:  Oh right, you run with Dave and Lise’s group from Natural Fitness Lab.

GRANT: Yes, last night I actually got to spend most of the evening running with Lise (9 time National Champion in X-country skiing and two time Olympian amongst other achievements).  Lise gave me some advice on dealing with the horrible seasonal allergies I’ve been dealing with…. and we also talked about body position and cadence on hills.

VICKY: I’ll let Lise teach you about running, but remember my advice on allergies: two tablespoons of honey per day and you’ll be fit as a fiddle!  Now tell me about what you’re reading these days.

GRANT: Ah yes. I’m reading a fantastic book by Haruki Murakami called “What I talk about when I talk about running“.  The Guardian calls him “among the world’s greatest living novelists”.   In addition to being a great novelist, Murakami is also a damn good marathoner, ultramarathoner and triathlete.

VICKY: Really? I’ve never heard of him. Have you read any other books of his?  What made you want to read this one?

GRANT: Well I haven’t read any of his other books, but he came highly recommend by my buddy James Long who is a great theatre actor and producer currently working through Theatre Replacement in Vancouver.  Murakami’s books are truly beautiful and he has a cult following in Japan and around the world.  The book is almost dreamlike and meditative and based on journals he has kept about running.  It’s great to read a book in which someone thinks philosophically about running and how it has shaped them.  Witness this passage:

“Especially for someone in my line of work, solitude is, more or less, an inevitable circumstance.  Sometimes, this sense of isolation, like acid spilling out of a bottle, can unconsciously eat away at a person’s heart and dissolve it.  You could see it, too, as a double-edged sword.  It protects me, but at the same time steadily cuts away at me from the inside.  I think in my own way I’m aware of this danger- probably through experience- and that’s why I’ve had to constantly keep my body in motion, in some cases pushing myself to the limit, in order to heal the loneliness I feel inside and to put it in perspective.  Not so much as an intentional act, but as a instinctive reaction.  Let me be more specific.  When I”m criticized unjustly (from my viewpoint, at least), or when someone I’m sure will understand me doesn’t, I go running for a little longer than usual.  By running longer it’s like I can physically exhaust that portion of my discontent.  It also makes me realize how weak I am, how limited my abilities are.  I become aware, physically, of these low points.  And one of the results of running a little farther than usual is that I become that much stronger.  If I am angry, I direct that anger towards myself.  If I have a frustrating experience, I use that to improve myself.  That’s the way I’ve always lived.  I quietly absorb the things I’m able to, releasing them later, and in as changed a form as possible, as part of the story line in a novel.”

VICKY: Isn’t this what we really want from running?  In different ways we want it to make us better people.

GRANT: It’s really a profound way to look at running.  It’s nice to see people writing about the way that running has affected their lives and their work.  It’s deep, but it’s very relatable.  Here’s another section and then I’ll stop quoting him:

“What do I think about when I’m running?  I don’t have a clue.  On cold days I guess I think a little about how cold it is.  And about the heat on hot days.  When I’m sad I think a little about sadness.  When I’m happy I think a little about happiness.  As I mentioned before, random memories come to me too.  And occasionally, hardly ever, really, I get an idea to use in a novel.  But really as I run, I don’t think much of anything worth mentioning.  I just run.  I run in a void.  Or maybe I should put it the other way:  I run in order to acquire a void.  But as you might expect, an occasional thought will slip into this void.  People’s minds can’t be a complete blank.  Human beings’ emotions are not strong or consistent enough to sustain a vacuum.  What I mean is, the kinds of thoughts and ideas that invade my emotions as I run remain subordinate to that void.  Lacking content, they are just random thoughts that gather around that central void.  The thoughts that occur to me while I”m running are like clouds in the sky.  Clouds of all different sizes.  They come and they go, while the sky remains the same sky as always.  The clouds are mere guests in the sky that pass away and vanish, leaving behind the sky.  The sky both exists and doesn’t exist.  It has substance and at the same time doesn’t.  And we merely accept that vast expanse and drink it in.”

VICKY:  I like that a lot. A book about running that makes you think on a whole different level. It sounds like it’s almost meditative non?

GRANT:  Yes, for sure and for me this is what trail running is as well.  I can’t bang out KMs on pavement, but when you are up in the hills and dancing over rock and through mud your mind will not wander.  It will be focused on the steps ahead of you (or else you’ll fall).  When you are moving like as if past and future have no place and there is only the now.  This is what I enjoy about trail running.

VICKY:  We’ve read a lot of books about running, but it doesn’t get expressed in this way very often, if ever.

GRANT:  Exactly and sadly true.  I don’t want to just read and write about books on how to shave a minute off your 10K (not that that is not an admirable goal), but what I enjoy about running, reading and writing is the search for meaning.

VICKY:  Agreed and this is why everyone will see a change in the blog. I mean we’ve always had quotes at the beginning of our blog and it’s always been a bit cooky at times. However, we’ve matured over the years with iRun and I think we’re going in a different direction and bringing a new dimension to it.

GRANT: Definetly, but can we write one of these every two weeks?

VICKY: Absolutely! I get inspired every day on my way home from work. I usually take the back roads and nature inspires me. Same for you when you bike to and from work. I think we’re in good space for this new adventure.