Richard Stewart

Richard Stewart - Running (a lot)

2010 End of Year Report:

It has been some time since my last report. I talked a good game but I had not done any racing at that point.

Here Goes.

May 1 2010: I was nursing a twisted ankle prior to this one. The weekend did not start out with favourable signs.

A much much much older lady to whom I had just been introduced by a friend and who had told her of my double plans remarked : "Well you are no spring chicken are you?!"

I resisted asking her if her baby dinosaur given her as a child was still alive.

I flew to Vancouver and for the first time took the bus from the airport to Downtown Victoria .

Unfortunately I was seated behind a clueless and as it turned out Kleenex less mother with a pestilentially sick (with a cold) child . I forgot to mention I had only just recovered from the worst cold I have ever had in my life.

After fleeing from the bus In Victoria I had coffee and things appeared to be looking up.

I miscalculated the distance of the walk to the store where the package pickup was and trudged the better part of an hour with my back pack.

Just as the store hove into sight I missed a curb and landed flat on my face ( in front of a crowd of course--one never does this when one is alone). I had some good bruises including a sore hand .

I managed to get my bib for the Elk Beaver 50km event for Saturday and wisely hitched a ride to the hotel with a fellow competitor .

The morning ( 6am Start!)found us at this lovely park with a 10k loop around Elk and Beaver lakes north of Victoria. It was a tame flat almost pansy trail with hardly any roots . I was eating a gel at 5k on the first lap when I stumbled. The day was over as my other ankle was now sprained and swelling rapidly. I gimped into the start/finish and pulled out .

Much swearing and feeling sorry for myself followed.

I iced the ankle , wrapped this ankle as well and slunk back to the bus station and returned to Vancouver hoping the ankle would return to approximately the same size overnight.

It didn't.

The people who saw the picture of the ankle I posted on face book are still nauseated I hear.

It was of course pouring in Vancouver next morning but I vowed to recover at least a portion of the weekend.

With both ankles firmly wrapped and thoroughly bruised all over I met with my Prince George chums at the start line.

It was fun but not pretty and the race was completed .

My plans for the May 10 2010 Ft St James to Vanderhoof solo run was canceled .( Fat ankles)

Red Deer and Smithers went off well and I posted a respectable 4:37 in Smithers.

I had been training hard and had in addition run over 8 marathon- up to 50k distances in training in my preparation for the CDR.

Fatigue prior to this event had set in and I was not at my best that weekend . Clearly I had not trained anywhere near enough.

The first leg went fine and I hit my forecasted time for that leg on the nose. The second and much more grueling climbing leg dehydrated and then finished me off as it did many others.

My choice at the bail out water station was press on and end up with an IV in my arm at the local hospital or call the game on account of feebleness.I did the latter.

Anyone who can complete this brutal business has my complete admiration.

No, I won't be having another go at it in 2011. Ok, Once in a while common sense sets in .

The Moose and Victoria were most fun and ( happy day) without injury.

Then came the Quadzilla( 4 marathons in 4 consecutive days ) in November.

I had been lobbying for a 4th marathon to add to the existing triple I ran last year. . It came to be.

The races were : The Wattle Waddle Nov 25 (Maple Valley WA)

The Wishbone Run Nov 26 (Gig Harbour WA)

The Ghost of Seattle Nov 27 (Seattle WA)

The Seattle Marathon Nov 28 2010( Seattle WA)

Thank heavens for GPS as I would never have found the Wattle start line.

Lots of hard pack snow made for dodgy conditions on the bridges but overall a good morning in the snow if not a tad chilly at the start . Of the 80 starters some 29 were in for the Quadzilla. Everyone was sore post run but all were very keen including the fellow from Hawaii and Steve Walters who was doing his 97th to 100th marathons during this period. Steve Lopez ( another Maniac ) was doing the Quadzilla for the Second time.

The Wishbone Run is a 4 lap ,figure 8 ,up and down, 27.8 mile trail run ,.Some of it is on single track. It was warmer but the ground softened as the morning went on so it got pretty muddy in spots.

Huckleberry pancakes at the end washed down with hot chocolate made this one fun. The toughest and slowest run of the 4 .

I started the Ghost of Seattle run early and was happy I didn't have so far to drive to get there. Its a a 2 lap run along the lake which made for mittens but shorts and vest were otherwise a good choice.

Had a great massage after this one . Everything appeared to be chaffed from this run and I had a number of gorgeous blisters despite liberal glide application to the feet .

I ate constantly and drank much water but I believed I was still energy depleted and a bit dehydrated for #4-The Seattle Marathon on Sunday.

The weather was the best so far on this my 57th birthday.

Despite the initial ugly first 8k where I felt I was the Tin Man after the rain, I finally loosened up and doing 5 and 1's made such good progress that I finished this one the fastest of all in 5:16 and change.

Even the nasty hills in the last 10k did not dampen my fun.

The hard working maniacs who organized the 3 previous events had arranged the treasured Quadzilla Medal I now possess. This series of events was just so damn fun that I want to do it again.

The blisters have healed, the shin has stopped hurting and I had shed the walking dead feeling ..Its all good.

Results for the year:

9 Marathons done ( 4 as a Quadzilla)

Quadzilla completed granting me a further Marathon Maniac Star (6-Osmium Status)

4th marathon of the Quadzilla on My 57th birthday.

Total Marathons to date: 65.

I am already planning 2011 and my push toward the intermediate goal of 100 marathons.

More later on those plans.

Happy and Safe holidays to all.

See you on the roads and trails.

Richard

2010: "The year of the Scold" ;)

My score as of today (March 29, 2010): 56 Marathons and 5 official Ultras

Spring 2010 Report Chapter 1 :

I have not yet raced this year but have big plans and have been training hard . I have also been scolded and admonished by my friends a lot about cross training or my modest attempts at same, my nutrition, my feet, rest, overtraining, etc. All well meant and taken as such. "Crazy" is a word heard a lot. Said with love I'm sure.

Double:

May 1 : Harriers Elk.Beaver 50k on Van Island--Hey, I was in the neighbourhood.

May 2 Vancouver Intl Marathon--Because everyone else is going and I hate to be left out.

May 9 2010 Fort St James to Vanderhoof Relay ( 64 K --doing it Solo) This is the "Down Course" and a training run for ...see below.

May 23 : Woody's RV Red Deer Marathon--One of my favorites and a fun road trip

July 1 : Smithers Mountain Madness Marathon--A good chance to place in my age group. 90% of life is just showing up.

July 31-Aug 1 (I hope) Canadian Death Race 125 KMs in 24 hours. 10th Anniversar.

What ?!--I 'm going to wait till I get older to try this ??

Sep 26 2010--Mad Moose Marathon--Assuming I have recovered enough and the foot skin has grown back. #60 by the way.

Oct 10 : Royal Victoria Marathon--Because I love the RVM and hate the present O.I.M's course and general incompetence.

and

The Seattle Quadzilla in November : Just because I can ...

I would have done the 4 in 2009 but there was only a triple available.

There are 4 Marathons now.

These are:

Nov 25 The Drumstick Marathon-- I must bring a sandwich--EVERYTHING IS CLOSED IN THE USA ON THIS DAY.

Nov 26 The Wishbone Run (27.8 Miles)--mud and trails and Huckleberry pancakes .

Nov 27 Seattle Ghost Marathon--on the Old Marathon course

Nov 28 Seattle Marathon --( Happy Birthday to Me !)--Nasty hills in the last 10k --enjoy!

The first 3 are Marathon Maniac Events .

There may be some additions to the above as the year progresses.

I have also already booked my massages for the year .

I can't wait for the trails to clear !

See you on the roads everyone.

Marathon Count Now At 56!

The Seattle Triple Nov 27,28,29, 2009
3 Marathons in 3 Consecutive days

I had been planning this one for some time and we ( Sherri Peterson, James Betts and I ) headed out super early on Thursday the 26th to drive down to Gig Harbour Washington. This took some 13 hours 22 mins to do and 993 kms one way. Sherri was nursing a sore knee and was going to do her first marathonon the Sunday event. There was some slippery spots south of Hixon and very thick fog in the Quesnel area but once through this it was clear sailing to the hotel at GH. It was warmish down there -say plus 5-7 C so of course my packing was excessive.

GH is a ocean side scenic touristy place that reminds one of the Town of Amity in the movie Jaws. We found out to our dismay that the U.S. takes the Thanksgiving holiday seriously and we were unable to find any restaurant open at all and settled for some chicken and buns from the local supermarket being the only thing we could find. Note to self --next time bring food for the trip if in the States on Thanksgiving day.

Nov 27 2009:
Up early and off to the race start for The Wishbone Run 27.8 miles ( a tad more then the marathon distance). Package pick up ( bib #59) was at the organizer's house and the start was only a short stroll away. While waiting in line to get my bib I gleaned that this run was actually going to be a muddy up and down trail run on gravel with plenty of mud and single track with crashing through ferns and ducking under fallen trees. Good thing I brought my Trabuco trail shoes! I had to skip back to the car to dig them out of the luggage. Its a 4 lapper and great fun. Sherri and James helped out with the race while I crashed through the bush. The left knee I managed to fall on the week before and bloody up gave me no trouble at all. Huckleberry pancakes at the start / finish were great and the low key emphasis on fun and comradery was worth the trip. The entry fee was a donation for the local food bank. I took this one slow-- 6:00:58 due to the course and that I was still pooped from the drive. After showering we drove to Seattle city center to the Westin Seattle. It was, of course the biggest shopping day in the US called "Black Friday". Bumper to bumper once in the city center but a great hotel and no problem getting a late check for Sunday. My starving feeling started about an hour after the GH run and continued up to the writing of this update.

I scored a great massage to get the lactic acid out of the legs and and looked forward to marathon #2.

November 28 2009 Ghost of Seattle
#2 of the Seattle Triple
( MY 56th Birthday and Marathon #55 for me )
Bib # 162

This one is run on the old Seattle marathon course . Its a much flatter 2 lapper that starts from tiny Baker park and skirts Lake Washington and does a loop of the nearby Seward park. A stiff North to south breeze was blowing but no rain. This is a Marathon Maniac run and a strong turnout was present . The first lap around Seward park and I was feeling really warm so I stripped off the long sleeve shirt, gloves and vest and ran in a singlet. On the way back into the North wind I regretted this and got somewhat hypothermic. Replacing the above, less the vest solved the problem and my morale improved for the second half of the menu. My new friend and Maniac to be, Scott Spangler who I had met at the Wishbone was doing his second marathon in 2 days to qualify for membership and though he pulled ahead for a while I caught up and we picked targets to run to and walked / ran into the finish together. It was about 2 miles out that I rolled my right ankle and forgot about it till seeing the swelling in the jeep on the way up to Canada. Finished in 5:40:20. I was very stiff post this run and the massage I had allowed me to put my socks on again.

My entourage and I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant where I shocked everyone with my pasta consumption and the whole crowd in the eatery sang Happy Birthday to me . There is just no escape from birthdays!
For some reason I had no desire to trudge to REI for the sales after but Sherri and James did.

Nov 29th 2009 Seattle Marathon
#3 of the Seattle Triple
Bib #2980
My 56th lifetime Marathon in My 56th year.
Yes, I had planned this.

I woke up so stiff that I creaked and my right ankle was letting me know that it was there and unhappy with me. This course is the toughest of the 3 with lots of rolling and climbing in the front third, a flat long middle section and a brutal series of hills in the last 10 kms. It was fun to meet and chat with all the maniacs. It was cloudy and cool and again no rain--perfect running weather. Sherri and James headed out and I lost them as I was slow and struggling with the ankle and exhaustion for the first half as I had expected. However once out of Seward Park and past the 16 mile mark, I started to rally physically and mentally so by the 10 k out point I was having a great time talking with the volunteers and passing people. I walked the hills and still passed a lot of folks who were fading badly.

I finished feeling euphoric and strong in 5:22:29. I was thinking that if this decreasing time business keeps up I could eventually qualify for Boston. I just had to keep doing these things till I got there. The only complaint I had was the lousy super healthy ( and therefore inedible ) non-food for the runners at the finish. A trip to McDonald's afterward remedied this. We headed out after checking out and made it to Chilliwack before calling it a day and getting rooms at the Comfort Inn. The next day we drove back to PG on slushy roads while I nagged my companions about becoming Maniacs. No takers so far.

Total Stats:
10 Marathons for the year
56 lifetime total
129.1 kms run on this weekend
2078.5 kms driven.
One new marathoner ( Well done Sherri!!)

Cheers

Hello All,

May 3 2009 :
I did the Vancouver Marathonon a lovely day and Lisa Evanoff completed her first marathon. My best time at Van ! ( if you want to know you can look it up as I don't care all that much anymore.--yeah Right !)

May 10 2009 Vanderhoof to Fort St James :
Mucho thanks to Jennifer and Lucas who filled in at the last moment for my Vanderhoof to Fort St James solo run. The jeep was always a welcome sight on the highway and they each ran 10 miles with me which helped the morale considerably. Fig newtons were my snack of choice but the doughnuts were good too as was that beer at the end. I think I was the only soloist. I left early (730amish ) from Vanderhoof and was caught by the first team runner during the 7th stage. The loooong hill at the 12 mile Hill point was a place where I channelled my inner trucker and many thanks to those encouraging me on my way .

I really appreciated the gang that escorted me into the finish. This was my longest Ultra to date.-40 miles

Perhaps the BRR next year solo??

May 17 2009: Woody's Red Deer Marathon:
Karen , Richard and I drove out for this one.
A favourite for me --nice riverside and park running with a good pasta dinner pre race in the Black Knight Inn race hotel. My legs were still pretty dead from the week before ( fig newtons notwithstanding) and I was lucky enough to bump into Roger MacMillan, from Fort Saskatchewan; a fellow Maniac and we ran this one together. The drive out and back was entertaining as we had to watch closely for the numerous moose and bear near the highway.

May 31 2009: HSBC Calgary Marathon:
A scenic but hilly course on a bright sunny day--Ran with fellow Maniac Roger again. This was a tough go as I felt poorly from the beginning but a large belt buckle for a finisher medal made this one unique and fun.

Smithers Mountain Madness Marathon June 28 2009

Number 50 went off without a hitch on a cool cloudy day in Smithers on a scenic rolling course with great views of the mountains.
My friends treated me to a steak and scotch back in Prince George and presented me with a great finisher photo and a card to mark the occasion.

August 16 2009 Intact Insurance Edmonton Marathon

Back again for this hilyl beast during my summer holidays . It was warm but nowhere as hot as the 2008 edition. I ran this one with my Maniac buddy Roger MacMillan who towed me through the my nausea wracked last 5 kms .
Once recovered , I scarfed down the finisher line breakfast and headed south to Calgary to visit my son and his wife.

September 20 2009 Mad Moose Marathon #3 (Prince George)

The weather doesn't get much better then what we had for this trail run.
I ran sweep on the marathon and ran in from the UNBC water station with Erica for her first one. Tough but interesting 1st choice . Trail run good--wood chips bad.

Oct 11 2009 BMO Okanagan Marathon (Kelowna )

Chris Budac and I did the road warrior thing again. Drove down on Saturday-ran- then drove back on Sunday.
A cold race but sunny and clear. The new course was at least flat again but somewhat repetitive. My marathon trainees did well and most completed their first and joined the "Ministry of Silly Walks ". Well done everyone.
If you are too young to get the reference, your education lacks depth --Google Monty Python's Flying Circus for Pete's sake.

And speaking of walking funny ...

Next... The Triple In Washington State in November (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

Watch this space..

RMS

Richard Stewart

Team Stride & Glide