Rob Mackay :: Notes from the edge

I’m on holidays right now so training has been sparse/none BUT I’m looking forward to the JDF this Saturday as it could be a great training distance for future races.

(I know there is talk about breaking the ’speed’ record for the trail but I suspect we’d get a ’so what?’ from the ultra world. In any case, it’s harmless fun to see if someone can at least set an ‘official’ fastest time. I’ve offered up a case of beer to the ‘winner’…)

It will be interesting to see how everyone manages the distance.

Just goes on…

JH and I chatted last night about what to do next. I’d like to look again at my training/nutrition and go underground for a while. The dreaded Haney2Harrison is an option still, so is the Great Walk but really, after doing 5 this year, the ultra season is coming to a close in my mind.

In preparation for any race, I tend to take time to read race reports from previously run races. Ostensibly I am getting a sense of the terrain, CP’s, pacing hints, etc. In reality I am comparing myself against other racers with the “I think I’m as fit as he is…” to get some sense of what my time will be. I can always find a race report that suits my needs

If you’re curious, my goal for White River is sub-9hours.

I am reading Eckhart Tolle’s new book and it sparked me thinking about the role of the ‘ego’ and the damage it causes. When I read his stuff, I have to smile - not an ‘I’m so much in control and am way ahead of you’ type of smile but more of ‘Man, I can be a dumbass sometimes’ type of smile. My ego can be big and to be fair, it pretty much rules the show. Not only that, my ego causes me grief and I am learning to recognize when my ego stands in the way of good decisions. Obviously, I have work to do.

His writing, though, has also made me think about ego and running. Do you need to have a huge ego to win? Do you need to have an ego to compete? I’ve come to the conclusion that you don’t in either situation. In fact, during an event elite athletes are so ‘in the zone’ when they are competing well that ego doesn’t seem to play much of a part, if at all. What do you need? I think you need quiet confidence with a deep knowing that you are prepared, flexibility to deal with the inevitable surprises that occur and a willingness to see the run through to the end, regardless of the outcome.

On getting some running perspective, here are a few things/questions we all need to come to terms with;

1. Even if you could run a 2:30 marathon, there would be 1000’s in the world faster than you.

2. Even if I won a single race, you could make the argument that some other faster runner would have won, if they were in the same race. There is always a faster runner.

3. Even Jon Brown, arguably Canada’s fastest marathoner, was 4th in the world, twice at the Oly’s.

4. For Ultra runners: Do you remember who won Western States last year? I don’t.

5. Do you have an ‘I love me’ part of your home where you display your medals, trophy’s, etc?

So who are you (me) trying to impress? Does our running define us? Who cares?

If this is you (and it’s certainly me), maybe it’s time to look again at the ‘Why do you run?’ question.

Here’s a question: Do you know you are training hard when you really enjoy your rest day? Today is it for me - no running, no weights. Maybe some meditation if I can get it together.

It’s like being a civilian for a day when you’re a soldier.

This weekend was all about Jarhead doing the 24 Hour Relay. If you missed it, he ran the entire damn time. (On concrete no less)

I was honoured to be his pacer between midnight and 6am. Was he hurting? Yes. Would anyone hurt at running for that amount of time? Yes. The thing that amazed me most was that there wasn’t a complaint the entire time. Me? I’d be whining like a baby after 12 hours. You? You’d be whining too.

My job was to keep the Coke flowing, keep his feet in decent shape and head out with him on all of his ‘witching hour’ laps. To be honest, at 5:30am, I was exhausted. I couldn’t wait to go home and sleep (and I couldn’t fathom having to go for another 4:30)

He obviously proved that he could do a 100 miler and I can’t wait until we pick one and get out there on the trails. Dude, Western States?

Maybe you knew… but this morning was the first time I saw iRun - a new Canadian Running Magazine. Nice to see that they have profiled Mr. Zahab on the front cover.

 The coolest feature is their celebrity marathon index - how do you stack up…?

‘David Lee Roth, 80s rock star
1987 New York City Marathon: 6:04:43
Jump? Might as well walk.’

I was reading on the PIH site and someone was asked the question have they ever DNF’d. The answer was something like, ”not an option…” Right. I’m not sure if the statement was bravado or banter but when you are racing, with cutoff times, DNF’ing is always an option.

Try any of these three races then ask yourself if DNF’ing is ever an option.

Marathon Des Sables, STORMY, H2H

Hi Phyllis. I understand you spoke with my Mom-in-law. Not that you don’t have enough advice from everyone on the Gobi March…Anyway, here are my 5 tips for the race (or any multistage races like this) Good luck, it is a crazy race and remember, whatever you do…keep moving forward.

1.) Feet tape - The best tape I have found for fixing your feet - on the run - is Leukotape. This is an expensive medical tape, but well worth the investment. Forget ductape, it won’t last in the heat. *You don’t need to take it off every night during the race. If you take it off and retape you will have tender feet as it actually pulls a layer of skin off. I found out the hard way and was left with sore, red feet.

2.) Test pack BEFORE you leave - No one does this enough but sit in your living room with all of your gear and pack it all in, then repack it and do it again. You should know where everything fits and how it sits on your back. As well, remember to put the heavy things at the top (eg. food), light things at the bottom (eg. sleeping bag). This will keep the weight off your hips - key to not getting an ITB injury….

3.) Gaiters - These are key. If you buy them from Racing the Planet, don’t use the glue provided to attach the velcro to your shoes. Take your shoes and the velcro to a shoe repair store and have them sew the velcro around the base.

4.) Feet #2 - During the race, take care of hotspots or blisters right away. Don’t wait - you will pay for it later if you don’t deal with it immediately. (I remember on the long stage at Gobi getting a toe blister at 50km and telling myself that I could keep going only to stop and say, “but you know better…” I sat down with racers passing me and took care of it)

5.) Relax - These races are very hard and you will face multiple obstacles along the way. You need to know that the pain is only temporary, you are only there for 7 days AND cold beer is waiting at the finish line for you. Don’t quit and hang in there when it sucks. You will come out of the crappy parts and your energy will return and you will be very stoked when you cross the finish.

 Good luck! Rob

If you were hoping for a golf post, this ain’t it. I can’t stand golf.

You may know that I do alot of running from work to home, home to work. It helps me get in extra training, has minimal impact on home life and provides a great way to de-stress at the end of a work day.

The one obvious downside is the lack of trails to run on. I am wary of pounding out too much time on concrete but my options are pretty limited. So, I do 2 things to mitigate the pounding:

1. I always look to run on greenways, front lawns, or any other green area. It takes more time, requires more discipline but I find that I can cut my road running down by at least 70% if I am diligent. (You don’t make many friends running across lawns, though…)

2. If my only choices are sidewalk or road, I take the road. If you didn’t know it, asphalt includes tiny bits of rubber and is softer than sidewalk concrete - if you need it verified, check ‘Fixing Your Feet’ by John Vonhof. Roads between my house and UVic are relatively flat so I don’t have to deal with heavy camber.