Now this is Cool!

Check out Nokia’s new adventure phone – the N82! Recently partnered with Salomon, Nokia is now making a great device that all us adventure seekers can totally use. The phone features a live GPS tracking system that downloads automatically to the web. This means that people everywhere can check out where you are and the adventures that you are having. Complete with internet, camera and the capability to play your tunes, this phone has it all. The greatest thing is that its all you have to bring with you now is ONE gadget on your runs, ski tours, bike rides and trekking expeditions. No more GPS on your wrist, I-pod strapped to your arm, phone in your back pocket and camera in your hand as you run “hoping” that you might get that one chance photo op of a grizzly bear!

I got my first taste of this great piece of technology back in February when I flew to France to train with Salomon’s global athletes. Several of the Euro guys already had one. We used it to monitor our daily mileage and pace, take pictures of everyone running in amazing terrain, arrange for pick-ups at various trail heads and then to view it all on the web later on that night! Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

I am just learning how to use mine now so as soon as I am up & running, I’ll let ya know. Live tracking of my adventures around the globe will eventually be able to be viewed at http://www.salomonrunning.com/us/

This Thursday I will Run!

80km coming my way this week! Good friend Ray Zahab is currently on his way, running a double marathon in each province/territory for 13 consecutive days! By the time Ray reaches BC, he will have completed 11 provinces. Pretty damn cool. Ray is supporting Canada ONExONE, an organization that strives to support "... carefully selected philanthropic partners and supported major initiatives that serve our mandate of helping children find a better world and securing their future. Each partner and project is a superstar in their own space." Check out the website. I will be running with Ray for his BC leg as we make our way all over the Vancouver area, road and trail! Should be great fun (if you like running as I do) and will be a great way for me to log mileage.

On a side note, Ray will be heading to Badwater with me in July. He will be heading up my support team and providing direction to both me and my crew. More to come on Badwater as training and preparing are now in full swing.

May 10th MOMAR Squamish

After a solid 6 months of planning for the 2nd annual Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race that I am the course designer for, I can finally say "mission complete." WOW. Last Saturday 220 racers from all over BC, the USA and as far away as Australia came to Squamish to race. The race was about 50km and was a mix of trail running, mountain biking, rappelling and orienteering. I wanted to showcase the amazing playground that I live in and I think I accomplished this!


Last year was the first year that race director Bryan Tasaka wanted to bring his first class adventure race series to the mainland. He has been running them for 8 years on Vancouver Island and they never disappoint. I created a point to point race course last year but this year decided to have the start and finish line at the new Quest University meaning that the design was more of a clover shape. Either way, I got to put racers on some of the best single track in the world!


We had over 40 volunteers out which was just awesome. Many thanks to Adrian LaSalle Lowe and Derron Johnson for doing a wicked job overseeing their sections of the course (get better Adro so we can go play soon). Bad ass mountian biker Justin Mark and his partner Jeff Reimer took 1st place overall, narrowly beating out speedsters Todd Nowack and Gary Robbins (last years winners.) It was also awesome to see one of the ladies that I coach, Eleanor Mulloy, rock it out on the course with her partner. Bart Jarmula won the men's solo category and was third overall across the line with his stellar navigation skills. Good buddy AV was up from Seattle with his team of 4 co-ed and they pulled an impressive 1st in their category (see you soon for some more riding AV). Two of my students from Quest also raced in the team of 2 co-ed and it was absolutely amazing to see them cross the finish line and complete their first adventure race. Congrats to everyone who tackled the MOMAR Squamish and to everyone who made it happen.

Rumor has it that this was the toughest MOMAR yet. Trust me, I didn't plan it to be this way but hey, if you wanna ride sweet single track, you gotta first climb up to go get it! All the beers at the after party are enjoyed just a little bit more when you suffer for them :) I'm done with planning for a few months until I start to think about MOMAR 2009. See you in Squamish next May!

I went, I raced!

Miwok 100km Race Report

I took a friends advice to head down to San Francisco and to do the Miwok 100km despite the sinus infection that had me couch ridden in the weeks previous. I was feeling great by the time the weekend rolled along, I just mentally wasn’t feeling ready because I had missed some key weeks of training. Anyway, with Badwater in mind, it seemed like the right thing to go and do. 100km in the sun is still better than running 100km in Squamish rain. I packed my bags and off I went.

We arrived early Friday morning into San Fran. After checking into the hotel (which by the way was hosting a whips & chains conference – very entertaining!) we did some tourist wandering around by Fisherman’s Wharf. This was nice to just take it all in and stretch the legs. After a big dinner and a bloated stomach (wheat allergy – geez Jen, when will you learn), it was off to bed!

4am the alarm went off and by 5:45am, although rushed and late to the start line, we were off. The sun was coming up over the Golden Gate Bridge as we began our first of many climbs of the day. I had a comfortable pace going and was sitting nicely between Kami Semich and Bev Anderson-Abbs, 2 of the top runners in the USA. At 22k, we hit a steep descent and all of a sudden, I noticed my shoe was loose. Strange I thought, my salomon’s never come undone! I looked down and it was surreal – my shoe lace had broken right off! Salomon uses this quick pull system which I absolutely love. You never have to tighten the shoe once they are done up! Panicked and rushed, I jimmied it together, prayed that it would hold and set off towards the next aid station at about 30km. I had no idea if that was the end of my race!

As the kilometers passed by, the shoe held and so I got to keep running. I decided that as long as I could maintain good running technique, I would keep going. If I had to alter my running style, foot strike or anything else, then I would pull out, no question. I wasn’t about to risk an injury because of running form. I pretty much ran from 30km – 70km on my own. Miwok is probably the most stunningly beautiful race course that I have ever raced on. It’s super flowy, very hilly and great views of the ocean and big-treed forests. The weather was hot but not unbearable! I loved it!

At 70km, I got passed by the woman who would later on take 3rd. She had a pacer with her and they were moving really well. I ended up picking up an ultra runner who was volunteering for the race, Chris Garcia. He was my saving grace, keeping me motivated to run the down-hills and get me to the last aid station – my quads were shot! Thanks Chris! My watch tells me that we did over 16,000ft of climbing - sweet!

I hit the last aid station, downed a mouthful of coke, grabbed some H2O melon and off I went, up the last big climb of the race. Power hiking was key here – thank you adventure racing! Usually it’s the ups that you dread but not in this case. I knew that it was all downhill (and paved at that) to the finish back at the beach. I could see the finish line, hear the people but wow, I just couldn’t throw my body into another gear. My legs were so done. All I could do was focus on not falling flat on my face. At 10hrs01mins, I crossed the line! YEAH! I finished 1st in my category (20-29) and 4th overall for females. I was happy with that, all things considering and taking into account that my race could have been over with the shoe disaster.

In the end, I finished 4th for women but managed to win my age group (20-29). I finished 21st out of 318 racer total. I'll take it....

What a day of running! Check out the RACE RESULTS to see how everyone did. Super star runner Dave Mackey set a new CR, coming in with a sub 8hr time. He was moving! Kami Semick won the women’s race. It was great for me to finally have a chance to go up against these wicked women runners. Next time, I’m bringing my A game! Congrats to all the local runners from Squamish & Vancouver who headed down for this (Cheryl Beatty, Gary Robbins, Ryne Melcher, Wade Repta, Dom Repta)! It was tons of fun to race and celebrate and sight see San Fran with you.

Saturday night post race was painful. After a good Thai food dinner and a few beers, my stomach was upset and my hip flexors killing. I got very little sleep that night. Sunday we hobbled around San Fran and of all cities in the world, I think we picked the hilliest one!

Miwok 100km

Does it become a C race or NO race?
Decision time...

(Views from Chuckanut Ridge in Bellingham, WA)

Since returning from my epic adventure at the Baja Travesia and being on an ultimate high (except for the poison oak that attacked me and still reminds me every so often that it's not ready to say goodbye to the side of my leg) I was doing pretty good up until about a week and a half ago. I returned to BC with a bit of a cold, not unusual when you put yourself through 400+km of self inflicted pain. However, by mid last week, it hit me hard. I was back training but struggling through workouts. Hills that I always tackle were a challenge, my HR was through the roof and in general, I just felt like shit. I figured that I wasn't recovered yet and that it would get better. Well, life had something else in store for me....a sinus infection. The pinnacle day came last Friday where I left work early and spent the entire day on the couch with crazy pressure in my forehead and my eyes. However, Saturday I was scheduled for a good training day down in Bellingham with the DART-nuun crew so I just had to getter better. No way was I going to miss a fun play day. I pumped the Frequensea and went to bed!

When the 4:30am alarm went off, I felt pretty good and ready for a great day south of the border. I love training in Bellingham. Chuckanut Mt rules for running and Gailbraith has sweet biking. Tony's (my favorite breakfast place) is the best way to kick off a training day! So, down I went as any dedicated athlete would do and I actually had a great training day and logged some good hours. On Sunday, I got up early after a good nights rest and headed out on my local favorite Squamish trail for just an awesome early morning 30km. I was in heaven and thought for sure I had beaten that nasty nasal problem. Good back to back doubles, no problemo!

Ooops, spoke to soon. I continued to struggle through every session this week. Got out lots with friends which made training easy but still, that HR just stayed high. After some good hours were logged, I awoke Thursday morning to just a pounding headache. Crap!!! It was back. The sinus infection has returned and once again, it was lay low all day as the pressure in my head was super intense and neon colored snot was blown out (sorry to be graphic). I squeezed in a mellow road ride and that was it. Early to bed. Today, Friday, the reality of the situation has me feeling a little overwhelmed and uncertain. The Miwok 100km is just 2 weeks out now and I dont feel ready. Being sick has put me behind in my training. Its just about time to taper and yet I have not even peaked yet. What to do? I debated pulling out of the race completely as I am not stoked to go down and just have a brutal race. But on second thought, it's a great way to log some good run hours in prep for Badwater in the sunshine. Hmmmmm, what does one do?? I have a good weekend of training planned so I will make the call early next week. Stay tuned. Will Mr. Sinus Infection beat me?

Hooked on a New Sport

The Baja Travesia opened my eyes to a whole new world of water fun! As part of the race this year (actually it was how the race started), we did a paddleboard section! I had never been on a true paddleboard before so in order to prepare, I spent countless freezing cold hours paddling my surfboard around Alice Lake here in Squamish (see previous blog post). However, I wanted to make sure that I could rock on this section so I gave myself a few extra days down in San Diego to prepare and master the skill!

Our wonderful support crewman, TR, put me in touch with a man by the name of Brian Szymanski who is the owner and designer of NCPaddleboards. TR and I headed to visit Brian down in sunny Encinitas and who would have guessed that a few short minutes later after meeting the guy, I would be out getting a private lesson on how to really paddle! Brian got me so stoked on the paddleboard. I mean, this guy is a pro! His boards are awsome - super lightweight, durable and they move like rockets in the water. He has even inspired me to enter the big race down in Molokai, Hawaii next year! If you are thinking of trying this wicked sport and are looking for an amazing core and upper body workout, then you have to give the paddleboard a try. I am seriously considering getting into this sport. With the help of a good wetsuit, there is no reason why this sport can't be enjoyed in the colder climates. Thanks Brian for adding one more sport to my "to do" list.

I also just have to mention that during our session, Brian also let me try out his Stand Up Paddleboard or SUP as they call it down there. Now, this is something to try! SUP has been around for years down in places like Hawaii but only more recently has it really started to make its entrace down in California. The core workout is unbelieveable! While lots of people like to use the board to actually surf waves, it can be equally as fun for touring around lakes, rivers and just flat oceans on. I was so stoked to finally get to give it a go. I am determined to bring both these sports to the pacific northwest. Weekends away in Tofino will be that much better if I can bring a SUP with me and a new toy to play on! It's awsome to have 2 new sports now to try to master! Looking forward the humbling challenge ahead....

(team mates: Arron, me and Cyril)

3x Victory at the Baja Travesia for DART-nuun

I have returned safe and sound back to Squamish - a few blistered feet, 2 toe nails barely hanging on and a body covered in poison oak! Despite the pain, I am so excited to have been able to bring home for the 3rd year in a row, a 1st place finish at the Baja Travesia down in Mexico. Each year, my team DART-nuun and I head south for a little racing and to escape the cold winter months of the Pacific Northwest.

For over 350 non-stop miles, we battled it out on the race course with our fellow DART-nuun /NW Kayaks team. After making a bit of a navigation error (ok, it was a major one that we would then spend the entire remainder of the race trying to correct) we had to turn to experience to get us up again and on our way to a full-on chase. We caught up to the other DART team during the last trekking leg. They were a complete disaster, having not slept at all in almost three days. We had banked 1 hour and it was this critical tactical decision that enabled us to put the hammer down later on in the race. It was agreed that we would complete the small remainder bike and kayak/beach walk together and finish as a group. Almost 70 hours later, we had traversed from the hot sunny beaches of San Felipe to the windy city of Ensenada on the Pacific.

The race had suberb coverage. Please visit http://www.bajatravesia.com/ and/or link onto http://www.sleepmonsters.ca/ for some great articles and photos done by Jacqueline Windh. I am too exhausted to write anymore other than to say the "BAJA TRAVESIA RULES" and anyone who truly is into adventure racing is missing out big time if they don't head down to this one!

Off to bed -it's been a long and exhausting day of travel and work. Enjoy the pictures....

Baja Travesia - MEXICO

1st expedition adventure race of 2008

Howdy folks!!! I am currently in San Diego getting acclimatized and brushing up on my paddleboard skills in preparation for our Saturday's departure further south to Baja, MX. Monday morning is the start of the Baja Travesia - a 5 day adventure race covering 400km of hot desert terrain. The race starts in San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez and will finish several non-stop days later in Ensenada. My team DART-nuun is eager to get out on the course and rock it out! We are the 2x defending championships of this race and this year, the race is also a world qualifer. Wish us luck as we go for a 3-peat!!!!

FOLLOW THE RACE - starts Monday and there will be up-to-date live coverage and a leaderboard at http://www.bajatravesia.com/

Good friend from San Diego, TR, will be supporting the team and working hard to keep us moving lightening fast! This race features mountain biking, kayaking, running, ascending, rappelling, paddleboarding and a desert auto car rally section! Should be fun...

Thanks to everyone for all the goodluck emails!