Running secrets

The October edition of Trail Runner magazine had an article on the Lung-Gom-Pa Runners of ancient Tibet. Descriptions of these runners bounding along hardly touching the ground sound like another one of those myths about the wonderous things that happen on the other side of the mountain. But like most myths there is always that faint hope that it has some basis in reality. Tales of Lung-Gom-Pa runners spending over 3 years alone in a remote cave doing breathing exercises and chanting don’t sound like the most attractive of training schedules but if it would make you really fast…hmmm.

Certainly I don’t expect to be doing any bounding when I am huffing and puffing my way through the Everest Marathon, but it will be interesting to see if there is any knowledge of Lung-Gom-Pa practices while trekking in Nepal. Maybe I’ll even see a Lung-Gom-Pa runner chasing a Yeti, but if I do it will probably be another altitude induced hallucination!

In any event I should be able to start my field research soon since we will be leaving for India on Wednesday. This will be the last regular post that I will be able to do, but I will try to add additional material when I can access an internet cafe. In the mean time fund raising efforts for Nepal will continue. If you are interested in supporting my run and fund raising efforts there is still time to make a donation to Nepal School Projects. You can even get a tax credit if you donate more than $25.00

Victoria Marathon

Weather was perfect for running the Victoria Marathon and there were 11 records set in the event. Unfortunately, my time wasn’t one of them! It was my fastest marathon this year but still pretty slow. I made a rookie mistake of not hydrating properly in advance. That wouldn’t have been big problem if I wasn’t pushing to try to do a 3:45 on tired legs (two weeks to recover from tough run in Bellingham wasn’t enough). Things were going well and I was ahead of my target pace until I started down the big hill after the Oak Bay Golf Course at about 19km. At that point I had a very painful cramp in my right adductor muscle. After a couple of tylenol and walking it out I was able to run again, but whenever I tried to pick up the pace the muscle would start to cramp again so I had to settle for plodding along for the rest of the marathon. Its a long way to go when you start hurting before the half way point.

 Disappointing, but I did manage to finish my 132nd marathon in 3:51.  I was also there to share Janet Green’s champagne for finishing her 250th marathon. Congratulations Janet! I was also less disappointed than I would have been normally because this year I was approaching Victoria as my last “training” event before leaving for India and Nepal. The Everest Marathon challenge is looming large on the horizon and I am really fixated on raising funds for Nepal and eventually running Everest.

On the fund raising front I just sent over $2500.00 to Nepal School Projects which is all the money I have raised thus far. I hope to continue fund raising after we return from Nepal. Hopefully I’ll be able to speak first hand about the way the funds are being used and will be able to encourage more people to open their hearts and wallets to support Nepal.

Getting Ready

Usually the Victoria Marathon is one of my favourite events of the running year. It must be since I’ve done it 12 times. Thats more than any other marathon I’ve participated in. As I’ve told many people it is my favourite Canadian city marathon.  Its a well organized event on a course that is fairly fast, and the weather is usually really good at that time of year. It is also an opportunity to spend some time with family since all our boys live in the Victoria area so we get to do Canadian Thanksgiving together. I’m going back again this year, but with very different perspective.  Instead of this being the usual  big highlight for me, this year I am looking at it as my last full marathon race before Everest Marathon. It will be the end of that phase of my training.

I’ve been training pretty hard this summer for Everest, as well as doing my best to raise funds for Nepal School Projects. During August and September I was running a marathon every two weeks. The last one in Bellingham was pretty challenging and my body is really tired. So I am looking forward to Victoria because I will be backing off my training after this Sunday. I will continue to try to do lots of hill runs until we leave for India at the end of the month, but no more racing until Everest. Will almost seem like a holiday to not have a marathon scheduled for 8 weeks.

Funny how perspective can change. When I have a real challenge like Everest ahead suddenly just running 42.1 km. at sea level doesn’t seem like that big a deal. I’ll report on how Victoria goes next week, but from that point on it will mostly be my fund raising efforts that I will be concentrating on.

Bellingham Bay wind fest

Ran the Bellingham Bay Marathon last Sunday. After training and racing on very hilly courses all summer to prepare for Everest Marathon I was looking forward to a flat marathon at sea level as a “easy” one. Was reminded again that there is no such thing as a easy marathon.

This time the challenge was the extremely windy conditions. We were fighting cross or head winds for much of the way. There was one small section where we turned a corner and had a tail wind as we had to run up a short steep hill. It felt like we were being blown up the hill and had to pick up the pace just to avoid being knocked over. Was frustrated since this is a very fast course and I was hoping for a good time. First 10 miles was running an 8 minute/mile pace but that was when we were dealing with cross winds that were annoying but not slowly me down too much, but when we turned south and into the winds it became difficult to maintain any headway, let alone a 8 minute pace. Had been running with a woman from Tacoma for several miles at that point and when we hit the headwinds I suggested she tuck in behind me and get a bit of a wind break. Only wish I could have found someone to provide drafting for me! Tried to maintain good pace, but by half way point I was spent. Continued running but I wasn’t able to continue at 8 minute. I actually took some consolation at the end when I found that my overall pace was still less than 9 minutes/mile. Although when the Half and Full marathon courses merged and the front runners in the Half went flying by me I certainly felt like I was running much slower than that. The last 6 miles I just concentrated on continuing to run rather than walk and was pleased that I was able to do that and pass some other runners that had charged by me after I slowed down at the half way point. Finished in 3:54 which wasn’t great but under the circumstances I wasn’t unhappy with it either.

While the conditions were challenging the race organizers put on a great event. Lots of enthusiastic volunteers with aid stations about every two miles. The start at the Lummi First Nation’s Long House with a First Nations blessing was great. While most of the course was very rural so there weren’t many spectators those that were on the course certainly made up for the lack of numbers in enthusiasim. The finish area at the farmers market was very central and had all necessary comforts. Its a good event that hopefully will only get better in the future.

But this one I will treat as my last “long run” in my training for Victoria in two weeks.

The power of one

Today I ran the local Terry Fox 10k. It was a very windy and wet morning but by the time that the run started conditions were perfect for running.  I used it as a speed workout for the Bellingham Bay Marathon that is coming up next weekend but really that was just an excuse for being out there. I found inspiration in passing all the walkers on the out and back course. There were cancer survivors, elderly (including one woman on a power scooter), and a number of small children. Many of the people were visibly out of condition, and very few people actually wanted to run in the event, opting for a more sociable walk with friends. But still they were collectively very inspiring because they were out there participating and helping to raise money for cancer research in Terry’s name. That was a lot more meaningful than how fast you can run the 10k.

If you are as old as I am you probably have strong memories of Terry’s heroic effort to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. The fact that he would be out there every day running is all kinds of inclement weather, with his painful shuffle hop step on his primitive prosthesis put all of us who claimed to be runners to shame. Then when he had to announce that he was going to have to suspend his run to concentrate of fighting another cancer, it was such a moving experience that I am sure I was not the only one with tears that day. Year after year I try to participate in a Terry Fox run to help “keep his dream alive”. When our children were young I used to walk, and later run it with them. That is another milestone that is long behind me, but I still try to support the Terry Fox Run every fall, and it is wonderful to see the young people who weren’t even born when Terry died out there participating.

Andy Warhol used to say that in our fast paced and high tech world that everyone would have 15 seconds of fame, and then the focus would move on to the next “big, new thing”. Terry Fox’s Run and his memory have been inspiring people for over 30 years. He has an enduring legacy, and for what? For wanting to do what he could as an individual to help others. It really demonstrates what an impact a single person can have… if they believe that they can do something and are prepared to perserve. As I try to raise funds for self-help projects in Nepal I am inspired by the leadership of Terry.

Running addiction

“My name is Rob, and I have a running addiction”. I promised that I would start the next entry with that confession after I heard on Wednesday that the Mt. Robson Marathon had reopened registration due to some cancellations. Registered immediately on-line and left on Thursday to travel for a day and a half to get to Valemount. Ran the marathon on the Saturday morning, then jumped in car and travelled another day and a half to get home Sunday night. When I look at this description I have to confess that I do have an addiction to running marathons.

However, in my defense the Mt. Robson Marathon was  special. It is  likely a one time only event since it was held as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations for BC Parks. I had tried to get in earlier but was advised that all 100 entries were gobbled up an a matter of hours, so when my friend Fran who was registered for the Half told me of the opportunity it seemed too good to pass up. Where else could I train for Everest on mountain trails. Running the Berg Lake Trail on the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies with an elevation gain of 2700′ to the turn around point and then back down the same trail to Park visitor Centre was probably close as I can come to modeling Everest conditions. I know that my quads certainly thought so after all the down hill I subjected them to on the second half.

It was a very challenging trail, and my time of 5:35 was a testament to how steep it was. But the scenery was absolutely spectacular. We had a brilliant sunny day and the Mountain’s snow-capped peak, as well as the many falls that we passed in the Valley of a Thousand Falls were jaw dropping beautiful. It was really hard to concentrate on trail conditions and watching for tricky footing when wanted to spend time admiring the views. Definitely a highlight of my running adventures. If I can access some photos from the day I will post them here for all to see.

So while I confess to a running addiction I am not about to try to enter a group to deal with it. Rather than being a self-destructive addiction I gain great personal satisfaction from running and it gives me this unique opportunity to help people in Nepal.

Run The Rock Recovery

When my daughter-in-law Jen set up this blog for me to encourage donations to Nepal School Projects I committed to doing a weekly update. Admittedly the quality is variable but I have been fairly religious in doing at least one post a week. However, this week every time that I sit down at the computer I have an overwhelming urge to take a nap! So not sure how coherent or interesting this week’s product will be.  Consider that your warning, and if you read on don’t be surprised if you too start to nod off.

I am blaming my exhaustion on the Run The Rock Marathon that occurred last Sunday. Much of my sleep deficit was from earlier in the week when I was getting up at a ridiculously early hour since I couldn’t sleep due to my mind working overtime on race logistics. It got so bad that I was up at 4:00 on Saturday because I was lying in bed worrying if we had properly marked the Half Marathon runners’ bibs for those who registered late. Rather than continue to worry I got up to check, and then one thing lead to another…. Race day on Sunday was actually a relief. Once we had the start/finish area set up, and the clock ticked down to 8:30 start I was able to convert from Race Director to runner and left all the last minute glitches to the rest of the organizing committee.

We were really pleased to have much higher registration than we had anticipated, and even though the course is challenging (lots of hills and it turned out to be the hottest day of the summer) most runners really enjoyed their race. Only one young marathoner was vocal about the course being too difficult. To stop his rant I pointed out that you don’t get bragging points doing an easy, flat course. Our course is definitely tough and we are proud of it. Most runners were asking what the date would be for next year so they could come back.

After the marathon I attempted to escape by going sea kayaking for two days with my buddy Ken. However, it was challenging to get any sleep when our tent was on a slope and I continually found myself sliding downhill and winding up in a ball at the foot of the tent. So sleep deprivation has lasted longer than usual.

However, our efforts to put on a marathon on Texada Island pale in comparison to the incredible challenge that the Everest Marathon organizers have to contend with. They are bringing together an international group with very different training and skill levels, take us on a 16 day trek up to base camp with all the logistics involved in trekking with group so large that it has to be split into 3 teams, then putting on a marathon that starts at over 17,000 ft (complete with large medical team). All of this to raise funds to help Nepal. My hat is definitely off to Penny and her dedicated team.

North American perspectives on Nepal

My efforts to prepare for the Everest Marathon have me reading everything about Nepal that I get my hands on. So when I was passing through Vancouver recently I was thrilled to find a book entitled “Bringing Progress to Paradise: What I got from giving to a mountain village in Nepal” by Jeff Rasley. Fantastic I thought and immediately bought a copy.

Here is an American who went to Nepal to climb and wound up loving the people and wanting to help the people of a village that his guide was from that was far off the usual tourist trekking circuits. Sound familiar?

However, he spends much of the book in angst about whether it would be better to leave people in their primitive living conditions. As he says ” I still have a sense of tragic apprehension about the future of Basa. Was it right to bring a group of sixteen trekkers to the idyllic village? How many groups of Westerners will it take before the wonderful welcome… I received transmogrifies into programmed theater for the tourists? What can be done to try to ensure that increasing contact with Westerners and modernity create a positive exchange for Basa, as well as the ii?” He also worried that “Proud community reliance on the traditional economy ….could be replaced with menial low-wage service jobs. Villages integrated with the aesthetics and rhythms of nature were despoiled by the squalor and filth of third world urbanism”.

I was really bothered by this North American assumption that we would know what might be best for these “simple” people. So I was pleased when Rasley finally actually seemed to listen to his guide who said “You wouldn’t want to walk a mile to fetch water if running water can be piped into your house. Why should we?” People deserve the right to determine their own destiny and if we can help to make it possible for them to make meaningful choices by supporting self-help projects I am all for it.

Making a difference

Just made what is for me a substantial donation to help famine victims in East Africa. Can’t sit in my comfortable middle class environment and see pictures of starving and dying children and not do something. But even while I am writing out a cheque I’m not really sure that it is going to do much good. It seems like such a stop gap measure, and even if we feed people today it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be hungry again tomorrow.

Having travelled in East Africa I have some sense of the huge problems that the region faces. The corruption in the region and the ongoing fighting in Somolia have certainly contributed to the current crisis; while overpopulation and environmental degradation means it is going to be very difficult for people to recover. I continue to respond to most of the calls for financial assistance to deal with emergencies but I am always wondering if we are pouring water in a leaking bucket.

One of my favourite sayings is the old Chinese one ” Give a man a fish you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him forever”. That is why I really like the type of self-help development that Nepal School Projects is supporting in one of the world’s poorest countries. I believe educating the children, providing basic health care, clean water and even microhydro to subsistence farming communites means that they will have a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty. Which is why I am so happy to take part in the Everest Marathon to raise funds for Nepal School Projects.

I will continue to make donations to stop gap efforts like Africa Famine relief, but it is the money I contribute to change peoples lives that really excites me.

Event organizing challenges

We are busy preparing for the first ever marathon on Texada Island on August 28th. With less than two weeks to go the preparations are taking on a slightly frantic pace and now is when all the glitches start to appear and co-ordinating the event starts to resemble one handed juggling. Already met our target for numbers, how many more T-shirts can we get printed at the last minute? Is the van which is being counted on going to be available if we can’t get a company employee to drive it? Can my wife come along on the free transport for runners from the ferry to watch? Can I change events? Can we have something other than gatorade for sport drink because I don’t like it? By the time the horn goes off to start the race I will probably be able to fill a book with these last minute challenges and innane questions.

Fortunately we have a great team that has worked together to organize the race under very tight time lines. Everybody is sharing the workload and thankfully the few stressful issues have been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. We are also getting great support from the community. Businesses and individuals have made significant donations, and many people are prepared to give up much of their Sunday to stand out on the side of a hot road handling out water or controlling traffic. It is wonderful to see how an event like this can pull the community together.

But it won’t happen without a lot more work right up to 2:30 p.m on the 28th when the race will officially close. So for the next two weeks I will be rather distracted and won’t have as much time to devote to this blog or fund raising for Nepal (although I will have a donations jar and Running for Nepal flyers at the finish of the race…just in case someone feels generous or is still high on endrophins).

However, this experience does reinforce for me the incredible logistical challenges the Everest Marathon folks have to tackle. They have to get 70 runners and additional volunteers from all over the world to Kathmandu. Take them on a 16 day trek all the way to Everest Base Camp at 17,000 ft.. Then put on a marathon and get everyone back safely to Kathmandu. To do this they have a team including 4 group leaders, 6 medical personnel, and all the staff necessary to stage a successful trek from Team leader (Sidur) and porters to cook and kitchen staff. It is a mind boggling effort which may partially explain why the Everest Marathon only happens every other year. It takes real dedication to be Race Director for something like this, and to do it and contribute all the profits to charity is highly commendable. Hats off to Penny and her helpers.