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Ladner, BC
Canada
1176 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2007 : 11:50 PM
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Seek the Peak race for Breast Cancer Research 2007:
It wasn't "hiking" but much of this event was on trail, there was a mountain involved, the weather played a role, and a LOT of elevation was gained, and half the team was from CT (myself and willis, our captain). I think there's enough here for a Trip Report. 
We entered the co-ed relay category (we did this event in 2005). The people that do it solo or the whole thing as a team are really STRONG people!(I'd like to do it someday...when/if i'm strong enough..., preferably with the whole team!)
Stage 1: Ambleside Beach (Main Concession) to end of Keith Road - 3.5km (road running with some uphill at the end). It goes by fast. Jane-Ann thought the gatorade and water was an aid station until Dana came up for the timing chip hand-off. There was some bumping and drink spillage involved with the competitors hehe. It's all part of the fun of these events. She had a great run.
Stage 2: Keith Road to Grouse Mountain via Capilano Pacific Trail system - 6km (starts out with "giddy" fun trail running and then things start to change... Lot's of uphill trails, and steps, and then out onto Capilano road at Cleveland Dam and up to the base of Grouse.
Dana wasn't sure about doing this leg because she remembered me talking about how tough it was last time... but she persevered and beat my old time =) Awesome!
Stage 3: Grouse Grind to Peak Chalet - 3.5km (2,800' vertical gain) everyone knows this stage. Hiking with Willis is kind of like hiking with my dad. They don't look like they're pushing hard and going fast but I always feel I have to press to keep up. Very steady and longer strides i think. He blew his previous time and modestly told me "I think I did it about the same". I wish I was able to see him motor up.
Stage 4: Top of Grouse Grind to The Peak of Grouse Mountain and back to plaza outside the Peak Chalet (FINISH) - 3km (400' vertical gain)
I did stage 2 and 4 in 2005 (there was an illness), and chose stage 4 for this year, only remembering how fun it was to run downhill....
When one is finished the grind and having a coffee outside the chalet waiting for the tram, the Peak in the NEAR distance often looks like a little bump of a ski hill... "No problem to run just that compared to doing the Grouse Grind".
...well it started out well when Willis handed me the timing chip at the top of the grind. I bolted up the gravel path and around the corner (At least try and look good where the spectators can see you!) and quickly passed a few people. Kept up the pace and caught up to and passed another at the base of the peak. "i'm feeling strong...this is great!", and then it all came to a screeching halt part way up that first hill. The pace dramatically slowed down, the breathing went harder, and the muscles were in anaerobic shock begging for oxygen. Shortly after, (shh!!) I had to walk. err Let's call it hike. ...I had to hike up the peak! 
I can hear the fellow behind me breathing just as hard but he wasn't gaining much. I passed under the chair lift, and knew the turnaround was just up a bit more. I "ran" (I'll use that term very loosely) the one "flat" (ditto) section, and then desperately tried to pick the legs up as the volunteers cheered through the rain and fog (and cold! about 2-5 Celsius) at the crest. I love race volunteers... big cheers, little cheers, words of encouragement, and positive feedback... it really helps when the mind starts it's "why are you doing this?" games.
Around a few pylons and Valhalla! DOWNHILL!! As strange as those first long strides were, I knew I could hammer the rest of this out no problem! The one guy passed me back part way down and I streched out further not caring much about the steepness and the rivers of water running down the loose rocks. Several racers were coming up in groups... and almost all of them were walking and suffering as I did !! woohoo! Share the pain! Yes, most of them started from Ambleside Park and have been running uphill for about an 1hr&45... but I pretended that they were all my competitors and gave myself a brief ego boost to push myself some more hehe. Down and around the bear pen and a little bit of uphill. I was a bit concerned that i'd slow down but was able to keep the pace and stayed with the rabbit in front of me. Snow... or shall I say Slush. I guess this is where technique/ shoes played a role because the other guy went through it like it wasn't there and I was sliding out and shortening strides. Ditto with the long patch with pools of mud. I must say it's still fun to splosh around in mud and water after all these years since those lunch hours in the gravel fields at school!
A few more strides and I was able to hear "The Voice" Steve King calling out our numbers and information. http://www2.vip.net/~stking/
A finish line, a team hug, free powerade, bagels, gummi bears, and talk about next year...it's the stuff I live for.
(Like how I can strech out the shortest leg of the race with words? It has to be epic!)
Thanks team!
Lupin
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Team: Whachoo talkin 'bout Willis II (they didn't officially spell it this way  )
Stage 1: Jane-Ann, 15:23 (2005 Dana's time: 17:11) 5th place of the relays, 3rd place in open coed!!
Stage 2: Dana, 38:16 (2005 Lupin's time: 38:24) 11th place in relays, 7th in open coed
Stage 3: (CT Willis) 43:51 (2005 Willis time 48:23) 10th place in relays, 6th in open coed
Stage 4: (CT Lupin) 18:14 (2005 Lupin's time 20:46) 10thplace in relays, 6th place in open coed
Total time: 1:55:43 (2005 team time 2:04:41) 8th/35 relay teams 6th/16 in open coed
(placement results are not accurate: The corporate relay teams may have had coed ones)
Weather: rain Temp. at Grouse Chalet from 2-5 degrees Celsius
sorry no pictures, next time... |
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Chwk, BC
Canada
457 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 07:54 AM
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| Way to go guys. A fun day for a good cause. |
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Langley, BC
Canada
1692 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 08:11 AM
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Very cool! Nice report.. |
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 Herbal tea drinkin, tree huggin, view seeking, tortoise paced, ultralite wannabe
Vancouver, BC
Canada
2847 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 09:11 AM
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way to go Lupin and Willis. I always hit my "wall" at unexpected times, too. Like when I'm shopping in the supermarket or someplace difficult like that  |
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Coquitlam, BC
Canada
191 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 10:38 AM
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Great job guys! :) We did this one too, probably saw you up there! We were Team Apex Kings, placed 6/35 in relay. It was a lot of fun, the three other members on my team were from work. Damn friends kept me up too late the night before tho! I was running off < 4 hours sleep  Definitely will do this next year, probably solo just for the challenge. Also started looking at some other trail running series like 5 Peaks and of course going to do the BMO Grouse Grind Mountain Run this year.
Good job again, even for a rainy day (at the summit anyways), lots of fun. |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 11:15 AM
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Good Job all! Doing what you love for a cause makes it all the more fun even when the weather doesn't really co-operate.
Stay well,
Lynn |
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Vancouver, B.C.
461 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 1:39 PM
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Congratulations Draezn on the fine showing. I heard your team name being called as your leg 4 runner crossed the finish line.
I hope the weather is better next year. |
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Coquitlam, BC
Canada
191 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 3:02 PM
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| Thanks Willis, you too Looks like I was starting the grind just before you, might have seen you at the bottom. By the way, I think your team may be bumped up to #7 as there seems to be innacurate timing results. It was originally showing the 4th leg as 10 minutes for their team, and now the 3rd and 4th leg times for them have been removed although they have kept the cumulative time. |
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Ladner, BC
Canada
1176 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 12:51 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Draezn
Damn friends kept me up too late the night before tho! I was running off < 4 hours sleep
arg, I paid them to not let you sleep at all! hehe jk
Good race!
I thought that 10 minutes for Stage 4 looked suspicious... That would be a great time for a flat road... uberhuman for Stage 4.
We'll look for you next year running solo!!
we're planning on doing the longestday run this Friday... something flat to "recover" hehe.
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vancouver, b.c.
Canada
235 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 06:56 AM
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| Nice!!!!!! |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1047 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 11:39 AM
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very cool! |
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Seeked the Peak-June 10th-2007
