I've
never been one to write full-blown race reports more than a few words
as I've never seen the need to have proper documentation of my tales of
badass racery (I find hearsay or uncited rumors work so much better), or
to remember what I need to repeat or improve at my future races (I
mostly run to sustain my perverse love of scotch, and because I can't
afford a therapist); however, after finishing Iron Legs yesterday and
witnessing a ridiculous show of community and sense of accomplishment, I
am compelled to offload a few memories and thoughts, and to issue some
well-deserved gratitude:
- Dostoyevsky once said that "suffering is the sole origin of consciousness". this spell of three ultras in six weeks (trailstoke, death race, iron legs) for a combined 262km plus training distance has shown that he could not be more right.
- I did not look at my time after crossing the finish line, because I did not shit myself for those 87km, and that's mostly what matters. (so no, shit did not get real.) ~13:35-13:40, probably.
- this is the second race in a row where I took down three gravol tablets before 40km because i was apparently on a boat. apologies in advance if you see me chewing on a whole ginger root in the future--and please don't judge me.
- many thanks to Jamie Nott for designing a hilariously challenging and technical racecourse. I think the only way you could increase the difficulty/roguishness? is to introduce a few velociraptors hiding in those tall bushes at the midpoint of Ford Creek trail, so hopefully you can keep this course the way it is for a few years. props for also making sure the whole day went smoothly!
- many thanks also go out to my friends Alan Lam, Ben Cheong, Brandy Beveridge, Harold Hagen. Sheila Nykwist, and my many other new friends who took the time out of their day to ensure I could finish by volunteering. i know i'm always a diva when i get to the aid stations or when i'm interacting with course marshals, but please know that seeing all your familar faces is like a salve made of unicorn tears for my cold, cold heart and my battered but weirdly unswollen feet.
- I've always promised myself never to run the same race two years in a row on the basis that I should broaden my horizons and look at racing elsewhere in the world, but I must say this is the first race I've run where I will not run again next year as I feel that I need to give back substantially by volunteering instead.
- many thanks also go out to the company I had on the course-- Mark St Amant, Joanna Ford, Brayden Hiltz, Lourdes Gutierrez-Kellam, Philippe Lagace, Josette Caissie, Karen Wheatcroft-Johansen, Eric Reyes, Barb Millar and all the other crazies I met. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to chase or be chased by.
- another shoutout to Lourdes for completing 50km with a dislocated knee. you're one tough cookie! get well soon.
- also another shoutout to Josette and Brayden for breaking the 50mi mark. you both should be able to do 100k easy given you survived the elevation on this. relentless forward motion!
- also also another shoutout to Joanna for being rad as fk. I want to be like you when I grow up.
- still on the docket for me: Unbreakable (August 23), The Rut (September 12-13), Tour de Tirol (October 3-5), Banff Ekiden (October 18), MEC Race 7 Marathon (October 19), Georgia Sky to Summit (November 8). so yes, the elevation gain just gets stupider from here on out.
- but i guess there's also plenty of time for the tutu to reappear too.
- thanks for reading, and many thanks for all your kind words of support/encouraging heckling over the past month!
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