Sommer in Winter (with new pics)
Posted by Guest Writer | Date created 2010-02-15 21:38:15
Women's Captain does the Canadian Ski Marathon
Day 1 started at 3AM with breakfast and a 53 minute drive to Papineauville. I hopped the shuttle bus at 5:10 and then waited outside freezing in the cold for about 40 minutes to start the race. The race started in the pitch dark at 6AM, and thanks to Molly's advise I had my headlight on and ready to go so that I could see where I was skiing. We counted down and it was a mad rush of people with headlamps racing and trying to get into good position in two ski track lines. I was in the middle of the pack and had NO idea how to pace myself so I simply tried to keep up. The first section was 7.1K and the terrain was not very good with lots of grass and rocks and ice. Some areas were not even passable on skis, and we had to take them off to run (yes run) down the hill. I was tired already but I figured I was just getting warmed up and that it would get easier as I went.
I stopped briefly to wax my skis and grab a hot gatorade at the first check point and then was off again. I figured that I am certainly not as fast as most of these people so the only way to keep up was to make sure that I kept moving. The second section was 5.3K and I have to say that training and measuring only in time really did not help me know what 1K felt like.... It is so long. Being the rookie on this race I was confronted with my first big mistake. I wanted to bring water with me so I bought this great 2L camel back that I filled with water and stuck into my backpack. Of course the tube froze and I wasn't able to drink it for the race... and I carried an extra 2L of water on my back that I didn't need to. Also being a complete newbie I was worried about getting cold so I brought a ton of extra clothes (sweater, track pants, jacket).. Let's just say I might has well have done the Courrer de Bois Silver (A class above mine that requires you to carry a 5KG pack). Despite the packing issues, I kept the pace and skied into the next checkpoint still on pace (whatever pace is.. I just went).
Once again I stopped only briefly for a couple hot gatorades and to wax my skis because I knew that the next section was the biggest and if I wanted to keep up I should just keep going. I set out for 23KM listed as difficult. There was a lot of up hills and and some straightaways however the downhills were severely lacking. I started to slow and my stomach was getting rumbly. Thanks to a wonderful woman that was passing me by she said that I should be eating much more often than I actually was, and that if my stomach was grumbling it was definitely time to refuel. I stopped for some trail mix and...no water. I definitely felt a boost and continued along the trail. I have to say that not knowing the "feel" of 1KM means that you seriously don't know what the "feel" of 23K is! Holy crap it is long and when you are racing, not just gliding and enjoying the scenery it "feels" REALLY long. I kept thinking I must be at the half way point until I would see the marker indicating that I had just gone 3K. By the last 10K then 5K I was thinking that I wasn't sure if I could keep going.
I pulled into the next check point and new that I had to eat and get as much fluid in as possible and then I would attempt the next section (keeping in mind that I had 2 left for a total of 42.6K... more than what I had just covered). I took a few more minutes to rest than i had in the previous checkpoints and really hydrated and ate. I met a friend of mine (Scott Gill) who was doing the Courrer de Bois OR for the 13th time, and he gave me quite a boost of confidence saying that he was impressed with what I had already done and that I was keeping really good pace. For not knowing at all how I was doing, the comment really helped with my confidence. The fourth section was also listed as difficult and to me felt like it was all uphill. Once again the half way point seemed impossible and by the time I came into the last 10K of the section I was set on finishing 4 out of 5 sections only for that day because hey that would be a victory for me regardless. The last 5K and 2K markers felt like they were mocking me simply because I was so close but seriously that it still really far!!
As I entered the check point at 2PM. I had been skiing for 8 hours already, which is twice as long as any training session that I had ever done leading up to this even. I had accomplished so much why keep going... The race works a little different than most marathons in which you are timed. They do not time you, but you have to make the last checkpoint before a certain time in order for you to be permitted to continue. The cutoff was 3:15PM and I had clearly made it with 1.15 hrs to spare. Do I keep going??? I met up with Scott again who said "why not" you can go as slow as you want and just get to the finish. So I decided to really take my time at the checkpoint and get as much fuel in me as possible and then.. keep going.
The last section (20.5K) was listed as moderate and I would say that much of it was flat and quite scenic. I enjoyed the last section however was feeling the same as the last two big sections. I started off feeling energized and then slowly felt exhausted sore, and wondering to myself what the heck I was doing even trying this race??
I finished full first day (78KM) in 11hours and I felt super accomplished. When starting the day I really didn't feel as though I would be able to finish 2 let alone 5 sections for probably more distance that I have covered in my entire life! Thanks so much to Dad who picked me up after the race and brought me home to sleep in a nice warm bed and shower (Others sleep in a high school on the floor). I talked his ear off because I was super high on adrenaline. Mom had a terrific carb filled pasta dinner ready for me, which I enjoyed and then went directly to bed.
Another wake up at 3AM and out the door by 3:45AM.... I ask myself why again am I doing this?? Dad dropped me off at the shuttle bus for 5:10 again and then I was off to the start point. I waited for about 30 minutes in the cold again for the start and chatted with the people next to me. I was still high on adrenaline and hoped that since I was able to complete it yesterday that I might be able to do it again. That being said I was really happy with my accomplishments from yesterday and also said that I would simply do my best and be happy with whatever happened, hey, at least I am out again for day 2.
Once again I started at 6AM with my headlamp, and significantly less gear to carry (lesson learned from day1). I raced even harder than I did yesterday in the first section even though I had significantly less energy to give and quite a sore body. I pushed it though because of the fact that the cut off time was still at 3:15 but the distance that had to be covered in that time was now 74.9KM. This was almost as much distance as I covered in the first day, so if I wanted to make the cut off I would have to increase my pace by almost 2 hours!! If figured I might as well give it and just see.
I pulled into the check point after the first 7.1K and felt fairly crappy and tired. I was still keen and therefore set out on the next section which was 22.7 K. This section quickly became quite difficult and my body started to just slow down. The first 7.1K was adrenaline and this 22.7K was just about getting through it. I decided about half way through that I would draw my own finish line at the next check point. I had done so much more than I had ever expected and my body was just giving out. I threw on an extra jacket and took my time and enjoyed the scenery as I went. I was enjoyable but still extremely tough to get through.
I pulled into what was to be my last check point at 10AM after having completed almost 30K in 4 hours and grabbed a shuttle bus back to my car. It would have been nice to go for it but considering everything I was super happy with what I was able to accomplish for my first time out.
