On Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, Montrail athlete Dakota Jones set a new record for the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim run, also known as the Double Crossing. Jones ran from the South Rim to the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on the North and South Kaibab Trails in 6 hours, 53 minutes and 38 seconds, breaking the old record by six minutes. This was the second time Jones completed the 42.5-mile run with 10,500 vertical feet of climbing – he first ran it two years ago in 8 hours and 40 minutes.

For more about Dakota, check out his blog.

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It.

As an endurance trail runner (translate: a lot of miles on the trail!), I get asked many questions about the best shoes out there. My answer?

There are LOTS of great ones! The key is to try them on and see what works best for your foot.

One of the brands I’ve had the opportunity to test this year is Montrail. While they discontinued my trusty favorite, the HardRock, Montrail has introduced several new shoes to their lineup since, including the ever-versatile Fairhaven.

First Impressions:
The Fairhaven has a generous toebox, yet the fit was secure enough for me to confidently traverse rocky terrain. They have more cush than my previous trail running shoes; while comfortable, I’m curious to see how the support holds up after long miles on the trail.

70+ Mile Update:
In order to properly test this shoe, I indulged in runs on all kinds of terrain, from gravel roads to rocky trails to wood chip pedestrian paths… and even some paved surfaces. The Fairhaven features FluidPost, Montrail’s new pronation control technology that “provides customized support for any runner’s footstrike on any terrain” (read more here.) It’s really quite genius: extra support is there when you need it (like on those gnarly trails full of ankle-twisting rocks), but not when you don’t (good for when it takes a bit of road in order to get to the trails). Speaking of rocks, the Fairhaven sports Montrail’s trusty Gryptonite outsole for excellent traction on sketchy terrain (both wet & dry). The result is a do-it-all shoe perfect for trails with diverse footing or on new ones when you don’t quite know what lies ahead.

Conclusion:
The Fairhaven is definitely worth checking out next time you’re at your local shoe retailer. My biggest complaint is that my foot seems to be right inbetween a 9 & 9.5; however, with a thicker sock, the Fairhaven has performed well, guiding me to new sites on new trails, as well as several top 10 finishes in trail races. Winning in my book!

Want more info? See the Fairhaven in action here.

For the weight weenies: Men 11oz/310g / Women 9.4oz/265g

2011 Hardrock 100

Chorier the Executioner!

It takes a structural engineer to lay the kind of plans that allow a Frenchman to travel to the highest mountains of America and dominate the toughest race of this nation, only a day after Bastille Day. But Julien Chorier is more than an engineer; he’s an executioner who stuck to his plans over all but a few of the rugged mountain trails.

Other than getting off course in the early part of the race and losing about 20 minutes, Chorier was like clockwork, keeping right on pace with his meticulous schedule. For the final 45 miles he had the pacing company of fellow Salomon global teammates, Ryan Sandes (Capetown, South Africa) and Rickey Gates (Aspen, CO).

Chorier, who lives in the French Alps, came to acclimate in Colorado’s high country two weeks before Hardrock with teammate Nerea Martinez, from Spain. They spent a few days scouting the course but, sadly, having summited the high point of Handies Peak, over 14,000 feet above sea level, Martinez descended into the wrong basin and got lost enough almost half way into the course in third place for the women that she dropped from the race. “I am very sad but want to return to this race to do the complete beautiful course.”

Chorier finished in 25:17, the third fastest ever, finishing 1:53 ahead of the second-place finisher of Dakota Jones. Said Chorier, after his victory, “Everything here is on a different scale. It is 2x here.”

Our congratulations for Julien are also 2x!

–Adam W. Chase, Salomon US Brand Ambassador

Via Press Release

With Raid the North Extreme starting in just a matter of weeks, we thought this was a great video to show as Adam Campbell on a training run through the South Chilcotins area of British Columbia.

Thanks to Breathe Magazine for posting this on their Facebook page.

Adam Campbell Chilcotins run from ARC'TERYX on Vimeo.

In a historic effort to spark a movement for natural medicine on Main Street, America, Dr. Dennis Godby, ND and his family, two sons and nephew will run across the United States. The Run will begin in San Francisco on July 17, 2011, and end in Bridgeport, CT on November 16, 2011. The coast-to-coast Run is designed to educate and empower Americans about natural health care options: in preventing disease, finding and treating the cause of illness, and revitalizing the nation’s health. The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward, will cross the United States on foot to promote the causes of empowered health care choices throughout America – its mission includes increasing the health of the American people, providing information about sustainable and quality holistic health care options, and educating the public about healthy lifestyle management and health maintenance. The four-month, ninety city journey hopes to introduce the concept of “naturopathic medicine” into the national vocabulary, and make “naturopathic doctor a household term. The Run will also lead to increased health care options for Americans by stimulating interest in naturopathic care, and encouraging more comprehensive insurance coverage for these alternate primary care choices.

A Natural Approach to Wellness Naturopathic Medicine is a natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person and represents the ‘vitalistic’ tradition of medicine in our Western world. It treats disease through the stimulation, increase, and support of each person’s inherent healing capacity. Treatments are chosen to work with the patient’s natural adaptive physiology, respecting the innate healing processes of nature. The practice of Naturopathic Medicine includes six underlying principles of healing – principles that make Naturopathic Medicine different from all other medical approaches:
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The 2011 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship half-marathon is moving to Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah, on Sept. 25.

Located just 35 miles north of Salt Lake City, and just up the road from the adventure capitol of Ogden, Snowbasin is easy get to and an increasingly popular adventure travel destination. It also has an incredible collection of trails, which are nothing short of spectacular in late September as the fall colors start bursting in an array of red, pink, orange, green and yellow.

The race will be held one day after the XTERRA USA Championship of off-road triathlon, creating the ultimate XTERRA racing weekend.

The championship race is again a half-marathon, and will start and finish at Snowbasin Resort – a world-class ski resort that hosted the downhill and super G races for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and most recently served as the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour.

All 2010-2011 XTERRA Trail Run Series regional champions, like the recently crowned Arizona Trail Run Series Champs, earn a comp entry into Nationals and runners from the 12 respective regions in the U.S. Series can now focus on Snowbasin in Sept. as one of their goals.

The championship race is open to the public and no qualification is necessary, so one and all can challenge the best-of-the-best trail runners and race for a national championship.

As the final event of the 70-race XTERRA U.S. Trail Run Series, the race will be filmed for a nationally syndicated XTERRA Adventures TV show.

The half-marathon championship race will be accompanied by 5km and 10km trail runs along the same run courses that the XTERRA Utah short and long course triathletes ran the day before. In addition to the races, XTERRA will host an expo in downtown Ogden with free kids races, vendor booths, a Paul Mitchell hair cut-a-thon for charity, and evening dinner parties.

“We are terribly excited to bring our entire XTERRA Tribe together in Utah this September, the energy level is going to be off-the-charts,” said Janet Clark, president of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA. “Ogden and Snowbasin are proven winners – between the facilities at Snowbasin, the great restaurants and atmosphere along Historic 25th Street in Ogden, and the unbelievably supportive community – we couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”

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“Until now, there has been no definitive ultra championship race,” says current Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run record holder, Geoff Roes, also the Trail Runner UROC Elite Athlete Liaison. “Most elite runners want a race that will guarantee them a chance to run against other top runners, and those I’ve spoken with say they are willing to change their racing schedule for the opportunity to run the inaugural Trail Runner UROC.”

“We want this to be the event,” says Gill. “We’ve been developing the concept for several years, and are doing everything possible to bring the best of the best together for one day, while keeping Trail Runner UROC open to all runners.”

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A life worth living is one where dreams are created and experienced, and goals are set. It takes a lot of work, sweat, planning, and perseverance to reach achievements along the way. Sometimes stepping back and re-directing, before moving forward once again, leads us to our greatest self.  Running is a great way to practice this mantra of life.

For many runners, several races early in the year lead to our big events at the end of the season. It can become a more enjoyable journey when you learn how to balance training, racing and recovery. This can be quite tricky when you schedule races close together, perhaps even on back-to-back weekends.

Before we get into that, here is a brief description of my typical training week before the race season starts:

” Saturdays and Sundays are my huge training days (if I’m not racing), with long intervals on the trail or the road. Sometimes Sunday has to be an active recovery day if Saturday was too much, but I usually like to hit it hard both days.

” Monday is usually an off day or active recovery day. Yoga, a bike ride or light run.
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By Julie Dolph

Lake McMurtry Trail Race was the perfect race to choose for my first 50k. Fairly flat with no major climbs and this race is laid out perfectly for crew support. It’s a figure 8 with the start/finish smack dab in the center. Runners tackle the north loop first, then come through the start/finish area before moving on to the south loop, then repeat. Which means I got to see my crew/kids 3 different times during the race. They always had fresh bottles of Accelerade waiting for me as well as gels, S! caps and hugs. My friends Holly, Jason and Mike drove all the way up from Rockwall, TX to participate in the race. Holly ran the 12k and Mike ran the 50k. My gorgeous daughter-in-law April ran her first 12k and did great! So proud of her!

The day got off to a rough start when our GPS decided that Lake McMurtry was a pasture about 20 miles away from where it actually is. This took us off course and put us pretty close to being late for the race. Eek! We arrived with about 15 minutes to spare and hurriedly picked up our packets, pinned on numbers, filled bottles and tried to calm down a bit. I was bib #1!!! That was fun! : ) Not an ideal start to a race, and it took me a few miles to relax and settle in.

Loop 1- First few miles went by quickly. The weather was perfect! 52 degrees with a light breeze. I had on arm warmers but these came off at mile 6. Gorgeous course. Even got to jump the “Leap O’ Doom”!

I got to run and chat with some of the wonderful TATURS during this loop. First I ran with Kathy Hoover for about a mile. She is an accomplished and very nice ultrarunner that is recovering from Rouge Orleans right now where she ran 126.2 miles. Amazing! Then Joel hung back to wait on me so we could run together for awhile. Thanks Joel, I enjoyed the conversation!! He’s the race director for Do-Wacka-Do trail run and such a nice guy.
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Chelsey Gribbon and Jason Magness (YogaSlackers) just returned from a trip to New Zealand. Here is time-lapsed video of them running the Kepler Track which amounts to 1.5 marathons (60km).

8th Edition of The Coastal Challenge Expedition Run to be held in the mountainous north and welcomes competitors once again to the formidable and unforgettable “Route of Fire”.

The Coastal Challenge (TCC) has opened registration for 2012 and the “Route of Fire” scheduled for January 21st to 28th.

Set in Costa Rica’s pristine northwestern region and starting in the shadow of Arenal Volcano, the “Route of Fire” will utilize the country’s volcanic terrain as a backdrop for a diverse course that moves  through inland lakes, windswept highlands, jungle and tropical dry forest until finally reaching the wild coast of Bahia Salinas with amazing views of southern Nicaragua and volcanoes across the bay.

“We had an amazing group of competitors for the Rainforest Run and we considered a wealth of feedback to improve everyone’s overall experience for next year’s race”, said Tim Holmstrom, race director. “The Route of Fire combines the best of Costa Rica’s natural beauty with a stunning and challenging route that will reward trail runners and athletes of all levels.”

The race, which will be capped at 125 competitors, will again attract an international field and Monica Aguilera of Spain and David James of USA will both return to defend their champion titles.
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In a historic effort to spark a movement for natural medicine on Main Street, America, Dr. Dennis Godby, ND, will run across the USA for the second time – this time with his two sons and nephew. The Run will begin in San Francisco on July 17, 2011, and end in Bridgeport, CT on November 16, 2011. The coast-to-coast Run is designed to educate and empower Americans about natural health care options: in preventing disease, finding and treating the cause of illness, and revitalizing the nation’s health. The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward, will cross the United States on foot to promote the causes of empowered health care choices throughout America – its mission includes increasing the health of the American people, providing information about sustainable and quality holistic health care options, and educating the public about healthy lifestyle management and health maintenance. The four-month, ninety city journey hopes to introduce the concept of “naturopathic medicine” into the national vocabulary, and make “naturopath” a household term. The Run will also lead to increased health care options for Americans by stimulating interest in naturopathic care, and encouraging more comprehensive insurance coverage for these alternate primary care choices.

A Natural Approach to Wellness Naturopathic Medicine is a natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person and represents the ‘vitalistic’ tradition of medicine in our Western world. It treats disease through the stimulation, increase, and support of each person’s inherent healing capacity.  Treatments are chosen to work with the patient’s natural adaptive physiology, respecting the innate healing processes of nature. The practice of Naturopathic Medicine includes six underlying principles of healing – principles that make Naturopathic Medicine different from all other medical approaches: Continue Reading

By Adam Chase

1. Stage races like TransRockies Run, Coastal Challenge, Himalayan 100, or the Trans-Alpine Run are all about recovery. The daily legs are short enough that you can actually run them relatively hard. To succeed at an event like this you need to be able to hit each run with vigor and that means not trashing your legs. Or, if you do push it and are sore, which will likely be the case, it is about soaking in cold water – which is easy to do at TransRockies, as there are plenty of running streams with wicked cold water – eating well soon after finishing, hydrating, relaxing with compression clothing on and elevated legs.

2. Training for the stress of multiple long runs is best accomplished by brick sessions where you hit it hard on a Saturday and then turn around on Sunday and go long again and then, instead of going light on Monday, you tack on a third session just to get your body used to the feeling of running sore and tired. That really pays off when the race comes around and you’ve racked up weeks of that kind of training.


3. Sleeping well in a camp site is not easy for everyone. It helps to bring ear plugs and a warm enough sleeping bag. You’ll be tired but it is incredible how loudly some runners snore at night.

4. Altitude brings with it a special challenge. If you can acclimate by training or sleeping at a high elevation or in an altitude tent, you’ll be a lot better off because those who come to the race from sea level face a real challenge. If you can’t take the time to acclimate, be sure to start out slow and see how you feel as the miles and even days pass and you adjust.

5. In Europe many of the multi-day stage racers use trekking poles, especially on the steep Alpine ascents. There is a reason for that: they really help to take weight off your legs and over rugged courses with many climbs that can really make a difference. At one day of the TransRockies course will lend itself to trekking poles and I will likely bring some Nordic-style ones that weigh almost nothing but that will help a lot.

6. Towing. Since one partner will have his or her strong days and the other will too, it is best to take advantage of that and share the load when one needs some help and the team can go faster together. This, of course, is old hat to adventure racers but people were quite surprised when we used it the first year of the TransRockies and won by a strong margin.

**2011 SUMMER REGISTRATION OPENS FEBRUARY 2011**

The Teva Mountain Games are the country’s largest celebration of adventure sports, art and music and they return to Vail, June 2-5, 2011.

Professional and amateur athletes from around the world converge upon the mountains and rivers of Vail to compete in eight sports and 24 disciplines for more than $100,000 in prize money. This year’s sporting events include kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, road cycling,World Cup Bouldering, amateur climbing, fly fishing, stand up paddling, trail running and ahalf  marathon.

Lifestyle components include the Mountain Click Photo Competition, the Outside Adventure Film School, Outdoor Reels Film Festival, Mountains of Music free concerts and the Teva Mountain Ball. The weekend is rounded out by the Gear Town and Green Light District expo areas and the interactive family zone, Adventure Village.

The Teva Mountain Games are a project of the Vail Valley Foundation.

Last summer we announced that Merrell and Vibram had joined forces in the creation of a line of barefoot running shoes. For the uninitiated, barefoot running is a somewhat back-to-basics movement. Yes, there are some who actually run with no shoes on. Most wear a low profile, almost sock-like,  shoe dubbed the barefoot running shoe.  These shoes provide the needed arch support, a minimum of padding, grip on sketchy surfaces, and protection from injury.

Barefoot running aficionados claim that this form of running will strengthen the muscles in the lower leg and actually make the runner faster. According to those who use these kicks exclusively, they can complete longer distances with better times. I’m known for being an “open-minded skeptic” when it comes to new trends, always leery but ready to try it at the drop of a hat. So I got a pair of Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove shoes and jumped right in.

My biggest apprehension with the barefoot running craze is the fear or injury. If you’ve ever  tried to run to the mail box in your bare feet you know it can be painful. Not only if you step on a rock but the mere force of the heel strike can send sharp pains up your leg. With barefoot running, style is the key. Changing the habit of landing on your heel first, to landing mid-foot (the part right in front of the arch) is the game-changer. This seems simple but will take a few runs to get the hang of. Then there is posture. Ensuring that elbows are back and that your body is straight will also reduce the chance for injury.

So, how is the testing going? Here is a breakdown of what I’ve learned so far. Continue Reading

The 2011 edition of The Coastal Challenge Rainforest Run ended today and below are the final results by category. Congratulations to all that competed. Now, enjoy some down time in a fantastic location.

Click on individual graphics for larger version.

Teams:

Men’s:

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Starting way back in 2001 as a realized vision of Clif Bar owner Gary Erickson’s mind, the five-woman mountain bike program has grown to include world class XTERRA, triathlon, and running athletes.

2010 was one of our best- check out these results:

• #1 UCI MTB World Cup Trade Team Overall
• UCI MTB World Cup Champion (Catherine Pendrel)
• XTERRA World Champion (Shonny Vanlandingham)
• Three individual World Cup wins (Catherine- MTB in Germany and New York, Katerina Nash- ‘Cross World Cup in France)
• Three MTB Championship National Titles (Georgia Gould- U.S., Katerina- Czech, Catherine- Canada)… ALL won on the same day
• US Pro XC Tour Series Overall (Georgia Gould)
• Danelle Kabush wins XTERRA Alberta, three months after delivering baby “Nico”
• Jane Kibii won two national elite road running events (8 Km Union Tribune, CA and 4 mile Trolley Run, KC)

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By Ray Churgovich (aka Hawaiian Shirt Ray)

Epic is the term that mountain climbers use when they talk about a climb that went wrong. The party got lost, gear was dropped, days being snowbound in a tent, destroyed camps, or even death. This year’s Twin Mountain Trudge turned into an epic day for me and all involved in the race. Just like on a good climbing day everything starts out fine and then slowly the situation begins to deteriorate. Some epic tales have a good ending while others do not. When things start to go bad and the situation begins to become dire, will you be ready to survive?

I am writing about my epic Twin Mountain Trudge because I want to share my experience with you so you can also be prepared for when things turn epic. I am very experienced in mountaineering, back country adventures, and ultra racing. Through the years I have never had any of my adventures turn epic, but I am always prepared just in case they do. And I sure did not think that the Twin Mountain Trudge would have turned into my first Epic adventure. Take for instance that I always carry a full first-aid kit with me when I hike. I have been lucky and in over 15 years of hiking in the Colorado Rockies and elsewhere I have never used it. Does that mean that I should stop taking it? Of course not.

The Twin Mountain Trudge (a.k.a. The Trudge)
This was my second year running the Twin Mountain Trudge. The Twin Mountain Trudge has an 11 mile race and a 22 mile race which is two of the 11 mile laps. Here is a quote from Alec Muthig’s email about this year’s race: “The conditions this year could very well prove to be the worst we’ve seen for this race . . . I NEED to stress that this is an “adventure” event and not a typical trail run. You will need to try to be self sufficient. We will have a minimal aid station on the course, but you should carry enough for a long, tough outing. My guess is that the fastest single loop will be around 2.5 hours, with others being out for over 5 hours… yes, for the single loop. Please be prepared to be out that long and please plan on emergency situations. If you get injured it will be quite a bit of time before we can get in and pull you out on a sled. Will you be able to not go hypothermic in the time it takes us to get to you? While only 11-12 miles, this is truly a backcountry adventure. Please be prepared.”

This is a serious adventure event and should not be taken lightly. It is in Wyoming in the middle of winter through tough and challenging terrain. This year I once again signed up for the 22 mile race and I know firsthand from last year’s race that Alec is 100 percent serious about the conditions and the need to be properly prepared. This year my preparedness was put to the test.

How I Prepared for the Trudge:
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Registration for the fourth edition of the Grand Raid des Pyrénées opens on January 11, 2011 at 11:11. As with the three previous editions, there will be two formats available to test the mettle of ultra racers: the Ultra, 160km with 10,000m of ascent and the Grand, at 80km with 5,000m of ascent.

Taking place from August 26-28,2011 in the high Pyrénées mountains of France, the Ultra will start at 05:00 on August 26th from the picturesque town of Vielle-Aure. Top racers are expected to finish the race in twenty-four hours, although two years ago the winners blew away all predictions finishing in twenty-two hours. The time cut-off for all racers on the Ultra is fifty hours.

The starting gun for the Grand will sound at 05:00 on August 27th with the winner expected to finish in eleven hours and this race has a time cut-off of twenty-five hours.

A few modifications have been added to the race route this year, taking into consideration racer’s suggestions, but the major attraction of the trail remains; the ascent of the mythic Pic du Midi with its scientific observatory perched high above the clouds at an altitude of 2,877m.

Racers in previous years have exhausted the list of superlatives in describing their race and the internationally recognized website SleepMonsters .com has described the race as, “Going from strength to strength”, with a major French website citing the race as, “A reference in the world of ultra running”.

Last year’s edition welcomed racers from 22 different countries with ultra trail runners present from as far away as Australia and Singapore. Generating such international enthusiasm, places are likely to fill up quickly.

Organized by the association MAJUSCHULE which is comprised of six members eager to share their love of the Pyrenean mountain range, the Grand Raid des Pyrénées is limited to a total of 1,500 racers so that it can maintain its friendly, festive ambiance.

Further information is available in French and English on the official website: http://www.grandraidpyrenees.com.

Via Press Release

Since January, thousands or runners have taken part in the worldwide XTERRA Trail Run Series and through the trials of these 60 races, spanning 17 U.S. states and eight countries, some of the world’s best trail runners have emerged and are headed to Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu to race for the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship.

More than 1,500 runners representing 30+ states and 10 countries will run on Sunday, including five current XTERRA Trail Run National Champions.

Leading the way is Oregon’s Max King. He won his third consecutive XTERRA National Championship in Bend on September 18th, and is seeking his third consecutive XTERRA World Championship on Sunday.

King, 30, is an elite-level runner who is favored to finish first overall at Kualoa Ranch. In addition to the elite overall division, there are numerous age-group divisions that will crown world champions.

Kenneth Harrison, for example, will travel to Hawaii from Hudson, Ohio, in search of a world title in the men’s 70-74 age group. He won that division at the XTERRA National Championship in September.

“I’ve never been to Hawaii before, so this seemed like a good opportunity,” he said. “There was another runner from Ohio named Joan Cottrill who also won her division at Bend. After that race we sat down and talked about going to Hawaii to run and started planning from there.”

Via Press Release

By Ty Stevens

Asheville, a rather ‘hip’ mountain town nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains thrives with a diverse art community, epic outdoor landscapes, a colorful downtown atmosphere, and one of the most well attended half marathons in the Southeast. The Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon & 5K is the largest road race in Asheville, selling out well in advance each year.

On race morning, the weather was perfect. Runners cruised through rolling (and some steep) hills, leaving downtown and passing through Asheville’s most pristine neighborhoods. Light fog and low morning temperatures kept runners cool as the intensity heated up. They were in hot pursuit of their individual goals, which were as diverse as the runners themselves. Some ran in honor of a loved one who passed away, others ran in attempt to win the generous prize purse, and still others wanted simply to finish – perhaps for the first time.

Taylor Essick, a first time racer and founder of Brown Dog Adventure Tours, is a superb mountain biker (finishing the epic Leadville 100 Mile in 2009). Even though Essick made it back downtown in just under his goal pace, he was surprised at how challenging this course proved to be,

“Given it was my first ½ marathon, and even my first time running over 8 miles, I didn’t know what to expect. It was great to be out there running amidst friends, community, and in my hometown. The scenery was phenomenal and helped keep my mind in a good place. I settled in with a 2 hour pace group with a personal goal of finishing under the 2 hour mark. So when I crossed at 1:59, surrounded by downtown streets filled with screaming Asheville fans, you can imagine the smile on my face. It reminded me of what an amazing place I live.”
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Race Report—Ultimate XC
By Bob Miller

Day 1 – Kayak 62k (34k down-river, 28k lake)
Day 2 – Trail Run 56k
Day 3 – Mountain Bike 100k

Day 1

Pre-race was kinda exciting as people milled about scoping each-other’s boats trying to figure out who had the fastest vessel. With a rule of only allowing plastic kayaks due to rough/boney whitewater sections, boat selection could be somewhat strategic. By all accounts it appeared Steve Hay was sporting best-in-class with a Cobra Eliminator, however depending on whitewater conditions Benoit L’s Wavehopper also looked promising. Most everyone else was paddling some form of sea kayak, myself included with a Necky Eliza. I was thinking the shorter, yet somewhat sleek Eliza would offer a good blend of speed and maneuverability.

Off we go and within no time Steve H. is in the lead followed by a group of 4, or 5 others, I opted to hang back & cruise in the 2nd pack thinking I’d try and exert the same output for the entire 62k. We had a good group with Pete Dobos, Dave Hitchon, Nicolas Taillefer (RD of the Asics Xtrail events) and a dude named Richard from Montreal. We worked well rotating through the draft averaging ~9.5kph across the first lake, which I thought was respectable considering the boats we were paddling.

Into the river, Hitchon, Taillefer & myself pulled slightly ahead and were notified at Aid #1 we were 2-3 min. behind the lead pack. Soon we were on & through the first small rapid, then a small pull-over and another smallish more technical rapid, which one of the lead pack kayakers had dumped in. I think Tallifer & Hitchon also had an upset on this rapid, as I never saw Tallifer until the finish & it was a little while before Hitchon caught up again. I paddled behind 2 guys from the lead pack for a bit, but decided to stop & dump some water in hopes it would speed me up, no luck. I had a bit of a bonk between hours 2 & 3, but was saved by the 29k aid station and a PB&J sammy. There was a nice run of rapids for a few k after the aid station, which livened things up, but soon it was back to shallow, wide, sandy, strength-sapping river paddling. I owe Hitchon for setting me up with a map the night before the race. I’d expected we’d receive them at the briefing, but no dice. Maps weren’t really necessary, but it allowed me to follow along and at least know when the misery on the river would end. Continue Reading