Training Log Archive: Bash

There should be snow on March 1!

It's the last day of DD11's February challenge so we had to do something before flying Zurich-Montreal-Toronto. Turns out our hotel will send a Sport Bag to your room upon request and it's pretty good!



My body, on the other hand, is not up for much of a workout. I did some stretches, balance, abs and light glutes but my ability to do anything involving strength is very limited, e.g. I had to drop out of a plank quickly because my lower back was too tired.

I'm feeling fine post-race, relatively speaking - no blisters or injuries, just normal DOMS and fatigue. My quads were very sore from 4500+ meters of downhill on rough terrain but today I can sit down without using an arm to assist. That will make things easier on the planes. Home soon! :)

Transgrancanaria Advanced 82K mountain ultra
Gran Canaria

Transgrancanaria is part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT) series. Held on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, the event attracts 3,800 runners and offers six race distances ranging from 17K to 265K.



The 265K Trans 360 race follows an unmarked, mandatory route with just five aid stations. The 125K race, known as the Transgrancanaria, offers UTWT ranking points and attracts more elite runners than the other races. Timothy Olson, who holds the Western States course record finished 10th this year. The most popular event is the 42K Maratón, which is mostly downhill on very rocky terrain. The shorter races follow the same route as the 125K, starting at the appropriate distance from the finish line in the beach town of Meloneras.

The Canary Islands are 100 km off the coast of Morocco – so close to Africa that they sometimes have air quality issues from Sahara Desert sandstorms.




Gran Canaria is about 50 km in diameter and the central mountains rise almost 2,000 m above sea level. The climate of the northern part of the island is wetter and more tropical; the southern part is dry and rocky, and shows its volcanic origins. Some people compare the landscape to the Big Island of Hawaii.

I ran the Transgrancanaria Advanced 82K, which started in the lush northern village of Fontanales and climbed over the central mountains to the highest point of the island before descending to sea level near the southern tip of the island. Our cumulative elevation gain was around 3600 m and we descended 4600 m. (Ouch!)





I’d recommend the 82K because of the wide variety of terrain and climate zones. The 125K racers started at 11 p.m. the previous night and ran their first 43K in the dark before arriving at our starting line around sunrise. So they saw all the same scenery I did but they were more tired when they saw it. :)

I was happy with the remarkably civilized start time of 7 a.m. – until I learned that the shuttle bus to the start left Race HQ at 4:15 a.m. We were staying outside of town so my alarm went off at 2:55 a.m. I made my breakfast the night before so I had cold Stoked Oats with muesli, yogurt and fruit. There was coffee too - obviously!



Richard, who had raced the marathon the previous day, heroically got up in the middle of the night to drive me into town to catch the bus.



We arrived in Fontanales at 6:10 a.m. and poured off the buses onto the main street. A bar was open with a busy espresso machine and even busier washrooms. It can be hard to find a washroom during a European trail race so I reluctantly skipped the espresso.

Five hundred of us lined up at the start where live music and enthusiastic Spanish commentary were blaring over the loudspeakers. Some villagers got up early to cheer us on.





This is a video; I think it's part of the Canary Islands national anthem.



At 7 a.m., we shuffled slowly through the arch. I’d estimated that 18 hrs would be a good time for me but my main goals were to finish healthy with a ton of photos. :)

The sun rose half an hour later and we could see down to the north coast of the island. The vegetation was lush – very different from the south side of the island where we were staying.



We followed narrow, wet, steep roads and single track trails out of Fontanales. We had joined the 125K race course at their 43K mark. Those runners had already been going for eight hours, and 400 of the 700 racers - including our friend Charlotte - were still behind us. There were several bottlenecks in the early kilometres where we could only hike in single file. There was a mix of narrow and wide trails and minor roads so the faster runners seldom had to wait long for a place to pass.

Slimy mud, slippery rocks and erosion slowed down the more cautious runners on this steep descent and a few people fell. Most of us were patient but one guy thought he was Kilian Jornet and skidded out of control along the trail’s edge bumping runners before stomping hard on my right foot.



I shrieked just to make a point but my foot seemed OK and luckily he hadn’t broken one of my poles. Almost three weeks later, my right foot is the only body part that still hurts - wouldn't you know it!



Sometimes we pushed aside shrubs that had spread across the trail or we skidded on slippery goo from fallen cactus leaves.







Our first major aid station was at 14K in the village of Teror. European aid stations are different from home but I’m getting used to them. I zeroed in on familiar foods and didn’t check out the full selection, which included sports nutrition products I've never tried.

At a typical aid station, I would refill my water bladder, eat slices of fresh banana or orange, then stuff some cheese cubes and baguette slices into my pack pocket for later. Sometimes I got adventurous and ate small pieces of salami or cake but my delicious Euro cheese sandwiches were excellent fuel. I’d also brought some sports nutrition from home – Honey Stinger chews (my favourite), gels, Endurance Tap and Larabars – although I didn’t go through too many of them.



We climbed higher on muddy trails and were treated to beautiful views across heavily vegetated valleys and down to the ocean to the north.















As we gained elevation, the vegetation changed completely from lush tropics to a pine forest that looked like home. For some reason, this place was the hangout for half a dozen clean, polite, well-fed dogs who sat like a choir on the hillside as I approached. Then an empty potato chip bag blew by and several of them sprang into action. I still wonder what their story is.



The mist and wind made things chilly at higher elevations so I pulled my arm warmers back up. I’d started the race wearing capri tights over my running skirt because the morning forecast had been cool and damp. I’d intended to take them off earlier but now I was glad for the extra warmth.

The descent into Tejeda was spectacular. This village would make a great base for day hikes.









From the Tejeda aid station at the 28K mark, we would start climbing again and eventually reach the highest peak of the island almost 2,000 m above sea level. As we admired the mountains, it was daunting to realize that we would be climbing higher than everything we could see around us. Some people didn't look too happy about it.





I was looking forward to the views up top.



Here's a short video clip showing the gorgeous 360 degree view from Tejeda aid station. I need to learn to move the phone more slowly and steadily but in my defence, I was keen to get back on the trail since I still had 54K to go.



It was almost 1 p.m. when I started the climb, and for the first time I felt hot. I’d taken off my arm warmers and capri tights in Tejeda so there wasn’t much more I could do except drink water and control my heart rate. Looking at the aid station photos now, I’m surprised to see other runners wearing jackets at the same place where I ripped off all my extra layers. Apparently, I really am Canadian!

It was a beautiful ascent. The trail was much quieter now although I never went too long without seeing another runner.







Eventually, we made it back up to the pine forest that I thought of as the Ontario vegetation zone.





Then we climbed into an area with more shrubs than trees. On the horizon to the west, we could see the huge volcanic peak on the island of Tenerife.





We were making our way up to Roque Nublo, the most famous hiking destination on the island. Our group had hiked there earlier in the week but it was too foggy to see anything. We learned afterward that “Roque Nublo” is Spanish for "Cloudy Castle" – hmm.



We had to detour off the main route to go up to the base of Roque Nublo for a timing check. The timing checks were mostly in odd locations like this rather than at aid stations. I guess they’re trying to make it difficult for cheaters - good for them! I told this volunteer that he had the best assignment on the race course.



Of course there was a race photographer up there too.





The tropical vegetation was behind us now; we’d crossed to the drier southern side of Gran Canaria. We still hadn’t reached the high point of the island though!

Roque Nublo is so popular that I felt like a celebrity as I ran down the tourist trail. People stepped aside to let me pass and cheered in different languages.



We ran through sparse pine forest to Garañón at the 39K mark, losing a little elevation. This major aid station close to the halfway point of our race was the starting point for the Maratón that Richard and Kristen did. In addition to the regular fare, they were serving hot pasta with tomato sauce and salty Canarian potatoes.



The organizers had given us identical plastic drop bags to fill with gear and clothing and send to Garañón. The bags tied shut and someone must have double knotted mine because I couldn’t get it open. I didn’t want to lose the gear inside when they transported it back so I tore a hole just big enough to squeeze out an Ensure, several food items and my back-up headlamp.

The difficulty of getting into the bag cost me time but it saved time too because I couldn’t fuss over its contents. A tired runner can feel inclined to dawdle in a comfortable place, and a drop bag provides that excuse. I knew it would be warmer on the south side of the island, even at night, so I squeezed my arm warmers, capris, toque and gloves into the bag and tied it closed. It looks like I spent a little more than 15 minutes at Garañón including the pasta meal and refilling my water bladder. That’s better than some races but I need to keep working on it. In shorter races, I just shouldn’t send a drop bag at all to avoid the temptation.

From Garañón, we climbed a steep 2K to Pico de las Nieves (Snow Peak), the highest point on Gran Canaria at 1949 m, where we passed just below the summit. The timing volunteers drove up there so it wasn’t exactly Mount Everest!



The first part of the steep descent was magical with puffy clouds and rocky ridges.





We got our final look at Roque Nublo in the distance.



Then we began our long descent to the sea.



Soon we were on a cobblestone route that is several centuries old. It was beautiful but not suitable for poles so my quads really felt the downhills.



I stepped aside to let a faster runner pass and he insisted on taking a photo for me first.



The evening light was stunning. I still had 35K to go but night was falling so I wasn’t going to see much more scenery. The first photo is one of my favourites.











The cobblestones ended and I got a terrific view down to the sea near the finish line. As they say, so close and yet so far!





I came into the aid station at Tunte at 52K. This is where Sally’s race had started earlier in the day. She, Kristen and Richard had come out to cheer me on – so nice. Look how fast Kristen is running compared to the racers!



I filled water at the aid station.



Then I headed over to check out all the food options and ended up stuffing more bread and cheese into my pack pocket, just like I did at every other aid station. The tag hanging off my pack was an additional timing chip for locations where timing mats were used. In more remote locations, they just sent people with scanners for our race bibs.



Then I headed uphill to start the final 30K, chased by my dear husband and his camera.





He was still sore from his marathon so I was finally able to pull ahead. ;)



This was just before sunset so it wasn’t long before my world shrank to the circle of my headlamp beam.





Over the next 12K, we climbed 500 m out of Tunte then descended 900 m to Ayagaures. My quads were complaining but my trekking poles were lifesavers and I still had good energy. The aid station at Ayagaures had paella! That will never happen in North America so I sat down and enjoyed a tasty bowl full. It was stuffed with pieces of sausage and entire scallops. Yum! (Apologies to people like Richard who can’t eat during long races.)



I had 18K to go. We climbed for a few kilometres then descended steeply into Barranco de Vicentillos, a dry, rocky riverbed that went on for kilometres. There were little stretches of trail but it was mostly small, loose rocks with shrubby vegetation. It would have been interesting for a while but it got old, especially in the dark. The “15K to go” and “10K to go” signs were actually more than 7K apart, which was soul crushing.

As we came into Maspalomas, we ran through town in a wide, dry drainage channel. It wasn’t the most scenic part of the day but it was all runnable, which was nice after the riverbed. In a few places, we had to climb stairs to get out of the channel then go back down into it. I wasn’t so good at stairs by then.

We ran the last 2K on sidewalks then reached the finish line at Expomeloneras. Bright lights, palm trees, an excited announcer – it was a great feeling and wonderful to see Richard and Kristen there at 1 a.m. to take photos and drive me home. I took about 18 hrs and got more than 150 photos so I met my goals. If I’d skipped the photography, it looks like 2nd place in my age group was within reach but I'd rather have the memories.

Even though the last stretch was uninspiring, I’d highly recommend this race for its scenery and good organization. Thanks to Sally, Kristen, Charlotte and Richard for a fun trip and congratulations on your successful runs! Looking forward to our next “excuse for a vacation” race.

'Bent flew today! He finished well ahead of our predictions in 5:16:20, 9th of 80 in his tough age group There was a major bottleneck at the start, then he passed 230 people between the high point of the course (about 1900 m) and the beach town of Maspalomas.

Yoga by the pool to loosen up pre-race

A little swimming vs. just hanging out in the pool

'Bent and Mrs. Tiny start running the Transgrancanaria Marathon at 4 a.m. Ontario time on Friday. You can track their progress by searching for their names at the link below. Spain has claimed 'Bent for some reason so you won't find him listed as a Canadian runner.
http://transgrancanaria.livetrail.net/

Charlotte starts the Transgrancanaria 125K on Friday at 6 p.m. Ontario time. I start the Advanced 82K Saturday at 2 a.m. and Funderstormin' starts the 30K Saturday at 3 a.m.

We had a chance to reach the finish line this morning but we're all hoping to make a second visit.



We spent the afternoon wandering around the capital city - Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Christopher Columbus visited the governor's house before making one of the largest navigation errors in history on his way to "Asia".



Ouch!



Who would have guessed the name "Canary Islands" comes from the Latin "Canis" for "dog"?