Time to race once again!

So it's been nearly a year since I did my last ultra. I have completely forgotten what it's gonna be like to run one again, but this is good. Tomorrow, my buddy Jeff Hunt and I are heading up to Gold River for the Great Walk 63.5km. Its traditionally a walk but over the years some notable ultra runners have done the race in impressive times. The record for the 63.5k distance climbing over two mountain passes is sitting at 4hr 30mins and change. I don't see a record setting run on my part this weekend but I would like to finish under 6hrs hopefully closer to 5hr.

Last week, I had a pretty awesome training week. 140km of running with 65km of it in two runs. I always really enjoy the experience of ultra running. I used to run track in high school and often found that it way always about what time you ran and how fast you can go. Ultra running is more about how far you can run, or how hard a course is or the trials you encounter while enroute to completely your race. I learned a lot last year about how to manage myself out on an ultra marathon. Keep fuel, drink regularly, and make sure your ipod is fully charged are vital to me.
I have been very fortunate over the last year to have great support networks such as Brooks, Chiropractor Dr. Jamie Grimes at Synergy health management, my family away from home at Peninsula runners, and of course my coach Noa Deutsch who helped me get through a very rough month and half of illness this year.

So I'm off to my last track workout before my race and then its packing time. I often get asked "How much do you eat during your run in order to keep your energy up?" Well It depends I guess. Normally I would eat/drink in an 5 hour event: 10 to 12 gels, 5 to 10 S!Caps (depending on how hot it is), a bottle or two of coca cola, a few ginger crystal chews, jub-jubes, cookies, pretzels and chicken noodle soup (if they have it). Ultra running as Rob "the legend" Smith would say is like running from one buffet table to the next. Alright, time to head out for one last run...