Lost Soul Ultra 100K 2018 : 'The HB' Project

A HUGE thank you goes out to every single volunteer and race organizer who helped put on this amazing event.  I've said it before, I have never been to a race with as much SOUL as the Lost Soul Ultra and you should definitely check it out for yourself!

Always amazed and super stoked to be able to run 100kms!

100K.  Never easy. Always hard.  And always beautiful:).  Running 100K always blows my mind and the body never ceases to amaze me with its capacity to endure.  This was a special 100K journey for me for two main reasons...  A freak calf tear took me down at the end of June and my body rallied just in time to sneak in 2 real weeks of running before the race-  so it was a huge gift to be healed just in time to make it to the start line!  And...this race was a special project for me to experiment with my body and mind with the goal of finding a way beyond  'The Heart Burn', once and for all.  Come along for the ride if you want to get inside my brain and body for a 100k lol!  Warning, this will not a short race report, but it will be a long one!

Sean O'Brien 100k Race Report

PC: Howie Stern Photography​

Sean O Brien 100K

They don’t call it the SOB for nothin;)

My oh my, did that SOB take me on a wild ride! I ran the Sean O'Brien 100k in Malibu State Park, just about a week ago and since then I have been immersed in a ‘Blissology’ yoga and meditation retreat at 1440 Multiversity…and now the race feels like it was a hundred years ago! I must say, spending a week doing yoga and blissing out might just be the perfect post race recovery plan. I’m sold, that’s for sure! The day after the race, I drove up the California coast to Santa Cruz and so I had plenty of time to reflect and practice gratitude for each and every one of my 100kms in the Malibu trails. I write my race reports for me, to journal my experience so that I can learn and grow but I also write them for you. If you are reading this, I hope that you find what you need here today- inspiration, inside course info, racing knowledge or a good long run without having to get dirty hahaha. I will do my best to keep this one short (er) and sweet tho, because, really, I have a yoga class under a giant redwood tree to get to lol;) (OK- I just finished writing and have to warn you that this one is NOT in fact short but I like to think it is sweet lol. Warning! Proceed with a heavy dose of procrastination in mind!) And so…

Perseverance Trail Run 2017 Race Report

Image: Deb Karlstrom


The 13th annual Perseverance Trail Run was a huge success this past Sunday with 475 registered racers, more than 70 volunteers and hundreds of supporters coming together to raise funds for the Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS). Following the race the CCFS hosted a fun, community ‘Party in the Park’ featuring live music by DJ Lady K and the Luke Blue Guthrie, a tasty BBQ, craft beer, kids scavenger hunt, screen printing and more. The CCFS is a local society working to purchase and protect forest lands in the Cumberland area. Over the past 12 years the Perseverance Trail Run and After Party for the Forest have raised well over $500,000 for the CCFS.

Lost Soul Ultra 100K Race Report

Well that was a wild ride! 

I've got a 100k hangover but I wanted to jot down my race report while it is still fresh in my foggy brain:).  Spending the weekend eating in bed haha so I've got lot's of time to write.  Here goes!

Getting High in Colorado: Trans Rockies Run 2017 Race Report

Team ELM TRR 2017! L-R: Marion Bryan, Lynn Swift,  Erika Spearmann, Lisa Perry, Crystal Mather and Coach Sarah

These girls tho. I am so honoured and proud and beyond grateful to have shared this journey with these amazing, strong, resilient women. Big mountains and thin air are no match for these big hearts and magic smiles. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey and to support you as your coach and friend. My heart is full of love and you have inspired me more than you will ever know.💕Way to kick ass up high with those strong sea level legs, girls! You da best!

Team @elm_health rocks 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

Canada's Toughest Mudder 2017: My First OCR Experience

I did it!  Post 8 hour, 50k TM, after being awake for 28 hours lol

Last weekend I got a little dirty.  And wet.  And cold.  And scared.  And tired.  And invigorated.  And  giddy.  And humbled.  And...maybe even hooked on a new sport?  Oh boy.  Why oh why do I have to love crazy?  At least I know I'm not the only one.  I may have just found my tribe;)

The Cumby 23k Race Report

This is going to be a quick and dirty race report (for real!)- because the sun is shining and there are more adventures to be had!

And we're off!  Great shot of the 23k race start from Kathy Campbell

The Cumby 23k Trail Run

http://thecumby.ca

Zion 50K 2017 Race Report

"She believed she could.  So she did."

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I was last in the desert, to run 50k. And yet, so much has happened this past year that the Grand Canyon Ultra feels like an eternity away. A year ago, I was just beginning to recover from my crash and whiplash and the timing just wasn’t right for a 50k run. I spontaneously combusted and dropped at the first aid station after running only 5kms and then limping on one leg another 15kms, to get myself out. First time for everything, including a DNF.

MOMAR Cumberland 2016 Race Report

Image: Dave Silver  - or is that a Bryan Tasaka selfie?

Can I do a short race report?  Let's find out!

Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race 2016
50kms of paddling, trail running, mountain biking and orienteering in the best place on earth- my backyard, Cumberland.  Read on for a little background, my race report and my top reasons why I love MOMAR (and why I think you should do one if you haven't already)...

Team ELM Canada rocks the 55km Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon!

TEAM ELM COMPLETES 55KM ULTRA MARATHON IN ICELAND

Eight local trail runners have just returned to the Comox Valley after completing the 55km Laugavegur Ultra Marathon in the wild Highlands of Iceland. ‘Team ELM Iceland’ trained for 5 months to prepare for the event and traveled to Iceland along with their Coach, Sarah Seads (owner of Equilibrium Lifestyle Management) for a week long adventure leading up to and including the race. Their results were impressive, considering all but two were attempting their first ultra marathon. Many of the runners, began their training at 8kms and with just 3-4 days of running per week, their race specific training plan helped them prepare effectively for the challenging 55km ultra.

Laugavegur Ultra Marathon

Wow.  I know that I say that a lot but I'll say it again, wow!  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Iceland for the 55km Laugavegur Ultra Marathon with such a rad group of ELM peeps.  I am a very proud coach after watching Team ELM progress through their training, persevere in the face of obstacles and reach the start line of this spectacular race.  I am so stoked to have had the chance to support them on their ultra journey and beyond grateful that they stepped up to join me for this once in a lifetime adventure.

Grand Canyon Ultra: You Gotta Know When to Hold Em'...

Deep thoughts from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

I'd love to share a long winded and inspiring race tale from the Grand Canyon Ultra with you but...this will be my shortest ever race report.  You will have to read Kim's Flying Phalanges blog for that-as she had the best race of her life! Yay Kim you rocked that 50mile course! You so earned that.

Here goes mine:

12 miles.  That's how far I made it.

2 hours 40 minutes.  That's how long I limped along on the course to reach aid.
30 minutes.  That's how long I ran before I knew my race was over.

The end.

Race Report: Orcas Island 50K

Another ultra, another EKG

I finally made it to Orcas Island!  And it was definitely worth the wait.

Race Report: MOMAR Cumberland 2015

 

Perfect day for an Adventure Race!  Image: Dave Silver

Wow.  What a great day.  MOMAR Cumberland was another fantastic event complete with a rad course, rad people and an uber-rad team mate:).

Fat Dog 50 mile Race Report

Fat Dog you've been a long time coming. 

My Fat Dog initiation was an epic adventure complete with monsoon rains, wasp stings, a Lynx encounter and a suprising finish.  It was quite the wild ride, but it was well worth the wait.  If you want to read the last page, you can check out the race results here and photo galleries building here.  If you want to avoid doing chores or some boring data entry task, then feel free to read on.  Warning: my race reports are my personal journal and a way for me to relive the adventures...80k is a long run so get comfy...

Miwok 100K Race Report

 Ultra Sisters:)

"Did you say MEAT-WALK??".  Ha Ha, my friend Shea, now THAT would be an awesome name for a 100K foot race.

Miwok 100K...  It's always so surreal, coming home after these big adventures.   Was I really just running through endless meadows of wild flowers and massive stands of Redwoods in California?  Did I really push as hard as I could at the end?  Was the pain really that bad?  

Perseverance 2014 Race Report

The 10^th annual Perseverance Trail Run was a huge success with 350 racers, 70 volunteers, countless sponsors and supporters coming together this past weekend to raise funds once again for the Cumberland Community Forest Society. For this special 10^th anniversary run, an anonymous donor will be matching 100% of the proceeds raised for the CCFS. The race was followed with a special After Party for the Forest including a massive silent auction and raffle. The total raised from this exciting 10 year celebration will be announced very soon. The CCFS is a local society working to purchase and protect forest lands in the Cumberland area.

Race Report: Squamish 50 Miler

Thinking about running a 50 miler?  READ THIS FIRST.

"I'm retiring!  That is IT.  I am DONE.  It is OVER.  Never EVER again.  I'm serious."

And I was.  I really, really was.

Kusam Race Report: What goes up...

Happy Sunday!
I awoke this morning to tight calves and a series of frantic klimbing memories flashing through my mind.  

Sun Mountain 50K: Surprise!

5 days post race and I am still day dreaming about the endless ribbon of creamy singletrack and fields of knee high sunflowers stretching as far as the eye can see...leaving me wondering...was that real or just a dream??