The Rock and Ice Ultra!

Welcome to the lead up and stay tuned for the post race follow up of my adventure with the Rock and Ice Diamond Ultra race in Yellowknife.

Special thanks go to my sponsors who have stepped up to provide some gear. Click on their logos to visit their websites. SALOMON, VEGA, the YETI snowshoe race series, ATLAS - the best snowshoes, HELLY HANSEN / LIFA and SMARTWOOL - the greatest layering dynamics!

Vega

Facts:

Who: Jason Terauchi-Loutitt

What: 225klm snowshoe/run race 

When: March 21-26, 2009

Where: Yellowknife, NWT

Why: If I win, the diamond is being gifted directly to my mother

Other Facts:

Self Sufficient: You have to pull everything behind you in a pulk (sled)

Home Made Pulk: I have built my pulk out of two crazy carpets! (pics to follow)

Into strange weather: Although I lived in Winnipeg for 8 years, was in the Army and grew up in Uranium City SK, I now live in the warmest place in Canada - Vancouver Isalnd. This ain't going to be Kansas anymore Toto!

New Ball Game: This will be my first ultra. (Well sort of...see below)

Proven Gumption: Although I only raced in two urban adventure races ( I did do a stunt as a fun team for a MOMAR race), I did win by 30min over an Eco-Challenge team member.

Proven Endurance: My marathon PB of 2:27:49 was set in the 2004 Honolulu marathon where I was the head coach for Team Diabetes Canada and ran backwards after wfinishing to help support all 70 team runners. By the time I made my way back to our last place walker and crossed the finish line it was 6min shy of being out there for 10hrs! 

Overview:

The idea of racing in this race came after almost being able to go to France to represent Salomon at their Annual ADVANCE WEEK gathering of top trail runners to test gear. That was cancelled and the last minute opportunity to race close to where I grew up couldn't be passed up. My recent success with snowshoeing solidified the deal but stay tuned for frequent updates as its going to be an adventure!!!

2 Weeks to Go...

With two weeks to go, my ankle has mended enough to be able to run for up to 2hrs. I've built up from 2 weeks of rest with a 10' day, day off, 30' day, day off, 60' day, 60' day, day off, 80' day, 120+ day. Sticking to the Trans Canada trail, their is a slight climb from my place to get to it but once on it, it is a flat old railbed, soft and perfect. Yesterday's 80' day was done in full racing gear with gators (+my flamin arm wraps over top!), 3/4 length tights (once it's too cold the Helly Hansen long underwear goes underneath) + my upper body harness (that will be used to attach the ORANGE northern light sled (now fully complete!). Of course I have to drive a little west of Shawnigan Lake to get to some snow to test it out but that will happen in a couple of days. I know it's crazy as others I am sure have used and practised extensively with theirs....BUT I can feel a spirit beckoning me to race, like a return to home or a connection to both pairs of my grandparents. Being Metis, I know that my elders are waiting to help me on that trail. I want to sing again when I am running...hahaha watch out Yellowknifers!

12 days to go...

2 hrs with 30min of pushing a baby jogger on soft trails was followed up with a 2:45 run where 90min was on snow trails. Both runs are done wearing the harness I will need to pull the sled but after yesterday's run, I came home and sewed up a bare bones harness. The body had a tough adaptation run yesterday with no water or food taken to get it used to going through that wall of running out of carbs as a fuel and switching to using it's fat/ body for energy. As long as I hydrate/eat afterwards I recover, get stronger and become the ultra runner.

Fact:

There is a 'Loutitt' street in Yellowknife!

In 1904, my great grandfather Billy Loutitt ran from Athabasca to Edmonton to get help as the town was flooding. He ran it in about 16 hrs and beat the other person going for help who was on horseback (17hours).

In 2004, I competed in the second Billy Loutitt winter duathlon - a 35klm snowshoe/ski where you carried 12lbs of food on your back throughout the race and dropped off a little bit every now and then but had to finish with food. I won in about 3 hrs. 1 hour quicker in soft snow conditions than the previous year's winner who was also the creator of the famous 'Death Race'.

10 Days to go...

The ankle was a little sore after the 80,120 and 165min runs so the day off was needed to get it adjusted and healthy for the race. After a day off with some testing of the homemade sled and homemade harness, today was a double day with two hour runs.  Both runs were easy paced and staying light on the feet.

Footwear Testing: The second run was done in a pair of Salomon XA PRO 3D Ultra GTX (Gore tex) while wearing a pair of Smartwool socks. The feet got warm but in weather below -15 they should be good to go. I will though have to test out a pair of the XT Wings GTX and see how they compare. I most likely will only take one GTX pair and a light racing pair of Speed Cross 2`s just in case some wild warmer weather (above -15) kicks in...hahaha.

Fuel: Confirmation came from my nutrition sponsor Vega and they will be providing all the fuel for the race!

Lightness: It is key...225klm x any weight + snow/wind = work. Add in -20/-30 or -40 weather and work then equals having to take in so many calories for energy. I've taken my experience with ultralight packing and my time in the field with the army to come up with what should be a sled (+everything) weighing exactly what my 5 month old son weighs. I have to chalk up the time with him as training time and tell him when he gets older how he was my little dumbbell. He's going to be strong and I imagine he'll then just pick me up and throw me. I keep looking at the sled though and wondering if I might take a little extra just to be that more comfortable each night. We'll see...but I must remember what is key.  

Wednesday March 11th: Hmmm....right now at 10:54 am in Yellowknife it is -34. Each day the race legs start at 9 am. I will have 1 day to acclimatize. I keep thinking about the camp, being efficient with what I am bringing and the routine for everything such as simply boiling a cup of water. Still waiting for the last bit of gear with some great Vega food, Helly Hansen layering, Smartwool socks and Lifa hat. Oh ya the Atlas Race snowshoes should be here soon. I have a pair of the Atlas Run model but they are 2x the weight of the Race meaning I could bring an extra pair of shoes if I need to. Got an email from a friend and he said his sled was about 25lbs all included minus food. I am going to stick with having it weigh what my son does and unless he gains 10 lbs in the next little while, I should be at about 16/17 lbs.  Today's scheduled workout is a slow 8min mile longer run where my heart rate will most likley be around 110-120 for 3 hrs if possible. I of course have to keep recovery in mind so if the ankle seems to be wanting a rest, I will cut the run a little shorter. See what happens. It is about -5 here on Vancouver Island right now. Hahaha... so cold for so many... if only they knew! The run ended up being 2:54 at about a 7:15 pace with a heartrate of about 125, wearing Smartwool socks and the XT Wings GTX. As they are a little bit heavier than the XA PRO 3D Ultra GTX, I will probably go with the XA`s. They did do great though with the Smartwool socks and almost 3 hrs in warmer weather. A little bit of hot spots started up due to the GTX but in -20 it should be a different story. I did get the Smartwool products and the Atlas Run snowshoes today. Great socks, a cool beanie and long sleeve zip top. Also found out that the Helly Hansen and LIFA gear is on its way. I should be able to narrow down what I`ll be wearing for the race and bringing as extra.

Fact:

On Feb 23, 2003, in -30 temperatures I ran and won the Winnipeg Hypothermic Half Marathon in 1:17:31

Max Temp: -20.4 °C

Min Temp: -33.5 °C

Mean Temp: -26.9 °C 

I have only ran one other Ultra and after leading the Diez Vista for 30klm of the 50k distance, I took the wrong trail and ended up back at the start. Went on to run 1:07:00 the next day at the April Fool's Half Marathon.

Thursday Mar 12, 2009 : Massage day! I can't wait but will fit in an hr to 90min run this morning. The legs are surprisingly fresh despite the mileage yesterday but today's run will be light on the feet with quick turnover and some playing with the GPS to get it down. POLES....hmmmm I never used them while snowshoeing and I do see that everyone seems to use them in the Rock and Ice Ultra. Even the 04 Billy Loutit Winter Duathlon with 12lbs on my back was poleless. Still I want to be prepared should I need them and have been searching for the lightest pair. I think like the sled it will come down to me making the gear as to buy lightweight ones that would compare to ones I could make would set me back over 150. I've done some scouting and hahaha... I think I found the ticket in carbon fishing poles. Today I will try to make the choice and pick up the pole making gear.

Poles: Ha... Even though Atlas is sponsoring me, I never thought to ask if they had poles and guess what kind I've found...Atlas snowshoe poles. Even though they aren't the ultralight ones I will keep em to train in and most likely bring to use if I feel I need poles.

Three words of wicking wisdom......HELLY HANSEN / LIFA. I got all the base layer product today and that hollow-fiber Lifa T3 technology mimicks polar bear fur! GgggggrrrrowwwwwwL! 

Poles update: Atlas sending a pair of the ultralight 7000 series. Half as light!

Fact:

In 2004 at the MB senior XC ski champs, I finished 4th with it being my 6th time on XC skis. I also wiped out half the kiddies and old folks out on the same 5k loop as we were doing two. Poor buggers never knew what was coming but as I tried to pass many of them it was often wipe out time for all of us. The highlight for me was passing by the start line for the start of the second loop and the crowd going....oh....oh....oh.....owwwwwwwch! as I teetered and totered and wiped out.

Today March 13th was the first practise pole run and 45min were spent on the trail just getting used to the swing and cadence change in my upper body rythm. To realistically try to plant a pole with every step when you are a high cadence runner is impossible. Sure you can fit in a few quick pole plants but the effecient rythm has you change the normal swing rythm of your upper body with only swinging your arms once for every 2 steps. Try doing it (changing up) even as you walk without poles. 45min water running was the afternoon workout and it also is a good upperbody workout if you go without floaties and comfortably hard.

March 14th training was a very easy 45min on the trail while March 15th was a 1:55:00 tempo run...countdown is starting!

Fact:

There are only 28 other competitors in the Diamond Ultra...but from all over the world and most are very accomplished ultra and adventure racing athletes. I took this in mind when deciding if I should race the shorter 3 day race as it seemed, with a day to go with registration, that there wasn't too much competition. Of course you never know as it comes down to the day. To add to my challenge and to possibly affirm a place in ultra/ adventure racing I took up the Diamond Ultra. Racing against others who push you and cause you to rise to the challenge only makes you stronger no matter what happens. It will be so cool to be around other racers from around the world. You get to do so at World championship mountain running but then all the teams stay apart aside from the race. For this race we are together for the whole 6 days. Interesting...

March 16th: Back to back longer tempo runs 1:55 & 1:52 to simulate the racing will basically end the build up to the race. A day off on the 17th, then an easy hour on the 18th with Nanew and the Prarie Inn Harriers running club should cap off the week...aside from some very very last minute testing of wear and gear in Yellowknife. Respecting the distance of the races and back to back to back to back to back to back will be tough for everyone.

Gear: I am really looking forward to getting out there but I do have some gear things I still need to sort out like packing the mandatory gear/ food/ stove and ensuring it will fit in my sled. Here is a pic of my supper small and light titanium methyl hydrate stove... (ooops already packed up but I'll post pics of my gear post race as well. Below are pics of the sled and harness...)

My sled aka.. the 'Orange Northern Light'... aka the 'Run Fast off the start line so nobody steps on it sled!'. To put my ultralight packing in perspective I have everything in two boxed up crazy carpets including two -16 sleeping bags. My remaining space after the bags is about a 1' by 1' by 5". All in all the sled is 2' long boxed at 1' by 5" with a triangular (think Avro Arrow type) front end. A little worried about the holdinbg up of the crazy carpet plastic but I contacted the company that makes it to find out what temperatures it should hold up to. Still I double layered the front end and some of the bottom as well. Held together with Duct tape and Gorilla tape, the poles are ultralight aluminum poles from an ultralight tent and held together both with more tape and with an aeroplane wire strung down each one and passing through a piece of pole that runs through the front of the bugga. A little worried about the friction on the wire at where it comes out of the pole at the sled and passes into the poles coming up to my harness, I fashioned round support pieces to allow a rotation of the wire and poles within themselves. At the other end, the wire is then to be clipped in a loop once up in Yellowknife. Ya its been fun making the thing. Here is a pic... (to come soon just waiting for a couple more sponsor stickers)

Harness:I sewed up my bare bones harness and it's going even more bare bones with a shedding of the cross straps I made for extra support from the shoulders. The sled is so light that I think the hips should be able to handle it. The hip strap is just that a strap with sewed in elastic to both keep it on my hips and snug. A couple of sewed in loops on each side will support two carabiners. Two extra velcro loops will also attach to the harness on a loop made from the straps that were going up to the shoulders. Here is a pic... (to come soon)

THE TRUTH

' "One often meets one's destiny on the road taken to avoid it," says a French proverb. Sometimes, in fact, you can't even get properly aligned with your highest potential unless you try to escape it. Only by seeking an alternate route are you led into the circumstances that ultimately activate the fullness of your gifts. These mysteries will soon have personal meaning for you, Taurus. Upcoming plot twists will lead you to where you didn't even know you needed to go. ' - I had to quote this week's Freewill Astrology blast as it sums up both past experience having to deal with a life of alcoholism and addiction that would rear up during binge episodes, and taking on the very ills that we despise of this world. In 2008, I went into work and told them I needed help. I had made it to the top of my field in Aboriginal sport and could not simply allow myself to hide my problem. It wouldn't be right despite committing career suicide. I then went into a treatment centre to finally get help. I thought I could take care of it but the truth was that the disease takes so much control over us that we are no longer taking care of ourselves. So as I run through the trails and in particular in this race, my eyes will tear not from the wind, not from the cold but from knowing where it is I have been and to where it is I am now going. My 6 mo old son Shouken, my wife Taeko, my Buchart, Loutitt and Terauchi families somehow singing a chant honouring the earth - this will be drumming in my soul. Winning the diamond to give to my mom to help pay her for only a portion of the cost of the treatment centre that she covered by maxing out her credit cards, I will have extra motivation to win a race not only against my competitors but against the ignorance that I once was, against the disease. Perhaps with me will be some of the spirits of the many who have had this disease do away with their lives, just perhaps I may not only help myself heal a little more but just perhaps I may in some sort of way help them heal or rest even just a little. Just perhaps if you have been affected by this disease I may in some undefined way be able to help you by giving you a subtle lift in your resolve or spirit. I will run with hope!

Weather Update: ...Latest Forecast for Yellowknife... Sat -24 & -13, Sun -23 & -12, Mon -19 & - 11, Tues -18 and -8...

This means that perhaps running in plus 2 weather wearing -30 below clothes and shoes will only have made me a little fitter going into the race. Of couse all depends as I bet we will get some surprise weather during the race.

Sled and gear updates: All told the scale is tipping at 20lbs 2oz including food. A little more than what I was hoping for but that is with being packed for running in -30 below weather so it could lighten up as the race gets closer.

Wednesday March 18th, 2009: Like the pre-race jitters a marathoner feels prior to the big day, this is prior to the big 6 days and is exciting like no other pre-race experience I have had before. The lack of ultra experience, being out of cold temparatures and my still sore ankle do have me as a cornered underdog for the race. I am still waiting for some last minute stuff to arrive but if it doesn't come before heading off to Yellowknife, no worries as the only thing that will matter will be THE WILL TO KEEP GOING.

This morning's run will be an hour romp in the rain with fellow Prairie Inn Harriers running club members and our dogs. And the run was great... the trails at Goldstream Park are amazing.

OK... the bag is packed. Yup got everything in the same Blue Planet Run bag that went around the entire world with me in 07. It even went across the Gobi Desert and across Siberia!

As I get to test out the sled and gear over the next two days, it will be a matter of tweaking the subtle things to get used to running in a little colder weather again. In a way I know it will feel pretty good to in a way return home.

Here is a view of the top of the sled...

and a view of the front attachment where the wire passes out of the poles to be attached to the harness and into the sled (and pole that runs through it)...

also a view from the back right topside... (of course the poles are resting on the back end but will go forward to attach to the harness)

Lastly a pic of the homemade harness with a very basic pouch (only material although it looks bigger in the pic) on the back. I did make the harness out of an old elastic belt of a pair of tights and kept in whole and then sewed on the strap allowing some places for tension. The straps extending out to the sides will clip to the poles but I will also have back up carabiners attached and then go with the best method after getting some real testing in the weather, snow and ice..

I will try to update on day 3 if I can get access during our return to the Matrix camp.  Of course you can always follow along HERE!

Thursday March 19, 2009: At one of the airports on my way up to Yellowknife hoping that Air Canada doesn't lose my bag as everything is in it. I am keeping an eye on weather but really it is just a matter of getting out there and having fun. The build up with getting my Salomon shoes, Helly Hansen/ Lifa layers, Smartwool socks and Atlas snowshoes was exciting but just getting prepared with the building of my gear from home made gloves, more- wind proof underwear (where it matters most!), home made gators to keep the snow out of my shoes, finding sleeping bags that rate to -30 (mine will be -32) and getting my Vega supplements and packing everything inside my home made sled. Wow so much time preparing and thats not counting the running time. The Vega oil, Macasure Chocolate bars, Vega Vanilla Chai and Green Synergy bars will all be part of the plan. About 90% of my food will be Vega! During the race, the Macasure Chocolate bars will be going down and I picked up a squishy cup and bowl set as well so the cup will handily fit into my pouch, meaning at the checkpoints I merely fill up with water and drink up. Plan is two cups per every second checkpoint with one cup in-between. Music....yup I picked up a cheap mp3 and will be running/singing along and even more so if it is windy. What kind of music... David Grey, Leonard Cohen/U2, Goo Goo Dolls, Howie Day, Tom Cochrane, Cold Play and a couple more.