A day in the life on the Seawall -- Seawall 100 a.k.a Seawall 'go as far and for as long as you can'

GOAL: To "run" at least 80 km and at least 12 hours at the October 2010 Seawall '100'

LEADING UP TO THE DAY: I'm new to ultras having only started January 1st with the CFA New Year's day run.

In the weeks leading up to the Seawall 100, there were only 3 people including me signed up for the event. The other two people, I didn't know although I had seen their names before. Two weeks before the Seawall 100, I completed the Brussels marathon. It was a beautiful but tough race -- tough primarily because my body wasn't properly rested, fueled, etc. The last 10km were particularly difficult and I had 3 stress-triggered short 'inability to breathe attacks' on route: ''what the...'! Thank goodness for the most wonderful person in the world who ran with me despite having a cold, supporting and encouraging me all the way! Cautious about what happened in Brussels, knowing the likelihood of more attacks was low since I wasn't going for a fast-pace goal, I still wanted to do the Seawall '100' (otherwise known as the Seawall 'go as long as you can'); I knew that I could accomplish my Seawall goals...but that aid/support/pacers would be crucial. I emailed a few friends to let them know what had happened in Brussels and that the Seawall event was upcoming.

Sibylle, one of the key figures in CFA, suggested I post my anticipated pace time on the CFA event site, in case anyone else was out there who would be interested in providing support/pacing or coming out to give aid. Jess D. wonderfully saw my posting and said she would be available. In the days leading up to the event, schedules/availability looked sketchy; I knew I had two pacers for sure, one to meet me near the Aquatic Center on the way out to UBC, another to meet me at Park Royal for my last hour or so, possibly another, maybe Jess...just wasn't sure how it was going to play out. The night before the event, I saw the Reagan and Sibylle had also signed up, but I wasn't sure how far and what pace they would be running.

Went to sleep hoping the threatening weather forecast that had been announced midweek would be wrong, and the revised weather forecast of showers would be correct...

THE DAY: Woke up 5:30, sky was grey, no rain. Tape sections of both feet: benzoin tincture, leukotape. Put a thin layer of warming/anti-chafing substance all over, except for the feet -- I'm not sure about the anti-chafing characteristics, but it does keep one warmer. Over top my longsleeve synthetic shirt, I decided to wear a cotton t-shirt that I had never worn before (I did the half-marathon, but the t-shirt says marathon -- you know the ethics of wearing shirts for events not run) -- the cotton t-tshirt I could dump to the side along route after I warmed up. Arranged backup clothes/antiinflammatories to leave at the start/finish.

Arrived at the start at 8:00. Sibylle, Reagan, and Karl J (event host) were already there, but no one else. The other two people who had signed up weeks in advance were not participating, or at least not starting at 8:00 from Dundarave Park. After getting myself to the start 'globe' and telling Karl what I had arranged for support, Reagan and Sibylle saying they'd run with me, we started off at 8:20am. That Sibylle was running was wonderful -- it was particularly wonderful since she is recovering from an ankle injury. En route (not more than 1km from the start), Sibylle, Reagan, and I each got our 'garbage point'. The weather was beautiful. Sibylle turned around at the 4km point at the end of the fenced path way' just after passing under the train tracks.

Reagan and I continued onward, over the Lions Gate bridge, down the causeway. Just as we were turning off the causeway to take the underpass to the Seawall, the driver of a navy hatchback car honked and waved vigorously... I waved back vigorously. Was that a Des sighting? Down to the Seawall we go, to the plaza just before the new Convention Centre, back towards Stanley Park, counterclockwise on the Seawall around the Park. "Sunny days, everything is a.o.k...On my way to where the air is clear".  Ok, it's not sunny, but it isn't raining. Water stop at the 2nd Beach Pool to replenish my water bag. Ran a bit more and then celebrated with a few 'whoo-hoos' Reagan's first 21.1km of 'road running' !

A little bit further along, Reagan and I met up with 1st scheduled support runner/pacer, Susan H, at the signpost at English Bay. Having started 20minutes late, we were a bit behind schedule, but had made up 10 minutes. Introduced Susan H to Reagan. Continued running along past the Aquatic Centre, under the downtown ends of the Burrard, Granville, and Cambie Street bridges. Dropped Reagan off at Science World. Ran along the South Edge of False Creek to Kits Pool. I've been fueling once an hour with 100 KCal Kinder bars and pieces of cashew/date bars... but they cannot compete with the chips and cookies from Karl just west of Kits Pool. Karl teases me about going off course -- serves me right for not reading the directions and staying on the dirt path after Kits Pool; funny because I had a sense I might be going off course a bit in that small section. I introduce Karl to Susan H, we chat. Karl gives me a liquid meal and off Susan H and I go. We replenish our water at the North East corner of Jericho Park; just finish that and see/hear an incoming text message! I text back -- good timing! I am extremely happy.

Karl meets us along Spanish Banks for a photoshoot... up the little hill we go. At the parking lot on the right just as one is going up the hill towards UBC, we meet my Slipstream Wilderness First Aid Class -- it is Day 5; I'm supposed to be there for scenarios/evaluation... but I've gotten permission to take Day 5 later with a later group! the October Seawall 100 only comes around once a year. I am thrilled to get to see some of my classmates and instructor. My instructor teases me about stopping running! Susan H and I are a couple hundred metres from the 40km marker and Endowment Land sign. We continue up the hill. Karl is waiting for us; another photoshoot (Karl has me 'kick' the signpost), chips, cookies, liquid meals -- it is exactly 5hours since the start! Perfectly on pace! 20 minutes of chatting with Karl -- oops! I had thought I could drop in on my classmates, but their lunch break will have finished and I don't want to interrupt their class. At the bottom of the hill, Susan L calls and we arrange for her to be dropped off at Jericho Sailing Centre to meet up with us. I'm excited since although I knew it was high likelihood that I'd get to see her, I wasn't sure where or for how long. An action shot!!! -- Karl takes a picture of Susan H and me along Spanish Banks.

Jericho Sailing Centre here we come. Another cookie. Now I get to run with two Susans! Off we go... just west of Kits pool Karl meets us again. More introductions, chatting, chips. Karl sends us off with 3 bottles of liquid meal. I carry one, each of the Susans carry 1 to give me later. Kits Beach -- we see some friends from the Alma Street Running Room. One of them is the manager there; he signed me up for my Learn to Run class back in late June 2006 -- walk two minutes, run 1 minute... that's how it all started! More chatting (5-10 minutes). Back to running, under the south end of the Granville street bridge. See two more friends from the Alma Street RR, wave and yell can't stop since there has been too much stop/chat. Crowded section of seawall, Susan L has just talked about how she slipped on her bike in this section. Susan L warns about pedestrians; there are a couple of baby trees in the middle of the path. The Susans stop to walk through the congested narrow area. I think I'm smart and accelerate through the middle section by the trees like threading the needle. I don't thread the needle -- Flight! I hadn't noticed how uneven the bricks were right there... holes in both my gloves -- 1 hand shredded more than the other. Left knee bunged, no hole in capris, but small gashes anyways. Good news, wounds look clean. Bruised hip. A couple stops and asks if I'm ok, the man says his wife has done that too. I'm annoyed at myself -- yes there were even a couple of expletives. Susan L pours water on the gaping wounds. Top skin all gone on one section of hand... Very clean though... Off we go again. A little hobbly with the knee, but the stiffness is there if I stop running. Movement is key. The drizzle starts. Stop at Science World to coordinate with my friend who is supposed to meet me before Ambleside at Park Royal; leave a message, explain the delays and my possible bail depending on my knee... Resume running; always difficult to start from stand still, running is the answer. Cautious about possible damage though; doesn't seem to be anything structural. Susan H. leaves us at the park just east of the north end of the Granville street bridge. Off we go again. Keeping an eye on the time, knowing that Susan L had been planning on a two-ish hour run with me, I have us stop at the Sylvia Hotel at English Bay to make calls to arrange her pickup in Stanley Park. Meanwhile Jess calls and we make arrangements for meeting in Stanley Park. I'm excited because I wasn't sure given her Saturday schedule/whereabouts that I would have her company. Even better it seems as though she'll run with me to the North shore!!! Susan L runs with me to the Teahouse Restaurant.  Meanwhile Sibylle and Karl call me to check in on me. I let them know I'll be meeting Jess at Lumberman's Arch. Timing is great. I have maybe 2.5-3km, 25minutes or so that I am alone -- it is not dark yet... I am lucky lucky lucky...

I meet up with Jess just before Lumberman's Arch. She is running towards me in her CFA tshirt and longsleeve shirt -- I recognize her as someone I've said hello to and been introduced to at the few CFA events I've attended!  For the kindness of 'strangers'... Ah yes, time to replenish my water bag, rinse the opening on my hand... Running along the Seawall is great when the facilities are open! Jess kindly opens the twist knob on my bag -- and my fingers weren't even cold! Off around the Stanley Park Seawall we continue, towards the new Convention Centre,... back...I'm beginning to feel tired. We walk a bit. I see the letter A on the pier... A is for Apple, A is for Agony, A is for Appreciation, A is for Angel. No I'm not losing it... but I have been out for over 9 hours now. It is getting much darker. As we get on the causeway it is pitch black, I call Tanya who is patiently waiting for me at the Indigo Starbucks at Park Royal to let her know where we are. After walking while talking, Jess and I bound up the remaining approach to the LionsGate bridge; my legs feel great! It is so nice to have a change from all the flat flat flat flat. Jess in the meanwhile manages to arrange her pickup from Park Royal. Starbucks here we come! Now I get to introduce Tanya to Jess; this is Tanya's inaugural CFA event! Starbucks is just closing -- I'm surprised! I thought it would stay open later... lucky we got there when we did. I ask the fellow behind the Starbucks counter to take a picture of the three of us explaining that is an important day for me. He graciously says yes, and then asks if I want a bandaid. Hmm.. although I knew I had a gaping hole in my hand I had forgotten about it. How very thoughtful. I declined however, but did rinse the opening again.

Off I go with Tanya -- we're heading from Park Royal along the Seawall pathway toward Ambleside Park. Tanya has her headlamp. Sections of the pathway are actually darker than I thought they would be. Tanya is glad I'm not running this section alone. I agree, running in the dark along the Seawall is not smart -- that's actually why I had asked her to join me for this section; besides the fact that I recognized that I may really need support for the last section of my 12 hours. Growling dog up ahead, two shapes move quickly from the pathway across the grass away from the pathway. I think it is someone with dogs off leash. I think to myself, people should really control their dogs. A woman approaches us; "do you have a dog with you" or something to that effect. "No" -- it was a smallish bear. The garbage strewn along the pathway for a series of garbage cans (approaching the Ambleside Park skatepark) is further evidence of the bear. Tanya is very glad I'm not running this section alone. She comments on the whistle on her pack; it is actually my whistle, that I put on it when I borrowed her little pack for when I did the WITP in September. I had forgotten to remove it from her pack after the WITP, good thing. We go to Dundarave, run around the globe, 80km! Back we go... it hasn't been twelve hours yet. Karl calls to check in a few minutes later, I can happily report that I've completed my 80km and let him know Tanya and I will run 4.5km from the globe at Park Royal and I'll call it done! Continuing onward to eke out the 4.5km beyond the globe, legs are feeling a bit tired (hmm, given my last liquid meal was at Lumberman's Arch, no surprise, but I want to save it for immediately after I finish). Restarting after stopping for phone calls is another bear sighting; the bear has come back to his feeding ground. Tanya and I pause, we whistle, sing,.. the bear moves off. Tanya is very glad I'm not running this alone. 12:04:20 elapsed time 84.5km. We're done!Off to Winners I go for my post-event shopping. Down the last meal-in-a-bottle. Then to Whole Foods for some post-event food with Tanya! Hobbly when stopped, much better when moving!

It's a day, its now night!

I did not run this alone... I had more support than I could have imagined, and more support than I could have dreamed of... Ok, I didn't quite go as far as I might have liked, or for as long as I might have liked... but I did exceed each of my previous 'max's...

Looking forward to the next one... 

Oh yes... I never did ditch the t-shirt...  

GEAR: Newtons, Nike thin thin thin performance running socks, BVSport compression calf sleeves, New Balance capris, old New Balance Fall Classic longsleeve race shirt, never-used old cotton t-shirt (that was headed for the donation bin), never used Nathan light running pack, new Salomon buff (draw prize at Jen Segger's talk at Kintec), Kalenji headband, Nike running hat, Sugoi gloves. What a mish-mash -- definitely not a fashion-plate run -- yikes! In the pack: Kinder bars, cashew-date bars, spare socks, spare gloves, light running jacket, cellphone, directions, wet wipe, 1 ltr Quecha water bag -- lots of ziplock bags. Small tiny waist pack contents: funds/funds-generator, car key. Things I forgot to have with me: anti-inflammatories, antisceptic wipe....maybe a bandaid...; and oh yes...my health care card.