Hyson's Hijinks Race Report

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in getting this out, giving the play by play on a 34 hour run takes almost as long to write as to run. Let this be your warning - the report is not short.

Well the fog has begun to lift and I feel lucid enough put together a race report for Hyson's Hijinks. As I think back to the events that took place last week a couple of things really stand out, the first being that CFA'ers are some of the kindest most supportive people who you will ever have the chance to meet or run with. The second being - what were we thinking? We are definitely a bunch of fools for thinking that 100 miles on the Baden Powell would make for a great fun run.

The foolishness all started back in February; we were on our last lap of the Pure Foolishness 96 Km run and were taking a quick snack break at the suspension bridge before finishing the final leg. Jokingly, I said wouldn't it be great to do a full 100 miles on the course, surprisingly, no one jumped in and said... that would be a great idea, I think we have some time in April where we can fit it into our training schedule. I didn't push the idea but had decided that I was going to give it a try at some point, I wasn't sure when. The days after the run I started to look at the calendar and noticed a good break right around my birthday, what better way to celebrate your 37^th then by throwing yourself a party. Before I could share the idea with the other fools Karl sent out an email proposing a 100 miler on the BP, so I shared my idea and with Karl on board I knew it wouldn't be hard to convince Gilles and John, they are easily persuadable when it comes to running adventures.

So the idea behind the event was to start at the strike of midnight on my birthday and then spend the next 34.5 hours making three loops of the BP from Deep Cove to St. Andrews road. Since the run was not part of the "official" Pure Foolishness series, we decided to modify the course so that we would do fewer laps; Tim was kind enough to work out the distances. I have never stayed up for the entire duration of my birthday and thought that if I was ever going to try that running would be the best way to spend the time.

One of the things that I neglected to think about with the midnight start was it meant being awake an extra full day. Unless you are Gilles, most of us are not able to nap for hours at will. Most of us had the luxury of taking Thursday off work and resting, this was not the case for Daniel, who had to work all day then drive up from Bellingham to meet us for some food before the race, and I think this explains the zombie look he had on his face in some of the pictures later in the run. The advantage of a midnight start is that you don't have to worry about sleeping in and that it is more socially acceptable to have a beer before the start of the run. We had decided to meet at Taylor's Crossing for a pre-run meal and drinks. In addition to the fools we were joined by Pat, Sibylle, Lucinda, Linda, and Al. Over dinner we checked out the recent article and photo shoot in the Bellingham Herald about Daniel's running exploits. He shared that despite his best efforts the journalist and photographer would not allow any written or visual representation of the word Fatass into the article; we did not realize that our friends to the south had such delicate sensibilities and would be offended by our club name, watch out wearing your club shirts south of the border.

Lap 1

With food and drink finished we were now ready to sort out gear between our aid station vehicles. The plan was to leave Karl's van at Grouse and the rest of the vehicles at Deep Cove, with the level of support we received throughout the event we only really needed to access Karl's van a few times, but it was great to have it there when we did need it. When we all arrived at Deep Cove Cheryl was already there ready and waiting to provide us aid throughout the first night on the trail. After last minute gear adjustments, a few group photos and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday at the stroke of midnight we sprinted off into the night, well it was more like a brisk walk. Lucinda and Linda followed us by car heckling us to go faster the make for better photos ops. After a couple of minutes we were at the trailhead and started the long climb up to the top of Seymour Grind.

We moved really well on the first night each taking turns in the lead sacrificing our faces to break spider webs for the good of the group. Throughout the night Daniel would sprint out ahead of us to get set-up to take some action photos of use along the trail. Spirits were high and we all moved really well with the exception of John who had been battling a cold all week, it was obvious to us that he was not fully recovered because he was uncharacteristically quiet and had no appetite, two things John is not known for on the trail. At each access point Cheryl was there and made sure that we were keeping up on our fluids and food, she had put together a fantastic portable aid station that had everything that you could possibly need in an ultra run. With all the excitement it is easy to forget to eat and drink, especially when the temperature is cool, this usually results in a calorie crash or cramping later in the run which can be hard to bounce back from. Having Cheryl there really helped because she made us take those few extra minutes to slow down and make sure we were taking care of ourselves. Cheryl, thank you for giving up a night of sleep to look after a bunch of fools, we really appreciated the support.

After leaving Cheryl at the Pipeline Bridge we were off to the new portion of our run. Over the winter months the Pure Foolishness events provided us with an intimate knowledge of the BP from Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon. For the Hijinks course we decided to extend the route to St Andrews road which meant covering some territory that we had not run as often. As you all know there are a lot of stairs in the section from Lynn Canyon to St Andrews and though there isn't as much elevation change the climbs are shorter, steeper and the terrain overall is more technical. In particular, the section from Mosquito Creek to the bottom of Grouse Grind was really slow going in the dark. It was during this section that I believe we first heard the word "demoralized" uttered and it was not the last.

After a quick stop at Karl's van we made our way to the turn around point at Saint Andrews road, crossing the dam the wind was really blowing so we moved as quickly as we could electing to not stop and take in the view of the mountains. As we moved through the neighbourhood on the other side of the dam there was considerable debate on the actual location of Saint Andrews road, probably a fact we should have confirmed prior to the run. To play it safe we decided to go to the substation which meant another short and steep flight of stairs. Once at the turn around we briefly celebrated/lamented the fact that we had to complete the same journey five more times but we were ahead of schedule and feeling good so were optimistic.

Once we made the climb up Grouse we were happy to note that the trail seemed easier when travelling toward Deep Cove, this could also be due to the fact that we were no longer travelling in the dark, night one was complete. Arriving at Pipeline Bridge we received our final aid from Cheryl, before heading home for some much deserved rest, she made one last offer to go get us coffees. Knowing that Lucinda and Linda were planning on meeting us at Hyannis with breakfast we declined her generous offer and said are farewells. As we were leaving she mentioned that Sibylle was out for her morning run and was planning to cross paths with us to check in and see how we were doing. Unfortunately, the night before, I made an error in telling Sibylle that we would be sticking to the BP trail when in fact we were on the Knee Knacker course so we missed her, my apologies.

On the section between Lynn Canyon and Hyannis John made the wise decision to call it a day after completing one loop. He was feeling really drained from his cold and lacked an appetite and knew that if he wasn't eating it would just get worse over the next two laps, you can not run 100 miles on an empty stomach. When we got to Hyannis we were not only greeted by Lucinda and Linda but they also had Linda's daughter's four sons, all under the age of six, who were ready to tackle the trail. As we filled them in on the details of the night we enjoyed hot coffee, egg Mac Muffins, and hash browns, they even got mine without ham. Now with some warm food in our bellies and much needed caffeine we were off to tackle Seymour Grind for the first time. The boys were told they could come with us until they hit mud which is about 100 feet on the BP. Once we were at the top of the grind which wasn't that bad we enjoyed the long downhill back into Deep Cove where Linda and the boys were waiting. We were ahead of schedule but used the time to get ready for the second lap and to say good bye to John who was off to take a hot shower and head to bed.

Lap 2

Now that I have given you the play by play on one lap we are going to speed this up and just give you the highlights and in some cases the lowlights of the rest of our time on the trail. On the second lap we were goofing around and enjoying our time on the trail, particularly when the sun would make an appearance through the clouds. It was right around Mosquito Creek where things began to turn for the worse, it probably began sooner but this is where I first noted the dip in energy in the group. On this stretch we were providing most of our own aid and probably were not keeping up on our calories. I underestimated how much food to take and was just lucky that Karl had some to spare bars to share. We all tried to eat something knowing that the next section was going to be tough and we would need our energy. Gilles was working hard to keep the mood light as he shared his views on his current fragile state and how demoralizing it was when we veered even slightly from our route. In all humour lies at least an ounce of truth and I think we were all feeling a little demoralized at this point. Just before reaching Grouse it was first mentioned that maybe two laps on the trail would be enough for the first Hijinks run, no one seemed to argue.

After getting off Grouse we were greeted by Linda and Lucinda at Karl's van and the highlight of this aid break was fresh ice cold orange juice which has now become my favourite drink in an ultra. They let us know that Sibylle and the kids, Tim, Pat, and John were all down at the dam ready to have a picnic in the sunshine. With this motivation we were on our way, Daniel headed out quickly because he wanted to have some extra time to take care of some foot problems that had been bothering him, the rest of us just trotted down the hill enjoying the sunshine, level terrain, and the descent. When we arrived at the dam we elected to go out to the turn around first and then stop to eat and hang out. Tim and Pat joined us on the out and back and it was nice to have a few fresh faces in the group. The greatest moral booster was when Tim pointed out that in fact St Andrews road is the street before the substation so we did not have to tackle the stairs again and on our last lap we could turn around a block sooner because we had done the extra distance on the first lap. Now this may seem like a minor detail but given how we were feeling this was huge boost to morale, we were so happy that we hoisted Tim on our shoulders and sang "for he is a jolly good fellow" for a whole block, my memory is a little fuzzy but I think that is what we did.

Once we got back to the dam we settled down to eat as much as we could, including birthday cupcakes that I believe Sibylle made, thank you! Hanging out with everyone in the sunshine felt great and I don't think any of us were in a rush to head back out on the trail, particularly since we were starting with a long climb. With food in our bellies we reluctantly pulled ourselves away from the picnic tables said our goodbyes and headed back out onto the trail/road. For this section of the course Pat and Tim were planning on running/walking with us. As we made the long climb back up from Grouse I really felt my energy coming back and was engaged in conversation with Pat which was keeping my mind off the task at hand, to the point where we were moving at a pretty quick pace, at least that is how it felt. Before I knew it we were at Lynn Headwaters and there was no sign of the rest of the group. We weren't too concerned because they were likely not too far behind so we decided to keep on moving knowing that they would eventually catch up. At Lynn Headwaters we ran into Rune and Vanessa who had gone out for a run looking for the fools so we gave them a quick update on where everyone was and they decided to join us. Coming into Pipeline Bridge we were greeted by Lucinda, Linda, Sibylle, Ean and the kids, after a quick chat and some ice cold orange juice we were off again. At this point Ean planned to run with us if his torn calf muscle would allow. Running with a group that were all fresh definitely pushed me to go a little faster but I was feeling strong so I decided to go with it. As we ran Ean entertained us with stories beginning with how he first met and traumatized Rune, if you haven't heard the story you should get one of them to tell you. Now knowing the story, it explains why Rune only wears shorts with a drawstring and gets skittish when someone comes up behind him too quickly on the trail.

At the stairs after Lilloeet road Vanessa made the decision to turn around and head back to her car, so we were back to all men and the conversation reflected the change in the group. Ean's plan was to meet Sibylle at Hyannis and head home from there but we were moving fast and got there too early so he decided that he would hang in there a little longer with us enjoying the fact that it was his longest pain free run since New Year's. He finally parted ways with us at Indian Arm road and Rune, Pat and I continued on into Deep Cove. On this stretch Rune shared how he got into ultra running at the age of 15, and as you would suspect from a 15 year old, it was with visions of getting into the Guinness Book of World Records and of course impressing girls with his feats of endurance.

Lap 3

As we arrived at Deep Cove we were met by Linda, Lucinda, and Lorraine who told us that the rest of the fools had made the decision at Pipeline Bridge that they would not be going out for a third loop. With this news, I had a quick discussion with Pat and Rune to see what they were for hanging with me a little longer; they had agreed that between the two of them they would see me through till sunrise. With that decided, I knew I would finish the run so I changed into some warmer gear and enjoyed a couple of Lorraine's famous grill cheese sandwiches before heading back out for the last lap. I should mention that at this point we were still right on schedule if not a little ahead. Just as we arrived at the trailhead for the BP, we ran into Baldwin who said that we would meet us at Pipeline Bridge; we took advantage of this opportunity to order a cheese pizza, knowing that we would need the extra calories that only real food can provide.

We weren't too far along the trail before we crossed paths with Karl, Gilles, and Daniel. They looked pretty worn out from over 100 km on the BP and knew that 100 miles would need to wait for another day. They were relieved to know that I wouldn't be running alone and with that they wished me luck and we said our goodbyes. The rest of the fools finished lap two for 108 km's in 22 hours and 48 minutes.

As we started down the grind we were fully engaged in conversation and it was at least five minutes before we realized that we had went off trail. With a little back tracking we were back on the BP and our way down the Grind one last time. That in one of the pro's of a course that you repeat a number of times, once you are on your last lap there is a sense of satisfaction that comes from finishing certain sections of the course, knowing that you won't have to do the again on the run.

Coming into Pipeline Bridge my mouth was watering in anticipation of a greasy cheese pizza, as I get into the later stages of a long run I need real food, I cannot survive on gels and energy bars. At the gazebo we could see a figure walking towards us, Baldwin had arrived early and had decided to walk up and down the hill to keep warm. As we sat on the concrete slab enjoying the pizza he let us know that Desmond was planning on coming out at 5:30 am to meet me at Mosquito Creek to keep me company on the final stretch. 5:30 am seemed a little optimistic so we asked Baldwin to post on the CFA site that we wouldn't get there until 6:00 am. Rune had decided that he would run with me until I met Des and after nine hours on the trail Pat decided that he would catch a lift back to his car with Baldwin. Since they were going that way Baldwin agreed to leave the rest of the pizza for us at Karl's van that was still set-up as a portable aid station at Grouse.

It was on the stretch into Grouse that my mind started playing tricks on me, as the trees and bushes swayed in the wind, I began to see what I thought were people, animals, cars, etc. Having someone to talk with helped me keep things in check, if I had of been out there on my own it would have been a little more difficult to differentiate what was real, though it was a sfae bet that there wouldn't have been any people or cars on the trail at 2:00 am, animals are a different story. I kept most of my hallucinations to myself until we were heading down the street toward the dam, at the point, I let Rune know that I thought there was a girl standing at the bus stop; in fact it was just a plastic shopping bag blowing in the wind. Better that I was running than operating heavy machinery.

After a cold run across the dam we were at the turn around and that meant just half a lap to go before the finish and we were right on schedule to meet Des at Mosquito Creek for 6:00 am. After the climb up Grouse we made good time making it to Mosquito Creek which would be where Rune would leave to run home grab a little sleep before heading off to work for the day. Ultra runners really are strange folk, who else would head out for a run after work on a Friday night and then run all night before heading home to get ready to head back to work. I think Rune was on the trail for close to 12 hours, thanks Rune!

As we met Des I had my first and only fall of the run, basically my feet slipped out from under me on a steep section of loose dirt and I slid for a few feet on my butt, not bad for 100 miles on the BP. As Des and I headed off we chatted about how the run had gone so far and settled into a nice rhythm with him out in front to pull me along. From Mosquito Creek we no longer needed headlamps but it wasn't until just before Mountain Highway that we had the pleasure of seeing a fantastic sunrise which meant that night two was done. With sunrise came new energy and it felt like we picked up the pace as we arrived at Pipeline Bridge one last time. Upon arriving we were surprised to see Linda who was waiting with warm blueberry muffins and coffee, I was really glad that this was not a cruel hallucination. She let us know that everyone was planning on meeting us at Deep Cove to celebrate. She asked what time we expected to arrive and before I could answer Des, with a smile on his face, said it would take us less than three hours. I thought that it was ambitious but I felt surprisingly good so decided to go with his estimate. After thanking Linda for the fantastic breakfast we headed up the hill from the bridge. As the sun warmed us Des prepped me for my last time up Seymour Grind letting me know that it would be 20 minutes and then it was roughly all downhill to the finish. True to his word the Grind was behind us in about 20 minutes and now we were on the final leg of the run, Des continued to push the pace with nothing hurting I decided to go with it. In hindsight, things stopped hurting after the second lap and I don't know if that was a good thing.

After the long downhill we hit the final piece of technical trail and were on pace to break 34 hours without killing ourselves in the process. It was on this stretch that we met Al who came out to run the final part of the run with us. For being out on the trail so long we moved surprisingly well through the roots and rocks and as we came to the trailhead we could here the beat of drums and the playing of music, it really sounded like a huge party for 10:00 am, I didn't expect them to go to all that trouble for little old me. As we moved briskly down the final stretch of pavement into Panorama Park it became clear that in fact all the noise was coming from the Dragon boat races and not my finish line party, no matter. At 33 hours and 54 minutes I crossed the finish line and was greeted by the rest of the fools and crew. After congratulations, I enjoyed a cold beer and the remaining cupcakes from the night before. Since it was 10:00 am on Saturday we decided it was time for brunch and beers at the Raven to close off the birthday celebration. After brunch I was starting to feel the effects of being up for over 50 hours so decided it was in my best interest to take a quick nap before driving home.

So there you have it, the play by play on the first running of Hyson's Hijinks to go along with all the phots. I can't say for sure if this will become a regular CFA event but there are some fools who have unfinished business on the trail so you can expect to see us out again next year. 38 is an uneventful birthday so it makes sense to throw another party, next time we'll go with an early morning start, all are welcome to join in the fun.

In closing I just want to thank everyone again for your support over the course of the run it added so much to the experience. See you at Bonkfest!

Missing The Fools

The morning started with a loud knocking waking me out of deep sleep.  "Oh shoot", I thought, "that is my running buddy... why did I not hear my alarm?"  Still half asleep I glanced at my watch (but being half blind I didn't realize that it was way too early for my running partner to be knocking at my door), jumped out of bed, raced downstairs, opened the house door, set off the alarm, had trouble resetting it without my glasses...only to realize that my friend was not there. 

The knocking came from a pesky Flicker woodpecker, attacking the side of our house.  Yawn.  Love the Flickers, but cannot tolerate them destroying our house...so out comes the sling shot (no worries - I have a poor aim, but it helps me get a pebble high enough to scare the bird away).  Flicker taken care of I realize I still have an hour before my friend is scheduled to pick me up to meet the fools somewhere on the BP.

I reach Cheryl, who has been crewing through the night, via cell phone.  She reports that the Fools are a bit ahead of schedule and she is expecting them around 8:00 at Lynn Canyon.  Perfect. 

We arrive at Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge well before 8:00.  No sign of Cheryl, so I call her up again to find out that she is at the Pipleline Bridge...ahem.  I thought the Fools decided last night to stay on the BP opposed to the KK course.  Still not quite awake, I ask Cheryl if they had run downriver on the BP.  Cheryl, of course is absolutely sleep deprived and I shouldn't ask her any questions at this point.  Figure, we'll meet the Fools if we follow the BP upstream. 

We set of down the stairs into Lynn Canyon.  The morning is crisp and dry.  Too cold for the seaon, but at least it's not raining.  After a few minutes of running, it occurs to me that if the Fools were at the Pipeline Bridge, they probably were following the KK course.  Oops. I call Cheryl again to confirm.  Cheryl is ready for bed.  I offer her to take a rest at our house before driving home, but she feels awake enough to drive... She confirms that the Fools crossed the Pipeline Bridge...

We turn around and hope to still be able to meet the runners.  Hey, I even run up those stairs to the Suspension Bridge.  On the other side of the Suspension Bridge, I make the mistake and turn left right away...instead of a right and then a left.  We end up following the trail to the 30ft pool until I realize we are wrong...by which time it's too late to turn around and still meet the Fools.  Sorry guys.  I shall try again  later today.