2011 - Year 9 - XTC Results

An enthusiastic group of fat asses assembled at the Griffin rec center parking lot just before 8:00 this morning. It immediately struck me that we indeed are a special breed of runner.  Mike, who seems normal enough at first glance, was wearing Hoka platform runners. Katie, at the other end of the shoe scale, had on a pair of new Vibram 5 finger foot-gloves. Several of my running companions asked me where the 5 KG brass pig was that I took with me on a 25K leg of the course last year.  Katie was wearing her party dress. We must have been quite a sight for the patrons of the rec center weight room!

 

After an obligatory photo session with 3 different cameras, we set off on a steep climb up Mosquito Creek to the power line trail. Runners soon broke up into pace groups. The section I call the Dog Leg elicited several slurs against my name (see the video), but thankfully, there were no broken legs. Given the cool "la Nina" spring, the salmonberries that normally line the trail in abundance were notably absent. Our run was altogether uneventful until we neared Capilano Road near the Grouse Mountain parking lot.

 

If you're not familiar with the XTC or other Club Fat Ass events, they are very low-key when compared to most running races. If someone wants to set up an aid station or wave "Hi!" along the course at any point, they just do it. As a runner, I am often pleasantly surprised when the significant other of one of my running mates waves at me during at Club run. So, I though absolutely nothing of it when someone down the trail in front of me was waving at me. 

 

It's also quite common to see a camera person from a television station or a newspaper out along the course of a Club Fat Ass event. Apparently, people who run long distances in funny clothes and shoes are newsworthy. So,  I thought absolutely nothing of it when I saw a cameraperson next to the person who was waving at me. So I waved back.

 

That's about when I saw the first big, hairy, black ass to my immediate left.  

 

It's not at all unusual to see a big black bear while running on the north shore trails. So I clapped my hands, said "Shoo bear!" and continued toward the freaked-out camera crew. 

 

That's about when I came across the second big, hairy black ass with the surprised face looking right at me. I continued running, but reached for my camera as I figured my 3 running buddies were headed right for the same surprise. "That might make for some interesting footage for this years' Fat Ass Festival of Outdoor Adventures", I thought.

 

That's about when I saw the cubby bear sitting on a fence at just about my head-height.  

 

The whole incident was probably on the local news, but none of us thought to ask which TV station was setting us up. Did anyone see it?

 

As we ran through the Capilano Canyon and up the side of Cypress Mountain, our little group traded high-5s with several others in the event who had chosen to run the 25K course in the opposite direction.  In the Canyon Crawl section, we noted that several bridges had been taken out by either trees or old age. The promised sunshine didn't happen, but it didn't rain, either: perfect day for a run on the trails.  Given that Paul professed to knowing the location of the elusive Hollyburn Giant, we opted for a little detour to see the tree several of us had tried unsuccessfully to find last year. If you're not in a hurry, I'd recommend you check it out, too!

 

Why is it that the last bit of trail before the Cypress picnic area seemed longer this year?  When we arrived at our destination, our group was welcomed by Des who greeted us with, "What took you guys so long?"

 

At the Mosquito Creek Grill afterward, we compared notes over a cool beer (Thanks, Kelly!)  and a well-deserved meal. Many thanks to Kintec and Trail Runner Magazine, everyone present came away with a little prize.  Thanks, as well, to all who picked up some trash along the trail. That's a nice 19th birthday present for the TransCanada Trail!

 

Host of the XTC

 

Points	First Name	Last Name	City	Event	Time
1	Jim	Swadling	North Vancouver	42km - custom	5:20
1	Michael	McNamara	Bellingham	30km - Custom	4:02
2 + 1*	desmond	mott	north vancouver	25km - Up	3:01
1	Paul	Cubbon	N Van	25km - Up	4:01
2+1* +2**	Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	25K - Up	4:01
2	Robert	Westendorp	Vancouver	25K - Up	4:03
1	Katie	Longworth	North Vancouver!	25K - Up
2	Dario	Herrera	New Westminster	67km - custom	?
2	Pamela	Keck	North Vancouver	18km - custom	2:30
1	Helen	Tilley	White Rock	18km - custom	2:30
2	Killaine	Sharman	North Vancouver	15km - custom	2:30
2+1*	Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	15km - custom	2:40
2	Stacy	Otter	Bellingham	0	DNS

 

 

 

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