Rock and Ice Update #7: Gear Requirements

Training is essentially done and it’s now time to start tapering for the 2009 BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra. We leave for Yellowknife in less than a week. Even though I’m putting less hours into training, it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get prepared for the race.

I sometimes feel that the training for a race like this is the easy part and the logistics and getting all of the necessary gear organized is the biggest challenge. With the lack of winter these days in Eastern Ontario, the days of being able to fine tune my pulk (sled) design have been limited. Luckily, there was still some snow at Frontenac Provincial Park on Tuesday and I was able to take my pulk on one final run and I’m pleased with the end result. Now I just have to figure out how to fit everything I need for the entire six days of racing into it!

The list of gear requirements for Rock and Ice is extensive, but due to the harsh environment that we will be racing in, it is vital.

Mandatory gear items and equipment include:
- Emergency shelter (bivy sac or four-season tent)
- Sleeping bag with a temperature rating of at least -30C (it was -40 in 2007)
- Thermal groundsheet (Therma-rest or closed cell foam - we will sleep directly on the snow)
- EXTRA toque or balaclava (heavy weight)
- EXTRA mitts or gloves (heavy weight)
- EXTRA insulating socks (heavy weight)
- Complete set of wind breakers (Gore Tex is NOT recommended in this climate)
- Appropriate underwear, outer wear and footwear for temperatures 0C to -40
- Head lamp with extra batteries (battery life is reduced in cold weather)
- Sunglasses (extra dark lenses are recommended-snow blindness hit R&I in 2008)
- 1 litre thermos
- Water bottle
- Toiletries
- Route map
- GPS and extra batteries (2 sets)
- Food for 6 days (energy bars, energy gels, dehydrated foods, etc)
- Cook stove and fuel
- Pots and pans
- Cutlery and utensils
- Weather-proof matches
- Foot racers must pack snowshoes even if not planning to wear them

Mandatory survival kit must include:
- Whistle
- Emergency Space Blanket
- Candle or ‘canned heat’ (emergency heat source)
- Fire starter
- Glow Stick

This is all in addition to the gear we will be wearing, plus any other items we may want to bring.

It’s a fine line between having too much gear and dragging the extra weight unnecessarily across the frozen tundra or going ultra light, but risking not having enough. With the weather in Yellowknife currently in the -30C range, I know what way I will be leaning.

Snowshoe Magazine Interview: Tom Sobal

This is the final installment in this season’s series of interviews with notable snowshoe personalities.

Tom Sobal is a true pioneer in the sport of snowshoeing, and was snowshoe running long before it became the popular winter activity that it is today. Tom has accomplished many extraordinary feats, both on and off the snow, including running the fastest marathon ever recorded on snowshoes. Tom’s passion is very evident and has inspired many in our sport...

read full interview > >

Training Log: Mar 2 -8 (10:56)

Training Log - The goal for this week was to recover a bit from the previous week, while still continuing to get some solid days in. Will continue to get some good days this week, but back off on the overall volume. Time to start thinking about extra rest and recovery.

Week Ending Total = 10:56

Monday Mar 2
Running 1:45:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(AM) Great run. A little sluggish getting going, but felt quite good after about 45mins. Had planned to go a little shorter today, but found a very sweet new trail that wound through the woods north of the Sandpit and was fun to play on. On the way back, I ran over the ice on the marsh to connect to the north end of Paudyn Trails. Was a little nervous on the ice, but seems very solid. Pretty cold north wind today.

Running 47:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(PM) Cold north-east wind tonight. Ran steady on Cataraqui Trail West. Felt pretty good. Ankle a little stiff, but not where it was bothering me before, so all is good. Tested out new Outdoor Research Pursuit Pant. Really nice. A little bit lighter and more breathable than the OR Vert Pant, but possibly not quite as warm. No zips on the bottom, but nice tapered fit.

Tuesday Mar 3
Running 40:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(PM) Easy recovery day. Nice run with Sara on the north trail and over the ice on the marsh to Paudyns. Will be sprinkling a few more light days into the mix now between longer sessions.

Wednesday Mar 4
Running 2:00:00
shoes: LS Raceblade/screwshoes
(AM) Beautiful morning. Ran north trail to Sandpit fence-line loop, back through marsh to Paudyns, along Cat to Boundary and home. Felt very good. Steady run. Last few miles sub 7min pace and felt comfortable. Ankle a bit stiff at start but loosened up.

Running 35:00
shoes: La Sportiva Skylites
(PM) Easy run on Cat Trail West. Pretty icy still in places and probably should have worn hobnails or screwshoes, but was anxious to run in lighter shoes. Very nice on the soft cinders before hitting the ice.

Thursday Mar 5
Running 1:01:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(AM) Nice day out. Ran Cataraqui Trail West on soft ground with the occasional icy section. Felt a little tired today from yesterday, but not bad. Left knee feels like I whacked it somehow, but don't remember. Weird.

Friday Mar 6
Running 1:26:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(AM) Nice run with Taylor. Ran from the Murphy's to the skidoo trails. North with loops through the Bunny Hut (Hunt Camp) trails, Camden East trails before trying to connect to the Hodgen's trails. Got a little turned around and post-holed quite a bit in places, but still a great run. Taylor got his legs pretty scratched up by the deep crusty snow, junipers and brambles as he wore shorts. Think that was the only way I was going to hurt him in a run:)

Running 40:00
shoes: La Sportiva Crosslites (41.5)
(PM) Very warm run with Sara on the Cataraqui Trail West. +12C. Most of the ice on the trail is melted now. Felt great to run in shorts and with no socks in shoes again. Don't expect it will be like this in Yellowknife in a couple of weeks.

Saturday Mar 7
Running 1:00:00
shoes: La Sportiva Crosslites (41.5)
(PM) Relaxed run on the Cat Trail with Sara for the first bit. Trail was bare and soft. Ran the last half of run fairly hard in places. Felt good. Mild day, but started to rain part way through run.

Sunday Mar 8
Running 1:02:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(PM) Great run in shorts on Cataraqui Trail West. Soft footing. Took an extra day for a little more recovery and hope that we get the snow tomorrow so I can get out for a good pulk run. Bubba is anxious to run. Legs felt well rested and didn't want to stop.

The Evolution of Bubba

Bubba has changed a great deal from his early days of running with me, as you can see from the photos here and here.

It's been very interesting playing around with the design to try and find the best set up for my needs at the Rock and Ice Diamond Ultra. It has taken a lot of trial and error, but I am finally at the point where I think I am happy with Bubba...and hopefully Bubba is happy with me.

I kind of expected that it wouldn't be as easy as just getting a sled and hooking it up, but didn't realize it would be quite as detailed with all the little changes.

It all started with just the sled, but then I soon realized that with a heavier load, there was more resistance. The answer was to add runners or skis. I opted for dogsled runners and received guidance and help installing them from local dogsledding guru Duane Ramsay (Willy, Cody and Jesse's Godfather). The runners made a huge difference in the way that the sled tracked on the snow by preventing it from swaying from side to side, which also put less strain on my lower back. I am surprised how much easier it pulls now.

Next was to figure out a pole system. I started with a double pole system, but soon found that it caused some lateral sway as well. I received some great tips from Geoff Roes on how he built his pulk and switched to a double pole system that was clamped together.
I'm still tinkering with the waistbelt and how to attach the rope securely to the sled, but these are minor things at this point that will come together fairly quickly.

The finishing touches on Bubba came from Brennan and Heather who provided artwork, poems and inspiration that will be with me for all six days of the race.

Heather's poem...

Brennan's artwork...
And now it's almost time to go play!...

Rock and Ice Update #6: Fine Dining in Yellowknife

Cold weather endurance racing requires a totally separate set of rules compared to races in the summer. The temperatures at the sub-arctic latitudes in Yellowknife pose risks of frostbite and hypothermia. While it is vital to manage sweat effectively, it is also a lot more work for your body just to stay warm. Then throw in the fact that at the Rock and Ice Diamond Ultra you're pulling a 30 lb pulk (sled) behind you, making your body work harder still. Plus, you’re doing this for six days to cover 225km, making all of the effects cumulative. The bottom line is: you need to consume a heck of a lot of calories.

The countdown is on until we head north, so I'm now trying to fine tune what I'll be dining on for the six days of the race. Most athletes at Rock and Ice rely heavily on dehydrated camp meals in the evening. They are quick and convenient with just having to add hot water. Camp foods have improved a great deal in terms of taste and nutritional value over the past few years. Of course, pasta meals work great, but I also found it helpful last year having something with a bit more protein like a rice and bean combo. I usually found that two packages of camp-food were adequate each night. Instant potatoes are also good if you need something extra. The packages usually say ‘good for two servings’ but that is a little misleading as you are burning so many calories during the race. Adding extra chunks of butter to meals is another way of boosting caloric and fat intake. I am also planning to take cheese curds with me this year. Other things that I will include in the evenings are chocolate (ie. Rolo pieces are easier to break off when frozen and can be sucked on) and nuts. Macadamia nuts are awesome as they are very high in calories and fat, and have the added benefit of being very lightweight. Hot chocolate is also a nice treat in the evening after a cold day on the trail.

For breakfast, I will go with instant oatmeal and soft wraps with peanut butter/honey. On the third day of the K-Rock race last year, I found that I needed some extra calories, so had a pasta breakfast and ended up having my best day of the race. Another good reason to pack some extra instant meals.

Fuel during the actual race is vital. I will eat a lot of the same stuff that I would normally eat during any other long race. I’ll use energy gels regularly; warming them up in my mitts before eating. Sports bars don’t work well in the winter as they freeze up and are impossible to eat without breaking a tooth. Granola bars (Nature Valley type) are good long burning forms of energy and are easy to break off pieces in the cold. You could also suck on pieces of chocolate, but I found that alternating between gels and granola bars work quite well. If I find that I needed something more substantial, then I’d eat some Macadamia nuts or have a soft wrap with PB.

Hydration in the cold can also be a very difficult thing to master, as water bottles freeze up easily during the race. To prevent this, I will use an insulated water bottle cover and put one of those convenient ‘instant hand warmers’ in the bottom of the cover at the start of the day. This should provide enough heat to keep the bottle from freezing.

My six days of meals on the trails near Yellowknife might not sound like fine dining, but you can bet that the thought of that first pizza and beer at the end of the race will be enough to inspire me to get to the finish line as quick as possible. And speaking of fine dining, the World's Best Fish and Chips are reported to be served at Bullock’s restaurant in Yellowknife. I didn't get a chance to try their arctic char last year, but I'm told that it's so good that I will be tempted to turn in my Vegetarian badge.

Training Log: Feb 23 - Mar 1 (18:37)

Training Log: Great week of training. Just what I was looking for. Got some really solid runs in with overall pretty high volume. Really great block of training specific to Rock and Ice as the seven day period from last Sunday to Saturday (Feb 22-28) I got in just under 21hrs of running. Very pleased with how I felt and recovered from this too. Will take a few days easier now.

Week Ending Total = 18:37

Monday Feb 23
Running 1:32:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(AM) Ran with pack to Paudyn trails, then a couple of loops on snowshoes. Beautiful day. Trails in great condition. Ran steady. Felt surprisingly good after long run yesterday.

Running 49:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(PM) Snowshoe run with Sara on Paudyn trails. So nice in there now with the new snow.

Tuesday Feb 24
Running 1:40:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(AM) Beautiful sunny, cool morning. Ran with a pack on north trail to Varty Lake, then back along Cat trail to Boundary Rd. Brought snowshoes, but trail was nice and firm from sunny days and cool nights, so didn't bother wearing them. Felt good. Was only going to run 60-75', but didn't want to stop.

Running 42:00
shoes: La Sportiva Slingshots
(PM) Easy snowshoe run with Sara on Paudyn loop. Great trail conditions.

Wednesday Feb 25
Running 3:00:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(AM) Great run. Ran with pulk on trails to parents, then down through the woods to the snowmobile trails as far as the bridge under hwy 401. Turned and then back to parents. Hitched a ride home with them. A beautiful day and felt awesome. Pulk worked great. Very pleased with the pole system and just a few more minor adjustments.

Running 37:00
shoes: Nike Frees
(PM) Warmed up with Sara before her tempo run, then ran first 20mins of tempo with her. Felt good. Used Colebrooke road loop. Very mild day. Legs felt surprisingly good after tough pulk run this morning.

Thursday Feb 26
Running 1:27:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(AM) Steady run at Lemoines. Footing great with packed snow. Felt quite good after yesterday and ran at a good clip in places.

Running 45:00
shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat
(PM) Easy run with Sara on Cataraqui Trail West. Getting very warm and the trail is turning to slush. Felt well recovered. Planning to take tomorrow as a light recovery day, which works out well as it's supposed to be a very wet day with lots of rain.

Friday Feb 27
Running 1:12:00
shoes: Mizuno Wave Rider
(AM) Rainy run. Blech. I hate +4C and the rain. Worst conditions possible. Trail was disgusting so had to stay on the road. Ran to Yarker, then Cutler Road, Curl Road, CE Road loop. Pretty windy in places. Felt ok when I got going, but too much road. I hate the road. I hate road shoes. Bring back the snow!!!

Saturday Feb 28
Running 5:08:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(PM) Great run on Cataraqui Trail from just east of Perth Road Village, out past Hwy #15 and back. Planned to run at Frontenac, but with the rain, melt and freeze up, there was no way. Nice to get some colder weather training in. Great to run the section along Opinicon again; just beautiful. Saw a Bald Eagle a couple of times. Ran with a backpack. Picked it up and ran fairly hard in places. Very good to get this in after a big week.

Sunday Mar 1
Running 1:15:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(AM) Nice easy run with Sara on north trail to Varty Lake and back through Paudyn Trail. Trails were very icy, but hobnails worked great. Warmer than yesterday. Legs a little tired, but felt like I could have kept going.

Running 30:00
shoes: LS Raceblades/hobnails
(PM) A nice easy shakeout run with Sara along the Cat Trail West. Footing was nice as the ice had melted and we were running on softer cinders. Legs still a little tired, but could have kept going.