Afternoon Nordic Ski

Setting up Darkside Orienteering - before the deluge of darkness

Stanley Park run & 5 x 1.5 minute hills

Halloween puddles

Lynn Valley Adventure Run - 6-hour Score Orienteering

Holy cramps!  Awesome event! Great people!

Having known about the "Knee Knacker" for decades it was awesome to participate in my backyard's ultra marathon.

The race crosses Vancouver's North Shore (where I grew up, on the Baden Powell trail).

Drove to the start with Francois, Cheryl and David! Much excitement before the race.  Got off to what I thought was a conservative start.  The first quarter of the race ascends Black Mountain directly with a huge amount of elevation gain. Stayed clear of the speedy folks and settled into what I thought was a good pace (I was aiming for around 5:15...why?  Not sure).

The second quarter was again conservative (so I thought) cruising down to Cleveland Dam.

Up to the base of the Grouse Grind then down to Mosquito creek things felt a bit squirrelly, but okay...then the cramping set in.  At regular intervals I would be hit with cramping bolts and my legs started to do other then what they were being told to.  

After the 3/4 mark it took seeing the fam and a pep talk from Knee Knacker champion Nathan Barrett to settle me down as I resigned myself to survival mode. Cramping if I jogged, cramping if I stepped over anything too big cramping, cramping, cramping!  Lots of love from aid stations but nothing got the body working.

Somehow I managed my way up mount Seymour but on the descent quickly had a big wipeout and was left writhing upside down on trail as the body went into cramping overdrive.  A minute later Brendan Urlocker strode by tossed me his electrolyte tablets and confidently declared I'd feel better (huge thanks Brendan).  Hobbled my way in from there resigning myself to a highly unbalanced stride and pulling myself up on anything available.

So, yeah!  Near 6 hour races are no joke!  Huge thanks to all the volunteers that saw me through!  Yes, the Knee Knacker is all it's cracked up to be!



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Ian Collings

Knee Knacker North Shore Trail Race

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Afternoon Nordic Ski

Setting up Darkside Orienteering - before the deluge of darkness

Stanley Park run & 5 x 1.5 minute hills

Halloween puddles

Lynn Valley Adventure Run - 6-hour Score Orienteering

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