Mount Work is a rounded and wooded hill in the Gowlland Tod Park with miles of trails that overlook the Saanich Inlet and Finlayson Arm. It is a steep and short little trail but extremely fun to run.
I started at a steady pace and quickly found myself running up a trail with a trickle of water flowing down it. I was concerned that I would get rained on but upon parking the clouds broke and I was met by rays of warm March sun penetrating the undergrowth. The hill quickly steepened and I had to adjust my stride to short and quick little steps. There were large portions of trail that had accrued puddles from previous rain storms. The rocks were particularly perilous as they were wet, mossy, and extremely slick. I quickly powered my way to the summit taking advantage of any flatter portion of trail to run, and power hiking the steeper portions of rocky trail. The summit was beautiful and the weather perfect for a Saturday run. The return trip was punctuated by tromping through deep puddles and bombing down steep stretches of single track. It was a great little run and I was extremely happy with it, and was reminded once again why I love running so much!
Finlayson Arm and Saanich Inlet from an overlook near the summit of Mount Work in the Gowlland Tod Park!
Below is a nice video of the run with a great little running song!
I have been training solo most of my five year running career. I have had the pleasure of training consistently with a great runner and friend on the island for about one year, but he has since moved. So once again I find myself doing all of my training alone. This is partly by choice, but partly because of the challenge of finding someone who can put in the distance at about my same speed. Most guys who can do the distance, do it a bit quicker than me. I don't want to drag them down, whereas most people who are a bit closer to my pace don't enjoy my choice of running distances or terrains. So I find myself running primarily alone which has great advantages but it is nice to train with someone at least once in a while.
My best friend of 20 years Timhas started running and training for marathons for a few years now. We met at a scout camp in 1992 and both got carsick on the drive home. We both had to hang our heads out opposite windows, and we were nearly inseparable for most of our teenage years. This is awesome because he runs at a very similar pace and at the same distances I do. The problem is that it has been tough to train together because we live 1000 miles (three states and one country) apart.
So I came up with some sort of solution that is currently in the beta testing phase. The idea is that as we both train for running long distances we will occasionally take along a camera and talk to it as though we were training together and the other person was present. We can than edit and post a video each week which will have random thoughts and conversations as well as training conditions and routes summed up from the week. Then after a few of these videos get passed along we can start conversing in response to previous training vlogs from each other and train together via long distance for long distances.
Here are my first two. The first video is a little rudimentary, and has no music, and contains some embarrassing information that may have not been wise to spread on Youtube, but I don't mind. It contains footage of Mount Doug, Mount Tolmie, and Cedar Hill Golf Course. The second only has the long run from this last week in The Gowlland Tod Range on the Timberman Trail because I erased the previous few runs when I formatted the card. I do like the second one a little better particularly because it covers the last run Tim and I ran together when he was visiting last summer and so it has footage both of us can relate to. Choose 720 HD for better quality. Enjoy!!
This is a little late considering week three is a day from being over but here is my Vlog on training for an ultra for my second week (it is a little quiet in places and once again the sound is off in a few spots but that is what I have to work with as far as my camera mic goes and also my editing software).
I awoke this morning and loaded my running pack with 2.5 liters of water, my camera, and a peanut butter and honey (PB&H) sandwich. It was going to be my first 4 hour run I have done for many months. Since I am running strong and consistent, I felt I was ready to start doing what I love most- long runs with loads of relief.
I picked the Gowland Tod Range to run for several reasons. First it starts at about sea level and climbs as high as about 1350 feet at Jocelyn Hill and then dives down again and back up to 1000 feet at Holmes Peak after which you turn around and climb them both again in reverse. In total it has some good elevation and relief. The second reason I love this route is the views are breath taking. The entire trail parallels the Finlayson Arm of the Saanich Inlet and you can see the ocean, surrounding mountains, and forest. I believe every trail runner should have an opportunity to run this course at least once in there lives.
The weather was superb without a cloud in the sky and temps were hovering around 60. After arriving at the trail head I started my run and within about 10 minutes found myself cranking up the first hill, which climbs unrelentingly for several miles. The trail is rocky and winds it's way from near the ocean south towards Squally Reach. My legs were a bit tired from this week's runs but once I started motoring up the trail I began to relax and find my pace. Though not the fastest pace, it was maintainable and comfortable, and I knew it would last for 4 hours so I stuck with it.
Squally Reach in the Gowland Tod Range. Floating over the grassy hummocks!
I arrived at the squally reach lookout and drank in the most amazing view. I could see the ocean and Salt Spring Island, even Mt. Baker was dimly visible looming over the eastern skyline. I ran across the grassy hummocks and could swear I was floating.
After playful running on the reach I began to turn my attention to summiting Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a large grass covered blister rising nearly 1400 feet above the ocean. The trail from Squally Reach to Jocelyn undulates and ascends and descends over uneven terrain. Though most of it hovers around the same elevation there is plenty of ups and downs to keep you earning your forward progress. You feel you are nearly to the summit but then the trail turns north and you almost back track a Km before curving around to the south again. After turning to the south you begin to overlook the ocean once again and the views are breathtaking.
Approaching Jocelyn Peak with the Saanich Inlet behind me.
Leaving the Summit of Jocelyn.
The summit was a perfect place to stretch out on a rock and enjoy my PB&H. The sun cut through my sweaty shirt, warming my body all the way through. I closed my eyes and just let my mind wander. My thoughts turned to my summer plans and I decided that I really want to hike Lone Peak with my wife. Lone Peak is an 11,000 + footer rising directly over the Salt Lake valley with nearly 6,200 feet of prominence, it is not for the average weekend warrior.
When we were first married we would hike almost year round often in remote and unknown places. I recall many long drives in my jeep as we listened to music and discussed everything from our favorite movies to our future plans. These trips made our relationship grow so much stronger and created a depth that wouldn't have existed without these precious adventures. Now after the children have arrived I realize that I really miss hiking with my wife and I decided I will take advantage of having family around this Summer to watch our kids while we go and have another adventure. I hope Vye will be game. I snap out of my daydream and decide I better get busy and continue on to Holmes Peak.
Holmes Peak is the small blister (barely visible) in the foreground on the ridge with the taller hill behind it being Mount Finlayson.
The trail to Holmes Peak is very straight forward but I still veered off the main ridge and descended about 500 feet to a main road and realized I just tacked on about 3 extra miles and 500 extra feet of elevation up and down. I don't care, there is no need to stick to a plan I am just running where ever I feel like it. I regain the ridge and decide rather than turn around I will continue on to Holmes Peak.
Trail towards Holmes Peak.
Trail to Holmes over some rusty (gossanous) soil.
I reach the small peak and push quickly to the top. I then decided to finish my sandwich and get heading back. The sun is much warmer now as the day has progressed but I don't mind, I missed the warmth during the sun's 6 month hiatus from the Island. I worked my way back towards the arbutus tree-strewn ridge that hooks back up with Jocelyn. I am now feeling the distance and time on my feet. My legs are toast as I continue to climb.
I forgot the feeling that comes after several hours of hard trail running. The legs ache and elevation is not won so readily. I persevere through and begin to push a bit just for fun. I summit Jocelyn again and take one last look at the view.
The undulating terrain between Jocelyn and Squally really takes it out of me. I begin to have to power hike a few of the steeper hills and I can tell my body is burned out. After a long struggle I reach the Squally and only need to run down hill from that point. The quads feel like they have just gone through a meat grinder but I like it in a way only a distance trail runner could understand. I can feel that I really pushed myself and that I was operating near my maximum for the day. I know that I put everything I had to give into the run and I know that I am back to running 4 hours again. Everything is right in the world, I got the treasure that comes after you have done everything you can. My hydration and fuel were on point and I never felt thirsty or hungry. It was a great day! As I drive home I analyze my run and feel satisfied with it. I can't wait to try it again!
The video below is of the same trail but I made it a different day. Enjoy!
Today's song comes from Finland by a small duo named "Villa Nah". They are a synth duo with many great songs. Today's song is called "Emerald Hills" and though it really wasn't in my head during the run it kind of summed up my run today as I was climbing an emerald hill. I like the song and think that it fits perfect for spring trail running on Vancouver Island.
Wow - This post has been in the making for three weeks now. I can't believe it has taken me this long to write about my running exploits. School is definitely heating up as I prep for my candidacy and try to get my research rolling in the right direction.
To begin three weeks ago I cranked out an 18 mile run in the beautiful and scenic Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, in anticipation for a 50km run on the Juan De Fuca. This is the first time I ran the full "Half Monte" course which is 25 km, and then I threw another 3 miles distance in due to a wrong turn to add some significant elevation and get me really good and tired. I was running for over 3 hours without a break and ran with my hydration pack I had bought earlier this Spring (Click here to see the southern 7.1 miles of the course, this was a new course added to the gutbuster series this year but I think they had to change it due to use restrictions). This run was really a great one. I first ascended a major hill that really only flattens out once or twice along the way for a few hundred meters over several miles. I was able to run this first major stretch without hiking or walking and all my hill training really gave me deep hill climbing reserves to draw from. I summited Jocelyn and took in the amazing views and reached the next stretch which is a descent to the base of Holmes peak, a short but sweet little climb. I chose this day to run because I had cloud cover and even though I was running at mid day I never over-heated. I summited Holmes easily and my legs still felt great as I approached the six mile mark in a little over an hour. I ran to the turn-around point at Caleb's Pike and began to retrace my trail. I decided to summit Holmes again even thought the Monty bypasses the summit on the return trip I believe. I was still feeling strong. As I approached Jocelyn again, the course takes a different trail then the one you come in on, so I thought I had turned onto the correct trail I needed but really I was on a little side trail that leads out of the park via a steep descent. Well 10 minutes later I realized I made a 1.5 mile super descent in the wrong direction, so I had to regain the ridge by a 1 mile 1000 foot climb, now I had been running for over 15 miles and my legs finally started to break down (it is amazing how fast you can descend on a wrong trail and before you know it 10 minutes turns into a mile and a half, and then you have to turn around and climb the hill that was so easy to coast down previously). After regaining the ridge I began to crash a little and could tell that I was a bit short on calories. I shuffled along and finished all the uphill and flat stuff at the top and just had the final couple miles descent. This typically is where I excel but my legs were toast and I found myself gingerly picking a nice controlled trot down the hill instead of blasting down it like I normally would. I got to my car in a little over three hours but that included several scenic stops and breaks to take in the views and relax in the cool wind. I was stoked with the run and thought it was perfect to push myself distance-wise and help me understand how I handle longer distances in rough terrain a little better.
The awesome thing about this trail system is just how little use it gets. I have been on this trail a dozen times and have never observed more than perhaps 10 hikers in one day and in the case of this run I only saw two. Sometimes I worry that if I ate it really hard, like a broken/sprained ankle, it may be hours before I could find someone with a phone or who could help. If this trail system was only 25 minutes from the Wasatch Front I assume there would be 100's of hikers on it a day. I feel that many Victorians don't take advantage of the awe-inspiring trails and parks they have at their doorstep, maybe because of just how surrounded by wilderness they are. Perhaps you have to live in the desert to appreciate amazing trails and forests that are so accessible. Another great thing about this run is the views. You start near sea level and climb straight up to almost 1500 feet where you catch expansive views of the Saanich Inlet, a small arm of the ocean that splits the southern end of the island into two pieces. Another awesome thing about this trail is it is purely narrow rocky, rooty single track. I really can't talk this run up enough. It is worth the 25 minute drive to get there. In the future I think I can tack some more distance in the form of adding a double crossing of Mount Work and also Mount Finlayson making a total of 4 peaks climbed twice each and nearly a Marathon in distance and perhaps 10,000' of accumulated elevation (perhaps over estimated in elevation and distance but it would be significant none-the-less). So that is a goal I am aiming to do. I would expect that trip to take over 5 hours and even closer to 6 based on my current fitness and speed but it could perhaps be run in 4 hours by an elite. I have never heard of anyone actually doing this in one go, it would be a really great training run for a long hilly mountain ultra.
I have also started to run earlier in the morning instead of the evening. This means getting up at 5:00. I had a great run on Mount Doug the other day at 6:00 am. I was cruising in my usual direction in the early dawn light and within a km found myself surround by a symphony of sounds that I don't typically hear in the evening. Two owls with there deep hoots were calling back and forth across the trail and it was super eerie to run right through their hooting in the light fog and morning glow. As I climbed Irvine I began to hear white tail deer grunting perhaps a precursor to the rut. It was the first time I have ever heard deer. It was amazing. There was a whole cornucopia of sound I seldom hear. I really was in awe of the amount of wildlife in the park. I only ever notice the deer but there is so much more active wildlife in the morning. One of my early morning runs found clouds over Belingham to the East but a sliver in the clouds allowed the rising sun to only be seen by its reflection off the ocean and quite literally looked as if it was DESCENDING from the strand line of the water and land (like an upside down sunrise) instead of rising. I am going to try to keep my morning runs going since it allows me to be more flexible in my evenings with my family and studies. I am more tired though and have to go to bed by about 11 or I am hooped.
So I have had a "core dilemma" ever since I had part of my ab muscle removed in 2005. My Doc told me that no physical therapy would be needed since you use your core a lot and it rehabilitates itself. Well I took him at his word and didn't really do anything to strengthen it. In fact I have done almost zero targeted core work since my surgeries 5 years ago. Prior to my surgeries I had an insane core, I remember when I was 18 doing 2,000 various crunches and ab exercises in one go just to see what it would take to reach exhaustion. I think that for the last five years I have just assumed I still have that sort of core strength to draw from. I DO NOT! I tried a 15 minute ab workout the other day because anytime I run far it is my core that fails not legs. Within seven minutes into the workout I was thrashed. It took everything I had to do the 25 reps of each exercise. I had to stop in places just so I could finish my reps. In the end I can't believe how entirely weak my core is. The next three days I paid a steep price and couldn't laugh or sit up without killing myself. My conclusion is I have a core dilemma that is going to take many many hours of work to fix. I can't believe how weak my core is and that I haven't really thought about the repercussions of being gutted like a fish and having ab muscle removed. Wish me luck because I have some serious work to do and I almost can't stand the thought of assaulting my core like that again but it should become a 3 time a week ordeal at least. Yikes!! I can't believe how weak I am!
This is just a taste of my running over the past three weeks and though school is almost too much to balance in my running currently I am still trying to force in some miles and get strong. It is really a battle of will at this point because it is taking everything I have to get things done in all facets of my life due to my workload. A PhD is a daunting undertaking and I am not sure that I fully comprehended what it would take. It is a significant step up from a masters.
The song I am including today is "Ghost White" by Swedish Synthpop band Rupesh Cartel. I have loved this song for years now. It is melancholy and yet upbeat at the same time. It is an interesting juxtaposition I think. I have a great acoustic version but can't find a vid to embed. The original is great anyways. I don't know if because I am Swedish I am genetically engineered to like music coming out of Sweden but I find I have a large collection of artists from the homeland. I hope it expands your musical vocab a little!
Today I decided to run in Gold Stream Park and tackle Mt. Finlayson, a large diorite dome that errupts from the banks of gold stream at sea level. Mt. Finlayson is a short but steep trail that climbs from sea level to 1375 feet in just a few kms. The trail starts out fairly smooth and steep and is runnable but once you reach the shoulder of the mountain you enter multiple class three pitches with rocks wore smooth from hikers and past glaciers. It actually is about the most technical stuff I have attempted on the island. It took me about 28 minutes to top out but I wasn't feeling that well due to a sore neck from a restless night which lead to a morning headache. I was a bit dizzy off and on and it definitely isn't a trail to have any sort of fainting spell. I took it relaxed and power hiked the majority of the upper trail. The run down was quite dangerous with many spots where it would be easy to get out of control or lock ball-bearing gravel under your tread and slide of a ledge. I took a nice controlled descent and I can't for the life of me figure out how I got off the trail (it is extremely straight forward with bright orange markers everywhere) but before I knew it I was in the middle of the bush, whacking my way towards the general direction of the trail. I picked the main trail back up and flew through the last km of the trail like it was nothing. I ended up finishing the round trip in about 45 minutes, which is a pretty short run for me but I think that the steepness and length of the climb spiced up the variability of my weekly regime and I think I will use this one for future hill training and stack multiple summits to really get used to steep 1400 foot climbs and descents over technical ground.
After running Finlayson I headed into school where I whipped up a quick batch of lava. Much like baking cookies but instead of flour and sugar I add Silica (quartz SiO2) and calcium carbonate (limestone). And instead of putting the batch in at 200 degrees celcius I place it in a furnace at 15oo degrees celcius. When it has cooked long enough I pour out the glowing red viscous melt onto a stainless steel plate and now instead of a white or redish powder (from iron) it is a black glass like obsidian.
It was a good day with a steep summit of finlayson followed by making some lava. My life is awesome!
I decided to throw some Arcade Fire on my blog since I don't have Canadian music represented yet. This is a group with quite a few members but fronted by a husband and wife team from Montreal. This song "Keep the Car Running" is one of many favs by the band and I think it is a great song to have playing in the noodle during a crazy trail run like today. Check out more of their stuff, they have tons of different weird instruments that they incorporate in genius ways.
I have not posted for a while for several reasons, first because it is obviously the end of the semester and I have not had the time to write about my life, secondly because it is the end of the semester I basically have had to take a small hiatus from running to get my final assignments squared away so I have not had any training runs worth mentioning on my blog to report, and lastly two weeks ago I was ill and took some time off to let my lungs heal. I am afraid this lung thing is still hindering my running but I am not letting it slow me down too much.
Since it was a nice spring morning and we are on the tail end of this 4 day Easter break I decided to crank out a double summit of Mount Work, starting at the north Trail Head running to the south Trail Head and then turning around and running back to the north Trail Head. The distance or elevation are not anything to write home about but it ends up being about 10 km with 1800' of vertical. Since I have been ill and running inconsistently the past few weeks the run was nothing impressive, but what a joy to get out there and push myself to the top of the mountain several times. The summit is not spectacular in itself but if you run to the south a few hundred meters the views really open up. I could see Victoria and the Olympic Range to the south and the Gowland Tod Range to the west. The trails were littered with uprooted fallen trees and branch debris from a Spring Gale that blew in the previous week (the same story on Mount Doug with many trees fallen across the trail, I am kind of glad I postponed my run during the worst of the wind for that very reason).
I had never ran the south side of the mountain and found the trails to be fantastic. The trails switchbacked through large forests of Arbutus trees and wound down the ridge to the shore of Fork Lake. I popped out at the Munn Road parking lot and turned around and began my climb back to the summit. There was a major difference with the run feeling much steeper heading up than it did when I was gliding down. I took my time and pushed hard and cruised beyond the summit and started my final descent toward the North Trail Head again.
I caught up with a couple who had started the hike the same time I started the run at the north trail head, and they stopped and asked me why they didn't see me at the summit and wondered where else I would have ran. I explained that I ran to the other trail head and turned around and came back. They couldn't fathom that someone would or could do that, let alone in the short time it took them to hike to the top once and get a quarter of the way back down. I think it is interesting that many people don't really ever consider running on the trails. It was intriguing to see them react to my trail running as if it was the first time they considered the possibility. I strongly urged them to give it a try and who knows perhaps one day I will see them out there running in the bush and enjoying the freedom that comes with trail running. I can't imagine spending my life not pushing my physical limits, I feel many people underestimate what the human body is capable of.
I actually was surprised at how easily my pace came and that I still had some fitness to draw from even though the last two weeks have been inconsistent and challenging at best. I only have another strong month of running before I teach Field School for the undergrads for a month, and then head straight to Utah. It is really important that I run consistent the next 30 days and throw in several long 3-4 hour runs with 3-5000 feet of vert if I want to be up to running the peaks and trails I am planning on running in Utah in May. I know I will be consistent. School is really starting to cook but with the longer days it shoudn't be too hard.
I can't claim discovery of my song today because I am going to repeat one that I first heard on Krupicka's blog here. It is called "Sweet Disposition" and is by an Aussie group called the Temper Trap. The song has U2-ish guitar riffs with awesome vocals. The first time I heard it on Krupicka's blog I thought it was good and then forgot about it, but last night Vye and I were watching So You Think You Can Dance Australia (a guilty pleasure) and saw a routine with the song and I suddenly really felt it, and it has been in my head since. So while running Mount Work this beautiful song was stuck on repeat in my head as the drama of my run unfolded under cool gray skies. It was EPIC. I hope you enjoy it.
Winter relaxed it's frosty grip today and teased the island with a slight glimpse into the impending spring. The weather was brilliant and temps were in the 50's the sun was blazing and if I didn't know it was January I would swear that it was some time in March or April. Hundreds of bikers and jogger's (fair weather wimps) were out in droves. I seized the opportunity to try a new trail out that I have been wanting to run for some time. This is a trail that begins near McKenzie Bight on the Saanich Peninsula and quickly climbs into the Gowland Tod Range that make up the eastern shore of the Finlayson Arm. I discovered this area last Summer with Vye and the kids and knew it would be perfect to run because of the challenging terrain and steep single track trails stretching along the hilltops and overlooking the inlet. It is surprising that I had not ran it yet up to this point. I finally decided to try it today. I chose a destination that would make about a 15 km out and back and would summit a high point know as Jocelyn Peak.
I started out flying down a steep ravine on a wide but muddy trail that hit the ocean at the Bight, I crossed a bridge and quickly climbed up a series of steep stairs, rocks and single track. The trail really didn't level out for almost 35 minutes of running and I found myself pushing with everything I had to run and power hike my way from sea level to over 1450 feet with cumulative elevation near 2000 feet. The trail was well drained and rocky and so mud was not an issue. It was surprisingly lonely on the trail. Once I made the ridge of the Timberman Trail it was smooth sailing to the last climb up Jocelyn peak. I had only passed one small trio hiking back to the Bight along this entire stretch. I felt so secluded I even purposely made noise to ward off any bears that might be out and about. Perhaps it was the jitters that come with running by yourself in the bush with nothing but the clothes on your back and your runners. I am always a little more cautious about animals in the early spring and thought any bear would love the warm weather as much as I was so I wasn't taking chances. The overlook above the Finlayson arm at both Jocelyn Peak and several other lookouts along the way were breathtaking. I wish I had a light camera to run with because today was unreal as far as crisp air and vivid colors are concerned. Once I summited I took 10-15 minutes and enjoyed the seclusion and view.
I don't know when I became such a hermit. Anyone who knew me in my late teens and early twenties knows I was anything but an introvert, but in the last 5 years I find I tend to prefer solitary and almost lonely circumstances to social environments, I don't even necessarily prefer to have company while running. I even feel a bit awkward like I don't quite fit in, in any situation that involves more than two people. My passions and intensity in which I pursue them tends to be way out there and that may be why I often find myself alone. I have often thought that perhaps as you make your way further along the educational progression line you begin to find it harder to make the same meaningful connections that were so easy earlier on in life. Perhaps it is just me, and my ideas on education have little to do with it. I know my dad was quite solitary keeping to himself and I often found him lying in the dark listening to music or in his chair reading, and he always hiked by himself. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Perhaps because I have his genes and observed him when younger, his introverted behavior has taken root in myself. This may be why I find endurance trail running so appealing. It gives me an opportunity to be alone with my often fragmented thoughts and to focus and clarify them while having meaningful and even epic experiences in amazing places. I enjoy the sound of my feet on earth and rock and I have done some of my best research and writing while flying over miles of trails on Vancouver island. All of the extra oxygen associated with respiration and release of various chemicals in the body may help to nurture the thought process as well. Just some thoughts about my case of "Hermititis" I had while on the lonely trails today.
One thing I didn't plan on is dehydration. I quickly became parched in the drier and warmer weather than I was used to. After I had been running for over an hour my thirst level went through the roof. I could tell that I had lost some electrolytes as I began to have some small aches and pains that I usually link with dehydration. The entire run back to the car I was really wishing I had carried 32 ounces of water. The return run was all down hill and so it went fast enough that I ended up being fine, but if I was hydrated and had some fuel I would have ran much quicker on the way back. I will keep this in mind for my future runs in the park.
It was a delightful run and I will definitely incorporate this new trail into my training regime. This type of trail and terrain is perfect for improving my endurance and building my legs and lungs for the future endurance goals I have. This trail is also part of an unofficial race know as the Full Monte and "Half Monte" (50Km and 25 Km respectively). I think I will give one of them a try this year.
Below is a video I made of the same run but a little after I wrote this article enjoy!
