Is this ride over? I'd like to get off - Ultra-Trail Harricana 28km

Please do not interpret the title of this post. (Got your attention, didn't I?)

I'd wanted to run Ultra-Trail Harricana for several seasons, except something annoying called the Killington Spartan Beast would fall within the same month. 2019 I would not be denied to return to the Charlevoix region - a beautiful region in Quebec - and run Harricana. I've heard only good things about it.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" - Robert Burns

...I'm not a man, so that makes me a mouse! Yaaa!

First of all, during the first half of the summer, I was dealing with foot pain. As in, I'd run a short, easy 5K; afterwards for the rest of the day, feel like I was walking on Legos and glass shards taped to my soles. Was pretty much unable to accumulate any kind of serious long distance...a shoe change and some manual therapy helped me out, but we were already in mid-July. Had I not already learned previously about cramming running for a race??

Start corral moment courtesy Lawrence Colsell

If only my finish line race was like my start line face..

What happened, you ask?

First part of the run (about 13km), a nasty up and down, legs feel pretty good.

Second part (next 7km), pass by a huge sign that says La Montagne Noire (The Black Mountain), this was where the race took a huge chunk out of me. Enough little ups and downs to break my rhythm.

Last part: 8km's of downhill, downhill...oh hey, downhill.

After thinking back and digesting this less than ideal outing, some of my thoughts:

- I could have definitely gotten a couple of more long 21+km outings before Harricana.

- stairs. Maybe more stair workouts. With my 50lb Wreck Bag.

- weekend off running because of my cousin's wedding is not ideal, but post-wedding pizza at 2am with more cousins = NO RAGRETS 

- even though everything else was pretty much on point - nutrition, hydration, sleep - your body can and will play a trick or two on you, on race day. 

Usually, I'm a cerebral DJ and play songs in my head (ranging from Disney, to epic classical, to classic rock of course), but when it's a shitty outing that's not getting any better...

Legs: This sucks.
Brain: This sucks.
Running Brain: Hey! Shut up you two..
Legs + Brain: THIS SUCKSSS
Running Brain: ok let's try this: one foot in front of the other!
Legs + Brain: Left-right-left-right-STILL SUCKS-left-right-left-right...

You get the idea. I wasn't able to really dial in any tunes in my head to block the suckage out. I was reminded of my last crappy race which happened in 2015 (a Spartan Beast...that's a long time of "This Sucks")

I avoided looking at the kilometer markers simply because I would backwards calculate how much was left of self-imposed misery....until it came to the last 2km. Then I was definitely keeping an eye out!

Did not make my projected 4h10 finish, but that's ok, next time (hopefully next year) I'll be able to redeem myself.

Trail runners, please have a go at Harricana. The trails are a real treat to run on, with very little rocks or boulders to navigate. There are really good runners from different countries, which is inspiring to see. A Belgian by the name of Raphael Daco conquers the 125km, then runs the 28km. He breezes by me at the 7km mark, none worse for wear, and I do not see him again as he saunters off.

Bonus: showers for the racers! (Another bonus: finding out you chafed! OUUUUCCCHHHHH)

That sock and flip-flop life after the showers. Hell yes.

It seems I'm in the Quebec City/Charlevoix region about once a year, so I make my pilgrimage to Ashton and chomp on a poutine before the last part of the drive home. Harricana finishers spot me (wearing finisher medal) and we share a grin. 

It's not easy, but a great outdoor experience. Highly recommended.

Will Run 4 Ice Cream - Brain Freezer 5K (Cookies extra?!)

The world record beer mile holder is a Canadian.

No one is really surprised...

...considering how hard it probably is, chugging a carbonated beverage as fast as possible - without it exiting your nose - and then resuming running around a track.

How difficult is it really to eat and run/run, then eat? We've all made this mistake before, eating too heavy, or too much before physical activity. So last year, when the Brain Freezer 5K came up on my radar, I figured I'd have a go at it. It's summer! Ice cream! Flat run!

The format: run 2.5km appoximately, eat a pint of ice cream, run the remaining distance for a total of 5K.

Famous last words: What could possibly go wrong? Hmm, "I'll puke it back up" comes to mind...

If I fail to plan, I plan to fail. So the plan basically went like this...

Several weeks leading up to the Brain Freezer 5K, start eating something sweet, or rich, or both in increasing quantities before run.

A single-serve vanilla Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt pancakes (recipe) with lots of maple syrup.

 Epic cookie (3 different kinds of choco chips!) from Café Névé. Standard coffee mug for scale.

**That^ almost became my "eat-this-rarely-cos-it's-a-cheat-meal" thing until I stumbled upon an even better cookie served at Structure Coffee Roasters. Fight me.**

And then, because I like to come into these things quasi-prepared, began to incorporate ice cream eating partway through short runs.

Example: run 1 mile, eat 1/4 pint of ice cream (Divine Vanille by Bilboquet), run another mile.
Next outing: run 2km, eat 1/2 pint of ice cream (Les Givrés' vanilla offering), run a mile-ish.

Then I figured I'd go for some richer ice cream just to get used to the feeling, because what if on race day it was only deluxe flavours like Rocky Road, or S'mores?

Ta-da! Vanilla caramel swirl
(stock photo from lesgivrés.ca)

Other things I learn while trying to perfect binge-eating ice cream:

- Les Givrés is a much better quality (and tastier!) local product

- when the edges of the ice cream in the tub have softened enough for me to dig my spoon in, farting sounds emanate.

- despite your best efforts, your hands will get sticky from the ice cream.

- running with a frozen mouth and tongue afterwards is kinda funny.

- after supper on a sweltering July evening, I got curious and attempted to speed through a small bowl of lemon sorbet...instant brain freeze after the first spoonful.

Event day arrives, it's sunny - perfect weather for ice cream. It's also a fun run, even though I want to do this as fast as I possibly can without hurling on the sidewalk. Some people have brought their own ice cream scoops!

The halfway point is smack in the middle of downtown Burlington, the Church Street Marketplace.

Running sucks hahaha

Besides ice cream (by Island Ice Cream), there's also sorbet offered as an alternative. See, this is why I try to plan things, right? I know sorbet is not going to be a good decision!

I do have to decide between strawberry, and chocolate supreme. Uh-oh, I didn't train using any fruit flavours, but strawberry it is. I was hoping for vanilla...turns out the volunteers hadn't put the cartons out on the table when I got there. Luck of the draw!

Despite having practiced running and eating a whole pint of ice cream, the remaining 2.5km feel ok except that I feel like I've swallowed a heavy meal, say like turkey and mashed potatoes. 

My official time is 33:19, now I only wish I could have timed how long it took me to actually eat the ice cream. 

Would I run this again? Probably not...been there, done that, got the finisher shirt. I'll enjoy ice cream as dessert, or a summer treat. And I'll pass on the strawberry flavour!

*If you're up for it, please tell me, which café has the better chocolate chip cookie? (DO NOT ADD A THIRD CHOICE! My rules)

Café Névé (151 Rachel E, Montreal, QC H2W 1E1)
Structure Coffee Roasters (460 McGill, Montreal, QC H2Y 2H2)