Just back from three hours of marking the first quarter of the Knee Knacker and I am thrilled to report phenomenal conditions. This first quarter is usually the section that presents the most amount of trail adversity with the years of snow and mud. In light of this weeks forecast the drying will continue and the snow will melt away and we might see a renewed race course record.The climb up out of Nelson Creek is still steep and worth a slow start, but very dry and still loamy as ever. There are no surprises here until after the bluffs atop Black Mountain. Racers should take a short look out a
cross the city, over Bowen Island and into Georgia Straight, but be prepared for the mud hole. About 5 or 10 minutes after entering the forest, there is a true mother of a hole that will certainly bring you to your knees without permission. It got Tundra, the dog we ran with tonight. Other typically muddy and snowy spots are quickly drying and melting as I write this. For those racers on the social racer's program, Cabin Lake is entirely melted if you wish to stop and swim. The decent down into Cypress Bowl is still a painful and ugly rock path and it will likely be dry enough to cause some slip style falls.
Dry, dusty, and loose rocks are neve
r your friend. Beware!
This is as far as we ran before Glenn pulled out the beers and Ms. Vickies', but Brent and Rick, who also marked the course assured me the course from Cypress to Cleveland is in terrific shape. They told me the snow across Hollyburn is pretty much gone and the ripper down through the chute to the dam was dry and ready a couple weeks ago when I ran it.
I'm not going to start picking race favorites and pretending I know enough to predict times, but I have suspicions that we'll see course records in the men's and women's fields. We may even see the first woman ever to run under five hours.
I was disappointed not to race Knee Knacker this year, but I have been reassured by many that I'll be Okay in Stormy, my first 50 miler. Knee Knacker is great event that I am proud to have helped with, even a little bit last night.
This years course is fast and I can't wait to be out there playing Crew Manager for Duncan Coo, the Lazy Trail Runner, this weekend. Those quads have a secret. Letchford: Vitamin "I" and a Terry Fox type gate gets the IT through anything. Tran: You're ready. Start slow, eat and drink well, and look forward to checking this off your list.
cross the city, over Bowen Island and into Georgia Straight, but be prepared for the mud hole. About 5 or 10 minutes after entering the forest, there is a true mother of a hole that will certainly bring you to your knees without permission. It got Tundra, the dog we ran with tonight. Other typically muddy and snowy spots are quickly drying and melting as I write this. For those racers on the social racer's program, Cabin Lake is entirely melted if you wish to stop and swim. The decent down into Cypress Bowl is still a painful and ugly rock path and it will likely be dry enough to cause some slip style falls.Dry, dusty, and loose rocks are neve
r your friend. Beware!
This is as far as we ran before Glenn pulled out the beers and Ms. Vickies', but Brent and Rick, who also marked the course assured me the course from Cypress to Cleveland is in terrific shape. They told me the snow across Hollyburn is pretty much gone and the ripper down through the chute to the dam was dry and ready a couple weeks ago when I ran it.
I'm not going to start picking race favorites and pretending I know enough to predict times, but I have suspicions that we'll see course records in the men's and women's fields. We may even see the first woman ever to run under five hours.I was disappointed not to race Knee Knacker this year, but I have been reassured by many that I'll be Okay in Stormy, my first 50 miler. Knee Knacker is great event that I am proud to have helped with, even a little bit last night.
This years course is fast and I can't wait to be out there playing Crew Manager for Duncan Coo, the Lazy Trail Runner, this weekend. Those quads have a secret. Letchford: Vitamin "I" and a Terry Fox type gate gets the IT through anything. Tran: You're ready. Start slow, eat and drink well, and look forward to checking this off your list.
TC,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your advice and encouragement throughout our training. I couldn't have done it without your help. Will you have a blizzard for me at the finish line?
txt ;p