Training Log Archive: Mrs.Gally

Mud run in collingwood with friends

Challenging detox class

Easy trail run good to be running again

Easy ride with clients

Bootcamp for Jacobs hockey team hilarious!

Easy road ride with Patty body feels tired

Easy bike legs feel pretty good feet still a bit swollen

Back in the spring decided to apply for Oil creek intending to only do 100 km race but when discovered it was sold out decided to give 100 miler a go ( and yes there was wine involved in this decision). Bash and Tim were signed up for 100 km and Dee had offered to come and pace me for 100 miler closer to end of summer when we both realized that my busy family life and other committments had prevented me from doing the very long and VERY necessary training runs
. I have done the Death race and Hellgate by myself so I was liking the idea of having a friend to share this experience with.
I was concerned with my lack of long training hours leading up to this race and I was confident that it would haunt me at some point during the race.
Race started out in the dark on long bike path leading into our first climb. I was trying to keep my pace down as to not push too hard too early and I thought I was going slower than usual but I would later discover differently.
First lap was in dark and watched sun come up felt good and great to see Dee at halfway point on first lap. Continued on to second half of first lap which was longer and a few more climbs but not as technical. I was a bit concerned as my left eye was starting to get blurry and I thought I might be getting cornea edema again as I got during Hellgate. It was quite cold on first lap and quite windy so as I set out on second lap Dee gave me brimmed hat and shades which cleared things right up as well weather was warming up.
Was consistent on second lap and feeling good, first lap was around 7 hours and came in second lap just under 8 hours. This should have been big clue as to what was going to happen - 100 km under my belt in 14:43....felt good starting third lap with Dee so excited to have company as I know from my past races that end can be very lonely. Dee announced to me having 100 miler experience under her belt " well Mrs. Gally this is when your real race begins" and man she was right. 100 km I felt great , one hour into my third lap of 50 km plus an additional 10 km loop to get you to 160 km things deteriorated....
I had no stomach or GI ailments my legs simply would not cooperate anymore! I shuffled and grunted for the next 12 hours (60 km) 10 km longer than first two laps. I know that Dee predicted this and I definitely knew this would happen at some point but not with 60 km to go. My mission was to keep moving forward and shuffle / jog when ever I could. Dee tried many motivational strategies to try and make me move faster but my legs have never felt so rebellious in any race.
It poured around 3 am which made things much slicker on a fairly technical course. I grimaced every time we hit a down hill as my legs screamed at me in protest! We were running back and forth with Joycelin Briggs (and her pacer) another Canadian runner who I ran quite a bit of the second lap with. She has completed 4 - 100 milers so she was giving me some tips on the final lap etc. She was also suffering on the third lap with what she thought was a calve strain. She pulled ahead near the end of the final 10 km lap which is another out and back on the mountain bike trail and one long cruel climb!!
I was sooo happy to come down that bike path for the final time with my very understanding and good friend Dee. I was also so happy to see Barb, Tim Grant and his wife Kristin and adorable baby Aubrey .at the finish line. They both did incredible on their 100 km races so proud of them!!
I am so glad I completed my first 100 miler and although I know I should have trained harder for it to prevent the final lap collapse as well as keeping a good friend out there for far longer than she should have been (and she had a bugger of a cold) its done!! Yay! I also am very lucky to have such a supportive husband who entered a race of its own with three kids this past weekend and a crazy busy schedule.
My biggest dilemma now is whether to try and go for final point to try and qualify for UTMB or apply for the shorter 100 km CCC course which I think suits me much better for my family and the amount of training between the two events....

C • Well Done 10

C • You ROCK! 2

My in laws set me up a running date with a local runner up here at Whitefish falls.was not sure how long she would want to go or what her pace would be. II found it Iinteresting and amusing that she said let's go for 2.5 or 3 hours and she had no water on her? This is a Mrs. Gally move! I like this girl! I also discovered that she is directionally challenged which could lead to a much longer run than I should be doing a week before Oil Creek. Great run great new running partner for me when I am up here!

C • Rest up now!!! 3

Nice fall run with Mr.Gally in La Cloche Mountain range

Hills with client

After a weekend of 24 hour flu that hit the whole family I finally got out for a run plan was to run 4 hours on weekend with Dee but oh we'll positive thoughts for OC!!!

Hill repeats