Hi all,
I just wanted to let people know that I'm now writing about the West Vancouver community on my new site www.westvancouverguide.com. It's a non-commercial website designed to promote what's going on in West Vancouver and what Vancouver has to offer. We've got a number of great features including 'the best of west vancouver' and an up to date news blog covering what's happening in the West Vancouver community. After a successful run across the Sahara I feel like I need a new epic challenge and I guess this is it. Wish me luck and feel free to pop by and say hello.
All the best,
Ian
Your West Vancouver Guide
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Final Morning
Sunday morning and I may not get another chance to post before I leave. The sun is just coming up and I'm having my coffee while listening to the birds sing in the back yard. I slept surprisingly well last night - no dreams about competing triathlons on a tricycle!
I spent a good 3 hours going over my gear, checking security restrictions and basically second guessing myself. Can somebody remind me why I'm doing this? Oh wait, right - mid life crisis... I guess it beats getting hair plugs, a new girlfriend and a convertible (the convertible would actually be ok).
I should have trained more. I should have followed my diet better. And yet, here I am...
Wish me luck!
Ian
I spent a good 3 hours going over my gear, checking security restrictions and basically second guessing myself. Can somebody remind me why I'm doing this? Oh wait, right - mid life crisis... I guess it beats getting hair plugs, a new girlfriend and a convertible (the convertible would actually be ok).
I should have trained more. I should have followed my diet better. And yet, here I am...
Wish me luck!
Ian
Friday, March 20, 2009
The event is upon us
Well it seems that the event is finally here. I'm flying out Sunday night and the nerves are starting to kick in now. I had a dream the other night that I was competing in an Ironman triathlon and I was the only competitor wearing jeans and dress shoes... go figure.
If anyone would like to check my progress or send me a message you can do so at http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php. You will need to use the following info (i.e. race number, full name and nationality) to send me messages:
796 CUNLIFFE Ian CAN
If that isn't included in the message then I won't receive it. I also understand that there will be another Ian Cunliffe competing in this year's race, so if you are checking times and see me way at the front of the pack then you are definately following the wrong Ian!
I'm off to sort out my kit for the 5th time and I'm sure I'll go over everything 5 more times before I leave for the airport. How much do you want to bet that I'll forget something?
All the best...
Ian
If anyone would like to check my progress or send me a message you can do so at http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php. You will need to use the following info (i.e. race number, full name and nationality) to send me messages:
796 CUNLIFFE Ian CAN
If that isn't included in the message then I won't receive it. I also understand that there will be another Ian Cunliffe competing in this year's race, so if you are checking times and see me way at the front of the pack then you are definately following the wrong Ian!
I'm off to sort out my kit for the 5th time and I'm sure I'll go over everything 5 more times before I leave for the airport. How much do you want to bet that I'll forget something?
All the best...
Ian
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Marathon Des Sables Looms Closer
Training this week was pretty decent. For my big run I left my house in Dundarave and ran with a 20lb pack up to the ski lifts on Hollyburn Mountain in Cyprus Park and back again – about 30km and a few thousand feet of elevation gain. I felt surprisingly good through most of it, never felt gassed and never lost my focus. The only tough part was dealing with the road’s caber which stressed the inside of my left ankle. Nothing too major though and so long as I go easy for a few days I should be injury free.
What else is going on? I signed up for the knee knacker – a 50km trail run from horseshoe bay to deep cove with just over 16000 feet of elevation change. It’s one of the 10 toughest rail runs in North America and Canada’s largest ultra trail marathon.
Damn you Chris for getting me thinking about this… But seriously, it seems like a good challenge. It’s coming up in July and it would be a shame to let all this MDS training go to waste. The distance shouldn’t be too much of an issue – the big problem will be covering the distance before the cut off times.
I’m still debating whether or not to do one more big training run, or to start tapering a little early. I’ve reconciled myself with the fact that this will not be my fastest race and am leaning more towards injury prevention in training this close to race day. In less than 4 weeks I’ll be heading out to Morocco and I’ve started working on getting all the details of my gear finalized.
I’ve also got to book an appointment for the doctor next week. I need to find out my blood type, have a physical and an ECG and then have my doctor sign off all the paperwork indicating that I’m fit enough to participate. It looks like the next few weeks will be consumed by the details.
I’ve also heard that there’s a website where you can follow my race progress online, seeing how I’m doing or whether I’ve been DQ’d. You can also send racers email messages that the organizers print off and distribute each night. I’ll try to find the link and post it here in the next few days.
What else is going on? I signed up for the knee knacker – a 50km trail run from horseshoe bay to deep cove with just over 16000 feet of elevation change. It’s one of the 10 toughest rail runs in North America and Canada’s largest ultra trail marathon.
Damn you Chris for getting me thinking about this… But seriously, it seems like a good challenge. It’s coming up in July and it would be a shame to let all this MDS training go to waste. The distance shouldn’t be too much of an issue – the big problem will be covering the distance before the cut off times.
I’m still debating whether or not to do one more big training run, or to start tapering a little early. I’ve reconciled myself with the fact that this will not be my fastest race and am leaning more towards injury prevention in training this close to race day. In less than 4 weeks I’ll be heading out to Morocco and I’ve started working on getting all the details of my gear finalized.
I’ve also got to book an appointment for the doctor next week. I need to find out my blood type, have a physical and an ECG and then have my doctor sign off all the paperwork indicating that I’m fit enough to participate. It looks like the next few weeks will be consumed by the details.
I’ve also heard that there’s a website where you can follow my race progress online, seeing how I’m doing or whether I’ve been DQ’d. You can also send racers email messages that the organizers print off and distribute each night. I’ll try to find the link and post it here in the next few days.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Bear Essentials
Ok, I’ve just got time to fire off a quick and hopefully amusing post. Saturday I was running over the mountain trails from Horseshoe Bay to the Cleveland Dam through some thick mist and light rain. I was running downhill in the Hollyburn area when I ran across a tree stump on the trail ahead.
I thought it was odd as I didn’t remember a stump being there a week ago. However the mist has a way of playing tricks on the eye. As I got closer I thought again that something didn’t seem quite right. It was only when I got within 60 feet of the stump and noticed it had a ‘twitching tail’ that I realized I had run into a bear.
Now the bear was in the middle of the path, which in my books gives it the right of way! I stood there and looked at the bear. The bear stood there and looked at me. Nothing. I began shouting and flapping my arms in the air. Nothing. I kept shouting and banging rocks together. Nothing.
I was thinking that I was going to have to turn around and hike back the other way (3 more hours) so I dropped my rocks, which for some reason startled the bear. With a strength that was surprising to witness the bear bounded down the trail and off into the underbrush, crashing its way like a large furry wrecking ball!
Yikes!
I thought it was odd as I didn’t remember a stump being there a week ago. However the mist has a way of playing tricks on the eye. As I got closer I thought again that something didn’t seem quite right. It was only when I got within 60 feet of the stump and noticed it had a ‘twitching tail’ that I realized I had run into a bear.
Now the bear was in the middle of the path, which in my books gives it the right of way! I stood there and looked at the bear. The bear stood there and looked at me. Nothing. I began shouting and flapping my arms in the air. Nothing. I kept shouting and banging rocks together. Nothing.
I was thinking that I was going to have to turn around and hike back the other way (3 more hours) so I dropped my rocks, which for some reason startled the bear. With a strength that was surprising to witness the bear bounded down the trail and off into the underbrush, crashing its way like a large furry wrecking ball!
Yikes!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Meet your Fellow Marathon Des Sables Competitors
The race organizers have now opened up the online discussion forums and I'm getting a chance to meet other Marathon Des Sables racers. Seems like a friendly lot but wow - there are some seriously accomplished atheletes here.
Some of my friends look at me like I'm a serious endurance athlete as I've done a few marathons and triathlons. But having had a chance to see some of the bios of other competitors I'm beginning to look and feel like a rank amatuer.
It seems that many of this years competitors are experienced ultra marathoners (100+km runs) and ironmen triathletes (2km swim, 180 km bike, followed by a 44km run). One gentleman here in the Greater Vancouver area is running 20 marathons in 2 years... impressive!
Another Vancouverite has run the Badwater Ultra, a 135 mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. It's difficult to put into words just what a feat this is, so I won't bother to try.
After having a chance to connect with these people it is easy to come away both inspired and humbled at the same time. If I had any illusions about being in the front of the pack for this race I assure you that they have been dropped.
I guess my goal for this race will remain the same - compete only with myself and let everyone else run the best race that they can run. I suspect that it truely is going to be all about the journey.
Some of my friends look at me like I'm a serious endurance athlete as I've done a few marathons and triathlons. But having had a chance to see some of the bios of other competitors I'm beginning to look and feel like a rank amatuer.
It seems that many of this years competitors are experienced ultra marathoners (100+km runs) and ironmen triathletes (2km swim, 180 km bike, followed by a 44km run). One gentleman here in the Greater Vancouver area is running 20 marathons in 2 years... impressive!
Another Vancouverite has run the Badwater Ultra, a 135 mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. It's difficult to put into words just what a feat this is, so I won't bother to try.
After having a chance to connect with these people it is easy to come away both inspired and humbled at the same time. If I had any illusions about being in the front of the pack for this race I assure you that they have been dropped.
I guess my goal for this race will remain the same - compete only with myself and let everyone else run the best race that they can run. I suspect that it truely is going to be all about the journey.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Putting your best foot forward
Had a great run yesterday - I ran 1/2 of the Baden Powel Trail (the section from Horeshoe Bay to the Cleavland Dam). The trail was covered in bear poop. Somehow I managed to avoid stepping in any of the large blue steaming landmines only to accidentally plant my right foot in a bog!
It was very disconcerting as I was stuck but good... I actually had to dig myself free as all my pulling was only helping me to lose my shoe. I looked pretty funny all covered in muck when I finally got home. But all in all it was a great 5 hour run on a beautiful day.
It was very disconcerting as I was stuck but good... I actually had to dig myself free as all my pulling was only helping me to lose my shoe. I looked pretty funny all covered in muck when I finally got home. But all in all it was a great 5 hour run on a beautiful day.
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