Sinister 7 Race

Sinister 7 Race. Even though my personal running experiences are not direct Kung fu training, the correlations within the journey are certainly relevant and overlapping.

Last weekend our team of 7 ran the 100 mile/ 160km mountain race. I ran leg 3 which was,

Distance: 30.8km

Gain: 1385m

Loss: 1385m

Max Elevation: 1776m

Est Time: 3 to 5 hours

This leg is run during the peak heat of the day. During my run this weekend it hit somewhere between 30-35C. Hydration and nutrition (calories as well as sodium, potassium intake are super important).

I entered the run strong and felt amazing, also started off with my own electrolyte concentration which lasted until about the 15km mark - 1.5 hours into the race (halfway) at such point I had to start using the race supplied hydration mix. This is where my muscles started to fail…at about the 20km mark cramping and tightened leg muscles became a real problem…to a point which I was concerned about my ability to finish; they seized to a point of not being able to move without the feeling of literally tearing a muscle or tendon. The tendon tension was actually so tight that it felt like a a thick guitar string stretching from my abductor’s to my inner pelvic bone. I really wasn’t sure what was going on as I’ve never felt anything that severe. Knowing that the race supplemented hydration beverage was weak, I presumed my issue was a lack of salt issue. I popped a salt pill and followed it with about a cup of creek filtered water. The body’s circulation is amazing (the capsule opened in my stomach and I could feel muscle relief in about 45 seconds).

I don’t remember the exact heart pumping capacity, but I believe it pumps about 20 litres per minute. 

Long story short, I nurtured my body back to life by consuming some light sugars, crackers and chips and followed this by sipping water. Due to my salt levels being in a deficit, 3 kilometres of the finish line I still had to ingest a couple more salt pills followed by an immediate couple cups of water.

I ended flying into the finish line. But along with the seizing muscles and ATP malfunction due to salt imbalance, GI issues became an issue, leaving me in the bush practicing my horse stance. 

All in all, knowing the complications that can arise and being prepared with substance and playing it cool; completion is still very possible but so is a DNF (did not finish). I lost about 1 hour over the last half of my race, due to my on trail complications - learned a ton and completed my distance.

All our team members did fabulous, we completed the race with about 3.5 hours remaining on the clock.

This was an especially important race for me as it was a test to my rehabilitation over the past give or take 8 years. I would have had a stellar race time, if I had not had the salt deficiency issue. After the race and post race two days, my legs felt amazing and my energy level was quite good. I’m very happy with my results.

Now a couple more long runs, training diversity bouts and then time to start tapering for the CDR (Canadian Death Race).

July 17 (day 173) 

Acts of Kindness recorded - 417, 

Push-ups (& weights to strengthen upper body) - 13630, 

Sit-ups and or equivalents - 15580,

Rehab - Squats & step-ups started May 28th - 1810,

Kilometers (intentional extra mileage) - 1215.4

Meditation/ inversion table  (min.) - 892,

Stretching/ rolling (min.) - 1120,

Sparring/ grappling (min.) - 78, 

# of forms re-familiarized - 7.0

Form reps - 266, 

Form time (min.) - 742,

“Mastery” recite (min.) - 96 

Blogs - 24