Are you ready for Vancouver Islands premier trail running series?

Race Website

The GutBuster website can be found at www.gutbustertrailrun.com

Date/Time

GB001::Mt Tzouhalem (May 17th, 2009)

GB002::Colliery Dam (May 31st, 2009)

GB003::Royal Roads (July 12th, 2009)

GB004::Mt Doug (July 26th, 2009)

GB005:Mt Washington (August 8th, 2009)

About the Races

The FRONTRUNNERS GutBuster Trail Running Series is Vancouver Island’s Premiere Trail Running Series that takes runners off the road and onto the some of the most amazing trail networks in Western Canada. We are offering five exciting races for the 2009 season. Each race offers a short course (5-8km) and Long Course (10-21km) option and the last race of the season at Mt Washington is and ascent race which climbs 505m to the top of Mt Washington Ski Resort.

Follow these tips for happy trails wherever you run.

1. Run tall. Running, especially uphill, can be exhausting, but if you bend under the effort it’s more difficult for the lungs to do their thing. On the uphill, keep an eye at the crest or a few yards ahead, not at your feet. If you’re gasping, slow down and pump your arms a little, or if you need to, walk, while keeping your posture tall. Even elite runners will walk a steep hill.

2. Shorten your stride on the way up. And plant your entire foot; climbing on your toes kills your calf muscles. Jump over obstacles. Stepping up on unsteady rocks and roots is not only tiring, it can be hazardous.

3. Be loose on the downhill. Stop braking and allow yourself to fly a little, throwing your arms to the side. But don’t flail. If you lose control, slalom from side to side like a skier. Don’t lean back or dig in your heels to brake (a guaranteed butt slide). Instead, land quickly and lightly.

4. Plot your moves. View the trail like a chessboard. Plan your steps around bumps, dips, soft sand and fallen trees yards before you reach them.

5. Focus on time, not distance. Don’t expect to match your road PR.

6. Diminish your risks. Run in pairs or let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Take plenty of fuel and fluid, a lightweight jacket and a cell phone, which won’t always get a signal in the mountains, but might. Uphill runners yield to downhill runners. Yell “trail” well in advance of passing another runner or hiker.

7. Find your balance. Slippery downhills let you know what your legs are made of. Build them up between trail runs with weighted squats and lunges, and build your balance using wobble boards.

8. Keep your bearings. Things look different coming back than going. Pause to look around when two or more paths diverge from the one you’re on. Look at trail signs and identify rocks, trees or landmarks on the horizon.

9. Leave no trace. Even in races, trail runners stow empty wrappers and wouldn’t dream of dropping cups like road racers. Stay on marked trails, don’t cut switchbacks and go through, not around, puddles to prevent erosion.

10. Feel like a kid again. Crank it on the downhill, hoot and holler, jump into a stream.

Have FUN!

In just a few days Trainharder.com’s own Donald "Jarhead" Peterson will be running the Fifth Edition of The World’s Expedition Run™

Set for February 1st through 6th in Southern Costa Rica The Coastal Challenge is the “World’s Expedition Run™,” releasing runners over approximately 225 – 250 kilometers of exotic and wild Costa Rican mountainous regions and rugged coastline. For six days, runners embrace the spirit of adventure, discovery and camaraderie within a long distance running competition while navigating wide river crossings, rainforests, jungles, windswept highlands, beaches, and rock outcroppings.  It is an expedition run of epic proportions introducing competitors to the hospitality of the local Tico culture while pushing the limits of their will and endurance. For more information visit www.thecoastalchallenge.com .

Set in Costa Rica’s pristine southern region, the “Rainforest Run” will utilize the country’s rich rainforests as a backdrop for a diverse course that moves from jungle and rainforest trails to highlands, coastal ranges, reefs, and river crossings. The route, which takes a decidedly different feel from last year’s “Route of Fire” in the Northwest, and will weave from the beach into the Talamancas, a coastal mountain range, before finishing in Corcovado National Park, one of the world’s premier rainforest experiences and Unesco World Heritage site.

“We considered a wealth of runner feedback when deciding on this year’s route,” said Tim Holmstrom, race director. “The Rainforest Run combines the best of Costa Rica’s natural beauty with a stunning and challenging route that will reward athletes of all levels.”

During the race you will be able to find daily updates at www.tccadventures.com , scroll over the COMPETITORS tab and then down to the Race Information Center .

There will also be updates at the TCC Telegraph, the official 2009 Rainforest Run Blog .

A quote from the Race Director of the Thetis Lake Triple Series… "Get out your race calendar and mark these dates down for some quality trail runs!"

Oct 25th | BC Cross Country Championships , Stanley Park, Vancouver
Nov 1st | 1st annual Westwood Lake 22K Relay , Nanaimo
Nov 11th | 12th annual Thetis Lake 20K Relay , Victoria
Nov 23rd | 43rd annual Bazett Farm XC , the oldest cross country race in the province, Duncan
Nov 29th | 24th annual Gunner Shaw 10K Classic , the largest cross country race in the province, Victoria
Dec 6th | 25th annual Gunner Shaw Memorial 10K , hosted by Lions Gate Road Runners, Jericho Beach, Vancouver
Dec 13th | 5th annual Stewart Mountain 10 Mile Challenge , Victoria

Follow Aviva and Rumon Carter as they race together as Team Atehena at the TransRockies Run 2008.

Team Atehena – TransRockies Run 2008

The Canadian Mountain Running Championships took place this past weekend at the Peak Challenge .  The race was won by Joe Gray from Lakewood, WA.  He was followed by Adrian Lambert from Edmonton, AB and then two Victoria, BC boys Kris Swanson and MuddySocks Adam Campbell who made up the top three Canadian finishers.

Full Results Here

There’s a reason most ultra-marathons take place on trails. If you’re running 26-plus miles, better to do it off pavement, where there’s always shade, the surface is forgiving and the view never gets old.

But extreme distances are not required to savor our trails. In fact, as I learned this week, one need move neither far nor fast to get some great exercise courtesy of Mother Nature.

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FRONTRUNNERS GutBuster 004
Victoria, BC – Mt. Douglas
SUNDAY, July 6th, 2008
Start: 10:00am

There are two course options:

SHORT COURSE – A 6km run up to the top of Mt. Douglas (200m) for an amazing view over Victoria. Filled with great flowing single-track trails that is ideal for both runners and hikers.

LONG COURSE – 11km that features three summits to the top of Mt. Douglas. Each time will leave your breathless by both the views and the workout! You’re going to to LOVE this course!

and there are…

FOUR EASY WAYS TO REGISTER:
1. Register online
2. Download registration and mail it in
3. Drop off your entry at Frontrunners in Victoria, Nanaimo or Langford (must be dropped off by Thursday before race day).
4. Come early on Race Day

But this late in the game your only option is to get down there early tomorrow.

Runners attempt to be first to cross 58-kilometre route

Carolyn Heiman, Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, May 11, 2008

Build a trail and they will run.

And so three keeners set out yesterday wanting to be the first ever to run the 43 kilometre North Coast Trail on the northern tip of the Island, formally opened yesterday by the province.

The new trail links with the existing Cape Scott trail, forming a 58-kilometre stretch west from Port Hardy.

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Some of us define a holiday as time spent supine. But adrenalin addicts live to work up a sweat while checking out the scenery. Denise Balkissoon talks to marathoners across the country about their favourite destination races – where the trails offer more than just that runner’s high

Denise Balkissoon
Special to The Globe and Mail
April 19, 2008 at 12:56 PM EDT

THE LONDON MARATHON

The runner Tania Jones, a Richmond Hill, Ont., mom who won the 2002 Canadian championship for marathon running.

The run An April marathon that winds its way over cobblestone streets from Blackheath to Buckingham Palace.

The rush Running past history. And the spectators. “You start the race at 8 a.m. and there are already people in front of the pubs, holding their pints and cheering you on.”

Off the track Jones spent a week in Harlow to get acclimatized before the race. “I trained on tiny roads in real English countryside, running right by Windsor Castle.”

Lace up Apply for one of 36,000 spots by August at london-marathon.co.uk.

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This is an article published in the Goldstream News Gazette just a few days ago:

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The GutBuster trail running series is entering its eighth year under new direction from a pair long-time Langford runners. Nick Walker and Mark Nelson have taken over the venture from Bryan Tasaka, the series creator. Nelson and Walker are both co-owners of Frontrunners in Langford and now they are co-owners of the GutBuster series.

We both love this event and if we didn’t take it over, it might not have continued, Walker said. The pair figured that continuing on with the original series would be easier than organizing an entirely new but unfamiliar event.

“If we hadn’t bought the GutBuster name we would of had to to start our own series and find our own venues,” Nelson said.

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This list was compiled by Dave who lives in Atlanta. Thanks Dave!

1) you think dirty shoes (or clothes) are cool. The dirtier, the better!

2) you’ve ever seen an animal on a run, you had never seen in real life before.

3) you’ve ever gotten nervous when you saw an animal track you didn’t recognize

4) you read TrailRunner Magazine cover to cover within 2 hours of receiving it in the mail

5) you think that in training time spent on the trail is more important than miles run

6) you think there is a HUGE difference between ‘running’ and ‘trail running’

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Written by Patrick White and published January 25th in the Globe and Mail

Forget the funny name. This runner’s club will cover 72 kilometres in sub-zero temperatures just for beer, haggis and the hell of it. Tales of hikers lost in Lynn Valley after nightfall saturate the logs of North Shore Search and Rescue. Every winter, without fail, a few veer off course and spend a winter night flirting with hypothermia on the cliff-strewn mountainsides that flank Vancouver to the north.

This time of year there’s an extra wrinkle: “Hazardous winter conditions,” warns the ranger’s stern voice on the park information line. “Expect snow and ice on all of our trails.”

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Written by Laura Barton and published Tuesday January 15 in The Guardian

It took her five hours and two minutes, running uphill and down and through temperatures ranging from -20C to 20C, but Angela Mudge, 37, has broken the women’s record for the Everest Marathon by 13 minutes. She was sustained, she said, by jelly beans, and by thoughts of her twin sister, Janice, also an accomplished runner, who died from bowel cancer aged just 35.

The Everest Marathon is gruelling before it even begins. Even on the trek to the starting line – at 5,200 metres – most of the 84 competitors suffered altitude sickness, diarrhoea, deep-vein thrombosis, reduced lung capacity or chest infections.

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Written by Martin Cleary, published in The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, December 08, 2007

Adventure racer Ray Zahab loves a challenge, and he has plenty of them lined up for 2008 and 2009. Not only does he have the creativity to manufacture wild ideas for athletic pursuits, but also he has the physical ability and mental toughness to get the job done. Over the next 15 months, Zahab, 38, plans to run his first Boston Marathon, tackle another cross-Canada ultramarathon project and then pursue his polar expedition, where he’ll run to the North Pole. In the past, Zahab has amazed people with his feats of endurance.

He joined two friends in November 2006 and spent 111 consecutive days running across the Sahara Desert, covering 7,500 kilometres. He has won ultramarathon adventure races in China, the Yukon, Egypt, Libya and the Amazon. This past summer, he completed the eight-day Canadian Challenge, where he ran across Baffin Island in 27 straight hours, conquered the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland in 40 hours and then ran the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in 16 hours.

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By Neil L. Cook, BS, MS, Med

Marathons are the “ultimate” goal for many runners. But there’s a core group of runners that believe the marathon isn’t long enough; not enough of a challenge. They feel the need to go longer, sometimes A LOT LONGER! These are different runners, not your average 10 K weekend racer. And although they are fiercely competitive, the camaraderie of ultra-marathoners is legendary. The support for fellow runners during an ultra extends further than any other running event.

What Is An Ultra Marathon?
A marathon is 26 miles 385 yards long. An ultra-marathon is any event longer. Typically, 30 miles, 50 miles, and 100 miles. There are other distances, but those are the most popular. There are also timed events: 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and even multi day-races. Some are run on roads, some on trails, and some (mainly timed events) on a track.

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A great article from Forbes Magazine. Written by Rebecca Ruiz.

Jerry Armstrong’s body began failing him at mile 75. The 30-year-old San Diego native felt tendinitis in both knees and severe ligament pain in both ankles, which caused his limbs to lock up. He struggled to imagine how he might finish the 100-mile ultra endurance race known as the Angeles Crest, which takes runners through the San Gabriel backcountry in southern California. The former tri-athlete had readied his body for the 21,000 feet of climbing by running 70 to 100 miles a week for a year, but this was his first 100-mile race.

“People told me to treat [the race] with respect,” Armstrong says. “I thought I was. I was humbled by the race.” With the help of a good friend who served as his pacer for the last 25 miles, Armstrong power-walked the final miles after dunking himself in a cold stream to decrease the inflammation of his tendons and ligaments. He finished 23 minutes before the race’s 33-hour time limit.

“Some people might say, ‘Oh, hey, you barely finished,’ but for me it’s about the adventure, not the finishing time,” he says. “It’s about managing your body, solving problems and working under stress. It’s not about running as fast as you can.”

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Published Tuesday, November 13 in The Province, written by Jack Keating

Pushpa Chandra will soon lace up her running shoes to take part in the world’s highest marathon on Mount Everest. The Vancouver naturopathic doctor has run marathons for the past 20 years, including the prestigious Boston and New York races, but there’s been nothing to compare with her next effort. Chandra, 49, will run in temperatures averaging -20 C.

She’ll start close to the Everest Base Camp (5,184 metres) and finishes 42 kilometres later over rough mountain trails at the Sherpa town of Namache Bazaar (3,446 m).

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The no-frills Fat Ass phenomenon
By Neal Jamison

The entry form for the Gunpowder Keg Fat Ass 50K, in Hereford, Maryland, includes this disclaimer: “No entry fee. Bring your own supplies. Any potential refreshments, meals, etc., are subject to the whims of potential sponsors … If you want to be fed at a race, you can go pay $35 and run a flat, fast 5K and get a cheap cotton T-shirt to wipe the crumbs of a day-old, cinnamon-raisin bagel that tastes suspiciously like onions.”

Have you got a fat ass? You might, and not even know it. Or maybe you do, and you just can’t admit it. Fat Ass (FA) races are cropping up everywhere, and there may be one near you. Of course, there is appeal to any race that is free, but it’s more than just the zero-dollar price tag that feeds popularity. FAs normally take place in the winter, when there aren’t many trail races happening, giving runners a place to test their mettle and burn off their fat derrieres.

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