What led me to do this race
I had registered for the 100km sulphur springs Ancaster ultra race for 2025 and I was very afraid of how unprepared I was for that race. Especially how incredibly hard last year’s 50 km race was for me. It kicked my butt (in a bad way). Could I even finish this upcoming 100km race?
2025 has been different. I have neglected training and have actually gained a lot of weight from working (lots of sitting), studying, and not training. I have neglected training because I have been studying for the LSAT everyday, which is my top priority. After work, I go home and force myself to study. As I have slowly progressed in the LSAT studying to get accepted to law school, my training level has dropped significantly…. Or has it?
Exactly one week ago, I was looking for a running race around my area that could indicate where my fitness level was at. I stumbled upon Conquer the Canuck. A local race 40 minutes away from my city. They offered several distances but what caught my eye was the 12 hour race. A race where you run for 12 hours and whoever does the greatest distance, wins. I registered. The goal: Run 100km in those 12 hours. Additionally, I also wanted to see my fitness level. I have never done this and it seemed intense. Running for 12 hours does sound nuts.
Days before the race
Two days before the race (Thursday), I got incredibly sick. I was so sick that everyone at work noticed and were asking why I was at work and that I should not race. I somewhat agreed. I don’t know how I got sick but I was in shambles. I went home early, took a bunch of over the counter drugs and hoped it would all go away. Friday comes along, I’m still sick but not as sick as Thursday. My coworkers told me not to race. I told them if I can work, I can race. I accepted my fate. This had to get done. There was too much at stake, plus I’m stubborn.
Race day (before the race)
First, I woke up late. I slept through my 4 am alarm and woke up to my 5am alarm. If you’ve read my other race blog posts, I get up early, drink a lot of caffeinated beverages to force myself to go to the bathroom. I do this so I don’t have to go during the race. I get up earlier for this reason. The race was at 7am. I didn’t want to be late. I skipped my morning race routine and drove to the race. I arrived, put my bag on a picnic table and mentally prepared to what I was about to endure. Here’s what I brought
- Alani protein drinks (4)
- 1 chipotle burrito ( I ate one the night before the race and purchased one for the race)
- Electrolyte package (trioral, nasty but worked)
- 1.5 litre bottle with water in it (refilled it several times during the race)
- Extra sweaters/tights (no attire change was required from the good weather
The start of the race and beyond
Just like in cycling, it’s the elevation/inclines that makes the ride more challenging/difficult but those climbs are what make you stronger. The same rule applies to running. This was A 6.1km course with 93 metres of elevation. It does not seem like much but when you’re running this loop for 12 hours, some of those hills start feeling like torture and it starts to take a toll on you. Mentally and physically.
The picture above shows what I wore on the first loop since it was cold. Once I finished the first loop, I was sweating, I removed the sweater and pants. I felt light as ever and I FLEW through the second loop. The trail had hills, different types of scenery, and TONS of tree roots going through the trail. I saw at least one person trip and fall from roots all over the trails. I almost fell a few times but luckily did not. This is trail racing in a nutshell, I loved it.
27 miles in (42 km)
I told myself once I hit the 27 mile distance, that was when the race would start for me. That’s when the ultra territory would be begin. I was feeling great too. I had no pain and I was ready for more. I was shocked and happy about this. My past races have really made me stronger and this development of not feeling fatigued and wanting more really shows what you are capable of accomplishing through years of training. I was also drinking a lot after every loop and taking small bites at the chipotle burrito I brought with me. During the pit stops, I would also eat pickles and avoid processed foods such as chips and Coca Cola. The event was also sponsored by dominoes which was awesome. There was pizza at every stop but I did not eat it. I did not want to risk it. I know what works well with my stomach when racing.
The heat and going over 35 Miles
I love the heat. I loved running through the trails in the heat and I felt the most alive during this time in the race. I like the heat so much that it was not hot enough for me. I still had my long sleeve base layer on while cruising through the trails. After going over 35 miles, I was mentally doubting that 100km would be completed. This race is the first time I’ve ever ran for 12 hours and also the furthest I’ve ever done. It was also the start of the season. Injury mitigation and not over doing it was on my mind. I was doing well, not feeling bad and I was still running (never walking). I changed my goal since I was too ambitious. The new goal was to survive 12 hours and do as much as possible.
The Last 2 hours
My legs were cooked at the 10 hour mark. I walked the last few kilometres since i was sore. Every step I took, I felt bruised, I could feel the blisters in my feet, my arms were sore, i was grunting in pain but I kept going. Never in my life have I ever done this. Normally when I’m in pain, I will stop and honestly, give up pretty essily. This time that did not happen and I was damn proud of this. I was about to finish 12 hours running and I was CRUSHING it. Tons of things were running through my mind to not give up. I was also not tired, it was just my body being in pain from the extraneous repetitive exercise The last few hours also went by very quick for some reason.
The Result
I finished the race with 75km completed. Although I’ve done Ironman’s in 12+ hours, ultra running races are so much harder. Every time you run, your whole body is being affected and it feels very destructive on your body whereas biking and swimming you can get away with a lot. This is what makes running so much harder. I feel like this race has made me much stronger and has provided a lot of insight on how much I’ve grown since the last ultra. It’s also shown how much more I can take and do for something I struggled with. Even with minimal training, I accomplished something very hardcore and something I could not even imagine doing in the past.
As I study for my LSAT, I have felt the same while studying, I felt that I have not progressed and it’s been difficult to grasp the LSAT ideas but in reality I’ve actually been improving on getting answers correct and what to look for while reading. I don’t know what it is about these hardcore races, but I’m glad I do them since they help me improve in other parts of my life. As always, any questions or comments, let me know!