Aldergrove Mud Run 2014: My best effort this year!

Mike Murphy emailed me race day morning after I sent him a message asking if he would attend the Aldergrove Mud Run. The correspondence went like this:

Josh: Hi Mike. Are you running in Aldergrove tomorrow? I will be. Hope to see you there.

Mike: Morning Josh,

I am going to skip the race this morning. Instead, i'm doing a long run on the DiezVista 50 course.

I know you have another strong run in you, so lay it all out there. Try my little trick of 'promissing' yourself to throw in 6 or 8 surges...no matter how crappy it feels.

Tweet a recap afterwards, so i know how it went once i wrap up.

I listen to Mike. I respect Mike. He knows what he speaks of. So, my race plan was born just before the race: surges, and lots of them. Sort of like intervals within a tempo run. Only intervals while running at race pace.

It took no time get all the way out to Aldergrove Lake this morning. Without Mike or Chris there, I knew that I had a good shot at a high placing based on who had been showing up to this series. But as Mike told me at the last one, you never know who is going to show up at the race. So true for this race.

Aldergrove Mud Run 2013: Putting together the perfect race

Sunday February 3rd was my third time racing the Aldergrove Mud Run in as many years. The third race in the Fraser Valley Trail Series, this is a beautiful course takes runners through a good portion of Aldergrove Lake park. A number of  short, steep, punchy climbs and twisting fast descents on wide, soft gravel paths weave through the undulating forest of the park, with a few bridges over marshes and creeks. This is a beautiful park. The temperature today said 5 degrees, but once the race was underway, the conditions were perfect--almost warm, no rain or wind to speak of, only overcast.

Campbell Valley Stomp 2013--a New PB. Third Time's a Charm.

My third running of the Campbell Valley Stomp was my first race of 2013. This race comes after my December run streak, and after some specific training on each of my runs so far this month. Hill repeats, tempo runs, and a couple of long runs have definitely helped in bringing some strength and speed to my form, which definitely helped at the race on January 20th.

The course is the same as it has been-- a 5k-ish loop course that rolls over the terrain for the first 3 kms on crushed gravel, then a steep downhill descent into the valley, then 1.5 kms of needle-and-threading the way through the technical rooty, twisty, and icy forest floor until a false flat into the climb up to the parking area.

Sean, Philip, and I set out at 7:30 for the race. We managed to get there around 8:15, the perfect amount of time to run the course in reverse, and then toe the line for the 9am start. The start was good--I managed to scale it back a bit from my normal blow-thyself-up start, and Sean kicked it up a good amount from how he likes to start.