Wrapping up my ROAD to ALASKA with TEAM in TRAINING!

It's been a couple weeks since the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage. In the hours after the race I was in such rough physical shape that I had told myself I was done with running - well, with marathons anyway! This is not the first time I've done that and if you are an endurance runner you might be able to relate!

Within 24 hours I had pulled myself together and decided on my next marathon for the fall - Hamilton's Road 2 Hope! I find that I am psychologically out-of-balance if I complete a significant goal without having another one to aim for!  I've been doing my best to be 'smart' and rest up before diving into that training plan! During the past 2 weeks I had planned to rest I have only run 3 times for a total of 20km! Just a little bit of cheating to keep me sane!

Enough of that! This blog entry is about the conclusion of my ROAD to ALASKA and the incredible time I had with TEAM in TRAINING!

First of all, take a look at my fundraising meter! You helped me raise over $17,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada! THANK YOU!! For that reason alone this journey has been a phenomenal success!

In this blog I want to share my final two videos so you can get some insight into what the 'destination' portion of the TNT experience is like.

I've also had a lot of requests for pictures of Alaska so I have included those as well!

VIDEO: ROAD to ALASKA - Traveling  & The Team in Training Experience
This first video is covers the traveling to Alaska and the TNT activities prior to the actual race. I offer my top 3 tips for traveling to a destination race. There are many additional things you will need to consider, but I boiled my advice down to these critical items in order to keep the video at a reasonable length.

Additionally, I'll show you TNT runners prepare their race gear to share their spirit on race day, and I'll give you a glimpse into the Inspiration dinner the night before the race. Click Here to watch the video.

VIDEO: ROAD to ALASKA Conclusion - The Mayor's Marathon
This video is the conclusion of my ROAD to ALASKA video series and covers race day: my marathon and some unanticipated (and very much appreciated!) half marathon coverage from my good friend Donavan Montanaro! I knew the Team in Training Tent would be waiting for me at the finish line and I needed to remind myself several times why I was doing this in order to keep putting one foot in front of the other. As I wrote about in my previous entry, this course was tough and after reflecting on it I think that fact was appropriate for the occasion . Sure, any marathon is a monumental challenge, but having this one be especially difficult to conquer made it all the more allegorical for the cause we were running for. Click Here to watch the video of the Marathon. 

And this third video is how I personally connected my race to Aaron, Darren and their experience with Leukemia. Click here

Now for some pictures!

Many people have asked about the temperature of Alaska in the summertime - most with the perception that it will be cold. We arrived just after a heat wave of 29C had broken and while we were there it was around 20C or so. Very comfortable.

This is a shot from the outdoor market just across the road from our hotel. It was packed with vendors and lots of people!

 The morning after the race Donavan and I were up very early since we did not bother trying to adjust to the 4-hour time zone change. We walked down to the waterfront and found that the walk back up less than 24 hours after a race has consequences.

Ok, ok, this is a staged photo, but it ain't far from the truth!

Snow City is the most popular breakfast joint in town. We neglected to make reservations - yes, it is strongly suggested at this place, even for breakfast - so we were faced with empty bellies and a long wait! But our contingent of Canadian athletes are not just a group of dedicated runners, we're crafty too. Instead of waiting 45 minutes for a table, we just ordered takeout and sat at one of those picnic tables on the sidewalk! I could have used that kinds of time-saving tactic during the marathon! LOL!

There is lots of wild life in the area and we were told that bears are outnumbered by Moose by a factor of 4 to 1. Nevertheless, Stef from Halifax encountered a bear before her half marathon and Donavan caught it on camera.

 

This picture is authentic. That is a real live moose. I took it as we were driving into the parking lot of the Peanut Farm (a sports bar) for dinner the evening after our race.

 

There were other types of wild life I saw but could not idenitfy. If I were to hazard a guess I would say this is a Jamaican zebra. They can run 100m - from a dead stop - in under 10 seconds!
 Note: I prompted this guy to make this pose as he was passing by. I told him to do the Usain Bolt, but I had to show him the pose before he got it!


The day after the race Donavan and I took a 1.5h hour bus ride to catch a boat cruise in Whittier. The bus ride itself was through magnificent country.

This was one of the stops the bus made along the way. It was breathtaking! That is a glacier in the center of the mountains behind us!

This was our vessel - the Klondike Express. It took us on a 186km, 5 hour cruise to see 26 glaciers and some wild life.


We sailed from the tiny village of Whittier. To get there we had to drive through  mountain tunnel built during WWII that is more than 4km long. It took 6.5 minutes to drive thorough. It is only 1 lane wide and a train also travels through it. To accomodate vehicles and trains going both ways there is an hourly schedule you need to follow. If you miss the timeslot you'll need to wait for up to an hour before you'll be able to get through!





As we set out for our cruise we were served a fish and chip dinner and Donavan caught me having a catnap. Having had very little sleep and a tough marathon the day before, I was kinda tired!








Our boat was a katamaran and it was moving at 35 knots (more than 60 km/h). It left such a wake that it actually had to slow down for a smaller boat as we passed it in a narrow channel for fear of rocking the boat too much.

This was just one of the many glaciers we stopped to marvel at during our cruise. This one was called Surprise Glacier and was tucked away in its own little inlet.

Calving is the term to describe what happens when large chunks of ice fall off of a glacier and is what contributes to the retreat (shrinking) of glaciers.




We got to experience some pretty significant calving at this glacier and I caught it on film. Although it was quite a sight to see and hear, I couldn't help but feel ambivalent about the experience. I can't remember the exact number, but of the thousands of glaciers in Alaska, only 18 are advancing and a lot more than that are retreating. Over time that could contribute to some serious rise in sea levels and flooding in coastal areas.

The boat followed this bald eagle for a couple of kilometers. It would fly right above the water's surface, land on a chunk of ice, and then take flight a moment later. It was an incredibly peaceful spectacle to watch.

Snow capped mountains and warm weather means melting! That process results in so many of these stunning waterfalls!

As we returned to port, Donavan remarked how odd it was to see a marina full of boats with snow capped mountains looming over them.

After a long day cruising, we were back in Anchorage for a late dinner, then off to the airport for a 12:45am flight. To connect the dots for you, we raced on Saturday, had a few hours of sleep that night, then toured all day and had to catch the red-eye flight home. This picture was taken at the airport just before midnight. We look amused, don't we?! Notice how bright it still is outside!

If you've read this far, thank you for that! And thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way - your encouragement, support and donations have all made this an amazing and incredibly rewarding experience!

Finally, I hope that sharing my experience through my videos and blog will inspire some of you to pick up the torch and join Team in Training for a future event! You can do that at www.teamintraining.ca. If you have any questions about my experiences, feel free to drop me a line at craig@cassars.ca

For your convenience, I'll leave you with links to each of the videos in the series:
-Craig

Video 1 - Announcement http://youtu.be/bGAb0mHukfU
Video 2 - Overview of the Team in Training Program http://youtu.be/9aM7aob61Bk

Video 3 - Training http://youtu.be/oue4nprlxb0

Video 4 - 21 Days. Preparing for the race http://youtu.be/IV5bMNVYJBE

Video 5 - Fundraising http://youtu.be/fops5kzUatA

Video 6 - Travel & the Team in Training Experience http://youtu.be/Po7YVqbh16k

Video 7 - Conclusion - The Mayor's Marathon http://youtu.be/ujZ-qea4W1s

Me vs. Alaska & Alaska won!

Today was race day and that title pretty much sums it up! From the perspective of a competitive athlete's perspective, today was the pretty much the toughest race I have ever run! The geography of this city is defined by the mountains and although the marathon only went into the foothills, the first 15 miles / 25 km just kept going up and up and up! I was on 3h30 pace through half but my legs had just taken to much of a beating



Elevation profile of the marathon. The first 15 miles were mostly climbing. By the time the downhill started I was trashed.



The army base we ran by, and then THROUGH



A really cool part of this race is that is ran through the local  army base on what they call the 'Tank Trails'. These trails  were wide gravel paths that just kept going and going (up!) for miles!

 Part way up the gravel tank trails. I was still fresh and moving well at this point

The back half of this race was absolutely the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. I was unable to run for more than a few hundred meters at a time because my legs and feet hurt so much. Mentally I had given up at least a dozen times, but then I just thought about why I'm was doing this. I'd made a commitment to all of you and a few hours of pain is absolutely nothing compared to cancer and everything that comes with it. 

The bike paths that made up most of the back half of the marathon

The course was absolutely beautiful and once the tank trails and some forest trails were complete, the second half was mostly on the gorgeous bike path system through the city

Eventually, after much running, then walking and then running some more. I made it up to final big hills and into over the finish line.



Don't be impressed by the clock. That was for the half-marathon that started 1 hour after the marathon. I'll let you do the easy math! :-)



Donavan is the ever diligent photographer and caught me in the height of my agony in the finish area!



Donavan rocked his first ever half-marathon and hit his time goal! Even with stopping to take several pictures like this along the way!!

Donavan had much more fun in the half-marathon and made some friends at the water stations!



 Friends Winnie & Mimi also did the half-marathon and ran their fastest ever time!

Winnie & Mimi



Team Canada spent nearly 2 hours after the race lying on the grass in the Team & Training tent before making the several kilomtre walk back to the hotel!



Some of Team Canada in the front row, with some of our US friends  

 It's now dinner time in Alaska so we are off to stuff our faces and drink some well deserved beer!!
-Craig

Day 2 in Anchorage

It's the day before the race and when you are as pumped up as I am for an event, it's imperative to keep yourself distracted and avoid getting too excited! Still on Ontario time, I was awake at 3:30am and it was starting to get light outside! Not a good start! I had more than 4 hours to fill before our guided tour of Anchorage.

It was a cloudy morning so the scenic outlooks on the tour didn't pan out for us:

From the top of the popular Flattop Hill, Donavan is pointing directly at Anchorage. Too bad we are stuck in the clouds!

Being the day before the marathon, we decided it wouldn't be a grea idea to go on the most popular and steepest vertical hike available in Anchorage. So we just went up the first few steps and called it a good photo opp!
 

This hiking trail ascends something like 1,280ft in about 2.4km. We went up 10 steps!

 

     We caught a ride back to town on the 'Pack Moose Express'. For some reason we were getting a lot of stares. The Moose dropped us off in Bear Square where we rubbed the bear's belly!






"Legend has it that when you rub the bear's
tummy it will bring you good luck"



This evening we attended the Inspiration dinner where 103 Team In Training participants, their families, some honourees and all the coaches etc got together to carb-load and pump up our energy levels!

6 of the top 10 fundraisers were from Canada. 5 are showing here. Our friend Kristen raised over $6,000 but wasn't
on the list. :-(

Donavan and I have already made a lot of new friends on our trip. Here is a picture of with part of Team Canada!

Donavan; Rita from Montreal; Me; Stef and Kristen from Halifax.

Gotta get some sleep now! Race is tomorrow at 8am Alaska time (Noon Eastern time)
-Craig



Arriving in Alaska

Day 1 in Anchorage, Alaska. Here is a quick recap of our trip so far!

Downtown Alaska. Checking out how far away the rest of the world is!

After about 1,500kms of training over the past 6 months the day to head out to Alaska finally arrived! Preparing for a big race is nothing new to me since it is something I do 20-30 times a year! But this one is something different as it carries mearning to people other than me! Normally I will mentally set a target based on the course, my training preparation, and how my body is feeling that week. What actually happens doesn't matter to anyone else!

This time there are so many people who actually KNOW I am racing on Saturday, who have supported my fundraising efforts, and who will want to know how I did! And at the core of why I am doing this are my honourees Aaron Offord and Darren Bishop. I've undertaken this journey to raise money and awareness for the fight again blood cancers like the Leukemia that has changed their lives! This race is a little more important than anything I have done before!

I'm choosing to look at this situation as a development opportunity to on how to deal with a greater amount of pressure! LOL! This development opportunity started sooner than I thought. I'll explain:

In the weeks leading up to today many people asked me when I was running to Alaska. I would laugh and tell them that I was not running to Alaska, but running IN Alaska! Running 4,000 miles is a much bigger commitment than running 42.2km!!!

Well, I didn't have to run the full 4,000 miles, but despite arriving at the airport 2 hours prior to my flight, I got stuck in some very long lines and ended up running from security to the gate with my shoe laces untied and my belt in hand! I was so late that I had no time to deal consider such proprieties as 'dressing' since the plane was full and (hopefully!) waiting for me!

With Donavan Montanario moments after I made it on the plane

 Our flights to Seattle and then Achorage were uneventful although Donavan and I met a friendly couple who were also travelling to the Mayor's Marathon and a gentleman from the US Military who is going to be climbing Mt. McKinley - the highest point in North America at 20,320 ft! It will take him at least 22 days to summit!

The view out the window on our descent to Anchorage

 Once we got to Anchorage we walked the city, booked some tours for Friday and Sunday, and went to the Race Expo to get our race bibs!
 

Hmm....this looks like a good tour!



Donavan taking a breather outside a local shop!



Working on my Video Report at the Race Expo



The beer I am looking forward to on
Saturday night!



Since Alaska is 4 hours behind Ontario, we were in bed by 8am local time and I managed to sleep until 3am! We're not here long enough to get our bodies adjusted. Besides, at this time of year there is daylight from about 4am to 11pm!

I'll post again on Friday!

-Craig

Article in the Ancaster News / Hamilton Mountain News

If you read the article that was recently published in the Ancaster News or Hamilton Mountain News, THANK YOU for taking the time to visit my blog. If you scroll down below you can learn more about my 'Road to Alaska' and the 'Team in Training' Program. If you'd simply like to sponsor me on my journey, you can do so by clicking on this link: Craig's DONATION page. Donations of any amount are welcome!

If you'd like to learn more about Team in Training, (and maybe even sign up!) click here: http://www.teamintraining.ca/on.

If you have any questions about this journey, feel free to leave a comment on this blog or e-mail me at craig@cassars.ca

THANK YOU!
-Craig

Running 21kms is Tough, but Nothing Compared to Aaron's 21 Days!

Today I ran a half marathon which is just over 21 kilometers. I was done in well under 2 hours. In 2010, my friend and co-worker Aaron Offord was diagnosed with Leukemia and spent 21 days enduring induction chemotherapy (blasting cancer out of his body) and receiving a bone marrow transplant. This was the only way he would ever have a future.

In this video you'll get a sense of how tough it is to race 21 km on foot. You can see how I look worse and worse as the race progresses. I could hardly think straight at the finish line! But all of this is nothing compared to the 21 days that Aaron had after his Leukemia diagnosis. And that was just the beginning of his recovery.

My accomplishment today was satisfying, but inconsequential. Aaron's achievement was about saving his life! Please make our efforts worthwhile and make a donation to help find a cure for blood cancer!

You can Click here to MAKE A DONATION and support my journey on the Road to Alaska with Team in Training. Even better, please click here to sign-up and join my team so you can fundraise yourself and then race with me on June 22nd!

Train with 'Team in Training'

Welcome to the 3rd installment of my 'Road to Alaska' video series where I am documenting my journey to the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska with Team in Training (TNT) on June 22, 2013!! This entry is all about the TNT TRAINING PROGRAM: your training plan, your coach, mentors, and group training sessions. Scroll down further to see my posts describing what TNT is all about, and my inspiration for making this journey.

I'm looking for people like YOU to join me! There's still time for you to join Craig's Team and stand at the start line of the Mayor's Marathon (and half marathon)! Whether you're a beginner who has never run a 5K, or a seasoned marathon runner looking to tackle an epic destination marathon, you can join my team!! The TNT training program will get you to the start with confidence and in great shape!

After you watch the video go to http://www.teamintraining.ca and sign up. During the sign-up process make sure you join "Craig's Team"!!

If you're not up for that, I'd love to have you support my team's fundraising efforts. If this is something you'd like to do, please go to my fundraising page to make a donation- any amount would be appreciated! Your dollars are used to support research into a cure for blood cancers. Now click on the video below to dive into the training program offered by Team in Training!

-Craig