Yes, LOST is the Lake Ontario Swim Team… but it is really more about the amazing people in the group than just the swimming… although it is about the swimming too… well the adventure really. And here are some examples of 7 very adventurous LOSTies!
1) John Gayford – Crazy guy on a bike. Well, that doesn’t really tell the whole story. You see Johnny is one of our local LOST Aussies, which helps explain a bit of the story. He’s an Aussie. But he’s not even a normal crazy Aussie, he’s an exceptional crazy Aussie. He’s sailed from here to Australia, the hard way, across the Indian Ocean. If you know anything about sailing, that is one of the toughest sailing routes in the world. wow.
And he’s done all kinds of other things too, but his latest is his cycling adventure… from Nova Scotia to Toronto!!!
Not that it matters, because these trips are incredible regardless of your age, but let’s just say he’s got a couple of years on the rest of us! To use one of his lines he used to describe the LOSTies to me when we first met, “he’s got a bit of spark to him!”
Check out his blog and pics here
2) Darren Miller – Darren and I met at the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. We were both just regular marathon swimmers then. He’s also stopped by for a dip in Lake O with me… naturally it was ridiculously cold. But he has gone on to do a few other amazing things! He is one of only a small handful of people who have completed “The 7 Oceans” swim, which is completing 7 of the toughest crossings in the world. Now he is looking to complete the “Sub-3 Squared” challenge. It’s a new “thing”, only a couple of people have done it, more by accident, but also because it would be very hard to do. To complete it you need to complete a running marathon in under 3 hours… AND complete a swimming marathon in under 3 hours!!! (a “marathon swim” in the swimming world is considered anything 10k or longer, kind of like how an “ultra-marathon” in running isn’t a specific distance).
Of course, putting the 2 events together is the trick. I could easily do a 10k swim in under 3 hours, but my fastest marathon is 3:20. Most people are like that, one may be easy or at least do-able, but both… that’s tough. And in what time frame? Well, nobody has really established how close the 2 have to be done together… if you could do both in your lifetime that would be a hulluva accomplishment. Darren is setting the bar pretty high. About as high as you could. He’s going to try and do both in 6 hours. Wow.
Here are the details of when and where his attempt will be: Sub-3 Squared
3) Clara Northcott – one of my oldest running buddies and now a Canadian record holder in the W60-64, 5K… and 11th in the world in the 3K (13:27). In fact, she has qualified for World Masters Track and Field championships in Turin, Italy… Sacramento, California and now Lyon, France in August of this year! She wasn’t able to attend Turin or Sacramento so she’s trying to raise money to attend the Championships in Lyon this year! Check out her Indiegogo page if you’d like to help Clara get there!
4, 5, 6 & 7) France, Pascale, Ted & Bruce – 4 good buddies from our Connor’s Runner’s group. And they just completed the 50 mile/80 K Cayuga Ultra Marathon in the Finger Lakes… with over 10,000 feet of elevation change! Sounds amazing!
If you know France, it’s hard to get a word in edge-wise, so I’ll let her tell you all about it: (just kidding France, we love ya! 😉 )
Ted crushed it the man is on fire!
Pascal felt great, Bruce did well but had some issues with his stomach and I did really well on the first 40km loop I was only 5 minutes behind the boys but I crashed between 45 and 60km. Me head was fine, I was still smilling but my legs were trashed!
I wanted to drop out at 60km but the volunteer said:”No way, No one drops out at my aid station if you’re still smiling you’re still going”
Our garmin battery died at 60km so I went without and actually tought :”I tested my legs for a while alternating running and walking. I couldn’t figure out which one hurt most so I decided to run and finish faster cause I could not bare the thought of 4 more hours of this”. I was also really sad to stop at 60km and miss the best part of the scenery. Running without a watch was much better for me. At that point, looking at my Garmin when I walked and calculating how many hours I would have left at this pace was not good for my head. Time kind of stops when you don’t know. I didn’t even wear my regular watch. I had no idea how fast I was going or I far I was, all I knew is I had to make it to the next aid station. Between 40 and 60 km I got passed by maybe 8 people but after 60km I decided that no one was getting by. I passed 4 guys and then 2 more on the stairs to heaven (or hell) at 75km. I kept looking behind making sure no one was catching up. One guy caught up to me and passed me on the downhill (which hurt the most and forced me to slowly walk when steep) but then the first uphill I passed him with a smile. The end is a grassy road of 2km with a slow downhill I started running fast thinking let me out of these woods and my 2km push of course, I was amazed with myself, I didn’t think I could still have energy to do that after 79KM. When I came out there is still 1km of grass to run and Anita and Bruce were waiting for me and ran me in screaming that I was awesome.
Pascal 10:29
Bruce 10:48
France 12:40 OUCH
Amazing volunteers that ran to us asking what do you need, what do you want.Food was amazing.
Things I learned:
1-You cannot train for an Ultra, water running in the pool for 3 weeks
2- Uphills I am good at even the stone stairs at 75km didn’t hurt I passed 4 guys
5-If you’re wondering about God….. There is a God I was talking to him and I am pretty sure he was answering
6-The woods are Ithica are magical… After 50km when you close your eyes and open them there are stars that sparkle everywhere!
7-You need a lot of caffeine in an ultra and tons of gels I ran out of caffeinated gels at 30Km!!!!
9-The people that race ultras are AMAZING nothing like road races, the camaderie, mutual support, smiles everywhere. Yes there is a lot of beards and moustaches, a couple guys running in kilts and leather sandals but everyone is so nice and makes you feel awesome.
10-running on the road sucks, my foot did not hurt on the soft part of the trail but the 50meters we did on road inbetween hurt a lot.
11-I can always encourage myself in the tough spots thinking about how hard childbirth was and running hills is easier….. Well, at 70km I was ready to give birth again it seemed a whole lot easier then the 12 hour nonsense. LolPascal LOVED it.
Cheers,
Rob