“Going for the podium?”

This was the question on everyone’s minds. My friends Rob and Paul had won the 50K and 100K respectively the day before. Last year, we were 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 50K. Could the three of us sweep the most competitive distances at the 2024 event?

“Not if there’s any fast guys. I don’t want to run fast today. I just want to see how others are doing and go with the flow.”

This, I think, is a great mindset. But it’s a mindset I haven’t held in any race since Sulphur Springs last year.

Falling Water? I wanted to win. ❌

The Bad Thing? I wanted to win. ✅

Gorge Waterfalls? I wanted third. ❌

This time, I just wanted to see how others were navigating the race, and respond accordingly. I wanted to race from behind, and gradually work my way up, just like I did in the 50K last year.

As expected, there were a few fast guys. Most notably – Aaron Hendrikx, 2x Canadian University Cross Country Champion, and owner of BackRoads Brews & Shoes.

Aaron and another guy took the first downhill at the start of the race remarkably quick. I let them go, cruising down the hill and keeping them in sight for the first couple kilometres.

Sulphur Springs Downhill – 20K 2024 – YouTube

I could tell they wanted to book their next flight to the finish line, so my goal for the first five kilometres was just to keep my heart-rate down. I put my own plane into cruise control in front of Tanis Bolton, with her enthusiastic energy keeping my spirits high for the first few k. Every uphill, I took things slow, with the goal of lowering my heart-rate. I then took every downhill like a salsa dancer from Spain to make those micro-gains on the guys ahead.

Not even 6k in, I’d already caught up to second place. I fuelled with my first XACT Nutrition bar 20 minutes into the race, and navigated the mud like a wild deer until my gap on the rest of the field completely opened.

Throughout the next five kilometres, I kept my heart-rate down between the low 170s and high 160s, and just cruised with every step, visualizing what it would be like to catch Aaron on Lollipop. I didn’t look at my pace, I didn’t ask a single stranger about Aaron. I simply kept the plane hovering in the sky, and danced around the mud straight into Reforestation.

Rob and Josh told me I was closing the gap on him, and so I felt confident that if I continued to make micro-gains on every downhill and then started really racing the final 5k, I could catch him.

I fuelled again at the 45 minute mark with another XACT bar, saving my final one for the top of Lollipop.

By the time the race had just 5k to go, I still hadn’t seen any sign of Aaron. But I felt confident that I was continuing to close the gap. I turned on the turbo-jets and pushed my heart rate into the 170s, taking the hill up Lollipop to a 184 HR. Then finally, for the first time since the start, as I’m fuelling for the third time, I see his plane flying off in the distance. As soon as I see him, he looks back and sees me.

I knew throughout the race that I would either get him on the downhill on Lollipop, or on Martin Rd. up to the finish.

But boy, did Aaron ever make me work for it. As soon as he realized I was there, he continuously turned on his own jets, matching me stride for stride so that I had to go even faster. The battle of my lifetime then ensued as I’m chasing him for about two kilometres, just to catch him with ease up the technical little hill toward Martin Road.

“What race?” He asked, as I flew by.
“20K. You?”
“Yeah. 20K.”

That was it. Except it wasn’t, because I wanted to pass him with authority. From there, I apparently did the Martin Road Climb in the 7th fastest time ever, letting my heart-rate finally go berserk to the finish.

1:25:52. I genuinely didn’t even know I could run that fast. Since Gorge Waterfalls, I hadn’t done any speed work except uphill treadmill work. I didn’t even know I still had the leg speed to hit 3-minute k’s.

Apparently I do.

This feels like the biggest win I’ve had in a while, and so much more amazing to see all of my friends take wins in their races too. Rob, Paul and I each won our races in the closing stages. Rob, with 2k to go. Paul, somewhere in the final loop of a 100K against the incredible Dylan Pust. Me, right at the final climb to the finish.

This is what I would tell anyone trying to win a trail race. I find it much easier to race my way up then to race from the front. I told Rob as much yesterday when crewing him, outwardly saying he shouldn’t lead until the 40k mark. He took that advice and smashed it out of the ball park, not leading until 48k when he took the crown. I did the exact same this time, racing so much smarter than I did at Gorge Waterfalls back in April.

Top five reasons why?

1. I listened to my heart-rate and intentionally slowed down any time it reached above 175, until the final 5K.
2. I ate a ton of food the day before – fish & rice, green tea, loads of desserts and snacks at Jess’s party. Thanks Jess.
3. Thanks to XACT Nutrition, I then took in 25g of carbohydrates every 20 minutes, with an extra 25g in my liquid every 45 minutes during the race.
4. I stayed in complete control for the first 15K, and then went all out to get the win with so much energy still to spare in the last 5K.
5. I stayed relaxed and positive the entire time.

Big lessons ahead of Quebec! Thanks to XACT Nutrition for fuelling my goals! Thanks to Sulphur Springs for putting on another amazing event. & Thanks to Robert Brouillette and the wonderful Tanis & Josh Bolton for making an amazing weekend filled with memories.

Sulphur, we’ll see you next year.