Oh my sweet feet!!

My typical adventure race includes steep uphill climbs, river crossings, long treks off trail and miles upon km's of fast running on gravel roads and trails. I have experinced all kinds of terrain, the more dangerous the better! As such, the footwear built for trail running must drain water quickly when submerged, protect the foot from roots and rocks, run fast when the trail opens up and offer enough comfort and support for the long haul. When I wore these running on a local trail, the first thing I noticed was the breeze I felt coming through the shoes. Talk about breatheability! Not to mention when you have the occasional river crossing, the water drains out like a gutter has been built into the shoes. The traction and sole wear is exceptional as well. I'll be coming back to this shoe, it's a winner! You don't know ventilation until you've experienced the GCS Pro. The uppers are like a screened-in porch that help the water drain. But its real worth comes with every stride; on a warm fall day in the alpine of Whistler. I could feel air pumping across my feet. Delightful!
Bonus: The best one-yank-and-lock lace-tensioning system I've ever used.
Even if you never plan to do an adventure race, these shoes are worth a look. Backpackers, trail runners, and trekkers all are candidates for this genre of multitasking footwear.
After testing footwear from several companies on adventure races and dozens of trail races this summer, the one shoe I kept coming back to was the Salomon GSC Pro. The shoes drain water fast, breathe well, run smoothly and fit comfortable and snug on my foot.
http://www.salomonsports.com/)

RED BULL Gaints of Rio

Munro stoked for ‘Red Bull of Rio’



By Kim Thompson

Reporter

Whistlerite to run 20K on sand at Dec. 5 competition Duncan Munro feels like he won the lottery after having been selected to join an elite group of athletes at the upcoming Red Bull of Rio. As one of eight Canadians selected to take part in what is already being called the toughest athletic competition in the world, Munro was surprised to get the call to participate in the Dec. 5 event “I am blown away because this is a huge opportunity for myself. Red Bull Giants of Rio is bigger than any marathon I have been in,” Munro said. “I think it is an honour to represent Canada as a runner.” It is an all-expenses paid trip to compete against more than 80 teams from 30 nations. The race is anything but a nice afternoon on the beach, as four-man teams test physical limits. The day begins in the Atlantic Ocean, where swimmers must battle four kilometres of surf just off the Copacabana. Mountain bikers take over from there for a 40-kilometre route that winds through the narrow streets of Rio de Janeiro and finish on the 842-metre peak of Pedra Bonita. The next task involves hang gliding in a circle around the famous Jesus statue before landing on the beach of Ipanema, wind permitting. The last leg is tortuous, 20 km sand run on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. The kicker is that Munro will be expected to run in mid-afternoon as temperatures peak in the mid-30s Celsius. He admits it won’t be pretty but said he has tailored his training to get ready for a couple hours of slogging through sand. Along with running at Meadow Park wearing full winter running gear, Munro has used his bathroom, steam, and a stationary bike in an attempt to simulate the expected red-hot Rio conditions. “In terms of sand training, I am heading down to Vancouver a couple of times to run along the beach,” Munro said. “I was tapering for the Haney to Harrison race at the time and my whole training program got scrapped when Rio came along.” Aside from long beach runs to convince his legs that sand running is easy, Munro created an intense, 21-day training cycle. It includes speed workouts, long runs, and plyometrics. The training does not end with physical feats as Munro checks the Red Bull website every day and has posted maps of Rio on his wall. As a result, Munro claims he is in the best shape of his life. “I try to visualize the first couple kilometres of my race where I will make my moves everyday,” Munro said. “I am mainly concerned about the humidity and pollution, but we will have a few days to get acclimatized.” Although estimating how long a 20 km sand slog will take is difficult, Munro said he hopes to finish in just under 90 minutes. Munro just started running seriously three years ago and attributes his success to an ability to listen to his body. Mainly a trail runner, Munro hopes the sand will help trail runners keep up with speedy road racers. “I think it is important to have a positive attitude and I don’t train unless I have a big grin plastered on my face,” Munro said. “The team manager told me that one of the reasons I was selected was of my ‘fun-hog’ attitude. It is about fun but I will be all business up until race day.” The competition is divided equally between amateur and professional teams and Munro said the depth of field is stunning. Munro is on the amateur Team East along with swimmer Shannon Bell, a Vancouver swim coach. Mathieu Toulouse of Quebec will mountain bike and Chris Muller of Calgary will hand glide around Jesus. Canada’s pro team, Team West, includes mountain biker Andreas Hestler, swimmer Dustin Hersee, and hang glider Dave Narona. The teams are flying to Rio on Dec. 1. While in Rio, Munro will be representing not only Canada but also his business, Whistler Running Experience. Along with his partner Scott Whalen, the two offer running tours, conduct weekly trail running clinics, hash runs, and help with races such as Cops for Cancer and Comfortably Numb. “Whistler is truly a running destination and our business is to show people why. When I see people running around the golf course, I think ‘If you only knew what is out there,’” Munro said. “Trail running is not for everyone but nothing gets your adrenaline going like a high alpine running experience.” While other runners trade shoes for cross-country skis, Whalen and Munro are forging ahead with a snowshoe running clinic to prepare for the Yeti Snowshoe Race in the spring. A few weeks after getting back from Rio, Munro plans to strap on snowshoes to teach a class in the sport at Meadow Park. “I think this magnitude of the Red Bull Giants might lead to other races which, in turn helps Whistler Running Experience,” Munro said. “I love the competition, but the sport has got to be fun to keep me interested.” For more information on the Red Bull Giants of Rio, log on to www.redbullgiantsofrio.com.

Despite rain, runners enjoy brisk workout on trails near Mount Currie



By Stephanie Hill

Reporter

Special to the QuestionOrganizers hailed the Mosquito Lake Wilderness Trail Run in Mount Currie as a huge success on the weekend. Despite rainy conditions, Sunday’s event attracted more than 40 runners and raised more than $300 for Pemberton Search and Rescue.Sean Wolfe, who lives near Mosquito Lake and does most of his training on the surrounding trails, placed first in the nine-kilometre trail run. Second place went to Duncan Munro, and Jen Tabernor finished third. Although it was a rainy day, the course conditions were good because the weather has been relatively dry lately, organizer Jeanette Helmer said. Afterward, everyone went to Krystyna’s café in Mount Currie for refreshments.“It was great. A big thank you to Krystyna,” Helmer said. “Events like this show people the wonderful trails, and a lot of people said that the event was so worthwhile just to see views and scenery,” she said.“Pemberton has a strong community of runners and walkers ,” Helmer added. “All the trails in Pemberton and very accessible, and are great to walk. However, it was a shame we didn’t see as many people as we would have liked due to the rain.”The next organized run in the Pemberton area is the Spud Run, which takes place July 1.Wolfe wins Mosquito Lake run “Trail running is a good alternative to more traditional racing,” Helmer said. “It’s a great way to see the different areas of Pemberton.”

5 Peaks trail run in Whistler!!

Ran in the Whistler 5 Peaks Trail Running Series on Aug. 20. Sport course — usually I'd do the longer Enduro, but I've changed up my training from long grunts to short sprints, and I've been spending a lot more time on the mountain bike recently. The sport course was only 5km, but with over a 1,000 vertical feet of climbing. I rolled an ankle just out of the start, but still managed to finish second with a time of 33:54 to another local runner, John Teitzel, who just kills 5k and 10k courses. He finished in 31:51 — not a great 5km time on the flats, but the run took place in the high alpine of Whistler Mountain and many sections were too steep to run up or down. Beautiful scenery, if you could take your eyes off the trail long enough to take it all in.

free flowing munny By Marla Streb

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

A Snapshot of the "Flow"
We weren't going “free-riding”, we were going “flow-riding”. We were in Whistler, Canada after all, eh?This is what my friend, Munny, told me moments before our ride. Munny is a fireman who invited me to stay with him during the Crankworx festival. My accommodations consisted of a tiny room in the firehouse in the center of Whistler village. Next to my bed was a pile of thick pants surrounding two heavy rubber boots. That was comforting because that's how my husband stores his outfits at home. Right on the floor.Across from my dorm room door was a shinny brass, slippery, 42 foot pole. Much to my terror, he made me slide down it as part of some sort of friend-of-a-firefighter initiation. I clung on the pole so tightly that my legs squeaked in protest and my belt ripped right out of its loops. This weekend I was racing the Crankworx Enduro Downhill. It's a huge event by North American standards, and in a town that satisfies every downhiller's fantasies. But what I really wanted to do was hit some of the famed “flow” trails that adorn all the mags. These trails that I hear are as much wooden as dirty. Munny informed me that we wouldn't be using cross country bikes; we'd need some 'all mountain' bikes. Obviously, we couldn't use downhill bikes, and free-ride bikes were out because there would be steep climbing. We couldn't wear lycra because the only people who wear lycra in Whistler are in the ballet. And there is no ballet there. I asked how these trails are classified. What are the criteria for “Flow”? And why are these not ”Free”? Evidentally this was not a simple question, because after three days interrogation, I never got a simple answer. But I did gather some clues.We had to drive to the Flow trails because afterall, the ones at Whistler were really just downhill trails (but the BEST I've ever ridden, I must say). Munny pointed out stunt after stunt that were visible from the car. The road-gapping, rock drop-offing, mind-boggling tests of the laws of physics were, I was told, “Free-Ride” stunts. And massive they were. We would have nothing to do with those. We were going “Flow-Riding”.Munny flowing...The trails we hit were works of beauty. I wanted to take pictures of every banked wooden bridge, every double-apexed turn to blind hip-jump, every genius roll-in to imbedded rock run-out. I felt that obliviously riding these trails was almost a waste. To simply let section after section go by under my tires without any kind of appreciation of this art created by Canadians was blasphemy. I wanted to Freeze the Flow.But we just kept on riding because I couldn't get my camera to work.
By Marla Streb

red bull divide and conquer

Mission Impossible
How does one go about assembling a "winning" team for an extreme adventure race like the Red Bull Divide & Conquer? How do I attract the top athletes in the world to do, and win, an event that's advertised as "four parts mountain sports relay, one part impossible?"I'm still finding out.Last year I was on an all-women's team of made up of Red Bull athletes from the different sports: trail running, kayaking, paragliding and mountain biking. But for this upcoming June 18th race in Durango, CO we decided to inject some testosterone to our team formula. And I think I've got some brave takers.Marla getting a reprieve from climbing at the 2004 Red Bull Divide and Conquer. Photo by Christina Pondella / Red Bull"Munny" from Canada was easy to enroll. He's from Canada afterall. Even rented a hyberbaric chamber to prepare for the altitude. He will be running the perilous seven miles of scree, a 4,000 ft climb from Silverton, CO up to Kendall Mountain. If she agrees to do this thing again, three-time world champion Kari Castle from will be returning to once again paraglide who knows how many thousands of feet down to Silverton. This is where world record holder Tao Berman will start kayaking 27 miles along the Animas River through some class V water. I'll be finishing up the last bit with a 27 mile, 7,000 ft, mountain bike climb to the Durango Mountain Resort. Just reminiscing about last year's event makes me shudder. For me, it was simply a vulgar ride. The initial climb is about 3,000 feet over the first four miles. Tears streamed down my face. I remember one point in my race where I realized, there's absolutely no air up here! It was probably around 10,000 feet. Birds were viciously flapping their wings, not getting a bite of lift in this near-vacuum. And I tried breathing really hard, too. Hours into the ride/hike-a-bike, when I figured I must be near the finish, some guys at a feed station urged me on by yelling, “Great job! You’re almost halfway there!”We finished up a respectable 11th out of 20 teams; we were the only all female team. This year I hope Ned Overend won't be returning. He posted the fastest mountain bike leg last year, shamed us all, and really made it apparent that I was the weak link. But I'll be sure not to let my new teammates find out about that. Mike Kloser fighting his way up a 3,000 ft climb at the 2004 Red Bull Divide and Conquer. Photo by Christina Pondella / Red Bull

Red Bull Divide & Conquer 2005

Munro masters ‘Divide and Conquer’



By Kim Thompson

Reporter

Local runner challenges limits in high-altitude Colorado eventWhistler’s Duncan Munro stretched the definition of trail running during his latest exploit at the Red Bull Divide and Conquer race in Durango, Colo. Munro was a member of the Rocky Mountain Oysters, a four-person team with the mission to complete the one-day mountain sports relay. The goal was to run, paraglide, kayak, and mountain bike to the finish line. At sunrise on June 18, Munro laced up his shoes and ran 7.5 miles up Kendall Mountain. The route started at an elevation of 9,300 feet and finished at 12,200 feet, with a total elevation gain of 4,125 feet. Munro held the lead for the first three kilometres of the race before altitude reared its ugly head. The course changed with steep pitches up shale slopes and glacial traverses. Each footstep was precious because there were no ropes to prevent a fatal tumble. “My lungs finally recovered a couple of days after getting back to Whistler,” Munro said. “P hysically and mentally, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. It went from trail running to mountaineering to speed climbing.”At the most heinous parts on the course, runners pulled themselves along a rope, but harnesses were not a part of the deal. Munro he scrambled the equivalent of a 5.6 rock climb without a rope. While running across a glacier, Munro could not help but think it was the greatest experience of his life.“Honestly, it was the best race of my life. Every ounce of my lungs begged me to stop and I had to dig deep. I thought about my friends, supporters and teammates,” Munro said. “I wore a mountain bike helmet and ran with the rope beside me. My pulse was 180 and it was like trying to breathe through a straw.”Although Munro slept in an altitude tent two weeks before the event, the effects were minimal, and runners with high-altitude experience passed Munro on the steep section. Munro finished well off pace with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, 4 seconds.Bernie Boettcher of Team Bull Riders won the running portion in 1:39:59. Regardless, Munro was stoked by the experience.“Twenty-four teams started the race but only 16 finished, so I am so proud of my teammates. The potential for the human spirit is immense and it shines at these events,” Munro said.Other members of the Rocky Mountain Oysters included kayaker Tao Berman, Marla Streb, a mountain bike legend, and Abe Laguna, a world-class paraglider. The team finished 11th overall in 9:22:44. Specialized/Riversports won in 7:37:34, Adventure Sport Magazine placed second in 7:45:16 and The Bull Riders placed third in 8:07:38.“Marla had a great race against some of the best guys in the world. These athletes are the best of the best, so you know where you sit on a world level,” Munro said.Although it seems mild in comparison, Munro’s next race is the Knee Knacker North Shore Trail Run. The 50-kilometre trail race is part of Munro’s training plan for his next epic adventure, the Kazakhstan 100 miler. He will b e running in difficult, high-altitude terrain, but Munro insists it is a great way to see the world.“A lot of times people ask me why I do these things and I tell them that people do a million amazing things everyday. Some learn to paint. I want to learn how to mentally and physically push my body to the limits.”