Last weekend, I did my second marathon in the mountains after doing my first a week earlier. The first which consisted of the first 26 miles of the Angeles Crest 100 ultra proved to be quite challenging to say the least. Although we only ran between 6,600′ – 9.400′, I could definitely feel the rarified air and I had a pounding headache. It seems like I don’t do well at altitude as I age! Oh, well, maybe the lack of long distrance running also played a role. In the end, we climbed over 9,000′. A good all around day and stunningly beautiful with ideal weather (it’s hard not to in Los Angeles).

My second mountain marathon was even more difficult because I did a big week in between of running, biking, and paddling. To say the least, i was not recovered but pushed through and accomplished my goal to get in the miles and increase my training volume. I met my goal of over taxing my body without giving it time to rest. This approach does not work for everyone but it does for me and I plan to have a really good 3 week taper to Primal Quest.

So, for this weekend, I plan to switch it up and do a big day on the bike by riding 130 miles and 12,000′ of climbing with my teammate Sean. He’s preparing for Ironman Canada so he also needs time in the saddle. We’re riding the stunning Hwy 2 through the Angeles National Forest from the Rose Bowl to Wrightwood. This will be my last big ride. On Sunday, I’ll do a fast pace run and then paddle at sunset if everything works out.

The following weekend – July 25th – I’ll do my last long training by competing in the Desert Winds 12 hour night race with my girlfriend. The Desert Winds races are fantastic navigation races so I’llbrush up on my navigation which I desperately need, plus I get to play with my girlfriend … what else can I ask for.

After that, I will taper my runs and bike sessions while still doing some significant padlding. And, of course sleep little as we begin the mad rush final preparations to Primal Quest.

Let’s hope I can stick to the plan!

My other teammates are also hitting it hard. Both Aaron and Ryan competed in the Cream Puff 100 mountain bike race this past weekend and Ryan is planning on doing two 24 hour races before Primal Quest … please make sure you rest! My teammates are nuts.

Tessa in Brazil did a 90 km mountain bike race against the best in the nation. We’re still waiting to here how that went but we’re certain she’ll be ready for PQ. We only hope we can keep up with her.

Posted by Cyril Jay-Rayon

With Primal Quest less than 7 weeks away, I’ve been feeling the pressure to bring all my skills up to par. My mountain biking fitness and skills are already honed in since I’ve been focusing mostly on 24 hours mountain biking races in the last few months and pulled off a win in my last race. But, I can’t say that much about my running fitness. I’ve only been running short distances lately since I’ve been recovering from cracked ribs from a crash at the mtn bike race. I feel like I’m running like an elephant despite my lightweight frame. It’s amazing how cycling specific muscles take some time to adapt to running. Still, I feel that I have enough time to bring my running up to par in time for PQ. I just need to stay disciplined and put in the hours. That’s why last night after a longer than expected work day, my girlfriend (Sylvie) and I ran for 2 hours at night and got home at midnight. It’s not always easy to balance all of life’s responsibilities so that’s why I use all hours of the day to train, work or take care of personal things. Unless you’re lucky and don’t have to work, most adventure racers are in the same predicament. I also need to increase my paddling distances in the coming weeks and dust off my map skills. I hate to admit it but I haven’t looked at a map since the World Championships in November 2008. Like all skills, if you don’t use them, you lose ‘em. I’ll be exploring with a map in hand from now on.

So, to take advantage of the long weekend and to kick off my long distance trail running sessions, tomorrow I’m running the first 26 miles of the Angeles Crest 100 mile race course with my business partner, Christian Burke of FeedTheMachine and SportMulti, Eric Sullivan (Sully) of team Salomon / Crested Butte who is visiting from Colorado, and Sylvie my regular and fast ultra running partner.
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Over the coming weeks leading up to the 2009 edition of Primal Quest, we will be following Team nuun-FeedTheMachine as they prepare for this epic event in the Badlands of South Dakota. We will discuss their gear, training, nutrition and more from one of the top teams (the team, DART-nuun, finished 4th in 2008 PQ Montana) in adventure racing.

Meet Team nuun-FeedTheMachine:

Cyril Jay-Rayon (Team Captain):
Cyril started DART Adventure Racing (In the early years, the team was known as Dirtworld Adventure Racing Team) in 2002 with Ryan VanGorder (aka RVG) and Jean-Francois Guertin (aka Frenchy). After retiring from XC mountain bike racing in 2001, he was looking for another sport to quench his competitive spirit. He found it one day while walking through downtown Hood River, OR. “I saw all these athletes milling around a grassy knoll with all sorts of gear strewn around gear bins. I asked one of them what they were up to and he explained what adventure racing was all about and that they were about to embark on a 24 hour adventure through Hood River’s amazing terrain – as part of the Balance Bar 24 hour National series. At that point, I knew I had found my new sport. I immediately thought adventure racing was an amazing concept that combined so many sport disciplines with the added components of extreme endurance, navigation, team work, and strategy. Talk about lighting up all the senses! ” explained Cyril. The following year, he was back in Hood River to compete in his first 24 hour race with RVG and Frenchy. They were hooked for good after the race. The rest is history … they are still racing today with abandonment and child like exuberance. “I get to travel to spectacular places around the world with a team of like-minded and dedicated athletes. I can’t ask for anything more!”
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5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes: 5 Years, 29 Marriage Proposals and 53 Pairs of Shoes

     I met Rosie up in the Yukon Territory a few years back. She ran past my campsite carrying a cart set up with a tent. I thought I was seeing things.

     Down the road, I caught up with her and we shared a cup of tea while she shared a few highlights of her extraordinary global adventure including: being chased by packs of wolves, frostbite/pneumonia, and even getting hit by a bus.

     Coming out late May, her book, “Just a Little Run Around the World,” chronicles the extraordinary adventure of this 62 years old, grandmother of two who set out on a 20,000 mile run to raise money for cancer charities after her husband died of prostate cancer. 1,790 days later she arrived back in Tenby, South Wales, succesfully circumnavigating the globe by foot.

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
     “After her husband died of cancer, 57-year-old Rosie set off to run around the world, raising money in memory of the man she loved. Followed by wolves, knocked down by a bus, confronted by bears, chased by a naked man with a gun and stranded with severe frostbite, Rosie’s breathtaking 20,000-mile solo journey is as gripping as it is inspiring. Rosie’s solo run around the world started out of sorrow and heartache and a wish to turn something around. Heartbroken when she lost her husband to cancer, Rosie set off from Wales with nothing but a small backpack of food and equipment, and funded by the rent from her little cottage. So began her epic 5-year journey that would take her 20,000 miles around the world, crossing Europe, Russia, Asia, Alaska, North America, Greenland, Iceland, and back into the UK. On a good day she’d run 30 miles, on a bad day she’d only manage 500 yards, digging herself out of the snow at -62 degrees C, moving her cart inches at a time. Continue Reading

I had the opportunity to take PROBAR on a trip to Trinidad & Tobago this winter and I am so glad that I did. There were times when the rest of the group was not on my dietary schedule and I was able to reach in my pack and pull out one of these ‘meal replacement’ bars.

PROBAR is made made from whole, organic and raw foods. They are also 100% vegan. If you are used to reading ingredients on other foods that you can’t pronounce…you are in for a surprise as all ingredients are natural and the combinations make for a great tasting and nutritious snack or ‘meal’.

There are 12 flavors in the PROBAR line: Superfood Slam, Original Blend, Whole Berry Blast, Nutty Banana Boom, Apple Cinnamon Crunch, Cran-Lemon Twister, Koka-Moka, Cherry Pretzel, Maple Pecan, Kettle Corn, Cocoa Pistachio and Sesame Goji.

Our favorites were:
Nutty Banana Boom
Apple Cinnamon Crunch
Cran-Lemon Twister
Sesame Goji

Our least favorites:
Cocoa Pistachio
Koka-Moka

Each bar weighs 3 ounces and retails for $3.29 each. We thought this was pretty high for an energy bar when we first started this review but if you take the weight and compare it others on the market, you will find them very competitively priced. And, you can save by buying them by the dozen which drops the price to $2.96 each. Each 3 ounce bar ranges from 350-400 calories depending on flavor.

PROBAR will have a place in each of my future trips regardless of geographic location.

As we settle into the New Year, it is a perfect time to start training for the upcoming racing season. The key to creating an effective training plan and then to staying motivated and excited about what we’ve created for ourselves is a clear set of realistic and measurable goals not only for race outcomes, but also for personal fitness, technique and mental development as well.

To get started, take some time in the next week to think about where you want to be with your sport in a couple years. What is your ultimate goal? I mean the one you are almost hesitant to share with anyone because it seems a bit outrageous, but it is secretly in the back of your mind as you plod along on an easy over-distance run or when you are registering for your next event thinking maybe it could happen this time? Write it down!

Intention is 100% of what it takes to achieve a goal. So set that intention by clearly and specifically articulating in writing where it is you want to be – no matter how far beyond reality it may seem today.
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