POST RACE REPORT
July 10th, 2004 :: Victoria, BC, Mt. Douglas

A Day in the life of a GutBuster
-- by Aimee Dunn

"Hey Aim? Why don't you compete in the final GutBuster; I am curious to see how you would do". All I could think was did I hear him correctly? These words were music to my ears, coming from Race Director and my boss Bryan Tasaka.

Race Coordinator, Aimee Dunn, summits Mt. Douglas (photo by Bryan Tasaka)

Trail running is a passion of mine, and as part of the GutBuster organizing team the one element of my role that is sometimes hard to swallow is the fact that I can't compete on race day; missing out on the amazing adrenalin rush and muscle fatigue that we all enthusiastically embrace every chance we can. Finally, I thought, a chance to rectify my feelings of envy and have a complete GutBuster day!

Race morning starts at 5:30am, not because I need a rather lengthy warm-up; instead there is much to be accomplished before running even crosses my mind. I must say, having so much to do can really calm race morning jitters, as my main concern is a smooth morning of racer registration. As the morning continued on I looked down the racer list and saw my name…. Yep, its there, it wasn't a joke, I am really racing…time to pin on number #330 and get ready to roll!

The race starts, the fans cheer!!! (photo by Tony Austin)

PHOTOS FROM THE GUTBUSTER by TONY AUSTIN

The sky was full of clouds but the air was humid as 152 racers lined up in the Mount Douglas parking lot eagerly awaiting the race start, and to make their way off the pavement and onto the trails. I enjoyed being part of the nervous energy and quickly took in my surroundings; noticing the variety of running club members and trail savvy looking individuals. I saw a welcomed familiar face as Sheron Chrysler glanced over and said "Aimee, you are running?" I replied, "Yeah, but I am not too sure how to pace myself on a course like this". Her response, a wise one at that was "There isn't really a way to pace yourself on a course like this." Okay, that sealed my race strategy, which was RUN as hard as I could until my legs gave out and my heart jumped out of my throat…I am supposed to Bust-A-Gut right? As long as I could recover enough to complete my duties it would all work out just fine….at least I hoped.

Meghan Day and Sheron Chrysler! (photo by Tony Austin)

As the gun went off I ran in a slightly confused state, still wondering how to pace myself for this infamous climb fest, without even a benchmark runner to follow. (I didn't think Meghan Day was the best choice for me). Soon, the caffeine kicked in from 6:30am (I am a junkie) and I quickly established my own groove, charging up the trail; perhaps a little ambitious but always in good faith that the legs would continue to follow my determined mind. I must say the course demanded complete focus, not only for its winding pattern but also the often gnarly downhill, as a minor ankle tweak reminded me that choosing a good line isn't just for mountain biking!

My heart rate rose in sync with the elevation and it was always a relief to propel myself back down the mountain and pick up speed, from one extreme to the next. However, I never forgot to look around and enjoy the fruit of my labour…what a view…ahhhh what a view. (Oh yeah, before I forget my quads would like to thank the course designer for allowing us to enjoy not just one climb with a view but three, what a bargain…three for the price of one).

TWC's Carol Tickner takes 2nd, Kim Steed from N.Van, and Cheryl Murphy takes 3rd. (photo by Tony Austin)

One thing about trail running is that solitude can be found in a sea of runners, as a simple corner can create a sense of separation from the crowd. I was fortunate to enjoy elements of this, just like on training runs. Perhaps the main difference was the picture taking paparazzi, fantastic volunteers lining the course and my mental state. I have to admit at times I was running scared, trying to hang on and not get caught by those strong finishers in the crowd… I admit it, I can be competitive too! As I started the descent after the third and final climb I was reaching deep down, moving as fast as I could… to truly Bust-A-Gut you need to feel nauseous at the end…right?

As the race came to an end I had mixed emotions; as the idea of stopping was awfully appealing at this point but the excitement of racing was almost done for the day. With a runner just ahead I push it for the final stretch, however no such luck, she is matching my finishing pace just fine. Wow, the finish line was a sight for sore eyes, not only because it looked really sharp but I could also hear Bob Reid's welcoming voice on the mic, complimented by an infectious buzz from the crowd.

PIH's Bob Reid works the mic. Aimee finishes the race strong and with a big smile. (photo by Tony Austin)

"Great race Aimee!" says Bryan. "Wow… that was tough!" I managed to spit out between heavy breaths. I walked over to the refreshment stand and grabbed a drink, drenched in sweat, feeling elated…good times! My admiration for all the runners had grown immensely after being worked over by mighty peaks of Mount Douglas.

A few hand shakes and deep breaths later I refocused as the race day clock was still running and my duties were far from done for the day! I still have the awards to do as it was time to do my superman transformation, taking off my racer hat and putting the race organizer one back on. On that note, I say "Thanks Bryan…now back to work!" (I thought if I can pull this off perhaps I can race them all next year…hint hint…)

The day was capped with Graham Cocksedge winning the race and the series title in a course record time with Meghan Day taking home the women's race and series title as well. Plus, there were a number of exceptional performances by our masters runners and short course participants as well. WAY TO GO!

Graham Cocksedge (Top Right) wins his second GutBuster and the overall series. Ian Hallam takes 2nd in the race and in the series. Men's Masters winners Gary Duncan (1st in the race and series). The CeeVacs Jenny Taylor wins the female masters 10km. (photo by Tony Austin)

FINAL RESULTS (pdf)

I get a lot of satisfaction from organizing the awards ceremony where race winners receive their well-deserved prizes and all runners have a chance to take home some fantastic loot. Plus, I appreciated all the good sports who provided us with some comic relief while playing our Hammer Gel and Flash-5 game. This one was exceptionally funny as the PIH team used some questionable tactics to cross the finish line first… deemed legal by the race director. I guess NO PHYSICAL CONTACT wasn't part of the game rules. The chance to win a free pair of shoes can bring out the animal in some individuals I guess.

THE GUTBUSTER CHALLENGE: Feed each other one Hammer Gel, one Flash-5 Energy Bar, and wash it down with Flash-5 Thrust...CeeVacs VS Frontrunners VS PIH VS Royal Road Running Club... The Harriers take it!!! (photo by Tony Austin)

As the awards wrapped up I still had my post race high, finishing up another great event as a proud member of the MOMAR team. I greatly appreciated all the help that the volunteers offered when it came to packing up the supplies and loading up the van; a necessary evil. It was another great GutBuster day for me as a race organizer, except one thing was different… those feelings of envy were nowhere to be found. Being able to rip it up on the trails and be part of the race culture for the afternoon was a perfect combination. It was a day of organization, determination, satisfaction and elation; not bad for a Saturday afternoon in the park. Let's just hope that Bryan found my performance to be up to standard, as this could mean a place on the starting line for me at all the GutBusters in 2005. (Remember, next year there may be more than 3!).

Thanks to all my fellow racers for sharing the trail, and to all the wonderful volunteers for marking the course and offering direction plus words of encouragement throughout the 11km of rip-roaring fun, you are an invaluable part of the racing experience. Until next year, keep enjoying the trails and remember that Busting-A-Gut is a fantastic way to spend a day! (A special thanks to Lisa Wolf and the amazing volunteers who kept things going at race central while I frolicked in the trails…and Bryan for the experience of Busting A Gut).

Aimee Dunn
A Fellow GutBuster.

[Bryan's Comments: A great runner and modest too. Aimee finished 4th in the female open category and 17th overall with a time of 1:01:41. I guess I have to let her race a few more next season!]