Beginner's luck definitely does not apply when it comes to racing more than 100 miles (160 km) on foot. In his first attempt at a 100-mile race, Squamish endurance athlete Gary Robbins finished the Stormy Ultramarathon in 17 hours and 39 minutes early Saturday morning (Aug. 9), beating the previous record by more than three hours.The incredible time meant Robbins trotted into the Brennan Park finish area minutes before the 50-miler was to begin at 6 a.m., so he had a mass of runners and race crew on hand to cheer him in with the rising sun."It was really cool to finish the race while they were here in the parking lot and get to see so many friends. It made a big difference," said Robbins, who now lives in North Vancouver. "And it's Squamish, so it's the trails that I know inside out. To run my first 100-miler on trails that I know inside-out made a huge difference. I didn't ever have to concern myself with the flagging."Still, the first 50-mile lap took a toll on Robbins. As an adventure runner, he is used to taking on a series of hills rather than treading consistently over flatter ground. He had to fend off stomach problems and thoughts of dropping out of the race before the midway mark."It's a different running. You don't have the breaks where you powerhouse the hills and use gravity for the downhills. You're moving your body the whole time and just the beating was catching up with me."To fight off exhaustion, Robbins needed the right mixture to maintain an intake of more than 300 calories per hour. He had developed an elaborate nutrition plan but to his surprise, flat Coca-Cola and watermelon did the trick. In fact, he guzzled more than six litres of Coke over the course, he said."I never thought I'd be fueling myself on Coke and watermelon for this race, but you go with what works, and thankfully I was able to find something that did work. You're only as strong as your weakest link, and if your stomach shuts down you're screwed."At the 50-mile mark at Brennan Park, Robbins changed into dry clothes in preparation for the night lap but kept the same shoes and socks for fear that his blistered and swollen feet would only get worse. While it's harder to run in the dark even with a head lamp, Robbins felt better on the second lap and ended up accomplishing all three of his ranked goals: finishing the race, breaking the record, and breaking the record with a time less than 18 hours. It was his first solo victory of the year, although he placed second with partner Todd Nowack in Squamish's Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) in May. Race director Wendy Montgomery was impressed by Robbins's performance but not surprised."I knew he was going to do it. When he came around the first [lap] I really thought he'd be done by the time the 6 a.m. [50-mile] start came around, and I thought that it would be such an exciting thing for him to come through while the 50-milers were just starting their day."Kelowna's Shirley Ross was the first female to finish with a time of 27 hours and 56 minutes. Eighteen of the 28 starters finished the 100-miler. Meanwhile, North Vancouver's Hassan Lotfi-Pour won the 50-miler for the second consecutive year but an injury prevented him from beating last year's record time of 7 hours and 17 minutes. He was pleased with his time of 7 hours and 39 minutes because it meant a successful return to long distance running after battling ongoing shin and ankle injuries this season."This year was a test for me to see if I can still run the ultras. I was very pleased with my performance besides finishing first," he said.His injuries acted up a bit partway through, forcing him to walk briefly. However, his legs never gave him any cramping issues."That's one of the first races I've never cramped at all. Last year I cramped hard coming around switchbacks of the Powerhouse Plunge but I had really good nutrition this year."Vancouver's Ellie Greenwood was the first female, second overall, to finish with a time of eight hours and 19 minutes. Jodie Parry had the best local time finishing fifth overall with a time of eight hours and 56 minutes. Seven other of the 62 starts were from Squamish, including Sean McCreanor who placed eighth overall. Jim Bowers, Imre Sorban, Margaret Paxton, Richard MacKellar, Elspeth Miller and Mae Palm also completed the 50-miler. Fifty-seven of 63 runners completed the race. In the relay race, a four-person North Vancouver team named the Rock Sliders had the best time with eight hours and 38 minutes.For top category results see the scoreboard on page A38.
