Tally in the Valley 12 Hours Night Race

I'm excited that Happy Trails Racing put in place a race like that. They are lean and well organized. Tally in the Valley this year was no different. All details were in place to provide an impeccable experience for runners, no matter the distance or the time on trails.

The race consisted of running laps in a 7 km loop. The loop was a combination of interconnected trails in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area in Hamilton. They were not technical, but pretty runnable, and mixed between gravel, dirt, and grass. The course changes direction every year; this time it was counterclockwise, which means relatively flat for the first 3km and hilly for the rest.

A runner finds the only aid station available every 7 km, located at the start of the loop, and a water station 4 km from the start. The options available at the aid station are pretty good, especially during the night, with more warm options. Hydration includes electrolytes, Coke, and ginger ale, in addition to water. But meeting the excited volunteers is really what fuels your race.

Before the Race

We left the house in a hurry that morning, and I ended up forgetting a few items for my race. I learned after that those items definitely impacted my performance. I forgot 3 hand water bottles, an extra pair of socks, and a foldable glass of water. I had to improvise and have some luck, which was not ideal.

I hadn't taken enough naps during the day to offset the sleep debt I was going to accumulate through the night. Instead, I had to drive for 3 hours to attend the Ontario Open Water Swimming Championships, where my older kid was competing. The only nap I had was for a few minutes, on the grass of a park, below a tree, with the noise of kids playing around and the speaker announcing the heats and results.

We arrived at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area 1:30 h in advance. The parking lot was busy, but not full. So we had enough time to park in a good spot, pick up my race kit, mount our tent, set up for the race, do a last visit to the toilet, and stand at the start line, all without hurrying up. My family was not crewing me, but they decided to stay through the night since their races were scheduled to start early the next morning.

During the Race

The 12 h Night runners were sharing the trail with The Gong Show runners. That's a race that follows the Backyard Ultra format, but with a longer loop. At 8 pm, we started together; they left for another less-than-one-hour loop, and we left for our uninterrupted 12-hour journey.

Involuntarily pushed by other runners, my pace was way faster than what was planned. My primary goal was to complete 12 laps in 12 hours. It meant maintaining a maximum pace of 8:34/km, but I was running under 6:00/km. In such a long race, it doesn't really matter because I knew I would have many ups and downs. When I finished the first lap, runners started to dissipate. The ones in The Gong Show completely stopped, waiting for the next hour; others from the 12 h took their time at the aid station or with their supporting crews. That's when I started running alone, with a more realistic pace.

I completed the first 6 laps, 42 km, under 1 hour per lap. It accounted for 822 m of elevation gain. I thought I managed my nutrition and hydration well, but it was not enough to prevent my first low. I had to walk for 2 km in a runnable section, using that time to eat solid foods, chat with other runners, and give my legs some time to recover. It worked, but I wouldn't complete any of the next 5 laps under 1 hour. I tried using poles, but they actually slowed me down. I tried to push through the pain, but I couldn’t go as fast as before.

At 6:40 am, I still had 1:20 h left to fit in a final loop, my 12th one. I felt relieved I would be able to make it, so I went for it, excited. It translated into a 58 min lap, with 20+ minutes to spare. 12 x 7 km also gave me 84 km in my legs, exceeding my original goal by 4 km.

After the Race

While running through the night, I didn't feel any need to sleep, but one hour after finishing the race, my tiredness hit me hard. I struggled to keep my eyes open, constantly trying to find a position to relax in my camping chair. But something awakened me unexpectedly - a message from a friend on my phone: "I think you won an award!! I heard them calling your name, congratulations!" I got up and went stumbling back to the finish line with what was left of my sore legs. On my way, I ran into some friends who said I had come in third place among the men! I talked to the race director, who gave me the first award I ever earned in a running race.

I was proud, but the most important feeling was seeing the excitement of my family as they watched me earn that award. The example I'm passing to them is the best award I can earn.

Lessons Learned

This race was physically and mentally tough for me. Seeing the same course over and over again is not fun. The experience of running a loop is completely different than a point-to-point course. So, I had to have a strong mind to go through the boredom. It took me 5 days to be able to run again, which is my longest recovery period so far. But I'm happy that it didn't result in any injuries, just soreness.

Here are some lessons learned that I carry with me to other races and probably the next edition:

1. Running with poles in non-steep terrain is not worth it. They slowed me down during the two laps that I carried them.

2. I had a nutrition and hydration plan, but it was hard to execute without assistance. The race gave me brain fog, and I couldn't reason well. I certainly need a crew in races that take more than 6 hours to help me with my plan.

3. My headlamp was reliable all the time, but having an extra one as a backup would save me from a complete blackout if it eventually failed. It's pretty dark out there.

4. Walking the uphills and running the flats and the downhills is still a good strategy. That's why it is so important to train downhills, to compensate for the slow uphills.

5. Running all night is really not a big deal. The headlamp was enough to highlight all the obstacles. The adrenaline kept me awake.

6. Building and going through a proper checklist is very useful to avoid forgetting things.