Black Spur Ultra MisAdventures 2023 by Sarah Seads

“Long COVID can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 illness. Anyone who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, can experience Long COVID, including children.” (CDC.gov)

BLACK SPUR ULTRAMARATHON IN KIMBERLY BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA.

In Kimberly I arrived unwittingly carrying the coronavirus, perfectly asymptomatic. I ended up becoming Extra Sick during this race & the Black Spur Ultra course had me on my knees absolutely begging to carry on at the 50km mark. Unfortunately, after the Black Spur Ultra I experienced coronavirus long term symptoms until just recently and after spending 10 months underground.

At just 25kms of the 108 my body began doing something spectacularly strange.

Entire leg muscle spasms ignited and locked my body into a tin man stance.

I laughed it was so strange. And because I truly had no idea it would lead to my downfall in the race.

I hobbled to the side of the trail to take some reprieve in a patch of shade. Laughing and crying slightly from the sheer pain. A trail angel offered me his extra water and I resisted then rescinded as a wave of excessive spontaneous cramps suddenly migrated across my legs!!!

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.”

The distance, 108kms was created in 2 consecutive 54km ish loops. I was half way through the course and approx 54kms into my race when the worst of it kicked in.

The pain was like fork lightening shattering into the depths of my thighs. Every muscle rocking with electrical bolts of sharp pain and clamping down in tonic spasms. For hours. Just a few hours into the course and there I was, stuck in a near totally rigid body, begging for mercy and screaming from the pain.

I kept thinking it would clear up. Because I had never experienced a physical challenge that had prevented my completion other than the Vacation Races ultra along the rim of the Grand Canyon..

My intuition led me to 90kms and then, after puking in the arms of 2 giant trees and curling up to pray for mercy to the blanket of stars above, I asked my body what next? “ENOUGH” appeared inside of my inner vision and so I Did Not Finish. I pulled the pin and took off my Sinister Sports Black Spur Ultra race bib to take my leave.

ENOUGH. The body is AN AMAZING FREAKING MACHINE and I absolutely never get tired of watching it’s magic in action. How did I DNF at 90kms? Grace. HUMILITY and the privilege of placing my body in the throne. Again and again I bow to my QUEEN. She understands SO MUCH more than my tiny pre-programmed mind. Why did I continue into that second lap that fateful day? My heart. It was a journey. The groveling I endured was a significant death and that funeral needed to occur at some point. The veil that does become visible can choke us to ego death. And that is what they are crafted to do. Once we see them, we can’t unsee them (unless we spend a lifetime trying to mend them) and it is only a matter of time (and endless swims in the seas of potential resistance, attachment, grief etc). Veils are meant to fall. It’s only a matter of time once we experience the attachments that have been limiting us. Attachments to resistance, preventing us from accepting reality.

I DIGRESS…

It was a terrible experience and there was so much beauty. I REALLY like the Black Spur Ultra race course!!! The race itself was absolutely seamless from registration to package pick up and start/finish experience and throughout the entire course.

A big outgrown part of my racing ego died on the course that day. And I’m happy for that as it forever adds more light. I only have 2 hands. Do I choose to carry beliefs in them about myself that are wrapped in this physical realm? PAIN & SUFFERING. Judgments. Categories. Fractions.

What is left after we choose to let judgements go from the clinging fist? ACCEPTANCE = HARMONY in all things. I LOVE MY PHYSICAL BODY & WE ARE FREE!

After Care In Athletic Competitions

After months and sometimes years of training and preparations your celebration event has come and gone and that can sometimes leave what seems like an epic GAP in your experience. What is the best way to recover from a competition and is it normal if you feel slightly depressed after it is all said and your recent is in the recent past? Learn the best ways ( in my professional opinion) how to transition between events and how you can also stay happy, healthy, strong and motivated and continue onward with longevity long after your recent event is behind you.

The following suggestions can help you transition from racing back to training and returning to adventures or competitions (or both) over the longterm while feeling great!
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Congratulations!! Big hugs, high fives and fist pumps coming your way! It really is amazing what you have accomplished and I hope you are feeling the post race bliss, enjoying your memories and feeling proud of all you have accomplished. You rock! A few thoughts for you as you transition from one chapter to the next...

The days and weeks following such a big event that has been building for months can be interesting and challenging. You may feel high highs and then low lows following your big event and that is ok. 'Post Race Blues' are a real thing and seem to be the rule, not the exception, based on my own experience and the conversations I have had with athletes over the years. Not to worry. Any emotional roller coaster you may feel will most certainly pass and you will level out again and be back to your usual self before you know it! It seems that the bigger the event, the further we can fall and this is a result of many factors- physiological, emotional, chemical and neurological. That being said- if you have done a great job at adapting to the needs and desires of your physical vessel then you might just be feeling like 100% with zero downtime - you never know!

Listen to your body and focus on self care including more sleep, downtime, intuitive nutrition (after post race Eat Week that is lol!), and all of the things that fill you up - meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture etc. 

Relive your journey through photos and writing your race reports. Focus on gratitude for all you have experienced and all that you have gained and let yourself be a little sad if that is what you are feeling! 

A great way to kick start your next training cycle- when you feel ready - is talking to friends, searching and scheming future adventures and races for once you are feeling the call again.

Please take some time this week to write down your post race report. Reflection is an important part of the racing journey and it will help you learn and grow even more than you already have. It doesn’t have to be a big blog or journal, just write what works for you. Include things like the logistics and conditions- weather, what you wore, ate, how you paced, the course details. And then reflect on what went well and what lessons you learned about your racing and yourself so that you can respond and adapt to these things in the future.

Take some time to let your body and mind recover- it can take longer than you think! Some people need a week for every 10k raced (up to a point of course!) but some times we can recovery miraculously sooner than that as well. 

Be kind to your body with easier workouts, less structure and lower volume for a few weeks while you recover. Make sure you are healthy in body and mind before you start ramping up your training again so that you can be successful training and racing for your next adventure.

There are no guarantees in training, racing (or life!) but we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience these powerful journeys with healthy bodies, full hearts and strong minds.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your exciting journey! I am grateful to have had the chance to support you!

Woot! You are amazing! I don't care if you finished or won the race or what! Just accepting the challenge is worth an award IMO. Good job!

xo

In Love,

Coach Sarah

Looking for additional (and alternative) ideas that can improve your recovery and support your transition between big fitness events? In this podcast I share my personal experiments with alternative training and recovery techniques that speed up my adaptation and decrease the time it takes for me to recover: including Pranayama, BEMER PEMF therapy, meditation and theobroma cacao. Find out what steps I took to overcome suffering from pain, nausea, foot damage and chronic excruciating acid reflux between my first and second 100 mile ultramarathons as well as my experiences utilizing “life force energy” to adapt to my training and accelerate my recovery, in this episode.

Listen To This Episode at May The Life Force Be With You Podcast Here