Also you can follow me on social media for all the latest updates!

Youtube: (Vo2max Productions)

Facebook: (Sage Canaday Athlete Page)

Twitter: (@SageCanaday)

Strava: (all my Training!)

Instagram: (@SageCanaday)

Photo by Sandi Nypaver

Thanks for your support and hope your running is going well!

Cheers,

Sage

Hope your year is off to a great start!

So I’m not much of a writer. My thoughts get expressed best through the medium of video (and probably pictures but I can’t paint or draw!). Below you can watch (via the YouTube VLOG video) and/or listen to my “Race Report” of the Hong Kong 100km this past weekend.

In short, it was a great way to kick off the 2017 Racing Season and the Ultra-Trail World Tour with a 3rd place finish in a competitive 100km race. You can hear all the details, what I learned, and how I’m going to now train in the VLOG here:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgBeQxriHjE[/embedyt]

PS. there are also some pictures in there!

Thanks for following along and I wish you all the best in 2017!

Cheers,

Coach Sage

First off I’ll admit: I’ve been “obsessed.” Overly passionate on many occasions. That is part of my bias. Of course I also have a financial stake in being a pro MUT Runner. This is my main job…this is how I make a living…I live and breathe the sport (and have for several years). That is another part of my bias. I’ll own up to that.

2015 Boston Marathon. I gutted my way to 16th place…one place out of the prize money. Photo Credit: Scott Mason
www.ScottMasonPhoto.com

A bit of perspective though: There are much more important, real world problems to worry about, post about and write about. Things like world hunger, children dying of preventable disease…atrocities and injustice with war and violence. It’s why our coaching company Vo2max Productions, LLC has donated to charities like UNICEF and 1% for the Planet (and we thank our customers and supporters in the generous running community that have helped with this!). It is not enough though. It is never enough. These kinds of things should be the focus of our attention…the driving forces that us (the more fortunate individuals) really need to take action and promote every day with a passion. Those are way more important than a little silly sport known as “Distance Running.”

But I digress: Today I write about what also really grinds my gears (perhaps selfishly). I feel like it’s something where a little voice tells me that it is the right thing to do…That it is time to take a stand and explain where I’m coming from. If you don’t stand for something, you fall for everything So that is part of the reason why I wrote this blog post.

A buddy of mine (2x Olympian Mike Aish…a 27:46 10km runner who also ran ultras, and who I interviewed on the SageRunning Podcast) lent me the book “Game of Shadows” about BALCO’s doping scandal which included Barry Bonds, Marion Jones and Tim Montegomery to name a few “elite” athletes. I’ll admit, I haven’t finished reading it yet, but a common theme so far is that the athletic-performance improvement from taking PEDs like EPO, HGH, testosterone, and steroids was a total game-changer. Records fell like never before (and we can even plot out batting averages, home run records and the 100m dash world records over time and see the huge “jump” these very athletes made on drugs…and what level they were at before taking the drugs). Sure they worked hard for it (Bonds had to be a machine in the weight room), but the advantage was vast.

Another book I recently read was “The Secret Race” by former tour rider Tyler Hamilton (a temmate of Lance Armstrong). It was depressing because there were clean guys who graciously bowed out of American Postal when they started systematically doping. The clean guys simply couldn’t hang with the Peloton anymore. Like not even close. Guys that weren’t known as big climbers suddenly become world class climbers (think Lance Armstrong). But you don’t hear about the guys that lost their careers because they got left in the dust…because they decided not to inject EPO and take extra tesotsterone and HGH. Thos guys are my real heros. They put integrity over fame and money. I really don’t want to see a “pure and natural sport” like MUT Running (which for most is an enjoyable hobby about personal challenge) get to the level of pro cycling…where just to compete in the front of the pack one has to be on “the juice.” It’s simply not healthy physically or mentally…but it does churn out “super human” performances. PEDs won’t make a mid-pack runner turn into an elite. But then can for sure bump on up to another level that they wouldn’t be able to attain without them.  I personally don’t want to see what my body can do at 105% on extra EPO. I just want to see what I can do at 100%..with the body my parents gave me, and what 18 years of year-round training/and racing (including tons of 100+ mile training weeks in the last decade). I freaking love this sport…I love the community…I love the natural challenge and goal setting process…I even love the pain and extreme fatigue!

Now I’m obviously not a medical professional. I’ve taken advanced bio and chem. classes at Cornell Univeristy, but much of what I know about performance enhancing drugs has been lay study. I’ve scoured sketchy body building forums online where guys talk about “stacking” different combinations of drugs (mainly steroids for the body builder types), watched documentaries where journalists inject themselves with EPO, and heard first-hand accounts of other elite athlete/runners who were known dopers. I’ve competed against guys running half marathons and 10km races on the road that have finished just ahead of me and then been busted for EPO. From pro roading running circuits I’ve seen guys and gals get busted. In hindsight it always makes sense. It’s never a surprise to many. The story is the same: here was this pretty good, semi-national class /elite runner (they’re usually pretty nice people also)…then all of a sudden one year or season they make a big jump in improvement; they recover from hard training sessions faster and they start shattering their personal bests.

What are these runners usually on? My guess would be a variant of EPO. This is a powerful PED folks. This is not like toking up with a little weed or taking a caffeine pill during a race. [I’m not worried about “small time drugs” nearly as much although I do follow WADA code with banned substances and realize the code is where one simply draws the line ]. No, this is night and day difference in power/strength/endurance/recovery ability. This is likely a 2-3% improvement at the very bare minimum of an elite level runner (not to mention they can train a lot harder and therefore get superhuman” strong). For more recreational runners, I’ve seen journalists claim a 7% boost in Vo2max within 7 weeks of some training and micro doing. At the top level a 1-2% improvement is everything. Stiff records in the most competitive events should fall by only tiny margins….and the margin of victory should be relatively close.

“When it seems like it’s too good to be true…it probably is.”

Drugs are easy to get these days…and not as expensive as people think (aside from HGH). I’ve heard one could get a very good supply of EPO for about $1000. It is easy to order off the internet as well (ships to your door). Others in the road running circuit have been busted driving over the border with it in their car though!

Recently there was an article on Ultra Running Podcast by an anonymous writer/runner calling for support of Jim Walmsley (an elite MUT Runner and fellow HOKA teammate of mine) to take more proactive action. [I think some people may have thought that I even wrote the article….I did NOT write it, and I honestly don’t know who did.  11/17/16 5pm update: That article has been removed from their website].  I think moving forward, that if we want to take action on PEDs in the sport of distance running (specifically MUT Running which is notorious for a lack of testing and where performance gains can go exponential due to their longer duration/ high physical demands…much like cycling tours), we must do it as a collective community. Yeah, there should be more pressure on sponsored athletes like myself and Jim…we are benefiting big-time from this sport….no doubt about it. But I’m hoping all levels of runners (and sponsors/brands/races) see the need to share this message, and stand up for how they want to see the future of the sport for generations to come.

Hoka teammate Magda Lewy-Boulet. Cleansport advocate, Olympic marathoner, ultra runner and a mom!

What I have been doing is contacting some people in higher up organizations that can implement actual drug testing and enforce actual rules/policy and penalties. I think a key would be “out of season” testing and surprise tests 4, 6, 8, or 10 weeks before key races (when athletes really ramp up their training and get the most gains from PEDs). Race day testing is always nice as well although likely athletes like to “taper off” the juice before any big race (that they know they might do well in and get tested at). Where we get the money from is a big issue. Obviously I’m against having the majority of runners pay for it. Most people in MUT Running already have to pay high entry fees for races (and wait on crazy lotteries). That certainly isn’t fair. So the financing should have to come from those with a major financial interest (and also those passionate about the cause!): the elite sponsored athletes and their brands. I’m personally ready to put by money where my mouth is. Maybe we can get some creative brainstorming going on for more solutions? I’m all ears and I want to know your thoughts on this…what does the community think? I’d love to hear from you!

yeah it’s just a fake tattoo (@CleanSportCo) #cleansportco and it involved an online video/social media pledge. But it is a powerful symbol that represents an action that holds a strong value to many others and me. It is a statement…it is part of a bigger movement. It would be hard to take that video pledge, post it online for everyone to see and be a liar about it (at least I couldn’t imagine doing it). Lets create a culture where honest hard work is valued and PEDs are frowned upon.

Overall though, I think in life it is about “doing the right thing.” Treat others like you want to be treated and be fair. Don’t let others get taken advantage of, don’t let money and greed and “fame” or an ego boost tempt you into cutting corners and screwing over others. This goes for all you hard working age groupers out there in all competitive running events…hardworking people that train to get the best out of their bodies naturally…to see what they can do and how close to their 100% potential they can get. Isn’t that the whole point of a challenging sport like distance running? If you’re cheating, you’re stealing from honest, hard working athletes, you’re stealing from the community, but most of all you’re cheating yourself. That can’t feel good.

Finally, there are some serious health risks with taking some PEDs …it is an abuse of a controlled substance, and something that I believe is not healthy for future generations of runners. Cyclists would drop dead with heart attacks and strokes because their blood would get too thick from abusing EPO. Do we really want to promote a sporting culture that tells youngsters it’s okay to cheat, and cut corners, and inject PEDs because “all the top guys do it.” Or that “to be a top guy you have to do it”? Why settle for that easy cop out…for mediocrity? I don’t think that’s the way a lot of us want to move forward in life and in sport. We have to learn to deal with failure and struggle sometimes…failure from overtraining, failure from not quite hitting our goals (or qualifying for Boston…or the Olympic Trials…winning or age group…or finishing that ultra). But that is part of the process and challenge that we all hate and love in this tough and grueling sport of distance running, isn’t it? Be honest and run with integrity. Respect your body and respect “the game.”

All the best in running,

Sage Canaday

In short, the race was my worst ultra race performance in my career. I laid down on the trail in a dead stop half a dozen times, puked just as many times, and dry heaved about 100 times.  At the mile 78 aid station I sat down in a chair for about 25-minutes. My stomach really got the best of me in the second half of the race and unfortunately it lead to a rather disastrous positive split.

My VLOG report (just below) covers all the details, but in case you don’t want to listen to 20-min of rambling this is what happened:

I went to compete for the win. Jim Walmsely also went for the win (and a very fast time).  I tired to follow him and worked really hard but was all alone in 2nd place from miles 30-75. At mile 55 I started to get very nauseous. By mile 70 I was walking and massively dehydrated (barfing did not help) but still faster than course record pace. In the end I finished in 11th place as guys kept flying by me in the final 15-miles.

Ultimately I’m going to treasure this whole experience because it was a rewarding time with loved ones in a beautiful area:

Paddle board with Sandi on Lake Tahoe!.

Flora Health Snacks on the (Lake Tahoe) Beach!

The Finish Line
Photo credit:
Vince Alcouloumre (@Vince_Vmar)

Big thanks to Sandi and my parents for crewing for me, my buddy Joel Frost-Tift for pacing me, my sponsors (see “gear list” below), and everyone who’s made this journey all possible (people such as yourself!).

The trail-ultra community was super supportive at Western States and there were tons of inspiring stories that whole weekend. In fact, as part of Sandi’s “Western Stories” film project, we are still hoping to get some more footage of runners in the race. If you were filming at a crew station or pacing this would be really awesome to have. Please visit our page and fill out the form HERE

Also, The Ginger Runner was out there filming (he also came to Boulder to film some of my training and story). Stay tuned for a film project coming out from him on my whole Western States 100 experience (Thanks Ethan!).

Finally, thank you for all your tremendous support! The comments on social media and in person have meant the world to me and it really goes to show how awesome and generous the running community really is.

Thank you and I hope your running is going well!

-Sage

Shameless Sponsor Plugs:

Kicks: Hoka One One Speedgoats and Claytons

General Nutrition (Tea, Fruit snacks, vitamins/minerals): Flora Health

Recovery Bars: Ugo Bars

Gels: Vfuel

More Recovery and snacks/spreads: Trail Butter

Anti-Chafe and Skin Protection: Squirrel’s Nut Butter

Shades: Julbo Stony

Compression: Compressport R2 Calf Sleeves

Socks: Drymax SAGE RUNNER

Training Data/log: Strava.com

Running Form Data/Sensor: LumoRun

Post-Run Beverage: Avery Brewing Beer

Hydration Packs/Handhelds/Vests: NATHAN

As a coach I often preach about training and racing consistency. In our Sage Running Secret ebook Sandi and I qualify that as having “consistent variation.” That is the goal is to train well and race routinely well, but with an upward trajectory for adaptation and self improvement (or at least a better running experience and overall health). Much like the variety and spice one needs in a consistently healthy diet, it is all about moderation (but patterns and habits of moderation)…however oxymoronic that may sound.

I try to eat fairly healthy most of the time…products from my sponsor Flora definitely help with that (and Sandi likes this stuff too!). I really think nutrition is the key to quick recovery, optimal training and overall longevity/health.

This challenge is where I find “flow” in running right now. The continual process of testing and retesting body and mind and searching for improvement is where I get my kicks. The new goals, pain and fatigue are constants.

Last year I ran 4 road marathons in a 10-month span and ran them all in the 2:19-2:20 range. I was consistent…but consistently too slow for my goal of running under the US Olympic Trials Marathon standard (which I need up missing by 12 seconds). I consider that both a success and a failure. It was a failure because my times didn’t improve and I didn’t meet my ultimate goal, but it was a success because I ran the best marathon performance of my life (16^th place at Boston)  – and I sandwiched those road marathons around a strong Speedgoat 50km and mountain training for UTMB . Any Surface, Any Distance!

This past weekend I finished 3^rd place for the 3^rd time at the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon. I executed a race strategy of taking the lead early on the climbs and truly believed that it was best race strategy to try to win the race and run a fast time.

Climbing a bit better this go around… Photo Credit: Dominic D. @dodafoto

[note: “Time-trialing” an ultra-trail race isn’t always one’s best strategy for necessarily placing well, but it always is for running the best possible time if it is paced/executed well! It isn’t always my best strategy or usual strategy though]

I won’t write about all the blow-by-blow race details on here as that is what the video below (my “VLOG”) recap will go into….along with the pictures and captions:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qInECi33XeE[/youtube]

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qInECi33XeE

While I was honored to make the podium again at this amazing race, I also will admit that I am a bit disappointed to not run a super fast time and to not improve my place by a single position!

Part of this has to do with a change in the race course which added a bit of distance and climbing (so I guess I can throw the time comparison out the window this year!).

Digging deep on the final, 1000′ climb during the last 5km. Photo credit: #Fiammachinphotography @Fiammachin

Another part of this has to do with the outstanding and dominating performances that race champion and course record holder Luis Alberto Hernando (who I will point out WON for the 3^rd Time…now that is consistent!!) churned out as well as a top performance from French runner Nicolas Martin for 2^nd place. They absolutely crushed me on the descent and climbed very well too!

However, being data minded I can point out the following “improvements”: According to Strava I split exactly the same 2:23 split heading into the 15-mile aid station at El Pilar. However, for the next 1 hour uphill climb segment I split 3-minutes faster than I ever have! Comparing myself to my competitors, I also was able to reach the top of the climb on the course (50km mark at over 12,000’ of climbing) in first place whereas in the past Luis and Kilian Jornet had actually passed me before this summit. So I was climbing slightly better and leading the race for longer!

on the way up (and then down) to El Pilar on the course…a really magical place where you can see the eventual summit as well as both sides of the island all in one view!

With further Strava.com data analysis I also saw that the long 12-mile and 8,000’ drop on the big descent was by far my slowest effort by over 3-minutes and my quads were totally blown out the whole way. I honestly though I would start walking the downhill! Champion Luis Hernando put 10-minutes on me during this descent alone.

The only silver lining was that near the final 700’ vertical drop to the port of Tazacorte I got super motivated to finish the downhill and was actually able to recklessly run the switchbacks enough to get a Strava CR:

The final switchbacks heading down to the port of Tazacorte are on the left side of this picture (and above the buildings!). Sandi enjoys the view…we stayed in a local apartment here the week before the race to live and train. It was amazing!

I figured out I’m more “lame” on smooth/runnable downhill roads, but can hold my own on technical downhill trails where time gains and losses are more marginal.

Pretty much the opposite of what I did on the downhills during the race!

So what does this all mean?! It means I have a lot of work to do before Western States! I need a new training stimulus and I need to work on my downhill. The challenge of trying to complete 100 miles alone in the heat will be plenty enough of a new race stimulus and one I can look forward too.

Thanks to the people (local crowds of support and running fans) this finish line is always super exciting and special! The bottle of cava always helps too. Photo credit: iRunFar.com

Right now the focus is on staying healthy, recovering quickly, and building up my mileage and long runs for Western States. It will be a journey and it will be unqiue experience. I’m going to try to embrace it!

Adventuring on the Transvulcania course with my adventure partner, Sandi!

Thank you for all your support on here, on YouTube, and on our “Sage Running” Coaching Website (check out our Training Plans there)! I am really fortunate and the generosity and positive energy of the running community has really all made this possible. THANK YOU!! Also, a big thanks to Sandi (my coach/crew/adventure partner), my family, and my sponsors for all their support.  Hope your running is going well and see you on the trails!

Cheers,

Sage

Shameless Sponsor Plugs/ Gear Used:

HOKA One One: Speedgoats

Flora Health: Goji Berries, Barabos fruit snacks, beet crystals and manuka honey (overall nutrition)

Nathan: Zelos hydration pack with a LightSpeed Pak belt

Compressport: R2 Calf Sleeves

Drymax: The “Sage Runner” Socks

Julbo: Stony shades

Vfuel: Took a gel about once every 20-30min on average during the race.

Strava: for all training logs and race data (using a Suunto Ambit Peak III Sport)

TrailButter: For nut-butter snacks and recovery while training hard!

UgoBars: Excellent carbs, fiber and protein sources to fuel training and recovery!

Avery Brewing: yes, I brought two Maharajah (double IPAs) all the way to Spain to drink/celebrate with!