Hi-Jacked!: Italy - 100km Later...

My phone buzzed. I dropped everything (which in this case was a piece of toast and a good chuck of the newspaper). It was a new text message with the latest update:

'Almost finished! So far so good. If he stays on pace he could get 7:50 and a possible Canadian record for the masters ultra! Will know within the hour.'

MomVsWild (my Mother and seeker of great adventures) was keeping me posted with updates on the 100km Ultramarathon World Cup as the race unfolded. This year's event was being held in the Tuscany region of Italy, so while I woke up a little early for a Saturday, the sun was starting to disappear on the athletes over seas.

WebbRacer (my Father and avid participant in this crazy sport) was chasing down a Personal Best and was working on the climax of the story. A story that was full of heavy training, mental preparation, race strategizing, and hours and hours of logged miles. This is not just jogging (or maybe it's yogging, I don't know, the J might be silent); this is a daily running streak that stretches out over a quarter of a century, this is the determination to qualify for the Canadian National Team, this is molding a runner's body into an Enduro-Machine that's injury-free, this is 100 kilometer battles in 35 degrees of Celsius heat, city-to-city slogs through the Open-Heaven-Downpours of B.C.'s winter season, and spirit -crushing defeats in the midnight wilderness of the Lost Souls Eco-Challenge-on-steroid's 100miles of mayhem. This is what happens when foot races are taken to the next level. This is the underground of running. This is a way of life that is being showcased. This is a full day of travel, halfway around the world to tackle a 100 kilometer test with the best that Long-Distance Planet Earth has to offer. This is the Big Dance. And as WebbRacer faces the last leg, and MomVsWild helps to manage the chaos, I wait thousands of miles away, clutching my phone, hoping this is not just jogging, that this is IT!

The next text came flying across the ocean with such force that I could feel the excitement all the way from Italy. 7:39!!!!! I was floored. I couldn't believe it. WebbRacer had crushed the race and destroyed the idea of disappointment with a strong Personal Best on the 100km track. He was the first Canadian to cross the line, and finished 32nd overall, IN THE WORLD. It was way too early on a Saturday morning for me to be this excited, but I was, I was ecstatic. Later, news from the finish line told of the extreme conditions that left casualties in the wake of an intense Tuscan heat. And while racers were reduced to the Death Walk, WebbRacer pulled from his Edmonton Scorch-out 100k that had turned him into a full body cramp a year ago, and pushed on, slowly moving up through the ranks. The struggle hit at the 85km mark, but in the words of WebbRacer, 'It's all about the struggle'. He had spent most of the race in a constant fight, trying to maintain his pace and not indulge in the faster speeds, and the result was a later 'struggle point' and enough juice left in the tank to complete the Personal Record.

Meanwhile MomVsWild was in high demand playing Support Crew. In a 100 kilometer race, it's not just the Runner and the Elements, it's the Runner, the Elements, and the team that helps them live through the experience. Fluids to hydrate, Foods to fuel, a calculated balance of electrolytes, new shoes, clothes for all conditions, and most importantly the motivating words to convince someone that 'to keep running' is a better idea than not to. Race Whisperer. MomVsWild first had a hand in the very involved preparation

that is required for a team of 11 of these crazy Ultra runners. During the race itself she manned the Aid Station and then essential became a triage nurse as victims of the long battle crossed the finish line in slightly better shape then Horrendous.

In the end, win or lose, race or crew, hot, cold, rain, wind, Italy or anywhere else, the result is the same; Exhaustion, and lots of it.

The latest update from MomVsWild and WebbRacer has them transitioning from 'Recovery' to 'Vacationator', as they begin to explore Italy's non-race scene. The fall-out for a Personal Best hasn't been debilitating, but it's taken time for team Webb to come back to life. The plan for the second leg of the trip is to experience Florence, then Rome, and finally London. And after a time of 7:39, I'd say the Folks have earned a bit of a holiday.

Over the passed few days, as I've updated the rest of the WebbRacer Fanatics on the World Cup success, my mind has wondered to the wounder of the event. 32nd overall. My Dad qualified, ran, and ranked with the best in the world. Out of the billions and billions of people on the planet, he finished 32nd. 32nd!!!! I am beyond proud, and have been telling anyone who is anyone who is Everyone who is willing to listen, that my Old Man ranked among the best of the best. I'm just happy to have been involved in such an achievement ('involved' in that I happen to share the last name, and have run along side the WebbRacer on occasion - for significantly shorter distances). And here's the best part; with this result, WebbRacer is looking at a qualification for next years Worlds in

Belgium as well as the Commonwealth Games in September. Today it's all about the 7:39 in Italy, but the excitement is far from over. Stay tuned for more from WebbRacer and MomVsWild when they are next seen in '2009's World-Class Doubleheader'.