Canadian path champ Priscilla Forgie has racked up some high outcomes over the previous few years, hitting the rostrum in races like Chuckanut 50K in Washington State (the place she took third in March) and claiming high 10 spots at Western States in each 2023 (when she completed seventh) and 2024 (when she took ninth and ran a near-15 minute PB). Final weekend at Kodiak by UTMB 100K in Large Bear Lake, Calif., Forgie hit the rostrum in second place—however it was a battle as she rebounded from near-disaster. Submit-race, Forgie shared tips about how one can make a comeback when bother strikes mid-race–and her recommendation is in no way restricted to path runners.
“The universe threw me a curveball with this one,” Forgie posted on social media. “Abdomen points hit me once more, this time nausea earlier than the race started. By 60K, I began toying with the thought of DNFing, as I discovered myself diving off the path each few kilometres for lavatory breaks, gagging as I attempted to eat, desperately holding again the vomit so I didn’t lose treasured energy, and shivering from a freeze response after having chilly water [to combat the rising temperatures outside] poured on me.” To high all of those challenges, Forgie fell and took a tough hit to the top close to the 70K mark.
Fuelling via the wrestle
Forgie knew that staying fuelled was essential to ending her race, regardless of the bodily challenges she confronted. “Energy have been key,” she mentioned, explaining how she stayed on her fuelling schedule even when nausea hit. She made slight changes, permitting her abdomen time to settle. Forgie understood that if she began vomiting an excessive amount of, her race might spiral uncontrolled. However by sticking to her plan and forcing herself to maintain meals down, she maintained the power she wanted to maintain transferring.
Cooling all the way down to push on
Going through excessive warmth, Forgie knew she needed to handle extra than simply her fuelling. “The warmth wouldn’t assist with my nausea, so I cooled all day,” she mentioned. She prioritized cooling her physique, recognizing that overheating might make her signs worse. When the chilly began to creep in, she would cease briefly, then concentrate on retaining her physique transferring and staying on monitor with fuelling. By managing her physique temperature, Forgie was in a position to stop the nausea from getting worse, permitting her to push via the race.
Using the waves
Each race comes with ups and downs, however Forgie was ready to endure the hardest lows. “The lows generally felt everlasting,” she mentioned, however she saved reminding herself that pushing via for an additional half-hour would doubtless deliver a shift. For her, it was all about using the waves, even when it felt like she was dealing with a “tsunami.” With the clear thoughts that racing brings her, Forgie distracted herself by pondering targets and interested by issues she would often keep away from. By taking issues one step at a time, she was in a position to push via the darkest moments and end sturdy.
Canadian ultrarunner Priscilla Forgie loves this super-quick soup
Embracing the wrestle
Forgie’s race was removed from excellent, however she wished to share the robust moments as a reminder of why athletes do what they do. “I don’t usually do huge race recaps, however I believed this one was necessary, because it reveals the not-so-pretty facet to racing,” she mentioned. Whereas many non-runners may suppose she’s loopy, Forgie is aware of that, for many athletes, discovering energy within the wrestle is what shapes them. “Even when it feels such as you’re treading water within the second,” she says, the challenges finally result in progress.
Forgie wasn’t the one Canadian runner who excelled at Kodiak by UTMB—the 100-mile race noticed Canadians Coral Buitenhuis of Squamish, B.C., and North Vancouver’s Kate Butcher declare second and third respectively, following race winner Cordis Corridor of the U.S. Within the 21K race, Calgary’s Brandon Miller took the general win.
Kodiak by UTMB provides 100-mile, 100K, 50K, 21K and 20K distance over two days of racing. Only a couple hours from Los Angeles, the Kodiak Extremely Marathons by UTMB has runners beginning and ending within the coronary heart of downtown Large Bear Lake, and operating via excessive desert, sub-alpine, and semi-arid climates over every distance. The 100K race options 3300m of elevation acquire.
For full outcomes of the Kodiak by UTMB races, head right here.
