01: Black Canyons and Crew Notes
Introducing Crew Notes
Today is the first edition of Crew Notes, but really, not much is changing.
We’re renaming the newsletter because our running lives are different than when we sent the first Kelsey’s Crew newsletter before the 2022 Diagonale des Fous. The name change is meant to communicate what we’ve felt for some time now; you’re crew to both of us. Kelsey and I are a team and, in unique ways, you’re our teammates and our crew.
Black Canyon Ultras Recap
We set layered goals for Black Canyon Ultras so that we could adjust to whatever happened at our first races of the year. At the top of Kelsey’s list was a golden ticket to the Western States Endurance Run, handed out to the top three Black Canyon finishers, and another strong result at a World Trail Major. It would all have to come together in just the right way, but it felt possible on a great day. Adam’s main goal was to let his training carry him to the fastest race possible. It was hard to know what to expect after a winter of training on the snow and ice, but anything in the range of 5-7 hours seemed possible.
The norovirus hit at about 3:30am on February 7th, about 27 hours before the start of Kelsey’s 100km race and 51 hours before the start of Adam’s 50km. We alternated between vomiting (and other things) and lying, exhausted in bed, with chills crawling through our bodies, until well-after the sun rose. We still raced, but it was a different kind of experience than we’d expected.
Kelsey started her race fueled by a few soda crackers and a bottle of gatorade. She stopped her race after 80 km due to significant signs of dehydration and, well, if you must know, the inability to run without the runs. Adam, with the benefit of another day of recovery and a shorter race, had a great day going until the norovirus caught up with him about 15 km before the end of the race. The section of his race involved a combination of gentle trotting, ginger walking, and dignified squatting among cactus and scrub brush.
The final results: a well-earned DNF for Kelsey and a 5:48:02, 52 km finish for Adam, good enough for 86th in the men’s race (129th overall).
Big racing shoutouts to Marc Gallant, Brian Head, John Adams, Matt Dermody, Sarah Bergeron-Larouche, Elliot Cardin, and Aaron Hendrikx who raced with us at Black Canyon.
Crew Appreciations:
Adam’s Uncle Don, Aunt Karen, and Cousin Andrew who experienced their first ultramarathons and put forth heroic hosting and crewing efforts for two sick runners.
Jason Schlarb, Whitney Mickelsen, Sarah Bergeron-Larouche, and Mathos for gathering and delivering our race bibs so that we could keep puking at home.
Kelsey’s cousins Marcia and Dorrit Karasek for bringing supportive energy and friendly faces to us post-race.
Lori Dithurbide for helping Kelsey to develop a “return to run plan” in the midst of the first day of sick and Melissa Allen for providing real-time nutrition advice.
Mom and Dad Hogan and Fearnall for answering the phone when their grown-up kids wanted to be reminded of ginger-ale, soda crackers, and the BRAT diet.
Katheryn Cochrane for coaching Adam and Ray Zahab for mentoring Kelsey through pre-race training blocks.
Coming Up Next
The picture for our 2025 race season is always shifting. There are many more decisions on the horizon, but here’s what we have planned so far (*only Kelsey, ^only Adam):
Fredericton, NB^ | Hanwell Hammering 10 km | 03.05.25
Fredericton, NB^ | Fredericton Marathon 42.2 km | 10.05.25
Saint Andrews, NB | Wharfbound Trail Run | 17.05.25
Saint John, NB | Rompin’ Rockwood 50* & 25^ | 23.05.25
Mascarene, NB | Herring Run | 29.06.25
Beaupre, QC* | Quebec Mega Trail 80 km | 04.07.25
Chamonix, France^ | TDS 148 km | 25.08.25
Chamonix, France* | UTMB 173 km | 29.08.25
Sharing Stories
🎙️ Kelsey & Adam on Chasing Trails Podcast: Post-Quebec Mega Trail recap, reflections on life & running, the importance of celebrating achievements of all runners.
🎙️ Kelsey & Adam on Tribe of Runners Podcast: Reflecting on crewing and running UTMB, the importance of community, and the mental aspects of running.
📺 CBC Newfoundland: Two Newfoundlanders (Kelsey & Wayne) recap their experiences running UTMB.
🎙️ Kelsey on UNB Alumni Podcast: Universal lessons learned from ultramarathon running.
🖊️ Kelsey's Crew in Canadian Running Magazine Trail Special (only in print, available on shelves now): Adam reflects on the crew’s experience and Kelsey’s performance at last year’s UTMB.
IRL (In Real Life)
📽️ We’re hosting a screening of the Trails in Motion Film Festival on May 1st from 6pm-8pm at the NB Sports Hall of Fame in Fredericton. Tickets are $25 and on sale now at this link. The event brings together two of the things that we love — stories and trail running. Thank you to BackTrails by the Radical Edge and the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame for their support of this event.
🖼️ Kelsey recently completed a solo gallery of nature-inspired collage artwork at our favourite local cafe in Fredericton, Milda’s Pizzas in the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. If you’d like to purchase her art you can place an order for art cards by filling out the online order form here.
Sharing Some Love
On March 31st, Transgender Day of Visibility recognized the existence, leadership, and contributions of two-spirit, trans, and gender diverse peoples. We’re dedicating the following links to initiatives, ideas, and actions that inspire us to have courage.
🏳️⚧️ Manitoba celebrated its first Transgender and Two-Spirit Day of Visibility, thanks to a bill passed by the legislature last year (note: there is a transgender and two-spirit flag, but it isn’t an emoji choice yet)
🌈 The Outdoorist Oath is a personalized plan of action and a commitment to supporting planet, inclusion, and adventure. It was co-founded by drag artist, environmentalist, and musician Pattie Gonia.
🎽 Riley Brady set a new course record during their victory at the Black Canyon Ultras 100 km. They’re out there running fast and patiently sharing their stories along the way.
🏃🏼 The Guide To Non-Binary Inclusion In Running “is meant to assist race directors as they embark, or continue, on their journey toward creating a more inclusive event.” The website also has a database to help non-binary athletes find racing opportunities that affirm their identities. We’d love to help a New Brunswick race get on this list by the end of the season!
