Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/319728
T he Grind is quintes- sential Vancouver: a gruelling challenge of outdoor exercise that people do for pleasure. (People here are crazy.) And if you haven't experienced it, you haven't truly earned your VanCity stripes. So after nearly nine years as a Vancouverite, I decided it was time to suck it up and get to steppin'. And just to make things more interesting, I invited fi tness trainer Tommy Europe ( e Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp, Bulging Brides) to come along for support by way of yelling and intimidation. Great idea, right? Beforehand, people were all too eager to share how much I was going to hate the Grind, how it would chew me up and spit me out for the soul-killing hour(ish) it would take me to traverse the mountain. Grind survivors take a perverse plea- sure in scaring GG virgins. So it was with some trepi- dation that I stood at the foot of the trail, waiting for my cheerleader/drill sergeant to arrive. When he did, the knots in my stomach only worsened. Tommy Europe is even more of a physical specimen in person; he looked like a terminator sent from the future to make my day miserable: model T-EU. After a brief greeting, Tommy had me run through a series of body-contorting stretches to lessen the chance of a cramped or pulled muscle halfway up the hill. Stretched calves and limber hamstrings are great, but as Tommy warns, "your lungs might cramp half- way up." All the sumo squats in the world weren't going to get those ready for the climb. IT'S GrInd TIMe Once stretching was over, it was time. In the weeks building up to this exercise, I mock-boasted to friends that I wasn't afraid of the Grind, and that I would, in fact, run up the hill. ey looked horrifi ed. "Don't run," they warned, faces suddenly gravely serious. Pacing yourself is the name of the game, they advised. So when Tommy took off like a shot up the hill, I was slightly horrifi ed. "C'mon!" he shouted gleefully, as I stumbled up the hill after him. My brain told me this was a mistake, using up precious energy before I'd even begun, but my pride told me to keep pace. I'm a man, damn it, and if Tommy Europe can run the Grind, so can I. Luckily, Tommy was just messing with me, and after 30 seconds he came to a halt and waited for me to catch up. irty seconds, and the sweating and laboured breathing had already begun. ings just got real. Any hopes of keeping up a sus- tained conversa- tion with Tommy quickly died, and I soon fell into my own head. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. I focused on the sound of my breathing and footsteps. I was marching to the beat of my own drum. ings were going to be okay. The QUarTer Mark Crap. People warned me about the quarter mark. ey told me the sign would be disheartening, and even though I had mentally prepared, it still hit me like a right cross to the temple. It felt like I'd been doing this forever. My breathing could charitably be called strained, my calves were on fi re and I was sweating profusely. Self-doubt began to creep in. Was I going to make it to the top? If I couldn't carry on, how would I get down? I felt okay now, but there was still so much further to go. The haLFWaY POInT A crippling sense of self-loath- ing had settled in. I hated how weak I felt. I hated my stupid yellow running shoes that I was forced to stare at step after step. I hated myself for suggest- ing this stupid story idea in the fi rst place. Senior citizens and kids do the Grind all the time, so why was I struggling? I was pathetic. I felt like I was going up the wrong escalator, taking steps but never gain- ing ground. But I laboured on, with the help of a few timely "C'mons" and "Knees up!" from Tommy. 28 | Summer 2014 bcliving.ca health More tips and video at BCLiving.ca/ Health GrOUSe GrInd FaST FaCTS LENGTH 2.9 kilometres NUMBER OF STEPS 2,830 THE GROUSE GRIND TRAIL was completed in 1983 OFFICIAL COURSE RECORD 25:01 by Sebastian Salas of Vancouver TOMMY'S TIPS STarT BY STreTChInG Perform two to three dynamic stretches, then go for a static stretch (reach and hold) and pat yourself on the back. haVe a LIGhT SnaCk Eat something like a banana and peanut butter, or throw down a protein shake, about two hours before you start hiking. hYdraTe Water is the best thing, and you can add some BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) or electrolytes to it for extra zip. FOOTWear Your footwear always matters. A running trail shoe works best for this kind of terrain. I like the new Reebok all-terrain shoes. T he Grind is quintes- sential Vancouver: a gruelling challenge of outdoor exercise that people do for pleasure. (People here from the future to make my day miserable: model T-EU. After a brief greeting, Tommy had me run through a series of body-contorting health GrOUSe GrInd FaST FaCTS LENGTH 2.9 kilometres NUMBER OF STEPS THE GROUSE GRIND TRAIL OFFICIAL COURSE RECORD traverse the mountain. Grind survivors take a perverse plea- sure in scaring GG virgins. So it was with some trepi- dation that I stood at the foot of the trail, waiting for my cheerleader/drill sergeant to arrive. When he did, the knots in my stomach only worsened. Tommy Europe is even more of a physical specimen in person; he looked like a terminator sent name of the game, they advised. So when Tommy took off like a shot up the hill, I was slightly horrifi ed. "C'mon!" he shouted gleefully, as I stumbled up the hill after him. My brain told me this was a mistake, using up precious energy before I'd even begun, but my pride told me to keep pace. I'm a man, damn it, and if Tommy Europe can run the Grind, so can I. TOMMY'S TIPS STarT BY STreTChInG Perform two to three dynamic stretches, then go for a static stretch (reach and hold) and pat yourself on the back. p26-29_Health-GRGrind.indd 28 2014-05-15 1:32 PM