Frozen Ass 50km

The start of February saw much of Alberta under an extreme cold warning, and with temperatures dropping close to -40 after the sun went down, I was a little apprehensive about running outdoors with the frostbitten toe still giving me grief. Despite having a membership with the Leduc Rec, I really didn't want to spend every day running indoors at the track or on the treadmill, especially on those days where the sun was shining and the skies were a gorgeous blue!

Blue skies and chilly runs :)

Just another beautiful but chilly day for a run :)

The extreme cold lasted for a good couple of weeks, and with the Frozen Ass 50k fast approaching, I was conscious that I needed to do some running outside to get my body used to running in layers instead of the comfort of shorts and singlet that I was getting quite used to at the indoor track. Dressed in clothing that probably added a good half a stone in weight to my run, I did run over to the reservoir a couple of times as well as out on the range roads at the back of our house, and with plastic bags and two pairs of socks on my feet, the toe seemed to coping ok with the cold.

I was feeling excited about doing the Frozen Ass 50km partly because it's one of my favourite races and also because I knew I would be seeing lots of friends down in Calgary that I hadn't seen for a while. With heavy snow once again in the forecast, I was getting a little anxious about the 2 and a half or so hour drive down to Calgary for the race and how bad the roads would be, but thankfully the gritters and snowplows had already been out and the roads weren't too bad at all.

The race is always held on Family Day long weekend so I drove down on the Saturday with Wilson and Tillie and spent a lovely couple of nights at the Holiday Inn close to Fish Creek Park. We missed Andy who was working away in Italy and Montenegro, but it was nice to snuggle up with the pups and relax for a couple of days. We headed out on the Sunday and had a lovely little walk around Fish Creek, and we spotted the resident eagles and a herd of deer. Tillie went absolutely crazy when she saw the deer, hopping around on her back legs trying to get a better view of them, and barking in excitement as she attempted to chase them. 

Fun at Fish Creek in Calgary :)

Fish Creek with the pups :)

Race day was on the Monday and I feel so fortunate to have such amazing friends in Glady and Michelle who had agreed to look after Wilson and Tillie whilst I ran the race. They know our dogs so well and I knew that for the next 4 or 5 hours, both pups would receive lots of love, care and attention. 

On arrival at the Bow Waters Canoe Club, the city was shrouded in mist and temperatures were hovering around -25 degrees. The weather forecast indicated that by lunch time, the sun would be shining which would push temperatures up to around -17, so I wasn't quite sure how many layers to wear. I also needed to keep an eye on my toe. Whilst the dead tissue had now finally started to peel off, the toe was still quite sore and I really didn't want to risk getting frostbite again in the same place. I'd made sure to pack a drop bag with spare shoes and socks just in case my feet got wet or cold, but more importantly I was wearing Walmart carrier bags over my feet to keep them dry along with two pairs of socks for warmth. Thankfully I seemed to gauged things correctly and for the entire race, I felt warm and dry :-)

This was the 4th time that I was running the Frozen Ass so I was familiar with the route - two times out and back  to Nose Creek along city pathways which included some climbing but nothing too outrageous as to stop you in your tracks. The main concern was the cold, and the bitterly cold wind certainly picked up in the latter half of the race which made the last 12km quite tough.

My aim for the race was to run between 8 and 8 and a half minute miling for as long as possible, hopefully giving me a finish time of around 4 hours 15 minutes. My best time on this route was 3.56 but having not ran a road race for a very long time, and a long one at that, I knew that I would be nowhere near to that. Add to that the snow covered pathways and the much colder conditions, I thought my 4.15 goal was more realistic.

Start of the 50k and somebody admiring my plastic bags :)

Heading out on loop 1 - photo thanks to Leo Fung

I started off well and things felt comfortable as I took the lead in the ladies race after the first mile and kept a steady momentum going. There isn't really a great deal to talk about in terms of scenery, but I was very conscious about how bright things were with the snow and I was really wishing I had worn my shades! I was also very much aware of how much all the layers were restricting my range of movement for running and I had to shorten my stride a little due to wearing two pairs of running tights.

I reached the turnaround point in around 1 hour 5 minutes and thanks to Leo who is another good friend, there was a hot cup of tea waiting for me along with Jaffa Cakes both of which hit the spot perfectly! I probably spent too long at the aid station (there's a surprise!) and as I started the return leg, the second place lady was probably just 3 or 4 minutes behind me. Being just 7 or 8 miles into the race, this was probably a little too close for comfort, but I tried not to get carried away and instead just maintained my pace which would hopefully keep me ahead.

Approaching the turnaround and feeling happy :)
PC Leo Fung

Heading back to the start/finish area, I had forgotten how hilly it suddenly gets but I managed to keep things going and as yet, I hadn't had to walk. I ended the first lap in around 2 hours 13 minutes and after a big birthday hug from Gord - yes, it was my birthday too! - I headed back out for lap two.

The gap between myself and second seemed to have increased slightly so I knew I just had to go out there and do the same again to maintain my lead. I saw tons of friends as I was out on the course but everybody else was really friendly and encouraging too as we were running along.

Another cuppa and more Jaffa Cakes at the turnaround once again hit the spot as I hit the 23 miles mark, and as set off for the final 12km still leading the ladies race, I was feeling really happy and positive about a good result.

The last 12km really was tough, not necessarily due to tired legs but more because the wind had picked up and it had a nasty chill to it. For the first time in the race, my face started to get really cold but when I covered it, I found I couldn't breathe properly. My legs were also starting to tighten up - I hadn't really drank much and I actually think it was dehydration - whilst my big toe by now was extremely sore as the socks rubbed at the already damaged skin. The second lady by now was a good 10 minutes behind and I knew that with just 7 miles still to go, I likely wouldn't get caught. I hadn't really slowed that much but the gap was widening, so I felt pretty confident that unless something went drastically wrong for me, the victory would be mine.

I kept my head down and just focused on moving forward, but that final climb over the bridge towards the finish seemed a very long time in coming! The miles were passing by slowly and I just wanted to finish, I passed through the marathon distance in 3 hours 48 minutes - with 5 miles still to go, I knew I wouldn't hit my target time but I figured I could still make it in 4 and a half.

As I made my way up the climbs over the bridge which brought me into the last mile or so, I tried to push on but the climbs were taking their toll on my legs. I glanced behind me for a split second and saw somebody following - it looked like a lady and they seemed to be closing fast, so I tried to pick up the pace - just half a mile to go and I didn't want to lose it now! Thankfully it just turned out to be a dog walker but that surge of adrenaline meant that I pretty much hit my B goal, finishing first lady and sixth overall in 4 hours and 31 minutes.

This was my third victory at the Frozen Ass and I was extremely happy to have come back and won again. I never take anything for granted and really did not expect to win, but it felt good to have another race victory so early on in the year,

We all headed inside to get warm as soon as we finished and to partake in some soup, pizza and cakes, along with a hot cup of coffee, and as other people finished their race, it was great to catch up with so many other friends who I haven't seen in such a long time. And of course, Glady and Michelle were there to greet me with the pups who had apparently been spoilt and had plenty of snuggles having been home with them for a couple of hours.

Good friends are truly awesome!
PC Olivia Jost

Of course, I had to drive back home to Leduc after the race but I left Calgary with a huge smile on my face, and feeling very happy and content. The good news is that despite being sore, my big toe had come away unscathed after today's race which is a huge relief - clearly the Walmart bags did the trick.

I don't have any more races now until April and that's when I'll start doing a couple of 10k races and a couple of half marathons. I'm still undecided about whether to still race the 100km at Blackfoot Ultra or whether to do the 24 hour race at the Survivorfest in Edmonton in June. I still believe that I can run 215km in 24 hours to make the GB team, but I don't know whether I will be at my peak and ready to settle that score in June or not. I guess it depends on how long the next extreme cold snap lasts, how much more snow we get, and when spring finally arrives!

For now though I can't complain about how my racing year has started off and I hope it continues to follow the same path. I'm looking forward to getting back into training again, getting some speed and strength back in my legs, and being focused on this year's goals :-)