Bar-Ka-Koo Ultra

Shortly after the Backyard Ultra, a friend posted a link to a trail race that would be taking place at Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area, with the option of competing in the solo 55km race or as a member of a relay team. Unlike all other running events this year, this would be an in-person race capped at 100 runners, and it would strictly follow Covid protocols and local public health guidelines, to ensure the event could still go ahead safely. 

I desperately wanted to do the race but I wasn't sure whether I would be fully recovered from the BYU to be running a tough and hilly 55k trail race. It would also be taking place towards the end of November which increased the liklihood of freezing temperatures and deep snow which was sure to make things even more challenging. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I found myself signing up and started to look forward to the Bar-Ka-Koo Ultra and Relay :)

In the days leading up to the race, we had a fair old dump of snow, and most of my runs had turned into a slow slog in soft, powdery snow. I'd headed out to Devon a couple of times to get my legs reaccustomed with running hilly trails again - those training runs were tough, and I was wondering how the heck I was going to manage 55km on this type of terrain. Thankfully, those practice runs paid dividends and I am sure they helped to prepare me for the race last weekend.

The organisers had already said that they were a few Barclay Marathon traits to the event and I will be honest in saying that this was one of the main things that appealed to me. It consisted of 5 x 11km loops that started and finished at a green gate, each loop was ran in the opposite direction to the previous loop, and rather than collecting pages from a book, runners had to collect firewood at different checkpoints and carry it to the next where they would receive a stamp on their map as evidence that they had fulfilled this requirement. If the racer didn't finish with a set of 10 stamps on their map, they would be given a DNF. It may not have been the real Barkley Marathon, but I thought it was a great idea and added to the challenge by making it more than just a run.

Race day arrived and the weather was perfect for November with sunshine and blue skies and temperatures hovering around -5 degrees Celsius. The race had a 10-hour time limit and didn't start until noon, so I anticipated that it was either an extremely tough course, or else that was a rather generous time limit for a 55k race. Having ran and hiked at Chickakoo several times, I had some idea of the terrain, but having studied the map, the course looked to be predominantly single-track trails so it was likely that I would be heading out on some unfamiliar trails. It was also pretty much guaranteed that we would be running some of the laps in the dark - how many that would be remained to be seen, and with Andy not accompanying me to this particular race, I would be crewing myself and making sure I was fed, watered, dry and warm!

It was quite a low-key race with just 25 competing in the 55km solo event and something like 8 teams registered for the relay. With a waved start with 5 minutes between each wave, I was excited to be get going and at 12.05pm, I finally set off with my only goal being to keep the momentum going and to get to that finish line before 10pm.

Race bib and course map :)

I always find the first lap of a looped course to be a bit chaotic as everybody jostles for their position on the trail, and it takes a while before folks get into their own rhythm. The first mile or so was on snow-packed double track trails which gave plenty of space for everybody, but as soon as we veered off into the woods and hit the single track,  we encountered the deeper, softer snow and the hills started. The narrow trails led to the usual bottlenecks and as a few runners ahead of me were walking all the hills, I waited patiently behind them knowing there was still a way to go and that the real race hadn't yet started. It wasn't too long before we arrived at the first checkpoint, and we were greeted with several boxes of firewood. It was fun watching everybody trying to choose the smallest piece they could find as we then had to carry it to checkpoint number 2. Thankfully,the next checkpoint wasn't too far, and I dropped off my log, collected my stamp, and continued onwards into what would become the toughest part of the loop.

By now, we were probably around 3 or 4 miles into the loop and I had somehow got caught in the middle of a group and I was stuck. They were all moving well and keeping a good pace, but I knew I could go a little quicker if I could just get past them. The trail became much narrower with trees alongside which made it difficult to slip past. It had also now become much hillier with lots of twists and turns, the deep, soft snow making it hard to get any traction and even harder to find a good, steady pace. The haphazard pace was playing havoc with my plans and I was starting to feel pretty tired from all the stop, start, run, jog. I was craving my own space so that I could do my own thing, but the this stretch of the course just wasn't the place right now, and I just hoped that when I came back this way, the racers would be more spaced out so we wouldn't get stuck in these small groups. I tried to stay patient, but when my watched beeped and it showed a 21-minute mile, I started to feel a little frustrated. I really didn't want to be taking 2 hours or more to do just 11k and I knew that we needed to speed things up if we wanted to make those cutoffs later on in the race. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to settle in behind them, waiting for the next double track so that I could overtake. That finally came a good half hour later when we made the turn to the third checkpoint and the trail finally opened up on a nice bit of downhill.

I collected my next piece of wood, but on the return climb back up to the main trail, I was once again caught by the same groups of chaps. I had the choice of either leading the way and being pushed from behind, or else being stuck in the middle and having to walk whenever they did. I didn't want to be running too fast this early on so I decided to sit behind them and listen to their chatter which did become quite entertaining as we ran along.

It took around 1 hour 35 minutes to complete the first loop, and having checked-in, I quickly refueled and grabbed another gel and some water before taking off one of my layers off as I was finding things quite warm. I knew the remaining laps would be slower, not necessarily due to me slowing down, but more because I would need to spend time at the car which I was using as my own personal aid station. I didn't have Andy there to prep things for me and this all added time to my race, but now that I had seen the full loop I was confident that I could do sub 2-hour laps and was optimistic that I would meet the cutoffs. With that in mind, I set off in the clockwise direction for lap number two.

The second lap was much better for me and with fewer people on the trail ahead of me, it was much easier to pass and gain some ground. I was finally able to run the hills and only walked the ones that were crazy steep and slippery, and I found myself clinging to branches to drag myself up, and then using tree trunks to stop me sliding down some of those hills too quickly. The harder mid-section of the course slipped by very quickly, I successfully collected my firewood and stamps, and before I knew it, I was heading back along the double track with another piece of wood, ready to finish lap number two. I had spent most of my second lap on my own and I was in my element. I wasn't running fast, but I was steadily knocking out those miles and making progress. I had no idea what position I was in the race - all I knew was that I had met a few folks going in the opposite direction which may or may not have been relay runners, and whilst I had seen ladies ahead of me at the start, I hadn't seen another lady for a while now. I knew there were only 3 ladies in the solo race, but it was still a race and I still wanted to stay ahead if I could.

Beautiful day for a trail race :)

It was just after 3.30pm when I started my third loop and I knew that unless something drastic happened, I was well on track to make the 6pm cut off for my penultimate lap. I was also aware that by 5pm, I would likely need my headtorch, so I was sure to take one with me just in case this next lap took longer than expected.

I had now become quite familiar with the course and had started to pick out landmarks to help me with my pacing. I recognized logs, tree branches, certain hills, and trail markers, and I was very happy to see that I was still maintaining a nice, consistent, steady pace. I was by no means speeding along, but just shuffling up and down the hills made such a difference to how much progress I was making. I was feeling good, feeling very happy, and as the sun went down, I was looking forward to running through the night. I barely saw anybody on the third lap, and it was only in the last mile that I encountered runners heading back towards me. It was well and truly dark by now but having not yet switched on my headtorch, I was still relying on my night vision and hoping I didn't fall over some hidden tree stump or a twig lying across the trail. I avoided looking at headtorches coming towards me, and I found that I was doing well running in the darkness although I certainly wouldn’t get away with this on my next loop.!

Night time is coming!

I finished lap 3 just before 5.30pm and I couldn't believe how good I was feeling. Yes, my lower back and my hips were aching and getting a little tight from running up and down in the snow, but in general, I was feeling great! I downed some coffee and the remains of my veggie noodle soup, and off I went again on my fourth lap.

It was dark by now and my headtorch was now out to show me the way. The snow made the light seem much brighter and the trail was easy to see thanks to all the footprints. I was kind of hoping that the snow would have become more compact by now from all the runners throughout the day, but it was still soft and sometimes exhausting, whilst it was getting harder to maintain balance on the hills as they became slick from all trampling and the cooling air. was loving it! As I moved between the trees, I would occasionally hear voices of other runners, but I never seemed to bump into them. As I meandered through those woods, I would see lights ahead of me, but each time they turned out to be the moon shining brightly in the night sky. It was so quiet out there, so dark, but there was no fear or anxiety about "beasts" or creatures of the night - my only fear was falling on a protruding stick or something and injuring myself! I was relishing the freedom of running out there on a cold winter's night, and given the year we've all had, it seemed a little surreal that I was competing in a real race! The night time seemed to have given me an extra energy boost and I was surprising myself at how swiftly I appeared to be moving and how quickly I was covering ground.

Shortly after 7pm, I hit the final stretch back to the green gate and the final checkpoint that would signify the start of my final lap. I never had any doubt that I would finish the race, but with only 11km remaining, I was so happy and excited. This time I grabbed a slice of pizza at the end of loop 4 rather than going back to my car, and I wasted no time in heading straight back out for my final lap.

I walked the first 100 yards or so whilst munching on my pizza, but when  a lady came storming in and gave me a hard, mean look, I honestly thought that she was competing in the solo race and she was out to get me. I had tried all day not to be too concerned about my position, but that look meant business and I wasn't about to give up any lead I might have gained at that point. I started to run whilst still munching on the pizza. I caught up with another runner who I think was also on his final lap, and we ran together for a short time and chatted briefly. It was the first person I had spoken to on course for the past 3 or 4 hours except for the checkpoint volunteers, and it was quite nice having a quick chat and getting positive vibes from him. He was using poles and seemed to be having problems with them so he beckoned for me to go ahead of him whilst he sorted them out, I felt a bit bad just leaving him but I was pretty sure he would be ok. I didn't see him again after that. I was so convinced that the speedy lady would be hot on my tail that I didn't want to faff around too much, and I worked really hard on that last lap.

I collected my firewood at checkpoint 1, dropped it off with the volunteers at checkpoint 2 and gave them a cheery thank you, before chugging onwards with determination, focused purely on getting through that tough mid-section of the loop and knowing that after that, it was just a couple of miles to the finish.

That mid-section didn't get any easier, and as I shuffled through the darkness, I once again heard voices not too far behind, one of which was female. I upped the pace as best as I could, and was pushing up those hills trying to open as big a gap as possible on whoever was following behind. I kept seeing the lights again, not sure this time whether it was a headtorch, lights from a house, or the moon, so I turned my attention back to the trail ahead and tried to avoid the distractions.

Reaching the top of the final climb before the steep, slippery downhill to the final woodpile, I knew that if I could get down and up this section without getting caught, I would make it to the finish line without being overtaken. I slid recklessly down that final steep downhill, I ran as quickly as I dared on the wider section and then slid dangerously down the last little slope before collecting my wood. It was such an exhilarating feeling - now all I had to do was get back up to the main trail, and I was on my way home.

Huffing and puffing back up the hill, I saw a runner heading down. Shit! It was a lady. But when she asked me if this was an out and back section, it was obvious that she was a relay runner - if solo, she would have ran down here 4 times already and would know the course. I responded yes, and as she passed me in the opposite direction, I scrambled up the slippery slope whilst heaving a sigh of relief. I didn't meet anybody else on their way down - I was in the clear!

Checkpoint and firewood :)

The final mile and a half were awesome, and it felt like I was flying along. My legs were still feeling pretty good, although the cold air was affecting my breathing whilst my back and hips were still complaining about the unaccustomed workout. There wasn't a soul around and I was thoroughly enjoying being out there in the dark on my own . I hit the double track that ran alongside the lake, and 5 minutes later, I was heading towards the green gate and the finish.

It was so weird as I came into the finish area. The firepit was still burning, but there was nobody around and it was so quiet. I headed to the tent for final check in and as I poked my head around the entrance, I was greeted with cheers and told that I was the first solo finisher - first overall! I was somewhat gob smacked as I was convinced there were men ahead of me, but I was also very, very happy to have won the race outright. It had taken me just over 9 hours to run 55km, but what an amazing adventure! When I originally looked at the time limit of 10 hours, I thought to myself that this was either going to be one hell of a tough race or else it was a very generous time limit - I now know that it was tough, just as intended. Out of 23 solo starters, only 6 finished the race with most folks timeing out and not making it back in time. .

1st lady and first overall :)

Having looked at my lap splits, I was pleasantly surprised by them:

Loop 1 - 1 hour 35 minutes (didn't access car on this loop, hence being the quickest)

Loop 2 - 1 hour 50 minutes

Loop 3 - 1 hour 52 minutes

Loop 4 - 1 hour 54 minutes (dark)

Loop 5 - 1 hour 51 minutes (dark)

I had been speaking to a couple of folks before the start, and they had asked if I was prepared for 2-hour laps. I didn't want to believe that it would take 2 hours to do 11km and yet it really did take nearly 2 hours to complete each lap. When I started earlier in the day, I was hoping I would be done by 6 or 7pm, but I was in ignorant bliss as to how tough the course would turn out to be. Yet I am so glad I did the race, so happy to have been challenged, and so happy to have ran a real race before the year ends.

Would I do Bar-ka-koo Ultra again? Absolutely! It was so well organized, so friendly, a great course, fantastic volunteers, original and unique, a great time of year to be properly challenged, and more importantly, it raised $1000 for a local charity. It was a great way to spend the weekend, and I'm still feeling on a high today :) Next weekend, I will be doing the Turkeys on the Trail 10km run in memory of our beautiful pup Brandy. Brandy passed away when I first did this event two years ago, so I plan to run with Wilson, Tillie and April, in Brandy's memory. It's not a race per se, but it is a running event. Usually we would donate food to the Edmonton food bank, but due to Covid, that isn't possible this year. Instead we have paid a small entry fee which will be donated instead, and I'm happy with that. I have no idea when my next proper race will be but whilst I may not be doing anything like I did last weekend any time soon, I am still looking forward to this coming weekend, and spending some time running with my pups doing something that we all love :)

Race day goodies and 10 race day stamps collected :)