Looking back - a year of racing :)

As we head towards the end of yet another year, on reflection, I've had a good year of racing, with 12 races completed which resulted in 2 race victories - the first at Survivorfest 24 hour in the "track n trail", and the second at the River's Edge Ultra 50k trail race. I did my first marathon in over 7 years and placed 3rd in the ladies race, and then I had podium finishes in my age group at another 3 races throughout the year. I also did two more backyard ultras, one of which saw me representing Team Canada at the World Team Championships back in October.

I was struck down with Covid twice which hampered some of my racing goals, and the hubby being stuck in Korea for near on three months earlier in the year made things tough for training.

There's no denying that I had hoped for faster times or longer distances, but as I head towards my 50th birthday in February, and after 40+ years of being a competitive runner, I have no real complaints. Over the years, I've had so many fantastic results in races in the UK, the US, Canada, and beyond, and the fact that I'm still running with the same passion, competitiveness and desire that I felt as a teenager makes me happy and wanting more.

Whilst this year focused on shorter and faster races, including a return to road races, next year my focus will be on the longer races, and I plan to spend lots of time on the trails as I prepare for what will be my biggest challenge yet - my first 200 mile race.

For now though, I'm going to enjoy a nice relaxing Christmas with my husband and three pups, and I wish you all a most happy and healthy festive season, and all the very best for 2023. 

Backyard Ultra World Team Championships - Let's Go Team Canada!!

 After a disappointing performance at the event in Okotoks, I was determined to train so hard to be in the best possible shape I could be, ready to represent Canada at the Backyard Ultra Team World Championships out in BC in October. 

There is no denying that my training had gone extremely well. I'd mixed things up this time, and instead of doing 6 hour long runs, I'd asked my coach to schedule timed runs instead, and to give me multiple runs throughout the day on the weekends. This saw me running close to 100km on several weekends, where I would complete something like 2 hours in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, and another 90 minutes later in the evening. One weekend, I did 5 x 10km runs in one day, followed by a 2 hour and an hour the following day, and this seemed to prepare me both physically and mentally for the race.

I had also been sure to get some trail running into my schedule. The course out in BC was going to be quite hilly and technical, and the city in which I live is extremely flat which meant regular visits to the nearby river valley trails was a requirement, to ensure I got some hills in my legs and it didn't come as such a shock on race day.

Fifteen athletes were selected to represent Canada which included myself, and we had a very strong team with high hopes of making the podium as we had done back in 2021. The location was going to be different this time, there would be a lot of new faces, but also some old timers which would make it like a bit of a reunion.

In terms of our goals, we were all aiming high, and my initial goal of 40+ hours seemed so small when considering what the others were aiming for. If I DID get to 40 hours and I ended up being the first person to drop, it would mean that Team Canada was on for a phenomenal team performance!

We spent a night in Kelowna, arriving on the Thursday night, and then Friday morning, we headed down to Summerland to set things up and to do a reccie of the course. The 10 x 10 went up quickly, and whilst Andy sorted all the food stuffs for the duration of the race, I headed off on the loop with Wilson. I'd left April and Tillie at home as they get quite nervous and vocal at these kind of events and I really didn't want a repeat of the Okotoks event which almost had me walking away far earlier than expected! So it was just Wilson who had travelled with us, whilst the girls were having a great time back home with the pet sitter.

I had already seen a flyby of the course thanks to the team management checking things out a couple of weeks before the event, but I was still surprised at just how hilly and technical the second half of the course would be. The first couple of miles felt gently downhill and I knew that other than the couple of sandy sections possibly causing some blisters if I let sand build up in my shoes, this really wouldn't be a problem. But after the turnaround point, the route became far more rocky, covered in pine cones, and definitely more technical than I would have liked for a backyard ultra!

I used my Garmin to see just how much of a climb the first hill was - it lasted around about 200 metres and then the trail became more twisty turny, with a few ups and downs. The second hill though was a good half mile long, the footing wasn't brilliant, and I decided that this section would be my walking break on each lap. At the top of this hill, things flattened out and became quite sandy for approximately 100 yards or so, and then the downhill started. Normally I would take advantage of the downhill as I am a very good downhill runner, even on technical trails, and the downhill here was undoubtedly technical with lots of large rocks and steeper sections! However, as we would be running this section over and over again, there was a risk that we could fall as the event progressed, especially if hoping to run for almost two days and through the night hours. I was a little concerned that with the climbing, I could potentially lose too much time as the fatigue crept in, and that even with the downhill section, it might be too technical for me to gain any time and get back within the hour.

There wasn't a great deal I could do except see how things panned out after the first few laps, by which time I would know how long I needed to complete the course when things got tougher later on. We were all in the same boat and would just need to work together to help each other get around.

We spent the night before race day sleeping in the tent at the rodeo grounds, and despite some ATVs making a racket until around midnight, and a member of the team keeping me awake with their coughing, I actually didn't sleep too badly and woke up feeling relatively refreshed and ready to go. I'd tried to bank sleep leading up to the race and had been getting a good  8 or 9 hours a night for the past week - last night I probably had 6 hours of decent sleep which would be ok.

We were up at around 4am with the race due to start at 5, and it was still quite chilly. I had my usual porridge and a cup of tea,  but I wasn't too concerned about having too much more as I'd have plenty of time for eating every hour for as long as I kept heading out for that one more loop. We had a team photo before we started, and then as the clock struck 5, we headed off for our first lap without any idea as to when we would end our race.

I'm not going to give an hour by hour account of how things went as that would be terribly boring, but in short, I didn't hit my 40 hour goal, nor did I match my PR, and in hindsight I am kind of happy with my run, but also disappointed and frustrated.

From the get-go, I was running very consistent laps - running most of the first half, then walking the hills and running the downs when I could. My laps were coming in at around 47 minutes give or take, and I was refuelling extremely well, with absolutely no nausea for the entire duration of  my race. I was also feeling energised for pretty much the entire time, which meant I was getting the right amount of calories to keep me moving and alert. Even my legs were feeling strong, I was feeling fantastic, and I was really enjoying the course, despite how tough it actually was.  At the end of every lap, my little pup Wilson was there to greet me, wagging his tail and wrinkling his nose as he smiled at me, and I was loving it! He was so well behaved, and it really helped Andy to keep things in check for me. My choice of shoe was spot on - the Hoka Speedgoat trail shoe, which provided comfort and cushioning for the challenging course, and whilst there were a couple of hot spots developing as the race progressed, I didn't really get any unsightly blisters nor bruised toe nails. I didn't even fall over once, which surprised me given that I'm normally flat on my face during trail races at some point. I wasn't the first person to drop, and the whole of the team made it beyond 24 hours, which was the 100 mile mark. Whilst the morning started quite chilly and cool, by midday, the sun was quite warm and a good hydration strategy was required. With a mix of tea, water, Skatach and Tailwind, I was doing pretty well, although I probably should have drank more through the night hours as I started to feel a little dehydration kicking in. There was wildlife on the course including a black bear which made an appearance the dark night, and the local coyotes were certainly vocalising their presence throughout the night, before being taken over by the birds with their dawn chorus.

So what happened that I ended up stopping at 30 hours, despite feeling like I could have gone for much, much longer? On this occasion, it was a mental weakness that stopped me. My training clearly showed that I could have gone much, much longer, but there was something that held me back that day. If I'm honest, one of the things I struggled with more than anything was the lack of teamwork. Unlike in Kelowna two years previously, I personally don't think there was the same level of unity that we had back then. People seemed to pair off and run together, there wasn't the same chatter that we had before, and rather than one or two groups of us running together and encouraging each other, there were groups of two or three sticking together, and for the most part, I was running solo. Crazy as it sounds, there were some members of the team that I didn't even have a conversation with when out on the course, and I left at the end of the weekend not even knowing their names which is such a shame, given that this was meant to be a team effort. I did run a few laps with a few of the tail enders, but I ended up abandoning that as I was concerned that I wasn't as strong as them on the climbs and the lap times were just too close for comfort for me - I needed to hit my landmarks on the course within a specific time to be confident that I would arrive back at the coral within the hour, and not be sprinting through the sand at the end and timing out.

I managed to get through the first night without any problems, but by mid-afternoon the following day, I just was not prepared to go through another night, trudging up that flaming hill and worrying about cutoffs. At the end of the 30th hour, I really needed the loo, and I said to Andy that I was done. I headed straight to the loos, and he was unable to follow me and talk me back into doing another loop. I missed the start and of course I was annoyed and disappointed with myself, but I had had enough of things mentally and wanted out. I DNF'd with 30 yards which amounted to around 125 miles.

I was the third member of the team to drop, but the others went on to have some amazing performances, many exceeding 40 hours, and the eventual Canadian Champion running a remarkable 55 hours or something.  They all have my utmost respect and I was so proud to have been a member of such an awesome team, where the standard and level of competition is continually improving and getting ever stronger.

We stayed the following night to cheer on those that were still churning out those laps through another long night, but by the Monday, we needed to make tracks back home. We packed up our things and said our goodbyes, and as we hit the road to head back to Alberta, a feeling of sadness crept in. I'd had a most amazing weekend with some incredible athletes, and yet the magic I had felt after my first BYU with Team Canada just wasn't there, and I was a little disappointed. These opportunities don't come around very often, especially as you get older, and next year I turn 50 - I may not be able to run at the same level as I do now as my body starts to slow down and takes longer to recover. But then if I don't try, how do I know? Needless to say, on May 13th next year, I will be doing my 4th backyard ultra, with the hopes of going long and making the national team for a third time. Who knows, I may have somebody that is able to run the 40 or 50 hours needed to make the team, and we'll both be ready to compete at the world team championships again in 2024!

5 Peaks Finale - back to Devon :)

Just a couple of weeks after the River's Edge Ultra 50k, I found myself back in Devon, this time to compete in the last race of the Northern Alberta 5 Peaks trail running series. I had once again opted for the Enduro, which would see me running two laps of the course which would total around 15km or more. I'd had confirmation that I was to join the Canadian team at the team world championships of the Backyard Ultra in just two weeks time, so I went to Devon erring on the side of caution, not wanting to get injured just before my biggest race of the year.

It was now October, and those cool and frosty mornings had crept in. The trees looked resplendent with their golden hues, and the trails were in great condition with no muddy patches and certainly no snow. I was looking forward to just taking it easy once again, running comfortably hard but not flat out racing, using this race as a final fitness test before the team event.

I took things pretty easy on the first lap, and once again, I was very surprised that I was running every single hill without the urge to stop and walk. I'd been doing trail runs on a Sunday, but I hadn't specifically been targeting the hillier trails, yet something I had been doing in recent weeks had given me tons of strength, and I felt it! I had definitely upped my mileage and had been doing double, triple and even quadruple day runs, and this clearly was benefiting my strength and fitness.

I was nowhere near the front, but I was steadily overtaking lots of the ladies, and going into lap two, my goal was to keep the pacing as consistent as possible. I did walk a couple of the hills on lap two, but I made up tons of time with my usual reckless downhill running (so much for erring on the side of caution!), but I was feeling fantastic and was taking advantage of it.

Coming into the final 3km, a chap was keeping tabs with me, so I decided to check his resilience and picked up the pace, I still heard him behind me, so pushed a little harder, opening up a slight gap although I could still hear his footsteps close behind, whilst his breathing had become a little more laboured. I put in another little burst of speed and it seemed that that was just a little too much for the chap behind me, so I continued to push forwards, maintaining my pace and heading for home.

I ended up finishing strong, I don't remember my time, but once again I made the podium in my age group which made me happy. I may not be able to compete against the youngsters anymore, but I can certainly try again people the same age as me :) Given that I'm also an ultra runner rather than a short distance racer, I was pretty happy with the outcome of my race. The chap who had been running just behind finished about 30 seconds later, and we did thank each other for the extra push at the end!

As with all the 5 Peaks races, this was another perfectly organised race where everybody had fun and finished with a smile. I'm almost sad that I won't be doing the series next year, but I'm pretty sure that I'll still be out there either volunteering, or just entering the races on an individual basis if and when I feel like it.

The race in Devon also gave me lots of confidence going into the BYU and I was ready to give my all for Team Canada later that month.

River's Edge Ultra 50km

I love the River's Edge Ultra, and yet for some reason, I never seem to have it in my race schedule, and taking part is usually a last minute decision, where I register just a month or so before the actual race. This year was no exception, and I found myself registering for the 50k just before the t-shirt deadline and approximately 6 weeks before the race. 

I suppose I'm lucky in that I can decide to take part in an ultra without worrying about whether I will be ready for it - I run approximately 80km/50 miles a week in training, and my longer weekend runs always seem sufficient enough to build the endurance needed to help me to run long. I was in the midst of training for the backyard ultra world team championships this time, so my mileage had been a little higher and closer to 100km per week and a 50km trail run at the REU fitted in perfectly with my plans.

Another thing that is appealing about this particular race is that you really can make a weekend of it, with free camping provided for both the Friday and Saturday nights, hot showers for post race, food on-site, a huge communal campfire on the Saturday evening, and of course, the pancake breakfast that is provided for all crew, runners, volunteers and hangers on, on the Sunday morning. I also had a friend visiting from the UK this year, and with her being a runner and also enjoying the camping lifestyle, I registered her for the 12k race whilst I would again be doing the 50k.

I went into the race not really wanting to be competitive but rather to just use things as a good, solid training run ready for the backyard ultra a few weeks later. The weather was beautiful - nice and warm and sunny, and I was looking forward to spending a few hours out on the gorgeous trails in Devon, and enjoying those autumn colours.

I deliberately started at the back of the pack and took my time running the first couple of miles, which are on single track and pretty hilly. I wasn't particularly pushing the pace, but I found myself moving swiftly through the field as some of the runners hesitated at the muddy sections or when there were a few tree roots to slow us down. I was climbing the hills much more strongly that I had previously despite my intentional slower start, and I somehow found myself at the front of the field by the time I'd completed the first lap.

I didn't bother having Andy crewing me this year, so I just grabbed a few nibbles, refilled my drinks bottles, and set off on the longer Homestead Loop, where I anticipated being out there for a good 2 or 3 hours.

I had a feeling that I was leading the ladies race at this point, or I was certainly in the top 2 or 3 ladies, and yet I still wasn't exactly pushing the pace. The climbs didn't seem to be as long this year, and I was running smoothly which really was surprising me. The views of the North Saskatchewan River from the higher sections of the course were just a gorgeous as I remembered, and I found myself running solo for the most part, wtih very few runners around me. This was great for me as I just settled into my own rhythm and thoughts, with no distractions from others. I was refuelling well, I'd had no vomiting nor queasiness, and I was feeling extremely strong - much, much better than I thought I would on such a tough course.

As I came into the aid station by the house, I need the toilet for a quick pee which delayed me by about 5 minutes. In that time, another lady had caught me who was also doing the 50k, and as we continued on our way, I let her go ahead and held back as much as possible to give us space, After around 10 minutes of running and not really concentrating, I ended up catching her up, so I sat in behind her for a short while. She was running a good pace, but wasn't going fast enough to pull away from me, and I really didn't want to go any slower. I made my move on a climb as we passed through the disk gold area, and I quickly made ground and opened up a gap over her. I don't recall seeing her again after that until I had completed my loop of the island much later on, and I was actually surprised that I'd gained so much ground on her by that point.

I still hadn't seen any other ladies either ahead of me, nor had any others come past me, but as I headed down a section of woodland trail, there was a lady that I recognised from the campsite that appeared to be ahead of me. It completely confused me as I definitely hadn't seen her pass me at any point, and I began to wonder whether one of us had actually gone the wrong way. I guided her back on course and she followed, but once again, a few minutes later I was running solo and couldn't see anybody else nearby.

I made the steep decent down to the river's edge and near the nudist beach, and was running strongly along the out and back section, slightly ahead of my time from the previous year. I was around 20 miles and had been running for 3 hours or something, but as I ran along the trail, other runners were coming towards me, and all of them had a 50k bib on their front. I was confused. Knowing that I still had a good 5k or so before the 50k turnaround, I couldn't understand how these runners could be so far ahead of me. They must have been running 6 or 7 minute miles to be 10k ahead of me at just 3 into the race, and with the greatest of respect, that seemed very doubtful. My only conclusion was that they had turned too soon and not completed the full distance, or else they had taken a wrong turn and made the course much, much shorter.

I tried not to dwell on it too much, and kept myself going by thinking that if they had indeed gone the wrong way, they would likely be disqualified, so I just needed to keep going and maybe I would make the podium after all.

The next few miles saw me almost breezing the climbs and the descents, and I was actually having a pretty good race given that I hadn't really got a plan except to have a good training run. I was still passing some of the other runners, and very few were passing me, but there was still that niggling doubt about whether some had actually gone the right way.

As I was approaching the end of the homestead loop, I saw one of the race organisers who asked me how things were going. I said everything was great, but something just didn't seem right, and I explained how I had seen runners heading back along the far section and me thinking there was no way they could be that far ahead in the time given. He confirmed my suspicions - several runners had indeed missed a turn, they had ended up missing a good chunk of the course, and they would now finish with around 40k rather that the 50k as stated.

It made me feel so much better but I still had no idea whether I was now the leading lady or not, so I had everything to run for. The island loop is only around 8 or 10k, it was probably the easiest of the loops, so I did actually push the pace for the last few miles. I also hoped to catch my friend from teh UK as she would now be out on the island loop as she competed in the 12k race. Unfortunately I didn't catch her, but the Island Loop whizzed by, and once again I was surprised at how quickly the time went, and how much shorter some sections seemed compared to previous years, despite it being exactly teh same course.

Before I knew it, I was heading into the finish, over half an hour faster than last year, no trips or falls, and no vomiting. I was also very surprised despite my thoughts earlier, that I had indeed won the ladies race, and I once again came away with two solid wood awards to add to my collection. I was feeling great and not too tired in the legs at all - it had indeed been a great day on the trails.

I didn't get to see my friend Julia until she had finished. She's not a trail runner and had fallen twice, but she still came away as the winning lady in her age group category, and she too would be heading home with a splendid wooden award from the organisers which made her efforts even more worthwhile.

We spent the night just chilling out, cooking our supper over the open fire whilst watching the other runners completing their races as the night drew in. The following morning, we enjoyed the pancake breakfast and were reminded once again as to why we love this event! What was nice this year was that more people had camped, more people had stayed late, and more people came for the breakfast which was great to see.

This was my third REU 50k completed, and I've volunteered at teh event too, and every year it gets better and better. It's not on my race plans for next year as yet, but I'm pretty sure that come July or August time, I'll be signing up to join the team once again, whether it be in a volunteer or racer capacity. That feeling of FOMO is just too strong!

Chickakoo 5 Peaks Trail Race - Enduro

 Just two weeks after the backyard ultra, I was toeing the line at my next 5 Peaks trail race, this time at Chickakoo. I'd purchased a season pass this year as I wanted to use the shorter trail races as good tempo or hard workouts for the bigger things, and so far, the plan had been working perfectly.

It was another hot and sunny day for Chickakoo although storms were in the forecast for later in the day. I wasn't sure how recovered I was from the BYU but it turns out that I was more recovered that I realised, and I ended up having a really good run/

The course at Chickakoo isn't easy. It starts on wide double tracks, but then as you turn into the trees and hit the single track, things become much hillier and more technical. I was surprised at how well I was running and how confident I was feeling, and I ran the hills feeling stronger than I had done for a while. I'm sure my marathon training earlier in the year had helped with this to some degree, and I was keeping a pretty good pace going.

I successfully navigated the single track without any falls, and I was moving steadily through the ladies field, feeling strong as I went and not afraid to take on the competition. I hadn't felt this competitive in a while, so it felt good to push myself and the other runners around me to see who was the strongest mentally and physically on the day.

As with many of my trail races though, the cockiness for want of a better word became my downfall, and the next breath, I was sprawled out on the floor having tripped on the tiniest of rock on the wide double trail. I brushed myself off only to do the same thing again around 10 minutes later, my poor knees taking yet another battering in my enthusiasm to run a hard trail race!

As with all 5 Peaks events, the course was very well marked, the volunteers amazing, and the entertainment was certainly entertaining. There is no doubt that the 5 Peaks is a huge family that sticks together, and everybody is encouraging everybody else out there, whether at the front, the middle or back of the pack. It's one of the reasons I keep going back to do these races - they really are for everybody!

I ran strong that day, the distance covered was close to 10 miles again, and the elevation came in at around 1500 feet or more - far more than I'm used to when training in my home city! But I felt amazing, and ended up finishing 3rd lady on the day, and I do believe 2nd in my age group :) Sadly I never expect to win anything these days so I left without collecting my medal - I think I've podiumed in my age group at all 5 peaks races this year, but it has been so unexpected that I've not been there for the presentation - doh!

With one race remaining in the series, I was looking forward to the final race in Devon in a few weeks time, and in the meantime, the plan was to just keep training hard, keep things varied, and to continue to enjoy my running. So far, so good :)

Upping the Miles and Trail Racing - Goldbar Park :)

Having raced Whitemud 5 Peaks a few weeks ago, my focus shifted to building up the miles again, this time in preparation for the Backyard Ultra at the end of July. Even though I had covered 100 miles at Survivorfest 24 hour, I was lacking in confidence about whether I had actually completed enough miles to do myself justice at the BYU. My weekly mileage had been pretty low when compared to my previous attempt, and I was concerned that I just wouldn't have the strength of body or mind to get to 36 hours like I did last time. It didn't help that I had to skip competing at Rundles Revenge 50k this year - Andy was working out in South Korea and I had nobody to dog sit for me whilst I raced again, so I ended up heading to Banff for a weekend of camping with the pups, but with no real running or hiking to get build up the miles.

It was Canada Day weekend the following week, so having spoken to coach Paul, we agreed that I would do 3 consecutive days of back to back long runs in the hope of building some confidence leading into BYU. Paul made things even more interesting though, giving me three days not only of back to back long runs, but also back to back double run days, where the cumulative mileage would be 120km, or 75 miles over the weekend.

I actually had a great week of running, and was pleasantly surprised that I exceeded the weekly mileage goal, totalling out at something like 105 miles or 170km for the week - mileage I never do unless I'm competing in a race.

On the Friday, I had 20km to do, followed by 10k later on in the day. The weather was really nice if a little humid, and I had a great run to celebrate Canada Day, followed by a decent run later in the evening. Feeling good, i was looking forward to running with my friend Julie the following day in Edmonton - she had chosen the route and would be cycling alongside me whilst I ran,

I actually had another great 30k run with Julie on the Saturday morning, despite the cooler temperatures and the persistent rain. It took me a good couple of hours and both of us were sopping wet, and yet my overall average pace had been fairly consistent and I was very happy with how things had gone, The extra 10k later than same day was tough - my legs were starting to feel the miles, and even though the rain had now stopped, conditions were very humid, whilst the sun had finally broken though the clouds making it feel even warmer. It was definitely a shuffle that evening, but I made myself run non-stop regardless of my pace, and I was happy to finished having ran the entire distance - another 40km in the bank.

Multiple Run Days - enjoying a breather!

30km in the pouring rain!

100km over a hot summer weekend - phew!

Sunday was going to be the toughest day as my legs were now starting to feel the extra mileage and the faster than planned pace, but I set off that morning with full intentions of completing 5 x 8km loops of the local lake, using my car as an aid station and forcing myself to run every single step non-stop until I was back at the car, where I allowed myself to refuel and grab a drink.

Yet again, my lap times were very consistent which surprised me, especially as my legs felt like they were seizing up. Add to that the heat of the day, the sunburn, and the crusty salt that was building up on my skin from all the sweat, it really was a hard slog our there! The last 5km were when I really struggled and having decided not to do another loop of the lake but rather an out and back instead to break up the monotony, I ended up stopping for just a couple of minutes. That was when the fatigue really did hit me, and I became acutely aware of the amount of miles I was trying to cram in. But I still logged the 40km (25 miles or so), and after some food, a quick shower and a walk with the pups, I headed out for a second time that day, to complete mu final run of the weekend.

That 10k hurt. I was still quite dehydrated from my earlier run, and I didn't feel like I had refuelled properly. But one again, I kept things going and did not stop, finishing the run pretty tired and in desperate need of a massage to get rid of all the crap that was no doubt building up in my muscles!

The 100+ miles week certainly took it's toll on me, and teh following week, I ended up skipping some of my longer runs. My energy levels were low, the constant hot weather was dragging me down, and being short staffed at work meant things were extremely hectic and I wasn't getting the chance to relax. In addition, I was still home alone - I needed some down time and a bit of a rest! I ended up heading to Terwillegar dog park with the pups for a couple of hours walking at a gentle pace, and it made such a huge difference to how I felt physically.

The higher mileage continued, and in mid-July, I took part in the third of the 5 Peaks trail races, this time at Goldbar Park.

It was going to be another hot day with temperatures expected to hit the mid 20's by the time the race started at 10am, so I was sure to stay in the shade whilst waiting, and I consciously drank a good litre or so of Skratch to ensure I was properly hydrated.

Goldbar 5 Peaks race just before the start, and already toasty!

This race was two laps, and I started the first lap cautiously, careful not to go off too quick and overheat. Running alongside the river beneath the trees wasn't too bad, but when hitting the single track, the heat became oppressive which I really did notice, and I started to sweat much more heavily. I was still feeling really good though, and I started to overtake some of the other runners that had started off a little too quickly and were now paying the price for their earlier efforts. I was really enjoying the run, and as we came down the final hill towards the start of our second lap, I was ready to start pushing it a little more to see if I could start moving up through the field.

As we came into the transition area, the marshals directed us towards the finish. Confused, I said that I was running the Enduro and needed to go the other way, but was told there had been a medical emergency and we were all being directed to the finish to end our race.

The way everybody just did as instructed was amazing, and the volunteers and the race directors did a really good job in handling the situation. Sadly, a well known gentleman from the local running community had collapsed out on the course, and later that day he passed away. On the day, none of us really knew what had happened, and respectfully accepted there would be no awards ceremony and folks were asked to leave. In hindsight when we all later heard what had happened, things had been handled perfectly, and it was extremely emotional hearing how the other racers had stepped in to help out when the emergency occurred, whilst others were respectful enough to give them space and continued onwards to raise the alarm.

That day really put things into perspective in that we really do need to live for the day, and continue to do the things we enjoy doing. The passing of this gentleman was sudden and it hit the running community hard, but it also brought us all closer together and made us even more aware of each other and more proactive in making sure we were all ok. It changed the mood of the next few races I did, and it was definitely reassuring to know that we all have each other's backs.

Following the race at Goldbar, my high mileage training continued for another couple of weeks and before I knew it, the big one was upon me, and I was ready to compete in my next Back Yard Ultra, this time in Okotoks where I had high hopes of going long. Things didn't quite go to plan, but I guess you can read all about it in my next post :)

Outrun Backyard Ultra :)

I wasn't planning on doing another Backyard Ultra in 2022. I'd already qualified for the Canadian national team with my 36 yards from two years, but with the increasing popularity of this kind of event, and with the standard of competition following that same upward trend, I wasn't about to be too complacent and make any assumptions that I would definitely be joining the team again for the 2022 Team World Championships in October. Even with my 36 yards, I had been pushed down to 10th on the team list, and with two silver ticket races still to take place prior to the team announcement, I'd come to the conclusion that I needed 40 yards as a minimum to be guaranteed that spot on the team.

For the past few weeks, I had really ramped up my mileage and got in some good quality runs and I felt confident heading to Okotoks that I could hit that 40 yards. Of course, I needed somebody else that was able to go for 40 hours or more - either that, or I had to win the event which would give me automatic selection to the team, regardless of the number of yards completed. 

The other thing to consider was that on the same day as my event in Okotoks, there was another silver ticket race taking place in Ontario which would see some top runners competing against each other. There was a possibility that they could also go beyond 40 hours, so I was keeping a close eye on that event too. To some degree, we had the advantage in Okotoks as the other event - The Persistence Backyard Ultra - was starting a few hours before ours did, so it was highly likely that we would already know that result by the time we hit 24 hours+. It was going to be exciting and I was ready for it!

We set up our basecamp on the Friday lunch time in Okotoks, securing a perfect spot away from everybody else in a nice shaded area, which would be perfect for keeping the dogs cool and calm. The Sheep River was just a mere 100 yards away, and the plan would be that Andy would take the pups down to the river to cool off whilst I was running, before coming back and being available to crew me. The weather was still really hot and the forecast was calling for temperatures close to 30 degrees celsius, so we needed to make sure that not only was I kept cool, but Andy and the pups were able to keep cool and comfortable too.

Things appeared to be perfect when leaving things on the Friday afternoon, but later that day, storms moved in to the Calgary area, and there was a huge windstorm that swept through race HQ. A message from the organisers suggested that anybody that had already set up their crew area should return immediately as some tents were damaged, and things had been blown all over the place. Thankfully, just as we were about to head back, we received a message from a good friend Kevin, telling us that he had managed to salvage our gear, and had taken down our 10 x 10 tent to stop it blowing away or getting damaged, and had put it in our smaller popup tent to keep things safe overnight.

We knew we would need to arrive a little earlier the next day to set things up again, but when we got there around 8am, somebody had decided to set up their aid station just 5 feet away from our popup tent and there was now no room for the 10 x 10 that would be the main crew area for me - the pop up was more to keep the pups out of harms way, whilst all my gear and food would be in the other. I was so frustrated, and tried to explain to the other people that we'd already claimed this particular spot, without trying to sound like an ass!

We tried to put the larger tent up again and it was only then that they realised what we meant - they moved another feet away, and our door now opened right in their apparent area. It wasn't ideal as I now felt like we were pretty much on top of eachother, and the dogs would no doubt go crazy and be unsettled. With the race starting in a few minutes, there wasn't much I could do, so I headed off for loop one whilst Andy tried to set things up for a second time, in between trying to keep the dogs calm.

Things went downhill from there, and I never was able to get my mind back into the game. At the end of the loop, whilst Andy was trying to fix the sides back on the tent, April broke free and came running over to me whilst I was running into the finishing straight. Thankfully she only jumped up me to say hello, but the damage was done. Whilst out on a following loop, Andy was STILL trying to set things back up and was unable to really focus on crewing me. The dogs were tied securely this time, but somebody walked over to chat to Andy about April having got loose, and despite Tillie barking like crazy and clearly being uncomfortable with somebody approaching her, she ended up lunging at said person. She did no damage, but the fact she had lunged was enough.

As I finished that particular loop, I was escorted by the organisers back to our crew area, where I was told that our dogs could not stay and they would need to be outside of the area, and that Andy would need to stay there with them and come over to me to crew when I finished each lap. I had nobody else to crew me, there was no way I was going to leave the dogs 200 yards away on their own, unattended, whilst I was being crewed by Andy, and the whole suggestion seemed unfeasible. I was not happy at all, and I basically exploded in frustration and was ready to walk away just 3 or 4 hours into the event.

I was firmly trying to explain that the crew area was huge and yet somebody had stupidly pitched their stuff right next to us despite all teh space, we'd set up the day before deliberately choosing that spot because it was away from everybody else, blah blah blah. I was fuming about the whole situation, wasting a lot of energy when I should just have been focusing on my race.

That next lap, I punished myself by running as hard as I could, knocking out 35 minutes or something stupid in my frustration and still just wanting to walk away as I felt my race had already been ruined. I never really got back into things, even when good friends stepped in to crew me later on in the day which gave Andy more time to attend to the pups. The pups were no more trouble for the next 20 hours and were so well behaved, yet those two instances had spoilt things.

To be fair, my laps were coming in pretty steady after that for many hours, and whilst I wasn't enjoying things as much as my previous BYU, I was at least getting back into things a bit. We had scorching hot weather where we were sweating cobs, then we had hailstorms and flooded pathways on a couple of laps leading to soaking wet feet and clothing. Without Andy, my nutrition went tits up, and I found myself being sick mainly because I had just been fed sugary foods rather than stodgy, I was getting so hungry, so when I had a bowl of mashed potatoes, I ate them too quickly which caused the vomiting.

The whole event is just a blur now, but I know that at 20 hours, when there were still 12 of us going but the race out East was already over and I knew I was pretty much guaranteed a spot on the Canadian team, I decided to stop as my heart was not in it, I was disappointed and still somewhat frustrated, but I had truly had enough mentally and wanted out.

I had higher hopes for this particular race, but circumstances meant that it all went belly up. I'm normally much better at adjusting to the unexpected, but it was just too much effort that weekend.

The good news is that the event was of course very well organised, and cameraderie amongst the runners was excellent, and things would have gone much, much better had that darn wind storm not blown through on the Friday which caused a domino effect on my entire weekend.

But I'm one of those people that puts those bad runs behind me, learns from it, and just moves forward. There will be other opportunities to get my 40 hour DNF in a backyard ultra - a week later I had confirmation that I had made the team for the team world championships and would be heading out to Summerville in BC in October - I was filled with relief, and over the coming weeks, I was determined to work hard and get myself in even better shape ready to do Canada proud. I was ready to do it.

5 Peaks Trail Race - Whitemud :)

 A couple of weeks ago I did my second trail race of the year - the 5 Peaks Enduro event, this time at Whitemud. The course was once again around 14km, and I had an absolute blast!

The race came just two weeks after the marathon, and with still having a little fatigue in my legs, I didn't want to go crazy and race things flat out. The organisers had warned us that some of the trails we would be going on were some of the toughest in the river valley, so I knew I would be crawling up those hills and likely losing a fair few places in the process!

The first mile or two was pretty flat, and I certainly felt the benefits of my marathon training as I seemed to make light work of the terrain and moved steadily through the field. But when the single track started, as suspected I slid backwards, and people started to pass me once again. I was still doing pretty well on the hills and didn't really walk any of them but my pace really was a shuffle. The downhills felt good, although I wasn't feeling as confident as normal with all the tree roots - I guess road running really does turn you into a whimp!

For some reason I thought the course was two loops again, but as we approached the junction where we had just headed out on course, we were directed in teh opposite direction and I figured it must be one loop which suited me just fine. I kept things going steadily, but then I noticed that I had once again started to gain on people, simply because this section of course had once again flattened out. I took full advantage of the flats, and used my speed to overtake a couple of ladies that I knew were also in my age group category. I was feeling really strong, so I thought I'd just go with it and see where I ended up.

Of course, a mile or so later, the climbs started once again, and this time they really were relentless. Up and down we went, snaking in between the trees and dodging tree roots again, and yet now I was feeling more confident and far more competitive, and was getting a little more reckless on those downhills!

A small group of runners had been just behind me, but I somehow opened up a gap, and as the gap grew, so did my confidence, and I was starting to push things far more than I had planned. The course was really tough, but I was absolutely loving it, and it made me realise just how much I had missed my trail running this year. In all fairness, that was why I purchased a season pass for the 5 Peaks this year - I wanted to do some trail running, and these would be perfect as good tempo runs as well as enabling me to remain a part of the trail running community.

I had no idea what position I was in teh race, butI had a feeling that I was doing far better than my last race at Terwillegar, and was likely up there with the top ladies. I wanted to finish strong, so I kept on pushing hard. I could hear the finish line music, but every time the trail headed downwards, it would then head up again, leading us away from where I thought the finish line would be.

This seemed to go on forever and my legs were now starting to feel those climbs. I was convinced that the other ladies would come speeding past me any time soon, but I couldn't see anybody chasing me down. I finally came to a huge downhill and really did seize the opportunity to pick up the pace, and finally as I turned the corner, the finish line was ahead.

I finished in around 1 hour 17 minutes, and this time I was 6th lady and 2nd in my age group - I was very happy, and I was feeling fantastic! Sadly I couldn't hang around for the presentation so missed out on my medal but I'm pretty sure I can collect it next time.

Next time will be at Goldbar in July, and I'm already looking forward to it :)

Just another loopy day!

It's been a week now since I completed the Survivorfest 24 hour event, and I have to say that recovery from the event is going much better than I anticipated. The race itself was never really in my plans for this year, but then a case of FOMO back in March saw me registering, the plan being to use it as a training run for my forthcoming backyard ultra, and hopefully a confidence building if I could hit the 100 miles.

Unlike previous attempts at 24 hour events, my longest training runs had peaked at just 35km - long enough to help me have a decent run at the Red Deer Marathon, but not really enough if I hoped to get to the 100 miles in that 24 hours. On that basis, I had no idea how the day would pan out, and my only plan was to keep on running for as long as possible and have fun along the way - if I got bored or my heart wasn't in it before the the 24 hours had elapsed, then I was ok about stopping. There really was no pressure nor expectation - I'd even opted to do the "track and trail" route this time rather than spending the entire time on the track - that really did remove any pressure, especially in terms of chasing records or national team selection.

In hindsight, I will admit that my race definitely went better than I expected. My husband has been working away in Korea for the past month, so for the first 12 hours, I was self- crewing - this kind of worked well in some respects as I was able to eat and drink when I felt like as opposed to being made to eat by my crew, but in other respects, it made me forget the simple things like using sunscreen when things heated up, and making sure I was taking on salt more frequently. It also meant I didn't have the cool bag that I would normally use - too much faffing around getting drinks in and out - so everything of course warmed up as the day progressed, and drinking warm water and warm Tailwind was somewhat disgusting. Meanwhile, the lack of sunscreen meant I got burnt to a cinder in the midday sun, whilst the lack of salt caused me to get a little dizzy,  and it was only then that I realised I hadn't eaten enough salty foods!

But setting those things aside, the day went really well. I likely started a little too quickly as I got chatting to friends, but thankfully I was feeling good and the pace still felt easy and manageable. I hadn't really set myself any targets to get me through the race - normally I would say I'd aim to hit 50k in a certain time, or 100k or whatever - but this time, it was more about asking myself whether I had sufficient time to hit the 100 miles, even if I had to walk.

As it happened, I went through 50k in around 4 hours 40, and I hit 50 miles at around 8 hours 40, which meant I had TONS of time to hit my overall goal. 

I'd been refuelling really well and had had no puking sessions at all, and as I pushed on to the 100k mark, I was feeling really good. I hadn't used the aid station provided by the organisers, so shortly after hitting the 50 miles, I really fancied something cold and refreshing, so I took a few chunks of watermelon from them. I walked for a short while whilst savouring the coolness of it, but then as I started to run a few minutes later, the old familar nausea started, and yep, I threw up. It was so fricking frustrating! I really thought I was going to make it to nightfall before I starting throwing up my guts, but clearly my body had other ideas. I was also hoping it would be closer to the track where I could at least find a bin to get rid of my insides, but unfortunately it came whilst out on the course, and I was retching on the grass verge just across the road from people's houses. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, but thankfully other than a couple of kindly marshalls, nobody saw me and I was able to get moving again.

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

As with all my other races, from then onwards, I was struggling to eat and drink and it was back to the nibbling and sipping just to get something inside of me. The good news is that my friend Julie had agreed to crew me from around 6pm onwards, and she was able to bring some chilled drinks with her, and also cool down cans of coke and other things for me to drink. I was able to eat some solids again, but my calorie intake was coming predominantly from drinks. Up until then, I had done well and had actually eaten cheese sandwiches, a couple of boiled eggs, a 7 Summit Snacks bar, bananas, I had been drinking cokes and smoothies, and all seemed to be ok. 

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

I think I went through 100km in around 10 and a half hours, and having done the calculations in my head, I knew that even if I walked for the next 61km, and so long as I kept at the average walking pace of 20 minute miles, I could hit and indeed exceed 100 miles! My legs were feeling really good, mentally I was in a good place, and I was actually having lots of fun - probably more fun than at any other timed event I have done!

Julie did a great job of looking after me and keeping me fuelled, and when I had cravings for a strong cup of tea at around 10pm or something, she reached out to friends who kindly came out to the track on their Saturday night, to bring me a cup of tea and some Tim Bits. The tea hit the spot, and I had a sudden surge of energy that kept me going through the night. My other friend Pawel also came out in the middle of night, bringing me more tea and some fries to munch on. Being salty, they tasted fantastic, and I was starting to feel those hunger pangs again despite still being wary of taking on too much solid food.

Photo credit Kevin Cheung

At some point, I lost track of time and it became more about counting down the laps to the 100 miles. The night time was cold and as I was mostly walking by now, I had to layer up to keep warm. I felt so sorry for Julie who was still trying to look after me, and yet I'm sure she must have been cold, even though she was sitting there snuggled up under her blanket.

Living in the northern hemisphere means that the nights are short here in the summer months. Darkness came around 11.30pm, but by 3am, the sky was already starting to get light again as the sun started to rise. At that point - with around 5 hours still to go, I only had 8 miles to do before I hit the 100 miles. I knew I could do it, and I was so, so happy! Given that I had plenty of time, I decided to have a lie down in the tent for a half hour or so. I had been feeling a little dizzy again and my tummy was gurgling away  - I knew that a bit of a lie down would allow things to settle and then I could just crack on and get things done. This also gave Julie the chance to get warmed up in her car, so I had a very light doze, waking up just before 5am and getting back to moving again.

The sun has risen, and only a few miles to go! PC Julie

The sunrise was spectacular and I only wish I had a camera to capture the vibrant colours as the sun finally peaked its head over the horizon. It was still quite cool, but as that golden ball got higher in the sky, it made a huge difference and I was starting to warm up.

I continued to shuffle forwards, and after 22 hours and 38 minutes, I hit just over 101 miles or around 163km. I was still feeling really good all things considered, but I had nothing to prove by completing the full 24 hours, so I called it a day and was very, very happy with my result.

Survivorfest really is a fantastic event, and I am so glad that I went back again this time. Was it easier doing the track and trail? In hindsight, no, it was probably harder as there were a couple of inclines that you really feel as the race progressed, plus there was some negotiating curbs and speedbumps in the middle of night, when the legs are tired and the eyes are bleary! But that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I loved every single minute, and I think I smiled for pretty much the entire time.

Timed events also bring the competitors and crews together - the support out there is amazing, and everybody is so willing to chip in and help each other out. It feels like family, and even though I always say never again, there is just something about these events that lures me back.

I'm really happy with how things went, even though I probably walked far more than I ever have before. But the fact that I still hit the 100 miles and was able to dig deep and keep things going makes me happy and far more confident going in to the backyard ultra in a few weeks time. If anything hindered my race this time, it was the lack of miles leading into it, it was the heat, and it was the lack of salt. I think I did everything else right, and I am hoping that I can do just as well at the end of July. I'm hopeful that Andy will be back home by then, and I know for sure that he's the other half of my team that will help me achieve my goals next month.

For now though, I have to recover from last weekend, but also keep things ticking over to make sure I am ready for my next race. I've had a couple of good runs this weekend, and I'm surprised at how good the legs feel. Hopefully with a good massage and a few longer runs over the next couple of weeks, I'll put in a good enough performance that will help me to gain selection to Team Canada.

Let Racing Commence!

After two years of races being cancelled, things are finally back to normal and the racing season here in Alberta has recommenced. I'd been cautious about entering too many races this year simply because nobody really knew how things were going to pan out, but I'm happy to report that since I last wrote, I have managed to squeeze in three good races, a couple of parkruns, and numerous decent training sessions, including a 5k time trial where I ran 21.20 - an age PB for me, having not ran that quick for a couple of years now.

Since I registered for the Red Deer Marathon in October last year, this race has been my main focus during the winter months and leading into the spring. Most of my longer training runs have been at marathon pace, and up until the beginning of March, I was confident that I could hold that 7.30 miling which would give me a finishing time of around 3.15. But then I caught Covid, I missed a good month of marathon prep, and I knew that my initial goal was going to be far too ambitious.

I wasn't really sure what I would be capable so decided to just continue with the training plan, and made a decision on how to tackle things closer to race day.

In my marathon hay day, I always tried to do a couple of races leading into a marathon that would make me "race sharp" and also give a true indication as to how training is going. I hadn't really got anything planned, but when I saw the St Albert 10 mile road race about four weeks out, I thought this would be a great opportunity to put things to the test and see how I cope running fast on the roads again.

It was a great day for racing in St Albert - a cool start with a gentle breeze which was perfect for running. I had heard that the course was quite hilly and having not really done any hill work (I haven't been on the trails for ages now with training for a road marathon!), I had a feeling I was going to struggle on the  climbs which would ultimately slow me down. I was hoping to run close to 75 minutes even with the hills, but that felt terribly quick for me, especially when I saw the mile long climb right at the start of the race. I tried not to dwell on things too much though, and as soon as the gun went, I set off running the race by feel, trying not to look at my watch but rather keeping things hard but controlled.

The long, drawn out uphill was followed by a lovely downhill, and then the course became rolling with a few ups and downs. I had no idea what position I was in, I didn't really know what pace I was running, but by 10k I had to take a quick look, and I could see that I was on track for a sub 75 minutes - I was ecstatic! Of course, I still had another 6k to go, and having weaved between the 10k runners that had started later but shared the same course, I was still running strongly with both the breathing and the legs feeling in synch with eachother.

The final mile through town seemed to go on forever, but I eventually saw the finish line, crossing it in around 73 minutes - mission accomplished! 

St Albert 10 mile Road Race

Having had a good race in St Albert, I was even more motivated with my training sessions, and I ended up running the parkrun in Edmonton one Saturday morning, where I finally dipped under 22 minutes for the first time on that course (21.46). I was starting to grow in confidence and not fear running hard and fast again, so much so that a 5k time trial on the track saw me run an even quicker time of 21.20.

Track 5km time trail - 21.20 :)

I had another race planned before the marathon - this time it was the first of the 5 Peaks trail races at Terwillegar in Edmonton. I was really looking forward to racing on the trails again as it really has been such a long time, and having entered the Enduro event, this was going to be a good 10 mile tempo run. Without a doubt, I knew I was going to struggle on those climbs and maybe even the more technical trails - you do lose your trail legs if you don't run them often enough! - but I wasn't interested in trying to win anything on the day, I just wanted a good, solid run that would boost my confidence for Red Deer.

The course really suited me with a good couple of miles at the start of each loop being flat and fast, and I could really tell that I had been doing speed sessions as I felt like I was floating along. I was passing lots of people and a couple of folks even commented at the end how fast I was (speed is relative, but still). Ireally did feel good stretching out the legs, and I could see a couple of ladies ahead that kept looking behind to see if I was catching them, but I knew that the mid section was hilly and that any gains I made on the flats would be lost on the hills. 

The course turned out to be just over 10 miles, and I averaged out at around 8.38 minute miling- the fastest paced trail race I have done in a very long time, and I was very, very happy with the effort. I had felt strong and I was now feeling ready for the marathon.

5Peaks Terwillegar PC: 5 Peaks

We had decided to spend the weekend in Red Deer and being a long weekend anyway, we booked three nights at the Lions Campground on the outskirts of town. It's in a really nice location alongside the river, but unfortunately it is next to a road that was extremely noisy with boy racers until the early hours, we were awoken by chainsawing at 5am on the Sunday morning, whilst our camping neighbours were up partying until 1am, despite "quiet time" being from 10pm onwards. In saying that, I slept ok and didn't real feel too bad on race day morning.

The campground was only 5 minutes drive to the start so I didn't have to get up at a ridiculous hour, although the race did start at 8am which is early for me! Parking was good, and it felt so good to experience that race day apprehension again, those pre-race nerves, the vibes off all the other runners, and actually being at an event!

There were probably around 200 in the marathon which started with the half marathoners, but there was still plenty of space at the start and there was no jostling for position when we got going. It was another cool start, but I knew things were going to warm up as the morning progressed, so right from the getgo, I was sure to take drinks from the aid stations to keep those cramps and dehydration at bay. I had also taken some gels with me and I took one every 10km to keep me moving. I'm not really sure they did anything for me, but if nothing else, they gave me the mental boost that I was now full of energy for another 10k!

Having reviewed recent races and training session, I figured that I could run 7.40 to 7.45 miling relatively comfortably which would bring me in somewhere around 3.20 to 3.25 if I had a good day. I would be perfectly happy with that, although I realistically thought that just under 3.30 would be more likely. 

I'm surprised I remembered the course as well as I did - it had been 8 years since I last ran here, and yet I knew exactly where I was going and what was coming up. The climbs were just as I remembered and my pace slowed on the uphills, the trail loop around the island was lots of fun, and the section through the off-leash dog park had me trying to avoid tripping over dogs that were excited to run alongside me. I even remembered the forest trail that went on for around 3km, and the course really was as scenic as I remembered.

I was doing pretty well with my pacing, going through half way in around 1.43 which would give me 3.26 if I kept it going, although I knew full well that chances were I was going to slow down - the question was, by how much. It was only when I got to 32km or 20 miles when I started to slow ever so slightly. The run through the forest was a gradual climb and my legs were feeling it, so when i hit the pavement again, I couldn't seem to pick up the pace. I was still hovering around 8s so wasn't too concerned, but getting under that 3.30 was now going to be more of a challenge. Things had also started to warm up considerably, so I was walking through aid stations to be sure of taking onboard fluids which of course cost me time that soon builds up. I was also struggling a little on the smaller hills, feeling like I was crawling up them, but I kept pushing forward and working hard.

With around 3km to go, I saw another lady ahead of me and I was pretty sure that she was in third place. My competitive instinct kicked in and now I was working hard not only to break 3.30 but also to grab a place on the podium. I was reminded of my road running days and my determination to fight all the way to the finish line. Those fond memories came flooding back along with that rush of adrenalin, and as I passed the other lady, I skipped the aid station and kept focused on getting to the finish line. I knew there was a final climb just a half mile or so from the finish and I needed to get to the top of that hill without being passed if I had any hope of holding on to third place. I did it, and as I ran a 6.38 pace down the final hill to the finish line, I just missed the sub 3.30  by a mere 6 seconds. It didn't matter - I was so close, and I had sneaked third place in the ladies race.

There is no denying that I had tons of fun at the Red Deer Marathon. I was reminded all over again what a beast the marathon is, how tough they are to run, but also how much fun they can be. It's been five years since I last did a road marathon and  Red Deer this weekend was marathon number fourty something - I can understand why I loved the marathon distance so much, and I have to say that I am so so tempted to do another one very soon. My time from Red Deer should get me into Boston if I so desired, and also Chicago should I wish to head there in October next year instead - one thing I do know is that I do want to do it all again!

The thing that surprised me most about Sunday's race was how I coped mentally with the distance. At no point did I think about how far I was running, at no point did I think I could not hold the pace for another x number of miles - the miles went by very quickly, I broke the course down into chunks, tackled things mile by mile, and it worked perfectly. And yet if it had been a half marathon, I would likely have struggled at 8 miles and hated every minute!

Next up on my race calendar is another 5 Peaks trail race, this time at Whitemud. I'm not expecting too much from that, but I'm still looking forward to it. Then in three weeks time, it's Survivorfest 24 hour event. I wasn't going to do the 24 hour this year but with the introduction of the track and trail option, I'm going to use it as a good training run in preparation for the Backyard Ultra in July.

Of course, aside from my running, life is still chugging along quite nicely. I was offered a permanent job in the Safety Codes section at work and I started in my new position about a month ago. This inevitably caused some stress as I tried to learn new things, and I was feeling somewhat exhausted, but I now feel like I'm settling in and enjoying things. We've also sneaked in some camping trips and released a couple of new videos - if you've not seen our Easter Feast video or the winter campout at Crimson Lake, check out my YouTube channel and get watching!

Winter camping videos and Easter Feasting :)

I was hoping to get some more videos up over the coming weeks, but the husband is over in Korea and it's more difficult to find the time to storyboard, film and then edit videos when I'm on my own. I do have a couple of ideas in the pipeline and some videos still at the edit stage, but things may be a little quiet on my channel for  the next month so please bear with me.

That's it for now except to say that the pups are still keeping me busy and I love them more than ever - they are certainly great company when I am home alone!

Until next time, happy running my friends and see you all again very soon :)