A Sense of Belonging at Last :o)

It's now been 3 months since I left the UK to start my new life over here in Canada, and after a few wobbles in the early days, I can finally say that Calgary is starting to feel more like home and I am at last "living the dream"  that started back in the year 2000, when Andy and I first visited this wonderful country. Since then,  we've had several adventures here during holidays spent in the nearby mountains, and I have a sense that there are more to come now that we are finding our feet and meeting more people.

It seem like ages ago now that I did the Calgary Marathon, and yet it's only been about a month, but in that time, I've started my new job as a Documentation Specialist, which has really helped to ease those feelings of isolation and loneliness.

I'm actually working in the same offices as Andy, but things are working out well as we have a firm belief that work and home life are two completely separate entities. I work with a small albeit friendly and conscientious team, and now that I've settled in and am starting to make a difference, I'm feeling positive about being in the role long term.

One of the things I especially like about the job is being part of an international team, with work colleagues coming from Kazakhstan, Switzerland, India, Britain, Spain, France, the Far East, with surprisingly just 2 or 3 of the team actually being Canadian, and whilst it's unlikely that my role will take me much further than HQ in Montreal on business, when you consider that Montreal is a 4 hour flight away, it makes you realise how huge Canada really is. Since Wilson's injury a couple of weeks ago, he too has been coming into the office on a daily basis and has been a complete hit with the team. He generally spends the day sleeping under my desk although he is frequently spoilt with doggy biscuits and Baby Belle cheese.

I really am enjoying the job and whilst it's fantastic seeing the Rocky Mountains in the distance through the office window on a daily basis, I do sometimes find it frustrating sitting at a desk on a bright sunny day whilst yearning to get out there and explore those mountain trails.

Running wise, my current main target is the Edmonton Marathon on 19th August, and for the past few weeks, I've been following a marathon schedule which will hopefully get me running a faster time that I did in Calgary a few weeks ago. I was a little concerned that starting work would mean less time for getting out on the roads and trails, but thankfully that's  not the case, and I'm finding that I'm making time for my runs, sometimes running later on in the evening, or even running the 7 or so miles home from work along the Bow River Pathway.

The good news is that I am starting to feel much fitter and stronger with the easy runs  starting to feel more easy, and my faster paced runs being more on target. I wanted to put my fitness to the test a couple of weeks ago, and was hoping to run the Millarville Race to the Farmers Market Half Marathon. Unfortunately, Andy had spent a week in Montreal and Philadelphia and was due to return early hours on race day, but electrical storms over Calgary during the day meant several flight cancellations which impacted on his return flight. He didn't get back until 3am and  with the race due to start at 7, there was no way I would be able to run a race on just 3 hours sleep and do myself justice. It was disappointing and I did feel somewhat frustrated as I really had been looking forward to it, but I just had to accept it wasn't meant to be, and be thankful that I had pulled out due to unforeseen circumstances rather than through injury.

To compensate for missing the Millarville Race, I have since entered a 10km race down in High River on Canada Day - 1st July - and I'm looking forward to having a good blow out before the Stampede Half Marathon the following week. Shortly after that, I fly to the UK for a couple of weeks to visit friends and family and to catch some of the Olympics. I've also got a few races planned in during my visit, and it seems so strange thinking that I will be running the likes of the Dovedale Dipper and Staffs Knot 5 - races that I've done several times and are so familiar to me and yet sound so alien and distant to me now, having experienced racing over here.

Whilst most of my training has been on the tracks and trails around Fish Creek Park, I'm lucky that I've met up with Alan Lam a few times to do some speed sessions. He's far quicker than I am, but it helps trying to hang off the back of him on each of the reps, making me work harder and hopefully helping me to improve in time for the marathon.

Alan and a few of his friends regularly meet up for daily runs in the mountains, and a couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to go along with them early on a Sunday morning, and to do a bit of proper mountain trail running. The plan was to run approximately 30km altogether, taking in Cox Hill and following Jumping Pound Ridge before descending back to the parking lot. I'd looked at the route on the internet a couple of days before hand - it looked very impressive and I couldn't wait to get out there with the others and give it a go.

I'm terrible with names, but there were about 8 of us altogether,  along with Moxie the dog, and I can honestly say that I had never met such a lovely, crazy (!) but friendly bunch of people, all of them making me feel so welcome.

"The Gang" - great bunch of folks on a June day at the top of Cox Hill
with fantastic views of the Rockies (thanks to Alan for the photo!)

We'd had some pretty heavy rain for a few days leading up to the run with some intensive electrical storms, and this particular day, the sky was dark and threatened more of the same. These guys are experienced mountain runners and they were a little concerned about being exposed up on the ridge in poor weather, but figured we'd give it a go and see how it went.

The trail up Cox Hill was hard work, climbing some 2000' in just 3 miles or so, and as we climbed higher, we eventually hit about 2 feet of snow that had fallen overnight. It  was hard going in the snow, but despite it being almost the middle of June, for me it was beautiful and I loved the excitement of being so high up in such wintry conditions. The summit was at about 7000' and the magnificent vistas from the top certainly made the climb worthwhile, but being slippery underfoot and with ever darkening skies we made the decision to turn back and cut the run short. Although we only covered about 12km in total, I absolutely loved the experience and hopefully there will be more of the same over the coming months.

Heading back down from Cox Hill (thanks Alan for the photo!)

Having spent some time with true trail and mountain runners, we'd been chatting about the different trail races throughout the year , most of them being ultras. After my dismal performance at the Commonwealth Trail running Champs last year (I blame it on a Mediterranean Cruise 2 weeks before, and all the stress preparing our move out here), I'd made a decision to avoid ultra running at all costs as I really had lost my touch. However, talking about some of the trail races near to Calgary whetted my appetite for distance running once again, and I found myself looking for trail races of 50km or more.

Scouring the internet, there are so many to choose from, but the popularity of ultra running on the trails over here means that races fill up quickly so I found to my dismay that many of them had already been oversubscribed. Thankfully though, I did find the Grizzly 50km Trail Race, starting in Canmore in October and before I knew it, my finger had hit the"Register" button, and I was in!  I figured this would fit in really well as it is after the marathon and gives me plenty of time to build up some endurance again, and do some hill work in readiness for the amount of climbing involved in the race. Although doing the race for the sheer enjoyment, I am also hoping that, with the World Trail Running Championships being held in Angelsey next year, the GB selectors will consider me for the GB Team based on my performance in the Grizzly along with some of the other mountain/trail races I'm hoping to do. The Worlds will be held in Newborough Forest - the same venue as the Commonwealths that I did last year - and the terrain is extremely tame compared to what I'm likely to face over here, so I'm hoping for some decent races to gain selection so I can go and prove myself over in Anglesey, and lay some demons to rest.

In the meantime though, I'm taking my running a day at a time and for the first time in a very long time, I'm enjoying my running adventures again, exploring new routes and finding new races. It's taken a bit of time, but at last, I finally have a sense of belonging and purpose here in Canada :o)

Young Pups and Marathons

The past couple of weeks have certainly been eventful and as seems to  be the case these days, it's been a mixed bag of happiness and elation followed by stress, worry and tears.

Back peddling to around about the middle of May, I took part in my first trail race over here in Calgary. It was only 10km and was a part of the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series. Held on the trails around the Canadian Olympic Park and with 1200 or so feet of climbs, I knew it was going to be tougher than the Bow River 10km race I had done a few weeks earlier.

What I love about races over here is the atmosphere - no matter what the distance or type of race, it always feels like a party, and everybody is so friendly. What else I like is that different people turn up at each race so it's always new faces and you never know who or what your competition is going to be like.

This 5 Peaks Trail Race was no different, and I found myself getting very excited if a little nervous about running.

I won't go into the ins and outs of my run, but I finished 6th lady in around about 54 minutes with the winning lady completing the course in around about 48 minutes - considering I ran 41 minutes for a 10k just a couple of weeks previously, it gives some indication as to how much tougher this course was. It was a lovely course with woodland trails and some sharp ups and downs, and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the race, the only gripe I would have is that by starting the 5k race before ours, we got tangled up with the slower 5k runners. This made it difficult to get up to full speed and actually pass people on the narrow tracks and resulted in losing valuable time. 

I was pleased to finish 3rd in my age group which meant I came away with a pinewood medal - certainly unique and something I've never had before, and although my time was slow, I did actually feel like I'd had a good run and had felt much better with my breathing than when first arriving in Calgary.

The week following the trail race it was the Calgary Marathon, and this was the main race that I had been building up to since my arrival here a couple of months ago. I hadn't had the best prep for racing a marathon and whilst initially targeting a 2.50-2.55 marathon time when first applying for an elite place back in  October last year, I knew that based on recent performances and training I would be more likely to run 3.10-3.15.

Although in my mind I already knew what I was and wasn't capable of, being an elite athlete meant that we were in the limelight to some degree, and there was still an expectation that I would do wonderful things! I was interviewed by the Calgary Herald and although I tried to deflect any expectation by saying that there was good quality competition and I would be happy with a top 3 position, I was still named as one of the favourites to win. I also did a small stint on Calgary Breakfast TV where again I tried to reduce the pressure and expectation on myself, saying that I would just be happy to finish, but when attending the VIP evening reception later that day, I was once again named as a favourite and one to look out for, and was asked to put my hand up in a room full of people so they would recognise me!

Preparing for Calgary Marathon -
photo by Gavin Young, Calgary Herald

Race day arrived, and I actually felt quite chilled out. Although I had seen a map of the course, I had no real idea where it went but I knew it wasn't going to be flat and that I was likely to struggle with both altitude and Calgary's dry air. However I still believed I could run around 3.15 and figured that that could well give me a top 5 placing which I would be happy with.

At 7am on Sunday 27th May, I set off on my 26th marathon and I was so excited. Despite all the shorter races I've done over the years, and despite the 20+ ultras I've ran, the marathon is the one distance I am most experienced with and it still remains my favourite distance - the one I feel most confident and comfortable with. I always seem to know what time I'll run, give or take a couple of minutes, and even though I may or may not have done sufficient training, I know that my body will be able to cope with 26.2 miles.

I have to say that although the event was absolutely fantastic, I don't really remember much about the race, although there are a few things that stick in my mind:

• It was a fantastic feeling, standing on the start line with 11,000 other runners, mostly Canadian, and hear them sing their national anthem before we set off. 
• Stampede Park is a superb venue for the start and finish of such an event, and I can't wait for the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede next month when I'm sure the atmosphere will be even more electric.
• Being on Facebook really does help you to meet other people, and I'm grateful to the lovely Nicki Rehn for her encouragement throughout the race as we played cat and mouse with each other around the course. I'd never met Nicki but she is a friend of a friend of a friend, and I'm sure we will meet again at some point and she'll show me some of the beautiful trails that we have access to over here.
• Whilst not half as big as London, there are similarities - running through the streets of downtown Calgary was like running around Canary Wharf, the stretch along the beautiful Bow River was similar to running along the Embankment, and seeing the Calgary Tower and the Sandledome easily replaced the Tower of London and Big Ben as landmarks to look out for - I loved it!
• Never ever ever buy a chocolate gel by mistake! They are very very messy and make you look like you've pooped yourself if you aren't careful where you spill it when missing your mouth! They also mean that you lose time at feed / sponge stations when trying to clean yourself up because there is an official photographer around the corner, and you really do want to try and look your best :o)
• Post race recovery should ALWAYS consist of pancakes and maple syrup made the Canadian way :o)

The time went very quickly and before I knew it, I was running in to Stampede Park and the finish line. Having gone through half way in 1.36.30 ish, I was really pleased to finish in 3.17 - a loss of just 4 minutes in the second half, which considering the fight with the chocolate flavoured energy gel at about 20 miles, I was really happy to have kept a pretty consistent pace. I finished 10th lady, way off my anticipated top 5 placing, but when you run 3.17 and finish 10th in a local race you have to respect how good the competition must have been. I was also really pleased to hear that I had won the bronze medal in my age group so have another unique medal to add to my collection along with the pine one from the previous week.

Finishing my 26th Marathon in 3.17.52 - way off PB but happy!

And so, having spent the past few weeks focused on the marathon, by Sunday evening and for all of the following week, I went through the usual post race depression.  Although I wasn't as stiff or achy as I was expecting, I didn't want to get straight back into hard training sessions as I still needed my recovery so I didn't run a great deal during the week which made things worse.

I'd also started my new job and was feeling quite tired from early mornings and late nights, as well as frustrated at sitting on my butt all day when I'd spent 5 months with the freedom to run, bike or walk as often as I wanted.

Reading UK based news website, there was a lot being written about the Olympic Torch Relay over in the UK as well as the preparations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and when I saw all the Union Jacks flying, and saw friends' comments and  photos of the events, I felt very patriotic to the UK, and a sense of pride and emotion in my home city of Stoke-on-Trent. I started to miss things so much - all my running friends back in the UK, some of which were honoured to be a part of the actual Olympic Torch Relay, and all my family, my mum especially who is once again having a couple of health problems. I wanted to experience that buzz with people, I wanted to get excited about the build up to the Olympics, and being so far away in another country, there isn't the same excitement or anticipation.

To ease some of the "depression" for want of a better word, Andy and I headed over to the mountains with young Wilson at the weekend, with a view to just chilling out and spending some quality time together, whilst I was hoping to sneak in a couple of runs on the trails. Saturday was perfect and following a lovely meal in a Bavarian Restaurant followed by a visit to a rustic cowboy style saloon bar, we took Wilson for his evening walk under a clear sky and a full moon.

The following day, we were awoken by two female moose in the garden - one perhaps the calf of the other - and so beautiful to sit and watch as the sun was rising. 

However, the mood for the day was soon to change and whilst walking Wilson at Bragg Creek with his new canine friend Jakie, he became impaled on a wooden stake. How it happened and where it came from, we have no idea - one minute they were happily running around and playing in the lake, and the next, Wilson was howling in pain with this piece of wood piercing his chest. Needless to say it was panic stations, and being a good half hour drive from the City, we had to rush back to Calgary as quickly as possible to find an emergency vet.

The initial prognosis was worrying - the position of the stake meant that it could have caused damage to Wilson's heart, lungs or both, he was still in shock, and operating straight away could cause complications. Looking at the wound, it had gone quite deep, and not only punctured his chest but had also torn some of the skin. It looked horrendous.

The next 6 hours caused extreme anxiety and absolute dread - at just 17 months of age,  our little chap Wilson is still just a puppy and it didn't bear thinking about that we might lose him at such a young age in such a freak accident.

By 8pm, we'd had a call to say he was ok, and thankfully the x-rays showed no damage to internal organs, although had the stake been just 1cm further over, it would have struck a main vein and would have paralysed the front leg, resulting in the need for amputation.

A poorly Wilson - again! This time, he's been a very lucky little chap!

Wilson is now home and is already starting to show signs of improvement by being his mischievous self, despite being on 3 types of painkillers and antibiotics. He really has been a lucky little chap this time, and Andy and I are becoming so protective of him. For such a young dog, he's certainly been through a lot,  what with flying backwards and forwards across the Atlantic and then needing an operation back in March to stitch up his ear, and now this.

Due to Wilson's accident, it did mean that I didn't get out for my trail runs after all, but much as I love my running, sometimes other things are far more important.  For the next week or so, I do need to be flexible with my training as Andy and I share responsibility for caring for Wilson who can't walk properly at the moment, but I am looking forward to racing a couple of half marathons over the next month or so, and then when I come back from my visit to the UK in August, I'm off to race the Edmonton Marathon and intend to chase that last sub 3 hour marathon before I turn 40 next year. Oh yes, did I mention that marathon number 27 will take place on 20th August - I really am a marathon addict  :o)