Yee Haw for Canada!

The past week has been awesome - not only has summer finally arrived in the way of glorious unbroken sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 20's or more, but I've also ran in two exceptional races that get the thumbs up from me big time.

Last weekend was Canada Day - a celebration of the birth of the nation - and there were so many events going on ranging from parades and entertainment to various sporting events, that it was difficult to know what to do.

Having missed the Millarville Half Marathon a few weeks ago, I'd entered the Canada Day 10km in high River which is about a half hour drive south of Calgary. The idea was to get  decent paced run in and then enjoy the post race celebrations before heading back to Calgary in time for the fireworks downtown later on in the evening.

As with all the races here, it was another early start and by 7.15am we were already in High River ready for an 8am start. The Highwood River runs through the town  and in the days leading up to the race, it was at risk of bursting its banks due to all the heavy rain and storms over the preceding week. On race day though, there was no evidence of the heavy rain and flood risks as the sun shone brightly and temperatures hit the high teens early morning.

Despite a healthy turnout, the race was quite low key and what I remember most is being eaten alive by the mosquitoes in George Lane Park whilst waiting for the start  - huge red splodges are not attractive, and I was covered in them later that day , literally from head to foot!

Start of the Canada Day 10km at High River

The course was actually pretty nice - not hilly but more gently undulating, following the river path for a short time before heading out in to the countryside and following quiet country lanes bordered by farmers' fields towards the foothills in the distance, and eventually leading to the Rocky Mountains.

I had wanted to run close to 40 mins on the day - or at least faster than the Bow River race back in April - but the legs just wouldn't pick up the pace and I felt heavy. I knew I was leading the ladies' race by a considerable margin, so I decided to just try to maintain the current pace and enjoy the  win. I finished in 42.50 - exactly 1 minute slower than the Bow River race - but the win cancelled out any disappointment and I knew I had more races over the coming months to fight back with.

The rest of the day was spent doing all things Canadian at various locations - pancakes and maple syrup, flying the Canadian flag, and celebrating the birth of this wonderful country. We headed into downtown Calgary on the C-train in the evening and it was jam packed with locals proudly singing their national anthem on and off throughout the journey and waving or wearing their national flag. The fireworks in town were spectacular - made all the more dramatic thanks to a lightning storm in the nearby hills, and even we felt a sense of pride at the occasion.

After the excitement of Canada Day, the next big event to hit the city was the annual Calgary Stampede which started on Friday. This year it celebrates 100 years, and we headed downtown again early morning on Friday to get a good spot for the opening parade. Even at 7.30am, the streets were packed with spectators. We were a little shy about whether to wear our cowboy hats or not, but when we got there , almost everybody was wearing one and getting into the spirit, so we didn't need to worry.

The parade was brilliant and the photos we took didn't do enough justice to the event. The good news is, the Stampede lasts for 10 days so we are hoping to pay a visit to Stampede Park and catch some of the rodeo or chuck wagon racing over the next few days, along with some of the other shows and events going on down there.

Before that though I had the small matter of racing a half marathon today, and with temperatures expected to hit 30+ over the next few days, I always knew it was going to be a tough run.

The Stampede Half Marathon has got to be my favourite race since I got here which is strange when you consider that I didn't exactly have the run I was hoping for.

It started at Glenmore Athletics track and after a couple of km in residential streets, it veered off to follow the cycle tracks around the reservoir, and taking in Glenmore Park, Heritage Park and Weaselhead Natural Area -  huge woodland and green areas that seem in the middle of nowhere and yet are only 10 minutes or so drive from downtown Calgary. In Calgary terms, the race is relatively flat, although there are frequent short sharp inclines when running around the reservoir, and two notable hills at about 8 miles and at 11.5 miles.

I was running well and strong, and was hitting my 7 min miling pace up until about 8 miles, but then the wheels came off and the heat suddenly hit me - the legs turned to jelly and I started to feel dizzy. Thankfully the lovely course and the fantastic marshals kept me going, and with merging with the 10km runners later on in the race I managed to finish in one piece. I'd always thought that the Potts Marathon was the hottest race I had ever done, but this today really was unbearable.

I eventually finish in around 1.35 and 9th lady which given the dizziness I had felt, I was happy with the result. A pancake breakfast followed, courtesy of the race organisers, as we sat in the sunshine enjoying the music and the entertainment.

Finish of the Stampede Half - very warm and knackered!

So after another exciting week and plans for more over the next few days, things are certainly getting a bit more hectic over here for me and Andy. The good news is that I have my vacation soon and I'm off to the UK to see family and friends for a couple of weeks. I do have some races planned over there, and I'm looking forward to seeing old faces and catching up on all the gossip. 


But things have changed - whilst a couple of months ago I was unsure whether Canada really was for me, I now know that this is where my heart is and it really does feel like home. I finally feel that we made the right decision to move here and whilst my running perhaps isn't going quite to plan in races at the moment, I'm enjoying it more than ever, and with Edmonton Marathon on the horizon, I know that's going  to be another exciting racing experience :o)