A Moment of Madness!

Ever since I was a wee nipper, I've always been more of a distance runner and when I first joined Stoke AC at the tender age of 11, it was clear that I would never be a sprinter. The shortest distance I ever ran competitively on the track was 800m although even then, I had greater success at the longer distances, namely the 1500m and cross country.

My first race as an adult was the marathon, I did pretty well, and that's probably why it's remained my favourite distance ever since, although over the years, I've found that the longer and further I run, the better I seem to perform. My 10km pace is only 10-15 seconds faster than my marathon pace, which kind of gives some indication as to how well I cope with shorter distances - or not cope as the case may be!

Nowadays, I consider myself more of a marathon/ultra runner, so it begs the question why the hell did I sign up for a 5km race over the weekend? The simple answer is that I like to challenge myself in different ways, I don't like things too easy, and a 5k race would give me a good kick up the arse and get me out of my comfort zone. I also believe that shorter races do benefit my running in the long run - literally - as the slower pace in the longer events feels so much easier and I can usually keep it going for longer.

I've now done probably 4 or 5 5k races in my 30 or so years of running - the others were at the parks races back in good old sunny Stoke during the peak of the City Parks Grand Prix. Looking back through old results, the best I ever ran was 18.45 which even I'm surprised by - although generally I have barely scraped under 20 minutes which goes to show that speed definitely is not my forte.

Last week I'd had a hard week of training with a 15km race, a good rep session plus a 45 minute tempo run. I wouldn't have done quite so much if I'd  known earlier that the MEC race was still going ahead (there was still some doubt about a venue thanks to recent flooding) but come Thursday, a venue was confirmed and having done all the MEC races so far this year, I didn't really want to miss this one. The other reason for doing the race was because my good friend Dawn was also racing and I didn't want to let her down, despite my legs feeling tired. There was the option of a 10k or a half marathon but I didn't want to risk overdoing things and so opted for the 5k instead. Past experience has shown that track runners and university students tend to do the 5k races and they excel at the distance - I certainly wasn't proved wrong this time when I stood on the start line alongside some young whipper snappers looking lean and mean, and fast!



Before the race and Glenmore Reservoir



Knowing that 5k is not normally my chosen distance, I didn't really know how to tackle things. My plan was to just go off fast and try to hold the pace as long as possible - after all, it's only 3 miles. I always remember my old coach Richard O'Keeffe at Trentham RC saying you can get away with going off too fast in a 5k as it's short enough to cope, so I guessed I had nothing to lose as I certainly wasn't expecting a record breaking championship performance!

The race was held at North Glenmore Park and what a glorious morning it was for a run. 200+ runners turned out and the atmosphere as ever was fantastic. Having done so many races around Calgary over the past few months, I'm getting to know folks on the running scene so it was nice to have a chat with a few people prior to the race and to offer encouragement to each other - something that I missed when I first arrived here last year.

Before I had even started the race, I was already a winner having had my bib number chosen in the draw prizes - a $50 voucher for fresh organic food from the local farmers' market was certainly welcome and greatly appreciated.

As soon as the race started, I surprisingly found myself at the front of the field along with 3 other ladies and a few men. The first km felt hard and my Garmin beeped a split of 3.43 - yikes! I'd felt like I was working but wasn't struggling too much, but shortly afterwards, the legs went like lead, and I realised that this was why I avoided 5k races like the plague - my legs were burning with the unfamiliar build up of lactic acid, I was gasping for air, and even my arms felt like they were about to fall off. It really did become a mental battle and all I kept thinking was just keep going for another 800m or so, then we would be turning around and heading back for the finish.

Although my body really was about to fall apart with the unfamiliar exertion, the 2.5km turnaround point came quite quickly and with relief, I started the return leg. At 3km, my watch beeped a 4.33 split - talk about slowing down - but I'd convinced myself that it was a slight downhill back to the finish and my pace picked up as I overtook a couple of the men who had also gone off too fast. One of the ladies had also dropped out by now, so I knew that I was 3rd lady and didn't want to give up that position.



Heading for 3rd lady in a 5k race

The last km went on and on and on, my legs were tightening up and although I could see the finish, it just didn't seem to be getting any closer. It was a great relief to eventually reach that finish line, and although the time was a shocking  20 minutes, surprisingly I had finished 6th overall and 3rd lady. Despite being happy to have survived and come away with a prize, I can safely say that I will NOT be doing another 5k in a hurry any time soon - in fact, probably never again! It sounds a little crazy, but when running for 8 hours or more, the time seems to go much more quickly, and I find that I can run a much longer race and still be able to move at the end. A 5k race really buggered me up - I couldn't walk properly with my jelly legs, and feeling exhausted, I downed 3 cups of energy drink.



Winning formula - Del 3rd in the 5k, Dawn and Cara -
1st in the 10k and half marathon respectively



Once recovered enough, I headed back out onto the course to give Dawn a shout, and was so chuffed and proud to see her powering along in 1st place in the 10k race. She went on to win, whilst coach Don was 3rd chap, and her friend  Cara was victorious in the half marathon. Another friend of mine, Anne Landry, finished 2nd in what was a tough half marathon.

It was certainly a great day for us all even if times were slower due to the tough course and the heat, and with a visit to Denny's afterwards to refuel on blueberry pancakes and strawberries and cream, it was the perfect end to a morning of racing.

Unfortunately, the next MEC race isn't until September and it's likely that I will miss it due to other races and holidays, and so my next target race will be the Edmonton Marathon in 5 weeks time. I'm already getting excited for it and I'm pretty sure that so long as I keep doing the long runs and the rep sessions, I will be ready - I really am looking forward to it and will as ever be giving it my best shot.

Change of Plan and the Spaghetti Western 15km

Almost a month on from the devastating floods that hit Southern Alberta, it’s hard to believe the impact they had on the surrounding areas when you look at how the clean-up is progressing. Unfortunately, some areas are going to take a little longer to recover, particularly in Kananaskis where roads, bridges and trails were washed away. Whilst I was still exploring and getting familiar with that beautiful wilderness area of Alberta, I do know some parts that have been affected and it is heart wrenching to see the damage that has been caused out that way.

The flooding has also had an effect on the local racing scene with several events being cancelled or relocated to other areas where the damage wasn’t quite as intense. From my perspective, the K-100 Relay had already been cancelled, but the Calgary MEC Race 4 also became a victim as the pathways used for the race route alongside the river are still being rebuilt. Then of course, there was the cancellation of one of my target races for this year – Iron Legs 50 miler.

I so desperately wanted to do Iron Legs as I’d seen the photos and videos from previous years and it looked awesome. Not only did I want to do it as my first proper Rocky Mountain Ultra, but I also figured that it would be excellent preparation for my 100 miler. When news came through of its cancellation, I was so disappointed but fully understood the reasoning given. The trails used for the original course had been battered and it was unlikely that the race permit would be granted, even if relocating to a different venue and revised course. I also personally felt that running Iron Legs anywhere different than the original route just wouldn’t have been the same, and I would have felt like a cheat had I “been there and got the t-shirt” so to speak – it just wouldn’t be “Iron Legs”.

And so, with my other target race being Iron Horse 100 mile Race in October, I needed to find alternative races to help me along the way, preferably a mix of road and trail over shorter and longer distances.

Thankfully there is an abundance of races and whilst it meant travelling further afield than originally intended, there were options and I had a plan.

Edmonton Marathon falls in August – a week later than Iron Legs would have been – and so it fitted in nicely, especially with being a long run. OK, it will be on the roads, but my incentive was that it was a flatter course at a lower altitude than Calgary Marathon, and therefore I am hoping that I can run even quicker. Edmonton also offers complimentary elite entries and whilst it’s been about 3 years since I got anywhere close to their standard of a sub-3 marathon, past and present race performances swung the decision, and I feel honoured to have been granted an elite entry after all.

In addition, with Andy’s parents visiting us for much of September, I figured I needed another long race prior to our holidays. I had already entered the Lost Soul Ultra 50km in Lethbridge, but with the cancellation of Iron Legs, I felt I needed something longer than 50k. I have now switched to the 100k at Lost Soul and I’m really excited about taking part, particularly given all the positive feedback, but it is also quite daunting thanks to being renowned as “The toughest race on the prairies” due to the hilly course, technical trails and the intense heat. The men’s winning time is usually 11+ hours so I know it’s going to be tough, so I’m hoping to pay a visit to Lethbridge in the next couple of weeks to check out the course and to set myself a realistic target once I’ve seen things for myself.

Although the longer runs will no doubt be the key to success or failure at my 100 mile event, I do like to do the shorter races to take me out of my comfort zone, as it’s far too easy to become a long distance plodder. I was hoping to do the MEC 10k race next weekend, but with doubts about it actually going ahead, I had a scout around to see if I could find another short race elsewhere.

Thankfully, my research dug up the details for the inaugural Spaghetti Western Relay and 15km run which sounded like lots of fun, particularly with it being Stampede time here in Calgary, and so it was that I found myself entering the race late on Thursday evening.

East Lake, Airdrie -
start of the Spaghetti Western 15km

The race was held in Airdrie and was organized by Calgary Road Runners and Quicksilver Running Club, so I knew it would be a great event having participated in their races previously. The course was a 5k out and back route which was surprisingly undulating with a sneak of a hill thrown in for good measure, and followed the bike paths between a residential area and farmland.

Whilst the morning had started cool, wet and windy, by the time the race started, the sun was breaking through and it had started to warm up. Unfortunately, the turnout was low and with no disrespect to those that turned up, there wasn’t a great deal of competition. I figured that I wouldn’t really be racing here today and it would be more of a 15km time trial to see how fast I could go. My only other 15km race in the past has been the “Not for Meer Mortals” Meerbrook 15k and although there was a hill today, there was no way it was anything like Gun Hill in the Moorlands, so a PB was pretty much guaranteed. The question was, by how much?

Start of the Spaghetti Western 15

Been an out and back course actually worked quite well as it meant we could encourage all the other runners and give each other a wave each time we passed. I was feeling good, and although a nasty headwind was blowing and slowing us down somewhat on the outward section, I was really pleased that I completed each “lap” in around 21 minutes, especially as the course was slightly over at 5.13km.

The support from the small crowd of spectators was phenomenal and they really spurred me on and as I crossed the line 1^st lady and 1^st overall, I was greeted with rapturous applause. In the spirit of the Spaghetti Western theme, the prize was a cactus which I absolutely loved and thought was a very original idea.

Post race nibbles were provided and it was great to cheer in the rest of the runners and have a chat to everybody and make yet more new friends, before heading back to Calgary and heading down to the Stampede to see the real Cowboys and Indians.

I really enjoyed the event and was pleased with the run as it shows that I have recovered well from my recent 100k. I really hope they have it again next year and the numbers increase, particularly as the entry fee goes to a good cause rather than lining the pockets of the organizers. This year it went to the food bank, and I’m pretty sure there must have been around $500 towards it.

My lovely little Cactus - not wooden spoons, and not for eating!

And so, with another race out of the way, my focus turns to Edmonton Marathon and here’s hoping that my training continues to go well, I avoid injury, and that everything comes together on race day.

Happy running folks :o)