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 |
The support from the small crowd of
spectators was phenomenal and they really spurred me on and as I crossed the
line 1st lady and 1st 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)
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