Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me.......

So, I finished 2nd lady at Edmonton Marathon but in all honesty, I don't feel like I deserved the $975 winnings that I walked away with. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't chuffed to finish 2nd, but I was 15 minutes behind the winning lady, and I was a little disappointed with my time of 3.06.55 - just 30 seconds slower than Calgary Marathon back in May. Then, I was ecstatic with my time, but having gone through half way at Edmonton in 1.31 and been 2 minutes up on the half way point in Calgary, I really thought I could get closer to the 3 hour mark. I guess it just goes to show that with a marathon, no matter how well your prep has gone, things can still go pear shaped when you finally get round to the race.

Training had gone well in recent weeks, I'd been feeling fit, and with Edmonton been described as "flat and fast", I thought this would be it. The only difference was that I hadn't done any 10k races recently which were the confidence boosters for Calgary, so on Sunday, whilst feeling fit and relaxed, I wasn't perhaps as confident as I was back in May.

Northlands Park, Edmonton and waiting for the start of the
2013 Edmonton Marathon

Conditions were pretty perfect for racing when we started at 7.30am - 14 degrees, clear skies and a slight breeze. It did warm up later and I did find myself drinking at every feed station, but today, it was my mind that let me down. 

The route was pretty simple - out and back in one direction, covering 25k, and then out and back in the other direction for the last 17k.

The first part, I was comfortably knocking out my target km splits of around 4.15 to 4.20. However, I was having trouble focusing thanks to a chap right behind me, clearly using me as a shelter from the wind as well as his pacer - whether I speeded up or slowed down, he was sticking to me like a leach. I don't mind running with folks in a race so long as they do their fair share of the work, but he clearly had no intentions of helping me out. I was getting even more frustrated and so at the next feed station, I stopped dead in my tracks which caused him to hesitate, not sure what to do, before he decided to carry on. To myself, I called him Captain Distraction and as he  soon disappeared down the road, I was relieved to be able to regain my focus - at least until I reached around 26k and started the second out and back section.

And we're off -2013 Edmonton Marathon

With 16km still to go, my mind had really gone wandering and I was starting to struggle. I found myself craving some hills just to remove some of the monotony of flat running, whilst the km markers just seemed to come along far too slowly. I found myself cursing the course far more than usual and even though we seemed to be heading down a gradual hill, I really didn't feel any benefit from the descent. Saying that, I was still running at a good pace, so much so that I caught up with Captain Distraction from earlier, and once again, he became clingy,  tucking in behind me and letting me drag him along for the next few kilometers.

I'd been warned about a devil of a hill at 37k, but I never even noticed it in all fairness although with just 4k to go, I realised I had finally dropped "clingy bloke" and had started to speed up again.

With just another 20 minutes or so of running remaining, my mind was once again back on the race as I started to count down the distance to the finish. I was well aware that I'd been 2nd lady right from the start, but as one of the cycling marshalls pulled alongside me and queried to an unknown third party via his earpiece whether he should stay with 2nd lady or go back to 3rd, I became paranoid that I was been chased down and would likely slip down the field if I didn't get a move on.

Finding another gear was hard to muster, but somehow I managed to get the legs to speed up and was back to 4.20's again when finally, with the utmost relief, I saw the finish gantry.

Post Race - 2nd lady in 3.06.55

I finished strong, and it was a lovely feeling to hear them calling out my name over the loud speaker as 2nd lady, although I felt a little embarrassed to cross the line in that sort of time with"elite" plastered on my number!

The Edmonton Marathon was a fabulous event and despite everything, I did enjoy it. The support out on the course from both spectators and fellow runners was excellent, and I was really happy to have ran a similar time to Calgary which at least shows consistency.  I'd done far more miles leading up to Edmonton as my real focus has been on my ultras,  so it's hard not to be happy really, but at the same time, I know that this wasn't my best race. Everybody was fantastic at the finish line and I shook hands and high-fived so many people - even Mr Clingy Bloke who ended up finishing about a minute or so behind me. I still had a smile on my face and I know that come next weekend, I will have forgotten all about Edmonton and I'll be mentally preparing for my 100km trail race in less than 2 weeks down in Lethbridge.

Running is a funny old sport - you have the highs, you have the lows. It's not just a physical battle but also mental, and it was the mental side if anything that let me down today. I used to think I was more suited to flat, long, road races, but I'm beginning to think that exposure to the beautiful trails and mountains of Canada are spoiling me - I'm slowly converting to a trail runner, so who knows what the next couple of races will bring!

A good day at the office and $975 better off 

A Race in the Park :o)

For once, I guess I knew what to expect at the 5 Peaks Trail Race at Fish Creek Park – a magnificent course with plenty of technical single track trails, incorporating as many ups and downs as possible, and definitely the “wow!” factor in terms of “are we really in the middle of a city that is home to over a million people?!”

I’ve spent many hours running around Fish Creek since my move overseas last year, but even I was not aware of the hidden gems that course director and friend, Alan Lam, came up with. Fish Creek really is his backyard, and I take my hat off to Alan for the choice of course which certainly showed Fish Creek at its best.

I’d decided to do the race to see how I faired off-road, particularly with some major trail races coming up, and whilst I knew it wouldn’t be the greatest “race sharpener” for a road marathon next weekend, it certainly wouldn’t do me any harm getting a good hours run in under race conditions.

The course was originally meant to have been around 14km, but Fish Creek was hit by the floods back in June, resulting in some last minute changes that increased the distance to around 16km. I didn’t particularly mind as the longer the better for me, and I was kind of hoping that the distance would be in my favour rather than racing a shorter 10k.

Rocky Streams in Fish Creek Park
(Course photographer's photo with thanks)

It was a beautiful morning for the race and with a kids race and the choice of either the “Sport” distance of around 10km, or the “Enduro” distance of 16km, there were quite a few folks about and the atmosphere was buzzing.

The Enduro race started at 9.30am, and as we lined up on the start line, I reluctantly found myself on the front row, with everybody else holding back. I noticed a few speedy looking ladies that appeared to be fresh out of uni, and whilst looks can be deceiving, I was once again proved correct when they shot off at the gun, never to be seen again for the whole duration of the race.

The first couple of km followed bike paths and I was well aware that I was lying in 3^rd place in the ladies race. With no sight of any other lady, I settled into my rhythm of working hard, staying relaxed and running strong. The start was fast for me – a 4.13km split, but we soon hit the trails and I needed to concentrate harder to avoid falling flat on my face which meant my pace slowing to something more reasonable.

Some of the guys that tagged along :o)
Thanks to course photographer

I don’t recall the exact course, but what I do remember is overgrown, narrow and twisty paths with the odd tree trunk and various other obstacles thrown in for good measure. There were some sharp and quite steep inclines that tested the lungs and legs, followed by some fantastic downhill running through wooded areas that involved dodging tree stumps and roots, rocks on the path and even a stream crossing, and all the time, eyes focused on the trail ahead and hoping not to trip over. There were also some muddy sections despite it being a hot summer’s day, and a beautiful narrow path that climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the lush green valley below that was truly beautiful. I was not alone in my admiration - despite the puffing and panting, several other runners nearby commented on how awesome this was.

Eventually, I found myself running with a group of chaps, although on the uphills they moved ahead of me only for me to catch them again on downhills where I didn't hold back and just let the hills take me, whilst some of the the guys tentatively picked their way through the undergrowth.

Grassy hills, and a race on my hands
(thanks to course photographer)

Around the midway point, as we climbed up a grassy hillside, I became aware of somebody in an orange cap not far behind me.

Instinct told me it was another lady on my tail, and to some degree I was disappointed. I so desperately wanted to finish in the top 3 at this stage, but she was running like a true trail runner and I could tell she was much stronger with far more experience. For a short while, she just sat behind me, but as we started to head for home, we hit a climb that forced several of us to start walking, heads down with hands on knees, whilst orange cap lady powered up the hill not fazed whatsoever. She opened up a small gap over me and as we hit the summit of the hill and were greeted with a downhill section, I figured I needed to just keep her in my sights and then maybe, just maybe, I could catch her in the last 2km when we were back on the paved bike paths.

Technical woodland trails 
(think this might
be one of Alan's photos!)

The downhill headed into the trees, and as the path twisted and turned sharply amongst the tree branches, I lost sight of orange cap lady but knew she couldn’t be too far ahead. Being a confident downhill runner, I continued to push hard and as we reached the bottom and the trail opened up, I could see her about 200 yards ahead, now running with the group of men that had kept me company earlier. 

By now, there was around 3km still to go, and my mind was telling me it was all or nothing – I had to give chase. 5 minutes later, the gap had shortened, but whilst my legs were burning, I was still feeling pretty good. The other lady was still going well, but she did look to be tiring a little which gave me a psychological boost and a burst of speed. Before I knew it, I had closed the gap further, then I was on her shoulder, and then I’d gone past. I began to think that maybe I had gone too soon, but just tried to relax and focus on working hard. I didn’t dare look at my watch as I knew I was going at a crazy pace for me – my whole body was telling me that! – so much so that I started to overtake the guys I had been running with. I knew I couldn’t falter – if I did, no doubt orange cap lady would soon catch me – but the car park and the finish gantry seemed to take forever to appear.

At last, I finally saw the finish and as I crossed the line, I was so chuffed to be 3^rd lady and 9^th overall, running 76 minutes for 16km on a tough multi-terrain course. I was happy and relieved that I’d had the confidence to just go for at the end – it was a fantastic feeling and I was buzzing on the adrenalin. Having checked my watch, I had done the last 2km in less than 7 ½ minutes, and boy did I know it!

Me and my furry babies at the finish after collecting prize
for 3rd lady

Having received my medal and prize (which was a lovely long-sleeved fleece lined Salomon running top :o)  ) and reflected on the race, I really can’t express how much I enjoyed both the course and the event, and indeed the racing. The last 5 Peaks race I did was at the Canada Olympic Park in early 2012 where I struggled with being new to Calgary - I finished way down the field and was 10^th lady. I never expected to even make the top 3 at Fish Creek this time - I love the trails, but so does everybody else in this neck of the woods and they're all damn fine runners too! - but I’m so glad that my competitive spirit resurfaced and the run gave me a boost of confidence for my forthcoming races. Edmonton Marathon is next weekend, but the real testers will follow in September and October – it seems so far away, but it’ll soon come round, and boy am I looking forward to the challenge!

Race Prep and Runs with Pups

It’s hard to believe that it's almost mid-August and with 3 major races looming on the horizon, I really am in the thick of my training at the moment. Although I’m excited and have clear goals in mind, it’s also quite daunting as I try to balance training and recovery to ensure I’m in tip-top shape for each of them, and that I don’t peak too early.

The marathon requires speed endurance and so I’ve been focusing on tempo runs and longer reps on the roads to prepare myself for Edmonton on August 25^th. I’d love to get a season’s best time, and with a flatter course at a slightly lower altitude than Calgary, I’m hoping things will work in my favour. But I also have to tell myself that Edmonton was never really a target race for me, having only entered at the last minute due to the cancellation of my other target races – I just needed a long distance event, so to some degree I'm feeling quite relaxed about it.

Likewise with my 100km race two weeks later. I’d initially entered the Lost Soul 50km, but the cancellation of Iron Legs meant I needed something more challenging and eventually opted for the 100k instead, which kind of brings me to the conclusion that subconsciously, the race I am perhaps more focused on is still the Iron Horse 100 mile ultra in October.

I have no idea how to run Iron Horse,  nor how to pace it. I don’t know the course and won't have the opportunity to recky it prior to race day, so all I can do is log the miles and prepare my body as much as possible for a physically, mentally, emotionally demanding challenge that I have never experienced before. It will mean running early in the morning and watching the sun rise, running throughout the day right through to the evening as the sun sets, knowing that I need to rely on myself to keep going when darkness arrives, even when my mind and body are telling me it’s time to sleep. It’ll mean running through the night in open country on unfamiliar trails with just a headlamp and wildlife for company – but it will also present me with an adventure and a journey into the unknown, an opportunity to go beyond anything I have done before.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve tried to prepare myself as much as possible, and have peaked at around 150-160km each week. I’ve made myself carry a backpack with spare clothes, 2 litres of water and food during my longer runs – venturing out at the hottest part of the day over relatively hilly terrain for around 50km. When I’ve not wanted to run the 18km home from work every day, when my body and mind have wanted to quit, I’ve made myself run on tired legs. I’ve been running early hours of the morning, and I’ve ran late at night when usually I would be curled up and fast asleep in bed. I’ve wanted to confuse my body clock, breaking it out of its usual routine, forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. It has been hard at times, but I know it will be even harder when I do the full 100 miles in one go.

Last weekend I treated myself to an easy run and headed down to Lethbridge about 2 ½ hours drive south of Calgary. The plan was to check out the Lost Soul course, and to spend some quality time on the trails with my 2 pooches,Wilson and Brandy. Although the Lost Soul Ultra isn't really a target race, I still want to run well and with reports of steep hills, the need for gaiters, and runners suffering from the heat, I wanted to experience things for myself and make my own judgement about the course and possible conditions.

The coulees in Lethbridge are surprisingly beautiful and I was amazed at how far I could run and how varied things were. I spent time running freely with Wilson and Brandy, and they were so excited running alongside me through the long grass, chasing butterflies and grasshoppers amongst the beautiful flowers blanketing the valley floor, sprinting up and down the hills with a wild and excited look in their eyes, jumping in the river and having a swim when things got too warm, and just generally having a great time. Even when on their leads, they kept looking up at me with excitement and anticipation, knowing that before long they would have their freedom again and be able to run ahead and show me the way as the sun shone brightly overhead in gorgeous blue skies.

It’s these special times when running with my dogs that make me forget about all the aches, pains and tiredness, and I feel so grateful to have the opportunity and ability to run in such wonderful places in such fantastic company. Whilst I was loving the run, I was quickly learning that the 100k would indeed be a tough one but I knew it was the right thing to do if I wanted to succeed in achieving my goal of attempting and completing my first 100 mile race.

Later that evening as midnight was approaching, I headed out once again, this time just taking Wilson along for a little 10km run. How different from earlier in the day - almost complete silence except for a few cars on nearby roads, the sound of owls overhead as they went about hunting their night-time prey, a couple of jack rabbits catching Wilson’s attention and him wanting to sprint off after them, a dark clear night sky full of stars whilst the lights of downtown Calgary glittered in the distance - a reminder of civilization.

I've experienced night time running before, where you become entranced by the beam of your head torch, where you are moving forward through the darkness and yet time seems to stand still, where the senses are more alert and the brain creates imaginary creatures lurking in the shadows. It's so different from running during the day time and for me it adds even more excitement and anticipation for my race.

It's just over 8 weeks until I toe the line in St Paul, Alberta and after the past couple of weeks, I am already certain of one thing - I’m going to embrace the whole experience, enjoy the running and be conscious not to ignore the beauty of the world around us – it’s going to be a fantastic experience, whatever the outcome.