Last Chance Half and Magical Runs :o)

Last weekend was the Last Chance Half Marathon and with things turning more towards winter as the days go by, I figured I would squeeze in this last road race of the season before the proper wintry stuff sets in.

I turned up at Eau Claire not really expecting anything spectacular. I certainly didn't have a race plan and the only goal I had was to run hard to help gauge my current fitness level and to determine how recovery is progressing following all the ultras I've done recently. With light snow falling and a brisk wind making it feel more like a chilly -18 degrees, conditions were hardly ideal for a fast time, and with a distinct lack of speed work for well over 2 months, I anticipated  finishing in around 1 hour 40 mins. 

Start of Last Chance Half Marathon

The course followed the river for a short while before turning back towards Eau Claire and heading out in the opposite direction past the zoo. I found that I was really enjoying the run although I was cursing myself for putting on far too many clothes, feeling the urge to remove some of the layers at around the 5k point despite the freezing temperatures. I was also holding on to a decent steady pace for about 10km, but a combination of "Crikey, how the hell do I keep this going in marathon?!" along with hitting the deeper snow on the pathway, meant my legs decided they'd had enough and went on strike. At this point, I was lying in 5th position in the ladies race, and frustratingly I could see the other 4 ladies ahead of me with the leading lady being not much more than 600 yards ahead. Normally my competitive streak would have kicked in and I would have given chase with no problem, but on this occasion, despite my mind firmly instructing my legs to get a move on, there was clearly some resistance going on in the old body as the legs refused to budge and had absolutely nothing to give. It was frustrating, but I consoled myself that at least my friend Kim was once again having a fabulous run and was hot on their tails and I was willing her to catch them so that at least she could be amongst the prizes.

Strangely, the last 6km or so felt much easier despite the strong headwind and dodgy footing, and I found that I was starting to speed up again, surprising myself when I eventually crossed the finish line in 1.35.59. Ok, it was nowhere near a PB, but the result gave me a good indication of things and I now know what I need to do to give me a decent chance of a good race at Run for L'Arche Half Marathon at the end of March.

By Sunday evening, it was still bitterly cold but at least the snow had stopped. I was feeling a little sleepy and the legs had gone a little achy from the unaccustomed faster paced race, and yet I felt the urge to head out the door again, this time for a short 5km run with Wilson followed by a 3km run with Brandy. I went my usual local route around the wetlands and had a completely different experience whilst running with each of them.

The 5k with Wilson was fast and frantic as he led me confidently around the pathways, knowing exactly where to turn, responding to my voice commands and tugs on the lead when he need a little direction, always alert and watchful for jack rabbit and any other wildlife he might see nearby. Brandy meanwhile was the complete opposite, running alongside me at a much slower pace, hesitant about  the pathway ahead and looking at me for reassurance. Each time she looked up, I ruffled her ears which seemed to give her some confidence as she bounded along in the snow once again, but the slightest unfamiliar sound made her stop and hesitate, looking back at me to check whether we should continue.

Wilson and Brandy enjoying playtime :o)

I've been running with Wilson for well over a year now but it's only been a couple of months with Brandy, and I'd never really ran with both of them together properly. I've been cautious about running with both of them at the same time for  a number of reasons - Wilson is a smallish Whippet sized dog but due the Collie in him, he's solid muscle and very strong, whilst Brandy is a large dog but still a puppy - strong simply due to her size and she hasn't yet learnt to realise nor control the strength that she has. Together, it could spell trouble with Wilson running ahead, Brandy lagging behind, and me stuck in the middle yelling my head off and not particularly enjoying the experience. They can also be a little unruly when they get excited (which always happens when going out for a run!) and this can be a safety issue with the building work still going on around us in Mahogany - there are lots of trucks and the pavements are frequently blocked with building materials forcing us to run in the road until we hit the pathways around the wetlands. However, it's always been my intention to run them together at some point - it was just a matter of finding the right time.

Tuesday evening, Andy was working late. I needed to do an easy 10km run and despite the icy pavements and subzero temperatures outside, I really didn't want to run on the treadmill. Wilson was restless, sensing that I was heading out for a run at some point and clearly anticipating that he would be accompanying me, but it didn't seem fair leaving Brandy home alone. Seeing Wilson's excitement building and watching Brandy's pleading eyes as she watched us knowingly, I decided that tonight was the night - I was going to run them together.

I've had so much fun running with dogs over the years, and when in the UK, my old dogs Sam and Leo were extremely obedient and always ran with me off-leash. Wilson and Brandy are very different - Brandy loves people to chase her when off-leash and has frequently forgotten her name when calling her back to us, much preferring a game of chase when trying to get her back on the lead. Wilson is obedient (ish), but he's a sight-hound and if he spots movement of any type, he's off like a shot and is far too fast to catch, his natural instinct kicking in as he gives chase with no about of stern words or shouting his name making the slightest bit of difference. It was pretty obvious I would need to run both of them on leads, and I was somewhat anxious that as soon as I stepped out the door, I'd get dragged along and within seconds would end up flat on my face in a snow drift.

What followed was totally unexpected and I ended up having one of the most magical runs ever :o)

As soon as we stepped outside, Wilson took charge, howling excitedly as took to the front and surged along. Brandy, clearly caught up in his enthusiasm, took one look at me, jumped up just the once and wagged her tail uncontrollably, and then went shoulder to shoulder with Wilson, tails and heads held high, as they both ran along the path together. It was a wonderful moment and I really couldn't believe the effect Wilson was having on Brandy.

Within a couple of minutes, we joined the lakeside path and as we moved away from the street lights in to the darkness, everything was lit with a silvery light from the moon shining brightly in the night sky above. The stars were out in full force and I spotted The Plough and Cassiopeia amongst the many thousands of stars on display. It really was a beautiful evening for running - the air was cold and fresh, the snow and the lake shimmered in the moonlight, and the only sound was the deep heavy breathing of our little group and our footsteps crunching on the snow as we ran along.

I was truly amazed at how well things were going. I was feeling absolutely fantastic, and it was clear by the way they were bounding through the snow drifts, ears flopping, tails wagging, and both with lovely shiny wet noses, that Wilson and Brandy were having the time of their lives. Every so often, Wilson would take a sideways glance at Brandy, she would turn to look at him and sniff at his ears or tug at his lead, and then I would feel a slight tension on the lead as they speeded up. I was amazed at their strength and how fast I was running as they literally pulled me along, but I had to use a cautious "steady" when we hit the icy stretches, and was happily surprised when they both responded by slowing down slightly until it was safe to pick up the pace again.

We covered just over 10km in the end - the furthest that Brandy has ever run - and I was so proud of them when we returned home. They were both so happy, and it was clear that their pack instinct had surfaced and the 3 of us had bonded whilst out some pack adventure.

Another wintry run on a Saturday afternoon

I've since been running with both dogs again and even I'm still getting that shiver of excitement when I'm putting their harnesses on and getting ready to head out of the door. Wilson and Brandy will never be huskies nor will they ever make a sled dog team, but I can safely say that they have brought another element of wonder and enjoyment to my running. I really can't explain the feeling of unity and contentment when we run together - I feel safe, protected and  protective, a unique bonding and understanding with my dogs that I can't describe, almost as if a wild and adventurous part of me is being encouraged to come out, as if I'm going back in time to a place where you live to enjoy life and survive, where there are no modern day luxuries and you are more aware of your surroundings and mother nature, experiencing a sense of freedom, of having no hassles or worries, of being content with each others company where no words need to be spoken to understand what you mean to each other.

It's extremely difficult to explain how I feel but I'm sure many other dog lovers understand exactly what I'm trying to say - putting it simply, it's magical.

Me and my 2 best running buddies :o))

Winter has arrived...and time for Cross Country :o)

I can’t believe that it’s November already, but then since September, I’ve been pretty busy racing ultras and acting as a tour guide for UK visitors. It’s been a fantastic couple of months and it seems really strange and extremely quiet now that things have settled down and life has gone back to normal.

Beautiful autumn colours of Alberta

 Thankfully, winter arrived a little later in Calgary this year, prolonging the fall which I have to say has been absolutely beautiful. We had some balmy temperatures along with gloriously sunny days and gorgeous blue skies, and even in the city, everything has looked amazingly beautiful with the autumn golds, oranges and yellows on the trees. With living in Mahogany in the South East of the city, we also get to see some of the fantastic sunsets over the mountains, and with the development of the new wetlands progressing so well, it’s meant some fabulous easy runs over the past couple of weeks whilst I’m still recovering from my 100 mile race.

Sunset over the Rockies viewed from Mahogany

A week or so ago, we had our first snowfall of the winter. On the Saturday afternoon, I ran around the wetlands with Wilson in shorts and t-shirt as temperatures hit 18 degrees. Come Sunday, we’d had several cm of snow and my long Sunday run was much different with both myself and the dogs wrapped up in winter woollies to protect again a biting wind and driving snow.

A Chinook wind midweek caused the snow and ice to melt quite quickly, but winter was back with a vengeance by the following Saturday as another winter storm moved in over the mountains from B.C.

Now that the weather has turned and my “big” races are done for the year, it’s back to cross country every couple of weeks with the start of the Calgary Road Runners Grand Prix. I loved the series last year and finished 1^st in my age group and 2^nd overall, so despite still feeling a little tired and heavy legged following the longer races over the past couple of months, I was excited to be heading down to Okotoks on Saturday for my first cross country race of the season.

There was a new venue for this year’s race and on first arriving at the recreation centre, I had visions of something similar to Winsford back in the UK – endless laps around a flat playing field, and not really what I would consider to be “proper” cross country. If it weren’t for the extremely wintry conditions making things appear more challenging, I may well have been tempted to turn around and go home rather than face the monotony of a flat cross country course. However, that wouldn’t have been fair to the organizers and volunteers that had turned out to stage the event, and when informed just before the start that there were some “very narrow single track trails” when “running up the escarpment” that could be “quite messy due to the snow”, I began to think that maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Snow, hills and mud - PERFECT cross country running :o)

I wasn’t disappointed, and with 2 x 4km snowy, icy and muddy loops that included several steep and slippery climbs followed by some tricky descents through a lovely little woodland area, it made for an extremely enjoyable run.  I finished 3^rd lady behind 2 good friends – Kim and Anne – the former of which shot off like a rocket and never looked back, storming to her first victory and showing she’s a true contender for the title this year.

Although I quite liked the course, I wasn’t feeling as confident as usual – hesitant at going off too fast and burning up as I simply wasn’t used to setting off at such a pace, especially given that I hadn’t done any speed work for a while and recent races have been more about starting slowly and keeping it going. Thankfully, although the faster pace and shorter distance was still a shock to the system, I managed to keep going and whilst I wasn’t my usual sure-footed self and ran more cautiously that what I’m used to, I didn’t feel as tired or clumsy as I expected. Given a couple more of these races leading up to Christmas, I’m hoping that I’ll get some confidence back and will be able to “attack” the courses like I did last year and get some more good results.

Today, the weather in Calgary is still on the cold side and we’ve had a few more flurries since the cross country on Saturday. A couple of weeks ago, I registered for the Last Chance Half Marathon, so on Sunday, I headed out for a 25km run just to make sure I’m recovered enough to cover the distance for the race next weekend. It was still quite chilly with a gale blowing, and after a painfully slow and tentative 8km on very icy pathways, I decided to head for home and resort to the dreadmill of doom. Even with some good old rock music blaring out, the time on the treadmill seemed to drag and I found myself pushing the pace just to get the session over with as soon as possible to prevent the boredom becoming too intense. Normally I wouldn’t let the weather win, but I really want to use the race next weekend to help gauge where I’m at in terms of fitness so that I can structure my winter training ready for next year which I hope will be as good as 2013. It’s highly likely that conditions will still be poor underfoot but I at least want to get to the start line in one piece so that I can give it my best shot.

2013 has already been an awesome year of running for me and I’ve finished every race satisfied with my performance and with a smile on my face. I’ve learnt not to put pressure on myself and to just run to enjoy rather than chase PB’s that are beyond my reach these days. I still have goals for next year, but there are so many races to choose from and I guess I’m going to have to rely on some advice and recommendations from the many good running friends I have met since moving to Canada :o)

However, winter training is going to be somewhat more focused this year, and with my initial goals being to run good races at 2 of my favourite events – Run for L’Arche and Calgary Marathon, both of which are very well organized with fantastic support and are ideal for both elite athletes as well as beginners - I’m hoping they will get me off to a good start in 2014.

Calgary Marathon celebrates its 50^th anniversary next year, and being my local marathon and also one of my favourites, I have to be a part of the party and hopefully improve on my time once again.

Meanwhile, Run for L’Arche raises funds for a worthy cause, and due to taking place in March, it’s the ideal, perfectly timed race to blow off the winter cobwebs and to get an indication as to how to tackle the marathon later in the spring. Add to that the flat course along the beautiful Bow River, the free pancake breakfast and other goodies, I am certainly intending to race this one again next year and can certainly recommend it to anybody else that is pondering whether to take part.

But both Run for L’Arche and Calgary Marathon are several months away yet, and we still have at least 4-5 months of what is likely to be cold, icy and snowy conditions to contend with. The good news is that I love winter running, I feel more motivated than ever, and I’m looking forward to a good winter of training and racing that will hopefully help me to achieve those goals in the new year – bring it on!