A Year of Adventure and Making Lots of New Friends :-)

So as we come to the end of yet another year, for some of us it's time to reflect on the past 12 months and all the adventures we've had.

For me, it's been a pretty awesome year again and whilst I may not have set the local running scene alight with outstanding performances in any of my races, I've had so much fun both out on the trails and on the roads, and have met lots of fantastic and pretty amazing people along the way.

I'm not going to go over all my races again - if you're that interested, you are more than welcome to read previous entries to see what I've been up to - but I will mention some of my favourites moments from this year and I know that they will stay in my memory for a very long time:

Del and Kim  in Red Deer

Winning the Red Deer Marathon back in May on a cool and rainy day, and celebrating with good friend Kim, who won the half on the same day - not bad for 2 ultra runners!

Banff to Jasper Relay 

The Calgary Road Runners BJR Team (minus a couple)

The Banff to Jasper Relay was pretty awesome - a great bunch of people in superb surroundings, and an outstanding event - I can't wait to do it all again next year!

Final presentation at K-Triple

The Kananaskis Triple - 3 consecutive days of trail racing in the mountains covering around 80km in total and 15,000 ft of climbing - who would have thought that a girl from Stoke could finish 3rd lady overall?!

6am and just before the start of Iron Legs 50 miler

Iron Legs 50 miler - super super tough race but one of the BEST ultras I have ever done.

Berg Lake at the foot of Mt Robson

Mount Robson Marathon - absolute paradise at the foot of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, the beautiful Berg Lake, and certainly a race that I would love to go back to and race properly

A borrowed bike for the Blitz Duathlon

Competing in my first duathlon and finishing 3rd lady - yep, this girl has cycling legs too

Happy with a 3.06 in Toronto Marathon

And finally, the Toronto Marathon where good friend Dawn ran an excellent PB, I finished 3rd masters and was in the money, and of course, I got to meet Dawn's wonderful family.

I've also had some pretty spectacular training runs, none more so that when joining Joanna back in the summer where we headed up Heart Mountain and then the following day we both joined Emily and Sean for a 50km run through Assiniboine Provincial Park - an absolutely wonderful weekend with super friends in fantastic surroundings. And then more recently, wintry training runs with our very good friends Glady and Michelle and their network of friends that are now our friends too - and all the runners that have joined Mahogany Running Club throughout the year.

Fab day out in the mountains with Joanna, Emily and Sean

A few members of the Mahogany Running Group

Wintry run with good friends

Of course, none of this would be possible if it weren't for Andy allowing me to pursue my goals and dreams - he's an absolute star and I know that I would be nothing without him. In addition, I have 2 exceptional friends that never let me down, they are with me through the good and the bad runs, the happy days and the sad, and they stand by me no matter what. They run with me, walk with me, share my food, they've been on camping trips with me and tried to cram into our "mummy" sleeping bags, and they've never let me down - I'm sure Wilson and Brandy need no introductions! 

Luring with my favourite boy.....

....and my favourite girl

I've already started to think about my racing next year, and so far my main goals are a sub 3 marathon in London and a good race at the TransRockies 6 day Stage Race in August south of the border in Colorado. I have also put my name forward for consideration to be selected for the GB team at the World Trail Running Championships in France at the end of May next year.. I am under no illusions that I will be selected - there are some very good British lady trail runners across the pond, and it will be difficult for the selectors to draw comparisons between my results over here in the mountains of Canada compared to races in the English Lake District or Scottish Highlands - but I at least wanted to give myself half the chance of competing on the international scene one last time, before I become a Canadian Citizen.

There will of course be other races along the way, but at the moment, I'm reluctant to commit to too much. Nobody knows what the future holds and there is a high possibility that there may well be changes in our lives again next year that will affect the races I do. For now, I am purely focused on London and the TransRockies and the good news is that at present I am feeling fitter, stronger and alot more confident in my running than I have done for a long time, and that's thanks to my excellent coach Laura who is helping me immensely. As things stand, I'm pretty sure that next year is going to be another great year and I'm looking forward to the challenges and new adventures it will bring.

So I guess all that remains now is to say Happy New Year everybody, and may you too have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015 :-)

Icy Silver Springs....and it's raining!

It seems a little strange to see greenery in Calgary during December but the milder temperatures this past week or so has led to pretty much all of the recent snow melting. I'm so used to running indoors this time of year or trudging through deep snow in 5 layers of clothing that it was a refreshing change to be greeted by light rain at today's cross country race at Silver Springs. 

The problem is that despite the warmer temperatures, things still hover around freezing point at night and so pavements and pathways turn into skating rinks by morning which makes it treacherous for running.

Today was no exception and even though it was raining, the course at Silver Springs was pretty much  80% solid ice - even the organisers recommended not doing the race without spikes or some other sort of traction aids - either that or walk around! 

I always enjoy the race at Silver Springs - it usually feels festive with being so close to Christmas and the course is hilly enough to be challenging but not enough to throw you off your rhythm too much. It's also always nice to see friends and other familiar faces, and I have to say that with the long hours I've been working in the new job, I do feel that I have neglected my friends somewhat recently, so it really was a joy to see them :-)

Festive start of Silver Springs XC Race :-)

The good news is that today, I feel as though I had a good race even though I only finished as 4th lady. Yes, the ice was problematic and required a certain degree of caution at times - especially when running along the "cliff edge" overlooking the river below - but it also seemed to suit me better than running in deep, soft snow, and I found that I was running pretty quick for a cross country race. I was also feeling much fitter and stronger than of late, and even the hills weren't causing me any problems today as I just put my head down and literally took them in my stride. I was overtaking people after the first couple of kilometers and I was feeling extremely good.

In all honesty, I was having a personal battle with one of the other ladies that had beaten me by a good minute at the previous two races. She was ahead of me at the start today, but as the race progressed, I eventually passed her and with every stride I started to pull away, growing in confidence as I went. She tried to keep pace with me and I was extremely aware of her just a few metres behind, conscious of her footsteps speeding up every time I attempted to pick up the pace, but I was determined not to let her pass unless she really was prepared to work for it.

We hit the first of several inclines and this would normally be where I would lose a few places, but I pushed hard, trying not to dwell on my breathlessness and the lactic acid building in my legs as I climbed. I was relieved that the other lady didn't pass me, and so I continued to push on and attempted to open the gap even further.

The icy conditions were making it difficult, especially on the downhills, but it was pretty obvious that everybody was being affected and it was a case of seeing who was the bravest to just go for it and trust in their balance. 

I was so concentrated and focused on staying upright that I became oblivious of everything else for a short time, but then I suddenly became very aware of just my own heavy breathing as I tried to maintain the pace. Without looking behind, I sensed that I had dropped my competition, and when I passed a couple of marshalls before the next climb, it was a much longer gap before I heard them pass on their encouragement to those following. I had  a feeling that I had perhaps 100m over the other lady by now, and as we climbed an extremely steep, long hill, I sneaked a glance behind and sure enough, the gap between us was widening. I just needed to get to the top of the hill where after, with less than 2km to go to the finish, I knew I could hold her off unless she started running close to 4 min km pace - not likely given the conditions.

The closer I got to the finish, the more confident I was feeling that this time, I would be at least a minute ahead of her, and yet I kept pushing, kept working hard, up the final hill to the finish line.

Final push to the finish line at Silver Springs XC

I'd finished 4th lady and had ran one of my fastest paced cross country races this season so far. I couldn't breathe properly, but I had at least finished strong and felt as though I had given everything I could today. I was very happy and now feel that the consistent training I've been doing recently, along with all the strength work, is starting to pay off, and I'm looking forward to improving further over the next couple of months. 

Of course I had to celebrate having what I considered to be a good race for once - any excuse for a pumpkin pancake breakfast at Dennys - nom nom nom!

Dogs and Racing

Last Monday I started my new job as a Walkabout Trainer with Clever Canines in Calgary, and so far I am absolutely loving the work despite the long hours that I am faced with whilst going through the learning process. Dog behaviour is so fascinating and in the short time I have been with the company, I have already learnt so much and have a far better understanding of dog signals and how they play and interact with each other - I am also far more observant of the less friendly signals that dogs send out just before they are about to kick off, which is critical to know about when you have the responsibility of walking and training up to 10 of them at a time.

Although the job involves a considerable amount of driving to collect the dogs from their homes each day, it is also physically demanding with two walks daily with up to 10 dogs of different sizes on each walk.  So far, I've managed 7 in one go - the smaller ones are barely noticeable, but 2 Alsations, a couple of Labradoodles, Spaniels and an Airedale have a fair amount of strength between them, and  it takes a lot of my own strength and effort when working with them during the on-leash portions of the walk.

Walkabout at Elbow Valley Dog Park - Yes, they really can be this well behaved :-)

As part of MY training, I also have to attend specific dog training sessions, and so Andy and I - along with Wilson and Brandy - have been attending the Jumpstart Training Program twice weekly where we have learnt training techniques for calming canine arousal and helping them to become the (almost) perfect dogs.  For Wilson and Brandy, it is already making a huge difference, and we are amazed with how much they have already improved after just one week - they are far better walking on the leash, are much calmer walking past other dogs, and are far more tolerant and better behaved when people approach us for a chat. Indeed, my most proudest moment came today when walking them at Edworthy Park just before the start of the cross country race - there's nothing like several people saying what lovely dogs you have and how well behaved they are when in a public place with tons of people and off-leash dogs running around!

Talking of the cross country, I had a great time racing again today. I say racing, but in all honesty it was far too icy to race properly and I think most of the more serious runners were probably thinking the same thing today. In true Calgary tradition, a Chinook had caused some of the recent snow to melt and refreeze, so the trails used for the Edworthy Park Cross Country race were pretty lethal for running on. Even with 12mm spikes, I could feel my feet sliding and I certainly wasn't prepared to risk falling and jeopardizing my  winter training leading up to the London Marathon next year.

There was a pretty good turnout and as ever, it was great to see so many familiar faces on the start line. I deliberately positioned myself towards the back as I knew that going any further forward would bring out the racing instinct in me, especially if I was close to too many of the ladies, and whilst I still wanted a decent run, I wasn't going to race it.

The route followed the usual narrow trails along the ridge that ran parallel to the off-leash dog park, before dropping down into the valley below and then climbing back up ready for a second loop. 

I started really comfortably and it was strange not being completely out of breath with lead weights for legs after the first couple of km. I really did take it easy on the icy sections, but when we reached the steep downhills, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting and so tried to push the pace and stride out a bit. I passed a few people, including a couple of ladies and was really pleased to find that I was feeling quite quick and strong. I even managed to run some of the steep, long uphills, and whilst not exactly quick on the ups, it was a far better effort than in recent races which helped me to run each of the 2 laps at a good consistent pace which I was really pleased about. 

Edworthy Park XC - Very icy conditions
(Thanks CRR for the photo)

In the closing stages, I heard a commotion in the off-leash dog area, and when glancing up, I spotted a dog harassing Wilson and Brandy whilst Andy was attempting to do some on-leash training with them. It was strange how my instincts kicked in almost immediately and I stopped dead in my tracks to yell a command to get them to stop. It kind of worked from a distance, but in the process, I got overtaken by another lady in the race which was a little frustrating but I wasn't really too concerned.

I had no idea where I had finished, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out later that I had actually won my age group. My goal with the cross country this year is to once again win my age group and I know for sure that if I can do that, I'll be very happy at the end of the season. We still have 6 races to go though and anything can happen, so I'm already getting psyched up for our next race on December 13th at Silver Springs. I'm hoping that by then, I will have settled more in to my new job and got used to the new routine - I'm also hoping that the resistance training I am getting from walking 20 dogs a day will bring benefits to my running, in which case look out Kim, I'm coming after you - hahahaha :-D

Downs and Ups :-)

Last weekend there was another cross country race, this time down in Okotoks, and whilst I had every intention of running hard, things didn't quite go to plan on the day. Sure, I was happy enough with 4th lady and being 1st in my age group category, but I personally didn't feel that the performance was a true reflection of how my training has been going in recent weeks and as a result, I felt like I'd let myself down.

Considering I had a race that day, I'd woken up feeling far too relaxed and even managed to eat breakfast without the normal pre-race jittery tummy. I was looking forward to racing, but I couldn't muster the usual excitement that I would normally feel. My usual pre-race routine wasn't there and I even had a large coffee and a donut an hour before the race which I wouldn't normally do - in all honesty, I don't think my heart and mind were really in the mood for racing.

I was rather hoping that the course would be the same as the previous year so that I could compare my times, but whilst last year it had snowed, on Saturday we faced a very dry course and warm temperatures of around 14 degrees. The course was also going to be different and although we still ran 2 loops up and down the escarpment and followed pretty much the same trails as last time, I guess I felt a little unprepared at not really knowing what to expect.

I started well enough with a split of bang on 4 minutes for the first km, but when we got onto the real cross country, I slowed a little and was able to settle more easily in to my pace and tackle the terrain.

I guess it was here that I lost my concentration. I was lying in 2nd place, but was extremely conscious of a lady behind me. I was really wishing she would go past - I couldn't speed up and she was literally right on my tail. Next thing I know, she takes a tumble and catches me as she went down, and although I managed to stay upright, it threw me off a little and I couldn't get back into my rhythm. We asked each other if we were ok - I was concerned that she'd been spiked as she fell, but it turned out that neither of us were any worse for wear. It was then that she revealed that she'd been told to stick with me today and try to keep up, and that's why she was right behind me. It wasn't the right thing to say in my frame of mind and I wanted to give up there and then. I acknowledge that everybody tackles things differently, but I have never understood why people "tag onto" other runners in a race. I've always been taught to run my own race, trust in my training, do my own thing and I actually think I have better runs as a result,

Needless to say, I encouraged her to go past as we started a short steep climb.I was having a poor run and actually believed that had she concentrated more on running her own race instead of sticking with me and letting me do the work, she may well have caught Kim and won the ladies race, I couldn't understand why she would want to follow me - I've never won the cross country and it certainly isn't one of my strengths, and I was even more baffled when I later found out that she had finished ahead of me at previous races in previous years! Thankfully she did go past and she opened a considerable gap over me - evidence that clearly she was a much stronger runner on the day.

From there onwards, I really was bored and wasn't really enjoying the run. The route was actually ok with lots of ups and downs, but I just couldn't get into the race, couldn't motivate myself. I was also feeling extremely hot and weary, absolutely dripping with sweat, couldn't muster any energy on the ups or downs, and just wanted the race to end. My lungs were burning and I couldn't breath properly, my legs were like 2 lead weights, and when another lady went past me, again I had nothing to fight back with.

Smiling and kind of having fun, but not really! Okotoks XC

I eventually finished 4th lady in a little over 40 minutes for 8km - not bad all things considered, but I was more relieved that it was over and done with rather than happy with the performance.

For the remainder of the day, I really couldn't put my finger on why I'd felt so grumpy and struggled during the race, but come Sunday, I felt more like my old self again. We'd had some heavy snow overnight, temperatures had plummeted to -20, the wind was howling outside, and yet I had a superb 15km run outdoors with deep snow underfoot. It was a relief to be feeling more like my old self, and although they say you're only as good as your last race, I'm looking for something more positive at the next cross country race at Edworthy Park on November 22nd.

The other thing that has given me some determination to train hard over the coming months is that yesterday, I finally had confirmation that I have a Championship entry to the London Marathon next April. I'm so excited to be going back to London again as it's one of my all time favourite marathons, I know the course extremely well, and every year I've done it, I've absolutely loved the event and had great runs. It's also the place where I set my 2 hours 47 minute PB back in 2006, so I'm hoping that I'll dip under 3 hours again assuming my training over the coming months goes to plan. I've done the London Marathon several times now, running for the Blue Cross animal charity, the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust. I've also ran "unattached" in the earlier years, and as a member of both Trentham RC and Newcastle AC in more recent years, and have very fond memories of winning the national Marathon Team Championship with Newcastle the same year that I ran my PB - what a super ladies team we had! 2015 will see me running the colours of Midland Masters AC and I'm really hoping to do the club proud on the day, but more importantly I'm hoping I get to see many of my old friends that live across the whole of the UK and not just Stoke - it's going to be a fantastic day and I'm already looking forward to it.

HAPPY MEMORIES OF THE LONDON MARATHON :-)

Championship Start with good friend and fellow GB Ultra distance athlete
EMMA GOODERHAM :-D

On my way to a 2.47.41 PB running for Newcastle in 2006 :-D

Good friends from Trentham Running Club at the finish on The Mall / Horse Guards Parade
Ryan, Jill, Del and Chris :-D

Busy October

Yesterday I had yet another fabulous run. It was chilly,  snowy, wet and muddy, but  it was  a wonderful  90 minutes  or so spent on the trails around Banff  with my best  running partner . I was initially  hoping to try somewhere new but with bad weather moving in along with low cloud, I wasn’t prepared to risk the safety of Wilson let alone myself, by wandering around on unfamiliar mountain trails at high altitude, especially considering how quickly the weather was deteriorating.

We ended up starting on Tunnel Mountain – only a baby in Rocky Mountain terms with a height of around 5,500 ft and a relatively easy climb on a well marked trail. We then joined the trails and pathways alongside the river which led us to the Cave and Basin where we joined the Marshlands loop before heading back towards town and finishing at Bow Falls. Both Wilson and I enjoyed the entire run and it gave some me some quality time with my best buddy as well as allowing time to think about and reflect on how the past few weeks have gone.

Me and my favourite boy on Tunnel Mountain

 I seem to say this a lot lately, but once again, October has been an extremely busy month which is why it’s taken until now to actually find a spare couple of hours to get things down on paper.

A couple of weeks ago it was Thanksgiving weekend, and with having an extra day off work, Andy and I decided to volunteer at the Grizzly 50km trail race in Canmore. Several of our friends were racing it this year so we wanted to be there to offer some support and encouragement, particularly Glady and Michelle who were both competing in their first ever ultra.

6am at Canmore Nordic Centre and Race Registration

We stayed overnight just outside town as we were on race package pickup at 6am the following  morning at the Nordic Centre, the plan being to cover registration until around 9 and then head back to our room for a couple of hours kip before our next volunteer shift that commenced at noon.  That didn’t happen, and instead we found ourselves helping out for pretty much 12 solid hours on what turned out to be a marvelous day supporting and cheering on the runners. 

Managing the Aid Station at Grizzly 50km

For me personally, the best part was seeing both Glady and Michelle finish their race after several hours of running – I was so proud and happy for them, and it got pretty emotional when they crossed the line and I presented them with their medals and finisher’s beer stein along with a big hug.

Proud moment with Glady and Michelle :-)

I love the Grizzly 50km and would like to have done it again myself this year but I already had plans for October, and the following weekend, I flew out to Toronto with another 2 very good friends where we would all be taking part in the marathon.

My last road race was back at the beginning of June, and whilst I had done plenty of long runs during the summer months, I hadn’t done any significant speed work and the only races I’d been doing were trail races. I had no idea how I would fair in Toronto and whilst initially aiming for a sub 3 when entering earlier in the year, I knew this was not a possibility given my distraction with the trails in recent months. I decided that a sub 3.15 would be enough to make me happy, but as race day drew closer, I finally decided to throw caution to the wind and just go for 3 hours to see where it got me.

We arrived on the Saturday afternoon which meant we still benefited a little from living at the higher altitude in Calgary compared to racing at sea level in Toronto. I’d not raced at sea level since moving to Calgary, so I was intrigued to see whether it really did make a difference and if I would find things easier. As it happened, I WAS comfortably running around 4.15 km pace which put me well on course for close to 3 hours – indeed, by my own watch, I went through half way in a little over 90 minutes although the official split put me at 1.32, but the cool temperatures and the brisk wind took the wind out of my sails after half way, and I found myself slowing whilst trying to do battle with a wind that seemed to appear no matter which direction we ran. The course was also much more undulating in the second half compared to previous years – or so I was informed – and whilst it was nothing compared to the hills around Calgary, there were some inclines in the latter stages of the race that were certainly cruel on the legs.

The event was fantastic with tons of support, and with our names on our bibs, everybody was getting plenty of individual encouragement from the crowds lining the streets. I finally crossed the finish line in downtown Toronto in 3.06.04 and I was really pleased with my run, especially when I found out that I had finished 3^rd lady in the Masters Category and had somehow come away with a $200 prize – in a race as big as Toronto, that’s something that I certainly wasn’t expecting! I was also buzzing from the fact that my friend Dawn had smashed her marathon PR and had won her age category, whilst both Don and Dawn’s mum had both had strong runs.

Very happy with a 3.06 finish in Toronto

The next couple of days were spent with Don, Dawn and Dawn’s family in a beautiful country home, surrounded by tree covered rolling hills that looked spectacular with the colours of fall, and I would love to have been able to go out on the nearby trails to explore. Sadly the weather was wet and dreary, so instead we enjoyed the magnificent hospitality of the Ladds family, something for which I am most grateful and hopefully will one day be able to repay.

We were only in Toronto for a few days, certainly not enough time to explore and do the touristy things, but I’m pretty certain that one day, I will return with Andy in tow, and we can get to really appreciate what Ontario has to offer visitors.

With a 3.06 marathon behind me, I was wondering how long it would take to recover and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the marathon hadn’t really taken that much out of me and that I was running normally by the time I got home on Tuesday afternoon.  It was so tempting to go out and just run, run, run, but this week was meant to be a recovery week and I was adamant that I would stick to what was planned.

The following Sunday, it was the Calgary Road Runners annual cross country relay at Confederation Park, and we had entered a team of 3 that included myself, Glady and Michelle called Mahogany Whippets. Our lucky mascot was Wilson, and it was great to do a team event again after such a long time.

2nd stream crossing at the xc relays

The actual course was quite hilly and included 2 stream crossings where the water was about knee deep, but unlike previous years when I’ve done the event, there was no snow and it was pretty dry. Being on leg 1, I started the charge and completed the 3.5km course in around 14 minutes. I had no idea where that placed us as a team, but with solid runs from both Glady and Michelle on the remaining 2 legs, we were really pleased to discover that we had finished 13^th in the open mixed category out of around 40 teams – certainly something to build on ready for next year!

Mahogany Whippets - and what a fantastic team :-)

Talking of next year, I have some big racing goals that I am determined to work hard for. I’ve recently rejoined a UK athletics club and will hopefully gain a Championship entry to the London Marathon in April, and then come August, I’m hoping to have a good race at theTransRockies 6 day stage race. There will of course be other races in between and I’m currently looking at Blackfoot Ultra, River Valley Revenge, Rundles Revenge and a return to the Kananaskis Triple.

There are also going to be some changes in my day to day life too. Last week, following a 4 hour interview that had followed an extremely rigorous recruitment process, I was absolutely delighted to be offered a job as a Walkabout Trainer with Clever Canines in Calgary. Those that know me well will know that I have another passion in life besides my running, and the fact that I am due to start my absolute dream job working with dogs in a little under 2 weeks is very exciting. It will mean working outdoors with around 20 dogs per day, training them and taking them for off-leash walks at some of the wonderful dog parks here in Calgary. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to enjoy the work even with the harsh winters we have here in Canada,  and I can’t wait to start my training so that I have the confidence and competence to get out there and do the great job that I’m sure I can do. My only guilt about taking the role is that I will be having fun with other people’s dogs during the week whilst Wilson and Brandy are at home, but I know that I love my dogs more than anything else in the world, and the time we DO spend together will be even more precious from here onwards.

Special Moments with my furry babies :-)

An Ouchy River Park Cross Country!

Having being self coached and gone it alone for the past few years, the beginning of October finally marked the start of a new training regime for me with the introduction of more intense speed sessions, back to back long runs, and the addition of strength and mobility work. Whilst I figured I'd done ok just doing my own thing and had some pretty average race results, I was getting to the stage where I wanted to start improving again and get back some of the speed and form that I had about 5 years ago.  I'd somehow plateaued with my training - no matter how much further or faster I tried to run in training, no matter how many rest days I took for fear of over training, I just didn't seem to be improving and I was finding myself once again losing that confidence in what I think and know I'm capable of. 

Over the years, I've always found having the right coach extremely useful. They are somebody that can look at things more objectively, somebody to guide you and advise you, to push and motivate you when you need it most, and to help you to once again believe in yourself and what you can do. I'm very good at trying to build confidence in fellow runners, but trying to take my own advice has always been extremely difficult.

A few weeks ago, I somehow became friends with Laura via social media. I have no idea how we stumbled across each other but from what I could gather, she appeared to be heavily involved with ultra running and triathlons and offered a coaching service to those that required it. It took a couple of weeks before I finally plucked up the courage to send the email asking if she would be willing to help me out, and from that very first response, I found her enthusiasm and motivation contagious. A telephone conversation a few days later confirmed that I had done the right thing and I was already feeling more confident and very excited about working towards and achieving my goals for the next 12 months.

I'm now 5 days in to my first month's training program, and boy oh boy, is my body telling me that it is already working harder than it has done for a long while. The only time I've done strength training was way back in the 1980's when I was a junior member of Stoke AC under the guidance of Harry Harvey, Arthur Shaw and Alan Morris. As a 41 year old, the old body isn't as supple or strong as it used to be, and doing a variety of weight bearing movements and exercises seriously sent my muscles into spasms. I'd never gritted my teeth quite so much as I did on Friday evening when doing the  first planned strength session, and yet I did it and was feeling pretty pleased with myself.

I went to bed that night already noticing muscles that I knew I had but had been hidden away due to my "lazy runner" approach to things, but despite the inevitable muscle soreness that I would no doubt face in the morning, it felt good that I had pushed myself beyond what I thought my body could do.

The next day was the first race of the cross country season and having missed the River Park Classic Race last year due to being in St Paul competing in my first 100 miler, I was really looking forward to racing it again this year. As with last time I raced here, it was a beautiful, warm autumn day and the trees looked spectacular in their fall colours. Since living in Calgary, the city has been hit by a couple of weather events that have impacted on many of the local parks including this one - the floods of 2013 meant that some of the pathways and bridges were still being repaired and therefore there would be no full river crossing this year, whilst last month's snowstorm had brought down hundreds of huge tree branches across the city and although a cleanup is in progress, River Park still had some fallen trees blocking the pathways that would be used on the course.

The turnout for the first race is always impressive and this year was no exception. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces from last season, as well as meet up with friends that I hadn't seen for weeks or even months, and it was also great to see some new friends that are regulars at the Mahogany Running Club that were competing in cross country for the very first time.

Friends at the River Park Classic Cross Country Race

For me, the race went pretty much as expected. There were a couple of good hills on each lap and we even got to wade through a short stretch of the river. I was feeling strong and was running well, but I also struggled with heavy quads and achy glutes from the previous day's session. It did me good running a race whilst feeling heavy legged and I was holding my own and managing to gain places, only to lose them as ever by my appalling lack of strength on the uphills.

I finished 5th lady in the end which I was happy enough with for the first event and at least it gives me some idea as to where I'm at at this stage in the season. In previous years I would have been frustrated, but my focus is more on next year when the changes in my training will have had the opportunity to take effect, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

The cross country really didn't take that much out of me, and with the Sunday session being a 32km run with the last 6k at race pace, I was really looking forward to getting outside in the fall sunshine and heading over to Cranston and Fish Creek, before returning via McKenzie.

Another sunny day in Calgary - and enjoying a 32km run :-)

Oddly enough, even though I was still feeling it in my muscles from Friday, I felt pretty good on the long Sunday run and despite what it looked like, I felt like I was bouncing along. Even the uphills didn't trouble me too much and I although trying to hold back, I was managing a decent pace for pretty much most of the run. With Andy accompanying me on the bike, it was a super run again, and with Toronto Marathon in just 2 weeks time, I'm getting pretty excited about things. I'm realistic enough to say that I won't meet my original goal in Toronto, but if Sunday's run is anything to go by, I'm feeling pretty confident that I will still have a decent run.

For now though, I have another strength session this week and I'm prepared for yet more pain and discomfort - if it gets me back to where I want to be, then it really has to be worth it :-)

Blitz Duathlon

Last Sunday, I had the most superb time at the Blitz Duathlon. The weather was absolutely beautiful with one of the most awesome blue sky days, and I spent time with some good friends whilst competing in a sport that I really hadn't got a clue about.

A day with good friends at the Blitz Duathlon

Running is so simple - a decent pair of running shoes, a shirt and shorts, and it's just you and the open road there to explore. Admittedly some runners do go all technical and start talking about what backpack they used, the socks they wear, what percentage of moisture their shirt wicks away - you know the kind of thing - but for me, running is a pure sport where a 3 gram weight difference in a pair of shoes really doesn't matter to me, and so long as my choice of clothing doesn't rub and cause chaffing, I'm a happy camper. I know that with running, I don't need to worry about gears and braking systems and such like, and the only advantage I get on the ups and downs depends on the amount of training I've put in.

The cycling element was very different with so much kit and tools to contend with - the weight of the bike, the type of seat (or is it saddle?!), helmets that need to carry the Canadian Safety Standard, gloves, cleats, toe clips, number of gears, braking mechanism, etc etc. To some degree I found there was an element of snobbery about it all, not in a nasty way, but there were certainly plenty of people wandering around the bike stands admiring and analysing their competitors' bikes and accessories, which in all honesty had me completely baffled. Fortunately, everybody was extremely friendly and they found my bemused look quite amusing when asking me about things related to cycling.

With Glady prior to the race (he finished 5 mins ahead of me)
and tons of posh bikes and stuff

The one thing I learnt for certain on Sunday morning is that I am definitely NOT a cyclist. The biking stage was only 20km and whilst there were a number of hills and we were at almost 5000 ft, it wasn't exactly like cycling over the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland!

I actually thought I was doing ok on the cycling bit - my legs were going ten to the dozen, hair blowing freely in the wind, and I felt FAST! That was until a few chaps passed me, then a few more.....and a few more...and, oh look, a few ladies were now passing me. The thing is, when running, I can usually hang off the back of those overtaking me, if only for a short while whilst they drag me along, but with cycling, they passed me so quickly that before I knew it, they already had a minute over me and there was absolutely no chance of me gaining on them. I enjoyed the cycling but with the majority of people finishing the bike leg in around 40 minutes compared to my 47 minutes, it's small wonder that I lost something like 15 places on the mid-section.

Which brings me to the running. The event started with an 8km trail run with a 3km trail run to finish, and for both stages my run times were in the top 16 overall which kind of gives a clue as to where my real strengths lie!

The first run was just shy of 8km and headed out from Station Flats to follow the Sulphur Springs Trail. It was quite clear from the off who the runners were - like me, they just ran straight through the muddy sections rather than picking their way around, leaping over tree roots, logs and rocks with a certain degree of agility, walking the ups and making considerable gains on the downs, and all the while whoop whoop whooping away in excitement as they went - yes, I am a trail runner!!

I passed several people on the return section and at the transition stage when hopping on to the bike, I was in 16th place overall and just a mere 40 seconds behind the leading lady.

End of first run, currently 2nd lady and getting set for the bike

I'd obviously never done a transition before, but Glady and Michelle had taught me well and I had to consciously remember to ensure I put my helmet on prior to removing the bike from the rack. Thankfully that's the only thing I had to contend with other than remembering to walk my bike to the mounting area and not to hop on too soon, but for others, they were faffing around with clips and cleats and gloves and goodness knows what else. In my ignorant bliss, if Salamon Speed Cross are good enough for the trails, they're good enough for a bike race - even if they are clogged up with mud :-)

I had actually borrowed a bike from Glady for which I was extremely grateful. It was much lighter than our old hybrid tank and I did feel the benefits of less weight - goodness knows how slow I would have been if I'd been on our old faithful!

Heading out on the bike stage and feeling speedy in my Salamons!

By the time I had finished the bike stage, I had slipped drastically back to 31st and I was lying about 7th in the ladies event with absolutely no hope of catching the leading lady at this point. The last run was only around 3km, far too short to be making any inroads on the lead unless I ran exceptionally fast and they were exceptionally slow, both of which were highly unlikely. I also had the added bonus of legs like lead having just finished 18km on the bike so I was finding it pretty hard to get the legs hitting the rhythm that they are used to when running.

The second run followed the Tom Snow Trail before looping back around and heading to the finish, and as I hit the trails again, I thought back to Iron Legs last month and how heavy my legs had felt back then after all the climbs over the 50 mile course. If I could run back then, I was pretty damn sure I could run now so I forced myself to stride out and found that I was speeding up and started to pass people even on the up hill, including some ladies.

Mentally the 3km was nothing - it was less than two miles and I could hold a decent pace for that kind of distance. The trail narrow on steeper downhill section and became both slippery and a little more technical but I found I was flying down the trail as I was doing something I was more accustomed to, managing to put a good minute or more between me and the other ladies.

As I ran into the finish area, the clock was on around 1 hour 45 mins and I was completely gobsmacked to have finished as 3rd lady and 1st in my age category. I also made up a few places on the final run, finishing 26th overall out of around 100 competitors whilst my time over the last 3k was one of the fastest and only 3 seconds off that of the winning lady - who knows what could have happened had I done more than one week of training on the bike to help me to prepare!

Finishing the Blitz Duathlon - 3rd lady and feeling pretty darn good :-)

Post race food was the best I have ever had with tons of cakes and deserts, and pulled pork sandwiches, tons of salad and veg, lasagna and pasta salad, and even spectators were allowed to have a nibble. The whole event really was brilliant and lots of fun, and with the addition of such glorious weather and fantastic surroundings, we really couldn't have asked for more.

Am I likely to do another duathlon? You bet I will! However, it's not a sport that I think I could get obsessed with - there is far too much to think about in terms of maintenance of the bike and all the technical stuff that goes with it, and I like a simple life - chucking a pair of muddy, smelly shoes on the back seat of the car and driving to the mountains to get off the beaten track for a few hours of running seems a far easier option than making sure I've got puncture kits, spare tyres, spanners etc. And whilst I can honestly say I admire anybody that can train for running and biking - and indeed swimming for those crazy enough to dabble with triathlons - I personally am a pure runner, and I'm proud of it :-)

New things Ahead :-)

The final race of the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series went better than expected and I actually walked away as series champion in both my age group and overall. I won't deny it - other than my single victory at the Glenbow Ranch race a couple of months ago, my best placing was 4th lady and my worst around 17th. I knew that I was leading in my age category, but to win overall was a complete surprise and I know that it's only as a result of the faster ladies not having done enough races to qualify.

On arriving at the Canmore Nordic Centre on Saturday morning, it was extremely misty and definitely on the cool side which suited me immensely as I usually have far better runs in cooler conditions. It was only September, and yet earlier in the week, the whole area including Calgary had been hit by a snow storm, and although daytime temperatures had since recovered, there was still snow on the ground in Canmore making the course even more challenging.

Pre-Race Mist - Canmore Nordic Centre

The route was different than last time with a good mix of steep ups and downs on single and double track trails that included some technical sections where we had to negotiate slippery rocks and tree roots. We were also treated to some wonderful scenery once again whenever we emerged from the trees and encountered fabulous views of Canmore and the Bow Valley below.

The first 3 km seemed to just go straight up hill and whilst I was working hard and making sure I maintained my momentum running up the hills, several ladies started to pass me and I found myself dropping back to around 10th position. I was desperately hoping for some flatter sections or some downhill so that I could make up some ground, but even when things did flatten out, the ladies ahead of me were strong runners and I just couldn't seem to make any headway in catching them.  The good thing was that the course was around 14km and we weren't quite half way, so I was rather hoping that they would falter later in the race and that my endurance would pull me through so I could eventually overhaul them.

It was a beautiful course although the snow did make things a little more tricky. Tree roots were hidden along with rocks on the pathway, and we all found that we were running far more cautiously that normal. Some sections were a mixture of mud and snow with a very steep downhill gradient making any attempts at speeding up near impossible, and yet as the race progressed, I found myself catching and overtaking some of the ladies that had passed me earlier. I knew that I was moving through the field, and the further I ran, the stronger I was feeling. We caught the back runners that were doing the shorter sport event race and that helped me to push harder as I tried to overtake them too. 

I spent a couple of km running with 2 other ladies, desperately trying to put some distance between us, but the conditions underfoot and the narrow trails would not allow it. With other races coming up, I wasn't prepared to risk injury by being bullish on the trails, but as the race progressed and the finish line drew closer, I found that I was starting to pull away and eventually put a good minute or two between us by the time we'd all finished.

I finished feeling pretty good although the legs did feel a little tired, but considering it was less than a week since I'd done the Mount Robson Marathon, I wasn't going to grumble. I finished 4th lady which I was pleased about and my pace was almost a minute faster than last time I raced here which I found reassuring.

Prize Giving - 5 Peaks Trail Series, Canmore 

It took ages for the awards to be presented which took the shine off things a little as many people that had won prizes weren't prepared to wait around - even we were ready to move on after 2 hours of waiting - but as the sun broke through and things really started to warm up, it seemed a shame to rush away with such wonderful views around us. We eventually left some 3 hours later, heading straight for Dennys by the COP for the customary pancake "second" breakfast we treat ourselves to every Saturday afternoon.

The following day I was hoping to do a good long run, but with plans to do my first ever duathlon next weekend, some friends asked if I would like to join them for a practice run. It seemed like a good idea as despite being a novice I still want to be competitive next weekend, so off I went for the planned practice session.

Glady and Michelle have become 2 awesome friends in recent weeks, regularly attending the Mahogany Running Club and doing so well in a lot of races and events they’ve done. Both have done duathlons and triathlons in the past and have tons of experience, so I greatly valued their advice when helping me to prepare for the Blitz Duathlon next week.

Next weekend, the running stages will be on the trails around Station Flats - an area I am becoming extremely familiar with following all the other trail races I’ve done this past couple of months. However, the biking would be on the roads and as that’s where I needed the practice, the plan was to do a 6km road run followed by 23km on the bike, and finishing off with another 4km run.

Crikey o'blimey, was it tough! My bike is a hybrid and isn’t really that heavy – well, at least until you compare it to a competitive road racing bike. I’d only gone 5km on my old faithful before both my glutes and quads started aching and cramping up. I’m not a quitter though and I used my usual technique of singing silly songs to myself just to take the focus from the ridiculous numbness everywhere. I wasn't even going that fast – a maximum of 20km per hour – and yet I was having a ball!

Back at the transition area, we removed cycling gear and set off on our 4km run. My oh my! I felt like a complete beginner again, legs like lead and feet slapping down without any grace or rhythm, and barely managing 5 minute km pace. Thankfully, after almost 2km, I found my usual flow and I found I was loosening up and picking up the pace, finishing our second run at a faster pace than the first – result!

Glady and Michelle were so patient with me, and in their sympathy of me riding a tank for a bike, they've kindly lent me a proper road bike in readiness for next weekend. I’ve given this posh bike a try and have to say that the land speed record is at serious risk of being broken, given how fast I’m now going!  In all seriousness though, the lighter bike will obviously made a huge difference, and hopefully will put me in a good position next weekend.

With going through a phase of trying new things and setting new challenges, I’ve now decided to finally find a running coach again.

For the past 5 years, I have coached myself and whilst I feel that I’ve done ok on my own, I’m getting to the stage where I feel the need for more guidance and advice on how to pursue my own running passion and to become the competitor I was about 5 years ago prior to getting injured. I’ve lost a lot of confidence in my running ability in recent years, and to compensate, I have been more focused on helping others to improve and achieve their goals. Seeing them working so hard and making huge improvements has rekindled that need in me to be successful again, and I genuinely believe that having somebody thinking for me and encouraging me to do key sessions will be a huge help to me. From initial contact with Laura, I’m confident that assuming I avoid injury and illness over the coming months, I will start to feel fitter, stronger and far more confident about my abilities than I have for a long time, and I’ll be ready for some serious competitive racing next year.