Change of Plan....Again!

May has finally arrived, and what a beautiful, warm and sunny day it is :-) It really is one of those days where I could burst into song and “Sing a Song of May Time”, but I’m sure all the frogs that have settled in the nearby wetlands nature reserve would feel threatened by a voice such as mine! Yes, it really does feel like spring is here, and last weekend, I even spotted spring flowers starting to poke their heads out of the ground, catkins on some of the trees alongside the river, and endless varieties of birds that have returned home ready to breed. Even our lawn is starting to turn green now that all the snow has melted  and things have started to warm up (I won’t mention the forecast for the weekend for fear of spoiling things!)

 

It’s been a long, hard slog running wise this winter, but with just over 2 weeks until the Red Deer Marathon, I’m getting excited about racing again, especially as May 18^th sparks the start of the unintentional “Run a Race a Week” scenario that I’ve somehow got myself in to. From May 18^th through  to July 6^th, I am entered for no less than 10 races and needless to say, but it’s going to be a busy couple of months!

 

Although Red Deer Marathon was originally my main spring goal, I’ve since had another carrot dangled before my eyes and my focus has now shifted to June 1^st when the Calgary Marathon celebrates its Golden Anniversary. 

To mark 50 years of this awesome event, there is a 50km race this year that will be held alongside the marathon, half marathon and 10k. 

Having won a free place to the marathon last month, I’d merrily decided to just run around with friends and have a bit of a party on route rather than racing flat out, especially with it being just 2 weeks after Red Deer and 3 weeks before Banff Marathon which I’m also entered for. But then an old acquaintance of mine from the IAU got in touch, and he happened to mention that not only was the Calgary 50k the 2014 National Championships, it was also an IAU labelled event that would be used as a qualifier for the IAU 50km World Trophy Final in Doha, Qatar later this year.

I haven’t competed on the international stage for 3 years now, the last time being the World Trail Running Championships in Connemara, Ireland, back in 2011. Unfortunately, I no longer have the urge to compete for GB anymore as my affinity has shifted more towards Canada, even though I know running for my newly adopted country will never happen - and yet my ears pricked up at this news about Calgary. 

If I ran the Calgary 50km and either won the race or ran one of the top 20 fastest times in the world for women over 50km this year, there was a distinct possibility that I would have the option of travelling to Doha in October. I wouldn't be representing Canada or even Great Britain - I would be heading over there competing for myself and doing things my way. I proceeded to look at the world 50km rankings to date, and having honestly assessed my training in recent weeks and decided on a time that I felt was realistically possible in the 50km, I felt the excitement building the more I thought about it.

One of the things I loved about competing internationally was seeing new places and meeting so many different people from different cultures and backgrounds. I was always amazed by the number of countries represented at the flag parades and opening ceremonies, and always felt honoured to be amongst some of the best ultra runners in the world. I’ve also done lots of travelling over the years with family and friends, but having never been to Qatar, the idea of running the 50k in Calgary rather than the marathon was sold to me if it meant a chance of visiting a new part of the world, should I perform well.

I will be honest and say that I do now have a time in mind and I intend to push hard on what is not a particularly fast course. I have no idea how I will fair, but unless I try, I will never know. There are also likely to be the cream of the Canadian ultra runners toeing the line on race day, all fighting for that national title, so I am under no illusions whatsoever that it will be easy.

The good news is that I’ve had some good training runs this past week or so, and whilst the legs have felt tired and a little flat some days, I do feel stronger and fitter again despite lacking in pace. I’m hoping I can use the Red Deer Marathon as a steady run to help determine whether I’m being overly ambitious with my target 50k time, and providing I don’t run too hard, I’ll recover in time to give myself the best shot I can at getting to Qatar.

So thank you Nadeem Khan and the organisers of the Calgary Marathon for giving me the opportunity - whatever happens on the day, so long as I give my best, I know that I won’t be disappointed by the outcome.