Moving and Luring.....

NOMAD : a person who does not stay long in the same place, a wanderer

ITINERANT : a person who travels from place to place

Yes, we're on the move yet again - or are we? The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic, not least because huge decisions have once again been looming over us, causing feelings of excitement, nervousness, doubt, uncertainty, happiness and relief,  as well as a whole host of other emotions.

A possibility of relocating has once again arisen - this time to the United States - and whilst no decision has yet been made either way as to whether we start packing up our belongings into cardboard boxes again, it has certainly been on our minds for the past couple of weeks whilst we explore all possibilities and options available to us. In all honesty, we've always had trouble staying in one spot for too long, but whilst I'm open to packing up and being on the move again, I can't really see myself wanting to become an American in the long term - but then life and circumstances have a habit of changing, so never say never eh?!

Inevitably, the news of a possible move south of the border has had some impact on my running, and to some degree, it has helped immensely in helping to decide whether to race Iron Legs 50 miler or Edmonton Marathon next month. With the possibility of having to leave the beautiful Rocky Mountains behind should we decide to move, it will come as no surprise that the scales tipped in favour of Iron Legs.

With my focus now shifting from a fast marathon to a 50 mile trail race with some 20,000ft of climbing, I've revisited my training plans for the next few weeks and am now focusing on running hills, hills and more hills, as well as increasing the mileage to help me to prepare for what could be my last chance to run on mountain trails for a while. The Kananaski 3 Stage Trail Race a couple of weeks ago was certainly a great help in getting me mentally and physically prepared, and with hill reps and back to back long runs now a main feature in my training programme, I'm hoping it will be enough to give me a half decent run on August 16th.

I've also been trying to get out on the trails alot more to help strengthen the legs for the haphazard terrain that comes with trail running, and last weekend I did the 5 Peaks Trail Race at Glenbow Ranch.

I'd never ran at Glenbow Ranch before and whilst it may not have been directly in the mountains, we were still treated to lush green rolling hills and fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. It's certainly a place I intend to go back to along with the furry family, to explore properly and find out more about the history and the area.

 

Glenbow Rance - 5 Peaks Trail Race - before the start

This was the third race in a series of 5 throughout the summer months and last weekend, I had one of my best runs yet, winning the ladies race in a sprint finish by a mere 8 seconds. To be fair, whilst labelled as a trail race at just over 13km, there were stretches of tarmac pathways which did give me the advantage when chasing down the leading lady. I had also gone to the race in the right frame of mind - I had every intention of running hard no matter how much it hurt, so I was feeling competitive and pretty focused which contributed to me having a good run. Admittedly I did walk some of the steeper hill sections, but I was still gaining ground, still overtaking people, and still feeling strong, and with the trails not being particularly technical, it meant that I could increase the pace without being too concerned about tripping on tree roots or loose rock. 

Biding my time at the start of the 5 Peaks Trail Race, Glenbow Ranch

I caught the leading lady with around 1.5km to go, and with a steep climb followed by a downhill finish, I knew that it would come down to sheer willpower and who wanted the victory the most. With just 400m or so remaining, I seized the opportunity and just went for it, legs and lungs burning like crazy, but absolutely determined to get to that finish line first. It was very satisfying knowing that I had to work for it, and it also gave me a little more confidence when thinking about other races I have planned over the coming months.

Besides the racing, I'm also thoroughly enjoying making use of my experience as a qualified UK Athletics Endurance Coach. A few months ago, I volunteered to lead a running group in Mahogany for a mixed ability group of runners, offering training and racing advice where needed, and helping people to improve and gain in confidence where possible. I knew success wouldn’t come overnight, but after weeks of what felt like flogging a dead horse, we are finally getting a steady group of regulars that are meeting up twice a week. It’s fantastic that Andy is also playing a huge part in the new running club, accompanying us on his bike and cycling alongside, offering encouragement and support where needed. The good news is that  numbers are increasing, everybody is so positive, and I'm extremely grateful to be meeting so many wonderful people, some of which are now joining me on my long Sunday runs whilst they prepare for their very first ultra later in the year.

With all the racing and recent commitment to the Mahogany running group, I have been feeling somewhat guilty about the lack of runs with my favourite running partner - Wilson - and of course our other team member, Brandy. In all fairness, the weather this past couple of weeks has been far too hot for little dogs to be trotting along outside, so we have spent alot of time at the local dog park where there are a couple of designated beach areas for dogs to swim in the river. We've had so much fun watching dozens of dogs ducking and diving in the waters, chasing balls, sticks and each other, clearly having a fabulous time playing in the water and cooling off. When we haven’t been at the dog park, we've wandered around the beautiful wetlands area of Mahogany where the dogs have adopted the cool, deep waters of the lake as their own local swimming pool and have been having plenty of fun in the warm evening sunshine.

It was during one of the swimming sessions at the dog park that we got chatting to a lady with 2 Ibizan Hounds that had a remarkable resemblance to Wilson in terms of colour and markings. She was quite impressed with Wilson and suggested making contact with the Foothills Gazehound Club which has regular lure coursing practice sessions in Airdrie on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer months. Always happy to try new things, we made contact with the club and arranged to attend the practice session, seeing it as a perfect opportunity for a bit of doggy bonding in the absence of runs in recent days.

Lure coursing is suitable for any dog although it is more common amongst sight hound breeds such as greyhounds, whippets. lurchers etc. The lure is a plastic bag tied to a remote controlled pulley that drags the bags around a course of anything between 600-1000m, and with sharp turns and jerky movements to mimic the movement of hares and rabbits in the wild, it entices the dogs to give chase. Rather than hunting by smell, the dogs "hunt" by sight, chasing after the lure and having tons of fun in the process. Lure coursing competitions are common for dogs registered with the Kennel Club, but these are usually reserved for the specific sight hound breeds registered for competition and usually pedigrees. Whilst Wilson clearly has whippet in his make-up, there is also a hint of border collie which sadly makes him ineligible for competitions.

Regardless of breed, the Foothills Gazehound Club was extremely welcoming and they hold practices for "sight hounds and friends", so Wilson and Brandy were allowed to take part. At just $5 per dog for at least 2 runs on the course, and with a BBQ and drinks available for attendees, it was certainly value for money and a great excuse for getting outdoors on a Sunday afternoon.

 

Wilson on his first attempt - chasing the lure

 It was Wilson's first attempt at luring, and initially he didn't notice the lure moving ahead of him on his first run, jumping up at me as I ran along with him, trying to get him to spot the lure with lots of exaggerated pointing and high pitched "go go goes" from me. But then he spotted it and he was off! Barking excitedly, running like a true whippet, giving chase and cornering like an expert, even the owners of the purebreds were impressed by Wilson's ability whilst we just glowed with pride.

Watch that little pup go :-D

His second run was even better as he shot off around the field, and from then onwards, every time he saw the lure racing by, he wanted to give chase. It really was a brilliant experience and clearly he was having the time of his life. Even Brandy wanted to get in on the action, and we vowed that next time, we would let her try and maybe run alongside Wilson to encourage her to run too. 

It was fantastic to watch the experienced dogs doing their thing - Greyhounds, Salukis, Borzois, Ibizan Hounds, Whippets - they are truly amazing and it highlighted to me once again just how much I adore and admire dogs, whatever their breed , especially when doing something that is instinctive and in their blood, showing what they are truly capable of when not shut indoors asleep on the sofa!

With being involved in so many different activities in and around Calgary these days, I almost feel guilty about considering a move elsewhere. We've certainly made this City our home and we are so fortunate to have met so many friendly, helpful and considerate people - not just Canadians, but from all over the world. I know that if the move to the States becomes a reality, we will be very sad to leave this wonderful place behind and I don’t know how anywhere else could possibly compare. But Andy and I have always been easy going, adaptable folks and no doubt we can start again elsewhere if that's what is needed - as the old song goes, wherever I lay my hat, that's my home.

For now, our hats are firmly laid down in Calgary and we are having the time of our life, living each day to the max and having tons of fun - after all, life is here for living, and you only get out of it what you put in :-)

TransRockies Kananaskis 3 Stage Trail Race

After 3 days of trail races, I think that I've rekindled that childlike excitement and regained a degree of confidence for the mountains that I once had before. The trouble is, I'm now faced with a dilemma - do I go ahead with the 50 mile trail race on August 16th and head back to those very same trails again, this time tackling the distance in just one day, or do I head to Edmonton for a road marathon where I was hoping to run close to the 3 hour mark again. I know what my heart and mind are saying, but I really don't want to let anybody down, and even I'm not stupid enough to run a 50 miler followed by a fast marathon just a week later - it's a recipe for injury, particularly at my age!

I knew that the TransRockies Kananaskis 3 Stage Trail Race would completely wow me, and whilst I was bubbling with excitement about tackling the trails on my own without friends to lean on for the next 3 days, I was also extremely nervous. 

As a road runner, the focus is on running as fast as possible over a given distance, chasing Personal or Seasons Bests, and usually running in a straight line on a hard surface. I've done far more road races than trail races and I know what to expect and how to handle things. However, past experience tells me that trail running is much different and you have far more to deal with. I was already prepared for the inevitable tree roots lining the path, the rocky terrain that can easily turn an ankle, tree stumps that could cause tumbles, the twists and turns of the trail that put extra pressure on a body used to moving in one direction, deep muddy sections and river crossings - the K-3 had all those - but it also had endless climbs that seemed almost vertical at times, downhills that had no mercy for the quads, altitudes of around 6000 ft, changeable mountain weather with rain showers one minute and scorching hot sun the next which could lead to dehydration and sunburn, and of course, we were in bear and cougar country where encounters are generally rare but still possible.

In hindsight, the nerves were unnecessary, and I think I was far too cautious at the Stage 1 Race at West Bragg which probably led to me taking things far easier than I needed to on the first day.

The race was on Friday evening and it was still extremely warm when we started at 6.30pm. I was nervous, I didn't know the course, and with an elevation gain of around 2,400 ft, I didn't want to wear myself out when we still had the longer races to come.

Course Profile for West Bragg - Stage 1 of K-3

Due to extremely muddy conditions, the route was changed, and instead of the anticipated 13km route, we would now be doing 16km over two laps. I'd ensured that I had my bear spray for fear of that unexpected of encounter, and had packed gels into my bum bag along with a drink, just in case I was out there for a while.

There was a fantastic turnout and I had already said that I would be happy with a top 10 finish at the end of the third day - anything better than that and I would be ecstatic. I had no intentions of being competitive - after all, I didn't know how to "race" a trail race when pace is dictated by the terrain and the trail conditions.  The start was all uphill on a single track trail for the first couple of km, so I started right near the back for fear of slowing down the faster and more experienced runners. As we started the climb, lots of people in front of me started to walk, so I followed suit due to the uncertainty of what lay ahead. By the end of the first lap, I knew that I could have and perhaps should have ran harder as I was still feeling pretty fresh and strong, and started to overtake other runners, particularly in the closing stages.  

End of Stage 1 at West Bragg and feeling happy ;-)

I finished Stage 1 in 1 hour 41 mins which placed me 6th - far better than I could have hoped and confident that I certainly hadn't overdone things, bearing in mind the longer and more challenging races were still to come.

Saturday morning it was the turn of Powderface and I really didn't feel nervous at all. The legs felt great and I again felt reassured that I hadn't overdone things the night before, and with today's race being 45km, it was similar to the marathon distance so there was an element of confidence with the distance straight away, if not the terrain.  Saturday's race also included more climbing, this time around 5,000 ft and a visit to Powderface Saddle. so I knew it as going to be a tough one. 

Profile for Stage 2 - Powderface and around 5000 ft of climbs

Start of Powderface (45km) - Stage 2 of K-Triple

This time, I left the bear spray behind but I did take a bumbag full of energy gels and Clif Bars along with a bottle of water to keep me going. 

Once again, the start was uphill, meandering through beautiful Alpine forests, and later we had lush green meadows and the most spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Earlier that morning, I'd been speaking to Melody Switzer who had been a team mate on the recent Banff to Jasper Relay. She's a very experienced trail runner and knows the trails extremely well and she shared some wisdom about the trails - walk the ups  until you reach the brow of the hill, jog the flats, and run the downs. It was advice that stuck in my head throughout the day and whilst there was the temptation to just run hard like I would in a road race, I deliberately took on board what Melody had told me and was finding that for the vast majority of the run, I was feeling relaxed, comfortable and growing in confidence with every stride.

I really hadn't given any thought to where I was in the ladies event but have passed the second aid station and started the climb up towards Powderface, I found that I was starting to overtake people, including ladies. I had no idea how many people were ahead of me, but the fact that I was  actually overtaking people on the uphills genuinely surprised me especially as I was walking, although my walking was still pretty quick in comparison.

The climb just got steeper and steeper and with the rocky terrain and plenty of tree roots across the path, it took extra effort to lift the legs high enough to avoid a tumble. It had by now gone extremely warm and I was literally dripping with sweat, but thankfully I had been drinking plenty of fluids and the heat wasn't really affecting me too much.

After what seemed like an endless climb, we came out of the trees on Powderface Saddle to the most wonderful sight of nothing but mountains stretching into the distance with no sign of civilisation - it really did take my breath away and I had to stop just to take a picture.

Powderface Saddle

Having done so much climbing already, the downhills were greatly appreciated although they really played havoc with the quads, and with some sneaky short, sharp, uphills that had me almost literally on my knees, it was tough. We were also treated to plenty of boggy and muddy sections which were energy sapping at times, as well as several river and stream crossing which were actually quite refreshing in the heat of the day, and yet despite everything that was been thrown at us, I found that I was gradually working my way through the field and passing people.

I hadn't seen any ladies for a while, but then on a pretty steep downhill, somebody came flying past me at a fair old pace. This lady was Natalie - an absolutely awesome runner with such a wonderful, positive, friendly attitude, and we found ourselves running together for several km until she pulled away with around 10km to go. I'm usually a bit of a loner when I'm racing, but I have to say I appreciated Natalie's chatty and encouraging nature. We were almost evenly matched - she would pull away on the downhills, I would catch her on the up ( I appeared to be doing quite well on the hills for some reason), and we ran together on the flatter sections. It was a partnership that would continue the following day and I was so grateful for that company.

Beautiful Views :-)

The last 5km were almost torture with lots of little climbs, but being so close to the finish, I somehow found some extra energy and speeded up. I passed 6 men in those final stages, striding out as best I could on the flats and downs, and power walking up the hills to get them out of the way. I encountered a few mountain bikers and hikers and knew that I must be near the finish and yet it seemed an eternity before I finally crossed the finish line.

I finished in 5 hours 30 mins and had now moved up to 3rd place overall in the 3 Stage Event which I found unbelievable. Natalie was lying in 2nd place, but I knew there was no way I would catch her even if I wanted to as she now had a good 20 mins or more when combining our times for the 2 races so far - i just needed to make sure that the 4th and 5th place ladies didn't beat me in the final race and if they did, I had to make sure that it was no more than 12 minutes otherwise my place on the podium would be taken away. Roll on the third and final race!

The final race at Little Elbow on the Sunday morning would turn out to be the toughest so far - 25km and another 4000 ft of climbing, with the majority of that being in the first 3-4km as we once again made our way up Powderface, this time from the opposite direction. 

Little Elbow - Stage 3 in the Kananaskis Triple

We were greeted by light rain prior to the race, and we were warned about being in the high alpine at some point today and therefore advised to take warm clothing due to unpredictable mountain weather conditions. Fortunately, it was only a passing shower, and things soon warmed up to the same levels as the previous days.

Start of Little Elbow - Stage 3 of K-triple stage race

I spotted Natalie early on, and whilst we were both extremely nervous about today, we were also pretty excited, and we agreed to run together and help us get through the run if and when it got tough.

It was strange walking for the first 3km or so of a race, but the climb was pretty steep and I couldn't see anybody running ahead. I was once again making good progress on the uphills, but in all honesty I was trying to put as big a gap as possible between myself and the 4th place lady - I wasn't taking any chances on that current 3rd place! The route once again passed through the wooded areas before opening up into a beautiful meadow with fantastic views of the valley below where we had just come from. 

Still climbing after 3km or something, towards
the Powderface summit

Although today's run was only 25km, there was still a fair amount of climbing but it was far steeper and very rocky in parts and I found myself stumbling every so often due to tiring legs. The route continued through the trees again with plenty of undulations before we hit the summit and commenced the run across the ridge. We were in the open and could see for miles and I had such a sense of freedom and adventure, desperately wanting to speed up and sing at the top of my voice, and feeling extremely happy. I glimpsed behind just to make sure "4th lady" wasn't on my tail - there was still a long way to go and complacency was not acceptable, so after snapping a couple of pictures, I pushed on.

Running the ridge from Powderface

After a short while, we headed down the trail we had climbed the previous day. I knew this meant lots and lots of downhill so I tried to make up even more ground whilst I had the change. I knew it had been steep but I hadn't realised HOW steep, and it took a lot of restraint to try and hold back so I didn't go flat on my face with the gradient.

By now I really was needing to drink. I hadn't taken much with me today at all as I wanted to travel as light as possible. I had used a gel which had helped, but having been on the run for over 90 minutes already, I knew I needed to drink. Thankfully, there was an aid station at 11km and having grabbed some coke, energy drink and a chocolate brownie, I carried on as quickly as possible, figuring that if I was making ground on the downhill, there was absolutely no doubt that those behind me would be also be making good progress.

We retraced our steps over some of the trails from the previous day and it was quite good knowing exactly what to expect, especially with the muddy sections and the streams that blocked our path, the hills that had me crawling on my knees. We eventually joined a different trail and once again, the steep ups and downs started as we negotiated fallen trees and other avalanche debris along patches of snow that still hadn't melted. I'd been joined by Natalie again and we ran together for quite some time until we hit another long downhill and she disappeared into the distance.

With about 5km to go, we came into a forest clearing and I was able to have a good look around. In doing so, I spotted the 4th place lady just a short distance behind. She had done extremely well to get so close in the latter stages, and whilst it was unlikely that she would be able to make 12 minutes over me with just 5km to go, I didn't really want her to pass me. Adrenalin pumping, I found myself speeding up and in doing so, I caught Natalie again, explaining that I was being caught. We were both impressed that she was catching us - we hadn't exactly been plodding - but it showed that had we been right to stay on our toes and that had we relaxed too much, she could quite easily have caught me far earlier.

We ran hard for the next couple of km, all caution thrown to the wind even on the downhills, and it wasn't until we hit the road and knew the finish line was only a short distance ahead that we started to relax and enjoyed the moment . 

I was so happy as I crossed the finish line, completing the final stage in 3 hours 16 minutes and giving me a combined time of 10 hours 28 minutes for the 3 events. There were lots of smiles, lots of laughter and applause, plenty of hugs, and as I heard my name called out as 3rd lady in the Kananaskis 3 Stage Trail Race, I shook my head in disbelief It was such a relief and I was and still am trying to comprehend the fact that I actually finished 3rd lady overall in a 3 stage mountain / trail running event - something I never believed possible.

My 3 avid fans were at the finish line again and after hugs and puppy cuddles, we headed over to the river to cool off and soak the feet and legs - absolute bliss!

Avid fans and supporters - post race cool down!

The Kananskis 3 has certainly given me some confidence and it's made me realise that whilst there is still room for improvement, I'm not so bad on hills after all. It also brought back those feelings of being on top of the world when up high in the mountains, that feeling of isolation and being at one with nature and the world around me, that sense of adventure and freedom, and the will and determination to push myself hard even when my body is screaming to stop. It's also been a great opportunity to be introduced to new friends and new places .

So, as I said earlier, I am now undecided whether to do Edmonton Marathon or Iron Legs 50 miler where I can once again visit those places I have been spoilt with over the past 3 days - I'd like to say it's a tough choice, but I'm pretty sure which way I'm heading right now :-)

TransRockies Kananaskis 3 Stage Event - Top 3 ladies, Jess, Natalie and Del :-)

Mountain Madness - and a few nerves!

I'm getting pretty excited if a little nervous at the moment, as this weekend I'm hoping to complete 3 races in 3 days by doing the Kananaski Triple. "So what?!" I hear you say - I've done endless ultra races including a 100 miler in 21 hours, and I've even done 5 races in one day without too much trouble. That makes me sound almost cocky, and yet I am genuinely concerned about my ability to do the triple this weekend.

Since living in Calgary, I've done some pretty amazing races both on the roads and the trails, but what I haven't done is a "proper" mountain race. Sure, I've done mountain races in a previous life in England, Ireland and in the Swiss Alps - but those races were a long time ago, and I suppose you could say that I've lost some of that mountain confidence. 

Swiss Alpine Mountain Marathon - 78km
Davos, Switzerland - 2008

The Grizzly 50km race took me around Canmore Nordic Centre and there was a fair bit of climbing, but we didn't really go into the back country or summit any mountains, and even those that I've hiked up since been here have been popular routes that tend to be on the tourist trail, mainly due to their ease of access if not necessarily the ease of ascent.

The thing is, much as I've always loved the mountains having spent many hours backpacking, camping and hiking in mountain ranges around the UK and Europe, I'm not yet a mountain runner and certainly as I've got older, just the mere thought of heading across Crib Goch or Striding Edge, or even some of the walks I've done in the past when hiking in the Alps and  the Dolomites (did I mention the via ferrata experience when I was just 8 years old??!!), sends my legs to jelly.

Backpacking trip to the English Lake District - late 1980's??
Somewhere near Helvellyn (I think!)

On our way to the summit of Ben Nevis, Scotland
Probably around the year 2000 ???

New Years Day and heading up Snowdon - yes, we attempted Crib Goch too!
Can't remember the year, but probably in the 1990's

 Last year, I was really hoping to do the Iron Legs 50 mile race, but the race got cancelled due to the flooding. This weekend will be my first real test for a while, and whilst I don't suspect that any of the routes will take us across knife edge ridges like "the good old days", I'm pretty sure that it's going to be an exciting experience.

The total distance over the 3 days is around 80km and I'm pretty certain that the distances won't be a problem. The total elevation gain, meanwhile, is what will take it out of my legs - 3,782m or approximately 11,300 ft of climbing - at altitudes of at least 5000 ft on what could possibly be the hottest weekend of the year so far (mid to high 20's expected!) - yep, it's going to be tough.

On Friday, I will tackle "West Bragg", covering around 16km with 835m (2,500ft) elevation gain. Saturday I will be making my way around "Powderface 42",  a distance of 43km and gains of 1671m or approx 5000 ft. Finally, on Sunday morning, I will be tackling the 24km "Little Elbow" and climbing 1276 m (3,800ft) - all of it off road, and all of it in the beautiful nearby K-country.

I may have mentioned that I don't really do much hill work these days, so whilst the distances should be ok, the climbs will be the real tester. I'm sure that I will get distracted by the scenery, and I have to say that I am really looking forward to seeing how I cope. Assuming all goes well, I know that this will whet my appetite for bigger and greater things next year and I hope to learn from and build on what I take away from this coming weekend. I would love to do another 100 mile race but that isn't on the cards for 2014 as I'm still aiming to go sub-3 again in the marathon later this year, before I get too much older!

Last week I witnessed some amazing performances by friends from both Canada and the UK at the Western States 100 mile race. I doubt whether I will ever be lucky in the lottery for that one even if I run another qualifying race (I qualified through the Lost Soul 100k for this year but fell at the first hurdle in the lottery) but I would still love to do another 100 miler, and this time I want to do one that really does test my mental and physical strength even more so than last time. I'm still trying to decide which one to do and quite possibly it will be the Sinister 7 which gives me a whole year to prepare - but there are so many others to choose from and I shall once again look towards trail running friends in the know for advice and guidance. 

For now though I have to get through this weekend. Ok, 80km over 3 days with just a miserly 11,000ft of climbing may be Micky Mouse to some, but we all have to start somewhere and we all have our own journeys and challenges in life. This is just the first step for me on the journey to who knows where, and I have every intention of enjoying the ride as I go along.