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.

Iron Legs, Moose and Fun at Mount Robson :-)

I really can't believe that we are in September already and having already had some snow in the past couple of days, it's a sure sign that we are heading into autumn and the dreaded "W" word won't be too far behind. 

I actually love the autumn. It's always been my favourite time of the year when the days get cooler and we are greeted by early morning dew and mist lingering in the valleys and alongside lakes and rivers. I always feel more alive at this time of year - I thrive on being outside, amazed by the vivid colours as the leaves start to change, watching the animals preparing for winter and the birds flocking together to make their journeys south to warmer climes. It also signals the start of the cross country season and I'm already looking forward to the first event in early October at River Park.

I'm lucky to have already done some pretty awesome races this year, but I have to say that the past few races have blown the others away and I've found myself in my element having spent tons of time in the "great outdoors".

Those that know me well will know I've never been a city girl - I've spent many weekends and holidays hiking, camping and backpacking in various locations in the UK and abroad, and I'm likely to have more fun when "roughing it" rather than having life's luxuries thrown at me. Needless to say, I've felt more alive, healthy and extremely happy in recent months as we've ventured more in to the outdoor wilderness of Canada with camping trips, hiking, trail runs and races.

Back in August, I ran the Iron Legs 50 miler. I knew that the distance wouldn't be a problem, but a revised course due to flood damage from the previous year meant some 15,000 ft of ascent throughout the race. Much of the new course followed trails used for the Kananaskis Triple so I was already familiar with the majority of the route and I knew that it would be tough, especially with the last 20km or so involving a climb up Moose Mountain at around 7,000 ft.

Iron Legs - Aid Station 3 at Powderface Parking Lot

With  so much climbing involved and with knowing there were far more experienced trail runners taking part, I knew I had no chance of placing in the top 3 ladies, so it was quite nice being able to run with the actual pressures of racing. I would be happy to finish in one piece, and having set a target finishing time of anything in between 13 and 14 hours  - which would hopefully placing in the top 5 ladies - I was feeling pretty relaxed and relatively confident that I would meet my goals.

I won't go into the ins and outs in any great details, but there were a few things that stuck in my mind;

• I was - and still am - paranoid about running into a bear, or a cougar, or a moose when out on those trails. They are all big bloody critters, they DO live here, and I spent a hell of alot of time talking very loudly to myself, or singing "The Happy Wanderer" and clapping along. I also felt a complete wally when catching or being caught by other runners in the race that were nearby and heard by appalling singing! Sometimes those trails are deathly quiet, the senses are on high alert, and the slightest snap of a twig sends the adrenalin pumping. 

Yep, bear country....but almost at the finish line :-)

• The first climb up to Powderface Saddle really wasn't as bad as I remembered, but the second ascent from the rear via Ford Knoll and the Ford Creek Trail was a b****rd! I did remember it being a long trail with some ups and downs, but seriously?!

• That second ascent was nowhere near as bad as the climb up Pneuma. I was on for a 12.5 hour finish shortly after I started the ascent of Pneuma, but it took 2 hours or more to do just 5 miles. The trail was actually very pretty and not particularly steep, but the frequent switchbacks and the constant teasing of being at the top but not really, played absolute havoc on my brain. I really was ready to throw myself off the next available cliff!

• I was gutted that there was no watermelon when I finally reached the top of Pneuma and arrived at the Moose Packers Aid Station. I cried - yes, cried. I really needed that watermelon and it was all I had focused on when heading up Pneuma, and now I had to head up Moose Mountain - without my watermelon! I was tired, i was hungry, and I wanted my watermelon :-(

• Chocolate croissants are excellent fuel, except they are terribly bad for melting if you don't eat them straight away. A lack of running water to wash the hands really does then cause a problem.

• Moose Mountain is an awesome mountain, and you don't half get a shift on when you see storm clouds in the distance and hear rumblings of thunder that seem to be getting closer.

Approaching the checkpoint on Moose Mountain

• It was NOT all downhill to the finish once leaving the check point on Moose Mountain. Ridgeback is another beautiful trail, but it also has some nasty surprises in the closing stages - mothers would be ashamed of my language!

• It gets pretty emotional at the end when you see the signs heading into the finish and you realise that you've done it.

• It's even more emotional seeing your loved ones at the finish, despite the pouring rain, along with good friends that have either made a special trip to see you finish, stood around for literally hours as a volunteer for the race, or they've just completed the 50 miles themselves. They feel your emotion, they feel your relief, and without a work being spoken, you just have the urge to hug each other.

But the best part about Iron Legs is the friendly camaraderie amongst fellow competitors, support teams and spectators, the smooth organisation, loving the whole experience, breathing in that fresh mountain air, testing your limits both mentally and physically, the amazing views from Powderface and Moose, and being in awe at how much forest there is around here and how green everything is.

I finished in 13 hours 32 minutes, and 5th lady overall - goals achieved and a jolly good day at the office - happy days :-)

The following week, we found ourselves up at 4am as once again, we headed to Bragg Creek for another early morning appointment on Moose Mountain. This time we would be seeing and experiencing the flip side of a race, by volunteering at one of the aid stations in the Moose Mountain Trail Races. 

The weather was none too brilliant and it was actually pretty cool, but we had such a wonderful time supporting and encouraging the runners. It was great to see so many familiar faces both running and helping out, and we also made some new friends that I'm pretty sure will be happy to share some of their trail running tips and experiences when it comes to future races. 

Volunteering at Moose Packers Aid Station - Moose Mountain Trail Races

A sweep of the course after the last runner passed by took us down Moose Packers trail, parts of which had been used the previous week at Iron Legs. It felt so different running down there for fun and on fresh legs rather than as a competitor that has already covered some 70km, and I noticed things about the trail that I hadn't done the week before - it really was fantastic!

Having done Iron Legs and volunteered at the Moose Mountain Races, I hadn't really got any race plans for a few weeks and it felt quite nice just being able to focus on some good quality training for a change. 

We had made plans to have a short vacation, and had already decided to head to Jasper for week of camping along with the dogs. The plan was to do some short hikes and some trail running, take some time out for a bit of relaxation, and of course to make the most of the obligatory beer drinking around an open campfire. 

I was extremely keen to head to Mount Robson - the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies - and having stumbled across the Berg Lake Trail last year, I had suggested to Andy that perhaps we could do that whilst we were there. In my ignorance, I hadn't realised that the trail was some 20+ km one way - certainly impressive but not something that we could do in a day. Whilst there were backcountry campgrounds that could be used, we hadn't come prepared for backpacking, and besides, dogs were not allowed on overnight stays on the campground along the Berg Lake Trail. And then I stumbled across something else - the Mount Robson Marathon on September 6th - an out and back trail marathon from the visitor centre to Berg Lake, following the very trail that I was desperate to explore. It seemed too good to be true, and it took very little convincing for me to sign up once I'd checked with Andy that it would fit into our itinerary.

I had no intentions of racing the marathon - from the video footage I had seen and the feedback I'd read, I knew it was highly likely that I would spend most of my time just taking pictures and enjoying the surroundings - so in the days leading up to the marathon, I did plenty of trail runs with Wilson and Brandy, and also hiked with Wilson up Whistlers Mountain that overlooks Jasper. 

Hikes and runs with Wilson and Brandy

That was an awesome day and whilst I felt bad that Andy and Brandy had not joined us on our 4 hour hike up Whistlers, (it was far too steep for both of them and they refused to do the tourist thing by getting on the cable car!), I absolutely loved spending time with my little pup. The weather was beautiful, we got some amazing views from the top, and it was another Rocky Mountain summit that I could add to my list.

top of Whistlers Mountain in Jasper

The rest of the week had been pretty cool and damp, but come Saturday morning, we crawled out of our tent to a the most wonderful early morning blue sky, with Mount Robson towering over us in splendid glory without a cloud in sight.

I knew this was going to be a great day, and I was so excited about the run and having the opportunity to go somewhere new. 

It was also fantastic to see my friend Natalie there. We first met at the Kananaskis Triple in July and she was an excellent motivator during the 3 days (she's also unintentionally influenced me to enter the Trans Rockies Run next year in Colorado thanks to sharing her photos and experience there herself this year!) She too was buzzing with excitement at the thought of getting out on the trails and completing what we knew would be a truly awesome, spectacular race.

Natalie and Del - Very excited to be running  :-)

The first few kilometers were a steady climb up through dense forests and alongside the raging waters of the Robson River, but as we climbed higher and we reach Kinney Lake, things started to open out a little and we had some spectacular views of surrounding mountains and the crystal blue waters of the lake. 

The next stage from Kinney Lake was relatively steep, but then it became even steeper as we faced 5km of pure uphill, gaining something like 1600 ft in the process  as we started to ascend the Valley of a Thousand Falls. The sound and sight of the thundering waterfalls crashing down the mountain sides into the valley and into the river below really was breath taking! We had to cross  the river several times, at one point via a suspension bridge which was pretty exciting as it swung from side to side, we crossed glacier fields and river beds, woodland trails and rocky terrain, and after a couple of hours of running, we came face to face with the majestic Mount Robson whilst Berg Lake was just ahead. 

I couldn't stop gawping - the amazing glaciers hugging the mountain sides, the turquoise blue lakes and crystal clear river, and the mountain tops so clearly visible against an outstanding blue sky. There are not enough words to describe how I was feeling, but I was completely in awe and felt so privileged to be experiencing such beauty. I couldn't help but keep stopping to take pictures and to just take in and absorb the sights that I was seeing.

Berg Lake and Mount Robson :-)

Amazing Views :-)

Absolutely beautiful :-)

I hadn't really been focusing on the race, but as I headed back the way I'd come, I discovered that I was lying in 3rd place although there were at least 3 other ladies that were only a couple of minutes behind me. I honestly hadn't come here to race, but knowing that I could be in with a chance of a prize did encourage me to push a little harder in the second half, particularly with knowing there would be alot of steep, downhill running which is one of my strengths.

I did pick up the pace a little, but only enough to ensure I held on to 3rd. I passed so many men on the return journey and whilst some of them clearly didn't like the idea of being "chicked", they still gave encouragement that pushed me onwards. There were alot of tree roots and slippery rocks and I took a couple of tumbles that later caused bruised knees and elbows, but thankfully nothing too serious and I was still making good progress.

It took me 2 1/2 hours to get to the top of Berg Lake and it took me 2 hours to get back down, and as I ran towards the finish line at the visitor centre, I did indeed finish 3rd lady in 4 hours 30 minutes. The winning lady ran an excellent 4.12, whilst Natalie had finished 2nd in around 4.20. I meanwhile was extremely pleased with my run - my legs felt good, I didn't feel too tired or exhausted, and I had hoped to finish in between 4-5 hours dependent on the trail conditions. I was one happy bunny and it finished off a fabulous week of outdoor fun.

It's  now Wednesday evening after the race, and I feel like I have recovered really well and am certain that it didn't take too much out of me. I've got a couple more events coming up - the last race in the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series is this Saturday and I'm hoping to place top 3 overall and to win my age group, and then next weekend, I will be competing in my first duathlon. After that it's back to cross country again, and of course, I still have the Toronto Marathon in October that I'm looking forward to. After that, I will start to focus on my big plans for next year and I'm determined to test that spirit of adventure that I've always had but sometimes remains hidden. There's alot of hard work in the pipeline, but with family and friends around me, I'm pretty sure that that will in some way help me to achieve my goals.

Happy running folks!