A Quick Look Ahead

I seem to have recovered pretty well from the Las Vegas Marathon and training has now recommenced in full force as I prepare for my final race of the year - Across the Years 24 hour race. This will be my first attempt at racing for 24 hours and I have absolutely no idea how I'll get on. I do have a goal in mind as I need something to aim for, but I'm not sure whether I am being  overly ambitious with my expectations. All I have to go on is the 100 mile race that I did a couple of years ago on the trails in St Paul, northern Alberta. I finished that race in just over 21 hours having spent considerable time running alone in the dark and during the night, with just the glow from my headtorch for company. The terrain was variable and followed open fields and forest trails up and down hills, as well as the occasional scrambling over fences and numerous gates, being guided by reflective flags that marked the unknown trails ahead of me.

Across the Years will be very different. The course consists of a loop that is about a mile round, and it is highly unlikely that I will be spending much time on my own. The aid station will be there with supporters every mile as opposed to every 10 to 15 miles, and I'm pretty certain that I won't be taking any wrong turns! I genuinely believe that I should be able to cover a minumum of 100 miles, but unlike the Iron Horse 100 mile ultra that I did, the terrain will be far easier with predominantly gravel pathways and I won't have to contend with steep, muddy inclines. Despite the course being "easier", I will no doubt experience fatigue from using the same muscles over and over for a full 24 hours. 

The race will also be more of a mental game - going around in circles and changing direction every 4 hours  - it could potentially be mind numbingly boring, and yet I get feelings of nervous excitement and anticipation every time I think about it, and I'm extremely curious to see how I'll cope.

Training for such a race is of course different from the marathon, and I've already started with the back to back long runs. These runs have been done on the local trails which are extremely rocky and steep in parts, and I've certainly been feeling tired in the old legs. It's been tough, but then I need to teach my body to keep pushing forward even when it's tired, to delay the onset of fatigue that I will no doubt feel at ATY.

Rocky trails in the desert - Deem Hills

I've done some pretty awesome runs and I am feeling fit and strong, so hopefully all will come good on December 31st when I toe that start line and brace myself for 24 hours of continuous running.

Aside from race preparations, life at home has been pretty busy. I'm still awaiting a work permit so at the moment, I've having to keep myself amused during the day. Last week, Andy was working over in Sweden which meant I had access to a vehicle for a few days, so I seized the opportunity to get outdoors for some hiking with the dogs and to explore new running routes. I'd heard about Apache Wash from a few running groups here in Phoenix, so last week I ventured over there and had the most amazing walk with the pups. It was far quieter than some of the other trails we've explored recently and it felt pretty remote and well and truly in the desert - it's certainly a place I intend to head back to more frequently over the coming months. 

Apache Wash Hike

Apache Wash on a hot winter's day

Whilst I was in the area, I noticed the number of new homes that were being built in that particular area. We were recently informed that our current landlady will be selling her house in the new year, so we've spent the past couple of weeks looking at various new build homes and property to rent. I found the residential areas close to Apache Wash quite appealing, and having taken Andy over there to take a look with me, we both agreed that the location was far more convenient and better met our needs. With having to move out of our current home just after Christmas, we decided that it was too short notice for us to purchase a property that we really wanted to invest in, and so instead we scoured the web for property rentals instead. Today we took a look at one of those properties, and whilst it isn't new, it felt homely and so we will once again be moving house in the next couple of weeks and will hopefully be settled in for Christmas.

With not working yet, I have been looking at volunteer opportunities that enable me to get invovled with the local running scene and to widen my social network here in Phoenix. Having being heavily involved in the running scene in a voluntary and competitor capacity whilst in both the UK and Canada, last week, I applied to become an ambassador for Aravaipa Running for 2016. I suspect that my application will be unsuccessful as there are so many other people more worthy than me for the role, and they will have far more knowledge about the local area than I do, but I'm always of the opinion that you shouldn't let these opportunities pass you by - there is still a chance that they may say yes!

In  addition to this, I have also registered with Beast Pacing to be a pacer for them at various races across the US. Whilst I have never been an official pacer, I have paced friends on numerous occasions in the past and having helped and observed them achieving their goals, it is something that I would like to do for others. 

Another area of volunteering that I have been involved with in a previous life is trail maintenance, and so I've been looking into volunteer opportunities with the Arizona Trail Association to assist with building and maintaining trails. I was delighted to see that they actually offered a training course for volunteers that are interested in helping out on the trails, covering everything from minimising erosion by selecting the best place for a new trail, to stone work and drainage amongst numerous other things, and with courses starting in January, this is something else that I am keen to get involved with.

Of course, I still miss running with my dogs and I think they too miss those special runs that we used to do together. Even during the winter months, it can still be too warm to run with the pups, and although early moring or late evening is more ideal temperature wise, it's dark at that time of day and so not feasible to take them out on the trails with them being so rocky and bumpy. Not wanting them to miss out on all the wonderful exercise they have become accustomed to, I've been trying to find activities for them to do that will keep them fit and healthy, and was really pleased to find a dog training school in nearby Cave Creek that not only has lure practices (which out two LOVE!) but also agility training and pool diving. Having discussed things with Andy, we've agreed to sign Wilson up for agility in the new year to help manage his passion for running and once trained, I'm hoping to compete with him at competitions when they come up. Of course, we also have Brandy who is far less agile that Wilson with being a larger dog, but she's happy to do the lure coursing and she will be there as Wilson's mascot when and if we manage to compete.

There is of course the need to find employment as soon as I am authorised to work here, and I've been giving this lots of thought in recent weeks. I'm still quite keen on setting up my own business and can see that dog walking and pet sitting seems to be in short supply where we currently live, and having spoken to folks at the dog park, many of them frequently comment that sometimes they don't have time to take their dogs to the park and they feel awful that they are missing out. I've also been considering doing freelance photography and covering the various sporting events here - both of the human and animal kind - and this is again something that I am keen to pursue over the coming months.

So unlike last month when I was at my wits end wondering how on earth I was going to keep myself entertained for much longer, I now have far more to look forward to, starting next weekend when I head back to Calgary for a few days. Our house up there is due to complete in December and there are a few things we need to do, but I'm also hoping to catch up with a few friends and get a mountain and snow fix or two whilst there.

Although I have lots in the pipeline over the coming months, I am of course a competitive runner and I have spent lots of time trying to find target races for next year. As previously mentioned, Across the Years 24 hour race is my current main focus, but after that, I am looking at doing another 100 mile race, this time in the beautiful Zion National Park. We went to Zion many years ago and it'll be great to go back and do some racing. I'm also looking at the possibility of doing a 50km trail race in Colorado followed by another 100 miler later in the year which is likely to be the more local Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stage Coach 100 mile trail race.

There are still lots of things that I miss about Calgary, but now I'm looking deeper in to what is available in Arizona and beyond, I'm excited about new experiences and new adventures.  There are so many things to look forward to if all goes to plan, and it'll be great to see how both Andy and I, plus Wilson and Brandy - and Khayman of course - progress over the coming months.

Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon Baby...Yeh!

If only I'd had the chance to check out the forecast at 3pm Saturday afternoon - I would then have seen the severe winds warning from the US National Weather Service for the Las Vegas area, which was due to arrive just in time for the marathon on Sunday evening. Maybe then I would have adjusted my goal for the race I'd spent the past 10 weeks working hard for, but up until the actual start of the race on the Sunday evening, I was blissfully unaware of what was coming and had no idea how it was going to impact on my plans.

We'd arrived in Vegas on Friday evening having made the 4 hour drive from our home in Phoenix. It was the relatively close proximity that had drawn me to the event, more so than the renowned attractions of the strip with its neon lights, amazing shows, and the selection of bars, restaurants and casinos. Las Vegas would be my 30th marathon - it would also be my last competitive marathon, so I was determined to make myself work for my 8th and final sub 3 hour marathon before I bowed out and turned my attentions back to purely running ultras.

We spent the majority of the weekend hanging out with our good friend Alan Lam from Calgary. Alan was the first friend I met when arriving in Calgary nearly 4 years ago, and he introduced me to the running scene there along with many of the other wonderful friends I made in "the true North". Alan was also in Vegas on a mission. He's ran close to 30 marathons himself and was hoping to get that Boston qualifier which has alluded him for a while now, and whilst we both knew that our personal goals would mean pushing to our limits, we were both ready to embrace the challenge, and hopeful of achieving our goals.

Alan and Del at the Race Expo

Race day arrived and as we headed over to meet Alan at the Mandalay Bay Hotel for the start, we noticed how much the wind had picked up. It wasn't just a breeze either. Palm trees were bending with branches and leaves breaking free in the gusts, litter was flying around, and the flags at the top of the flag poles were being whipped about  viciously as the strength of the wind increased. It was such a contrast to the past couple of days which had been calm, warm and sunny, but we had no control over mother nature and would have to either like it or lump it. 

For me, if I was about to do a trail race, it really wouldn't have bothered me as I do them for that very reason - to test myself against the elements and mother nature, without needing to worry about time and pace - but this was a road race, I had a time goal in mind, and everything needed to be perfect in order for me to achieve that goal. 

Although I had only mentioned this to Andy, I felt that 2.55 was within my reach based on how well my training had gone this past few weeks, but as the wind strength increased, I knew that was now a tall order in these conditions and yet I made the decision to go for that sub 3 regardless as I didn't want to be defeatist before I'd even started.

One of the things that particularly stood out for me at this marathon was the heavy police presence and the high levels of security. Even without the devastating terrorist attacks just a couple of days earlier, the US had learnt from the Boston bombings and were already taking things seriously to ensure everybody's safety at the event. It was certainly reassuring and yet also a stark reminder of the crazy world we live in these days, and with a moment of silence to remember all those affected by the attacks followed by a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner", it brought a sombre moment to the event but also a sense of pride and solidarity as the 30,000+ people from all over the world stood together on the roads around the Mandalay Bay Hotel, awaiting the start of the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon.

Just prior to the start, they had warned us that it was going to be windy out on the course, but I wasn't quite prepared for how bad it actually got. Although I went through the first kilometre bang on pace, I was already breathing heavily and it wasn't until we made the turn that would take us back to the start line but on the opposite side of the road that I noticed that it was on a slight incline. The wind hadn't been that bad up to that point, but after that turn and for the next 10km or so, there was a very strong crosswind with gusts that threw me off my stride every so often. 

On "The Strip" and still focused on that sub 3

Running down "The Strip" really was amazing. The bright lights and the crowd support was tremendous, the bands were loudly playing out their tunes, and I was getting extra cheers and encouragement with being a lady. I absorbed the atmosphere as much as possible, but at the same time I was trying to remain focused on my race plan with the words of my coach Laura sticking in mind as I ran along: "Another sub-3hr is within your reach, just focus, remain consistent and let those legs fly!!" It became my mantra and I was happy to be knocking out splits that were keeping me on track with my 5k and 10k splits being spot on, and passing through 15km pretty much on target at around 63 minutes, and I was lying in 7th place in the ladies race.

On "The Strip" and still feeling determined

It was around about then that we separated from the half marathon runners and as we turned off the strip, things went much darker and far quieter, and the crazy wind had intensified and was really making its presence known.  I tried to see what pace i was doing, but with fewer street lights it was difficult to see my watch, and it was then that I realised that I hadn't seen any mile markers or timing clocks along the route. We later found out that they had all been removed due to the high winds and the risk of injury they posed to the runners and others on the course.

There were several out and back sections on the revised marathon route, and it seemed that no matter which direction we ran, the wind was pushing against us. I was still trying to maintain my pace but was finding it difficult to breath with the strength of the wind, and then I started getting a stitch which plagued me for the remainder of the race. My glutes and lower back also started to tighten a little as I leaned into the wind and I found my pace was gradually starting to slow. It was then that the rain came making the roads extremely slippery and whilst thankfully I didn't fall over, we all had to use caution when making some of the turns. Every time we passed an aid station, empty cups were being blown across the roads from all directions, whilst the poor volunteers tried to prevent the full cups from being strewn all over the floor at the same time as handing out drinks to passing runners.

Shortly before the half way point whilst doing a loop around a huge marquee with music loudly pumping out as the rain came down, I gave up the chase. I was battling against conditions chasing a time that I knew was quickly slipping away, I wasn't going to win the race, I wasn't going to PR, so why the hell was I putting in all this effort? I then heard a shout from the opposite side of the railings - it was Alan and he wasn't too far behind me. Seeing Alan gave me a boost and I was willing him to catch me so that we could run together and go for a 3.15 finish - if he could catch me up in the next couple of kilometres, that was still within our reach and at least then one of us would have achieved our goal.

the rain stopped but the wind was relentless and every step forward was becoming even more of a fight. We ran even more out and back sections, and every time I saw Alan, it looked like he was gradually edging closer. Despite the cool and windy conditions, I was still exceptionally thirsty, so I started to stop at the aid stations to make sure I was drinking enough. Where the wind really was strong, I was no longer willing to do battle and so stopped to walk, head down and eyes shut as dust, debris, road signs, garbage cans and goodness knows what else were strewn in the air. Once again I readjusted my goal - I was now targeting a sub 3.30 - but all I really wanted was to get to the finish line as soon as possible so that we could get warm and relax.I pushed forward, no longer even looking at my watch, becoming more focused now on the stream of runners that I could see in the distance - the point where we would rejoin the half marathon runners once again, where we rejoined the strip and the crowds, and the finish line at The Mirage.

I was so happy to join the half marathon runners. Despite me slowing even more dramatically over the last couple of kilometres, Alan had unfortunately still not caught me and I had spent a considerable amount of time running alone. Being surrounded by people with the party atmosphere once again kicking in as we rejoined the strip helped me to get going again as I knew the finish line wasn't too much further ahead. I struggled onwards and with around 3km to go, I felt a pat on the back - it was Alan with his happy smile and encouraging words, and despite me telling him to go ahead without me, he refused. We ended up running that final stretch together , The Mirage not seeming to be getting any closer, but finally - finally! - we were taking our last few strides and crossed the finish line of the Las Vegas Marathon holding hands. What an absolute star! 

Finishing with good friend Alan :-)

It would be easy for me to be disappointed with the run and yet I didn't feel any disappointment. Yes, it was frustrating that the weather had been against us but that's mother nature for you. When road racing, when aiming for a specific time, when training has gone well and you know you're in good shape, everything comes down to conditions on the day. You can be in the best shape of your life, but if the conditions are against you, there is only so much you can do. The winning lady finished in 3.08 - her half way split was 1.28 which shows how much her race was also affected. Times become irrelevant and it comes down to who best copes.

The weekend in Las Vegas was lots of fun and maybe one day I'll go back for the party, but for now my competitive marathon running days are over. I ran my first marathon 20 years ago and Las Vegas was marathon number 30. In those 20 years, I've gone sub 3 hours 7 times and have a PR of 2.47. Of those 30 marathons, I've won 6 of them and finished top 3 in several others. I've ran 5 of them for charity and raised money for animal charities close to my heart, I've ran most of them in the UK but I have also raced in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Cologne and now Las Vegas, and as a result of my marathon running, it got me into running ultras which led on to even greater things.

I'm not saying that I won't run another marathon - I'm happy to run for fun or to help pace others to their goals if I can - but I won't be putting pressure on myself to chase times. For now, I'm back to mainly ultra running which means running more slowly and running much further - that's where my strengths are these days, and I intend to make use of them whilst I can.

Way to party dude!

10 days to Go........

With just 10 days to go until the Las Vegas Marathon, I'm starting to feel even more excited and fairly confident of a good race in "Sin City" on November 15th. 

Since completing the TransRockies Run back in August of this year, Vegas has been my main focus and I have to say that training has gone extremely well - even with a move to Phoenix and experiencing 100 degree temperatures when first arriving which was during a crucial point in my training program. I was feeling fit and ready for TransRockies after a summer of running on the trails, but marathon training has meant a switch back to mainly roads with lots of speed work and tempo runs, but it would appear that my body has adjusted pretty well and I have found that my average pace on my easy runs is now half a minute per km faster than it was a few months ago.

Although training has gone well, it has also been extremely tough, especially the long weekend runs, simply due to the desert heat. Back in Calgary, I could happily run 20-25km without needing to take on board too much fluid, but here in Phoenix, even on a 10k easy run, I'm finding that I need to drink a good litre of water to make sure I reap the benefits of the sessions and to ensure that I don't overheat and become dehydrated. During the 30km + runs, I've had to choose routes where I know there is a water fountain so that I can refill bottles or my camelback, neither of which are ideal when some of those long runs have involved elements of speed work. It's not so bad carrying a backpack when running trails and I have tried to stick to them as much as possible, but with training for a road marathon, road running is a necessity to prepare my body for the trauma it will face when running on tarmac for 42km - carrying a backpack alters my running style and sometimes I have woken up the following day with achy muscles as a result of attempting to pick up the pace when on road.

A few weeks ago we bought a treadmill to help get the maximum benefit from my speed work. I'm not a great fan of the dreaded treadmill as I much prefer to run outdoors and battle the elements, but I have found it a blessing this past month or so and feel as though it really has helped with my preparation for Las Vegas. I've been able to run with air con and a fan to keep me cool (although I've still been dripping in sweat!), and I've had drinks to hand throughout which has meant I can focus on just running instead of worrying about running out of water and wondering when I'll next be able to refill my water bottles. The furthest I've done so far is 2 x 18km tempo runs, and I was really pleased that yesterday's 18km tempo was 3 minutes faster than a couple of weeks ago.

Runs with Pups :-)

My easy runs are still done outdoors and in a previous life, I would take Wilson and Brandy with me on those runs as they were generally at a pace that both dogs could cope with. I haven't been able to run with the dogs as much as I would have liked since I arrived in Phoenix, but earlier this week, a storm system moved through the valley which brought 2 feet of snow to the north of us in Flagstaff, and cooler temperatures and rain for us here in Phoenix. It was still around 65-70 degrees but with the cloud cover and a cooling breeze, I seized the opportunity and headed out with both pups for the first time in over a month, 

As soon as Wilson saw his running harness, he got really excited and his usual howling and barking started which set Brandy off with her crazy darting backwards and forwards around the house. They both knew what was coming and there was absolutely no doubt that they were extremely excited.

We ran an 8km out and back route to Deem Hills and although they still found it on the warm side with tongues lolling as they trotted along beside me, I could sense that they were extremely happy and were enjoying every moment. We stopped for water at Deem Hills as the ice in their neckerchiefs was almost melted, and I gave them a good dousing with the cool, refreshing water whilst they had a good drink, filling a poop bag with water and carrying it with us so they could have more if they needed whilst we were heading back home.

A warm Brampster

It was so nice to run with them again and all 3 of us were beaming with delight and happiness on arriving back home an hour or so later.

Today's run was another easy run but although the weather was still cool, it was too far to take them with me, so instead we spent some time at the local community park. Unlike many other places here, this park has a huge grassy area and whilst dogs are not allowed off-leash there, we still had fun running backwards and forwards and playing with a ball even though they were on leashes. Wilson and Brandy loved it and they spent considerable time rolling around and cooling off in the lush green grass before we headed home where they then slept and groaned in contentment as they nodded off.

It's certainly been a great couple of days - I've ran with my pups and I've had some really good speed sessions as I now move into the final week of my preparation for Las Vegas. It's now taper time, my body and mind are feeling ready, and I'm just hoping that the positives thoughts and the feeling fit, strong and healthy last so that I get the result I'm looking for in Las Vegas.

Enjoying the cooler weather

Happy boy :-)