Happy New Year!

So another Christmas has been and gone, and 2020 arrives in just 2 days. I seriously cannot believe that this is our ninth Christmas since we left the UK and next time, we'll be celebrating a decade since we left Staffordshire and England behind us.

Christmas has once again been a quiet affair with just Andy, myself and the pups. I remember last year when we were so sad having just lost Brandy, and it was inevitable that she would enter our thoughts this year, and will do so for many years to come.

Our beautiful girl Brandy at our wedding :)

But whilst we still miss Brandy immensely, we did have a happy Christmas, thanks to our 3 pups Wilson, Tillie and April. I was so happy that we managed to get out for a Christmas Day run as a pack - considering I was running with 3 dogs, they all behaved so well, and I was greatly impressed with how they positioned themselves and ran in line with each other. We then spent a day out at Elk Island, having a lovely little walk beside the lake before sitting on the snowy beach for a picnic and a cup of hot chocolate as the sun went down.

Christmas Day Puppy Run :)

Family day out to Elk Island :)

Unfortunately this year I only had the 3 days off work, but the past few days have been wonderful, and I'm sure that 2020 will hold lots more fun and adventures for us all. I'm really hoping that Andy will be around more next year - he's spent something like 8 months of this past year working away and whilst me and the pups have kept ourselves busy, it has also been extremely difficult trying to plan things and knowing that Andy will likely not be joining us due to work.

Looking back on 2019 from a running perspective, I've certainly had my ups and downs with my racing! I'm not about to revisit all my races in any great detail - that's what this blog is for, to detail the nitty gritty at the time - but there are some things that remain memorable and I'm sure will be under discussion for many years to come.

In terms of races, I added another 7 ultras to my tally, along with a couple of other distances on the roads. I got frostbite on my big toe, had my fourth DNF, lost my confidence and started to get anxiety again about racing, regained my confidence and started to run for myself again, encountered a grizzly bear during a race and then had a nasty fall that resulted in 10 stitches to my knee, completed the Canadian Death Race, revisited my first 100 miler, and of course, headed back to Phoenix for a  not-so-lucky third time at Desert Solstice.

MEC Half Marathon Champ - Road Racing ??!

Canadian Death Race in August - 125km of awesomeness :)

But of those races, I won 5 of them and made the podium in all of the others, whether in my age group or open category - I certainly can't complain :)

I also switched coached back in April which brought a new approach to my training. Adam who had been coaching me for two years whilst living in Phoenix, moved to Japan, and with me moving back to Canada, it made sense for us to part. I will always be thankful to Adam for his support and encouragement with my races, and for pacing me to podium finishes and victories when in the USA. I do miss him but I really hope that he and his family are having a fantastic time out in Japan, and that other athletes out there will benefit from his knowledge in years to come.

But in losing Adam I gained Paul - a fellow Brit living in Edmonton, and who has certainly given me some challenging sessions that have brought out the best in me in recent months. He too has been encouraging and supportive these past few months and I am truly grateful for that - it's helped me to enjoy my running again and to realise that I need to run for me and not for everybody else. I'm looking forward to working further with Paul as we go into 2020 and beyond, and I'm sure that there will be more difficult sessions to come but I know that they will help me to be properly prepared for my races make my goals more achievable.

Of course, it isn't all running and racing for me, although there is no doubt that does play a huge part in my life. There are also my three little pups that bring so much joy and happiness to our lives. We started the year off with just Wilson and Tillie - our family had shrunk in such a short time to just the 4 of us which somehow brought us much closer and much more protective of each other. We went on a couple of camping trips, we've had mountain adventures together, and we've done runs together.

Before April joined the family ..... Jasper with Andy Wilson and Tillie 

By the time summer arrived, we'd welcomed another pup in to the family - another pointy snout called April. She brought chaos and mischief but my goodness, we are so happy to have her living with us, and she bonded with Tillie and Wilson very, very quickly, not really giving them a choice as to whether they liked her or not. On our first camping trip with April, she slipped her collar and had the entire campground chasing her which she thought was hillarious, we've bought something like 5 new comforters since she joined the family, we've had to throw away a bag of ripped clothing, and all the stuffed dog toys are now non-existent. She really has been - and still is - full of it!

April joins the family in June 2019 :)

It's great being a 3 dog family again, but we do still miss Brandy and we do still think of her.

This year, we also headed back to Las Vegas for a few days - yes, Robbie Williams had finally got residency there and we managed to get tickets for one of his March shows. Vegas is wearing thin on us nowadays but it was so worth going back to see Robbie, and of course, the show was amazing! Not surprisingly most of the audience were from the UK, and with a few Stokies in the audience, it was strange to hear a few "ay up ducks"!

Talking of Stokies, one of my long term friends made it out to Canada for a visit in September, all the way from Stoke. I've been friends with Julia for many years now, she's always there for me and has always been a shoulder to cry on, even from afar. Having Julia here for a 10 day visit and having a good catchup was wonderful, and being able to spend a few days with her camping in Banff was so special - I really hope she can visit again some day.

Above Lake Louise with A very good friend :)

If that wasn't enough, come November, we had yet another visit, this time it was friends from Phoenix as they came to sunny Leduc for what they termed as "Yanksgiving". We spent a few days in Canmore  with them and did teh usual visit to Banff and Lake Louise. It was cold, we had snow, we saw Elk, Deer, and a Grizzly Bear, we did all things Canadian when we could, but their time here was too short and they headed home before we had time to do much else. We are hoping that they too can visit again some day as we really miss them.

More friends visiting, this time from PHX :)

Of course we say it every year - we don't know what next year will bring - but I'm hoping for good health and happiness, for more visits from friends and hopefully from family, for lots more mountain and camping adventures, for more time with family and friends, to continue to enjoy my running and have fun, and to spend as much time as possible with Andy and the pups.

To all my family and friends, and to any random strangers that may be reading this, I wish you all a very happy new year, and may it be filled with lots of love, good health and happiness.

Desert Solstice 24 Hour Track Race

For the past 3 years, I have been trying to break 130 miles at 24 hour events in the hope that it will give me a better chance of being selected to the British national team – my best is just over 129 and whilst that was enough for me to make selection for the 2018 European 24-hour championships, I ended up withdrawing as it clashed with our move back to Canada and I didn’t feel as focused on the race as I should have been.

This year was no different. I had registered for Desert Solstice several months ago, it was to be my final event of the year, and once again, I was hoping to exceed my goal. I went into the race feeling fit and strong, confident that I could do it, but also cautious of being too cocky as anything really can happen in an ultra!

My training this year had been somewhat different than in previous years, and instead of 2 to 3 hour runs and lots of negative splits, tempo runs and progression runs, I had done more reps, more tempo runs, and definitely much longer runs on the track at a steady pace, which was what had given me the confidence that I could finally do it this time. Shortly after Iron Horse 100 miler back in October, I was already doing 2 hours runs on the indoor track, followed by a couple of 4 hours runs and then a 6-hour run where I managed almost 65km that day. My training sessions had gone well, I’d been practicing my nutrition to make sure all went well on race day, and I really didn’t have any reason to doubt that I could do what I’d set out to do.

A couple of weeks before heading to Phoenix, we had some visitors and we headed to Canmore for a couple of days to enjoy the mountain scenery and have a bit of a break. This was perfect for me as it gave me a break from the track and allowed me to do a couple of runs on the nearby trails. I took my little pup Wilson with me, and we had so much fun running in the snow together and being in the fresh air was certainly much nicer that a stuffy indoor leisure centre.

Trail runs in Canmore with my favourite boy :)

I flew into Phoenix the week prior to the race to give me chance to adjust to the temperatures – even though it was only 70 degrees in Phoenix, that was still much warmer than I was used to back home where it was shorts and t-shirt weather as soon as it goes above freezing in the winter months! I got a couple of easy trail runs in on the familiar trails at Deem Hills and I was still feeling fit and strong.

Night run at Deem Hills :)

However, I was starting to feel a little sniffly leading up to race day. Andy had been working away but we met up in Phoenix, and he had kindly brought back a horrid cold from his travels. He kept me awake at night with his coughing, so I ddn’t sleep too well, and then there was the risk of me picking up the same virus and not being 100% on race day. The good news is that despite having a bit of a sore throat on the Thursday and Friday, I didn’t feel like I had caught anything so was still feeling hopeful of a good race.

I had also spent that week at the office in Phoenix. I work from home nowadays, but my colleagues are based in Phoenix, so it was an opportunity to have some catchup meetings on projects I am currently working on. It was great to see everybody, but it was also exhausting having so many meetings one after the other – I was so happy to finish on the Friday lunch time so that I could finally focus on my race! Going into work made me realise why I usually take a couple of days of vacation either side of a race – I don’t like those distractions and like to just relax and do my own thing – working the day before was a pain!

Race day arrived and I was ready. I was feeling extremely nervous which I always take as a good sign, and for the first time in a while, I had to force down my breakfast to make sure I was already somewhat fuelled for the race.

It was strange not having the big names at the race this year and it seemed much calmer than in previous years – there wasn’t that excited anticipation, and there certainly wasn’t the hype and focus that we’d had when Camille Heron and Courtney Daulwater had graced the track the previous year. Having seen a preview of the ladies, we were all evenly matched on paper which I felt would be an advantage as we would probably end up helping each other to some degree. It was also nice having James Elson and Robbie Britton on the track who like me are both members of the British ultra-running squad and were also vying for a place on the GB 24-hour team. A quick hug and some British encouragement were most welcome, and then we were off.

My Crew Station, manned by Andy, Skye and Ian :)
(PC: Skye Croke)

My plan for the race was to run around 9.20 miles, or 2.20 laps and I found myself being pretty much on pace for the first few hours. With Andy as crew, supported by our good friends Skye and Ian, I had given them a breakdown of my target times for given distances, and had asked them to keep me on track but more than anything, prevent me from going any faster. I was feeding well and drinking well, but as the sun got higher and the temperature started to rise, the heat was already starting to affect me and I was already sweating by around 10.30am. I remember saying to my team to just keep me moving through the next few hours as I would likely start to struggle having being used to running in the cooler temps back home - several times I grabbed a cooling sponge and allowed the water to wash over me, whilst Andy and Skye both filled my hat with ice on at least 3 occasions. I was grabbing smoothies, I was grabbing watermelon - basically anything that would give me fluids as well as keeping me fuelled, and whilst I was still doing ok, I could already tell that my nutrition plan was falling apart.

Time for food and drink! :)

But I kept my focus and was still determined to hit that 130 miles. I went through the marathon i a little over 4 hours, I passed 50km in around 4 hours 50 mins, but shortly after passing through 50 miles which I did in around 8 hours, my stomach started to ache and I knew that the inevitable vomiting would soon follow. Sure enough, about half an hour later, I stood behind my crew tent throwing up all the contents of my stomach. It was disappointing. I was only 9 hours or so into the race with another 15 hours to go, and yet I really didn't feel like eating. There was no way I could carry on with an empty stomach, but I really couldn't get myself to eat.

I walked the next couple of laps, trying to get my stomach to settle and trying to talk myself in building an appetite - I finally made the decision to have some mashed potatoes, and having been prepared perfectly by Andy and the team, a half hour later after having a few spoon fulls, I was started to get some energy back and was feeling much better.

My cheerleader :)

My pace strategy needed to change. I passed 100km 20 minutes or so behind what I wanted but I still didn't panic. I was still confident that I could hit my goal, I just needed to keep moving and keep eating. I decided to run for 30 minutes and then walk two laps whilst I took on food and water - this appeared to be working, and I managed to keep it going for the next 2 or 3 hours without any issues. Add to that that Andy had been to Dutch Brothers and bought me a large Kicker, I was actually feeling amazing! The legs didn't feel too bad, I was still doing around 10 minute miles, and I was pushing onwards with a good 13 hours or so to go. My mind was doing the calculations and even if I slowed to 12 minute miles, I could still do 65 miles in the time remaining, break 200km, and then push that last hour to get a PR.

But this is ultra running, and I've said a number of times that anything can happen. Once you've passed 100km in a 24 hour race, the next milestone is 100 miles - that's alot of miles in between, alot of time to stay focused, alot of time to just keep moving forward, and alot of time for things to go belly up again.

Sure enough, as I was approaching the 100 mile mark, I was once again sick. It was so frustrating again. I'd once again changed my strategy and spend a good hour walking the bends and running the straights, and yet I was still managing sub 3 minute laps. Several people commented on how strong and impressive my walk was - I was even overtaking some of the runners with walk - but alas, further vomiting put a stop to it. I knelt down on the grass in the centre of the track, and whilst my body was heaving, there was barely anything coming up simply because there was barely anything in there. I'm thankful to Robbie Britton who handed me one of his drinks to try and help me to recover and get back on track (he had unfortunately been forced to stop due to injury), and with the support and encouragement from other crew members and the athletes themselves, I managed to get moving again, albeit much more slowly.

I was very happy to finally pass the 100 mile mark in around 18 hours 40 minutes - much slower than my 18 hour target, but still not terrible, and I still honestly believed that if I could just pull through this second bout of sickness, I could at least run 200km like I did last year,

The sickness did eventually subside, but I was truly running on empty despite my attempts to put some fuel inside of me, I tried mashed potatoes again, I had another smoothie, I had coke and coffee and tried to down some banana, and then the gawd awful energy gels made an appearance and I managed to force one down my throat, but it still wasn't enough. In addition to lack of food, I was starting to feel extremely chilled by the cool, night air. I grabbed some layers and some gloves, but I wasn't moving fast enough to keep warm which was hindering my progress. I was shivering. I pulled on some running tights and another top, and then went to sit by the patio heater in the aid tent to try to warm up. I spent far too much time there and I almost gave up, not wanting to walk for the next few hours when I so desperately wanted to still be running, but Andy encouraged me to get going again, and the miles started to go by again.

2 or 3 or 3am maybe? Just keep on moving!

With 2 hours to go, I was guaranteed a top 3 position in both the 100 miler and the 24 hour event, and it was so tempting to stop again. But then Andy said something that triggered that competitive streak in me again = aim for a top 5 overall finish, and see if I could get to 115 miles. The power walk was back, the determination was back, and whilst by now I would definitely fall well short of my initial goal, I now had another target to aim for and I was back in the zone.

I don't know how I did it, but with 1 minute remaining on the clock, I had now exceeded 116 miles (take that Andy!). The markers had now chosen their runners, and a young chap was following me around the track to mark my finishing point when the bell sounded. I was walking and told him not to worry, I wouldn't be sprinting, but as we came into the last 10 seconds, I saw a cone on the corner of the track and decided that would be my finish line - I was like a sprinter out of the blocks, and I ran as fast as I could to reach that cone, leaving my poor marker frantically trying to catch me to ensure he placed the wooden stake in the correct spot.

Into the final hour!

All in all, I did enjoy the race despite falling well short of my own expectations. I was confident that I could achieve my goal at 8am on the Saturday morning - even 12 hours later, I was still confident I could do it - but once again, my nutrition went out of kilter. I find this annoying as I had practiced it in training, I had been eating and drinking even on 20 mile runs to make sure my body could tolerate food on the move, and yet it let me down on the day. A part of me thinks it is partly because I didn't stick to my plan in the earlier stages. I had specifically asked for food every 45 minutes give or take, and to alternate between solid food and then gels with banana or some other small, solid item. This would ensure I was getting my 300 calories per hour in the form of food, plus calories from whatever drinks I was taking. I found I ate too many gels, the things I was hoping to eat I forgot about, and Andy did his best to get me to eat what he could find, but everything he mentioned had me heaving.

In terms of the event itself, Aravaipa Running never fail to put on excellent events that caters for all the runners' needs - everything was perfect! And whilst things were a little low key this year compared to last, the performance of the winning lady certainly deserves a mention with 148 miles for the overall win. Marisa was so strong out there, so focused, and speaking to her after the race, she was clearly overwhelmed by her own performance - these are the kind of athletes that inspire me never to give up, and to keep working hard in order to reach your full potential.

Of course, I'm a stubborn bugger and I have already signed up for another 24 hour race in Edmonton next year. I am determined to break 130 miles and will not give up trying until my body tells me I cannot run anymore. I know I can do the distance, I know that even 135 miles is within my reach, but I really need to master the refuelling if I am ever to achieve that goal. 

For now though, I am enjoying some easy running with no races in my immediate plans. I now have next year sorted in terms of what I want to do, and I intend to mix things up a little bit to make my race year interesting and varied, and to challenge myself in different ways. 

6 Weeks to go!

With just under 6 weeks to go until Desert Solstice 24 hour, my training has started to ramp up again and so far, I have been happy with how things are going. I’ve already managed 2 good sessions on the track to get my body both mentally and physically prepared, and over the coming weeks, the time spent on the track will become progressively longer. The aim of these sessions is to practice running at race pace as well as working on my nutrition in the hope of keeping myself fuelled for the entire duration of the race and avoiding the vomiting that I tend to get at some ultras.

Around and around we go!

Running in Phoenix in December certainly won’t be as hot as during the summer months, but the temperatures will be warmer than what I’m likely to encounter here in Alberta. The good news is that running at the indoor track does keep things at a steady 70 degrees – even warmer if I opt to wear a long-sleeved shirt rather than a singlet – so hopefully this will be prepare me for any heat when in Phoenix.

Whilst my sessions appear to have been going well, I have been having some issues with my left knee, so last week I bit the bullet and made an appointment to see the physio.

Last year around about this time, I was having problems with my left glute and hamstring, and having seen the physio back then, he identified the problem as a weak left hip. I was given a program to help strengthen my left side which I followed religiously and after about 3 months, the problem disappeared, and I was running pain free again.

In May this year, I ran Blackfoot Ultra 100k which was extremely muddy and it seemed to aggravate an old foot injury. The problematic foot lasted a while although it wasn’t painful, so I kept on running and have still had some pretty good races throughout the year. But when the knee started to ache, I knew that I needed to pay some attention to what the old body was telling me which resulted in me making the drive to St Albert to see Norm who would hopefully put things straight.

To cut a long story short, there were two things causing the knee problem – the left hip and my big toe, both of which are causing my knee to bear the brunt of all the running. Not surprisingly, the left hip is still weak (I had been neglecting my exercises since the glute/hamstring seemed to have resolved itself), whilst the range of motion in the big toe is very limited which is not giving me the “push off” that I need when running. It’s the same toe that was affected by frostbite earlier this year and if I’m honest, I wasn’t surprised to hear that it was still causing a problem. Another program to build strength and flexibility is now in progress, and once again, I am making sure that I stick to the program as much as time allows whilst still completing the training sessions that I have been given.

It can be difficult building up for a winter race when the weather in Canada can be somewhat unpredictable at this time of year. We’ve been lucky so far in the Edmonton area in that we haven’t yet had any proper wintry weather, so I have been able to run outdoors. But last weekend, the weather did turn quite chilly and we had a couple of centimetres of snow which turned to ice overnight. I’ve said before that I really don’t mind the colder weather, nor do I mind running in the snow, but when things turn icy, it isn’t quite as much fun.

I had a speed session scheduled in for 5 x 1-mile repeats and I really wanted to go to the outdoor track so I could practice running a consistently fast pace. It was a gorgeous evening for running despite being well below zero again, and when I arrived at the track, I was relieved to see that in the main, it was clear of snow. I did my first mile on the track, but as I hit the bends, I felt my feet sliding and realised that there was ice forming on the bit of lying snow. I didn’t want to risk falling just weeks out from a big race, so I completed the rest of the session on the pavements instead. The City are pretty good at clearing the pathways but there were still some icy patches which were somewhat difficult to see in the dark, and I found I needed to slow down when doing my repeats. I was still happy with the session and managed consistent reps at below 7-minute miles, but I was also a little frustrated that I hadn’t hit my goal pace. But like I say, we have been lucky with the winter weather so far – I’m pretty sure this time last year I was already running at the indoor track twice a week, so I couldn’t really sulk too much!

5 x 1 mile repeats and feeling good :-)

As an athlete, I do try to stick to my training plan although I have been known to mix things up a bit during the week if time means I cannot follow things to the letter. Last night was one of those days, although it wasn’t because of time constraints but rather I desperately wanted to take the dogs for a run, and I was missing my chums at the Leduc Runners group.

I dithered most of the day about whether I should run or not, especially given that Wednesdays are now a rest day but I eventually decided to do the easy 6km with the group and to take Wilson, Tillie and April along with me.

Wilson and Tillie have run with me lots in the past and both love the joy and freedom of running. April however has only ever run about 400m with me on-leash but having turned 12 months of age a few weeks ago, she was now at the point where pups are considered strong enough to run without doing damage to their growing bones and bodies.

I had no idea how they would all fair running together, but I was excited to see how they got on. I also wasn’t sure whether 6km at Wilson’s pace would be too much for April, so when our friend Julie asked if her son and hubby could run with 2 of the dogs, it worked out perfectly! I knew that April and Tillie would be good to go with Kasey and Brady and I would have the pleasure of Wilson’s company for the duration of the run.

The run turned out to be awesome, and I was so happy that the members of the group were so welcoming of the 3 pups in one visit! Tillie was a little timid but soon got into her stride with Kasey, whilst April was a little Rockstar with Brady and ran so well for her first time – a little enthusiastically to start with, but she completed the full 6km and seemed to be ok later in the evening, if a little sleepy along with the other two pups. And Wilson of course did awesome, yapping away for the first 10 or 15 minutes before finally settling down and getting into his stride as he pulled me along the pathways in the dark with the rest of the gang.

Me and my boy Wilson with the Leduc Runners somewhere!

This weekend I have a 3-hour run to do and the weather is set to cool off again with possible drizzle or snow flurries. I could go to the indoor track to avoid the weather, but I’m meeting friends at noon to run the last hour or so with them, so I know for sure that I’ll be running outside. What I’m not sure about is whether to hit the track again or stick to the roads, but I can decide that in the morning. The good news is that it should be a great weekend – a run followed by lunch with friends, an afternoon with the pups at the dog park, and then after almost 3 weeks away, Andy will finally be home and I’m pretty sure the dogs will be very happy to see him. We then need to plan for another visit from friends later this month, before deciding on flights to Phoenix for December, and maybe I’ll start registering for races next year – yep, it’s going to an awesome weekend but also quite busy too and I’m really looking forward to it.

A Brief Catch Up

I've always used this blog as a repository for my running and racing experiences, a place to reflect on things in years to come when I'm old and grey, to look back on what I've achieved over the years, the lessons I've learnt along the way, and maybe a way of encouraging others that read my posts to register for races, to try something different, and perhaps challenge themselves in a different way.

I've been neglecting things a little lately and I seem to have lost some of that motivation and creativity for writing, that way of engaging people and sharing my thoughts and emotions during my races, and I just haven't felt like putting my life on display for the rest of the world to see.

The good news is that for whatever reason, I am now at the stage where I feel ready to get back into the groove, to get back doing what I enjoy doing, and I'm ready to pick up where I left off in the summer. It's good to be back :-)

There is no denying that my summer was awesome, and I sneaked in a couple of races over the past few months which friends and family will already be aware of.

In August, I went in search of my Western States qualifier and made the journey to Grande Cache for the Canadian Death Race. This race is a 125km trail race that includes 3 mountain summits and some 17,000 ft of climbs and having had one of the wettest summers here in Alberta, the course was a muddy, soggy mess, giving way to some of the worst conditions in the history of the race.

I went into the race with no expectations and had no intentions of stressing myself out about times and places. It was difficult explaining to others that I just wanted to have fun out there and not feel pressured in to being competitive, so I was very happy to run the race I wanted to run, finishing in 18 hours and 32 minutes which was well within my "would like to have" goal of between 19 or 20 hours.

Summit of Mt Hamell
PC: Raveneye Photography (Alan Lam)

Out of leg 3 of CDR 125km -
PC: Raveneye Photography 

It really was an awesome race in all respects, and I honestly feel like it was one of my better races for a long time. I has no vomiting, no blisters, I felt strong throughout, and other than a cougar sighting on leg 4 shortly before my arrival and the aid station, there were no wildlife encounters apart from a couple of rather angry red squirrels! The views from the mountain tops were stunning, the support out on the course was outstanding, and I'm certain that I shall be back to conquer Death Race again at some point in the future.

A couple of weeks later, our good friend Julia came to visit from the UK. It was so good to see her again after nearly 5 years and the strength of our friendship was clearly visible with no awkward silences whilst she was here and no "small talk" as we chatted like we had never been apart :-)

We headed over to Banff for a few days whilst Julia was here and spent 3 nights camping at Tunnel Mountain. Of course, with being runners, we managed a couple of trail runs together in the mountains including the Plain of the Six Glaciers above Lake Louise which really was as scenic as seen in the pictures. Sure, there were quite a few tourists, but we still had a wonderful time and enjoyed a drink and a bite to eat at the tea house when reaching the top of the climb.

Plain of Six Glaciers

Plain of Six Glaciers

The weekend that Julia headed home, I was meant to have been doing the MEC Marathon in St Albert but flooding on the course meant the race was postponed. I didn't want to miss out on running a marathon as it was a crucial session for my upcoming 100-miler at the time, so I opted to run 26.2 miles unsupported around Leduc instead. With not being a proper race, I did have to stop for traffic, but I was very happy to run 3 hours 24 minutes with a negative split to boot. I was very happy with that run, and it certainly gave me some confidence again.

This run was followed up with a few trail runs over in Devon to ensure I got some hills and trails in the old legs, and when I had a 50km run scheduled in, I was very happy to see that this coincided with the Rivers Edge Ultra which also uses some of the Devon trails. Having raced REU last year, I knew that this was a great event, so I registered for the 50k with the intention of using it as a good training run.

Andy was working away that weekend and I was apprehensive and a little uneasy about leaving the dogs on their own all day whilst I went out racing for the day. Thankfully being in Devon, it was only a half hour drive from home, and so long as things went as planned, I knew I would be home in time for tea.

I didn't want to race this one as it was only two weeks until my 100-miler, so I deliberately positioned myself at the very back when we were called to the start line. My plan was to run between 9 to 10-minute miles but I found that this still put me amongst the leading ladies and as I went into leg 2, I ended up leading the ladies race. Normally I would have pushed on to retain my lead, but I did not want to race and deliberately started to mix walking with a slow jog to make sure that the other ladies went past me. As soon as slipped back a few places, I felt much more relaxed and was able to enjoy the run and the gorgeous autumn colours.

REU 50k - beautiful autumn colours!

Last year when I did this race, the course was changed due to snowy conditions, so I was very happy to do the full course this time. What I will say is that it is one tough course! There are lots of tough little climbs, it is quite technical in places, and the out and back section to reach the 50k turnaround point seems to go on forever! I was also a little taken aback when I encountered some gentlemen in the nude as I ran along the riverside path - it was only after the race that I discovered that the area is part of a nudist beach, and a very well attended one too!

REU - happy to be turning around now!

As I started the final leg, I was placed 3rd lady. I had no idea how far ahead the other ladies were, but I did pick up the pace and looking at the results afterwards, I did start to close the gap on them both. 

The final leg is where we encountered the river crossing. The weather had been quite warm for September so I was looking forward to cooling off in the water, but I wasn't quite prepared for how deep it would be. Wading across the 100m stretch of water to the island, the water came up to my waist and whilst it wasn't exactly freezing cold, it did cause a little gasp the deeper it got. I also became conscious of the current out there and I wondered how the 100k runners would get on wading across with tired legs later in the race. Having completed the island loop, the crossing back afterwards seemed much easier and before I knew it, I was running up the hill into the woods, before hitting the final mile or so into the finish.

I finished strong and once again had successfully completed a race where I had nailed my nutrition perfectly - success! - but I also had a couple of blisters that would need to clear up in time for my next race in just two weeks.

My last race was the Iron Horse Ultra 100 miler. This was my first 100-mile race back in 2013 and I was excited to be going back to St Paul to see if I could run a faster time than previously. 

It's such a shame that this race does not get more entries as it really is very well organised, has great swag, they provide you with supper the day before race day and then a post-race breakfast, and of course, it's a beautiful course and has amazing volunteers. 

Just 9 people started the 100-miler, and being the only female, I suppose I not only won the ladies race, but also finished last lady! But that didn't matter - I was more interested in running a good time and even though it took me just over 22 hours to complete, I was once again very happy with my race.

The course itself had changed quite a bit from last time with more off-road sections and lots more climbing, but it made things far more interesting and definitely more challenging, especially with lots of steep ups and downs across rutted valley, ducking and diving over and under fencing, barbed wire, and fallen trees amongst other things, but the most challenging of all was having to navigate across a stinky, disgusting boggy bog in the dark when we were already 85 miles into the race! With all the fallen trees and the high bushes, it was difficult to spot the reflective markers and I felt like I was moving blindly, trying to find my way. The bog was deep, and even where folks had tried to put logs across the deeper, wetter sections, they were sinking in the mire. At one point my shoe came off due to the suction and I found myself trying to balance precariously on a log as I fished my shoe out of the muck.

Start of Iron Horse 100 Miler

Iron Horse 100 miler - some of the views :-)

In the still of the night - Iron Horse 100  miler

With all the course changes, with the temporary loss of a shoe, and having ran the best part of 45 miles with barely any food inside of me (I ate chicken noodles – I should not have eaten chicken noodles!), it was inevitable that my time would be slower than the 21 hours and 9 minutes that I ran last time, but I still finished feeling pretty good – hungry, tired and in desperate need of a cup of tea, but certainly feeling good otherwise. What was even better about this final race was that by 9am, just a couple of hours after I had finished, I had my appetite back, and I was eating food like it was going out of fashion. It normally takes me 24 hours before I can eat anything substantial following a race, but this time, I really was famished, and I certainly gave my belly a good fill for pretty much the entire of the following week.

I took a complete week of rest following Iron Horse - my left knee had been giving me a bit of jip and I figured that a good rest would work wonders. It did work wonders, and the following weekend, I managed a decent pain free run and I felt good. I’ve since done more runs including one at the outdoor track in Leduc last weekend. You see, although we are now in October and the racing season is pretty much over for most folks here in Canada, I do have one more race to complete - the Desert Solstice 24-hour track race which takes place in Phoenix in December. This will be the third time that I will have done this event, and once again, I will be aiming to break that 215km mark which in the past would have given me the qualifying standard for the GB 24-hour team.

Leduc track last weekend - psyching myself up for 90 mins of running in circles!

The good news - or bad depending on how you look at it - is that the standard of British ultra-running in recent years has improved dramatically, and whilst 215km would have got you on the team in the past couple of years, it's now looking like I would need to run over 222km to even be considered! Yes, I checked out the current rankings for British ladies over the past 2 years, and there are already 8 ladies that have exceeded that distance - bearing in mind that they can only select 6 for the national team, it's looking like my GB team selection days are well and truly over.

The thing is that I am a stubborn old fool, and whilst I know that running that kind of distance is likely beyond my reach these days, it really doesn't stop me trying. I'm not willing to give up just yet as I truly believe that if all the stars align, I can do it. What I don't know is how many more 24 hour races my body will give me. I've been running for over 35 years now, I have done nearly 50 marathons and even more ultras, as well as those short and difficult races you do as a road runner. In all honesty, I have come to accept that I likely won't make the GB team BUT I still have personal goals to aim for. If I can break 215km in December, I will be a very happy bunny :-)

For now, it's time to focus on getting fit and strong again so I can be in the best shape possible by December. I've seen my training plan for the next couple of months and I will admit that a couple of the sessions are quite scary. But as we know, success doesn't come easy, you must work for it to earn it, and I am feeling motivated, focused and ready to knuckle down to give everything my best shot on that track.

Mountain Fun and Another Pup! :-)

A couple of weeks ago, I ran the MEC Half Marathon. It came just a couple of weeks post Blackfoot and for once, I didn't really say too much about the fact that I was racing. I felt the need to keep a low profile as I needed to get some confidence back, but that didn't stop the nerves as I drove to the start on that Sunday morning.

The previous day, I'd ran almost 17 hilly miles on the trails. My legs felt ok, but there were definitely some aches from all the climbing and whilst I wanted to run a good time, I had a feeling that the achy legs would cause me some problems.

For once I knew most of the course, and although still a couple of good climbs, I knew it would be one of the flatter Edmonton road races I'd done. 

On arrival st the start, it was so good to see Ailsa McDonald and her hubby. She was also running the half today and she looked fab considering she had spent 6 hours on a track the day before - she went on to win  half in 86 minutes, an incredible time given the previous day's performance too!

For me, I was happy enough with my run. I ran strong, I was running close to 7 minute miles for the most part, but the final climb and the achy legs slowed me in the last couple of miles, and I eventually finished in 1 hour 37 minutes. I placed 2nd behind Ailsa so I was pretty happy and I received another MEC  medal to add to my collection.

MEC Half Podium, minus the awesome Ailsa!

Andy came home that following week so we actually booked a week off work, spending a few days at home and finishing off with 4 days of camping in Jasper.

I really wanted to do some hiking with the pups whilst there, but Wilson has been struggling with a poorly paw and Tillie prefers to do things with Wilson rather than alone. So whilst I left Andy babysitting the pups, I headed out for some hilly trail runs to get the legs used to the uphills again.

Last Christmas, we did the Valley of the Five Lakes hike in the snow, and so I wanted to go back again in the summer to do it again, and then run into jasper where I'd meet Andy with the dogs.

The weather had been pretty damp and whilst running, I was hit with heavy rain and storms, and once again the surrounding mountain peaks were shrouded in cloud. The second part of the run into jasper was an unknown and I had no idea what to expect. It was certainly much quieter than I was expecting - I'd read that this route was popular with mountain bikers heading to and from town -  but in that last 10km, I saw just 5 or 6 other people and one cyclist. The trail took me across open meadows, through dense forest, and as I got closer to Jasper town site I ended up high on the cliffs overlooking  the Athabasca River which gave some fantastic views of the valley. I was loving the running, I was feeling really good, but I was also feeling extremely uneasy and was worried about running into a bear or a cougar. It was so quiet out there with not a soul in sight - in some respects it was awesome, but in others I was definitely on the look out for critters of the furry variety!

Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper

Cliffs overlooking the Athabasca River, Jasper

The following day I headed up Whistlers Mountain. This seems to have become an annual thing for me but it felt strange this year not taking the pups up with me. However, it did mean I could run more rather than hike, and I made it to the summit in record time. The weather held out with no rain or storms, and I had a marvellous run. If the climb up had been steep, the run back down meant holding back and putting a strain on the quads to stop me slipping down the mountainside and I knew that the quads would be pretty sore the next day!

Summit of Whistlers Mountain, Jasper

We had another great night camping under the stars, and the next day before heading home, I squeezed in another run, this time on road. I'd arranged for Andy to pick me up within the hour at the junction with the ice fields parkway,and when he wasn't there, I settled down on the grass verge In the sunshine to wait for him. As I sat there, I did wonder what j would do if a bear suddenly appeared. It was so quiet and not that much traffic and I thought that maybe I should make some noise. It was only after Andy collected me that we did indeed see a black bear, munching away in the grass verge just 400 to 600m further down the road from where I'd been sitting - yikes!

Even road running is fun in Jasper :-)

Road running and roadside views in Jasper :-)

Our 4 days out in the mountains had been pretty awesome, but the following weekend, things became even more eventful.

I'd been wanting to do another longish trail race as a training run prior to Death Race, and having spoken to coach Paul, he agreed that doing Rundles Revenge 50k would fit perfectly into my training plan. Once again, I didn't really say too much about doing the race as I didn't want the pressure or the weight of expectation on my shoulders, and I went there with the intention of putting some demons to rest, and to find my trail legs and trail confidence again.

We had planned to stay over in Calgary on the Saturday night, spending the day relaxing before heading to the race the next day. Whilst we still stayed over in Calgary, there was the minor change in our plans in that we would be meeting a young 8-month old, Basenji-Mix puppy named April, with the possibility that if the meet and greet with our family went well, she would be heading back to Leduc with us on the Sunday to join our family.

We hadn't been actively looking for another dog as it doesn't seem that long since we lost Brandy, but when our friend Jo Schmidt contacted us about April, we wanted to help out if we could. Jo's friend Suzanne had rescued April from the beaches and jungles of Mexico and when they found her, she was extremely thin, was riddled with worms and covered in tics, the latter of which had led to her contracting Lyme Disease. She was treated at the vets in Mexico and when healthy enough to travel, they drove April from Mexico to Canada to give her a better quality of life. 

She's such a sweet girl and it was obvious that they loved her so much, but sadly their lifestyle wasn't suitable for April so they were looking for another home. Thanks to Jo, we were introduced, and it seemed like the Salt-Smith home would be the perfect match.

Despite a lip curl from Wilson, the meet and greet went extremely well, so on our way back home the following day, we would be collecting April.

Of course, before that I had the small matter of a 50km race to do, so I had to switch my focus back to racing which was difficult with thoughts of April and our current pups running around in my head all night!

On the Sunday,we were on the road just after 5am as we headed up to Canmore. The weather was calling for warm temps with thunderstorms and rain for most of the morning but fortunately when we arrived, it was dry and a little on the cool side.

I was feeling so nervous and my tummy was going crazy with butterflies. It was silly really as so few people knew I was even racing, but the anxiety I was feeling about whether I'd even finish or not was somewhat overwhelming. Andy was awesome. He once again calmed me down and made me realise that all I needed to do was keep moving forward - there was no need to worry about finishing times or positions, all I needed to do was enjoy the race.

Ready for 50k but very, very nervous and stressed!

The course had also changed from when I'd done it previously which was a good thing as it meant I wouldn't be comparing my performance to what I did here 5 years ago. 

The race started at 7.30am and already I was having difficulty getting my head into the right place. The first few miles were uphill, and within the first 10 minutes people were walking due to the steep climbs. I started to power hike, but got frustrated by having to walk. I started to question why people call themselves runners only to do hilly races all the time, which turns into mostly walking. If I wanted to hike, I'd do it with my dogs and not pay to do it. I didn't want to be walking for the next 6 hours, I wanted to be fricking running! I'm crap at hills and at this rate, I'd finish last and look a fool again.

I was starting to get emotional and desperately needed to stop the negative thoughts, but I was finding it tough. My mind was all over the place - I'm not going to race after this, I'm going to cycle more, I'm not going to do death race because I can't run far anymore, I can't, I can't, I can't. WTF??!!

I then started to feel a little fuzzy headed and started to think something was wrong with me. I removed my hat thinking perhaps that was too tight, and it was only when the sweat started dripping in my eyes that o thought maybe I was dehydrated. I started to make a conscious effort to drink - the cool start had been deceiving and it was actually quite muggy - and a half hour later having taken a yummy energy gel and popped a salt tab, I started to feel much better.

It was then that I decided that I didn't care about my position today. I didn't care how long it took me. So long as I kept moving forward and got to that finish line  everything would be ok. I was not going to quit.

The instant relief I felt as soon as I removed that pressure off myself was amazing! I started to run with more gusto, I was feeling strong and much more positive, so much so that without really putting j any great, conscious effort, I started to catch other runners, and yes, even on the climbs!

I was gradually starting to feeling like an ultra runner again, z trail runner again, and whilst at that point in the race o wasn't interested in being competitive, at least I was back in the zone. The next few kilometres flew by, and I was running more strongly and more quickly that earlier in the race. The hills were no longer bothering and I was actually running up them quite well, and bit by bit, I was picking off runners ahead of me. I was also finding myself smiling again as I ran onto the double track trails and the valley opened up ahead of me with the splendid views of the Bow Valley and the surrounding mountains. We'd had  a few spots of rain but nothing too crazy, and the sun was now shining despite the mountain peaks still being shrouded in mist.

Race views at Rundles Revenge :-)

Stunning views ... and a bear!

 Although the course was two loops, each loop was split into two meaning that we passed through the event staging area at each 12k or so. Having now got myself back on track and feeling much happier with my run, I thought that the first 12k hadn't actually been that bad. I was now looking forward to the second half of the first loop which dropped to the lower trails of the Nordic Centre which I remembered from the various other events I've done here in previous years - I knew there were lots of ups and downs and steeps climbs, but now I felt ready for them.

I was now running with more of a spring in my step, and I started to overtake a few more of the men including a couple that had been playing leapfrog with me for the past few miles. As we hit a long drawn out climb that weaved between the trees, I overtook these guys again. I was very surprised when one of them commented, "I can see where your strengths are - you're a strong climber!" and I felt somewhat taken aback given my feelings of self-doubt when it comes to hilly runs. Yes, I was feeling stronger now and was making good progress on the climbs, but for somebody to actually comment gave me that confidence that I have been seriously lacking of late - it felt good!

I thanked him and said he was doing really well too, and then I found myself pulling away from him and the gap widening. This part of the course seemed to be a long, twisty turny downhill, followed by a long, twisty turny climb back up towards the staging area. I was feeling good and as I came into the end of the first lap, I was feeling extremely good. It had taken me just under of 3 hours to do the first 25km and knowing that I had struggled for the first 10km and had almost but given up, I felt capable of actually running a negative split and set off on lap 2 with full intentions of breaking the 6 hours and maybe running a 5.50. It's strange now looking back at how differently I was approaching things compared to earlier on in the race. That fight and determination I've had for many,many years had resurfaced and I was starting to get reckless on the downhills and appeared to be crushing the uphills. I was amazing even myself at how many people I was now overtaking on those climbs, and with every step, I was growing in confidence. I was also being much better with myself in terms of fuelling. I was making sure I was drinking and I had been taking gels and salt pills each hour to keep things ticking over. I was feeling fantastic with the mind and the body doing exactly what I was asking of them.

I still hadn't seen any ladies and had no idea where i was in the overall standings, but I was now racing against the clock if not the people around me.

I was cruising the ups and downs, I was listening to the birds singing, I was laughing at the chattering of the squirrels that seemed to get angry whenever a runner ran by, and I was loving my surroundings. I was now running pretty much solo and it didn't seem like too many people were around me, and as I ran happily down one of the trails, a couple of marshalls called out to me. At first it didn't register that they were telling me there was a bear on the trail just ahead, but then I stopped dead in my tracks and I finally spotted what looked to be quite a large bear feeding in the grass right beside the trail which made up part of the race course. The bear was probably 150m away from us and didn't appear to be interested in us whatsoever, and whilst the marshalls had their bear spray in hand just in case, I quickly snapped a photo just as some other runners came running up behind me, thinking maybe I should get my bear spray out and at the ready just in case!

Bear on the course!

We waited for several minutes, but the bear was in no great hurry, so we decided to just walk slowly along the trail above the bear, hoping that he wouldn't suddenly decide to charge. I stuck with one of the guys for the next 5 or 10 minutes, but he appeared to be struggling, I was feeling awesome, and I ended up leaving him behind.

That's when I became very aware of how quiet it really was. The mountain bikers were now out and about and a few did pass by, but otherwise it was pretty silent. Of course we know bears are in the area but I never expected to really see one, so after that, I got paranoid that I would bump into another one. I started yelling and making much more noise, feeling silly when I'd yell and then a cyclist would come flying around the corner.

Shortly after the bear, I came into the staging area again. I stopped at the aid station to grab some more gels, banana and water melon, and was chatting to them when I thought I heard them say over the loud speaker that I was currently 2nd in the over 40s ladies race. I wasn't quite sure, but that did give me a spurt, especially when the aid station volunteers told me that a couple of ladies had just left about 2 or 3 minutes earlier. With just 12 or 13km now remaining, the chase was on!

Less than five minutes later, I found myself sitting on the rocky ground effing and blinding at a 10cm cut in my knee, feeling a little dazed , whilst blood poured down my leg. I had been so busy looking around for bears that I wasn't paying enough attention to my feet and I had tripped over a rock and fallen on the sharp edge of another which had gone a little deeper than a graze into my right knee. A lady had heard me swearing as I fell, and when I got up and started to slowly hobble, I apologised to her for my language. It turned out that she was a doctor and she took a quick look at my knee. I felt awful as it was bleeding and covered in dirt and mud, but her prognosis was that it didn't look too deep and it wouldn't get infected in the next hour or so - I'd be ok to carry on, but then it "was only a race" and maybe I should just go back to get it cleaned up.

Ouch, ouch, ouch! Real time photo of the knee injury just after it happened :-)

At that moment I knew that my ultra runner instincts and stupidity were back and I felt a huge sense of relief that it had been buried in there all along. I did not want to go back to get it cleaned up - there were a couple of ladies within striking distance just ahead of me and I had already given them the advantage by deliberating over whether to carry on or not. Neither did I want to DNF, but then I also didn't want to make my knee worse if I carried on, and I certainly didn't want it to get infected.

I finally decided to just carry on - it was only 8 miles and I was sure I could manage it. Avoiding another DNF was more important to me at that moment. I took a quick picture of the knee and sent it to Andy to let him know that I may be a little longer than the 6 hours I had been hoping for, and his reply was just what I needed to keep me going.

As I tried to run, the knee was undoubtedly stiff and the blood was starting to flow a little more from the cut. It was stinging too, but I was able to manage the pain and as I found my rhythm again, I started to run without too much trouble and I soon forgot about the knee. The only time I thought about it was when I almost tripped again but caught myself in time - I really didn't want to fall on an already injured knee!

The bear from earlier had now cleared the course but I was still very aware that another appearance was possible, so I was still making lots of noise and calling out. The downhills felt amazing and I knew I was closing on at least one of the ladies ahead of me, and as the climbs started again, I found myself covering ground pretty quickly, eventually passing one of the ladies and being able to keep it going.

When I finally saw the concrete pathway that leads back to the Nordic Centre, I knew I was close to the finish, but that last couple of miles seemed to go on forever as the course teased us into thinking we were heading back, only to lead us away for a brief couple of hundred yards. I was feeling good in the legs and really wanted to run strongly into the finish, but the blooded knee was starting to get a little sore now so I aimed for a respectable looking finish rather than a sprint or a walk.

I ended up finishing the race as 2nd placed lady in the over 40 race and 5th lady overall in 6 hours and 7 minutes - if it weren't for the bear and the fall, I'm pretty sure that a 5.50 finish would have been on the cards, But I was still very happy and I felt a little emotional crossing the finish line - demons had been defeated and Del the Ultra Runner was back!

Top 3 40+ ladies :-)

It was awesome to see Andy and the pups at the finish, but now we had to get the knee looked at and it was a mess. By carrying on, I had actually stretched the flesh so the cut was now wider and it was looking like I was going to need stitches. They suggested I go to the emergency ward to have it looked at properly due to the amount of dirt in there - they didn't have facilities to clean it properly and were worried about the infection if they used the temporary stitches.

We had to wait around for the presentation which took another couple of hours as we waited for the 3rd placed lady to finish and recover, and in the meantime, I was famished and thirsty.

To cut a long story short, I made it to the hospital, had a local anaesthetic to freeze the knee for cleaning, it wasn't enough so doctor stuck 3 more needles in me to deaden the knee, and then I had it scrubbed and scraped literally raw before having 12 stitches put in. No running for at least a week or until the stitches come out in 7 to 10 days, a tetanus booster, plus 2000mg of antibiotics daily for the next week. Given the excellent treatment I had and the fact that the only cost was the prescription for the antibiotics, I want to give a huge shout out to Alberta Health Care which was on a par with treatment received in the past by the awesome NHS in England.

Of course, we were now running late for our meeting to collect April and we didn't want to delay things for too long - the longer we left it, the harder it would be for her current owners to part with her, but by the same token, it also meant that they had that extra time with her to say their special goodbyes. They were of course waiting for us when we arrived in Calgary to collect her, and I think we all cried and I know for sure that I felt terribly guilty taking away their furry baby even though it was all for the greater good. We promised to stay in touch, to share photos of April as she matures in to a beautiful young lady, and to swing by for a quick hello whenever we are in Calgary.

April has now been with us for a full week and after a few initial growls from Wilson and some grumblings from Tillie in the first couple of days, I think it's safe to say that harmony has returned to the household. Tillie and April play constantly and I even found them sharing the bed the other day, and even Wilson has succumbed to wagging his tail and snuffling April's ears occasionally. Last weekend, we did a couple of longer leashed walks as a little family and all three pups were so well behaved and had a wonderful time, so much so that several people commented on how good they were which certainly made me a proud mom :-)

Walks with the pups and bliss all around :-)

Feel like a dog walker again! :-)

The past week has certainly been eventful and I'm certainly feeling a bit perkier than I have been doing as of late. Andy is of course working away again - he comes back home on Friday for a weekend of camping at Elk Island National Park - but he jets off again on Monday for the remainder of July whilst he works on a job over in Newfoundland - on the positive side, at least he'll be in Canada, albeit on the other side of the country!

When he returns, the Canadian Death Race will be on the doorstep and we'll be heading off for the weekend in Grand Cache. I'm actually looking forward to racing this time - it's my Western States Qualifier and I've made the decision to make finishing and just enjoying the run my main goal. Of course I want a good, strong, solid run, but I'll put it out there now - I do not expect to podium at this race, I will not be going out there to podium, I don't care about the quality of the competition, what the other ladies have or haven't ran or won or whatever, I don't care what time I run nor what the course record is, I don't even care if I finish last so long as I do finish and I do so in the cut-off times. I also won't be comparing myself to anybody else, nor my former self when I could comfortably run much faster than I do these days. I just want to do my best but more important have fun for once. I'm also realistic that having injured my knee at Rundles Revenge last weekend, I have missed a week of training and will likely not be back to full pace for a few more days. Whilst I don't expect to have lost too much fitness and the forced rest will likely have done me good, it will undoubtedly have some small impact on my build up to Death Race. I am ok with this and I am realistic about what that impact may be.

But Death Race is 4 or 5 weeks away and I don't want to start thinking about it just yet (thanks Paul!) I have another month of training to get through and I want to enjoy that training, I want to enjoy being out on the trails and I want to have fun, I don't want to dwell too much on pace - hey, I might even run without a watch for once! The good news is that at the moment, I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to knuckling down, getting in the miles and not worrying about things too much - I want to be the carefree, fun loving runner that I used to be, with that happy, positive, optimistic outlook that I am familiar with instead of worrying about whether I'm meeting other people's expectations - I know that runner is still there, I know that she resurfaced briefly last weekend in Canmore. I just have to give her a little encouragement to show herself a little more often, to grow in confidence again, and for her to realise that she's doing this for herself, and that if she can hit her own goals, then nothing else really matters.