One extreme to the other - Hypothermic 10k and Frozen Ass 50k

The past week has been bitterly cold in the Edmonton area, and whilst being hopeful that the warm-up was coming, we've been met with extreme cold warnings on and off for a few days now. I'm one of those people that still prefers to run outdoors regardless of the weather, assessing the risk and knowing my own limitations before deciding whether it's a good idea, or whether pounding the road to nowhere or climbing to the summit of the topless hill is the preferred choice. It usually results in me heading outdoors, which is probably a good thing to some degree, especially as I have a tendency to sign up for winter races that are usually scheduled for February!

This past weekend, I had signed up for two completely different races, one at each end of the scale - the Hypothermic Half 10k in Edmonton, and the Frozen Ass 50k in Calgary.

This would be my third time doing the Hypothermic Half since moving back to Canada, but this year, I registered for the 10k rather than the half marathon. We were under yet another extreme cold warning which usually means temperatures are expected to drop to -40c or below, and by the time the race started at 10am, it was still -28c real feel in the wind.

Despite the cold, it was an absolutely gorgeous morning and with the hoar frost on the trees alongside the river, and the haze and fog over the water, it really was beautiful with the clear blue skies overhead. Although I have a goal to go sub 45 minutes for 10k this year, I knew that it was unlikely on Sunday given the conditions, but I was still curious to see how I would get on.

I had layered up pretty well and felt comfortably warm whilst waiting at the start line, and once the race had started, I didn't feel overdressed and was glad I had put on the extra layer for warmth.

I've not raced a 10k for several years now so I had no idea what pace nor level of effort I needed to do. It's crazy to think that I used to do 10k races regularly many moons ago, and I was always confident of my ability to run a certain pace or time, but on Sunday I definitely felt like a newbie. I decided to go out at a comfortably hard pace and adjust things as I went along - having been running around 23 minutes at parkruns recently, that was my only guide to the type of pace I could manage.

With a new start and finish area for the race this year, I hadn't realised that it would still follow pretty much the same route as previous years, and when crossing the first bridge, it looked very familiar which was a huge help as I  knew exactly what was coming. I didn't look at my watch at all, preferring to run by feel, and when my watch kept beeping at around 7.30 miles, I was pleasantly surprised. That kind of pace meant that I would be pretty close to my 45 minute goal for the year if I could keep things going, but I knew there was a bit of an incline just after the half way point, and whilst not steep, it would still likely cause me to slow down a little. 

I noticed that my breathing was a little laboured, not only from the effort but also from breathing in the cold air, and my nose was definitely feeling the chill and I had to keep moving my face covering every so often to catch my breath. Otherwise, I was doing ok, and it helped to have the half marathon runners ahead of me as it gave me people to focus on and chase down. 

From the start I knew that I was near the front - nobody went off particularly fast and that did make me question whether I had gone off far too fast and everybody would come bombing past me in a couple of miles. There were just two 10k runners ahead of me from what I could tell, and both of these were men, but I couldn't see any other ladies around me.

As I went through the 5k mark, I took a sneaky peak at my watch - 23.12, which was on a par with my recent parkrun times. Double that, and it would be a 46 minute finish - I would be pretty happy with that, assuming that I could keep the same pace. I was feeling pretty good and so kept pushing onwards, although as suspected, the long drawn out incline just after 5k meant my pace slowed by about 15 seconds per mile. I picked it up again at the top of the hill and got back into my stride, but the last mile saw me faltering slightly as I got an uncomfortable stitch from the pace and from breathing in the cool air. I also hadn't realised how close the bridge was to the start/finish area, so my finishing kick that I try to do came a little late. As I made the final turn with about 100 yards to go to the finish, my watch was just approaching 47 mins and I crossed the line in an unofficial 47.05, 2nd place overall and 1st placed lady. 

Finish of the Hypothermic Half 10km
on a rather chilly February day :)

I was extremely happy with the result, more so my time and how things felt rather than the win, with the latter just being an added bonus. It was a few minutes before the next placed runner came in, I didn't really know anybody, so rather than staying for the brunch that was included in the race entry fee, I collected my medal, said thanks to the volunteers, then headed off to find Andy and the pups - I had another race to get to the following day, and we had to make our way to Calgary for that one. The plan was to make the trip on the Sunday afternoon to get settled into the hotel and ensure a good night's kip the night before the race- by 1pm, we were on our way, and by 4.30pm I was relaxing with a cup of tea in the hotel room, all three pups curled up next to me :)

Gord's Frozen Ass 50km has been going for donkeys' years, and it has seen some incredible athletes taking part over the years, including the likes of Dave Proctor and Ellie Greenwood. For me, it was the first ultra I completed when moving to Canada 13 years ago - this year, it was my 6th time taking part in the event. It's held in February every year on Family Day, which usually coincides with my birthday weekend, and that's one of the reasons why I usually end up running it :)

Arriving at the start at the Bow Waters Canoe Club in Calgary, it was another bitterly cold winter's morning. Calgary was now under an extreme cold warning, and on checking the weather app on my phone, it was telling us it was -39c at 9am when we started. I was undecided what to wear for this one. Unlike the 10k, I anticipated this race taking me around 5 hours to complete - 5 hours in extreme cold brought a serious risk of frostbite and hypothermia if not properly prepared. I didn't want to overdress as I'd end up sweating and then likely feel cold as the sweat evaporated and I start to slow down, but then under dressing was just as bad too. Yet again I was thankful that I had been running outside in the extreme temperatures, as I did at least know what kit worked to keep me warm and dry whilst outside.

I think the cold had also deterred some of the registered runners from turning up on the day, but whilst numbers looked fewer than what I remembered, there were still some familiar faces on the start line, and indeed some quite speedy and experienced runners toeing the line.

In past years when I have done the Frozen Ass, it has been an out and back course, with 2 laps completed to make up the distance. This time, it was 4 laps, and it would take us close to downtown Calgary as we followed the city pathways. Looking back, I personally much prefer the 4 lap format - the course is interesting and scenic, and it means that only one aid station is required at the start/finish area, where the volunteers can head inside to stay warm if needed, rather than standing outside for hours on end, waiting for us runners to pass by.

My only goal for the Frozen Ass was to finish in under 5 hours. Despite the cold, I still thought this would be possible, especially when considering how my training had been going recently. The only thing that might slow me would be if there was lots of snow on the ground, but it turned out that the pathways had been cleared, and there was only a small patch of ice where care had to be taken. It's also a pretty flat course, the only hills coming in the last couple of miles on each lap, and those hills certainly feel much steeper with each lap!

A very chill -39c to start the day :)

My main concern this year was making sure I didn't get lost. Although I lived in Calgary for 3 years, I don't know the entire city, so I knew I needed to keep the lead runners in my sight to make sure I didn't go off course. Gord had put chalk markings on the ground, but within the first mile, we had already missed a couple of them and had to double back a short distance. Thankfully, we were all quite close to each other at the start so it was easy to follow everybody else - after the first lap, we'd at least have a better idea of where we needed to go, and I certainly felt much more confident on my second lap when I found myself running alone. I did still have a moment when running through Inglewood and heading into an off-leash dog park - I really couldn't remember running through a dog park on my previous laps and I did hesitate and wait a few seconds before continuing.  I then ran down a small hill that I did remember, and I knew that I was still on the right track.

To run the 5 hours I was hoping for, I had to run around 9.30 minute miles which I felt capable of doing. However, I didn't want to be a slave to my watch and decided to run by feel instead, and when my watch kept beeping out consistent mile splits of around 8.30 pace, I wondered if perhaps I was going a little too fast. But the legs felt good, the breathing felt good, everything felt good, so I just decided to go with it.

It was so cold that within the first 5 minutes, my hair had already started to freeze. I had slavered Vaseline on my nose and cheeks to add a protective layer against the cold and to prevent frostbit, and I was actually feeling snug and warm beneath all of the layers. The only area for concern was my fingertips and it took a while before they warmed up properly - my hands are always the first thing to suffer in the cold and I had brought hand warmers and thermal gloves with me for this very reason. Thankfully though, even the hands warmed up, and things were ticking along quite nicely.

It was really pretty running alongside the river. The air was so cold that a mist was forming over the water, and the hoar frost on the trees looked gorgeous. A sun dog was showing up around the sun, and those rainbow colours looked splendid against  the deep blue sky. A few black squirrels were sitting on branches in the wooded areas, trying to shelter from the biting wind, whilst the poor Canada Geese sat huddled up together on the ice on the river, using each other for warmth and shelter from the elements.

Canada Geese on the chilly river

I hadn't realised how close we would be running to Calgary Zoo, and as I ran by the fence line to the zoo, I spotted the resident moose in their pen, munching away on their tasty breakfast. With the statues and artistic structures along the pathway, they were a great distraction from the running, and even having ran past them 4 times by the end of the race, I never seemed to tire of looking at them and admiring things.

Pathways of Calgary, with downtown behind :)

The worst part of the course was towards the end of each loop as we did an small out and back section. Heading back, the wind was horrendous and really made things hard work. Add to that the climbs in the last mile or so, it really was a nasty section that I didn't particularly enjoy, but I just kept telling myself that it was only a couple of miles, and then I would get a small break whilst I refuelled before setting off on the next lap.

For the first two laps, I think I was lying in second place in the ladies race, but I had not idea where I was overall. The only guide to positions was that out and back section, but when we merged with the 25k runners, even that became more difficult, especially as everybody was just bundled up under tons of layers, and covered in a brilliant white frost that made it difficult to identify anybody. It was towards the end of lap three that I took the lead in the ladies race, and it definitely wasn't intentional. I had somehow been maintaining a very consistent pace and in doing so, I had gained on the leading lady and eventually passed her, trying to keep the same level of effort going in the hope I could still maintain it towards the end. I think my slowest mile for the entire race was just under 10 minutes but otherwise, I was still running those 9 minute miles. The last lap saw me take some walking breaks, but despite being a fast walker, I forced myself to get running again as quickly as possible, telling myself that even a jog is better than a walk.

In between the laps, I was heading down the steps into the canoe club, making sure to drink something and grab some food, as well as topping up on the Vaseline. The volunteers did an awesome job in trying to tempt me with all the delicious food on offer, but I didn't want to waste too much time in between laps, sticking to my own race fuel at least until I had finished. I think each time I headed inside, I took no longer than 5 minute before heading out again, trying to be as efficient as possible and not waste too much time.

The final lap was the hardest one for me mentally. The stretch through town seemed to take forever, and all I wanted was to get past the zoo so I could start the out and back section, and then I knew I'd be on the home stretch. Andy had been back at the hotel with the pups all day, staying warm and cosy and enjoying some relaxation time, but I sent him a message when I'd started my last lap so he could get back in time for when I finished. My laps had been coming in at around 70 to 75 minutes, and he timed things perfectly, catching me in the final 400m as I picked up the pace in the hope of going sub 4.45. I ended up finishing in 4.45.47 by my watch which I was more than happy with.

Heading to the finish, about 400m to go :)

Heading inside, mascara smearing my face, hair like a bird's nest, and everything frozen solid, I was informed that I had finished 4th overall, and given that there didn't appear to be any other ladies present and that I hadn't seen any ahead of me for the past couple of laps, it looked like I had also won the ladies race. It all felt very surreal, not only running as quick as I did and still finishing like I had plenty more in the tank, but also being the first female. My running for the past couple of years has been a battle and yet this was a second race victory in as many days - I was certainly happy to take it :)

There were still people out on the course, but I hung around for a wee while, chatting to friends old and new, congratulating others on their runs, and of course taking full advantage of the homemade soup and cookies that the wonderful volunteers had provided. It was the perfect end to a really good race, and having filled my belly, it was time to get a hot shower, warm up, and then enjoy some snuggle time with the pups.

I've now got a good 6 weeks or so of focused training before my next race which is Hill of a Race at Rabbit Hill snow resort. Then it's another 10k road race in April, as I build up to what I hope will be a good race at Blackfoot Ultra 100k in May. Here's hoping I can stay fit and healthy, that I have a good stretch of consistent training, and that there are more positive outcomes from my races over the coming months.

Happy New Year - Fat Ass 50k

Although I try not to over indulge during the festive period, I am guilty of eating far too much chocolate - those Lindt ones are lethal, and I find it extremely difficult to limit myself to just a couple each day. I suppose that's why we don't buy chocolate very often - not only can it be expensive, but it also doesn't last long enough in our house and is usually guzzled within a couple of days.

No doubt you're wondering what the heck this has to do with the price of peas, or indeed an update on my running, but given that I always feel quite chubby after the Christmas break, and given that it was the annual "Fat Ass" run in Edmonton this past weekend, you might just spot some logic in my trail of thought!

Before I start, let's be clear about the term "Fat Ass". I've never really given the term much thought, but when I spotted a comment on this year's event that said they found the choice of words disturbing, I had to try really hard not to roll my eyes and say, "there's always one!" 🙄 You see, a Fat Ass event does not refer to the size of anybody taking part, even if I personally feel chubby after eating all that chocolate every year. No, it's just an informal gathering of folks, getting together for an unofficial race that has no registration costs, no prizes, no official results, no swag, no official start time, no cut offs, no aid stations nor course flagging nor Marshalls - in fact, there is nothing except for a predetermined course that everybody follows, the run based on trust, and a screenshot of the run is submitted if anybody wishes to be included in the unofficial results. It's just a fun event to get folks moving, to have a social, and have some fun.

The Edmonton Fat Ass event has been held annually on the first Sunday of each new year for several years now, and it's that to Gary and Amber who organise the Blackfoot Ultra that the event is still going after all these years. Those wishing to take part can do a single loop of 25km, or double it for a 50km ultra. Being in January in Alberta, Canada, runners are likely to encounter snow, ice and chilly temperatures - it's up to the individual to assess their own abilities and the risks involved as to which distance they wish to do. For the past three years, I've done the 50km, and so it was that I did the 50km again this year, despite extreme cold warnings the day before, and only marginally warming up around -18°c on the morning of the run, or around -26°c when factoring in the windchill.

This year, I ran with my good friend Barb, and we arrived at the Kinsman Centre well before sunrise but ready to start running by 7am. It was still dark and extremely chilly, but we were sure to bundle up to ensure we were nice and snug beneath all of the layers. Both of us carried snacks and drinks, despite being well aware that everything would be frozen solid within an hour, making the drinks more like slush puppies and the food like bricks. I'm not even sure why we bothered carrying that extra weight, but I guess it brings a sense of security, at least for that first lap!

Starting off at 7am :)

The first couple of miles are on pavement although they were snow covered with patchy ice, and we got away with wearing spikes, me relying on my Icebugs for the whole distance and finding them perfect for the conditions. The wind wasn't strong but it was blowing enough to create a chill that caused us to cover our faces, and within half an hour, our hair was already white and frosty from the cold, morning air. At that time, there was nobody else about, and we had the whole pavement to ourselves for a good while, encountering just one other lonesome runner and a fat biker that came riding past, his face and beard far more frosty than us. We all said a cheery hello to each other, and were in great spirits, even in the dark and the cold.

Time and distance was passing quickly, and before we knew it, we'd ascended one of the longest hills on the route, passed the big posh houses overlooking the river, and had now joined the trail system that would take us back down to the river's edge. The sun hadn't yet risen and we'd been concerned as to whether we'd be able to see on the trail sections, opting to leave our headtorches back at the car to avoid carrying even more extra weight. The trees alongside the trail did create shadows and leaving the residential areas meant we no longer had the street lights to rely on. Thankfully though, the snow made things bright enough for us, although we did both almost trip on some of the bumpy sections where we didn't quite spot the small snow mounds in time.

It was so quiet when running through the Buena Vista dog park - it was still too early, too cold and too dark for the dog walkers, and instead of the sounds of barking dogs filling the air, the only found was our feet crunching through the compact snow and ice, combined with our cheerful chatter that had been almost constant from the get-go.

Wish Tree in Buena Vista dog park 

We'd been running around 9 to 10 minute miles and making really good progress. Crossing the Quesnell Bridge to join the trail system on the other side of the river was most welcome as we knew it was only a matter of minutes before we arrived at the unofficial aid station. This marked approximately a quarter of the way and barring a short 2 mile loop, it was also the turnaround point.

It was great to see Gary and Marla at the aid station, but Barb and I didn't need to grab anything, so after paying our $4 entry fee (which goes towards the snacks and any surplus is donated to charity), we continued on our way. I'd taken two soft bottles of Skratch with me and had done well drinking almost a full one already. The other though was now frozen at the top, making it difficult to get a drink without having to remove the lid. It was frustrating as I'd not only had I wrapped both bottles in a woolly sock prior to putting them in my backpack, but I'd also put a couple of hand warmers in there in the hope that the warmth would stop the bottle neck from freezing ... Sigh! I'd also been carrying some jelly sweets, nuts, and a mars bar, all now rock solid and extremely hard to eat. I tucked the mars bar I'd been carrying into the pocket of my running tights, and about an hour later, it had warmed up and slightly melted, making almost perfect for eating.

The small loop around Fort Edmonton went fairly quickly, footing was still good with no ice whatsoever, and before we knew it, we were back at the aid station again, passing through without stopping as we still had supplies that would keep us going for the next 10k or so before arriving back at the Kinsman and the car.

I’m never really a huge fan of running on this side of the river – there’s approximately a mile or so of pavement that goes uphill, and despite the switchbacks that bring you out at what I believe is called “End of the World”, it’s a tedious stretch of paved trail that always seems to be busy with walkers, even on a chilly winter’s day such as today. The only exciting part is seeing the horses part way, and that’s only if they are outside – today though, although we could certainly smell them, they were staying inside where they were much warmer.

Reaching the top of the long, drawn-out climb, we rejoined the trail system again and enjoyed the longer, snowy descent down Murder Mile, before hitting the mildly undulating section into Harawlek Park. It still hadn’t come properly daylight but the snow was bright enough that we could see where we were going, and it was just Barb and I running along the trail with barely anybody else around. Another half hour or so of running, chatting and just being happy brought us back to the Kinsman Centre – 25km done, 25km to go, and both of us still feeling pretty good.

Final stretch of loop 1

Things hadn’t really warmed up a great deal so we didn’t feel the need to change into any other clothing but having had a good drink at the car and had a few nibbles, we did decide to leave our backpacks behind for the next lap. The drinks we were carrying were still frozen solid, and it was guaranteed that taking fresh bottles would result in more frozen drinks so we couldn’t see the point in taking that extra weight. I tucked a bottle in my jacket pocket in the hope that my body heat would keep it warm, but otherwise, we agreed that we would just grab a drink and a snack at the aid station which was only 7 miles away, or around an hour of running time.

The second loop went pretty much the same as the first. It remained chilly and our hair froze, my drink stayed warmish for around about half an hour in my pocket but was icy cold and slushy when I finally succumbed to the thirst that I had, we were still chatty and still having fun. As the sun rose above the horizon, it gave way to a beautiful golden wintry light on the snow – though still early morning, the warmth from the sun was greatly appreciated, but the clouds soon rolled in and we weren’t able to benefit too much from  the sun’s presence. There were now far more people about as we started heading down the trail to the river bottom and back through the Buena Vista dog park, and the dogs that were out on their morning walk all came bounding over to us to say a cheery hello. One or two tried to butt snouts with us before trying to join us on our run, much to the frustration and amusement of their owners.

Beautiful wintry sunrise over the
River valley

Approaching the aid station for our third time, Gary was still there providing support but he now had a new assistant helping out. This time I topped up my drinks bottle in the hope that the water they had was a little warmer, and I also took an Almond Slice to eat which took a while to eat due to the cold but was still delicious and hit the spot perfectly. We’d been told that there were a couple of other Fat Assers and Half Assers out on the course, but as yet, we had only encountered a couple of other runners and some walkers on the trail. Although Barb admitted to having slowed slightly over the past few miles, we were still knocking out sub 10 minute miles and it was highly likely that we would finish the fun in under 5 and a half hours, even with the stoppage time at the aid station and the washrooms.

Half way on loop 2, at around 35k :)

The short loop around Fort Edmonton again passed by very quickly, and before we knew it, we were saying a cheery thank you to the volunteers as we headed back along the southside river trails – just another 8km or so to the Kinsman Centre and the finish. By now, my legs were starting to get a little tired, whether from the cold or the distance I don’t know, but I didn’t mind those short walk breaks, and especially so when going up the hills. Checking my watch, I could see that we were well on course to smash our time from the previous year. We had definitely done far less walking this time, and Barb was still crushing it. I found myself pulling ahead a little bit, but when I waited for Barb, she would tell me to just keep going – so long as she saw me ahead, she would be ok. Heading past the horses again, we saw a couple of other runners ahead of us, and it turned out to be none other that the amazing Laura and friend, organisers of the Survivorfest 24-hour race. We shared hugs, took a couple of pictures, and then continued on our merry way.

Friends along the way!

The sections with the deeper snow were making it tough going in places, especially when passing over roads where cars had made the snow quite powdery, and then the icy sections were pretty bad and we found ourselves tiptoeing over them to be sure we didn’t go slip sliding all over the place. Things had started to warm up ever so slightly, but it was still a chilly day, and even the short glimpses of the sun weren’t making to much of a difference.

One last push through Emily Murphy Park, and we were heading for home, stopping the clock on 5 hours 22 minutes for moving time and a full 40 mins or more ahead of our time from 2023. It was a great run and a great way to start of our running year. It also gave me a good 50km towards the January Battle that I somehow got roped into again.  50km down already for January – only another 350 to go