Blackfoot Ultra 50km

The Blackfoot Ultra was one of the first ultras I did, having moved back to Canada in 2018. I raced the 50-miler, and ended up winning the ladies race in around 7 hours 50 minutes which was a complete surprise to me. The following year I decided to up the distance and registered for the 100k - unfortunately, the weeks leading up to the race were full of lots of emotional stress, and I ended up DNF'ing after 75km. Since then, I had gone back and volunteered pretty much every year, but this year, I decided that I wanted to give the 100k another go, so I registered as a racer instead.

My original plan was to use the 100k as proof of fitness for team selection for the World 24 hour championships, but when the ACU extended the qualifying period to allow more people to qualify by running Survivorfest, my race plans got all shook up. I ran the Lakou BYU and with Survivorfest coming just 2 weeks after Blackfoot, I dropped down to the 50k instead. I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be able to chase away those 100km ghosts that had been sitting on my shoulder for the past 6 years, but I was relieved that I now didn't have to get up at 3am to get to the start - a 9am start time for the 50k was far more acceptable for this sleepy head!

The 50km is just two laps of the course and I was hoping to finish in around 5 hours. I wasn't sure if that was a bit ambitious - the course, whilst not exactly mountainous - is quite hilly, and some of those ups and downs can make it difficult to maintain a consistent pace. My plan was to just run relaxed and be aware of my breathing - if I was huffing and puffing, I'd ease back on the pace, and if my legs felt heavy, I would slow things down. I was conscious that I still had goals for Survivorfest and I certainly didn't want to race a 50k flat with just 2 weeks separating both races.

I think there were around 100 runners registered for the 50k, and bang on 9am, the race started. A few went bombing off straight away but I tried to maintain a nice and steady pace that I hoped I could keep going for the full 50km. For the first couple of miles, I think there were only about 10 runners around me, but after the first aid station, I found myself running with another lady. She had pulled ahead of me about 20 minutes earlier, but we were running a very similar pace and for a short while, we were playing cat and mouse. We had a little social chat for about 5 minutes whilst running along, and then we fell in to companionable silence, me falling into my zone, and I eventually found myself pulling away from the other lady and started to open up a bit of a gap over her.

The trails were in great condition with minimal mud, and even the section that is accessible for horses wasn't as bumpy or rutted as in previous years. The rains had made the forests a lush green colour, and as the heat of the day started to kick in, those pesky black flies were out and about, flying up my nose, around my eyes, buzzing in my ears, and generally being the nuisances that they are.

Mentally, I was finding this race really good. I knew that arrival at the second aid station would put me at approximately the half way stage of the loop, and so i focused on reaching that rather than thinking too much about how far I'd done or how far I still had to go. I was surprised at how good I was feeling, especially on the climbs, and for the first time ever, I was actually passing folks on the climbs or catching up with people. My tummy was also behaving itself - the temperature was starting to climb and it was getting quite warm, but I was making an effort to drink regularly and to consume my gels and the other food I had in my backpack. I had taken a Mars Bar with me as this seemed to be working well in recent ultras, but when I came to munch on it, it was just a melty chocolatey mess. I was hungry though, so I chomped my way through it regardless.

Reaching the half way stage of the loop, I was sure to refill my bottles to keep me going for the next few miles. I was still feeling really good and was eager to get going again, and after a brief hello and thank you to the volunteers (great to see you Janelle!), I cracked on.

The second half of the loop seemed a little more hilly, but I was still making really good progress and was managing around a 10 minute mile even on those climbs. I was feeling strong and relaxed, and very surprised at how good things were thus far. The other lady was nowhere to be seen, but I had no idea how far behind she actually was. I hadn't seen any other ladies ahead of me either, so I thought that maybe I was leading lady. If that was the case, then I certainly wasn't going to give up on that lead easily, and I kept pushing forwards.

As I approached the end of the first lap, Andy was waiting for me with the dogs. We did a quick swap of drinks bottles and I took some more fuel from him before heading out on lap number 2. I was only there for a couple of minutes as I wanted to be quick and efficient through that transition, and as I started my second lap I glanced at my watch  - 2 hours 33 minutes, give or take. Breaking 5 hours was going to be tough, but I didn't relent, and just kept moving.

Shortly after the 400m to go sign in opposite direction, the other lady was coming the other way and we gave eachother a smile of acknowledgement as we passed. I was still feeling really good, but she looked good too, and I figured that she was approximately 1km behind me which equated to around 6 minute depending how long she stayed at the transition aid station. If I started to tire over the next 15 miles, that 6 minute lead would easily be eaten into my anybody chasing me - that gave me the boost I needed to keep pushing, and keep pushing I did.

I obviously found that second lap a little harder than the first, but I was still moving well, my legs were feeling relatively ok, and I was still eating and drinking well which was helping to maintain those energy levels. At the half way point, my friend Tess gave me a cooling down by dripping cold water over me - it felt so cold, yet extremely refreshing at the same time, and I continued on with a renewed vigour.

Somewhere on loop 2 - PC Alan Lam Photography

As I started the section where the steeper, rolling hills came, I found that I was having to take a couple of walking breaks. I was still catching people but I still hadn't seen any other 50k ladies ahead of me, so I was 90% certain that maybe I was the lead lady. The nature of the course means that nobody really knows what position they're in - there are 3 other distances racing the same course, and all bibs are the same colour. I was convinced that the lady I had been chatting to earlier was going to catch me, but I wasn't really slowing down too much, so she would have to be running an even faster pace to catch me and then maintain that pace to stay ahead. But every time I took a sneaky peak behind me, I would just see an empty trail and no other runners nearby.

Shortly after the 10k to go unmanned water station, I was happily minding my own business when I spotted somebody just sauntering along the trail. It turned out to be none other that my good friend Alan from Calgary who was there taking pictures of the race. We said a brief hello, shared a hug, and then we both went about our business, me desperately trying to keep ahead of all the other ladies, Alan waiting for other runners to come along to snap their picture.

Hello Alan! PC Alan Lam Photography

Approaching the final aid station, the other lady still hadn't gone past me, and I started to feel far more relaxed. My watch was on around 4 hours 30 minutes, and I only had about 5 or 6km to go until the finish. I stopped at this aid station to refill my bottle with some coke - I need that caffeine and sugar boost just to get me to the finish, but there was another runner that was also having a refill and it was taking much longer than I would have liked. When it was my turn, the wonderful volunteer filled things swiftly and efficiently, and then I started my charge to the finish line. 

The trail from the last aid station doubles back on itself on the other side of the fence, and just as I was about to turn the corner, I was convinced that the other lady was just running down the hill the other side. What the what?!?! I couldn't believe that she had closed the gap, that she was running so well, and that with just 3 or 4 miles still to go, this could well be where I lost what I thought was the lead. I picked up my pace even more, no longer walking at all, and working as hard as I could on the climbs, despite the burning and aching legs, and the laboured breathing as my lungs tried to keep up. If that lady wanted the win, I was going to make her work for it!

Hitting the main trail alongside the lake that would take us to the finish, I knew I just had to keep moving, and keep moving fast! There was about 2km to go, but that final 2km seemed to go on forever, and I found that I was scuffing the ground as I tried to pick my feet up as quickly as possible to keep me moving. The 400m to sign appeared, I took a peek behind me - she wasn't there! I knew I could ease back a little now as there was no way she would catch me in that last 400m without a sprint, and I was already running a decent pace for the end of a 50k race. I glanced at my watch, and the time had just gone over the 5 hours - I was so close to my goal and I was already feeling extremely happy.

The slight incline to the finish line was filled with spectators, all of them cheering and clapping as I came into the finish - my official time was 5.05.52 - I had somehow managed a negative split despite having stopped at the aid stations on the second loop, and I couldn't have been happier.

It really was hot by the time I had finished, and the temperature was hitting around 27 degrees. We took the pups down to the lake whilst I had an ice cold coke and an ice cream, and then it was time for the presentation - I hadn't won after all - that honour went to another lady that had finish just under 10 minutes ahead of me. I was awarded the third place prize, but when checking the results, the organisers realised that I was actually second placed female which was another bonus - at 52 years of age, I'm still chuffed to run close to a 5 hour 50k on the trails, AND to finish on the podium where my competitors are 20 years younger than me. It also turns out that the lady that had been closing the gap on me was running the 50 mile event, and I had absolutely no reason to be concerned about her catching me ... doh!

All in all, I am so happy with my run at Blackfoot Ultra 50k, and I really couldn't have asked for things to go much better. The way I ran, the consistent pacing, and how good I felt at the end sure have given me some confidence going into Survivorfest, and I just hope I can pull things off again on June 14.

If you're even in the Edmonton area and you fancy a good early season trail race, then I can certainly recommend Blackfoot Ultra - get out there and do it - you know you want to!