Last year, I registered for the Sinister 7 100-miler. Long story short, I wasn't properly trained for a mountain ultra at the time, and I ended up with a DNF at the end of leg 4. I had successfully completed the 50 miler the previous year and had thoroughly enjoyed the run, and whilst I had debated going back again to give the 100 miler another go, one of the things that prevented me leaping at the opportunity was the the first few miles of leg 1 - there was just too much pavement for my liking, it was far too crowded, and it was really difficult to get in to a flow for several miles which put me in the wrong frame of mind before we'd even got properly started with the race!
Sinister definitely was not on my race plans for this year, but when my coach scheduled in a 50km trail run on the same day as the race, I sought out a last minute bib and registered for the 50km, Although this would mean running leg 1, this year the route had changed, and runners would be directed on to the single track trail that would take them through the real Frank Slide instead - a little more climbing, and more fun on single track trails instead of jostling for position alongside the railway tracks.
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We awoke on the Saturday morning, and what a glorious morning it was. I gobbled down my usual bowl of porridge and a big mug of tea before packing away all the camping gear and heading back into Coleman for the start of the race. Parking wasn't a problem as the 100 mile runners had already left when we arrived, but there was still an enthusiastic crowd waiting to start, including the half marathon runners who had signed up for this new distance. I was feeling pretty relaxed and looking forward to a good few hours on the trails - I didn't have a goal except to finish, although I anticipated it taking me around 7 hours to finish.
Although the race was "only" 50k, the climbing involved and the technicality of the trails means that the difficulty cannot be underestimated. The route includes half of leg 1 and half of leg 2, and the whole of leg 3 which takes runners over Willoughby Ridge, one of the longer and tougher sections of the course. We were expecting a hot and sunny day, so I was extremely conscious of making sure I was well hydrated - there is very little water out on course other than at the aid stations and checkpoints, so it was vital that I carried enough water as well as food with me.
The race started bang on time, and a couple of hundred runners headed down the main street in town, being cheered on by even more spectators, before veering off and following the pathway alongside the river. Although the first couple of miles were still pavement, I have to say that it was a massive improvement on what I had encountered the previous year when tackling the 100 miler. Just running alongside the river was far more peaceful and relaxing, the trees added some shade from the warm sun, and there was plenty of space for runners to pass, allowing everybody to do their own pace rather than facing the bottlenecks and heel clipping that I'd encountered before. My legs were feeling strong, I was feeling happy, and I knew I was going to have a great day.
After 20 minutes or so, we ran through the small hamlet of Frank Slide before making a left turn and hitting the proper trails which meandered through the trees. A few leaps over fallen trees and large boulders followed, before we came out on to the rock field of Frank Slide itself. I had walked these trails with Andy and the pups just a couple of years ago, and it felt so good to be on a familiar trail that brought happy memories of being with the family. The footing was good, the views were incredible, the climbing was tough! After a short time, we rejoined the single track trail through the forests, and the field of runners started to spread out. I found myself in a small group of about 5 or 6 runners which I really didn't mind, and I was absolutely in my element, loving every minute. I'd been doing so much work on trying to strengthen my climbing legs, and every time I encountered a climb, I found myself being able to run up the hills rather than immediately starting to walk. I was passing people on the climbs - a rare occurrence for me in recent years - and every step made me feel stronger.
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| Frank Slide - Photo thanks to Sinister Sports and their official race photographers |
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The climb up the track out of Hillcrest was tough and rocky, but once again, I was moving well and running far more than I expected. Approaching a checkpoint, I called out my bib with a cheery smile, and then we encountered a crazy steep climb that went on for about 600m or so. Behind me I heard some ladies asking for some water at the checkpoint, only to be told they'd ran out - they only had about 500ml remaining in their packs, and there was still a way to go, including lots of climbing.
The climb was tough and I was wishing I had my poles with me to give some leverage on the steep slopes. I dragged myself up the hill, hands on knees and sweating cobs and breathing heavily, but on reaching the top, the views were incredible as we came upon a lush green valley, majestic mountains towering over it on either side. I wasn't entirely sure, but the trail now looked somewhat familiar, and I had a feeling that we had now joined leg 2. We were much further back on that leg than I was expecting, and I had a vague recollection of more hefty climbs still to come, but for now, it was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, and making sure I was still eating and drinking enough to keep me going.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before we were running on a narrow single track trail on the edge of the mountainside overlooking the valley. There weren't sheer cliffs, but a tumble would definitely hurt with the amount of rocks and boulders in the area. A few of the faster runners were eager to pass, and it was difficult to find a spot where I could step aside to allow them to do so. It wasn't just the technical trail that was making it tough to get into any sort of rhythm - there were also some steep climbs, and whilst I was still feeling strong on the hillier sections, the gradient made the running seem more like a shuffle. I'd been training my mind to consider a shuffle at 12 minute miles to still be better than a walk at 15s, and so I kept things going.
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Although this section of the course was vaguely familiar, it wasn't until we started a rocky decent down to the next checkpoint and aid station, that I knew for sure I had ran this before. Beyond the checkpoint was the steep climb that I recalled, and I knew it was nasty!
I stopped at the aid station to fill up my bottles, and I also grabbed some crisps and a few other nibbles. I had been pretty good so far at eating and drinking, and I was making sure that I was taking salt tablets given how warm things were getting, but I figured that some crisps would give me that extra bit of oomph that I might need as I started off up the climb.
I leaned over, hands on knees once again as I tried to get some traction - everything was so dry and dusty that it was actually quite difficult to get a grip - and I started to make good progress up the hill. I overtook a couple of other runners who had stopped to take a breather, and when things got a little too steep for me, I started to walk. Cue the race photographer, hiding in a bush and getting what I'm sure were some excellent shots of us runners and the mountains as a back drop - not so good was capturing me walking, but then it would show the reality of the race in that it isn't possible to run every step for all of us.
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| Captured by surprise! Photo thanks to Sinister Sports and official race photographers |
As I reached the top of that nasty climb, I definitely remembered what was now to come - some very steep downhill where I had to put every ounce of effort in to staying upright and not falling over, putting all my weight on my quads as I tried to stop myself just hurtling down the trail. My quads were not happy, and I had a feeling that they were going to be pretty sore and somewhat achy the following day.
I caught some of the runners ahead of me on that downhill as they cautiously made their way down, stepping aside when anybody wanted to pass. That's what I love about the trail running community - in general, everybody is aware of everybody else, and they make way for others when they feel they are holding folks back. With everybody that passes, there is a sense of comradeship, and everybody offers encouragement that helps to put an little spring in the legs, even when they're tired.
I managed to negotiate that downhill without falling and shortly afterwards, we entered the forest area that offered some shade from the blazing sun. The tree coverage was dense, so much so that you could really feel the humidity in there, and whilst the trails so far had been dusty and dry, there were sections of mud through the trees and a couple of streams that felt most refreshing on the feet. After the lush, green forest came the grassy meadow, full of beautiful, colourful wildflowers just as I remembered, and I was in my element admiring that the wealth of colour around us.
By now, we were getting close to the end of the leg and it would be another 20 minutes or so of running before I reached the transition area. I sent Andy a message to let him know I'd be arriving soon, and settled into a relaxed jog over that last couple of miles.
The transition area was terribly busy, and I had difficulty finding Andy amongst the crowds. I was hoping I would find him in the soloist tent but I later found out he had been told he wasn't allowed in there which was extremely frustrating. There were so many relay runners and spectators, I needed my crew, and I couldn't find him! I was meant to have been swapping out my backpack so I would be able to take more fluids and food with me on the much longer and tougher leg 3, but when I was unable to find Andy, I headed over to food table and started to gather some bits and bobs to take with me. It was then that I spotted Andy, and after a bit of a beef sandwich and a refreshing drink of sparkling water, I headed off on leg 3 to tackle Willoughby Ridge. This leg would take me much longer, but I was still hoping to finish the race in around about 7 hours.
Legs 3 is something like 30+ kilometres, the trails are again rocky and technical, and there is alot of elevation, not just over the ridge, but also towards the end of the leg. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was determined to just keep that easy, steady momentum going that had been working so far. As I made my way up the trail having left the transition area. I was reminded again of just how tough a course this is.
The first 2 or 3 miles of leg 3 are all uphill. Sure, there are sections that level out and you can start running again, but generally the climbs are steep and take alot of effort. Although I had been running pretty much on my own for the vast majority of the race so far, at no point had I been concerned about bears or other potential wildlife sightings, I knew there were runners just 5 minutes ahead or behind, and if there was an encounter, I would just wait for others to catch up with me.
It was nice to run through the trees again and have some shade from the sun, but there was no denying that things had definitely heated up. Some runners had started to struggle with the heat, but I was still moving relatively well and was eating and drinking without any issues. On hitting the wider, open forestry trail, I found myself running with a group of 5 other ladies. None of us knew eachother, but we ran together for a couple of miles, chatting about family, dogs, and racing, and I was once again so proud to be a part of such an amazing community.
It was hot running down that road, but I remembered that there was a river before we started the longer climb up on to Willoughby Ridge, so I moved ahead to give me time to dip my hat into the water to cool down a little, as well as just washing down my arms and legs to cool things off. That cold mountain water felt soooooo good, and I could happily have sat down in the water for a good half hour if I'd had time.
Leaving the rive behind, I was once again running pretty much on my own. Occasionally, a relay runner would come springing by and we'd say a brief hello, but otherwise it was a case of head down and powering up the climb. The trail was quite bumpy and was also used as a quad trail, and before long, we bumped into the quad bikes. What a noise and what a smell! I was enjoying the peace and quiet of the trails, but then a group of 4 or 5 dirt bikes came along, and they didn't seem to be making much ground over the runners despite being much faster. They would go past, then 10 minutes later I would catch them up as they had stopped on the trail, then they would pass again only to stop again, and I have to say that it did get somewhat frustrating. That is quite selfish of me given that the trails are accessible to all, but I do feel that it is a shame to have such noise and chaos in places like that - ho hum.
I did run with a couple of other runners for a short time, one a chap that had moved to Alberta from The Yukon, another runner told me this was their first ultra, and it was so nice hearing their stories.
Up and up we went, the views of the surrounding mountains absolutely beautiful against the gorgeous blue skies, and I was happily stopping every so often to take pictures. The heat of the day was starting to affect some folks already and I started to catch quite a few other runners that were struggling a little. I was still doing ok - I'd had the burps and had burped a little bit of acid, but I was trying raw ginger for the first time ever in a race, and chewing on a small piece soon settled things down. I knew there was no water on this part of the course, although there was a tiny little stream near to the top that I seemed to remember - it was still there, so I quickly dunked my hat in the swampy water and threw water over my head. It was stinky and dirty compared to the earlier mountain streams, but so long as I didn't swallow any, I figured I would be ok.
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| The long climb up Willoughby Ridge - photo thanks to Sinister Sports and the official race photographers |
Arriving at the aid station at the top of the hill, there were several runners refilling bottles and grabbing food, whilst others were sitting in the shade and trying to cool off. I refilled my water bottles and tried not to dilly dally for too long, taking off up the gravel road within 5 minutes, ready to tackle the next section of the course.
The road was a good half mile or so long, then we took a right to hit the trail system once again. Lulled into a false sense of security, the trail headed downwards through a lovely shrubery area, but then after a few minutes of running, we were back to the constant ups and downs on rugged trails. A couple of runners were having a bit of a grumble, but I tried to stay positive, tried to keep moving, and before I knew it, I was moving away from some of them. I knew that we would shortly be starting the long descent down to the next aid station, and I knew that the trail would once again be somewhat rocky and steep, before flattening out for a couple of miles.
I used to be quite a reckless downhill runner, but as I've got older, I am more cautious as I'm not sure how many more falls my knees can take. I made steady progress down the mountainside, eating and drinking as I went to ensure I kept my energy levels up, and I was pleasantly surprised to still be passing other runners. This was the section the The Divide 200 where folks had seen or at least heard a cougar in the area - thankfully today, there had been no wildlife sightings for me, except for birds or a couple of chattery squirrels in the trees.
Although my quads were feeling the downhills by now, I was still running pretty well on the flatter sections, and before I knew it, I was entering the next checkpoint and aid station. This time, there was a small river running by, and quite a few of us took some time to cool ourselves off once again in the fresh mountain water. That cold water felt so good, and I really didn't care that my clothes and shoes were now wet. There was still a good hour or two of running to do, but I knew for sure I was going to finish the race, and so far, so good in terms of nutrition and keeping the usual vomiting at bay.
About 1km or so after the aid station, there was another huge climb, and this climb tends to take out quite a few people. The trail through the trees leading up to the climb is really pretty, and the pine needles underfoot really cushioned the feet, offering some reprieve from the rocky and bumpy trails we'd had thus far.
I made my way up the climb feeling strong, although I did stop once or twice to catch my breath as I was moving far more quickly that anticipated. Although i knew it was coming, I had forgotten just how long that climb was, and even on reaching the top where we encountered yet more splendid views of surrounding mountains, the trail was unforgiveable as it weaved its way across a small ridge amongst the trees, throwing yet more rocky terrain at us along with plenty of short, steep ups and downs.
I knew that we weren't too far away from the finish at this point, and I sent Andy a message to say that I was likely just an hour or so away - maybe closer. It's really hard to provide an ETA as I never really know how much further I have to go, nor what the terrain is like - both having an impact on how fast I can get to the finish. After sending the message, we encountered a long, drawn out downhill that twisted and turned through the forest, but no sooner had we hit the bottom than the trail wound itself back up again. By now, I just wanted to finish and I was getting a little frustrated at the constant climbs. One of the things I have difficulty with in these kind of races is the amount of walking we do. I enter a race to run, yet these mountain trails make it almost impossible to run, and it's safe to say that the majority of people do end up power hiking as fast as they can rather than running. Certainly in Leduc, it is not possible to find such trails to practice running, so it really is a case of doing the best I can when I can on the day.
I made the climb, cursing under my breath yet again, and finally, we hit the undulating section that indicated we were on our way to the finish. I figured it was no more that a mile and a half by now, so I speeded up a little, making sure I ran the downhills where I could despite the steepness and the dustiness, and focused on getting to the finish. My goal of seven hours had long since passed and my focus now was to get in under 8 and a half hours - I had 15 minutes to go. I hadn't really been racing today and had really only being treating the event as a good training run for Death Race in a couple of weeks. But when a lady started approaching from behind - and an older looking lady at that (by that I mean somebody closer to my age), my competitive spirit kicked in and I was determined not to let her come past me. I could hear the loud speakers at the finish and knew I only had about 5 minutes of running to do. I speeded up some more as I heard the footsteps also speeding up behind. The reckless downhill runner reappeared and I hopped and skipped my way over rocks and tree roots, determined to hold my ground, and as I broke out of the trees and headed down final steep slope to the finish line, the chasing lady was nowhere to be seen.
I crossed the finish line in 8 hours 30 minutues and 30 seconds - much later than i had anticipated, but I still felt like I had had a good solid run. i couldn't find Andy, and all I wanted to do was sit down, but I had to find him as I knew that Tillie and Wilson would be in the car and we needed to get back to them as quickly as possible. I managed to find Andy after a couple of minutes of searching, and as we headed back to the finish line for a photo with the beer and medal, I noticed a lady standing a short way away gasping for breath and looking exhausted. It was the lady that had been trying to catch me, and she commented that she had given her all on that last couple of miles, but I was just too strong for her. That made me feel good in a nice kind of way :)
All in all, the Sinister 50km went exactly as expected, and I gained some confidence from the run. I'd had no cramping nor vomiting nor dizziness which means I had managed the heat well, and I had ran most of the climbs, setting PRs on some of the Strava segments which showed that I am definitely better on the hills at the minute. Positions didn't really matter on the day, but I think I was 19th lady or something - could I have ran quicker had I been racing properly? Possibly, but then my race likely wouldn't have gone as well as it felt it had. For me, it had been a most excellent day on the trails, and whilst I had a feeling I was going to struggle with those tight and achy legs for a few days thanks to all the downhills, I feel like it was a job well done.
Next up, Canadian Death Race, and this time I will not let Mount Hamell defeat me.
Happy trails my friends - until next time :)
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