Frozen Ass 50km - kicking off the Ultra season

So far I think I have been pretty lucky; today was my 2nd year of running Gord's Running Store Frozen Ass 50km in Calgary and both years the temperature has started out around minus 10 and crept up to just below zero - positively balmy for Alberta at this time of year!

I really love this event, it's so well organised, great sponsors, low entry fee and low-key atmosphere. Although big races are fun it's great also to have races like this that have less frills, less fanfare and are just about getting some miles in with some company.

I signed up only few weeks before once I knew I was pretty much over injury and could likely tackle the distance, but went in with a 'training race' head on. With Banff getting a tonne of snow this winter outdoor running has been challenging so I wanted to do Frozen Ass just to get training in.

However Calgary has received more than it's fair share of snow so far this winter too and as we set out along the bikepath at the edge of the canal it was clear that there would be very few sightings of tarmac today. The course is simple to the extreme - basically 25km straight out to an aid station, turn around and run back. It was kind of funny to watch us all at the start - whichever path through the snow you chose it looked like the runner ahead had a better path so we were zig-zagging from one side of the path to the other in search of the best route. This went on for the first few km and then I think we all realised that it was best just to pick a line and go for it. A couple of detours led us down onto the ice-covered canal and after one everyone just decided to stay down on the canal where footing was better than up on the snow and wind blown bike path. So for a good few kms we ran along the frozen surface with nothing but snowy canal and bluebird blue sky in sight, it was so so pretty. I had put my yak-trax in my drop bag at the turn around but was glad not to use them. I find yak-trax great if the trail is 100% snow covered but there were a few breaks where we hit tarmac which is not good to run in yak-trax and I was getting great traction with my Montrail Rockridges.

With just over 100 runners in the event there were a few guys within eyesight and it was good to strike up some conversation as we ploughed on towards Chestermere Lake. A few kms before the turn around we all popped back up onto the bike path, this section of which was totally bare. Ahhhhhhhh...it was so nice to be able to pick up the pace a little and cruise into the aid station. Angela, a Calgary runner I know, was there volunteering and helped me with my drop bag (thank you Angela!) and I took on some coke at the aid station. Gord pretty much leaves the stocking of the aid stations to the volunteers so each have their own speciality and at this one I was glad to have the excuse 'I'm vegetarian' when I turned down a peanut butter and bacon tortilla (though other racers later reported that they were actually really good!).

Turning around at 25km I was just over the 2hr mark. I hoped I could pick it up a little to squeeze under 4hrs for the finish, my time from last year was 3:47 but I knew I'd not got quite as many long runs in this year and didn't want to race this event hard, it was just about getting some miles in.

The lead guy was way ahead but I felt confident I could catch some other men and this became my target for the return trip. It was also great to have the company of runners still on the outward direction as we all cheered each other along. I know lots of people don't like out and back routes, and although they are not always the most exciting I tend to find that the return trip goes by pretty quickly as you are already familiar with all the little twists and turns and landmarks.

All was going well and I passed a few guys and steadily gaining on Carl, a Calgary-Brit who I had met at pretty much exactly the same point last year. I was glad to have Carl to follow on the one section that detours off the bike path for a few hundred metres. With only 8km to go it wasn't essential that I stopped at the aid station but I decided to as it was a usual dry Alberta day and I knew keeping fluids up would help for the final stretch. So I stopped momentarily at the station only to see a freight train approching, the bar come down, Carl nip underneath it and me be left waiting on the other side. Aaargh!!!! Oh well, I waited out the few minutes, used the time to take on some more Clif drink and then set out again once the bar was up - trying once again to regain all the distance I had gained on Carl and then lost with the train passing!

The last few kms were a steady push and with about 5km to go I passed Carl and kept moving. Although I wasn't overly bothered if he beat me I also decided I'd prefer to come 2nd overall - which I would if I could stay ahead of him. The last few kms were particularly icy packed snow so it was by no means a sprint finish but I managed to keep up my pace to squeeze in under 4hrs - 3:58, 2nd overall and first female.

Massive congrats to Ian who ran 3:39 - a pretty darn fast time for the conditions underfoot and the time of year.

And a big thanks to Gord and all the vollies - once again a great event and the only event where I think I have ever eaten my race entry in Dominos pizza at the post-race buffet :)

http://www.gordsrunningstore.com/frozen_ass.htm

Pacific Road Runners 'First Half' Half Marathon

Ok, I am going to have to change the name of this blog, 'Trail Running Tales' is getting stretched a little thin when I am posting about road half marathons. I would by and large call myself a trail ultra runner, but why then did I find myself at the start line of a road half marathon this past weekend? Many reasons! An excuse for a trip back to Vancouver, the race is (in my humble opinion) the best half marathon in Vancouver, I hadn't run a proper half for 3yrs, and importantly ... leg speed. I have seen many road runners cross over to trail running and after a few months wonder why they are getting slower. My answer would be that on moving to the trails runners can get slower as they hike the hills, move over technical terrain and often start running longer distances. So one reason I like to still run roads and throw in some short races is I think it can help maintain all out leg speed which is invaluable even in trail ultras.

Race day was perfect - the torrential rain of the day prior stopped entirely, it was a mild 7 degrees and very little wind. After the usual pre-race brekkie of a cup of tea, a bagel and a banana I headed down to the race start at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown. I got there about an hour before the race but already there were lots of familiar faces milling around especially in the form of PRR club members who volunteer and organise the entire race. Bag check done, washroom visit - check, and I headed outside about 20min before the race to escape the crowds (about 2000 runners compete in the race).

I had been lucky enough to get an elite entry so was near the front of the race start next to friends Johnnie A and Dave Papineau. Soon we were off and I was careful to monitor my speed to try keep a 3:47/km (or 6:06/ mile) to go for a sub 1h20min finish. It was going to be a careful balance as I was not really sure of what tiem I was capable of running but thought 1h20 seemed reasonable, despite being 3.5mins faster than my PB. I checked my pace with my garmin as I knew that this being a shorter race than I was used to I had no time to lose a few seconds here or there but also if I went too fast I would fry my legs too soon.

I was a little daunted to be side by side with Kristina Rody who is a road speedster, but felt ok that I was just behind Dave and Johnnie. Kristina said something that implied that she was not on top form so I felt a little more confident to run with her and soon move a little ahead. The first mile was a little fast but everyone questioned if the marker was spot on or a little short, plus with their being a gradual downhill in the first mile I was not too concerned. Another female who I didn't recognise pulled slightly ahead but I let her go, maintained my pace, and hoped to catch her later.

It was great to pass each aid station as I knew PRRers on each one so was buoyed along by their cheers and encouragement. As I passed English Bay bathhouses and climbed a slight up hill I saw John Hill - VFAC coach - another club I used to belong to in Vancouver. I shouted out to John cheerily, 'I have no idea what I am doing here' - meaning was my pace right? could I maintain this? but John called out that I looked relax and at this early stage (probably about 4 miles) I certainly felt comfortable. As we moved onto the Stanley Park seawall I looked up to absorb the harbour views and ocean air that I miss so much, but as this caused me to swerve a little too close to the edge fo the seawall, I pulled my focus back to the race - I didn't want to go for an impromptu swim in the ocean!

One of the great things about the seawall is despite twists and turns you can see quite a long way ahead. My pace seemed steady but I was gradually passing a few men and not being passed by anyone. At the start I had not been sure what ladies had gone out ahead of me, I thought that I was in 3rd place but wasn't sure until I could see the lead female bike a ways ahead with Lisa Harvey (Calgary) in the lead. Ok, she was ahead and I could see the other woman too but the distance was not so far so I knew I could still hopefully move up in terms of position. As I passed half way John called out my finishing time of 1:20:30 (I think) based on the pace I was at, I took note of this but not seriously - I was moving at a pace that felt right and didn't want to pick it up too soon.

As we came around the full circle of the seawall I moved from 3rd to 2nd and I was gaining on the lead bike. But then to my dismay I saw a baby pink toque ahead - who was that?! As I gained on the pink toque I began to study the very toned legs more closely - and as I passed I called out to Sparky, 'geez - I thought you were a girl for a good few minutes there!' Now I was close enough to Lisa Harvey to know for sure that I was in 2nd. I passed Dave Stephens (gulp, he's fast!) and Johnnie A (he can still get sub 1h20 I thought) and was now right behind Lisa. My friend Chloe was lead female bike; the week before the race she had emailed me to tell me that and to jokingly ask 'So what pace do you want to go at?'! I had told her - Ellie might win races, but no road half marathons :) I could now see Chloe checking over her shoulder with a grin on her pace like it was 'told you so!'. I crept past Lisa and took the lead. There are many runners I am not phased to pass but Lisa, although in her mid-40s, is a former Olympian and had far more road and race experience than I even will. She looked tired as I passed her (I later found out she was fighting a bug) but even so - I now knew I just had to push the final 3 miles to the finish as who knew what Lisa would pull out of the bag, or indeed what other females might be gaining on me.

I trailed along behind Chloe, now at 10 miles I just hoped I could cling on for the final 3.1. I lack experience to know what pace I could hold but I so didn't want to lose the lead now I had taken it. I might have imagined it but I thought I saw Chloe on her radio, and I figured that if she was radio-ing the finish line to tell them that I was in the lead There was no way I could let my PRRers down now! I came past the English Bay aid station again and glimpsed some friends, but now it was head down and push the pace. With one final haul up a short hill under the Granville Street bridge and I was on the home, and slightly downhill, stretch. Normally I never look back during a race but in that final section I stole a few backwards glimpses to check that no females were on my heels. Brian and Dave were right ahead of me but there was no chance I was going to catch them - and at this moment in time that didn't concern me. I just wanted the win and it was fantastic to cross the line with so many friends there. 1:18:47 - 1st place female! PB by 4m46secs!

I am so happy with my race. Having started the year injured I have worked hard to get over injury and line up at the First Half in decent shape. I knew a PB was on the cards but not to the extent of running 1:18 something! I'll take the win and enjoy it, even though I know it is a slow winning time for the race and that lots of females did not make the start line for one reason or another. A great way to start off the racing season...and racing season is now coming thick and fast - Frozen Ass 50km next up - on Monday!

And on a final note - a big shout out to all of PRR for once again organising a superb race!

www.pacificroadrunners.ca/firsthalf

Fast & Female Ambassador

In the words of Chandra Crawford, Fast & Female founder and 2006 Olympic cross country ski medallist, 'At Fast & Female girls aged 9 to 19 years build confidence and leadership through exciting sporting events'. One of the great things about living in the Bow Valley is that there are world class athletes, cross country skiers in particular, who call Canmore or Banff home. They live here, they train here and they inspire children here to follow in their footsteps. So I feel pretty honoured to have been asked to be an Ambassador for Fast & Female - especially as I am the first ultra running Ambassador to date!

Fast & Female host events all over Canada as well as some in the US where the aim is that the events are inspirational, innovative and have an impact on the personal and athletic development of young girls primarily in cross country skiing but also in biathlon and complementary summer enduro-sports. The events are fun days - a mix of skiing, presentations, yoga and dance. I will be speaking at the Canadian 2011 Cross Country Ski Festival in Canmore on March 13th for my first Fast & Female event. As well as being such great events one of the things that I think is just as important is the full day costs just $15 making the day very accessible and non-elitist. Plus coaches and parents can attend too and participate in parts of the day themselves to better help them to support their young female athletes.

So check out more information about the Fast & Female events by clicking on their logo to the right handside of my blog, or www.fastandfemale.com

Sundog Eyewear

I am really excited to have been approached by Sundog Eyewear and come on board as one of their Athletes! Of course, if I still lived in rainy Vancouver this sort of sponsorship might not have proved so useful, but being in bluebird blue sky Banff, sunglasses - even when it's minus 30 in January - are essential!

I visited their Calgary offices the other day and had my eyes opened (literally) to the world of sports sunglasses. It always amazes me the work that goes into products that we use on a daily basis yet never really think too much about. One of the trademark technologies of Sundog is Mela-Lens which is basically like the melanin in your skin that protects you from HEV & UV light, and overall reduces glare and reduces stress on the eyes. With races like Comrades in sunny South Africa and Western States in sun-drenched California, becoming part of the Sundog Eyewear team could not have come at a better time.

Check out some of the details at http://www.sundogeyewear.com/, and I'll be posting some reviews just as soon as I've had a chance to get out running in the sun and snow!

New & Improved for 2011

This blog post is to announce that the 2010 version of Ellie has been discontinued and will no longer be available. We are excited to announce the New & Improved version for 2011! The 2011 model features core strength, regular physio and massage visits, improved running form, and glutes and hamstrings that will power the legs forward with increased efficiency (thus easing up the strain on the SI and reducing the work on the quads). Wow! This new model is currently making it's first major trial runs on the roads of Banff and the treadmills at Sally Borden Fitness Centre.

It had taken close to two months to develop this new model, with refinements and improvements continuing to be made by the day. It's a work in progress but we are sure you will be impressed with the results! Of course it has not been plain sailing in the development of this product; several minor set backs were encountered and not all changes resulted in immediate improvement. A lot of patience and hard work was required, but through trial and error, as well as working through niggles that arose along the way we are pleased with the product as it stands at present. This is not a final product, the team continue to assess the performance by the day, monitor the outcome of adjustments and most importantly of all continually question and monitor the impact of new introductions and practices.

Results of the current model include:

- 2 x 90min treadmill runs

- Running approx 5 days a week

- Minimal walk breaks

- Initial attempts at bringing some speed back (these are still very much preliminary results as the focus has been on slow, steady running)

- Runs without physio taping (though taping has proved successful in ensuring correct running form and will be continued, at least to a certain extent, for some time)

The official unveiling of the New & Improved Ellie will be in just over 3 weeks time at the First Half Half Marathon (Vancouver, BC).

For more information regards this Press Release, please post a comment to this blog.

With special thanks in the development of the New & Improved Ellie to Hugh Simson (Action Motion Physiotherapy, Banff, AB)

A Little Race Schedule for 2011!!!

As I am still recovering from injury and hobbling along with short runs, gym sessions and physio exercises a lot that has kept me going is the exciting line up of races I have for 2011. I have a lot to get better for :) Body and mind permitting I'll be at some awesome start lines this year and I can't wait for the new experiences that they will bring. I'm sure I'll also be slipping in some other races throughout the year but here are the key races so far.....

- Feb 13th, First Half Half Marathon, Vancouver, BC.

This is organised by one of my former running clubs, Pacific Road Runners, so it will be great to see lots of familiar faces and hopefully post a solid time (injury permitting)www.pacificroadrunners.ca/firsthalf/

- March 19th, Chuckanut 50km, Bellingham, WA
I have raced Chuckanut twice and I love this event. Typically a stellar line up of racers yet a low key atmosphere is maintained. Pacific Northwest trails at their best - great forests, great views, and I might be one of the few - but I love the out and back, fast n flat, interurban section at the start and finish!
http://web.me.com/krissymoehl/Chuckanut_50k/Welcoem.html

- April 9th, American River 50miler, Sacramento, CA

I keep saying I'll race more in the US so threw this one in as from what I hear I think it's my kind of course (in otherwords, non-technical and fast!) Part of the Montrail ultracup series so good racers often show up and wil be fun to hit some totally new terrain.

www.ar50mile.com

- May 29th, Comrades 89km, Durban to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
I've heard about this race for years and can't believe I'll be there for 2011! 18, 000 racers, run every year since 1921, all tarmac, it's an uphill year, and hey - I love road racing and ultras so it seemed like a no brainer. Heat training may be required.....
www.comrades.com

- June 25th, Western States 100 mile Endurance Run, Squaw Valley, CA

My first 100miler and I've always sworn anyone crazy to do Western as their first 100miler, but there I will be to see if I can run 100miles! Absolutely stoked to be racing Squaw Valley to Auburn, I'll be training seriously hard for this and pinching every bit of advice I can get from anyone and everyone. I've already got an awesome crew and pacer. Again, some heat training in the sauna will be required, because it's going to be a little warmer in those canyons than in Banff.
www.ws100.com

- September 9th, World 100km Championships, Winschoeten, Netherlands
One thing that kept me going at the Worlds in 2010 was I swore I never wanted to run 100km on tarmac again. But a few weeks later, with painful memories already fading, I knew I had to tackle the distance again. I like to think I can improve on my Gibraltar time and if there is a place to do it it's on this course (10 x 10km loops, fast, flat, lots of supporters). And before you ask ... I'll be on Team GB :)
www.runwinschoten.nl

- October 15th, North Face 50miler, Santiago, Chile!
My prize for winning Canadian Death Race in 2010 was an expenses paid trip to any TNF race in the world. Wow! So I'll be running 50miles in the Andes, and of course I'll be racing, but more than that I'll be soaking up this experience on my first trip to South America and I think I'll find space in my nathan pack for my camera! Definitely more for the fun and the experience rather than racing my guts out.
www.ultramaratondelosandes.cl


So with that said, I'm off to try run for 56mins - my physio prescribed run for the day. I am being patient and not pushing it as I know I need to get back into running easy if I want to make these start lines this year. Although it's tempting to push it, I know ultimately that would be likely to set me back further. One step at a time to make it to these races...

Wishing you all a fun-filled year of running!
Ellie

Empowered U - Banff Community Evening

In November I had the pleasure of speaking at Lululemon Athletica Banff, a great community store who do lots to get things moving and happening in the Bow Valley. They will be hosting another community evening, this time about goal setting. Details are below. Come along, bring a friend and if you need more info contact Tom at tsouthee@lululemon.com

We are on the cusp of yet another new year… and with each passing year change is inevitable. This is often a time when one begins searching for purpose or direction. Goals give you this sense of direction in all areas of your life. They are a source of passion and purpose. Join Lindsey Williams, Leadership Instructor and Coach, for an evening of discussion and goal setting strategies to empower you to define who you are and set a clear vision for where you want to go.

When: Tuesday January 18th from 8-9pm.
Where: lululemon athletica Banff. In-store