Dawn on the Run

It managed to snow during the week after I had kind of figured out my race route so Friday I headed back over to Nose Creek to check out the trails and see what was left of the snow. I got lucky there was only a tiny bit of the snow left from earlier in the week so I was able to keep the route with only one minor change. I enjoyed my run around the route with Xena. Poor Bella, I’m told she whined forever after cause I didn’t take her. Next it was time to make soup. I didn’t have many soup volunteers so I made a large pot of my Chicken Noodle & Lentil as well as a smaller pot of Tomato/Chicken & Lentil and finally a crock pot of Hamburg/Tomato & Macaroni.

Saturday I was up early. I picked up Nikayla & Carrie who had been voluntold to help me with the flagging. It was still a bit chilly but looked at 8:30am but looked like it was gonna be an awesome day by race time (noon). We meandered around the route adding flags and markings so the runners would know where to go. Next I dropped Carrie off at the hall along with my soups. Her other voluntold roll was kitchen help with Jeri. Nikayla and I returned to the race start to find 2 runners already waiting to register.

It wasn’t long after that Jim and our finish line team arrived for setup. We placed the Finish on a ledge just below the parking lot but it meant the runners would do a short uphill, quick left and run through the finish. The start was however down the hill just past some potholes. I didn’t want the runners falling into a couple of large equipment tracks. Heck they were deep enough for a small child to hide in…lol. Actually two young kids volunteered to stand in them for the entire race and direct the runners up the hill to the finish. Now that was cute to watch. I had the kids run straight out and back but the hill to finish. Us adults lined the sides by the potholes so the kids didn’t trip either.

Oh yeah just before the kids 1k run I sent my marshals off to their spots. I had a number of awesome volunteers, many return to help every year. I even had a few with cameras so we could get photos from different parts of the race. Hubby was at one of the “split” locations and was planning to experiment with his new fish eye lens. Links to the photos will be at the bottom of this post. Shortly after noon I lined up the approx 100 runners and gave them the rules/directions, etc. Then it was a “Ready, Set & GO!!!!” I love watching the runners string out to a line of the fastest back to the last few. The line ends up being a few hundred meters long.

It was a pretty easy route this year so it didn’t take long before we saw those doing the longer distance head off on their second loop. It seemed like a lot were doing the longer distance which was close to 7k. Finally a few doing the shorter 4k distance started heading back towards the finish. After watching a few from the finish I moved over to the last little downhill by the fence. It seems a few almost went the wrong way by the fence so I watched from there getting some cool photos and yelling “Down Here”.

The race went over really well with just over 100 runners. The weather was awesome and I had several runners in shorts. I don’t think anyone was disappointed when the “sideways snow” was backordered…lol. We did the usual social wrap up with soup & goodies enjoyed by all. This was my 6th year doing the event. I look forward to next year – Jan 12, 2013.

Grand Prix Series XC Race Info
Nose Creek XC Results
My Flickr Photos (Includes photos by hubby)
Photos by volunteer Janice

Today I set out with my 10 yr old granddaughter and 2 little dogs. Our goal was to run a possible route for the upcoming CRR Nose Creek XC (Jan 14th). Being the race director for the event means I need to figure these things out and preferably before race day…lol.

We drove over to the site then set up the dogs leashes so they were fastened to belts around our waist leaving our hands free. Nikayla ran with Xena (Chin/Papillon cross). She’s the bigger of our two little dogs but quieter and easier to control. I hooked little Bella (Yorkie/Chin cross) up to my waist. Bella tends to whine if she is not in the lead, she’s a tad competitive.

According to my car the temp was +7C but the brisk wind made it seem slightly cooler. I would love to have used the same route as we used in 2011 but once again I have to change the route due to construction. The awesome start area we used last year has since been fenced off. Nikayla has been helping with this event since I took it over 2007. We moved the race to the parking lot at the end of 96th Ave NE in 2011. It’s a much roomier lot then the one just off Beddington Trail.

We moved down to the base of the fence line and headed east along a slightly icy trail that later meanders south. I say slightly icy as there was lots of places to run to avoid the ice and I suspect if the weather continues by race3 day this will be a muddy mess. Yikes. That would be a first. We are used to snow several inches deep for this race. I have never seen the trails this bare.

At about the .5k mark we noted a trail to the left but continued heading southward. I was thinking that the direction we took would be the reverse of how we run the race on race day but later we decided the way we ran it would be the best way.

The trail lead us gently downhill along a fairly wide pathway of very dead grass. We did not run into anymore snow or ice until we hit the base of our first uphill. So far the route had been almost too easy. Finally something with a bit of a challenge, an icy uphill. Oh yeah at the base of the hill a small creek only a few inches wide and easily jumped by even our smallest runner.

At the top of the hill we found ourselves again on a nice wide well travelled pathway across an open field. An open field in the wind makes for tough running but not so bad today. The pathway through the field heads west and slightly south eventually meeting up with the paved pathway. We travelled along the paved pathway to a bench area where we headed downhill on a gravel trail.

Ahead we could see many areas fenced off as they are now protected areas. Many of the paths we had used in the past were now fenced off. Instead we crossed the bridge and meandered through the valley following more gravel type trails. The next bit was nice and flat as we were again heading east. We crossed two bridges in the valley once again on a paved pathway we meandered over one more bridge then south up a really small hill then east again to cross one last bridge. So yes the route crosses 4 small bridges.

At the last bridge we leave the paved pathway heading north and up a dirt road. This is likely the toughest uphill of the route as it’s a long uphill. The dirt is dry, no ice and not likely to be muddy on race day but who knows. At the top the next bit is flat and runs almost parallel to the outgoing bit we ran. We found one more small hill to add in then took a narrow path that meanders back to the trail we headed out on.

Once joining back on the trail we headed out on we determined that would be where those doing the 8k would repeat the loop. Those doing the 4k would head back to the start finish area. I checked my Garmin and did the math. The stretch to the “loop” was .5k making the loop about 3k. So those doing the 4k will actually have a run that measures pretty close to the 4k mark but those running the 8k will actually only be doing 7k unless I can find somewhere to add an extra k in just for them. Perhaps I will head out again on Sunday to see if there is a plan B.

Now as you read this you may have wondered why I called it Planes, Trains and Automobiles? Well the Nose Creek Park is very close to the airport. While we ran/walked we saw several planes taking off and landing. The trail also runs near Deerfoot so of course we saw many automobiles heading north or south along the highway. Finally as we climbed the dirt road we saw a long train heading north.

All in all it was a fun run for me, Nikayla and the dogs. We all loved the fresh air and the sunshine. So did you workout today or did you make an excuse?

More Photos from today’s run/walk on flickr

As I watched the season opener of Biggest Loser Tuesday night I wondered how many of us in 2012 will you make excuses or make a change? That’s the theme for the show’s new season and perhaps it should be my theme too.

We all start the year off with good intentions but as time progresses we make excuses to skip a workout, a run or eat that whole big bag of potato chips. At that point we can choose to beat up on ourselves and give up or forgive, forget then keep going.

So how do we get past the excuses and the temptations? How do we keep motivated to train or stick to those goals we set out at the beginning of the year? What will convince us to get out that door for a run or a ride? What keeps you on the right track?

It’s a new year and only you can change your attitude, change your life. Don’t quit, keep going no matter what your goal. On Facebook I spotted the resolution of an athlete friend of mine. “Get Fitter not Fatter”. Love it and stealing it.

So while I still have to work out my goals for 2012 as well as what races to run, etc. I’ve got a place to start. I’ll work the finer details out over the next week or so. For now I have committed to (as in registered for) 2 events so far – Calgary Police Half (April 29th) and the Underwear Affair 10K (June 2nd).

Let the training begin and the excuses go away.

Yup 2011 has come and gone. OMG…where did it go. I still need to sum up what I did this year. It started off great but well then a number of health problems interferred with not only training but life. I’m not one to usually give into stuff but sometimes one really has no choice.

In June I had issues with my eyesight. Then again in September. The June one cleared up on it’s own and was apparently related to ack getting old. The 2nd issue with my right eye turned out to be a little more serious as it was a blocked vessel in my eye. Yikes! It is slowly clearing up but I’m told it was likely due to a spike in blood pressure and thankfully not diabetes as earlier suspected.

On the mend from that my training for Vegas Half did not go so well. The oh yeah, along came a nasty cold near the end of November which believe it or not I am still suffering from. It’s the cough that just won’t go away. And yes I have seen a Dr….3 times.

All this means that for the last few weeks (since Vegas), my training has been a few walks and only one real run which was just the other day.

I haven’t set goals or decided on races for 2012. I’m off on vacation for one more week so will be working out how last year went and what to do with this year over the next few days.

The only thing I’ve done to get me back on track is make one decision that was getting in my way and well that is to kick my Farmville habit….lol. Yup those silly Facebook games were eating up my time so I just quit cold turkey after yet another friend was dumping me cause he was tired of all the game posts. Ya know he’s right. So that’s that. I’ll hopefully update things soon as to what’s what for 2012.

Til then, Happy New Year and all the best to all of you for 2012.

I could have titled this post many things but now that a few days have past I am trying to be over the negative crap that happened and is still being talked about. All things aside that went wrong I had an awesome few days in Vegas. I saw some great shows, met up with friends, made new friends, shopped, danced, drank margaritas and so much more. Just not gonna let a few hours running a half marathon ruin the whole holiday. That said on with the details of the race.

Oh yeah, for those who don’t know me and are happening on this blog for the first time, I am not new to running. I was an excellent runner (trophy/ribbons to prove it) in high school but that was many years ago. I stopped and then started running again about 16 years ago. I am not fast anymore, I’m pretty slow by most standards but I know “the rules”, etc. I’ve run 11 half marathons, 2 full marathons, tons of 5/10Ks and recently started doing triathlons.

I’M ALIVE! I survived!!! WARNING IS A BIT LONGISH…..

Onto the disaster that was supposed to be RnR Las Vegas. Okay, my training had sucked since Sept thanks to some health issues. Then I ended up with a nasty cold just before the trip. I was still coughing and medicated on race day. Oh yeah, the Expo was a zoo as well. Lots of line ups and cause Hubby wasn’t really into this kind of thing I didn’t get to see a lot of it. I did get a nice flashy hot pink vest and a finishers shirt.

I suspect part of the issues with the race (for some) were because of the time of day the race was held. I still turned in early the night before. The tough part was trying to relax before an evening race. So that Hubby would have an idea of where to go, etc (his 1st time there) we did a tram ride to the start and checked out a lay of the land/setup. We had healthy sandwhiches from the deli in NY NY hotel for lunch and relaxed til it was time to dress and head down. We wanted to see the full start as well as the band so we got there around 3:45. The full started at 4pm and the half not until 5:30. There was a light crowd to start. I went to the portapotty around 4:30. Good thing as by 5pm it was wall to wall lineups for the 50 odd potties. Could be wrong on the number. Oh yeah there were VIP trailers by Brooks with no lines but they were policed and you had to have a vip bracelet. Not sure how you got it. Probably in the part of the expo I missed.

Anyhow we headed to the corral area bout 5pm. Hubby tagged along. Heck as we meandered through the already crowded corral we saw many in wrong corrals. Heck I was amazed they let spectators in the corrals and were not policing who got into which corral. Last year they were very strict about it, checking every number and corral entrant. This year they did not care. It was nuts. I was slotted in corral 28, now I wish I had moved up. Oh yeah, last year they released one corral at a time moving each up as they did so. Apparantly this year they only did that for the first 15 or so (that’s what hubby said). Then they just let everyone go. It was a mosh pit!!! Oh yeah did I mention there were 40+ corrals.OMG the start was a disaster.

I had not looked at the map and had no idea where the “merge” was taking place. It was wall to wall runners with no room to move from one side of the road to the other. I had started out on the left side, a mistake. Along the way that was the marathon lane. I had no idea I was in it until I heard someone on a bike yelling behind me to move over. Wait, then I saw in the dark these little signs maybe six inches square and cones about the same height. Most had been kicked or tripped over. I don’t blame the runners. I mean it was pitch black, how were they even supposed to see such tiny markings. The tiny cones weren’t the only tripping hazard. The road was strewn with discarded clothing, not really visable at night. And the water stations were a mess of slipperiness between spilled liquids and the thousands of cups strewn everywhere.

Oh yeah the mess of the merge. Now since I moved completely to the right edge I did not run into any hassles from the marathoners but I heard from others there was rudeness and near riots cause by both sides of the non existant fence. I had a friend who did the full that told off a fellow marathoner because he was rude, swearing and shoving the half marathoners. Uncool! But heh being on the right I still had runners who jumped curbs and passed on right. Heck one guy with earphones on full did not acknowledge anyone around him.

First aid station was empty. The tables empty, cups strewn every where and hard to navigate. Runners lined up at the back of the truck for water. Not something I expected to see at the first aid station especially since I estimate at that point there were still several thousand runners behind me. Heck one didn’t even realize you were at the water station until you were on top of the mess. In a daylight run you would have spotted it ahead of you. Aid stations after that were often on the left with very few supplies setup on them. I had my own fuel and water with me so continued through them all.

Bib: #28039, Race: Half Marathon
Point Time Time of Day Pace
START 00:00:00 6:00:36 pm –
5K 00:58:11 6:58:46 pm 18:44
10K 02:01:12 8:01:47 pm 20:17
10M 03:23:25 9:24:01 pm 21:44
FINISH 04:29:16 10:29:51 pm 21:11
Avg. Pace 20:33

As shown by my stat above, I started out a little slow but I wasn’t far off my plan. I wanted to average 6k in an hour, so by 2 hours I was roughly 2k or 20 minutes behind but somewhere along the way things just kept falling apart. I only really made two stops – one for my traditional photo with the firemen (still have to check if it turned out) and the other for the bathroom at IHop. No line up there…lol.

The potties along the route were few and far between. I think they had the same number for this race as last year with twice the runners….sheeshhhhh. Going through the top end and older areas of Vegas was kind of spooky. Some of it was pretty dark and oh wait they had a couple of those portable lights along the way so you went from black to almost blinding light. I passed a few and was passed by lots. I passed the same 4 runners a few times, they were stopping for beers along the way. One of them was wearing a hat with two beer cans and straws plus he had a beer in a brown bag in his hand. Not just any beer they were all carrying those really tall cans. Ya know, maybe that’s how I should have done the race, running with a margarita and refilling it along the way…lol. Could have used brownies for fuel…lol.

Not sure where the “Weddings” were held. I ran past a few chappels and thought of my friends who originally planned to marry at the Vegas race but instead got married at a different event in November. While disappointed I didn’t make it to Shawn’s wedding I’m so glad she did not do it at this nightmare. They twisted and turned us around so much in the old part I did not know if I was coming or going. Finally we were back on the BLVD and heading back. There was a light drizzel here and there. I was chilled but not cold. I saw runners carted off. They were dropping like flies. Many were struggling like me. Four things kept me going – hubby waiting for me, the finisher shirt I wanted to wear, the medal and a bracelet I got early in the race. MBFC Fit Chicks handed me a motivational bracelet way back in the first few kms. Every time I struggled, it reminded me to keep going and that I could do this.

As I passed each hotel that got me nearer and nearer to the finish I felt better and more confident. However seeing the “Tail Vehicle” nearly sucked that out of me…lol. They were sweeping to the back and taking runners closer to the finish. I picked up what energy I had and kept going. I did not want to have to take the ride. I wanted to finish on my own. Did you know that even the diverted runners got a finish time and as they finished ahead of us many of them got medals. Finally I passed under the last arch to the finish. Penguin John was still greeting all the runners/walkers. He gave me a hug/High 5 as I headed under the archway to finish. Wait something is wrong here. No one rushed up to greet me and give me a blanket, no medals. There were a handful of full medals on the rack but all out half medals. As much as I liked the PINK full medal I did not earn it, did not want it. I cried, partly from disappointment, mostly from pain. A runner gave me her blanket. It was kind of wet with sweat but felt warm. I was shivering. Finally a volunteer approached and gave me a fresh one making sure I was fully covered. She saw my tears and explained they would mail the medal. I cried more, it had been such a hard race. Heck I was an hour past my worse ever, I could barely move. I limped through what was the food area. I found water but it was still wrapped in plastic. I struggled to open a flat and grabbed two bottles. The bagels were dried out and stale, I walked past them. No marathon bars, no granola bars, no snacks…wait bananas. Oh crap, so green, so hard, two bites and I tossed it in the garbage can. Then the volunteer from before comes running up behind me, wait, I will find you a medal. I walked/limped slowly and found some yogurt tubes…ewww, warm yogurt. A few minutes later I was handed a medal, I cried again. I think she did too. She was the one bright light at the end. Never got her name. I had to hide the medal and so many around me did not get one. Wait I saw some with half bibs wearing a full medal. Ya know after the hell they went through I don’t blame them for taking it.

They were still playing a recording that the beer gardens was open but nothing was open. The place was pretty much dark, dreary and shut down. We (the runners) wandered around like lost zombies. I was extremely thankful that my Hubby, Darren was there to rescue me. He had a miserable time waiting and worrying. No one would tell him anything. Also the situation for spectators wasn’t much better. It was cold, wet and they had no shelter plus no food, drinks, etc after not sure what time.

We headed through the back end of the Mandalay Bay towards the trams, hoping they were still running. What a mess. Stuff left/littered by runners everywhere. If my camera had not died I would have taken photos. We passed several runners being attended to by medics in the hallway. I would have done anything for a wheelchair to ride back to the room but so many were worse then I, I just limped slowly along. Thankfully they extended the hours on the tram. Not so lucky with places to eat. I found some friends on the way to the room. They had not faired much better. After hearing my story one even offered me his medal, but I showed him the one I was hiding. The mexican place was still open but lined up like crazy. Besides I had eaten there a couple of nights before, it tasted good but didn’t do well with my tummy.

We ended up going to the room. Hubby bought two tall cans of beer and a huge bag of nachos. I ate a few and drank half the beer before falling asleep. Well that’s pretty much it for the disaster. It’s in the books, I’ve got my medal. Will I do it again, only time will tell but a lot has to change in the race and I need to make some changes as well.

Congrats to those that finished! Thanks to the wonderful volunteers, officers and such that braved the cold. Thanks to the bands along the way especially the ones that played forever and especially the one near the end that yelled out “we’re playing til the last runner goes by or until we get electrocuted” (it rained lightly). Thanks also to the many that supported us along the way, your cheers and such kept us going to the finish.

More photos on Flickr

Before I post this year’s experience you might want to read my race reports from the past times I have run the half marathon in Vegas. This was my 4th trip to run the race. Will it be my last, I really don’t know, time and training will tell that tale.

2007 – A Fun time at the Vegas Half. I went to run for fun. Stopped to watch the bands and still beat 4 hours by 15 minutes. For me the first year in Vegas was about seeing Vegas, the bands and just plain having a fun time.

2009 – 2nd time better, way better in so many ways. I had missed 2009 due to injury and was still recovering. This time it was about finishing the distance with a better time. I wanted to beat 3 hours but my injured knee acted up and I ran the last 5k in pain.

2010 – Another amazing year. I improved my time, still didn’t beat 3hours but I wasn’t disappointed. I had fun, loved it and planned to return again.

2011 – That will be the next post I write. Saddly, you will see a much different story from the last 3 years.

The tales from others about the RnR Las Vegas Half/full Marathon.

Okay, I have a few posts to catch up on but want to get Vegas up while it is still fresh in my mind. While I’m working on my own story I thought I would share a few stories from others out there. Some are good some well not so good. It seems how you did in this race depended on where you started.

• Jeff – A Tale of Two Races – Oh yeah, he was at the front of the race which was a much different story then the back of the pack or even the middle of the pack.
• Grateful mama – Race Recap
• Charlene, a runner from Vegas (and a friend)
  • A message to Competitor Group
  • RnRLV aka FlopatNight
• Wendy’s Race Review
• Blonde Ponytail – Race Report
• The Everyday Warrior – Rock n Roll Las Vegas Recap: A fight from beginning to end
• Run it Fast – The Nightmare on the Strip
• From the Las Vegas Review Journal
  • Runners say they were sickened
  • a video before the mayhem started
• From the Las Vegas SUN
• Facebook page – lots of interesting material to keep you reading for hours. I’ve never seen so many posts after a race
• Another FB page – Runners United: Boycott RnR Races until they get it right
• Hashtags on twitter – #RnRLV #stripatnight

I am sure there are more great posts, videos, pictures and such out there. If you want your link added, post a comment with the details to add it to this post.

Earlier in the week I called Nikayla. “Heh Nikayla, wanna run you first 10k this weekend?” Without hesitation my granddaughter’s response was “YES!!!”. We had always promised her once she turned 10 she could do her first 10k. The Back 9 Run & Ultra is an awesome event hosted by the QuickSilver Running club in Airdre. It got it’s name Back 9 as it used to be run around the Back 9 holes of the Country Hills Golf Club. It has now moved to the trails in Airdre. A runner has a choice of running a distance from 5k to 50k. The best part about the race is it’s all FREE. Yes, I said FREE! Great fun, great food and a prize for everyone.

Nikayla is an awesome kid, but then I am slightly prejudice being as we are related…lol. What a kid. She amazed me the whole race. We headed out with everyone and as we promised to take our time so she would enjoy the race we soon fell way to the back of the pack. Heck it wasn’t long before we saw 5k runners heading back our way. The 5k was an out and back. The longer distances were 1 or more loops of 10k depending on your chosen distance. There were even a few doing 50k that had started a lot earlier in the morning.

I had been thinking to myself at the 5k turn around Nikayla might suggest we turn around and do 5k. To my surprize and joy, she did not. Instead she just giggled and carried on. She did sets of walk/run while I did my usual slow jog. The race was all on trails except for a few spots where one had to cross a street. Not once did the kid complain or say “Are we there yet?”.

With only a few km to go we took a wrong turn and almost took a short cut. There only a few marshals on the route and none at this one spot where we missed the chalk arrows. Ooops. We didn’t travel too far before seeing our mistake so being the honest runners we both are we retraced our steps back to the mistake and ran the correct route. The little goof added about 500m to our run. No big deal.

Near the last stretch I spotted some bathrooms. I had to go for the last few kms so I opted to hit the potty and told Nikayla to run to the finish I would join her shortly. I hear she had a great finish and I was there only minutes later. She finished around the 2 hour mark and still had enough enegy to run back to the bathrooms…lol.

Following the run we headed to the park area where an awesome post race meal was served. We both ended up with some awesome prizes. It was a fun day for all.

Check out the photos on Flickr.

Every fall the Calgary Roadrunners start their XC season with the River Park XC. It’s one of my favorites. I just love the river crossing part. However for a variety of reasons I have opted to not run most of the XC races. Instead for this one I chose to wade into the river and stand there taking photos of those running the race. I had a blast and got some great shots.

Here’s a fun video of my daughter and granddaughter making their way back on the second crossing. Sure looks like fun doesn’t it.

Photos on Flickr
Photos on CRR Website