Monday, September 15, 2008

5 Peaks- Canmore 13.7 km Trail Race

On saturday I raced my second trail race of the year. The race was held at the nordic centre which is definetly a plus! I've made it my mission this year to get as fit and confident as I can on this course, mostly for the ski season, but running and bounding are also great measures of how hard you can push on the world cup courses. Lately I've been surprising myself as places I would normally heed the advice of the voice saying "take it easy here" I have been pushing it aside and trying to find an extra gear or to just trust that anything is possible if you believe in yourself enough to just try it!- usually you end up finding out that the sky is the limit and you are the only one who can make the decision to go harder and dig deeper and once you figure out that you are in control of that, it makes racing a very different ball game!

I would love to say I took this race out tactifully and easier and that I made a plan of attack. When the gun went off any race plan I had made went right out the window as there was a girl from the university of Calgary Track team who basically took off from the start. I had a moment of thinking about letting her go, but decided to go with her and give her a run for her money. Basically the only thought I had was "this is MY course", I love the downhills and I love the relentless climbs. I looked down at my heartrate monitor at km 2 and it read 185...but I kept on the heels of the girl in front of me, knowing that once I hit the single track and downhills I could try to put a gap on her. I was actually shocked at my confidence- normally I think something is wrong if I'm with the leaders. This time I felt I belonged!!

I managed to put a small gap of about 150m into her until the 11km mark and she went blowing by me at warp speed. Oh yes, I forgot that track runners are fast on flat land if given the chance! So I had to muster up the courage and try to find some speed in my legs- I didn't quiet catch her, but for me, it was definetly a great race! I haven't ever felt in control or confident in my physical ability, so this was a very big turning point.

I'm pumped to race again- whether it be running, rollerskiing or bounding, but I want to keep on developing this new found feistiness and eventually I know I will be able to hold it until the end!

see you on the trails!

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ABOUT ME:

I love the mountains, the snow and the inspiration and motivation they give me to pursue my athletic and life pursuits!