SeaWheeze 2017 Half Marathon Recap

It's hard to believe that my first half marathon has already come and gone. When I registered for the race (which was the most nerve-racking thing to do ever!), I was still pregnant and I really had no idea how well prepared I would fell for running a half marathon 7 months after giving birth. But, SeaWheeze is one race I've always wanted to do, and I always wanted it to be the first half marathon I ever did. When Becky also showed interest in doing it (also her first half!), I knew we both had to try to get in. We've ran several races together and I knew that in order to complete this race, I was going to need her support during training and the run.

Anyway, the race was on Saturday, but we arrived in Vancouver on the Thursday. I was staying with my sister, and my plan was to leave Emmy with her for the morning and have them meet me at the finish line. Adding to the pre-race jitters, was my anxiety over leaving Emmy for roughly 5 hours. Even though she takes a bottle, there's always that fear that that one time she won't. The afternoon and evening before the race, we just hung out in my sister's apartment. I needed that time to pump a couple bottles for Emmy, and after a total pump fiasco, I didn't get to bed until midnight the night before the race.

Somehow, I managed to sleep well, waking at 5am to eat breakfast, get dressed and then feed Emmy in her sleep one last time. I had called a cab when I woke up to pick me up at 5:40am to take me to the Sea Bus and of course the cab was not there when I stepped out of the apartment. Instead, I was greeted by a skunk sauntering down the sidewalk! Thankfully he disappeared into a hedge, and after two phone calls to the cab company (they got the street wrong by one number), I made it to the sea bus just in time!

{mary//heather//lindsey//chad//me//becky}

I briefly met up with Ange, Lindsey, Chad, Mary and Becky, grabbed a group photo, used the porta potty and then Becky and I made our way into the corrals. We were warned by our friends not to start too far back regardless of our perceived pace because it could take up to an hour to cross the start line otherwise. We lined up with the 2:20 pace beavers (wishful thinking for sure!), and two feet in front of me, I spotted my friend Natalie from Edmonton! What were the odds of finding her in a sea of 10,000 people?!

{hi natalie!!}

I honestly wasn't really nervous at all waiting to get started. I went into this run with a very open mind. I knew my training was lacking, I knew I wasn't really physically ready to run a half marathon with a great time and I knew that since it was my first time, I truly didn't know what to expect. I chose to cling to all of the optimistic advice I had received leading up to the race that it was going to be fun no matter what (debatable), that is wasn't really a "race" (um, also debatable), and that there were going to be so many other people walking it (not really - I think I was honestly expecting to see droves of people walking!). Sometimes I will grasp at any ounce of hope to make myself believe I will be OK.

Knowing that my training was weak, I was prepared to run the race alone even though I originally had hoped to run it with Becky. We did decide to start off together though, agreeing that at anytime she could move on without me. I do regret not getting in more training runs. Becky and I run a very similar pace and it's definitely nice to run beside your friend. We talked about running 10 and 1 intervals so as not to burn out too soon. But our start felt strong and we ended up running the first 6km straight before taking our first walk break.

I chose not to carry any water with me, but I did have a granola bar in my pocket for fuel if needed. I was really impressed with the frequency of water tables, which also offered Nuun water and GU gels. Some stations even had half bananas. There were also porta potty's at every station, but the lineups were huge! Thankfully, my stomach didn't bother me at all during the race.

After we ran down the Kitsilano bridge and hit the turnaround, I decided to walk back over the bridge since it was a steady incline and I knew it would kill my hip flexors and quads if I ran it so early on in the race. This was around kilometre 10, and I was still feeling pretty good. Thankfully, I was able to catch back up with Becky for the next few kilometres.

When we came upon English Bay, this is when the pain started to really set in. Around this time, we saw the electronic sign where family and friends could post encouraging messages for us to see. Jim had already texted me to say he couldn't figure out how to send one, so I wasn't expecting to see anything for me, but then a message from Ange popped up and I almost cried! It was seriously just the pick me up I needed. Shortly after this, around kilometre 13, I could feel that my sports bra was causing some serious chaffing right below my breasts. I decided to stop at the medic station for some vaseline and a bandaid and then used the flush toilets that were on the beach. Becky went on ahead without me and that would be the last time I would see her until the finish line.

By this point, my hip flexors and legs were screaming mad. I wasn't sure how I was physically going to be able to finish. It was a tad frustrating because my lungs and cardio felt so good! But my legs just weren't conditioned enough. I feel like I still maintained a slow jog for the majority of the rest of the race, but there were definitely a lot of walk breaks too. It was actually easier to keep up a shuffle, rather than go into a complete walk. I basically did whatever I needed to do to just keep moving forward. Thankfully, there are a lot of fun cheer stations throughout the course to pass the time! I actually didn't put my earbuds in even once and ran the entire race music/podcast free. I just focused on the task ahead and the scenery around me.

Somewhere between kilometre 16 and 17, right before I was about to run under the Lion's Gate Bridge, I spotted Becky in the far distance, but I texted her saying I would never catch up to her. Knowing she was still pounding the pavement, and wanting so much to be able to see her at the end, I kept on moving. Looking back, I'm not even sure how I willed my legs to keep going. The pain was unlike any I have ever felt in them. When I neared the last few kilometres, the 2:50 pace beavers caught up to me and my goal was to stick with them. While I didn't have a finishing time goal, I knew I wanted to come in under 3 hours.

The last kilometre was the absolute worst (as I find it is for any race). That one kilometre always feels like ten, and with all the winding we did during the last one in this race felt endless. The tears started to build up at this point - tears for the pain, tears for actually accomplishing this, tears for not giving up. While shuffling to the finish line, someone in the sidelines yelled out that there was only 500m to go, so I pushed through the pain and ran as hard as I could (which wasn't that fast given my state), but it felt good to give that last bit of my first half marathon every ounce of being I had left.

It's never felt so good to receive a race medal! And despite being bummed that I hadn't been able to cross over the finish line with Becky, I was so happy to see her face. My official time was 2:59. When the 2:50 pace beavers caught up to me, I wasn't thinking about the fact that they would have crossed the start line after me, making them faster than I was. I was SO thankful that I pushed just slightly ahead of them near the end as I would have been so disappointed to have finished at 3:01 or longer!

I found the finish line overwhelming and chaotic. It's a narrow space and after getting your medal, grabbing water, sun glasses and a Vega protein bar, you're immediately corralled into the long line up to collect your free brunch. At this point, I was texting with my sister who was struggling to leave her place with Emmy to come meet me. I was exhausted and didn't want her to arrive only for me to be stuck somewhere in the brunch line, so I made the hard decision to ditch Becky and head back to the Sea Bus to get home to Emmy and my sister.

In hindsight, heading back to her place right away was the best decision to make. It' was so crowded, and by the time Becky and I finished the race, all of our friends had already left so there really wasn't much point in sticking around. Leaving when I did also ensured that I received my Saje finishers gift, which I wanted way more than the free brunch! I thought it was odd that the Saje gifts weren't handed out at the finish line though, and then I heard that some runners didn't get one because they ran out. Not cool, since I witnessed a few runners asking for an extra for "their friend who ran but was waiting over there".

{SeaWheeze race swag}

The walk back to the SeaBus was long and painful. Every step I took was felt in every inch of my body. I have to be honest and say I never felt that "runners high" that made me think I would want to do that again. I was damn proud of myself for finishing, but in that moment all I wanted to do was have a nap. But the race was over a week ago now and I often wonder would I do it again? Knowing what I know, it's tough to say! I feel like I can only improve on the next one, but I also don't know that I have it in me to fully dedicate myself to the training schedule unless I had a running buddy.  Your first half marathon is hard because you just don't know what to expect. But your second will also be hard because now you do know what to expect. I loved this race though and everything that went on along with it. The route is beautiful, running at sea level is great, and there is so much going on the day before and the afternoon/evening after the race. I do think if I was to do another half marathon, I would want to do this one again. Except next time I would fully embrace the entirety of it, something I didn't get to do this time around.

For now though, I'm just happy to be able to say I'm finally a part of the half marathon club!

{because I took off so quickly, we never got an post race photo taken together,
so we had Jim snap this one of us at the airport when we arrived home}

If you've run a half marathon, I'd love to hear what your first one was like! 

5 Peaks Sikome Lake Race Recap

I have 3 race recaps I still need to post, and while I know I could just not post them, I really like having them for my own benefit and to look back on. It's a great way to keep track of the races I've run and the ones I've loved. 

*****

Back on May 14th, I ran my very first trail race run, the 5 Peaks Sicome Lake Race! I have never run a trail race before, but I have always wanted to. When I found out Ange was running this race, and that it was really close to my home, I signed up just a few days beforehand! 

Ange picked my up bright and early that morning so that we would have no problem finding parking at the venue (parking is somewhat limited), and carpooling is recommended. I had picked up our race packages the night before, but we would have been fine getting them the morning of as this is one super organized event! The 5 Peaks runs are capped at 500 participants, so it's not overly crowded or chaotic when you get there. 

We had plenty of time once we arrived to use the porta potties and watch the kids 1k and 3k races - man kids can run fast! It was really cool in the morning, but we both knew we'd warm up as soon as we hit the trails, so we ditched our extra layers in Ange's car right before lining up at the start line.

This course is an out and back course and just over 6km. I didn't wear trail shoes because even though it's a "trail run", I knew that runners would be ok given the conditions of Fish Creek Park (the trails are pretty smooth). I didn't go into this race with any time expectations, but I was super grateful that Ange had the same approach and ran with me the whole time. The course starts out with a HUGE hill which most people walked up (thank goodness!). Soon after, there's another down hill and then the trail flattens out. 

There was one water station mid-course that also had these delicious fruit chews! Such a nice surprise! At this point, the trail narrows to a point where there is only room for one runner to run. This was also the point where the turn around for the race starts happening so it was a little bit stressful having to move out of the way for the returning runners (who even has the right away - I still don't get it?!). 

Somewhere on our way back to the finish line (before we had to head back up the steep hill we came down), I tripped and fell! I didn't hurt myself and bounced right back up, but it was a tad embarrassing as other racers ran by asking if I was ok. I was also 7 weeks pregnant at this time, and my first reaction was "don't tell Jim I tripped!" Haha! 

Ange and I crossed the finish line together at 51:54 - which is pretty good considering we had to walk the hills and talked almost the entire way! I say it every race, and I'm going to say it again, it's so nice when you are able to run along side a friend! So thanks Ange! 

When you cross the finish line at a 5 Peaks run - that's when they give your swag, aka, "medal", which was a a super cute camping mug! What a great idea for a race medal! 5 Peaks strives for a zero-waste event, so the mug came in extra handy when we lined up for our fresh cut fruit (also a great post-race idea!). 

I won't be doing any more trail runs this year, but I'd love to return next year and try to complete the entire 5 Peaks race series. The series consists of 5 races throughout southern Alberta, but they have a race series in other areas/provinces as well, so check it out here if there is a series near you! Trail running is a lot of fun and a completely different vibe from a regular race, and I really can't say anything negative about this particular race/series. 

Have you ever run a trail race?

Runners, do you prefer road races, or trail running, or both?

Mother's Day Run 2016 5K Race Recap

Last weekend, my aunt had asked me to join her in running the Annual Sport Chek's Mother's Day Run. I figured running with my aunt (my mom's sister) was a great way to kick-off Mother's Day!  My aunt's husband's company was a big sponsor for the race, so I got to join their "team" for the run.

This was the 39th year for this run! And it showed! I knew it would be a packed event, so I got up early, took the bus to the train station and then the train to Chinook Mall, where the race started and finished. It was a windy day and not as hot as the day before, and I was glad I wouldn't be running in the hot sun again.

When I arrived at the venue, I made my way over to the VIP tent where I enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee. I took some before photos with my aunt Max, and her husband Barry (who was running the 10k), then made use of the porta potties. There was also the option of using the washrooms inside the mall, but that seemed like an unnecessary hike away.

There was so much going on before the races even started: bouncy castles and craft tables for the kids, a pre-race warmup put on by GoodLife Fitness and even a Tim Horton's tent, plus tons of other sponsors. I felt kind of bad that I hadn't brought Jim and Sully even though they were fast asleep when I left the house. Next year, I'm making the whole family do this run! There are even a few different race distances for little kids.

We lined up for our 5k run just before 9a.m. It was so packed and seemed to take forever to finally cross over the start line, but eventually we did get moving. I didn't go into this race with a plan, I was just there to have fun, and even though my aunt kept telling me I could run ahead of her, I didn't, because she was the whole point of why I was there! My aunt used to run a lot, but do an injury, she hasn't been running like she used to, so I followed her lead. We did 10s and 1s the whole time.

The first bit of the race has you work through the mall parking lot, and then you head into the residential streets before finishing the race along McLeod Trail. There were so many people running that the crowd never dispersed as much as I'm used to at other races, but the energy was great! And there were so many people on the streets cheering everyone on, and even some small bands. There was a water station at about the half-way mark too.

I thought this sign on someone's balcony was so sweet!

It was a great run - I felt really great the whole time and I definitely could have ran faster, but I had so much fun running and chatting with my aunt the whole time. Our chip time was 41:52. Barry kicked ass at his 10K though - clocking in at 47:48 and 10th place in his age category and 112th place overall!

As we wove our way back to the VIP tent, I made sure to stop and grab all the food and drink options that were presented to us. I think this was the best post-race drinks and snacks I have ever seen. Back at the tent I helped myself to a bacon and egg wrap from Sunterra, some fruit and more coffee! How will I ever run a race again and not be privy to the VIP tent?!

Anyway, I highly recommend this race if you are local! It's a great event, very well organized, and supports a good cause. This year, all proceeds went to support the NICU units at the hospitals in Calgary. It's also very family friendly - there were tons of people pushing strollers and also young kids running/walking the 5k. As well, if you wear your race t-shirt or bib, you can take public transport to the event for free that day!

I'm already looking forward to doing this run again next year with the whole family!

St. Patrick's Island Fun Run Race Recap

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet up with a bunch of my girlfriends to run in the inaugural St. Patrick's Island 4k Fun Run! I was lucky enough to win an entry for the race from Ange, but either way, I would have ended up signing up for this race as it sounded like a lot of fun!

This run took place in the East Village of Calgary, an area I have yet to explore. The East Village has been undergoing some major changes and redevelopment lately, in efforts to turn it into an Urban Village. St. Patrick's Island was revitalized in 2015, and is accessible from the East Village by a short walk over the George C. King Bridge. The island consists of 31 acres and hosts playgrounds, running and biking paths, picnic areas, a spot to wade in the water, as well as a "Rise", which offers a great view of the city. It's absolutely beautiful down there and I will definitely be returning to explore more!

The logistics of getting to the race though, left much to be desired. Unfortunately, there was minimal information on the race website about transportation to the run and parking. It was recommended that people utilize the C-Train, as the stop at Bridgeland is just a short walk away from the race's starting line.  I had no idea what the parking situation would be like down at the race (I assumed there would be none, and if there was, it would be full or outrageously expensive), and since Becky and Liam were travelling down with us, I suggested we take the train.

Of course, the train was a big hit with the two young boys, but when we got off the train, the overpass over the freeway to access St. Patrick's Island was closed! Cue massive frustration on our end. We ended up having to backtrack on foot along the freeway until we came to spot where we could actually cross over. In all, it took us an extra 30 minutes to get to the race start. Not fun in almost 30 degree weather and when one of you is piggy-backing your kid.

Once we made it to the race start, we met up with the rest of the girls and pinned our bibs on our shirts. Race package pickup wasn't convenient at all unless you lived downtown and didn't work regular hours, so thank you to Leigh for picking our packages up for us! The race start was at 11 which was nice, since it can be tough to rush out the door in the morning with toddlers! Jim ended up taking both Sully and Liam to the playground on the island while we ran.

The race started on the bridge, which was silly, since we immediately turned right onto the path once we crossed the start line. The first half of the race was an out and back portion along the river, and then we crossed over the George C. King Bridge and ran into the park. The finish was right at the Rise. This event is untimed, so Becky, Ange and I fell into a comfortable pace together and chatted while we ran.

I really didn't feel like running at all the day leading up to the race, but I ended up running the whole thing and was glad I did! I remember why I like running with my friends so much! It makes the experience so much more fun!

At the finish line, every racer was awarded with a lei and a popsicle stick with a number on it which was meant to represent your finishing place since the race was untimed. We figured we ran it in just under 30 minutes though. After grabbing some water (which they actually ran out of!) and a banana, we started lining up at the food truck for our free hoagie from Jane Bond BBQ! The food was delicious, but it took about 30-40 minutes to get it. Not cool, especially when there was no shade to stand in. My biggest suggestion about the food truck would be, don't offer so many options! When food is free, offer a meat option and a veggie option and be done with it.

Our group enjoyed our food while sitting in the shade and chatting, before we started the long journey home. I was exhausted from the heat and ready to get home to relax. That's the only downfall of a later start time in the summer - you end up running when the sun is hottest and you lose most of your day.

{Leslie//Ange//Becky//Me//Kaella//June//Leigh}

Overall though, I had a great time, and I will definitely do this race again next year! 4k is a great distance when you want to run and chat with your friends.

Local peeps - this race is a great one for the whole family! There were tons of kids walking/running it and people pushing strollers. Mark your calendars for next year!

Spartan Super Race Recap

I never had any plans of running any obstacle course races this year, let alone the Spartan ones. But then I entered a giveaway on Becky's blog back in the summer, and I won an entry into any Spartan race! Since I didn't want to run a race alone, I signed up for the one she was already doing - the Spartan Super in Red Deer which is a 13k+ course with over 20 obstacles (you can read Becky's recap here). I'm still not sure what made me feel like I should be signing up for such a race, but I guess I was feeling overly confident in my abilities! 

Then of course I caught wind of the Spartan Sprint in Calgary and convinced my sister to do that one with me as a sort of "training" race for the Super. Both were awesome experiences although I don't feel like I can really compare the two. Different distances, different venues and different race day conditions.

On the morning of September 12, I had planned to be on the road to Red Deer around 7:30 a.m., giving myself ample time to pick up Becky and then head over to the race. As luck would have it, my alarm never went off and when I did wake up, it was already 7:30 a.m.! Cue all the swear words and I ran around the house like a mini tornado before finally hitting the road around 8. Good thing I had given myself extra time in the morning because I only ended up being about 15 minutes late picking up Becky.

We arrived to the race grounds and met up with Lindsey and her husband Chad who were also running the same heat as us. (You can check out Lindsey's recap here.) It still hadn't really hit me that I was minutes away from running my furthest distance ever. 

I didn't really have a plan per se, just to finish and have fun. I was pretty sure that Becky and I would stick together for the race, but I remember asking her just to make sure. Lindsey stuck with us for the most part, speeding up during the running parts and helping us out with the obstacles, before she took off near the end and kicked our non-pregnant butts! 

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to race. It was quite warm, but not unbearably hot, and the course was dry unlike my experience during the Spartan Sprint. There was a lot of long stretches of just running which, as dumb as it may sound, I was not really expecting. A lot of the running was through the trails which I really enjoyed though. The time and distance passes quicker and you don't have to run as fast as you would normally feel pressured to do so because you are too busy concentrating on foot placement. 

We had 27 obstacles to complete, and I'm proud to say that we accomplished almost all of them. What a difference a dry course makes! One obstacle, where we were required to fill a large bucket with sand and then carry it several hundred metres was probably my toughest. As soon as I picked up my bucket, my back did not agree. I didn't feel like I was hurting myself or straining, just the muscles in my mid back were not happy. I kept stopping to rest the bucket on my knee when a guy came up from behind me and told me to put my bucket on top of his. I was so taken aback by his willingness to help me, but I told him I couldn't let him do that. As soon as he was done with his bucket, he ran back to me and carried my bucket the rest of the way. I almost wanted to cry! It reminded me that there are still really kind, genuinely nice people out there, and even during an intense obstacle course race, there are people willing to help you out.

The hardest part about this race wasn't the distance and it wasn't the obstacles. It was the fact that I wasn't properly fuelled. While I had eaten a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter before I left my house, and had a banana before our heat started, that wasn't nearly enough food to keep my going, and too much time had passed between leaving my house and starting the race. I went in with the mindset that since I don't fuel during a 10k run, I don't need to fuel for an extra 4k. I didn't take into account that amount of energy used completing a single obstacle. Somewhere between kilometre 9 and 10, Becky and I both really started to lose steam. We were hungry and exhausted. I honestly worried that we wouldn't be able to finish. Their were water stations along the course, but that's all they offered. I think even a glass or two of gatorade would have helped us immensely. 

The second half was therefore the toughest. By that point we were walking more than we were running and I just wanted to be finished. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the support from Becky and Lindsey during the race, I don't think I could have finished. They made it so much more fun and it helps to have a friend push you along. While Lindsey finished ahead of us, Becky and I held hands as we jumped over the last obstacle (fire jump!) and crossed the finish line at 2:49:09! I could not have been more proud of us! I went into the race thinking it would take about 4 hours based on how long the Sprint took me, so I was super happy with our time. Of course, I can't help but wonder how we would have done if we had been better prepared, both fuel wise and running wise, but there's always next year to improve on our time!

So what's my take-away from running two Spartan races this year? Fuel, fuel, fuel! I wouldn't carry anything on your person during a sprint race, but I would recommend eating a good breakfast before hand. Fuel well before a Spartan Super and carry some sort of fuel with you, be it honey stingers, candy, a camelback with gatorade or a protein bar. You will definitely need it and not regret being prepared. Wear shorts or crops that are tight and not 100% cotton. You will get wet and muddy and you don't want the water weighing your clothes down. Trail shoes are recommend, but I did both without and managed fine. Have fun!

Thanks again to Becky and Lindsey for being there for me during my toughest, most challenging race both physically and mentally! I never in a million years thought I would do something like this and I feel incredibly proud of myself (and us!) for knocking this one off the ol' bucket list. Now, who's joining us next year?!

Have you ever run a Spartan Race, or other obstacle race? 

What's your favourite obstacle?

Spruce Meadows "Oktoberfest" 5K Race Recap

After I ran the Spartan Super last month (I know, recap coming soon!), I had no more races on the books. I've always been a fair weather runner (the years I do run), but I knew I wanted to run at least one or two more races in the cooler months. I talked about the Spruce Meadows Run Series in this post, and since I had a good experience last time, and with a little peer pressure from Ange, I signed up last minute for their Oktoberfest 5K run last Saturday. And by last minute, I mean I signed up the night before. When Ange told me runners went home with a free beer stein, I was sold! And then I found out we also got a free bratwurst post race. Add in a one p.m. race start time and this run was killing it before it even started.

Anyway, the night before, Jim and I had a date night at the Dean Brody and Paul Brandt concert, so a few beers may have been consumed and I don't even know what time we went to bed, but it was well past midnight. Even with the start time of one p.m., I struggled to feel energized to get out the door. It also didn't help that I woke up to howling winds and a light dusting of snow on the ground. It was like deja vu to the last race I ran at Spruce Meadows! I was so close to bailing, but my entry fee motivated me to show up. Although, Oktoberfest was in support of the Calgary Food Bank, so I wouldn't have felt that bad if I had skipped out, but I knew I would ultimately regret it.

I haven't ran much this past month, in fact, I think the last bit of running I did was at the Spartan race at the beginning of September, so I knew the 10K was out of my league. But that's okay, I still think 5K distances are admirable and an accomplishment to be proud of.

The cool thing about this race was that it started and finished indoors! When Jim dropped me off at Spruce Meadows (I was not about to pay an additional ten bucks for parking!), I immediately ran into Ange and we headed into the Equiplex where Victoria was already waiting. There were booths set up selling running related paraphernalia, a Big Rock beer tasting tub, the bratwurst BBQ, a concession, an area for free massages post-race, a bouncy castle, and a stage with a live band! They seriously went all out and I sort of regretted that I hadn't encouraged Jim and Sully to come hang out while I ran. It's pretty cool that spectators could watch you cross the finish line from the warmth of the indoors.

I struggled with what to wear for the race - it was chilly out, but not super cold. I get warm really quickly when I run so I didn't want to overheat. I ended up ditching my toque at the last minute for my buff instead which I'm glad I did. I also had on a climate control turtleneck which was the worst decision ever. The stupid thing kept riding up my stomach the entire run! But other than that, I felt properly dressed.

The run itself was a bit of a struggle for me. I felt okay when I started out, but I just couldn't get my legs moving very fast. I took one walk break at the first water stand (around the second km), which I had a hard time making up for in my overall time. I didn't look at my watch until I was well passed the 4km mark, around 4.5km, and I saw I was a minute and a half away from 30 minutes. I knew a sub-30 was out of the question even before I started running, but I desperately wanted to get below 35 minutes. I ran as fast as I could for that last km (which always feels like the longest km in history!) and I officially crossed the finish line at 32:10. The course registered a little short for me - at about 4.9km, but I'm happy with my time considering my lack of training. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, running is so mental for me and I am my own worst enemy.

After the race, we devoured our bratwurst (best I've ever had!), enjoyed a beer, snapped a post-race photo, and then I had a free ten-minute massage before Jim and Sully arrived to pick me up!

There's one more race in the Spruce Meadows Run Series coming up: Dashing Through the Glow, a 2km or 5km fun run supporting the Seniors Secret Service (a great cause!) on the evening of December 4. Unfortunately, I won't be in town that day, but if I was, I would definitely consider doing a winter race! Running at Spruce Meadows has been such a fun experience so I really hope they continue with having races next year.

Do you run races during the colder, winter months? 

Do you prefer running in the heat, or in the cold?