Running in Raymond, Alberta, Canada

There are plenty of people who like to sleep in while on vacation, but I have to rise with the sun.  I love running while on vacation. I get up early, smell the fresh air (something we lack here in Utah), enjoy the crisp breeze, and head off to explore a new area.  I don't take my music when running on vacation because I want to enjoy nature and be completely aware of my unfamiliar surroundings.

This summer, I was able to run in Alberta, Canada.  I was there for the July 1st celebrations.  I was staying in Raymond because they have the best parade.  Each morning I was there, I went running.  On the first morning I found a running trail on the south side of town and followed it past the edge of town. Here was the scene of my run:

The next day I didn't get a picture.  This was because my heart was racing and in panic mode for most of my run.  I got chased down the street by a huge dog.  I survived.  It's okay.

The next morning was Canada Day.  It was cloudy and looked like rain was coming, but I got to enjoy the parade route and it's decorations without the crowds of people.

I noticed that many people in town seemed to be heading out on their runs when I was finishing up.  So,  if you have a chance to visit Raymond and you want to run with people, then I would recommend going later in the morning.  Anytime after 6:30am.

Race #7: July - FroYo 10k

My goal this year has been, as you know, to run a race every month.  But July came and I had not registered for any race.  Signing up for a race this late in the game is pretty expensive.  And just not what I am able to do right now.  So, I had to accept that there would be no race for me this month.  But then, on Friday, my Hubby called home from work.  He had a co-worker who had an extra entry to the FroYo 10k race in Salt Lake City, and he wanted to know if I wanted to run it.  For Free!!  I jumped at the chance.

The FroYo Run was held at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.  This is a beautiful park.  The run is 4 loops around the park.  I parked in the regular parking area.  I got there later than I had planned and usually like because I forgot to set my alarm, but it looked as though this race also had Zumba as their pre-race warm-up.

I met up with my Hubby's co-worker and her friends.  We all lined up in our respective areas.  I have never seen a timed race go out in waves, but I liked it.  This gave all the faster/want-to-win people the opportunity to run their race without having to dodge all the slower runners.  Especially at the beginning.  I am not one of those faster runners, so I was comfortably back near the 10 min/mile people.

The Start:

We headed out and I was feeling pretty good.  The first 5k was awesome, but I haven't actually run a 10k distance in 4 months.  This means, I started out way too fast and spent the second 5k dying.  We walked a couple of times.  I didn't think that running a loop would be so hard, but looking at the same thing over and over again didn't help with my dying lungs.

I finished this race in 1 hr, 6 min, and 35 sec.  This placed me 81st overall.  I'm feeling good about that.  Especially since I didn't train for this one.

After the race we were given water and our very own FroYo from Yogurtland.  The tartness from this dessert was PERFECT after a race. 

Our packet was also filled with great goodies:

AND we got a medal:

I'm thinking this race is one I will have to run again.  It was a low key race, no pressure, organized, and lots of swag.  Totally worth it. 

Race #6: June - Dirty Dash & Piglet Plunge

The Dirty Dash.  My first obstacle race. This race is a team challenge.  We registered early.   We were the Mud Pies.  This really became a family affair with a couple of adoptive additions.  I'm so glad I registered for this race.  We had a later start time because a handful of us were running the Piglet Plunge with our kids afterwards.  This meant we didn't have to get us at the crack of dawn to be up at Soldier Hollow.  Thank God.

We gathered in the parking lot where we took pictures and then headed out to the start.

The Start:

Our team had tentatively decided on doing the 5k.  However, when we finished the 5k, we decided we had enough time to do the whole 10k and be back for the piglet plunge.  This was a good idea, because all the best obstacles were on the second half of the course.

There was so much mud.  Mud to wade through, climb over, and slip across.  I was running this race with a tiny sprain.  Probably not the smartest idea, but I made it without breaking my ankle.  I did have to go a bit slower, but saving my body is always worth sacrificing time.

In the course, close to the end, there is a HUGE slide.  It looked awesome.  Some people were sliding down fine, others were having a bit more trouble.  I didn't want to slide completely out of control, so I decided against the running start.   I stood and jumped down the slide.  I wouldn't have needed the running start.  I shot down that slide.  So fast.  I thought there was going to be a whole ton of mud at the end.  You know, to help me slow down.  NOPE.  There was a tarp at the end, which meant that my extreme speed sent me flying off the end of the massive slide onto a watery mud covered tarp that would continue to hurl me down the mountain.  At the end of the tarp was a 1-2 foot drop.  I catapulted off it and landed on my bum so hard it rocked my back a good one.  My hubby even ran out to me to see if I was okay.  We couldn't take any recovery time though because there was a very large man coming at me at very high speeds.  We jumped out of the way just in time.  He would have broken us.  This slide was fun, but hurt.  So, it was the best and worst part of the race.

I really enjoyed the finish.  It was a huge pit of mud with cross sections of mud we had to climb over.  Very fun.  And great for picture opportunities.

We hurried to finish, skipped the pictures, and went right into the piglet plunge.

The Piglet Plunge was more than I expected.  I thought there was going to be a mud section that our kids could run through maybe 1/4 mile long.  I was so wrong.  The Piglet Plunge was at least a mile long with a crazy uphill mud climb, at least 3 obstacles (the HUGE slide was one of them; we skipped that), and the awesome mud pit at the end.  Completely worth the $20 for the kids.  My Sweet Pea LOVED it.  She wanted to keep going down the slide.  My little Green Bean wanted nothing to do with the mud.  Oh well, he'll get in on the fun next year.

There was not medal for this race.  Always sad when there's not, but it's okay.  We posed for pictures at the end, received food and water, and took a FREEZING shower.  We threw away our kids shoes, but my Hubby and I kept ours.  Stripping down is a must at the showers.  There is just too much mud.  EVERYWHERE.  You will discover crevasses that you never knew you had.

There were hot showers that you could pay for, but we did not pay the extra.  We headed back to a relatives home to clean up.  It was great to have them close and they were wonderful to let us destroy their bathroom with dirt.

This race is worth every penny.  I loved it and would definitely do it again.

Race #5: May - Color Me Rad 5K

I was so excited to run Color Me Rad.  I thought it would be fun to get all colorful for a nice easy run.  This day was a bit different than I expected. . .

The week had been a cold dreary week with lots of rain.  And race day was looking to be more of the same.  A couple of friends and I carpooled up the the Utah Fair Grounds for our race.  It was a cooler day, but not freezing.  Parking is an extra fee for this race because it's at the fair grounds.  We happened to arrive before the person that was supposed to be collecting money, so we didn't have to pay for parking.  YAY!!  We had plenty of time to pick up our packets, go drop our stuff off at the car, and head back for pre-race warm up. 

Pre-race:

The warm up was ZUMBA!  I was so excited.  If you haven't heard yet (even though I'm sure you have)  I LOVE Zumba.  They even had a decent teacher there with simple to follow dance moves.  Very fun. 

It was getting close to start time and we were ready, but there was a HUGE line of people still trying to pick up their packets.  I'm never a fan of packet pick up on the same day as the race.  However, Color Me Rad was sure that their new check-in would be fast and painless.  Well, it didn't work that way for everyone who showed up within an hour from the start time. 

This was an un-timed race.  We all lined up and they sent us out in waves.  The course was super muddy from the past week of rain, and the color was really far apart.  I pictured a ton of color stations, but there were only a few.  I had seen a new color dump station on their website and in some of their ads, but it seemed to have been forgotten. 

I know they say to wear white for the color races, but I wore black.  (It's all I had) I figured that the powdered color would show up on black more vibrant than on white.  And it did, for a while.  It seemed to blend in quickly.  And if I got hit by someone shooting colored goo, then all color was lost.  The goo showed NOTHING on my black tank top and washed all the powder off.  I spent most of the race avoiding the goo shooters.  Moral of the story... wear white.  Just like they tell you to.

There was more color at the end of the race than at the beginning.  This made the end fun and me colorful enough for pictures.  

 We were handed water and granola bars at the end of the race.  No finisher medals for this one, but there was a pair of Color Me Rad socks in our packet.  I figure that was a decent trade for a medal.

There was a mass color throw during the "after party."  It looked cool from the outside.

Overall, I had fun.  I was there with great friends and we got to get colorful.  I felt this race was more hype than anything else though.  I would have to get an awesome deal or be going with another great group of friends to be convinced to do it again.  I would rather spend on a different race. 

Race #4: April - Pink Series 10K

The Pink Series was a race that caught my attention from the signs posted along the road I drive down every day.  I looked it up and it wasn't too expensive ($35), so I registered.  Then I recruited a friend to run with.  Races are always better with others.

This might have been the race that I felt I had prepared for completely.  I trained.  I wasn't nervous.  I knew I could finish with a good time.  It's when we're over confident that something goes wrong, right?  Well, it did.  I got up the morning of April 18th and my stomach was just churning.  And not from jitters.

For those that don't know, I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I function just fine most days that I eat healthy foods.  I didn't think that I ate anything too terrible the day before my race, but my body was screaming that it didn't agree.  I spent at least a half hour on my personal throne before heading out.  My stomach was feeling a bit better.

I was told to park at the Pleasant Grove High School.  Here is where we caught a bus to the starting line.  In our pre-race email it said that the buses would be leaving between 7-7:45am.  So, I was there early.  I prefer to catch the first set of buses.  However, what it really meant was that the buses would all be leaving at the same time and that was 7:45.  We spent a lot of time waiting.  Good thing we had a bus to wait in because it was a wee bit chilly.

Around 7:30 my stomach started to churn again.  And I don't have a bathroom or port-a-potty anywhere close.  And those of you who have IBS know that when it comes, there is NO stopping it.  So, I'm sitting there in the school bus trying to keep my breathing at a steady speed and think about ANYTHING else.  Finally, the bus starts to move.

We get to the start and I hop out of the bus as fast as I can to get to the bathrooms before the crowd.  I make it.  I've visited The John a couple of times now, and I'm thinking that I'll be good to go for the rest of the race.

Here we are waiting to be told where to find the start line.

Walking to the start.

This was a low key race.  We all walked to the start and a guy with a mega phone yelled "go!"  We ran along the Murdock Canal Trail.  I really love this run.  It's beautiful and today was no different.  Until we got a couple of miles in and my stomach shifted again.

We had just passed the the bathrooms.  They were at least a half mile back and turning around is just not an option for me in a race.  And I needed to go.  NOW.  I was so convinced that I was going to shit myself, that I had to slow to a walk.  A gait that I'm sure appeared from behind as though I had a stick up my butt.  My running buddy was nice enough to stay with me the whole way.  We walked just over a mile before we hit another bathroom along the trail.  I saw it and ran.  Made it.

When I came back out, I was feeling good.  But I knew that it wasn't over.  So, we booked it to the finish.  As Pleasant Grove High School came into view, I could feel the rumblings below.  I was not stopping this time.  I ran faster.  Right through the finish and directly to the bathroom.  I almost missed getting my finisher medal.

 If I remember correctly, we finished in 1 hr and 15 minutes.   Not too shabby for needing to waddle with my butt cheeks squeezed together for over a mile and a ten minute potty break.  I'm feeling good about it.

At the finish line.  (post honey bucket)

I would absolutely participate in this race again.  Hopefully without my stomach issues.  I received plenty of emails before the race about race day info and packet pick up.  The organizers of the race seemed to be on top of everything.  After the race there were snacks and water. 

The medal is really pretty.  It has a charm that can be removed and placed on a chain to wear.  I like races where I get medals.  It's great to be given something for an accomplishment, and to remind me that I can.

If you get the chance to run this race, take it.  It's truly a beautiful run.

Race #3: March - Outclimb Cancer Challenge

On March 7, I participated in the Outclimb Cancer Challenge.  This challenge is organized completely by volunteers to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.  It's a 24-story climb up the Wells Fargo building in downtown Salt Lake City.  Participants can climb once or they can try to break the record for most climbs or fastest climb.  This is done by people of EVERY age and physical condition.

The challenge begins at 6 am and participants have until Noon to complete their climbs. This is also run in waves.   Participants are assigned a start time according to how many climbs they are going to attempt and how many people in their group.

I was running this challenge alone.  Weird how everyone thought I was crazy to want to run a stairs race, right?!  One week into my training and I was beginning to think they were on to something.  I love stairs, but they are a beast to do for a long period of time.  My goal for this challenge was 5 climbs or 120 floors.

I got to the Wells Fargo building around 8am.  My start time was 9am.  They had check-in and packet pick up that morning.  There was not a big line, so I didn't have any unnecessary waiting around.  They also had a place for me to check a bag with all of my belongings. 

I was super nervous about this.  I had trained, but didn't know what to expect. 

It begins.

There were many people climbing.  One elderly gentleman held the banister and pulled himself up each stair as he climbed the huge building.  He climbed more than once.  Some were climbing extremely fast.  Others were going to distance.  There was a woman who looked quite tired on my first elevator ride down to the bottom of the stairs, so I asked her how many climbs she had done so far.  She was on climb 22!!  When I left at the end of the day, we were again on the same elevator down to the bottom floor.  She was on climb 40. . . and still going. 

There were volunteers in the stair wells to make sure we were safe.  Some of them had water and others were dressed up dancing to music and cheering us all on.

Every time I made it back to the clock at the bottom of the stairs, it read 10 minutes past the last time I was there.  So, between elevator rides and walking back to the stairs from the elevator, I figure it took me right around 7-8 minutes each climb.  I took this picture when I finished my 6 climbs!!

There was this comparison of climbs to popular climbs other people do throughout the world.  It was fun to think I climbed higher than the Freedom Tower in New York City.

As soon as I was finished with my climbs, I was given a medal and could join the after party.  At the party, there was food and drinks for everyone, massage therapists for a small fee, and prizes given away for costumes, fastest climb, most climbs, and a drawing.  It was a lot of fun.

This would be really fun to do with a team of people.  There were small teams of just a couple of people and HUGE teams of more than 40 people.  All seemed to have a great time.  If you get a chance to join in on the Outclimb Cancer Challenge, take it.  Money goes to a great cause and I'm sure you'll love it.

Race #2: February - Chasing Cupid 5K

This Valentines Day became race day for me this year.  The Chasing Cupid 5K. We had the opportunity to chase Cupid through Gardner Village in Midvale, Utah.  5Ks are short and sweet and on days as cold as this one, the race doesn't last as long, so I don't have to spend too long shivering.

We received a Chasing Cupid 5K t-shirt with registration.  I love getting shirts.

Here I am freezing my butt off before the race began.

 Dressing up in costume is completely encouraged for this race.  I always love the idea of dressing up, but rarely come up with a good idea for a costume.  And if I do, it's too late to implement it.  But I did decide to wear a tutu and puffy thing on my head.  There were prizes given for the top 3 costumes. 

 Striking a pose.

During the race all the Cupids could run around "shooting" people with stickers.  If you were given a sticker then you could claim a prize after the race.  A fun idea.

In case I didn't mention earlier, it was FREEZING!! So cold that I couldn't feel my legs until after I finished.  But these crazy Cupids didn't seem to mind at all.   I finished this race in 29 minutes and 50 seconds.  Yay, I kept in under 30 minutes!!

After the race there was HOT soup, water, and cookie dough.  The soup was SOOOO good.  We were also given finisher medals.

I love small races.  And by small, I mean not very many people participating.  There was no fighting for parking, you could hear all the announcements before the race began, and you get to see most of the costumes.  I would definitely do this race again next year.