Edworthy Park XC Race

When fall arrives, so does the start of the Calgary Road Runners Cross Country series of races.  I’ve been wanting to try one of these races for ages but I always seem to be training for something that prevents it.  With no marathons on the horizon there are no excuses, so I showed up for the Edworthy Park XC race today.

We’ve been fairly lucky with the weather in Calgary as of late (knock on wood).  No snow for awhile and sunny and dry all week.  This made for some fantastic conditions on the trail as it was dry out, no snow, and just one icy patch.  And since it was supposed to be up to 8C (46F) I figured capris, a short sleeve tech shirt with a long sleeve on top would be perfect.  And it did feel nice outside…when the wind wasn’t blowing!  The wind was positively icy, but I figured as soon as the race started things would be okay.

I ran into Dawn and Karen at the race start, chatted with a few other runners and soon enough it was go time!  There are two options for the race, a one loop 4K or a two loop 8K course.  I decided to go for the 8K.  This being my first XC race and all I lined up near the back and vowed to not look at my Garmin.  The course was a whole lot of up and down and it sure was fun!  There was one flat section when we were running along a field and wow…it felt like all energy was being sucked from my legs.  Definitely prefer the up and down trail as opposed to flat.  There was one big hill that we got to hit twice where I didn’t even attempt to run, I figured I was best off just to walk it.  Sure…I came in somewhere near the back of the pack, but no matter.  It was still fun!  I can see how these races are addictive and it would be fun to get better at cross country!

After the race we all head to the nearest community hall for a social.  Bring a bowl, mug and spoon for soup and coffee, plus bring a dessert to share among all the racers.  I had a bowl of black bean and pasta and chatted with friends.  For $10 for race entry you can’t beat this as a way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Garmin Time: 53:00
Gun Time: 53:04
Overall: 97 out of 103
Females 30-39: 7 out of 7

Running fast with the Roadrunners

Last night I finally got my act in gear and met up with Karen and the Calgary Roadrunners in Edworthy Park. It was speed night and pyramids were on the menu in intervals of 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minutes. We ran a quick warm up for about 10 min and then it was time to get going. There are some speedy people in this CRR group, but Karen, Lisbet and I all ran about the same pace so we were able to keep each other company. Even though the speedy folks took off in their intervals they always walked back to meet up with us during the breaks so that we could all start off together. It was good motivation trying to keep those speedy folks in sight, and I ran some fast intervals! 4.39 miles in 40:45 for a 9:17/mi pace - including warm up and cool down..!! Everyone was really welcoming and I had a blast, plus I got a great workout in. I truly believe that the best way to run speed work is with a group as it helps to have company even though you don't talk that much during the run. It really helps you push yourself more. Here I thought I was more of a loner runner and now I'm turning into a groupie. Karen is convincing me to try some of the CRR cross country races to shake things up a bit once I'm done with the Goofy in January. I may start with the 12-Mile Coulee Cross Country Race on January 26th since I can walk to the start line from my house..!