Grizzly Ultra Marathon 50K: Race Recap

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First off let me tell you I always feel a little ridiculous when I write these race recaps. I am not a competitive runner (meaning I don’t have a shot in hell of winning or placing in my AG) and I don’t think many people give a second thought to what someone at the back of the pack has to say about the race. 

But I will continue to write them for those few that care and to document my experiences. Last week I ran my third 50K Ultra – Grizzly 50K in Canmore. 

Big spoiler – I finished upright! 

I had no doubt that I would finish. I did not have a time goal as I just wanted to finish. Honestly. I knew if I pushed myself, I could finish well below 7 hours. I wasn’t about to push myself so I set a “in my head” conservative goal of finishing under 7.5 hours. Accomplished. I crossed the finish line at 7:27.

I quite enjoyed this course that zigzagged its way around the trails near the Canmore Nordic Centre. It was broken up into 5 legs (14K, 12K, 12K, 7K and 5K). Every leg started and ended at “home base.” This made it super easy for relay teams to switch team members. I decided to take each leg as it came. I needed to conserve my energy and keep my legs happy. 

Here’s my take on the legs:

Leg 1 (Grey Wolf): Boring. Too much pavement. Wide-open trail. 

Leg 2 (Cougar): Great views, more climbs. Non-technical.

Leg 3 (Lynx): Most challenging but definitely rewarding. Great swtichbacks and climbs. 

Leg 4 (Killer Bees): Technical single tracks (meaning you had to navigate over roots and rocks). Definitely my favorite leg. I love jumping over stuff.

Leg 5 (Coyote): Short and sweet. Great downhills to the finish.

Overall I was of sound mind and mostly body during the race. Although others said I looked pissed whenever they saw me come through the transition station, I was fine. I explained that’s my “I am concentrating face.” 

My right leg was really bothering me after the first leg. I waited until I finished the second leg before I put on a calf sleeve. It seemed to help a bit. I had serious trouble with the downhills on the last leg which was mostly downhill. Not fun. I was thankful to chat with Amanda from Calgary who kept my find off the big ouch.
One thing I felt quite annoying about the aid station was the amount of people standing about. They didn’t look like they were running but there they stood in my freaking way. I had to literally push past these spectators to get to my drop bag and to make my way to the start of the next leg. Hello???
When I finished, all I wanted was coffee. There was no coffee to be had. Amanda and I begged the guy at the shop (which was just closing up) in the Canmore Nordic Centre to let us buy the $3 cup of crappy coffee. 
Apparently there was no food left for the runners at this point. I didn’t see anything so I guess this was the case. It would have been nice to have something but it is what it is. My right leg was really annoying me. I just wanted to ice my legs. 

It was great seeing familiar faces and making new pals such as Melanie from Cold Lake, who is the brains behind Running Wild Cold Lake. (Stay tuned for a future I am a Runner profile featuring Melanie.) It was great to chat with Kevin & Susan. The dynamic duo ran the 50K in a two-person relay. Read Susan’s account here. 
Yup I would totally do this race again. Maybe if I finished quicker, I would have been able to enjoy the atmosphere a little more. By the time I was done everything was either wrapped up or was in the process of shutting done. I thought this was weird because the actual cut off time was 10 hours. Go figure. 
Anyway … I definitely recommend this 50k for a soloist or as a relay team. Everyone I talked to seemed to have a great time despite the hiccups here and there. This “race” was a great way to finish my races for the year. I know what I need to work on to become a stronger runner (rest & hills!).
Thanks for reading!

15 Comments

  1. I definitely still care about race recaps from back of the packers. It's your experience and its not any less valuable if you're a top finisher or last place finisher. That's too bad they didn't have food left when you finished. Those who take longer to finish are the ones who really need it!

  2. I love reading race reports from anyone, and I think especially from the 'Mere Mortals'… You're a regular person, with a full time job, who pushes their body as a hobby… honestly that's more impressive than someone who's born with a crazy ability and gets paid to train and nap. I've heard all the reports of the lack of food, I hope (think) that they plan to do better in the future.

    1. Yeah I think they will learn from their hiccups. I wasn't too bothered. I know it happens. Thanks for commenting!

  3. Nicely done! Sorry to hear you didn't get any food at the end as I'm sure you were ravenous by then. Looks like you had a great day out there and I love that the legs forced you to break the distances up. Such an amazing summer/fall running season for you. Clearly you're legs are strong… even if you think they need to be stronger. Great work lady!

  4. Hell yes race reports! It's the best way to research a race, I always check out blog posts before registering for stuff. Great to see you there. Congrats on an awesome finish, in one pink calf sleeve 😀

    1. Thanks. You're such a dork 🙂 Great seeing you too! Hope to see you at more trail races next year!

  5. That finisher cup is pretty cool! I wish more races would give out things that I can actually use (and remember them by!) instead of just a medal.

  6. I always like reading your race recaps, although this seems to be the first time I am commenting on one lol. Congrats on your 3rd 50k ultra! I will have to add this one to the list

  7. I love all your race recaps and any other kind of blog post you do! There is always this humourous down-to-earthiness I think many of us appreciate. I also think you do a great job of disseminating actually useful info. It HAS occurred to me, though, that some of the more OCDish of us may have an issue with the whole "one calf sleeve on, one calf sleeve off" thing—I kinda had to skim past THAT pic! lol

  8. Congratulations on finishing another trail ultra so soon after Lost Souls! I love your description of each of the legs. Ultra #3!!! Way to go Crystal!

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