Cactus Coulee Crawl brings the heat

Was it all in my mind? (Am I losing my mind?)

That’s where my head is at as I reflect on Saturday’s Cactus Coulee Crawl race in Lethbridge.

Let me take you back to the previous Saturday. After my long run with Kate in West Bragg Creek, I started to have “some issues” with my feet. I had worn my Lone Peaks as opposed to my Olympus so I figured the change in sneakers messed up my gait.

Since I was due for a fall back week, I decided to stay off my foot as much as I could and focus on strength training. I figured my foot would be fine in no time.

By Thursday I was still walking wonky but I had done a couple short runs to test my gait. I wasn’t 100% but I wasn’t in agony. On Friday I was more concerned about the rain in the forecast for Lethbridge.

I’m not a princess but the last thing I wanted to do was run in the rain. Flashes of the rain on the Lost Soul course last September immediately came to mind. I admit I may still be suffering from a little PTSD from the whole experience.

The closer it got to Saturday, the more I dreaded this tune up race. Sure I have been “running” a lot, according to my Strava but I was not feeling in the race mood. Secretly I hoped it rain so I had a good excuse to bail.

Off to Lethbridge

I caught a ride to Lethbridge with a few friends early Saturday morning. It makes it harder to bail on a race when you are carpooling. We arrived about an hour before the race at the Elks Recreation Area so we had lots of time to get psyched up or visit the outhouse.

Nothing was really going to psych me up so I just chatted with other runners from Calgary and some old running pals that I haven’t seen in years. I didn’t bring my rain coat with me. I thought if it’s going to rain, I would just strip down because it was already super muggy. By the time we lined up to the start line, I was already overheated in my shorts and short-sleeved shirt.

And off we go

The race started with little fanfare as I quickly found myself running along the paved pathway along the river. I settled in the middle of the pack hoping not to get trampled on by the team runners or the fast guys and girls.

Around the first hill, I felt someone pulling playfully on my hydration pack. Sure enough it was Tony, aka the nicest guy in Calgary’s trail running scene (despite his poor taste in hockey teams), who sped by me with an encouraging nod and smile. Shortly after Barry passes me without a second glance. I think I was shocked that he passed me because within a minute I tripped and fell on my left shin. A nice runner actually stopped and helped me up. Not a great way to start a race.

Photos: 1. Rachel Crocker 2. Lisa McLaughlin

I slowed down a little and focused on putting one foot in front of the another. The heat hit me so quickly. Generally I like to think I am good in the heat but I was not feeling it on Saturday. I felt really out of sorts. Everyone around me seemed to be doing fine. I don’t know what was wrong with me. I had drank a lot of water before the race. I felt hydrated going into Saturday so not sure what was up with my body.

Despite feeling like crap for the first half of the race, I was generally happy with my effort. There were several times when I wanted to pull the plug at an aid station. But after filling up my hydration bladder and receiving a few encouraging words from strangers, I got over my self-pity and kept moving.

It didn’t even bother me that I went off route – three times over 32 kilometres. (Sometimes the orange flags are hard to spot.) I kept thinking – bonus kilometres!

The route pretty much looked all the same to me except this one section by the river. (Essentially we ran a lollipop route, someone explained to me.) It was so pretty that I had to stop and take a picture or two. But otherwise I was go, go, go. There were some pretty awesome single track downhills. I slowed on the uphills but I was steady as I tried to run them as much as I could especially when I was behind a group of slow hikers.

Are you going to eat that?

I couldn’t stomach anything. I choked down two gels over the entire 32-kilometre course. Many times I really thought I was going to pass out or puke. I chatted briefly with a few runners on the final legs of the race and they were also having a challenging time. Later I found out that one women actually dropped out because it was not her day.

Let me just say this. In my head, I know that a 20-mile race is essentially a 32-kilometre race. But for the life of me, I kept thinking the race was only 30 kilometres. As I hit the 30 kilometre mark, I thought what kind of sorcery is this? Why am I not at the finish line? Those last two kilometres were very slow as I tried to work out the math in my head (and backtrack as I missed a turn).

Just as I am within a few metres of the glorious finish line, a female runner suddenly appears beside me and says, “I’m not racing.” Um … okay? Then she takes off in an exaggerated sprint with arms bent to the roaring cheers of the spectators. Man, people are strange.

How was your foot?

That was the funny thing. My foot did not bother me at all. It was like the pain was all in my head. Race anxiety? Perhaps. I have been feeling a little low and out of shape lately. I have been so chill on my long runs that I wasn’t sure I could even run 30K.

Technically this was a (tune up) race but I viewed it more as a long training run where I could test out my nutrition, check my fitness and get in some vert and kilometres. But you know, it is commonplace in running circles to say “it’s a training run” or “I’m not racing” when we are not feeling confident or unsure.

I don’t think anyone that I talked to was actually racing save for my running friend at the finish line.

Does the heat bother you when you are running? How do you prepare for a hot weather race? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.