I feel like I should have more kilometres before I tackled the Big Elbow Loop. That’s why I was super hesitant to run the Big Elbow Trail as part of another CTR run on Saturday. In fact, I changed my mind about 10 times since the previous Saturday when the run was posted.
Route overview
The “Big Elbow” Loop is a 43ish-kilometre route with roughly 1,000-metre gain starting in the Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area. The route circumvents Mounts Glasgow, Cornwall, and Banded Peak. There’s also views of Mount Romulus and Threepoint and Cougar Mountains.
The Big Elbow route is very popular with cyclists. If you are a trail runner, you must be comfortable with the distance because there are no short cuts, and there comes a point when there is no turning back.
I had messaged the organizer the night before to tell her that I would join with the group for some kilometres. My initial plan was to run 10 kilometres with the group, turn around and head up Forgetmenot Ridge. Of course once I starting running with the group, I would get sucked into running the entire loop. I knew I would be the slowest person out of the five runners but I wasn’t worried if it came to that.
We decided to run the loop in the counterclockwise direction as recommended. Essentially the Little Elbow trail connects with Big Elbow trail at Tombstone Lakes. The multi-use trail is pretty straightforward with a mix bag of terrain including gravel road, rocky bits and single track. The route also passes three campgrounds.
The group was relaxed about pacing, which made for an easygoing day. We kept a steady pace with quick stops for photos, snacks, and to regroup. I stayed in the back and kept a steady, easy pace. My right hip was bothering me around the 14-kilometre mark so I stopped a few times to do the pigeon stretch on the trail. It seemed to do the trick because I didn’t have any leg issues for the rest of the run.
Settling into the run
What really surprised me was how scenic the route turned out to be. I’d expected a boring, viewless slog through the trees. That was part of the reason I’d been on the fence about joining. But I was wrong, it was lovely.
We came across two e-bikers but for the most part we had the trail to ourselves.
The final six kilometres on the Big Elbow trail were brutal. The sun was relentless, my water was running low, and I was completely over this trail. More than once, I considered laying down in the dirt and letting the crows take me.
Three others were well ahead of myself and another runner. When we turned the final corner on the trail, we saw them waving on the other side of the Elbow River. They took a short cut across the river. I was more than ready to jump in that river to cool off. While crossing I had to hold onto the other runner because the river was moving quickly.
Final thoughts
I was pretty happy with how the run went. My body held up, and even though I finished feeling thirsty and tired, that was to be expected. I really needed this long run to boost my confidence heading into the next six weeks of training. I’d been stuck running around the 30 kilometre mark for awhile. And this gave me the push and mental fortitude that I needed.