Races – Page 3 – My Second Running Life

Homage to GAP 1.0

Today’s run was just what I needed.

I had a late evening return flight from Ontario yesterday, so I was feeling a bit out of sorts as I parked next to the Glenmore Athletic Park (GAP) track. A high school track meet was in full swing. I watched from trackside for a few minutes, absorbing waves of energy and hearing the screams of hundreds of students as they cheered on their teammates. It motivated me to get going on my short and overdue run.

I’d been thinking for some time about a homage post to the GAP track. I should say the original GAP track (GAP 1.0), because a spiffy new facility is being constructed by CANA, just a short distance away. I have a lot of criticism for decisions coming out of Calgary city hall but this isn’t one of them. I can’t wait for the new facility to be finished.

The grandstands have been taken down and moved to the new track. The brilliant blue of the new surface looks magnificent and oh so ready for spiked shoes. Crews are working on the finishing touches, like landscaping. It will soon be the dawn of an exciting new era in track and field in Calgary.

It seems timely to say a few words about GAP 1.0. I’ll be honest. The place is definitely looking worse for wear. Chunks of Lane 1 are crumbling into the infield. Patches and cracks are plentiful, thanks to our winter freeze-thaw cycles. The spotting booth on the back straight has been taken over by pigeons.

I did a little research and found out that GAP 1.0 was built in 1962-63. It’s just a couple of years younger than me. No wonder it has cracks and wrinkles!

Despite these blemishes, the track has also been the site of countless track meets, interval workouts and road race finishes. I’ve personally done thousands of laps of the track, in all sorts of weather. And that’s a good segue to the fact that the Calgary running community has been second to none when it comes to keeping a lane or two of GAP 1.0 open through the winter months. All it takes is willpower and a lot of shovels, as demonstrated in this shot from October 2023.

Here’s a shot of an interval session from late March. It was one of those Calgary spring evenings when we started with water in the far corner and ended with sheet ice. No one complained when we decided to cut things short.

Or how about a photo from the 2019 Stampede Road Race? The park was a beehive of activity that morning, with lots of racing action and a pancake breakfast as our reward.

A recent track racing milestone got me thinking nostalgically about GAP 1.0. It was on May 6, 2024, the seventieth anniversary of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile breakthrough on the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England.

It seemed fitting to make a brief pilgrimage, in pouring rain, to run four ceremonial laps in honour of this great achievement. After all, the GAP track is only 10 years younger than Bannister’s record. I pointed out the significance of the day to a young athlete who had just finished his track workout. He gave me a polite but puzzled smile. I secretly wished for him to do the same on the hundredth anniversary in 2054, running his commemorative laps on the new track.

In closing, I have many fond memories of running on the GAP 1.0 track. I don’t know what lies ahead, but if they do tear it down I’ll miss that familiar red surface, flaws and all. For years, it has been a great venue and meeting place for runners. It’s one of my favourite spots in the city.

So here’s to a good run for a fine old facility! And here’s to GAP 2.0… can’t wait to try out “big blue”.

Until next time, be well and BE FAST!

Arizona Dreaming – Part 1

XTerra Black Canyon Trail Race

It was a monster day of trail racing. An early start on a rainy St. Patrick’s Day morning in central Arizona didn’t deter a large Adrenaline Rush contingent for the Black Canyon XTerra trail races.

Our runners toed the line in the 7k, 11k and Half Marathon distances… sadly there were no takers for the marathon. The rain eased up just in time and gave way to perfect racing conditions on the scenic course in the Sonoran Desert.

Early morning in the Sonoran Desert (March 17, 2024)

Allison Blackmore and Mark Martens were off first in the half marathon. Allison smoothly made her way around the course, a challenging mix of single track and horse trail. Her legs held up until the 16k mark, and she managed the fatigue induced by 525m of elevation gain. Allison nailed down a first-place finish in the F55-59 age group and was fourth overall female in a time of 2:01.

A stir went through the crowd when word spread of a Sasquatch sighting on the trail. Of course, it was only Mark, who overcame a few nagging injuries that have kept him out of interval training for the winter. He put in a solid performance, finishing in 2:19 and fifth in the M50-54 AG. His performance leaves him optimistic about his chances in the upcoming HM in Mississauga.

142 runners tackled the 11k, including four AR racers, who left a definite mark on the event. Al Blackmore continued his recent good form by racing to an 18th-place finish. He looked very comfortable running to an excellent time of 1:08. This was good for third in the highly competitive M60-64 AG.

Doreen Katchmar admitted she couldn’t sleep the night before the race, worrying about getting lost on the course. Fortunately, the XTerra route was extremely well-marked. That meant Doreen could focus on staying upright and running strong… and it was mission accomplished! She turned in a nifty performance of 1:19 and first in her F60-64 AG. What a result!

Carolyn Leonard enjoyed the race and delivered a great performance. At 1:21, her time won her a first-place finish in the F55-59 category. The entertaining race announcer kept her in suspense, but there was never any doubt that she ran “the most perfect race.” Carolyn appreciated the supportive atmosphere among the racers on the trail.

Coach Janice McCaffrey got into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit (and was easily the best costume of the day, but sadly there was no such category). We heard later that she may have lost a bit of time on course when her green tutu got snagged on a Saguaro cactus. Fortunately she was carrying poles, which she put to good use, en route to a third-place AG result and a 1:29 time.

Debbie and I had modest expectations for the 7k, due to a sore hip and Achilles, respectively. Things started well, with Deb leading a small group of runners through the single-track section. That is until yours truly hit a rock and went down hard. After a brief pause, we carried on, but not before Deb had confirmed that no women in her age group had passed us. She need not have worried. In the immortal words of the race announcer, she was an “ultimate monster” with a convincing first-place finish in the F65-69 AG in 57:45. And me? I managed 2nd in my AG and was happy to still be upright.

Deb cruises past the horse stables and heads for home

Rita and Jamie Bertwell turned in awesome performances on what they described as their “first day of training.” They looked like race veterans as they handled everything the course threw at them, including 10-12 fords of Black Canyon Creek in the last 2k. Jamie noted that while it wasn’t a contest, he did notch one better AG place in his race than Mark did. And Rita? She was a cool 5th. Our intrepid announcer called it correctly for their hand-in-hand 1:22 finish: “Now THIS is what it’s all about!”

And in summary, those words rang true for all the AR racers on the day.

What a day at the races for Adrenaline Rush!

Quite a Week!

Owl’s Nest Book Launch – Calgary

On Wednesday, February 7 we held a book launch event at our favourite local indie book store, Owl’s Nest Books. Sarah Pratt, the Events Director at the store (and an avid ultramarathoner) was our marvelous host for the evening.

We were thrilled to welcome a standing-room crowd of friends, neighbours, teammates and work colleagues. I was honoured that my neurologist (Dr. Demchuk) and my long-time teammate at Adrenaline Rush Athletics (Dr. Stephen Wood)… both heroes of my stroke story… joined us for the evening.

I did a short reading from Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics. During the lively Q&A portion of the program, I shared my main messages:

the importance of an active lifestyle
knowing ALL the signs of stroke
raising awareness (and funds) for the world-class stroke care provided by the doctors, nurses and staff in the Foothills Stroke Unit

Owl’s Nest book launch (February 7, 2024)

Sincere thanks to Sarah at Owl’s Nest Books and Jeremy Deere from Strides Running Store, for your support of the reading and running communities in Calgary.

It was a special evening!

First Half Marathon – Vancouver

We didn’t get much time to recover, as we headed off to Vancouver on Friday for a weekend visit with Matthew. The headline purpose of the trip was to participate in the annual First Half Marathon, put on by RunVan and sponsored by BlueShore Financial.

As usual, the race was outstanding. It sold out immediately, as it does every year. This is definitely one of the premier races in Canada; well-organized and perfectly executed. It doesn’t hurt that the scenery is second to none. The highlight is the lap of the Stanley Park seawall.

I wrote about my history with the race in a previous post. This year, our race was challenging. The weather did not cooperate, although the steady rain was little more than an inconvenience. Deb and I were both hobbled by nagging injuries, which affected our preparation. While it is often true that one can run through these things on race day, neither of us was so lucky this time.

The second half of the race was a slog. The good news is that we got through it. The finish line on Drake St. in Yaletown is always a welcome sight. And who cares if we were a few minutes slower than last year?

It was all smiles at kilometre 6 (February 11, 2024) – Photo by Matt Kelly

…and a bit of street photography

I always look forward to walking the streets of Vancouver, armed with my discrete camera, the Ricoh GR III. It is the perfect camera for street photography.

Here are a few samples of the photos from the weekend.

Earl Grey GC Member Profile

In this, Heart Health Month, it was a great pleasure to sit down with Christa Abbott, Director of Marketing & Communications for Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. (I’m quite sure it used to be called Heart and Stroke Month, so I should be okay borrowing the older designation!)

I’ve been a member of Earl Grey for many years, although admittedly golf has taken second place behind running for most of that time.

Christa and I talked about my stroke journey… the medical one, not the golf one… about the role that running played in getting me through that ordeal, and about the process of writing my book, Stroke of Luck.

I was really pleased with the piece that Christa wrote, and in particular how she incorporated one of my main messages… the importance of knowing ALL the symptoms of stroke… into the graphic for her article. Here it is:

You can find the post on the club’s Instagram page here.

Christa neatly highlighted the phrase “BE FAST” as a reminder of the full range of stroke symptoms. You can read my post on this potentially life-saving topic here. I’ve included the information below, for quick reference.

And the picture of me that Christa used?

It was taken at about the 8k mark in the Calgary 10k race, in May 2017. I’ll be the first to admit it isn’t the best picture that’s ever been taken of me during a race. That said, when I do show this picture, I point out that I had just suffered a vertebral artery stroke a few minutes before it was taken!

For me, this is a stark reminder that strokes can affect any of us, at any time.

You can read the full story in Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics, available online at Amazon, or at independent bookstores, like our great local store, Owl’s Nest Books.

Thanks to all my friends at Earl Grey, and everyone else who has supported me in this initiative. Oh, that reminds me, there is one thing I plan to do in this next phase of my life (My Second Running Life)… suck a little less at golf!

Happy Heart Health (and Stroke) Month to all,

Steve

Stroke of Luck – Now Available!

I’m pleased to announce that my memoir, Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics, was recently published. The book is available now on Amazon (in either print or e-book format) or through independent bookstores. For those in Calgary, you can reach out to me directly for a copy. You’ll find details about the book on the dedicated page on this site. Click here.

Writing and publishing the book has been a personal journey of discovery. I hope you will enjoy reading about my lifelong connection with distance running, and the process of recovering from a number of strokes in 2017.

To my readers, and to those of you following me on the blog or on Instagram, I appreciate your interest and support. I look forward to sharing more stories and photographs with you.

Steve

Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics – order your copy today!

What a Difference a Week Makes

As anyone who has lived here can tell you, Calgary doesn’t do fall very well. Sure, it can be nice one day, but we know not to be fooled. It’s only a matter of time before the weather turns into a demon.

This past week was a good case in point.

The First Responders races are hosted by Multisports Canada, in support of all first responders – police, fire, EMS and military. Races are held across Western Canada. This year, the Calgary race was held on October 22, on beautiful St. Patrick’s Island.

It was a cool day… a perfect day for racing. A good turnout for the 5k, 10k and half marathon races provided lots of opportunities for runners and spectators. Deb and I were there to cheer on some young athletes from our club. We were also fortunate to have Dan in town for the weekend. He was with members of his Cold Lake squadron, to compete in the 10k.

Overcast skies and the scenic backdrop of the island also promised some great photo opportunities. I got myself ready in a few strategic locations, with my Leica M10 and the excellent Voigtlander 75mm Heliar f1.8 lens in hand.

Competitors in the Half Marathon make their way across the George C. King Bridge

The racers didn’t disappoint. There was plenty of excitement and some terrific performances. You can find the results for all the races here. The ageless Maria Zambrano, who has been a fixture in the Calgary race scene for decades, won the 10k outright, in a sparkling time of 36:09. She isn’t getting older, she is getting faster. Amazing!

Maria Zambrano heads for home in the 10k

Providing more evidence that age is really just a number, Andrew Brown took home top honours in the half marathon, running 1:26:35. By the way, Andrew is in the 50-59 age group.

I was wearing two hats (well maybe three, given the temperature.) As an assistant coach, I was rooting for two young runners in our Adrenaline Rush club, Alison and Owen MacPherson. Both raced their plans to perfection, chalking up negative splits and looking far too comfortable at the finish. Dad Gord was there to cheer them on!

The MacPherson family celebrates two fine performances in the 5k

Now, what about the demon, you ask?

Our time ran out on Monday, with the arrival of a cold front. It was the first blast of winter. By the time it was done, 15cm of snow had fallen on Calgary, and our pleasant fall was a distant memory. We are still digging out! And running on treadmills for the most part.

Proving the resilience of the Calgary running community, a small army of volunteers picked up their shovels and headed for the track at the Glenmore Athletic Park.

As Deb and I worked to clear a couple of lanes on the back straight, I did some math to take my mind off my aching back. It took us an hour of hard work to clear about 200m of one lane. Did you know that one lane on a standard track is 4 feet (1.2m) wide? That means each of us did about 250 square metres of shovelling.

I also had time to figure out that the total surface area of a 400m track is about 4,300 square metres. So, between Deb and I, we managed to clear about 12 percent of the total surface area of the track. Thank goodness we had a lot of help.

No wonder I’m sore today.

Deb, Reinier Paauwe and Jeremy Deere work on the first corner

It all goes to show that Calgarians are adaptable, resilient and community-minded. We runners in the southwest will have a few lanes to train in, at least until the next snowfall.

Stay warm!