As I mentioned in my previous post, I was heading up to Whistler for the weekend to take on my very first 5 Peaks race... and what a race it was! The views and scenery were absolutely breathtaking! The course was very challenging. Much more so than anticipated. I was about a third of the way through thinking, "Wow. Am I ever glad I chose the Sport distance" - which was approx. only 6k. The "Enduro" was approx 10k. In normal roadside running, these distances would be an easy training run, but in this situation - not so much.
Steep climbs, loose rocks, cliffs, mud, creeks and snow were all areas that we had to get through or around. In previous years, this race has been held at Whistler mountain but because of slow melting snow, it took place on Blackcomb but we were all still able to experience the gondola Peak 2 Peak ride up. Being someone who has been working pretty hard at overcoming her fear of heights, riding in the gondola at 436 metres above the valley floor was quite nerve-racking for me. While my ears were popping, my stomach was flipping. Running at a higher elevation, I think, effected my stomach even more. I was also out of breath a little quicker too. I sort of expected this as I know every time I have to drive through the Rockies, I need to take Gravol.
The course was perfectly marked and the volunteers were awesome. There were 2 aid stations throughout due to the fact there was no where to put any, safely. The trail was very narrow and I had to continuously look behind me to make sure there were no runners wanting to pass. I found it also interesting how a lot of people still chose not to run with water. I had to stop at least 3 times (in addition to the aid tables), to take a few sips. Although, my braces were drying out my mouth, too. The night before, I had to put this dental wax over an area of my brace in order to keep it from rubbing and irritating my lip. During the race, the wax came loose and I inhaled it... then immediately coughed it up and out. Whoever was behind me would have been thoroughly grossed out. lol
After the race, I iced my knees for a little while. If you read my previous post, then you'd know why. lol. Felt like they were swelling into baseballs. Fortunately, with some Advil and ice, they started feeling semi-back-to-normal and was able to go back out and hike for a few more hours. It was sunny and hot out and if you stayed still for a little too long, the bugs would be coming for 'ya. I sprayed myself with "Off!" and I was still harassed by them. However, it was a very small price to pay to be able to enjoy such amazing views. We even saw a marmot! Funny but adorable looking creatures. After our hike, we took the ski lift down and saw a black bear just hanging out. It was so great to see some wildlife despite the fact it was very busy with lots of people over the weekend.
The whole experience was definitely one I'd like to do again. A very well organized race with lots of friendly people and the most scenic course you could imagine!
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