5 Peaks Blog

Yeti - Whistler Olympic Park February 18th 2012, Recap, by Tara Colpitts

On the same hallowed grounds as Olympic Nordic athletes made their mark in 2010, the Yeti Snowshoe Races offered participants a chance to toe the start line this morning in anticipation. Although the global media was not quite as well represented as two years ago, these racers got a sense of the international energy and cheered each other on with no hesitation. Even the Yeti got in to the spirit, running alongside various participants to push them forward up the hill.

These racers didn't need recognition or accreditation,they had come for the sheer excitement of the event and were welcomed by a sense of camaraderie not often found in competition. But surrounded by picture postcard-worthy views and lightly falling snowflakes how could you be anything except grateful for the experience?

On a new course route this year, racers of both the Sport and Enduro series finished another Yeti season off with supreme efforts. Winner of the Mount Washington Enduro race just a few weeks ago, Shaun Stephens-Whale clinched another 1st with a time of 1:01:50, followed by a 2nd place finish in the Men's category by Daniel Ribi, and Daryl Wood in 3rd. The Enduro women were led by Allison Ezzat with a finishing time of 1:20:01 and Nancy Fedoruk in 2nd and Francie Crowley in 3rd.

In quick strides, the Sport race athletes tore up the course, having to ignore the distracting beauty of their Callaghan surroundings for a more leisurely visit. Willi Ribi paved the way with a 1st place finish of 45:05, and Bill Whitmore smiled his way across for 2nd place in the Men's category, followed by Eric Lorenz. Twelve year old Sophie Pereira gracefully swiped 1st for the women with a time of 49:29, and had Janet Henri and Sharon Chen with strong 2nd and 3rd place finishes follow behind. With the sunshine burning through the cloud cover by the awards ceremony, all participants, sponsors and spectators enjoyed the vibe - not to mention the ample prizing thanks to MEC, Atlas, Arc'teryx, Clif Bar, Sleemans, Ryders Eyewear, Kicking Horse Coffee, and Conform'able.

Paradise, a love of true sport, and lasting friendships and memories - an Olympic-sized event indeed!

January is in full swing - How are those New Years Resolutions coming along? Looking for a bit of motivation to keep things moving forward? Its a proven fact that giving yourself a timeline to achieve your goals will help keep you focused. Set a target date to evaluate your progress, take small steps every day towards the goal, accept that there may be small setbacks along the way, and don't beat yourself up over them. Accept them, understand why they happen and move on! Perhaps the best way to stay committed...invite your friends along, Everything is more fun with company!

As I sit and reflect on the year that was 2011, I must admit, two children in three years has knocked me down a few pegs and hasn't seen me setting too many goals for myself other than the basics, like showering daily, eating before noon, and sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time! 2012 is different; I am setting some real targets for myself.

In this day of "social connectivity" I will endeavor to achieve a healthier balance between work and happy living, to just be in the moment, and not so focused on what I should be doing, blogging, face booking or tweeting!

Also with all the great new events 5 Peaks Adventures has lined up, I'm participating. No more standing behind the "too busy organizing" excuse. I will run!!! I can't wait to get out there on the trails with you, go easy on me please!

Over the last few weeks, I've come across some great inspirational quotes and thought I would share 5 of them with you. I hope they help to inspire you in 2012!

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. - Bruce Lee

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, "Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?" - Peter Maher

You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. - Charles Buxton

Run hard, be strong, think big! - Percy Cerutty

If someone says, 'Hey, I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?' ignore him! What the hell difference does it make?.... The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles. - Bill Bowerman

The 5 Peaks Trail Running Series put on a triple header on the weekend with races in Buntzen Lake in British Columbia, Devon in Northern Alberta and ARK in Quebec.

In the Buntzen Lake half marathon it was Jonathan Heinz, Carl Reilly and Ryan Bremner in that order for the men.  For the women it was Darbykai Standrick, Kester Tomkies and Yuen Chow.

Stephanie Hamilton, first in the enduro category at Buntzen Lake was relatively confident that she could achieve a top three finish in her category. "...but I never take the competition for granted. I don't like to look behind me while I race, which I find keeps me focused and motivated to push hard the entire way... I had my sights on one of the male competitors who was ahead of me during the race, and challenged myself by trying to gain some ground on him with each hill. The uphills are definitely my strong point."

The course at Buntzen Lake is known for its climb up the Diez Vistas trail, however this year there were a few changes. "The route was adjusted shortly before race day as a result of high water levels at Buntzen Lake. Rather than the long, gruelling climb up the Diez Vistas trail that was planned in the original course, the re-routed course took us along a fast, undulating route," explained Hamilton. "The new route still had its fair share of ups and downs, but I was able to use the downhills to carry me up some of the uphills, which I really enjoyed."

"Speaking of uphills, the next race that lies ahead for me is the Grouse Grind Challenge this coming Satruday in North Vancouver. I'm looking forward to a painful but fun climb!"

 

In the half marathon category for Devon it was Gary Poliquin, Jason Proche and Cody Garner for the men and Megan Hodges, Brenda Reid and Lindsay Adam for the women, in that order.

"The encouragement and support you get at 5 Peaks races is always amazing, and the Devon race was no exception," says Hodges. "The 'three lap set up' made this course very 'spectator friendly' and I felt like I was being cheered for throughout the entire race whether it was by other runners, volunteers, family, friends or spectators from the community."

"I go into each race with two goals: 1) to have fun 2) to keep a fast and steady pace throughout the entire race so I can earn a new personal best time," explained Hodges. "For the rest of this year I will just keep training, and hopefully do the Alberta College Athletics Conference (ACAC) races in Edmonton and Camrose. Next year I will definitely do the 5 peaks series again! I also plan to increase my training volume and start running marathons!"

 

Over in the east, at Ark, it was Gareth Davies, Charles Carter and Nathan Underwood for the men and Sophia Tsouros, Louise Boudreault and Kailey McLachlan for the women, in that order.

"I thought this was a beautiful course - nice rugged, hilly single-track with lots of twists and turns and ups and downs, all in a beautiful wilderness setting - what more could you ask for?" stated Davies in a post race communication.

Davies ran the Haliburton Forest 50k two weeks prior to ARK. "I wouldn't say I was confident in a top three finish, as you never know what can happen during a race, but I did feel fairly confident that I would at least be a contender for one of the top spots."

Up next for Davies is the Asics X-Trail at Mont Orford (21k) in the Eastern townships of Quebec.  "After that I am looking for new and exciting challenges!  There are so many intriguing places to run and races to choose from that it's hard to decide what to aim for next.  I suppose my travel budget will be the limiting factor in that department!  I am definitely planning on trying some more longer-distance trail races (in the 50k to 50 mile range). I might also try my hand at some snowshoeing this winter as I hear that's lots of fun!"

written by Breathe Magazine; Tuesday Sept 27 2011

An early morning mist hovered, anticipating the day's events. As the sun ascended, the mist dissipated and the 5 Peaks community descended on Parkland County's stunning Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area.

The trails around Chickakoo Lake are well travelled by hikers and equestrians, all of whom appreciate the rolling hills and wide trails. 5 Peakers enjoy these trails for a slight reprieve from the ankle-testing, quadriceps-pounding technical nature of other courses. Thanks to the equine traffic however, runners still need to be aware of where their feet fall.

The well-packed and dry course proved to be fast for all competitors, including the youngest. The Scotiabank Childrens' Challenge started off with an invigorating warm up led by Coral Wiebe and Trevor Nickel. It must have been effective. About 50 challengers cantered through the dust and completed the 500M or 1 KM loop in no time at all.

Once the kids had saluted the field with the national anthem, the 2-lap, 14.3KM-running Enduros assembled in the chute. Released in waves, the 161-person field galloped through the course. Robert Renman won the day in 58:29, beating Yves Gagnon and David Corbett by just one second. Megan Hodges continued her series dominance of the women's side, winning in a time of 1:06:05.

Not long after the Enduros began, 238 Sport runners were ready to sprint. Completing 7.3KM in a blazing 30:53, Brendan Quigley squeezed past Kyle Nozack (30:54) for the win. Coral Wiebe (clearly pumped after the kids' warm up), was the fastest woman, finishing in 33:32. All runners were cheered heartily when they came in.

After Chickakoo, many first-timers became hooked on the sport and the spirit of 5 Peaks. When the community gathers for the last race of the season in Devon, the leaves will be yellow, the air will be cool, but the competition will be hot. Who will top the podium? Perhaps only the morning mist knows.

If the events on your calendar include words like, 'Iron, Death, Rockies, Peak, or Challenge .. you might just be a Trail Runner.

Last call for 5 Peaks Chickakoo pre-registration. For the 530 that have registered, check your inbox in the morning for a pre-race email. For those that miss the deadline, there is still hope for you. You can register on race day!

The Salomon 5 Peaks Trail Running Series went country on July 16 for its third race of the season by heading south to Camrose for a rootin'-tootin' run at the Camrose Biathlon Centre.

A drove of over 400 runners moseyed on in and were itching to go by the 10:00 a.m. start, if only to get away from the hordes of mosquitoes.  The mass start of both Enduro and Sport runners stampeded down the trail slipping through wet grass and kicking up mud. As the saying goes - no mud, no glory. Judging from all the mud-encrusted legs at the end of the race, this was a down 'n dirty glorious run.

Runners were up for the challenge at this new venue, battling hills, mud, swamp, heat and humidity. In the end, Evan Smelquist from Camrose rustled himself up a time of 40:06 to take overall first place in the 8 kilometre Sport distance. Nipping at his heels, Shari Boyle of Calgary kicked it up on the women's side to finish first, and second overall, in a blistering time of 40:18.

The 12.5 kilometre Enduro route took runners through the ironically named Happy Valley. A steep climb combined with a muddy trail, made this section of the run, as one runner put it, not so happy. But undaunted and with guns a blazin', Enduro runner, Robert Renman, another Camrose resident, galloped through the finish line with a time of 55:16 to take first place overall.  And Megan Hodges of Edmonton roped in a time of 1:05:47 to take first in the women's division.

Around 45 little buckaroos giddied-on up in the ScotiaBank Children's Challenge for a one kilometre race. Open to children under 10, these tykes proved that you're never too young to start running.

5 Peaks Northern Alberta will be seeing y'all August 27 for the next race at the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area where you can bet on more hills and fun and games. For more information or to register go to www.5peaks.com. Happy Trails!

Good Luck to all the Death Racers this weekend. Watch for both Womens and Mens 5 Peaks Teams as we attempt to add a little Orange Crush to this years race!

June 25th dawned grey and cool in Edmonton, but around 500 tough trail runners were undaunted.  These rugged, hill-loving, souls braved the prospect of rain, mud, and puddles at Sundridge this past Saturday for the second Salomon 5 Peaks Trail Race  (presented by Mountain Equipment Co-op) of the regular Northern Alberta season.

Rain through the previous two weeks had seen the trail crew extremely busy cutting new trail sections to replace flooded-out single track and the 5Peakers put that new trail to the test!  And what a test it was!  The 7.5km (Sport Course) or 15km (Enduro Course) of single track, double track, technical grassy sections, extreme downhills, even more extreme uphills thrilled every runner - all in all a wild good time!

Overall Enduro race winner David Corbett set a new course record at 1:04.40, holding off Yves Gagnon and Cameron Mang (who each won their respective age divisions) with a rocket-like start and a gutsy hold on the pace.  Ladies showed extremely well in the Enduro with overall winner and new course record holder Megan Hodges coming in at 1:18.02, staying a few steps ahead of sisters Savanna Boutin and Rozlyn Boutin who's neck-and-neck race to the line was a highlight for spectators.

The field was dazzled by some incredible speed in the Sport Course, with overall Sport winner and new course record holder Emma Neigel coming in at 36.52 followed by top male finisher Brian Stewart at 37.19 who was chased in by youngster Tate MacDonald (under 14!) and Roch Labelle just ahead of 2nd and 3rd place ladies Laura Estey and Coral Weibe. 

Strong finishes through the whole field were the story of the day, despite the 200m (per lap!) of elevation change and a mentally challenging up and downhill chicane in the last 2.5km to the finish.

The day started out with the ScotiaBank Children's challenge that saw around 30 of the newest generation of trail runners test their endurance on a deceptively hilly 1km course - and an exciting creek jump in the last 200 meters starting the sprint to the finish!  All the kids did great and are already looking forward to their next race, three weeks from now:

5Peaks Camrose!  Saturday July 16

Yes!  5Peaks brings you ANOTHER brand-new course, complete with all the usual thrills - there are sure to be some surprises too!  For more information or to register, head to www.5Peaks.com

See you on the trails!

Once a month, from May to September, Kamren Farr throws an outdoor party that changes location each time, begins early in the morning and attracts up to 500 people. Full article.