5 per hour

I thought that I wouldn't do this year Mountain Smoker. I put it on my 2010 list of races only because I felt healthy when I was making the list. I knew that I wouldn't do it 99%.

The race was supposed to be on January 30th, and then, it got cancelled. When that happened, I was sure I wouldn't be doing it. 99% became 100%.

I was healthy, but I was not confident that I could do it.

Then it turned out it was not cancelled - it was actually postponed to March 20th. And then, my 100% of not doing it started becoming smaller.

Right now I am at 50%.

What is the Mountain Smoker?

The Mountain Smoker is an endurance race where competitors ski Norquay’s Lone Pine run as many times as they can in three hours. The actual race will start on Saturday March 20th at 12:00 midday. Competitors will start according to the time that they record in the Preliminary qualifier.

Qualifying runs are the morning of Saturday March 20th, 2010 between 9am and 11:30am. The timing of two qualifying runs will determine what order racers will go in. Racers who are unable to make it for the qualifiers, will start at the back of the group.

The race will be held on Saturday March 20th 2010 from 12pm to 3pm.

I've been thinking what will make me do the Mountain Smoker again. Last time I did it in 2008, and last year I was out of shape for such a race.

One of the reasons to do it this year is money that I will collect from my 'sponsors'. Each one of them will pledge a certain amount for each run I do on Saturday. The money raised will be going to help fund the purchase of new toys for the Banff Child Care Center.

Another reason is Eddie Hunter. He is 84, and he still does the Mountain Smoker. Eddie was one of the first people to ride the lift 1948 when it officially opened as a single chair. "The lift" is North American char lift that takes you to the top of Mt.Norquay.

The biggest reason is the simplest - the race is there. It is there to be done, to be raced. Many people ask me "why are you doing it?". And I say, "Why not?".

I will do my qualifying races, and then I will decide if I will compete. I still have to feel it, that I want to go. I know my legs will be burning and crying during each 1,300 vertical feet run. The record was set in 1981 when Bob Rankin did 22 runs in 3 hrs. Elevation he conquered that day was equal to Mt.Everest.

I did 17 runs two years ago. I will be happy to do 15 this year. It means I have to do 5 per hour.