The Death Race wasn't that hard, as somehow, there was always moonlight when I was doing night legs - perhaps I was just lucky.
However, this year's Banff Winterstart night race was a real 'Pitch Black' race. The race was an incredible adventure. It is freaking BLACK out once you leave the townsite of Banff (about 500 meters into the race and then it’s all by feel). I didn't have a headlamp, or any other light, so for me and many others, it was a real adventure to see where we were running. It was snowing at the top of the Tunnel Mountain hill, but only raining at the bottom. I also couldn't follow runners in front of me, as I wasn't able to see them!
I needed more than 35 minutes (and that was super sloooow) to conquer 8 km of Banff Winterstart course. I didn't feel confident before the race as I've been training last month with 'not right' right hip and right leg adductor muscles.
I did my 'warm up' on Tunnel Mountain, by doing a long loop, going around Banff Centre, where there were thousands of cars - I guess people were visiting the November festival. I was thinking, do they really need to come here by a car?
During the climb to the top, everything in my right hip felt wrong, as I was trying to warm it up. It was finally OK, once I was back, but then I was hungry, so I had to have some pasta.
This was not a real warm up for the race - I had to see how my hip would behave, so that I could get back some confidence.
Real warm up came around 6:30 PM when we headed to Banff Caribou Lodge, where was the start. Sweet Sugar was my 'labour' as always when I do my racing, as she was carrying dry clothes that I need after the race.
I felt better, and I felt warm, and I didn't feel my demanding hip. I stretched and I made sure my hip was ready for sprinting in the dark.
The race course is not too hard, except that total ascent is 160 meters, and majority of that comes after 2.5 km. So, you run uphill approximately for 1.5 km. And you do it in complete dark. Well, you do the whole race in complete blackness. I almost bumped into couple of runners who struggled running up the hill - they wore dark clothes, and there was no way to see them.
You should also be careful not to cross the median on the right hand side, as there was the end of asphalt, and beginning of a ditch. Some people 'got ditched'.
I felt great first 2.5 km, did it in less then 10 min, and then I was able to push through first half of the hill, but then somehow I started to fade. Good thing was that I didn't feel much pain in my right hip. I warmed up properly. Couple of people passed me on big curve on Tunnel Mountain, and one of them had at least 5 or 6 light bulbs on him, he looked like a Christmas tree! I decided to follow him, as he was giving me very much needed light.
Good thing was that there were no monsters. There was no Vin Diesel as well.
My descent was fast - I let gravity works for me, and pretty soon, I was at the bottom of Tunnel Mountain, and only had 2.5 km left.
Usually, when racing, I can push last 2 km, and I thought I could do it again, but somehow, I couldn't maintain my heart rate at level I wanted to. I had to slow down, as I felt I was running out of steam. That felt strange, as this was very short race, and I was already flat!
It was raining now considerably and strong head wind was working against my time (and everyone else time). I even felt that my bare knees were getting cold.
Couple of runners passed me, but I kept very close to them, as I was preparing for the last push, and that came some 200 m before the finish line. I was only able to pass one of them - others were pushing just fast as me.
When I finished the race, I felt relieved as after every race in the past. I felt good - it felt good, my pace, my heart, my lungs, my legs. Even my hip was OK, and both adductors were OK.
I was tired, I was wet, I was hot, and I was happy that I 'survived' in these Pitch Black conditions. I was happy that Sweet Sugar was happy as well.
Richard B. Riddick would be proud of me.
