Last weekend I participated in a trail running clinic for women down in the Crowsnest Pass area. My sister in law found the class online and invited me to join. I am so glad that I accepted because it was a great experience and I learned a lot.
Good Vibes
Going into the clinic we had our trepidations. It was tough to know whether this would be a group of super hard core runners who would scale the mountains like nothing and leave us mortals in their dust.
As it turns out, the group of about 30 women was very diverse.
There were women of all ages and skill levels who had traveled from across Alberta for the clinic. One person even came all the way from Saskatchewan! During a round table discussion, everyone shared very unique reasons for joining. Some had never run on trails (or even necessarily spent time running), while others were training for ultramarathons.
It was really inspiring to see such a supportive group of women encouraging one another (as I mentioned in my International Women’s Day post, I LOVE to see it!).
Girl Guides
The clinic was organized by women for women. There were three guides with very diverse experiences in the sport. One was a sponsored Brooks athlete, another a well-seasoned expert, while the third was very passionate about the trail running community and enjoying the nature of it all.
Seeing what each person loved about the sport really emphasized that it is not a one size fits all experience. I am not a very competitive person so it is nice to hear that there are other trail runners who like to stop and smell the roses (read: snap a few pictures) along the way.
Trail Running 101
The organizers arranged for a running specialized physiotherapist to join as a speaker in the morning. Morgan Kurio was very knowledgeable about the sport and had a lot of great tips for efficient and sustainable training. She focused her presentation on running for women specifically.
I have done my own research online about techniques for trail running. However, I never had an opportunity to learn directly from the expert. Morgan was eager to answer questions which led to open discussion and a lot of valuable takeaways.
She also led us through a few killer strength exercises that I will definitely be adding to my routine.
Learning on the Trail
In the afternoon the group hit the nearby trails for a 10k run. During the run we stopped periodically for the guides to drop some knowledge and for the group to ask questions.
The tips and tricks ranged from the finer details involved with running uphill versus downhill to a very open discussion about how to use the bathroom in the woods. Definitely taking notes on that one!
No one was ever left behind and it was a really lovely way to see the beautiful scenery in the area. The view of Turtle Mountain was great and we got to travel through some of the rock debris from the Frank Slide. If you are unfamiliar with the tragic yet fascinating story of the slide, I highly recommend clicking the link.
Foreshadowing
The clinic was organized by Sinister Sports. Sound familiar?
Yes, this is the same company that puts on Sinister 7. In fact, we drove right past the start line for the race. Beginning at Stone’s Throw Café in Blairmore, I will make my way into the very same mountains where this clinic took place.
I have only driven through the town once before so this opportunity to get my bearings was very valuable.
There is a tangible feeling of excitement now that I have seen the area with my own eyes. July is right around the corner and I will be back before I know it!
