visitCanada.in : Visit Canada - May 23/24: Cabot Trail Relay Race

May 23/24: Cabot Trail Relay Race

May 23
Woke up much earlier than expected to a lovely day with expected temperatures of 12 C degrees. After a nice breakfast at Bell View B&B (Elizabeth had some lovely French toast), it was time to get ready for my first leg, leg #4 which climbs up Cape Smokey over a distance of 2 km. There are some fantasticly fit and fast runners, especially doing this pretty tough leg.

Today was a really fun and challenging run, with the first 9km consisting of ostensibly "rolling hills", which in reality are some extended grades. After that began the steady climb up Cape Smokey which is nothing but straight uphill, encouraged by passing support vehicles honking their horns and yelling positive thoughts out their windows.

up Cape Smokey

At the crest of Cape Smokey began the long steady downhill towards the finish over a distance of another 9km. This part was fast and fun, and allowed me to make up some time from the uphill portion, although I made a point of saving my poor quads for tomorrow's leg. Finished the 20.01km portion in 1:33, an average of 4:39/km which I was pleased with. Even so, I only finished 25th out of 70 runners, showing just how tough the competition is. Incredibly, the winner of this leg averaged 3:30/km!

After my leg, it was time to relax, refuel and replenish electrolytes while we followed the next leg and through to the start of leg 6. Then we turned around to begin the drive back to Bay View and while Elizabeth stayed up a bit, I fell asleep quite early to get some rest for tomorrow morning's leg.

May 24
Woke up early and very stiff this morning, but tried to get motivated for my second leg of the Cabot Trail Relay Race. It was an early rise and breakfast served by Denise at Bell View B&B, then off we went to the final leg, leg #17 of the race. Karen came in strong, then I began the quad-fatiguing climb and descent of Hunter Mountain. All in all it went quite well, averaging 4:36/km over 18.70 km. The finishing experience in Baddeck with several hundreds of teams and locals yelling encouragement down a funnel of people on the downhill city centre street is something I won't forget.

This is what tired after two legs of the Cabot Trail Relay Race looks like!