Millarville Run to the Farmers' Market ...

On Friday night, I was doubting my decision to get up at 4.30 am the next morning to run a hilly 21 kilometre course.  My training had been close to non-existent in the past few weeks, I was battling a very irritating cough and I'd just finished writing 11,000 words of reports about students I barely knew.  But, I got up and felt surprisingly good (a honey/lemon drink and a Berocca do wonders to one's energy!)  The kind and lovely C also got up at 4.30 am to drive me all the way to Millarville where the temperature was much lower than Calgary's ... a chilly 5 degrees (and its supposed to be summer right now!)  The race began at 7am and in the few first kilometres, I experienced a wave of panic as people were overtaking me, left, right and centre.  But, I managed to battle my inner doubts, and stuck to my race plan ... start off slow and finish strongly.  This, I managed to achieve despite the long, seemingly never-ending hills that dotted the race course, and I finished the course in a respectable 1 hour and 56 minutes.  Much faster than the goal time I had aimed for. 

The race, in its first year, was super well organised (apart from the predictably long pre-race women's bathroom line up) and I think I'll definitely run it again next year.  The scenery was spectacular - rolling green fields dotted with cows and the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the background.  Incidentally, my next half marathon is the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, actually in the mountains. 

Coming in to the finish line

After the race was also very enjoyable - C and I spent an hour or so wandering around the Millarville Market, buying up big on fresh fruit and veg as well as local beef, elk sausage and llama jerky. 

Finishing off ... 21km of fun!

Despite my initial night-before hesitations, I was more than happy to have been a part of the inaugural Millarville Run to the Farmers' Market Half Marathon.

Post-race celebrations ... Moet and cheese on our front verandah